For those of you that have been banded:

Did you think that the weight would just fall off the minute the band was in place? Be honest now. Cuz I read so many posts on the list that go something like: I had my surgery 2 weeks ago and have only lost 15 pounds. What am I doing wrong?

I am not banded yet, so maybe I will feel the same way, but I think that I understand that this is not going to be the magic pill that will cause me to be the slim, size 6 I know I am inside. Certainly not in the first couple of years. But, I just seem to see a lot of folks that get a little whiney when they haven't lost the 100 lbs they want to lose in the first few months. I am wondering if some of us set our expectations really high and then can't understand why the weight isn't coming off. It isn't bypass surgery and yet, some seem to want the same rapid results with none of the side effects.

I may be asking for a beat down here, but I am curious.

Elgrad

I get confused by the posts that don't understand why the weight isn't dropping off during Bandster Hell. I was on here less than a week before I understood how the band works and knew before I went to a seminar what to expect. I was banded in April and I set my expectations that I wouldn't get to my Sweet Spot until probably the holidays (maybe sooner, maybe longer...my doc is conservative and fills are 6-7 weeks apart)...and it's all up to me until then. I also gave myself a goal of two years to lose the 100 lbs. I've targeted. Am I happy to be in Bandster Hell right now and gaining some weeks...heck no...but can you be on this site more than a few days and not understand that this is part of the process...I don't think so, but judging from all the posts, some aren't very informed before surgery and I can't believe their docs didn't cover this with them.

I, like Delivered have lost weight a lot faster on other 'diets', but I'm committed to doing this the LB way this time. I will not go on another diet.

Yes. I did expect to lose weight much faster than I have. I was banded in November, and I've only lost 15 pounds. I didn't have a diet before surgery. I did 10 days of liquids and lost about 5 pounds. I ended up gaining them back as I wasn't working very hard after I had the band to watch what I ate. No one informed me that I'd have to wait to have fills before the band would begin working. My doctor is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get in to see even for a fill. It's taken me 7 months to get 3 fills. I now have one that is giving me some restriction, but still the weight isn't coming off. BEFORE YOU SAY IT..... YES. I'VE BEEN WATCHING WHAT I EAT AND EXERCISING. I've been as strict as possible since my last fill. Low fat this, no sugar that! Still, I see very little progress, and sometimes I think that I'm just destined to be overweight.

I had my surgery on 6/1. I lost 25 pounds pre-op to present. I was on clear liquids 4 days pre-op and was supposed to continue on clears for 2 weeks after surgery, then 2 weeks on thick liquids, then 2 weeks on mushies/pureed foods. I made it until thursday (10/11) which would be 11 days post op and had to eat something. I ate pureed chicken salad and wanted to devour it. I ate mush peas and mashed potatoes. Then yesterday I went crazy and ate an italian sausage brat. I chewed chewed chewed. Everything went down fine. No regurgitation. No pain. And it felt great to eat some food. I mean awesome. Today I came back to my senses and started where I am supposed to be: thick liquids including yogurt, pudding, etc. (my doc said I could start 2 days early)What brought me back to my senses was fear that I would hurt the healing process and or stretch the upper pouch---Hopefully I did not hurt anything. Monday morning I get to call in and confess. This "breaking the rules" is part of the reason I had to go to surgery for help. The struggle with being on liquids for so long has been extremely tough on me including: emmotionally (irratability, discontent), physically (stamina, focus, energy), and socially. But, the aforementioned struggle is not anything compared to the life long struggle/guilt with the failed deiets etc. I know the lap band is only another tool in my tool box just like excersise, self control, support, and accountability. I am not perfect. The band is not perfect. Perfection is not excpected for success. Long term steady-eddy consistency is the key. This includes occassional set backs. To err is human--to forgive is divine. Therefore I forgive myself.

My expectation: based on education from the program and my own research:

NO SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT LOSS UNTIL AFTER THE 3RD FILL. NO SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT LOSS UNTIL 3-4 MONTHS POST OP. MOST PATIENTS DO NOT SEE SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT LOSS UNTIL UP TO 9 MONTHS AFTER SURGERY. IN ORDER TO SEE SIGNICANT WEIGHT LOSS (1-2 POUNDS PER WEEK), PATIENTS MUST FOLLOW THE NUTRITION PLAN, SUPPLEMENT PLAN, AND SUPPORT GROUP PLAN, AND MOST OF ALL EXCERSISE 5-7 DAYS PER WEEK FOR 30-60 MINUTES.

I think that being a member of this forum gave me different kinds of expectations. I thought that since I was very well informed and knew what to expect and do that I wouldn't be "one of those people" that had slow weight loss. I also had seen some of the phenomenal results that some people have had, and maybe got a little bit unrealistic about what my results would be.

I thought if I was well informed and did all the same things as the people on these boards that were incredibly successful, I would have the same results. But now I know that people are different. They have different medical conditions, they have different metabolisms, and one man's "exercise" is another man's...."light yard work". If you get where I'm going with that.

Also I've learned to stop thinking about pounds as just pounds. I've started to think of the percent of weight loss I want to lose. I've lost about 43 pounds. Altogether I wanted to lose about 185 pounds (I'll probably never get there, but I like to be ambitious !), so if you do the math, I've lost about 23% of the total weight I wanted to lose.

I'm harder on myself than anyone else, but that's a pretty good accomplishment. Thinking about how far I've come helps me think it's not quite as hard to keep going, and there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Well, I'll throw in my $.02 as one of the 'whiners' LOL. I lurked on this board a while before making my decision to have the band. I didn't like the idea of bypass and this seemed safer. I knew about 'Bandster Hell' and that I wouldn't see real results until after at least a couple fills. But....

After all the hoops you have to jump thru and being scared that insurance will deny you, and paying $1500 oop after insurance, etc I had indeed hoped it would be more than it has been so far. I know it will get better and I've only had 2 fills so it's not like I've had it a long time, but I know I half-expected the results to immediately equal the effort. (Though the other half of my brain wanted to smack me around because I knew better deep down.)

Make any sense?

And I can't help but compare myself to others - especially in my support group (because it includes both bypass and bandsters) - that have lost twice as much weight as me. That's another cause of the 'whining', I want to be doing as good as them!!! But I know eventually we'll all get there!

Much as we all hate to do it, whining seems to be part of the process, it's a good reason to support each other!

Honestly, I expected to lose weight faster. Because I have been a yo-yo dieter for the past 10 or so years, I know I could have lost the weight faster by doing low-carb. However, I would have gained it back as I have several times.

So...I am thankful for this process even though it has been slower and much harder than I anticipated. I hate when someone refers to wls as the easy way out because there has not been anything easy about this journey. I still have to watch what I eat, drink, and I have to exercise.

I would do it all over again.

You won't gain it back doing low carb. That's the beauty of the band! It controls how much we eat so we don't gain back what we lose!!

My expectation: based on education from the program and my own research:

NO SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT LOSS UNTIL AFTER THE 3RD FILL. NO SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT LOSS UNTIL 3-4 MONTHS POST OP. MOST PATIENTS DO NOT SEE SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT LOSS UNTIL UP TO 9 MONTHS AFTER SURGERY. IN ORDER TO SEE SIGNICANT WEIGHT LOSS (1-2 POUNDS PER WEEK), PATIENTS MUST FOLLOW THE NUTRITION PLAN, SUPPLEMENT PLAN, AND SUPPORT GROUP PLAN, AND MOST OF ALL EXCERSISE 5-7 DAYS PER WEEK FOR 30-60 MINUTES.

I have been fortunate because I have slowly but consistently lost 1-2 pounds a week since surgery. I have only had 2 fills, I am unable to do much exercise at all (can't even do the walking!), I focus on the Protein, but do not measure anything and eat when I'm hungry and stop when satisfied. I make sure I get my skinny latte every day, but probably do not take enough of my Calcium supp. I suppose I have been one of the lucky ones, but I love the band and most of all I love that I haven't had to relose even 1 of the pounds I lost!! Good luck to everyone, especially everyone just starting the journey and don't be discouraged because it does come off and will stay off!!

I had my surgery on 6/1. I lost 25 pounds pre-op to present. I was on clear liquids 4 days pre-op and was supposed to continue on clears for 2 weeks after surgery, then 2 weeks on thick liquids, then 2 weeks on mushies/pureed foods. I made it until thursday (10/11) which would be 11 days post op and had to eat something. I ate pureed chicken salad and wanted to devour it. I ate mush peas and mashed potatoes. Then yesterday I went crazy and ate an italian sausage brat. I chewed chewed chewed. Everything went down fine. No regurgitation. No pain. And it felt great to eat some food. I mean awesome. Today I came back to my senses and started where I am supposed to be: thick liquids including yogurt, pudding, etc. (my doc said I could start 2 days early)What brought me back to my senses was fear that I would hurt the healing process and or stretch the upper pouch---Hopefully I did not hurt anything. Monday morning I get to call in and confess. This "breaking the rules" is part of the reason I had to go to surgery for help. The struggle with being on liquids for so long has been extremely tough on me including: emmotionally (irratability, discontent), physically (stamina, focus, energy), and socially. But, the aforementioned struggle is not anything compared to the life long struggle/guilt with the failed deiets etc. I know the lap band is only another tool in my tool box just like excersise, self control, support, and accountability. I am not perfect. The band is not perfect. Perfection is not excpected for success. Long term steady-eddy consistency is the key. This includes occassional set backs. To err is human--to forgive is divine. Therefore I forgive myself.

By the time I was at two weeks, I was allowed to eat egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, along with all the other foods thus far, until satisfied. Those foods along with the protein shakes should fill you up. Don't stuff yourself, just eat until you are no longer hungry and be sure to chew the salads really well too. All the protein should fill you up. I did not care for the shakes. I used to add peanut butter to the chocolate shakes in the blender and that was filling and yummy. You can do this!!!

For those of you that have been banded:

Did you think that the weight would just fall off the minute the band was in place? Be honest now. Cuz I read so many posts on the list that go something like: I had my surgery 2 weeks ago and have only lost 15 pounds. What am I doing wrong?

I am not banded yet, so maybe I will feel the same way, but I think that I understand that this is not going to be the magic pill that will cause me to be the slim, size 6 I know I am inside. Certainly not in the first couple of years. But, I just seem to see a lot of folks that get a little whiney when they haven't lost the 100 lbs they want to lose in the first few months. I am wondering if some of us set our expectations really high and then can't understand why the weight isn't coming off. It isn't bypass surgery and yet, some seem to want the same rapid results with none of the side effects.

I may be asking for a beat down here, but I am curious.

Elgrad

OK You want honesty......You want to know what you are doing wrong because you have only lost 15 lbs in two week! ARE YOU SERIOUS! That is ALOT of weight in two weeks. If you read the "band" rules you are suppose to loose one to two pounds of week. You did not get big over night and you are not going to be a size 6 overnight! I was banded in November and have lost 60lbs total including preop diet. I was one of the one who thought it was going to fall off, but let me tell you I WAS SO VERY WRONG! I have had to bust my ass daily to get this weight off. I exercise almost everyday, doing p90x currently, was walking 3 miles a day and was watching everything that went into my mouth. I did not think i was eating "enough" caloires until I started a food jounel and wow was I suprise. So now on top of all of that I do a food Journal to keep my caloires around 1200 a day. I also strive to get in around 90 grams of protien a day with 64oz of Water a day. I dont want to sound discouraging, but It only gets harder to get the weight off. If you have lost 15lbs that is so WONDERFUL. Also remember the fills are going to help as well. Alot of people think the tighter the better, that is not true. You can be too tight were your body holds on to the food and you will not loose. Also it can cause your band to slip. All I am saying is be patient and get rid of the scales! They are the devil and will keep you totally stressed and obessed out! Stress will keep your body from loosing as well! I hope some of this makes since and has helped! Good luck to you!!!!!! You ARE dong GREAT!

Carrie

I was really disappointed because I came out of surgery weighing 2kg more than when I went in, but now I am on day three and have lost 5kg (11 pounds). I think a lot of it is shock to the system because we are only only thin fluids. From what I understand, this will slow down to about 2kg (4 pounds) per month once I am on a proper diet again.

I feel just like you do!!!! We started out almost the same weight I was 212 and I am only down to 199. I lost 10 pounds before surgery and have only lost two pounds since and it has been three weeks. I have cut my calorie intake to a third of what is was and I thought the weight would fall off. I'm hoping my body is just adjusting to everything. I am trying to be upbeat and keep working at it. Good luck to you...........I hope we both do great with this!!

Not only was informed by my surgeon that the weight would not fall off in an instant, but I knew it already. I know that I did not gain all this weight overnight so why should I expect it to fall off overnight? I knew it would take a while to come off and I knew it would be hard to get it off and even harder to keep it off.

On the 18th I will be 10 months post-op and so far i have lost 85 pounds. I believe everyone reading this will agree with me on saying that gaining weight is a lot easier and faster than losing weight.

Of course a lot of us set our expectations way to high, and that (in my opinion) causes depression if they are not met. In my first 2 weeks after post-op, I lost 15 pounds like a lot of others on this site. After that first 2 weeks until like my 4th fill, I lost very slowly. I have my good weeks where I can lose between 5 and 6 pounds, then I have my average weeks that I lose only a couple pounds, then I have those weeks (like 2 or 3 in a roll) where I don't lose anything at all, but I don't gain either. I look at those weeks as like my body is getting caught up with the weight loss.

I know I will eventually get to the weight and size I want to be, and if it takes me 3 yrs or just a year and a half, I don't care. I have tunnel vision when it comes to my band and weight loss. I will lose it at the pace I am suppose to lose it, no faster no slower.

THIS is an GREAT way to look at it! YES, the journey is just that! At time we rejoice, and others we kick a little dirt. The Stages are right on. I too am at that waiting for a fill stage. I know I had some HIGH expectation when I first got my Lapband. I thought I could loose 5 lbs/week. well, I think not. I will adopt the moto of SLIMCITYHEREICOME if that is ok. "I will lose it at the pace I am suppose to lose it, no faster no slower"

As long as we do our own personal best, we can always be proud of our selves.

Yes. I did expect to lose weight much faster than I have. I was banded in November, and I've only lost 15 pounds. I didn't have a diet before surgery. I did 10 days of liquids and lost about 5 pounds. I ended up gaining them back as I wasn't working very hard after I had the band to watch what I ate. No one informed me that I'd have to wait to have fills before the band would begin working. My doctor is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get in to see even for a fill. It's taken me 7 months to get 3 fills. I now have one that is giving me some restriction, but still the weight isn't coming off. BEFORE YOU SAY IT..... YES. I'VE BEEN WATCHING WHAT I EAT AND EXERCISING. I've been as strict as possible since my last fill. Low fat this, no sugar that! Still, I see very little progress, and sometimes I think that I'm just destined to be overweight.

Dont give up girl, you will make it! have you tried the 5 day pouch test? This a way to help us get a jump OFF a plateau and relearn how to listen to our band.

I have been trying to kick it up since I am unfilled. The challenge for me when it comes to intake is 64 oz of Water & 40-55 grams of protien. I found that focusing on what I need to eat instead of what I cant eats helps me with the cravings.

the pouch test is 2 days liquids, 1 or 2 soft meats(fish), regular meats. i dont remember the spec.s here is the site for all of the details.

Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test

i am going to reread it and start it monday. hey, maybe we should have a 5 day pouch test party. everyone who wants to can share the experiance together and see how it affects our progress at all of our different stages.

good idea? Maybe someone can start a pouch test thread, I will go see if there is one already........ brb

Hi,

Initial weight loss is dependant on starting BMI. Those with a BMI of 40 or above are going lose more than those whose starting point is lower. Exercise is the key. I lost 155 pound in seven or so months. I committed to a hard core exercise program (4hrs of hill climbing a day). If you are not prepared to go this hard (and I wish I hadn't; I destroyed my knee joints on this program), you are going to lose weight more slowly than this and this is a good thing. Slow weight loss is more likely to stay off. Take it from someone who has been living with this for over a decade. Be patient.