Hi, I was banded 6/30/09 and have lost 28lbs so far. I had 3 fills. After my 3rd fill 3 weeks ago I lost 4lbs the following week and then the next week I lost nothing, I thought it was PMS, I weighed in this week and I am up 2lbs. I don't think it still is PMS. I don't think I need more of a fill since I am not eating much and I throw up quite a bit. Could it be a plateau all ready? Any suggestions or advice from anyone? I haven't been drinking much water, its so hard to fit in, but I am trying. I do exercise most days of the week. Thank you. Getting discouraged. I thought I would have lost more by now.

I am close to you in surgery dates and I have only lost 25lbs so far. I have had one fill 2cc and go Tuesday for my second. I think you are doing good. Just keep an eye on what type of food you might be eating and try to drink that water. I hate water but now that is all I drink but I still hate it. Hang in there it will start up again!!

Keep your head up. You're going to plateau here and there. It pretty much happens to everyone. I was banded at the end of March and just now got over a 6 WEEK plateau. It was the most frustrating thing ever. But the weight is starting to come back off now.

Get your Water in and try to avoid foods that you're getting stuck on. Throwing up frequently is not normal, nor is it good for you. It also makes you revert back to slider foods, which go down easily but also tend to be not-so-great for you.

You're doing just fine with your weight loss. If you get down about it, nothing is going to come off. A positive attitude goes miles with this.

I've lost about 25 pounds since I started my pre-op diet at the end of May. I lost a lot of that in June and July and am finally starting to see the number on the scale moved downward. But it's been slow!

If you are pbing a lot, you may have some swelling, which will cause you to continue to pb. It is a viscious cycle. It would be good for you to go on liquids for a couple of days. Perhaps do the 5 day pouch test. The first few days are liquids, then it moves to mushies. It helps you test your pouch and get you back into the program. It should also allow any swelling you have to subside. If you give your band time for swelling to go down and you start pbing again, you should probably check into getting a small unfill.

If you are journaling, what kinds of foods are you eating. When I became too tight after my hysterectomy, I turned to slider foods, which stalled my weight loss. It wasn't ice cream and candy. I was eating Cereal (Special K), but it still stalled my weight loss. Do a little investigating and see what you can find out. Journaling will also help you figure out exactly how many calories you are consuming each day. I consume 1200-1500 per day and have been since surgery over a year ago.

It's not a true plateau until it lasts at least six weeks. Just keep doing what you're supposed to do and the scale will move!

If you're throwing up a lot and aren't able to get all your liquids in, you may be too tight. If you aren't getting enough calories in that you need, your body may be in starvation mode and is holding onto every last calorie there is.

Perhaps do the 5 day pouch test. The first few days are liquids, then it moves to mushies. It helps you test your pouch and get you back into the program. QUOTE]

Can someone explain what the "5 day pouch test" means exactly and what the purpose is in more detail? Does it have anything to do with testing to see that you are not eating too much? Clarification would be appreciated! Thanks

The 5 day pouch test is a 5 day plan that starts with liquids. Then you move to mushies, then soft Proteins and then on to regular foods. It is like doing your entire post op diet from beginning to end in 5 days. It can help you get familiar with the "I am satisfied" feeling again, especially if you have been eating too much. In this case, I recommended it because the original poster has been pbing a lot and probably has swelling. The days of liquids will help the swelling subside and then when moving to mushies, then soft proteins, and regular food if the pbing continues, she will know that the band is too tight and a small unfill is probably needed. Oh, and as a bonus, many people can lose a few lbs doing it and jump start weight loss again.

Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test

CrzyTchr,

Thanks for the link, I had forgotten all about this! I have hit a 5 week plateu and this is what I need to help get a jump start again. I think alot of banders get "comfortable" with the band (I did) and forget what restriction feels like. Healthy restriction. Hopefully this will help me get back on track.

Thanks again

D

Unforgettable, I think you are right on the money! I thought the exact same thing as you last week and I had an appt with my PCP and I told her I hadn't lost, all the throwing up and I thought I wasn't getting in enough calories and my body was holding on to it all and I wasn't losing but she blamed it on me! Said to write down what I ate and I would be surprised at how many calories I was getting in etc. I let her talk me in to that for a couple days and now I see, I was right and you are right! I made an appt for an little unfill Friday afternoon. Why do pcp's give lap band advice when they have no clue? She was totally wrong and I am pissed! Thanks very much everyone!

You are doing great. i am experiencing a plateau as well. It is frustrating but I am sure that it will start coming off again soon.

I was so discouraged a few weeks back but I went back to the doc he said that I am doing fine. My motto is as long as I am not gaining I am doing OK. I wish you all the best.

I love my internist (my PCP) and he's one of the top 100 docs in Atlanta....BUT he freely admits he knows very little about lap bands and if I were to ask him a technical question, he would just tell me I needed to talk to the surgeon's office. I think part of being a really good doctor is not to try to handle things out of the scope of your practice. Why would your PCP even attempt to address a band issue? Baffles me! Thank goodness you didn't let it sidetrack you for long.

I mean, I was in a pretty serious car crash in March (just over a month after surgery) and took a hard hit across my abdominal area. Lots of bruising almost immediately. But I wouldn't even let the ambulance take me to the hospital because I figured the chance of getting an ER doctor who would even know what could possibly go wrong with a lap band or be able to determine if anything had happened related to my band was somewhere around slim to none. l just went to my surgeon's office the next morning first thing and told them what happened.

CrzyTchr,

Thanks for the link, I had forgotten all about this! I have hit a 5 week plateu and this is what I need to help get a jump start again. I think alot of banders get "comfortable" with the band (I did) and forget what restriction feels like. Healthy restriction. Hopefully this will help me get back on track.

Thanks again

D

You are welcome.

I got banded at the same time on 6/26. I had my first fill and lost 6lbs, and the second fill I lost nothing. I just got my third fill the other day and I finally got restrction and I don't feel hungry all the time. I am having a hard time getting my liquid down also, but I am trying to get that down first. Today was my first day of mushies and a very small bite of eggs wouldn't go down. So I will have to stick to protein shakes in the am. I am starting to see that I am loosing now, since the dr appt on tuesday i have lost 5lbs.

I got banded at the same time on 6/26. I had my first fill and lost 6lbs, and the second fill I lost nothing. I just got my third fill the other day and I finally got restrction and I don't feel hungry all the time. I am having a hard time getting my liquid down also, but I am trying to get that down first. Today was my first day of mushies and a very small bite of eggs wouldn't go down. So I will have to stick to Protein shakes in the am. I am starting to see that I am loosing now, since the dr appt on tuesday i have lost 5lbs.

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Just an FYI, I cant eat eggs or eat in the morning. I try to do Protein Shakes or just my coffee till lunch.

D