Welcome to the "Slow Loser" thread on LBT.

A few orders of business to begin.

First, we need to elect a leader. Someone who will voice our opinion clearly and with wisdom and humor. Our Leader will support us in our efforts and remind us of our NSV's and to not be discouraged.

I nominate - Vinesqueen. I can think of no on here on the board more eloquent and positive in her day to day outlook. (she has no idea about this, by the way - this is my own little invention - but I still think she should be our leader)

Second - we need to define "slow loser". I would propose that a slow loser is someone who is losing (or lost) less than 1 pound per week (average) during the first year of banding.

Third - Our Mission. Our Mission will be to stick together as a group. There is always strength in numbers. As we see newly banded people losing more in a month or six weeks than we have lost in 6 months to a year, we will join together and remind each other of how well we're doing. We'll chant the LBTSL ( that LapBand Talk Slow Loser) mantra of "It's not a race, it's not a race" over and over again.

Will you join me? Will you, a slow loser, a turtle in the weight loss race, make your voice heard amongst all these rabbits? Mostly will you let me know that I am not alone out here in bandland?

Looking forward to hearing from all of you.

www.tickerfactory.com, good luck !

Hello all! I was banded on August 3, 2006 and so far I've lost around 53 pounds. I think I'm doing ok but I'm pretty discouraged because everybody else in my month group has lost around 100 pounds already. I must be the slow kid in class! I guess I should probably step up my workouts. I don't enjoy it that much but who does, right? Hehehe. Just thought I'd say Hi.

If you are getting stuck, you don't need another fill yet. You need to learn to work with the fill you already have. Getting stuck means that you are too tight, you aren't chewing enough, or you are eating foods that just don't work for your band right now. I would highly recommend figuring that out and getting stuck episodes to a minimum before trying for another fill. "I know I need a fill because I am not losing weight"; this isn't necessarily true. It depends on what you're eating, how you are exersizing, etc. My recommendation would be to count calories for a week or two, and find out what level you are at when you eat how you are eating now, and then find out how many calories you need to cut to lose weight. I know I have to be below 1300 calories to lose weight. If i'm between 1300 and 1500 I don't lose anything. If I eat well, I can easily be below 1300 and not feel hungry, but it's hard for me, it's WHAT I am eating that is causing my stall right now. I've started working out really hard lately to try and counter that a little bit, but it's going to take me time to figure out whether it's going to work. I can't get another fill, because there are days when I'm so tight it's liquids only, and if I got a fill that would mean that it'd be all closed up those days, so I have to figure out how to work with what I've got. I've lost 80 lbs in almost 3 years, which is slow, sure, but I'm going the right way, and if it takes another 2 years to get to goal, whatever. I do not lose steadily, I haven't ever. I get stuck for a few months and then lose 5, 10, 15 lbs, and then get stuck again. My stuck periods have given my skin a pretty good chance to get pretty decent looking, all things considered. I don't feel like I'll be worried to have surgery for my arms, and a few other places I thought for sure I was going to want it.

I have been on a plateau for the last 3 months ever since I moved to food

from the liquid diet post surgery.

Sarah, can you give me some ideas of what you eat? I usually eat spinach salad with chicken breast for lunch. I use a salad dressing that is 10 calories for two Tablespoons. I usually put the chicken breast in the magic bullet so the pieces are tiny . That goes down well. I usually eat protein bar that is 150 calories for breakfast. For dinner I have some sort of lean meat and a small amount of veggies. I am not hungry between meals and I don't snack. I don't know why I am not lowing?!

I agree if food is getting stuck, don't go for a fill!

Hi Newmesoon,

I had my surgery on 3-29-07 and have lost 6 pounds and gained 3 then lost one, etc..... In otherwords I can relate to what you are feeling. I see all these other people on the sights who have lost all this weightthe first month. It makes me sad and scared that I payed (self pay) for this surgery that isn't going to make a difference. I get a fill on the 10th and hopefully that makes a difference because right now I rarely feel any restriction whatsoever. That coupled with the guilt of spending what should have probably been saved for my childrens college fund is making me want to binge and/or eat things that I know will make me fat.

I'm not exactly sure what is causing my slow weight loss, but perhaps the lack of exercise. I hit a plateau for about two months, and then I lost 2 lbs. I also find that when I try to eat less, I don't lose. I may not be getting enough nutrients and then my body holds on to everything I eat. I have never really had a bad stuck episode. Maybe about five times since July 2006, but nothing severe. I have never PB'd or slimmed. I only have 2 cc in my band and will hopefully get another .5 cc this coming week. Any weightloss at this point is a good thing, I just don't want to go back to where I started.

Hi, i was banded january 2007 and was pretty freaked out about fills as i thought the pain of food getting stuck would just get worse. turns out, it helped - my first fill was to 4cc and a week later to 7.2cc using fluoro - i feel great, food is stuck less, losing steady.

i think fluoro is important - the needle is inserted and you drink a thick liquid in slow sips then watch it go down. the dr. injects more saline and the liquid slows more etc etc until you have a nice full pouch and slow emptying. i just couldn't look down at the needle but it was painfree with a topic freezing.

also, i live in canada and no one near me does fills so i go back to puerto vallarta for them - thank goodness i have family living in the area. i really wanted the fill to make a difference, and to last. so far, three months, 30 lbs.

it's just getting nice here so biking and walking are good. good luck denise

ella

dr joya.com

I am definately a slow loser... how about a no loser. I am still hovering around 220 - 224 and it is month 4!!! I want to be a member!

I was banded 6/6/05 I lost 57 lbs the first year and not a thing this year. I'm in I'm in.....It is so frustrating. But never give up is my motto.

Geepers, I am sorry to see that there are others like me who aren't losing.

Someone needs to tell us why so many people lose so well and then there are some of us who have so much trouble. I know I am doing everything they tell me to do. I am not eating junk food and I am working out every day.

Hi, i was banded january 2007 and was pretty freaked out about fills as i thought the pain of food getting stuck would just get worse. turns out, it helped - my first fill was to 4cc and a week later to 7.2cc using fluoro - i feel great, food is stuck less, losing steady.

. good luck denise

ella

dr joya.com

Thank you. I need all the luck I can get. How is it possible that more

fill will make food get stuck less????? I am scared to death to get anymore.

That just doesn't make sense to me.

What you eat is probably not as important as how much you are eating. It doesn't sound like you are eating all that much. I eat whatever is around, just try to watch portion sizes. I cannot lose weight if I eat above 1300 calories a day.

What exersize are you doing? What does your doctor say? If you are exersizing and eating right, demand answers from your doctor. Lookup Vinesqueen on the forums here if you haven't...

Also, if you eat the exact same thing every day, mix it up a bit.

I have been on a plateau for the last 3 months ever since I moved to food

from the liquid diet post surgery.

Sarah, can you give me some ideas of what you eat? I usually eat spinach salad with chicken breast for lunch. I use a salad dressing that is 10 calories for two Tablespoons. I usually put the chicken breast in the magic bullet so the pieces are tiny . That goes down well. I usually eat Protein bar that is 150 calories for Breakfast. For dinner I have some sort of lean meat and a small amount of veggies. I am not hungry between meals and I don't snack. I don't know why I am not lowing?!

I do a lot of cardio and weight training. I don't eat the same thing every day, although I do tend to eat the same breakfast. I am not a big breakfast eater. I never was. I tend to eat a Protein bar for breakfast but sometimes I have Kashi Crunch Cereal or Fiber one. For lunch and dinner it's different. Sometimes I eat a frozen South beach or Lean Cuisine sometimes iI make meatloaf out of ground turkey, etc.

I will try to find Vinesqueen. I guess that's a person that posts here?

Ok i think i quilify as a slow weight loss loser here .. I was banded on april 18 and lost 7 lbs the first week second week gained 2 lbs and 3rd week i have not gained or loss anything.. dispite being on 600 calories a day protien diet .. u sure it is 3,500 colories per pound? I am thinking it must be 10,000 per pound the way I see it does not make sense to me .. went from 3000 plus a day diet to 600 a day .. the math is not addinng up right..

first fill may 31 ..

be well

Lisa