I am discouraged I was banded on 3-4 I have only lost 3 lbs and that was on liquid diet. I can now start soft foods. I am afraid I will gain weight now . Anyone else having this problem

After reading a bunch of these threads I see we might not loose much at all till we get a fill or two. Just a little more than a week you most likely still have a lot of water weight like I do. I have only lost about 3lbs since the surgery as well but I lost 20lbs during the liquid diet prior to the surgery. I think this is what they call bandster hell while we are waiting for our fills. I hope this helps and good luck with you weight loss..... Did you get the realize band and if so have you also been to the realizemysuccess web site???

We have all been where you are now. You even just might gain a little when you start soft foods and solids but that is OK. You got the Lap Band to help you lose weight, it is inside you waiting to be used but you have not yet begun to use it. You are healing right now, after surgery you probably have some internal swelling and fluid retention. Your body is stressed and trying to heal. Don't focus on weight loss just yet, get in the proper nutrition and work your way up to solid foods as directed and let your body do what it needs to do. You have made extreme changes in diet and your metabolism will need to reset itself as you add solids and more calories. Once you start getting adjustments then you will start using the band and then you can expect to see the weight come off.

Let me add some thoughts to the good advice given above. You read it so often everywhere on the site, but it is so true, and I think bears repeating. We are all DIFFERENT! Let me list the ways:

-Our pre-banding weights, heights, ages, health: different

-Our pre-surgery diet requirements range from all liquid for 2 weeks, to "stop eating the night before at midnight"...different

-Our actual surgeries: laporascopic or open?

-Our bands: Realize or Lap?

-Incisions: closed with glue, staples, or sutures? All different.

-Surgery location: outpatient surgery center or hospital?

-length of stay: half a day outpatient to 2-3 days hospital

-post-op diet: 1 week liquid and 1 week mushies, 2 weeks mushies and solids...2 weeks liquid and 2 weeks mushies to transition to solids...so many combinations, all different.

-Recovery: relatively painless with no problems to quite difficult and painful.

-Weight Loss: Fast and furious to slow and steady...different!

My point is, and I have to tell myself this daily, is that this forum is a GREAT resource for information and ideas, support and encouragement, but it cannot replace the information you receive from your doctor and nutrionist, as well as what you know about yourself, your body and your eating and exercise habits.

I love coming on here, and most of the time I will peruse the boards until I find a topic that relates to me or piques my interest, and I do not even post. I read the posts, and then apply information that is useful and relevant to my own situation. What I have to remind myself to do, when reading about both the positive and negative aspects of the band, is to think about what I am actually doing with my band program/diet/exercise/body/sleep/life! If I get hung up on comparing myself to someone banded at about the same time as me, but yet has lost 15 more pounds than I have, then I am in trouble. What I try to do is look further at that person's info. Are they younger than I am? Are they male or female? Did they start with a higher BMI? Does some of their weight loss include pre-surgery weight loss? And so on and so on.

I am the first to admit that I am not always sucessful at taking my own advice! A lifetime of comparing myself to others, and our natural tendency to seek reassurance in others with like situations is strong.

Go back to your post-op instructions and make sure you are following them. If you need to, or to put your mind at ease, call your Dr.! That is why they are there, and that is why they get the big bucks; to answer your questions and help you!

Hope I do not sound too preachy, because I fall off my own pedestal all the time. Good luck with the post-op, I will look forward to following your posts and your success.

Nessie

P.S. My weight loss includes 2 horrendous weeks of pre-op liquid diet!

I also didn't lose on the post op liquids. The shock of the surgery causes your body to go into survival mode, conserving every calorie it gets, and it's common not to lose. It's also common to gain a bit when you start eating again while your body gets used to having regular meals again, but I promise it will settle down and you will start losing. I know it's hard to be patient, but give yourself time to heal, you'll be dropping sizes in no time!

I agree with everyone. Everyone's body is different. I too was banded on the 4th and according to my scale about 12 pounds down. I have another week of liquids to do before I can get on mushies. I think at this stage post op our bodys are out of wack..because you can weigh yourself in the morning and it be different in the afternoon when all you have had is liquids. I try not to worry to much as should you. I have also tried to weight myself only twice a week....it helps me not drive myself crazy stepping on it everyday.:scared2:

Remember that the first 6 weeks or so are all about healing and getting that band properly set in place. Don't go crazy munching, but don't worry too much about the weight right now.

If it helps, think of the band as a multi-part surgery. Unlike the bypass patients who are done when they exit the surgery room, we have to wait and get fills to get the proper restriction. Until you're getting those fills, the procedure isn't yet over.

Good luck and hang tight, this will pass.