I was banded nine months ago, and lost 52 pounds in the first five months. But since then, I've been pretty much stuck, and I still would like to lose another 50-60 pounds. I'm happy about the fact that I have not gained weight over these four months; it's been really quite effortless to maintain where I am - I think I have gained two pounds, but even that fluctuates. But I'm not really happy with where I am.

So for those of you who've gotten off-track, how do you get back on? I probably need a small fill, I know that, but I'm trying to figure out how to recapture the motivation and the dedication I had last summer and fall.

I'm in NC too! Who did your band? I'm only 12 days out...

I too was banded in July and lost 57 pounds but I have gained about 5 pounds recently because I wasnt exercising twice a day for an hour. Now I am back on the excercising and the five pounds are almost gone but I wanted to be at goal in a year. I am upping the cardio to three hours a day.

Everybody I know who has been where y'all are at SWEAR by the 5-day pouch test:

Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test

Every last one of them have jump started their weight loss after doing it.

I am upping the cardio to three hours a day.

Whoa! You may be building muscle - even with cardio.

Three hours a day sounds like a lot.

Even in my most fit times - when I was in the Army - I didn't work out that much (in the down times that is).

But if you enjoy it...

-BSG

I know it sounds like alot but I really do enjoy it and it is not all at once. I do it several times a day. We live in the country so I just walk out the door. I also am doing the pouch test and it really does work. I am not hungry at all.

You know, I've always found the idea of that pouch test very "fad diet" and resisted it. But I've just read it and whilst I still dont think its necessary for everyone to do it unless the really want to, it highlights the one great downside of the band that most bandsters fall prey to at one time or another.

Eating around the band!

This does not necessarily mean eating bad, unhealthy foods, simple carbs, or high fat foods. Many extremely health foods are slider foods.

When I struggle to stay on a healthy diet its AlWAYS due to eating slider foods. Yogurt for Breakfast because I've come to dislike the idea of wholegrain toast and an egg, due to the "discomfort" of a full pouch. I anticipate the slowness and care with which I will have to eat it, the multitude of little discomforts and minor stuck feelings, the "fullness" at the end. I dont know I'm doing this, all i know is my mind goes "nah, dont feel like toast, but those Rice Bubbles look good".

I think about a healthy roll for lunch - wholegrain organic bread, spread with some avocado, some egg, salad vegies like tomato, cucumber, lettuce, beetroot and some salt and pepper". My mind anticipates slowness, extreme care and again a tight, satisfied pouch. So it makes my appetite think, nah, dont feel like that, perhaps some Soup instead.

Now there's nothing wrong with soup, its healthy and its one of my main ways of getting down a variety of vegies. But if I eat a small bowl of soup for lunch, I do still feel satisfied and stop after much less than before I was banded. But what happens an hour later? The Cookies in the cupboard start calling - and those can and DO go down by the dozen. If my belly is still pleasantly full of a Protein, complex carb and vegie combo, which is trickling into my bloodstream at a nice even rate, I dont even think about the cookies.

Everyone always stresses the importance of eating till satisfied rather than full on this board and I would never advocate eating to real, uncomfortable fullness. But I find that if I am to eat foods that I know will induce real fullness and if I eat soup for example, to accompany it with half a wholegrain roll and follow up with as much of an apple as I can, I will stick to much much fewer calories than if I allow myself to eat easy (if healthy) foods.

Just food for thought so to speak. I really restarted my weight loss twice during my journey when I realised that I was living on slider foods and had let the fibrous, airy dense foods go - the wholegrains such as bread, brown rice and wholegrain Pasta. I know lots of bandsters wont eat these foods or cant eat these foods, but I'm sure you get my point.

I also was getting in the habit of slider foods. I have always had at least one shake a day to get in the protein. I also was eating bad slider foods. It is difficult to make the time to sit and eat slowly. I can even get stuck with scrambled eggs when I dont sit down and take my time. Sometimes chicken gets stuck no matter what I do. I think when I started to eat things I shouldnt was when I was run down and tired from the restriction of food. I am only doing the pouch track to get back started and then with all the excercise I will increase calories.

Jacqui -- that was a really helpful post. I hadn't thought about it like that, but I certainly have been mainly using slider foods (yogurt and soup primarily) for breakfast and lunch every day. I need to branch out.