Let me start off by saying how frustrated I am. Today is my one month bandaversary, and so far I have lost 30 lbs. This is great- I know, and I am very excited about it. However, I have been dieting. I am very careful about what I eat, and for the most part, am not starving (much) anymore. I consume 800-1100 cals a day (I change it up to keep the body guessing- thanks Bam) and for the two weeks have been on a rollercoaster. Down 29, up 1, up 2, up 3, down 1, up 1, down 2, same, same, down one, same, same, up, down, you get the picture. I am working my ASS off, and my question is, how am I going to lose weight with my fills if I am eating the same now as I will then? In fact, I am forcing myself to eat more than I am hungry for now just to get in enough calories for the day. Someone guide me through this with some "I was the same way" encouragement. Tell me what you did to get past this, and how later will be different:scared2:

30 pounds in one month is terrific. What you have to do is remember this is really not a diet per say, even though you watch your calories and eat the proper foods. Protein, then veggies and if you have room a bit of starch. It's a lifestyle change. You will have to eat totally different than you ever did in your life before banding.

For one thing don't weigh yourself too much. Once a week is fine at the same time best in the early morning and naked.

You have to consume enough calories to not make your body go into starvation mode which will shut your metabolism down somewhat. I was told 1200-1500 was good. Depending on your size. I take in abut 1200 a day.

The doctors and nurses told me 2 lbs. a week is ideal. It's more likely they stay off.

Fills are great, they tighten up the band. As you lose weight it gets loose. So about every 5-6 weeks you may need a fill. It's time for me to get one. When you find there is little restriction it's time for a fill.

No one wants Bandster Hell when you can't eat or drink anything that is dangerous and it's not fun.

I just take it one day at a time. I finally fit into normal sized clothing which is wonderful.

I hope to reach my goal by my anniversary date in August.

Good luck hope this helps.

Pati

Hang in there, I know how frustrated you are. I am at the end of my journey and I am gaining and losing the same damn two pounds over and over again. The thing is, it will come to pass. One day you will realize you are gaining and losing the same two pounds only they will be two LOWER pounds than the week before. I feel like my body sometimes is just REFUSING to co-operate. 6 days a week at the gym for an hour or more of hard sweaty work and my body should just give it up! It just works like that and believe it or not, your fills will help take away that hunger. The hunger is what makes me want to give up and throw in the towel and I am thankful the band takes that away fro me. You will get through this and you body will give up the weight. Hang in there.

Congratulations on your 30lb weight loss. That is great! Also smart to vary your calorie intake, that is what I do also. You may want to eat up to 1500 every 3rd day or so, it will give a shock to your system. If you haven't started exercising, you may want to start by walking.

The fills will help you when the calories you are consuming aren't keeping you full any more. The food will stay in your pouch and you will be satisfied longer. It will make what you are doing not feel like a diet as much.

Don't get discouraged, it is way too early for that and you are doing a wonderful job.

I had my 4th fill yesterday.

The first did something, a bit for a short time.

The second did nothing (except for being an extremely rough fill, hurting like all get out).

I DID NOT LOSE A POUND IN THE MONTH AFTER FILL 2

The third was a pretty good fill, did hurt too much, and gave me amazing restriction for about 2 months, then wore off a bit.

I LOST 33 POUNDS BETWEEN 3 and 4, though I only lost 2 pounds in the last 2 weeks.

Today, after fill 4, I am feeling restriction again, drinking slower and feeling like it will come off more. (and the fill was the easiest one so far).

After one day, I am down a pound.

So it will get better. Just takes time to hit the sweet spot. It might be 2, 3 or more fills before you get there, but you will get there.

GOT TO SAY IT 30 pounds is so so SO awsome!!! You may need anthor fill? I am new to this and not banded yet but from what I read this could be it.

AWSOME WORK!!

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I know this too shall pass. And I have controlled my cals enough now where I only get hungry at times, but I am eating like I would assume I can eat when I am filled (except for today). Like 2 oz of fish and 1/4 cup broccoli. When I was on the liquid diet the pounds fell right off. Now I am on solids and trying to watch my diet, it has pretty much stopped. I have noticed though that when I keep the cals around 800, I do better. The couple days this week I was closer to 1200 I gained. I am really nervous to have more. And those days my cals were higher I had more carbs and fat than I wanted. How do I get in more calories that don't add more fat and carbs, without feeling like I am stuffing my face full. Today I ate at Olive Garden and where usually I am around 300 cals by this time of day, I am closer to 700! I had bruschetta, soup, salmon, and broccoli (obviously only half). I know I overate, not that I am in pain, but I just KNOW.

Is there a place I can find out how many carbs and fat I should be consuming to lose weight effectivly that fits my body type?

1st fill coming on 2/3. I am worried I am one of those people who loses in the beginning, then stays the same "but not gaining," and never loses any more. I am 265, and that is not an acceptable weight more me to be stuck at. What I really hate is this is where all my other diets get stuck. 20-40lbs gone, the nothing for MONTHS of dieting, and then back to bad habits. I know I won't do that this time, but still.

Sorry this is so long winded- there should be a cap! But when I was in high school I weighed 205 as a freshman. I went on a dietician supervised diet of 1000-1200 calories and ran my ass off in volleyball, and I lost 60 lbs from Nov to June. I was losing 3-4 lbs a week. I stopped at 145, then gained steadily since then.

I am not supposed to be exercising until after week 6, but could it really hurt to start a couple weeks early?

Don't start any exercise until your doctor says it is ok. Call the surgeon's office and see if walking a couple of miles a day is appropriate.

Walk, don't do anything else you are healing internally. don't do anything that might cause the band to slip or your port to tear from your muscle wall. Just walk and walk and walk.

We all have plateaus and get over them. Just take it one day at a time and don't over worry about things.

Chew everything as much as you can. Make good choices and you will be fine. Stay on schedule don't go ahead of it. Attend support groups when you can it does help to talk to others.

Congrats on the weight lose....30 lbs is amazing!!! One thing I did notice reading your posts, is that fact you say you gained pounds. I know you are not gaining 1,2 or 3 lbs on a 800-1200 cal diet. Your body is just adjusting its fluid intake, probably holding on for various reasons. If you take in 1200 calories and the next day you are up 3 lbs it has nothing to do with the 1200 cals.....it takes 3500 to gain a true pound. Just try to remember that, instead being upset the scale went up. I use to weigh myself everyday....now I am only allowed on the scale on Sunday. I'm so bad about over weighing myself, I don't trust having my scale in my house. You might laugh, I know I do.....but my husband takes the scale and puts it in the shed in a locked storage box that I don't have a key after I weigh in on Sunday. He use to hide it throughout the house but I would spend hours looking for it...lol Sad I know!

Well, the scale is still not moving. I have been tracking everything I eat on The Daily Plate, and I am sick of it. I am afraid if I don't track, I will eat too much. How long where your longest plateaus?

Well, the scale is still not moving. I have been tracking everything I eat on The Daily Plate, and I am sick of it. I am afraid if I don't track, I will eat too much. How long where your longest plateaus?

6 miserable weeks. Seriously. I wanted to cry through the whole thing cause I was at the gym and writing it ALL down and it would not budge. I would gain and lose the same couple of pounds over and over again. Then one day, the scale started going down again and rapidly. Like, a pound every 2 days or so. Keep at it, it will happen.

6 miserable weeks. Seriously. I wanted to cry through the whole thing cause I was at the gym and writing it ALL down and it would not budge. I would gain and lose the same couple of pounds over and over again. Then one day, the scale started going down again and rapidly. Like, a pound every 2 days or so. Keep at it, it will happen.

At what point did your plateau occur? I am at 6 months post op and haven't lost anything in the last 3 weeks. Of course, I can't exercise yet, because I am recovering from a hysterectomy, but I am varying my calorie consumption from 1000-1500 each day. I am not gaining, but not losing either. I don't need another fill, because I still have restriction and I am not hungry all of the time.

Hang in there ALS. I went through the same thing, as have most on this site. Also, don't get your hopes up too much on that first fill. It did help me for about a week and a half , but I've heard from a lot of folks that they didn't even notice. I also hit a plateau, even gained several pounds, between when I started solids and had a fill. Then lost that plus another 5. I just had my second fill and it has started to slowly come off. I can still eat more than what I've been told to eventually expect, but do notice more restriction. It keeps getting easier to eat less. Be strong, keep plugging away. The fills do help.

At what point did your plateau occur? I am at 6 months post op and haven't lost anything in the last 3 weeks. Of course, I can't exercise yet, because I am recovering from a hysterectomy, but I am varying my calorie consumption from 1000-1500 each day. I am not gaining, but not losing either. I don't need another fill, because I still have restriction and I am not hungry all of the time.

I was banded jan 2nd and lost nothing the entire month of July. Had a small drop beginning of August then nothing until September. I had a fill in September, got it going again and then again in October where I hit my sweet spot. Hit anouther bad stretch mid november to mid december. Since yoou cant excersize, give yourself a break and let yourself heal and when you are cleared to workout, hit it like mad! Hang in there!

WOW 30 pounds is GREAT!!!

I will say that I was banded 11-14 and I too was dieting befor my first fill and after my fist fill I was also dieting. I just got my second fill on friday and I hope this helps. To be honest I have read alot of storys and I think we will be on a diet from now on per say. Dont look at as a diet, look at it as better food choices. I can put anything in my mouth, but I HAVE to stay away from the NO NO foods because I have found out just how easy they go down. Chips and dips are EVIL!!!

I would say to you keep up the good work and be proud that you are doing as good as you are doing!