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.

Having the right fill makes all the difference in the world. If you don't have the right fill, it's like driving your car on flat tires.

bandster1007,

say what banded on 10/07 and have not lost!!! What is happening? does your Doc have any input on this?

i have to say that wasn't a question i expected in this forum...you mean i'm the only one..even in the slow losers?????:think

my doctor's input yesterday was "i'm making you tight, you probably don't even know you have a band"..ya think.. he's great. well, he did, now i feel every drop that passes my lips. sip..ha..i never had to sip, i drank a whole glass of liquid in one setting 4 hours after surgery. NOW I HAVE TO SIP!!:clap2:

i'm scared to eat, but i will. tomorrow i get to move back to mushies..i'm on liquids right now.

my doctor said it is actually quite normal among...get this...smaller people. HA!!! he said, "you are a little girl"...HA!! boy i haven't heard that one in a while, that one put a soft spot in my heart... he said the band is the band and each person is different. the bigger you are, the more you feel the band right after surgery. people on the lower bmi end, tend to feel the band a bit later due to a smaller fat pad around the stomach. i have an aps band, but he said i didnt' have much of a fat pad and everything inside looked real good.

so i dont' know, but i feel my band now..hopefully it will stay this way and not go away and hopefully i start losing weight.

NONAD and LIZ 1531<br /> <br /> I'm no expert at just past one month post op, but sounds like you both need a fill.<br /> <br /> At five weeks out, I'm going for my second fill tomorrow.<br /> <br /> Liz, Unless you have not updated your signature, you've only had two fills in almost four months time?<br /> <br /> Nonad, if you haven't been back to the Dr, then are you getting fills somewhere else?

<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Surgery date-9/8/06 weight was 208. my highest is 213 current is between 192 to 195, it fluctuates alot.

My last fill was 12-15-07 and i got tight, can hardly eat any solids. i am learning alot thru reading this forum. I'm getting more educated from this than Dr. Ortiz office. I have had very little support and really did't know who to call. i finally found a Dr. at Acuna, Mexico that i could go to for my fills w/fluro for 100.00. we also have a place at Lake Amistad just 20 miles away. Well his contact person (Barbara) has helped me understand some things(this is a very frustrating and complex way to go)

anyway, at my first fill in March 07 i was not told to gulp or sip the barium, well guess what, i gulped it ONLY after he filled my band all the way. U talk about painfull. :faint:because i was so full of barium my pouch had no choice but to stretch out, the assistant mentioned that my pouch is stretched out. He sort of reprimanded me and told me to eat 4 bites and walk away. i told him i was almost doing that( more like 8 bites) but he said that my pouch would not have stretched if i was doing right. Well finally he let out some of the saline and i got relief. That whole episode confused the heck out of me and i got very confused, like "why did i do this if my pouch can stretch out so easily" and "why go for a fill if a fill will not help with a stretched out pouch" See the picture?

In Nov i decided that i have to do something so I called Barbara and she suggested that i go get a complete unfill if my pouch was actually stretched and start all over, so i made an appt on 12-15-07.

To my delight, it was a different Dr. and a very good looking one( i might add) i told him my last experience and he said that my pouch WAS NOT stretched out and that i was way past due for a fill was very thrilled to see some hope. I also sipped the barium not gulped, I can't remember how much he put in but i do have restriction. I was going to go get an unfill next weekend but i dont think i will now because at night i can eat some solids when i chew a bunch. i just need to get enough protein, drink the water, get my daily exercising in, and journal everything. I am now on the right track now so wish me luck!!!!!!!!

:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

Denise, u have helped me with the things u post I'm proud of u for the weight loss u have had i know it is not easy even with a band.

i am confused on how this forum works, do i just look on the forum every day for any reply and when i want to say something do i do a quick reply or a quote on that persons post or what??>

Just wondering how to do this correctly

After you sign in, When you reply to a post, you should get an email that tells you that you have an answer. That's how I keep up. There is somewhere on top, too called quick links.I have never used that, but I think it will show which threads you have replied in.

If you want to post, just hit post quick reply. When you click go advanced, it just brings up the smileys that you can use in your posting. If you want to quote something someone says , in their box of their post click on quote, and it will bring you to the posting box. you can quote the entire post, or cut out the part that you don't feel is necessary. You need to leave in the beginning word quote, and the last word as quote, so it will quote what's in between those two words.

I am glad you said I have helped you in any way. I am always willing to help anyone with anything.

Sometimes I just go to the top of the page and click on "new posts" and just read the new posts, and if there is something I want to respond to, then I do. Then after that, I get an email that there's a new post in that thread.

Hi All!

I've been gone for a long time...I'm so thankful to have found this thread! I need to START OVER with my band. I'm tight enough, I think. But, need/must get back into the zone. I've only lost 30 lbs. in one year. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to have shed those ugly pounds. But, when I see how others have stuck to the new way of eating and lost so much weight.... well, I know I can do this, too!!! I've been reading and wonder if Atkins OR Weight Watchers is best? Any thoughts?

Mary

<p>Another thought...... </p> <p> </p> <p>I think a big part of my problem is needing to drink while eating. Things get stuck/painful so I sip coffee or tea and it helps it go down. I swear I chew it enough. I just don't know.</p>

Maybe you are too tight. If things are getting stuck and you are sure you are taking really tiny bites and chewing very well, you could be too tight.

Hi

Today I am feeling rather down after reading some of the weight loss stories and the amazing results MOST people seem to have had - I was starting to think I must be the slowest lapband loser ever. In two days it will be 5 months since I was banded and I have only lost 9.7kgs/23lbs and 5kgs/11lbs of that was in the first week of liquids. Starting to turn to food because I feel like I am again failing at something - you guys seem to have a great support network going and maybe thats what I need to get me out of this slump.

lapgirl, it's amazing to me how different each one of us are. i CANNOT drink with my food, since my last fill. actually, i have more trouble drinking period, than i do eating.

weird huh, i guess i chew really good, but i gulp. i've been sick too, but i have slimed on liquids about 8 times this weekend. none on food.

if i even take one bight and then take a drink, it is coming back up.

I'm definitely in! I was wondering where all my slow losing friends were! Lost just 24 pounds in 7 months! By the way, what's NSV or whatever it was??

I think I am a slow loser. I have only lost 35 pounds just over 6 months. I really haven't lost any more weight in about 6 weeks or so.

NSV stands for Non Scale Victory. Sometimes we go down in a size or someone tells us that we look great. Those are non scale victories.

hey Beka i got ya beat, 8 months after surgery i had only lost 16 lbs. now thats frustrating and discouraging. i gained 12 lbs back when my stress level went up because i reached for ice cream(my comfort food) read my first fill story on page 94 and u will see how confused i was for months. i actually wasted months by not going for a fill when i should have, but as my story tells i was told that my pouch stretched. anyway i've lost 13lbs since 12/15/07 and that's because i can't eat solids until after 6:30 in the evening because that seems to be the only time of the day that the food doesn't come back up. Hang in there and revaluate your calories and if they are healthy ones. water is very important.