hi everyone,

i am sitting here just so frustrated, so here goes.

surgery date april 20th on liquids for 5 days before.

lost 1 pound

after surgery gained 5 but lost after a few days home.

then lost a total of 14 pounds. i thought great ( i am on regular food, but trying very hard to keep within guide lines)

i am eating between 800 to 1000 calories a day, and taking

a Protein bullet once daily (26 grams).

ok here goes got on scale this morning a gained 4 pounds.

(i weigh myself once a week)

WHAT THE HECK GIVES?????????????

i had this surgery because i have been been over weight for about 8 years due to a bunch of reasons (medication stress). i am 61 and did not want to died fat:ohmy:!

i know i am one of the few who was thin all my life and then wham! but why am i not losing!!!!

what am i doing wrong. it has been a month and now i am back to 10 pounds lost.

sample day:

breaksfast 1/2 cottage cheese/ with 1/2 canned peach or

1 cup egg beaters - sprinkled with lf cheese

lunch 1/2 cup refried beens with lf cheese ff sour cream and salsa or 1/2 ff cream of mushroom Soup with a small (real small) can of tuna in.

dinner yesterday had a cup of ground turkey cooked topped with lf cheese. day before went out to dinner had had a childs portion of ravolli (3).

snack either sf popcicle or sf fudgecicle

what does everyone think?

help!

thanks

Sandi -

You're not doing anything wrong!! You are in the process of healing. Remember that this period is for healing, not weight loss. From my 2nd week postop to my first fill at 6 weeks I gained and lost the same 3 pounds over and over. My doctor said not to be surprised if I gained in that time - by the time I went in at 6 weeks I was actually down 3 pounds and he was thrilled. Just keep doing what you are doing and let your body heal. Once you are start getting fills the process will work, until then keep up with the portion controls (I had to go to about 1200 calories a day as the 800-900 was too few for me). Maybe eat a few more calories and see if that helps shift things?

I understand your frustration - I was on here at the same point asking what I was doing wrong and just needed to be reminded of the above.

The first six weeks or so are for healing. Quit obsessing about it and let your body repair itself!

The doc should've explained to you that this is a process. The band won't really do much until you have restriction and that takes filling it. So just practice the new way of eating (you are eating a lot of what they call "mushie" or slider foods...but that's because you aren't healed yet I'm sure. Later it will be more lean protein and less cheese, pasta, refried beans etc) and the other band rules and let the process unfold!

seems like your diet consists only of slider foods. Are you staying full between meals?

thank you everyone for the reply's actually no i am not full for very long.

does anyone have suggestions on what else to eat. i am so afraid of stretching my band..

thanks again.

Are you getting in enough water? I read that it makes the kidneys work the best way and that aids in weight loss somehow. It also helps with fuller feeling.

KSill asked my question....Looks like you're eating pretty much all slider food. Are you limited to mushy food still or could you eat solids but just aren't? As you move from liquids to mushies and then solids, you very well may see a gain. Your body is learning that "real" food is coming again and may hold onto what you take in for a while. Like BamBam, I gained and lost the same 3 pounds more than once and it was frustrating me but the reality is that you are still healing. Give yourself this time. Once you start getting fills, feeling restriction, what you eat and how much will change and the pounds will start coming off.

The only things I noticed in your sample menu are little things .... are the refried Beans low fat? Is the canned fruit canned in natural juice or syrup (Avoid it if it is canned in syrup...loaded with sugar). Aim for at least 60 grams of Protein a day (keeps you full longer than other stuff) and hang on! When is your first fill? That's when everything starts moving in a positive direction. Once you've had a few fills and reach your sweet spot, you should start losing consistently every week.

I have just entered my 5th week and I am working with solid food and I had lost a total of 17lbs between the fluid and mushy stage. I lived on cottage cheese and thousand Island, tuna,fresh fruit steamed to mush and frozen yogurt and orange juice shake also imitation crab meat minced. The only advice I can give is watch the SF stuff if it contains aspertaim or sweet n low substance don't eat it. As for canned fruit my Doc told me to stay away because of the sugar and use real fruit just mush. I have been walking on my treadmill started at 5 min at about the 3rd week and just increased and it seemed to have worked for me but don't get frustrated as they say the first 6 weeks are for healing..

hi everyone,

everything i am eating is either sugar free - fat free or low fat!

i can eat solids now, just do not know what to eat!!!

suggestions at wanted. sometime i have eaten some chicken from baked breast.

everthing goes down fine......once i got stuck, when i was hungry and shoved a big spoon of tuna and guess did not chew well.

i have even had Pasta (whole wheat) with a little sauce about 1 cup.

how am i doing?

thanks again

I went through the same thing, lose 3, gain 2, lose 2, gain 3, just back and forth. Some very smart people here said just let it heal and after the 2nd fill I would start losing. Well, the 1st fill was no restriction but I did manage to lose about 10 pounds in 6 weeks. Then my second fill was Monday, 11 May and now, oh boy, do I have restriction! I am stayin full on very little food and I am losing everyday. So just hang in there, it will happen. I know it is hard to get to this point and not see any movement of the scale, but remember if you are exercising you are building muscle too, and muscle weighs more that fat. I noticed a change in my clothes even when the scale was telling me dirty filthy lies. There are some really great people here who can answer all your questions, so be sure you share your feelings with them. Good Luck!

thanks, blklab, and everyone.

still need some suggestions on good food to eat and stay full

my first fill is not till june 5.

Your best bets are lean chicken, if it is dry it will get stuck so cook in broth or something to keep it very moist, fish, also very moist, pork tenderloin again cook with plenty of liquid. Then lots of veggies, and only fresh fruit. You look like you need more protien and less dairy and also are you starting to exercise yet, maybe a bit of walking will kick your metabolism up a bit. Also at 800 calories your body is doing starvation mode, does not want to give anything up, try increasing it to 1100 but keep it all lean meat, veggies and fresh fruit and I bet you will start moving again. I buy very lean turkey breast lunch meat, 4 slices is 60 calories, spread that with about 1 tbs of ff vegetable cream cheese, which is 35 calories and use that as a snack and it keeps me full longer than most any other snack I use.

Hi Sandi, we share the same surgery date!! I can feel your frustration. I have not seen the scale move in about 6 days and I feel like kicking it to the curb!

:scared2:

But, let me make 2 suggestions that both of us need to get real commited to, real fast: Water and EXERCISE.

Starting yesterday, I carry a large aluminum water bottle with me and I sip, sip, sip all day and refill it 3 x. The funny thing -- I must be dehydrated because I don't have to run for the ladies room like I did before surgery if I drank a lot of H20. Water will help metabolize fat. It is very important so I will say it again. Water helps metabolize fat. So please if you think you are drinking a lot of water, think again and drink more! This also helps with the between meal cravings.

Even if you are sitting in your living room, start moving! There are some great DVDs like Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds -- you literally stand in front of the TV and walk in place. She has 1, 2 and 3 mile videos. She makes it fun and you see results. I go to the gym, I just started going 3x a week on the treadmill for 30 mins. (until Dr. gives me clearance for weight training and elliptical). Yeah, I know, exercise suxs! But these first few months post surgery are our "golden months" when the weight loss will be accellerated and I want to make the most of them.

As far as eating, I recommend greek yogurt. It has 13 grams of Protein in each container. I also eat fish - lots of it -- not the canned/prepacked variety but cooking up in microwave and eating flounder, salmon, cod etc. with some Mrs. Dash sprinkled on top. I stay away from red meat (even hamburger) and basically fill my pouch with protein (I don't eat much carb or fruit/veggies). Other good sources can be found in your "whole foods" type stores. There are vegetarian products (meat replacement) which offer gobs of protein and no fat. I eat a textured vegetable protein Breakfast sausage (no meat at all) which is like 80 cals and zero fat and 11grams of protein. I also recommend checking out the vegetarian protein sources at our local foodstore. Mine are in the refrigerated section near the produce aisle. They have things like cheese slices, zero fat, more protein and not made dairy but vegetarian stuff. Feel free to email me thru the site if you want a bandster partner!

jenna