OK it has now been 4 weeks and I have basically lived on the liquid and the mush ... very carefully stayed between 600-800 calories. Why have I not lost anything but 2.5 lbs in the last 2 weeks. Heck if I can not lose on such limited calories how am I going to lose when I am eating?

I felt like you. I have been very slow loosing the weight. But don't get discouraged. I had my 3rd fill a couple of weeks ago and now I’m beginning to lose more. Sometimes it just takes more time with some more than others.

I have to keep reminding myself that it took me years to put it on and even with the band, it’s going to take time to come off

This might sound a little counter-productive but you might want to try upping your daily calorie intake. I'm not 1 that believes in the 'starvation mode' theory but I do believe that too few calories isn't good for you.

Personally, I didn't lose a huge amount on the liquid/mush stage because mushy things tend to be a little higher calorie and I tended to eat more often especially by 3-4 weeks post-op because I was starting to feel hunger. Either way, maybe up the calories for a few days and see what happens.

I also found that checking my BMR/RMR was quite an eye opener. You can Google 'RMR' and find all kinds of calculators but here's a link to one I've used.

Calculating BMR and RMR | CaloriesPerHour.com

Good luck and keep on following the rules....you will lose the weight !!!!

All the best,

Patricia

You should have been told by your surgeon's office not to expect a loss until after you start getting fills. If you lose anything before that, it's a bonus.

My doctor also told me to eat every 3-4 waking hours whether hungry or not, otherwise your body goes into hybernation mode & stores the fat. That is what happened with me before the band. I ate healthy enough foods, just not at the right times or the right volumes, & I couldn't lose.

Did your doctor suggest 600-800 calories? I personally don't think that you are eating enough. Are you getting any exercise? I wouldn't let my body get use to only 800 calories a day, or you may notice a gain in the future when you start needing more calories for your body to continue to function. I would talk to my doctor or nutritionist and find out the proper amount of calories you should have, determined by your weight and physical activity. I eat double that every day and am still losing weight. Good Luck and let us know how things go.

Here my dr. just did the surgery that is about it. I have been navigating my own way . I found that I could not eat much more than the 600-800 for the first 2.5 weeks. I am now introducing regular foods and am up to about 1000 cal.

My doc just did the surgery nothing else.

I felt the same as you, and I actually gained a couple of pounds in the week after the surgery. Part of that was, I'm sure, my body's reaction to the drugs and anaesthesia etc. But it came off eventually again. That combined with the severe limitation of food in the pre-op diet put me into starvation mode.

The thing that I am starting to learn with the lapband is that this is the last time we will see those numbers that we are currently seeing on the scale. We shouldn't gain it back again and we should lose it little by little.

I'm not a fast loser, but I feel much happier with my 50-odd loss and know that I'll never be near 300 pounds again! In time I will be able to say the same about the 200's.

Focus on eating really healthy food, eating Protein every three hours (even if it just a little), drink your Water, and when you can start, do some exercise. I thought this was a miracle cure too, but we still have to do some of the work, and eventually our bodies will reward us with a loss. And something that I've really had to learn is, the scale doesn't tell the whole story.

Welcome to band land, you'll do great.

Mary

U probably need to increase your calories to 1000 for a week and see if you lose. I had to increase my calories and start walking at least 30 min per day you will start to see the changes just hang in there.

Thank you all for your replies. Tonight I start doing water aerobics. I also have arthritis and believe this will be better for my joints.

I have been reading a lot of the comments and I truly didn't know there were so many people who chose the lap band. It's somewhat comforting to know that I am not the only one who had some doubts that this was a good decision.

Mary, like you said, those numbers on the scale is the last time I will see those again!!

And *Love*, they did tell me that the band would be slower, but I just didn't think it would be this slow! LOL

I am one of those people who has to go slow with fills..I currently have 5cc in a 10cc band. I got all the way to 5.5 and couldnt eat 800 cal a day and didnt lose a thing..but yet when it was at 5.3 I had lost 9 lbs that month and got greedy and wanted it tighter so we went to 5.5 and it backfired so he took out.5 for this past month. Gained 2lbs and going back tomorrow for a fill and hopefully lose some more...Hang in there!! I was banded in March and its a slow road...but its all downhill!! I didnt gain it overnite and wont lose it that way either..but I WILL lose!!

Before I had my surgery, I started seeing a bariatric specialist who explained how important it was to eat enough and at the right times...that starving yourself is not how you lose weight, but eating the right foods and keeping your metabolism high(by eating Protein, but ensuring you get sufficient carbs and fats, as well).

On that diet, I lost 48 pounds in a couple of months. I now have my lapband in, and for the first month and a half it has been fairly slow, but it is starting to work again. I have one fill, and will be going for another one next week.

You may want to talk to a nutritionist, just to help you keep up enough calories and eat the right things. I don't really feel I am on a diet right now, as I am seldom hungry.

Good luck!

Thanks for your comments. Yes I think I should see a nutritionist also. There's one a the hospital where I had my surgery. At first I was eating all liquids and soft foods but I quickly got tired of that. I still don't eat beef or anything fried and drink a protein shake every morning. I eat several small meals but I must not be doing the combinations right. Do you know of any good web sites with eating programs designed for people with lap bands?

I was slow too, or should I say I am slow to lose. I was told to eat my protein first, vegies next and last carbs... I can't eat any bread , wraps or very little pasta... here is the kicker, I can eat a cookie !!!!!:smile2:

I noticed a lot of you had tickerfactory.com on your posts. I just found that site. I'll post my ticker scale soon.

Thanks for your comments. Yes I think I should see a nutritionist also. There's one a the hospital where I had my surgery. At first I was eating all liquids and soft foods but I quickly got tired of that. I still don't eat beef or anything fried and drink a Protein shake every morning. I eat several small meals but I must not be doing the combinations right. Do you know of any good web sites with eating programs designed for people with lap bands?

I was on a really long plateau and I found a site for bariatric patients called the 5 day pouch test. I went on it for 5 days and it really kick started my weight loss again. It also reminded me to have more protein. It was at, www.5daypouchtest.com and it is for people who have had gastric bypass, but it is good for us as well.

I lost four pounds during that five days, which is amazing for me, and I've lost half a pound a week since. So I'm really pleased.

Mary