LENGTH ALERT! (This has very detailed tips and tricks, so this is not a short post. Just a "heads up")

People asked me a lot how I went from Slow Loser to getting to goal. I did better my second year of banding and when the weight came off - it really came off.

This is something that worked for me, and I recommended to other Bandsters.

Granted, these are tips that's not in any LapBand brochure or doctor's manual, and YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY - but if you already think of yourself as a Slow Loser like I was, then maybe you will be open to trying something to shake things up a bit.

When I needed a weight-loss push, I didn't cut down on calories much (if I'd recently had a fill adjustment, that's different) but in general:

I *added* Protein to every thing I ate.

This helped me to lose steadily (although it sped up my weight loss, more importantly it kept it steady). And it worked! Some Bandsters in my same banding date were better at counting calories - I wasn't. Some were better at counting carbs, I wasn't, but I excelled at ADDING protein. And I did well and later, other fellow Bandsters were asking me for help and tips. :crying:

How did I do it? I did not reduce calories or the amount I consumed (without a fill it wasn't much need to try that) and yet, I still lost. (I added a little bit of Beans, or a sprinkle of cheese (my favorite), or eggs - whatever I could. I didn't reduce what I ate, but I "upped my protein" - and it worked.

With the band, if you eat more protein, you generally will find yourself eating less overall - it doesn't feel that way but you do.

Every single time I added more protein to my regular Band-friendly meals, I lost more weight, even though I wasn't eating less calories sometimes. Sounds crazy - but in my particular case, if I didn't keep my protein levels up, my body held on to calories a lot more. Who needs their bodies "hoarding" calories? :thumbup:

If adding a bit of food meant I would lose more, it was worth a try. It worked.

And I paid attention to the TYPE of protein I ate. (Even before banding, I didn't eat beef or pork at all. And the band was developed in other countries where the pork and beef consumption is a lot lower than it is here in the 'States. I'm not a vegetarian, I just eat seafood and poultry only. My doc said this helped my weight loss a lot because the protein I ate was leaner, not fattier protein like pork/ham/bacon or beef/hamburger/fatty red meat. So I didn't have to regulate my portions as much as some Bandsters did. My can of tuna did more for me than a hamburger ever would have.)

Also, I'm a single/childless Bandster who lives alone, so I eat out for almost every meal. If I could make it to goal - while eating out - ANYBODY can.

How did I do it? Here were some tips.

• At Breakfast, with my morning egg(s), I added a bit of cheese on top. Or I would have cottage cheese added. For protein and hunger reasons, cottage cheese did better than yogurt for me - unless I just had a fill or was very very filled or adjusted. The most filled I am, the less I eat in the mornings. So especially if you are not at your sweet spot, try Proteins that "stick" with you more to keep hunger away. Yogurt alone was not good enough of a breakfast for me, with the band it just went through, and wasn't really filling. Now if I charged up my yogurt with lots of nuts, seeds, and wheat germ - then BAM! I'm not much of a cold Cereal eater (I prefer hot cereals) but if I had one I made sure it was a protein-packed one (I LOVE Grape Nuts cereal best. Go Lean is awesome, and several of the Oatmeals & Cream of Wheat cereals have good protein content. I also added a few nuts to those, too. If I had a yogurt smoothie drink as a snack, I had them had a half scoop of Protein powder (a full scoop can make it too thick sometimes) or some soy or nuts.
  
• Lunchtime was easy to get more protein in. I'd eat a scoop of tuna salad or chicken salad for lunch - and have them add some shredded cheese, some seeds and/or some nuts. I also love Soup. Usually a cup is a nice start to my lunch if I'm having a scoop of salad or tuna. If it's my whole lunch I get a bowl of soup and eat what I can from it. My band will tell me when to stop. Almost any kind of any soup is great with a sprinkle of cheese or nuts added. Beans, too!
  
• With my dinner I always like a cup of soup to begin. Gets me going, jump starts & 'primes' my band and it's a great protein opportunity. Then if I could, I concentrated on seafood. ANY type of fish worked great with my band - From catfish to salmon to snapper to Tilapia. Or even shrimp or my all time favorite, calamari. I enjoy oysters in season and clams all year. The weeks that I ate more seafood, I lost more weight - across the board. Usually grilled is a good choice to be honest I even ate it fried (sorry, weight loss experts) and I still did well. And with my seafood, if I could I added beans to almost everything. With my steamed veggies, I added nuts and a sprinkle of cheese sometimes. I know it's not very It really does work!
  
  

See when I restrict my calories or even when I try to cut down on fat - I usually just end up cutting down on protein. And no matter how "well" or how much less I eat, if I cut my protein my body won't 'burn' up the fat. It holds on to it. I know that protein is the fuel that helps the LapBand machine work and not trying to diet or 'cut down' was a blessing to me.

I've had other Bandsters try this, and yes they are skeptical at first but when they start seeing inches lost (muscle really does weigh more than fat, so your clothes tell you before the scale ever will) then they get on the bandwagon. So don't just 'cut down' - ADD some food on your plate. That's right. ADD MORE nuts, boiled/diced egg, beans, cheese, seeds and other yummy forms of protein. Your body and your LapBand will thank you for it. Also adding protein allowed me to eat fewer carbs and save them for what was really a nice treat - a nice martini or occasional glass of wine, with dinner. Yes, I'm a drinking Bandster. All the successful European Bandsters I knew drank a glass or two now and then and they were my role models. I can't drink a lot AT ALL - a little goes a long way, but it was nice to get to goal weight without ever missing a Friday Happy Hour. I got the band to enhance my life, not take away some of the things that make it enjoyable. I eat out at restaurants, I go have drinks with friends - and I feel and look great. BRAVO!

Good Luck to you. (And since so many people asked me the same question in private posts - that's why I am posting it on the Slow Losers board too...)

Keep up the good fight. I did it - and you can too.

I just wanted to tell you thxs for the information you provided in this post. Ive been banded for 3 months going threw the ups and down, I have a small band, currently at 2.5cc, down 58lbs just reached the point I can only eat seafood, no other meats. I was really concerned about not being able to eat enough so I added more protein. Today I made a 52gram protein smoothie for breakfast which was at 7am. Well around 3pm I realized I hadnt even thought about eating. I tried to eat and of course you know what happened. I waited 2hrs then tried again and dumped again. I couldnt wait to get home and chat with my bandsters friends and ran up on this blog. I was wondering why some days Im able to tolerate more than others and I now realize its the amount of proteins I begin my day with. Thxs again and congrats on your success.

I, too, am a slow loser. I have lost 39 pounds since band, 49 since process began. It has been 10 months since my surgery. My doctor says he doesn't know why I am not losing more and gave me the rotation diet. No more diets for me. This is a way of life now. I guess I have become comfortable where I am. But, at 59, 49 pounds is a good loss. I am not finished yet, but just letting my body adjusts for itself. I have an appt. for a fill with a new doctor on 10/1 and I am hoping he will offer me encouragement, along with the fill. In any case, I am going to keep doing what I am doing and let God take care of the rest. It is all about the journey, not the destination.

Great thread!! I have been at a plateau for about 6 months now and haven't lost a thing. Recently hired a personal trainer (2 sessions a week) with assignments for what to do on the other days. I'm working out 5 days a week. Also, I think my band may actually be too tight. I've been PBing about every other evening when I eat dinner. I have no problem during the day, but in the evening, I can't hardly get anything to stay down. :laugh: I'm actually going in for a slight unfill on Weds if my surgeon agrees that that is what I need. I have a horrible sweet tooth and like to graze throughout the day. So, I'm upping the exercise, increasing water intake, and am focussing on lowering my carbs and increasing my protein intake.

Wow!

Thanks everyone for posting on this.

My Dr dosent believe I should be doing any Restrictive diets and as long as I am not gaining he and I are ok with my slow loss...OK I am not Great with my slow loss BUT I am happier then possibly gaining.

I have been adding Protein for the past few weeks and it is really starting to work PLUS My hair is comming back in. lol I have always had really thin hair and well I have a bunch of new growth and that is awesome!

I eat a boiled egg for breakfast. And I try to have my version of tuna salad...Change out High protein greek yougart for the mayo. It is really good! Then I kinda do dinner as a whatever...just not a lot of food. Tostadas are my favorite...beans cheese sour cream YUMMMY!

So I am working on higher protein and Well I am starting to see some movement. So Awesome!

Good Luck all

This advice sounds very nutritionally sound. I am going to follow your advice. How many grams of protein? Any carbs at all?

This is really helpful to read, I'm going to try it this week. I've not lost as much as I would have liked (banded December 30th, 2011, lost roughly 14lbs since), but I do feel the difference in how my clothes fit, so that's a good thing :-)

To figure out the minimum protein to eat daily you multiply your weight in pounds by .37 and that how much you should be eating/drinking according to my nutritionist.

Unjury has a non- flavor protein powder. U can put it in any thing! It is not bad either!

NewSho, you made my day with this post!!! Thank you. I will be banded 8/31/12.

This totally makes sense I have cut back on my protein by making lettuce wraps for lunch. I have been racking my brain for why I have been stuck and it is my reduction of protein....thanks for the tips....going to boil some eggs right now! You rock!

wow..what an informative post this is...I have been eating hardly 30 to 40 gms protien,somedays even less....no wonders my body is not responding...

I will surely up my protien now..

great post...i have started loosing....yipee..now i have eggs cheese,chicken and protien milk shakes....all together more than 50 gms protien....

thanks a lot..

What happened to slow losers. I've only lost 5 pounds in 2 months I know it's good but not 1-2 pounds a week so frustrated any encouraging words

I was banded on 23 April 2012 and for the next 4 months, I lost 50lbs, and then I went back to my old ways and started gaining weight, I noticed i wasn't drinking or eating as much protein, somewhere along the line I fell off the wagon and I am now so confused. I read your post, which is very encouraging, I am going to try it. I need to restart somewhere.I hope this works for me.

I was banded on 23 April 2012 and for the next 4 months, I lost 50lbs, and then I went back to my old ways and started gaining weight, I noticed i wasn't drinking or eating as much protein, somewhere along the line I fell off the wagon and I am now so confused. I read your post, which is very encouraging, I am going to try it. I need to restart somewhere.I hope this works for me.