I am about 5 weeks post-op and I must say that I am a bit concerned about my weight loss journey so far. As some of us on this site, I have been heavy all of my life; however, I've always been an athlete. I was a collegiate athlete as well (shot put, discus, hammer), so I thought it would be a breeze to lose weight with the lap band while being an advid exercise-er...

Anyway, I've been going to the gym about 4 days a week, burning an average of 700 calories in an hour or so. I usually jog, do the eliptical, or walk on a steep incline on the treadmill. I hadn't started lifting weights yet until I was cleared by my doc which was yesterday.

Well I definitely notice that I can now fit in clothing I could not fit in to.. not even if I sucked in.. before my surgery, but I haven't lost not one single pound! I am a bit discouraged right now.

I've always been more muscular than the average chick, so at 5'7, I'm about 265lbs, and a size 18.

Has anyone else experienced these kind of results. I thought I was doing well with my journey until I weighed myself at the doctor's office. I'm a bit worried and mad at myself for now.

This may not do it or even be the answer to why you are not losing but... when my scales quit moving I counted my calories and I was eating 1700 calories a day. I cut down to 1200 and started losing . I was hungry but I would fill up on sf popsicles at the end of my day.

good luck

your band sister

edie

I'm also about 5 weeks post op and I we are doing a lot of the same things in terms of working out and I too am not losing weight. I have a STROOOONG suspicion it is due to all the calories I am taking in...I am eating what I know to be "normal"....I have no restriction, I can eat anything I like and in quantities that I used to consume before the band...I think we may have to do what our bandsister shared, start calorie counting until we start seeing some weight loss.

But, I was never very efficient with that, soooooo I am hoping that the fill I am getting in about 4 days will help me not take in as many calories as I have been used to taking in----when you do get your first fill????

I work out all the time. But each workout only burns 200 calories. (And that's according to the machines at the gym, which I don't totally trust.)

So do that 4-5 times a week and you have burned off 800-1000 calories. It takes a deficit of 3500 to lose a pound so you can see that even exercising at intensity (5+ METS) won't make you lose even a pound a week, maybe a half a pound at most.

The reason to exercise is to give yourself a cushion in your eating and to be healthier. It really isn't going to burn off a lot of calories all by itself unless you exercise like crazy -- and even then you may replace the fat with muscle and so not see anything on the scale -- though that's the healthiest way to lose weight and you'll see it in your clothing sizes.

Another reason to exercise is because it's associated with long-term success. In a study I saw, in the first six months, there was no difference in weight loss on average between the exercisers and non-exercisers. But over time, the gap grew with the exercisers losing more weight and keeping it off better than the non-exercisers.

Yeah I definitely agree with everything I have read. I think I'm getting my body into "shape" first because several people have commented that I look like I've lost 20lbs.. Oh well.. I have to cut back more calories.

Before I was banded, I was getting my last bit of "freedom" in and consuming almost anything that I wanted (which of course was not smart!). So I know I have decreased my calorie intake from that, but perhaps I need to just be more selective in my food choices.

I have been sticking to the high Protein diet, but I think I could still tighten it up some more.

One more good point about exercisers vs. non-exercisers is that in my opinion, they tend to look better. Look at the contestants on the Biggest Loser. After some of them lose weight, I can not tell they had ever had a weight problem or had ever been overweight to begin with.

Sometimes when I see those who have lost weight without exercising... well let's just say that I'm just not jealous of them! Haha..

Well thanks for the responses and the suggestions. I will keep everything you all said in mind!

Kasi