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.

I too have the same problem. I will schedule another fill (which will be my fourth this yearn since Fed.) today. The last fill was good for awhile but I couldn't control my eating. I just for some reason could not eat slow and reverted back to my old habits which caused me to have major pb's almost everyday. So the restriction has losened a little. When I go in for my fill I will make sure that I start back drinking water and my proten shakes everyday and eat slow as possible. I can't begin to tell ya'll how much money I have wasted this month on food because I can't finish it. So I will give myself a new start with this next fill and try my best to do everything like I am supposed to. I just have to take it one day at a time.

Vines-

I removed my ticker too- what was the point? Then I remembered that there was a turtle as one of the little marker thingies so I decided to try again.

Turtles Rule!!!

Megan

i was just wondering when are you not classed as a slow loser as i was on the july bandsters thread and most seem to be losing it faster than me,

That being true Megan. I can see that by looking at your ticker I don't know if I'm ready for that trama though. I'll probably do it though.

So, are we sea turtles or land turtles? Some days I feel like I'm that 100 year old giant Galopogas Tortus... and not just metaphorically...

So do you feel like kids are riding around on you like they do the ancient tutle at the zoo? I want to be a sea turtle so I can hang with the dolphins.

Megan

oh yes, for some weird reason kids and animals are drawn to me like DH to butter... Maybe because I take them seriously?

Jenny, the Slow Loser's Club is comprised of people who have lost less than one pound per week.

Well everyone, I think I was too excited and jumped the gun too soon by cancelling my fill as it seems I haven't lost the 5lbs I thought I did. Arn't you supposed to weigh yourself in the mornings as your true weight? Well after I got a new scale since the first one body fat % wasn't working right - that second scale I bought and brought home 1 day after the 1st one said I was at 285 - the same I weighed at my last Dr's apt. so yesterday I weighed myself in the morning and it has me at 283. Think I'm going to re-schedule that fill soon and change my ticker to 283 instead. I'm just looking for some consistancy here! I was so happy I dropped 5lbs then a different brand scale has me at 5lbs heavier........grrrrrrrrrrr............how's a girl to know?

Well, that's just it, the scales lie. You can't trust a single one. When I had my fitness assessment done, I was weighed on 3 different scales, and each gave a different weight. There was a 6 pound difference, so I just too the average of the 3 and called it good.

yea - I'm just looking for some consistency to go by - and so far 3 days in a row - in the morning I've weighed 283.5 - I'll take it! - that puts me at 9.5 lbs but I feel good so I'm rounding that up to a total 10lb loss.

Vines - I know you don't like tickers, but I look at it like this - I know one day - however slow it may be - but one day that ticker is going to hit goal - that inspires me instead of making me feel like a failure! Heck this is the first time I've got to move it since being banded. Here I am several months later - but damnit 2lbs is 2lbs no matter that it took months to get it I'll take it!

Excellent work Candy, I think tickers are wonderful, just not for me, just for now. I know for other people they scream "Yay me!" for me, it just says "FAILURE!!! You can't even do weight loss surgery right!" This is why I don't have one. It just ... accuses me of not being good enough.

ok, i understand your pain with tickers - but as soon as your weight really starts flowing off your body - I'm going to make a personal demand that you will have a ticker or there will be a price to pay and it won't be a good one LOL

Hi everyone! I am DEFINITELY a slow loser. Almost a non-existent loser. I was banded 11/18/03 by Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey. I lost 30 pounds and have gained back almost 20. I am afraid to weigh myself. I have had 2 fills for a total of 2.0 cc's. I have a band that holds 4 cc's. I feel miserable about my failure and am so happy to have found you guys. I haven't been on this site since before my surgery when I was still excited and hopeful. Now I'm just ashamed of myself. But don't feel sorry for me because I have not given up, and now I have hopefully found some support. YAY!!!

Louise

welcome Louise! I understand some of your pain.

Please make a list of your NSVs, since not all victories are by the scale. I know that in our culture pounds are all that seem to matter, when really they are only part of the picture.

Hopefully this analagy will explain why I think NSVs are so important. When we look at a picture, a line drawing we see the outline of the object. We see detail, but the image is flat and one dementional. Now contrast this picture with one that more complete, one with shading and conturs. The more detailed picture gives us better and more complete information, it is more interesting than the simple line drawing. I think the information about pounds provides is the line drawing, just one bit of the picuture.

When we start adding information from our NSVs and our inches lost then we start to see a more complete picture, one rich with dimention and textures.

Hi Louise -

Welcome to our own little part of the lap-band world. If you read even part of this thread you know that we call ourselves 'turtles', as in 'slow' losers.

You are among friends here, that's for sure. I know from my experience that it took many many fills, and past 2.5 cc's before I felt any real restriction with my band. If you're not feeling restriction, your band isn't working and all you're really doing is dieting - and we all know from past experience that diets don't work.

Keep posting here and we're thrilled you haven't given up - because neither have we!