I was banded in July 09. I have only lost five pounds. No I haven't been exercising like crazy, but I did make several changes such as walking my daughter to and home from school which is a total of two miles a day. On top of that doing another mile walk on Tues and Thursdays. I am still eating a lot because I am hungry. I do PB sometimes, but most of the time I can eat a lot. Its so depressing to have only lost 5 pounds. My husband thinks this was a waist of money. I paid 10k because my BMI was too low to qualify for surgery. I want to believe this is going to work for me, but Im starting to doubt in myself and my band. I just wonder if anyone out there had a slow start but ended up losing the weight. I have read posts from people who the band didnt work for and Im starting to wonder if I am one of those people.

I was banded in July 09. I have only lost five pounds. No I haven't been exercising like crazy, but I did make several changes such as walking my daughter to and home from school which is a total of two miles a day. On top of that doing another mile walk on Tues and Thursdays. I am still eating a lot because I am hungry. I do PB sometimes, but most of the time I can eat a lot. Its so depressing to have only lost 5 pounds. My husband thinks this was a waist of money. I paid 10k because my BMI was too low to qualify for surgery. I want to believe this is going to work for me, but Im starting to doubt in myself and my band. I just wonder if anyone out there had a slow start but ended up losing the weight. I have read posts from people who the band didnt work for and Im starting to wonder if I am one of those people.

Hi there! So glad to connect with someone else who had similar question to my own...

Thank you for posting. I placed my self in the category of a "slow loser" but now that I have had the band for more than a year and a half I realize that I simply did not have enough restriction. I still don't, but I am getting closer.

As you can see by my signature I had a lot of fills, if your hungry go get a fill. You don't need to become an Olympian for the band to work but you do have to exercise (which you are doing).

So hang in there, it works when you work it!

Lana:thumbup:

Hi there! So glad to connect

As you can see by my signature I had a lot of fills.

Lana:thumbup:

Hi Lana,

Im glad to connect too. So by your signature it looks like you are one pound under goal? Im so happy to meet someone who had a slow start but still made it. I feel alone like Im the only one. I dont come on here much anymore because nothing is different. I have nothing to share and its hard to see everyone elses success even though I am happy for them of course. I am going to schedual another fill. They are so dang expensive. I hope I dont need as many as you because my insurance doesnt help me pay for anything band related. My band is half full now. Restriction is weird. I dont know if I have it or not. Sometimes I think I do because if I eat too fast I PB, but I get hungry fast after meals and I can eat a lot at one sitting. For example I ate an entire chipotle bowl. Have you ever seen one of those things? Id think if my restriction was right I wouldnt want to eat an entire one of those.

Talk to your dietician or doctor if you are hungry. It wont stop you from being hungry but they can analysis what you are eating and explain the issues to you.

Was doing same thing. No liquids near meals an hour either side or during. Eat solid slow digesting foods, and get the quantities right.

Or it could be something else. You need to find out. The band can work, should work, and the doctors and you want it to work. I think it is a restraint issue regarding what you are eating.

I am happy to send you some really important info from my very good dietician and doctor, however I think you should try sourcing help first from people who know you and are in a position to help you.

Unless you are manic about how you are going to live (and I certainly am not) you will not get the miracle results in a short amount of time. Thats the bottom line. But you can learn to live nicely with the band and moderate yourself and still have the results just not so fast. My doctor also said slow weight loss is good weight loss. Less sagging issues.

So put that positive spin on it and seek help and answers please.

The way the band works if you are properly restricted it is suposed to help you not over eat and stay satisfied longer. There can always be head hunger even for those with good restriction; but I dont think if someone has proper restrictin they should be able to eat an entire chipotle bowl. I'd say you dont have enough restriction and you need a fill if you are eating that much and feeling hungry soon after meals.

Hi,

I did I finally made it to my first goal! It only took a year and a half to lose 40 pounds. From what I can understand from my own body, I was not a HUGE eater before, yes I ate too much and too much of the wrong types of food. Whereas some people consume thousands upon thousands of calories per day, then it only stands to reason when banded and unable to eat they have drastic weight loss results. That is why results vary so with each individual.

The first six months, I had myself pegged as a failure until I remember the saying, THE PAST DOES NOT EQUAL THE FUTURE. I had to stop my own "stinking thinking" because I was undermining my victories. Every pound, every ounce that comes off is a victory.

So instead of sitting around thinking about me and my own ass, I try to get out or stay in but with my mind occupied on something I enjoy like music or playing with my kids. I read more now than ever and I am just generally a happier person inside my own skin.

Think about it like this, any journey even weight loss will be as hard as you make it. If you "think" it is impossible your brain will "set up" impossible scenarios... funny how that works out!

Ask your self, What can I do to have the most effective weight loss and enjoy doing it... Whatever answer you get is the right path for you.

Good luck,

Lana

Please give us an example of what the foods and portions you consume each day?

Please give us an example of what the foods and portions you consume each day?

Well yesterday: for Breakfast one whole egg, one egg white, and one peice of whole grain toast. Then for lunch I had a chipotle bowl which had chicken, veggies, salsa, lettus and I told them to go light on the rice. For dinner I had a chicken breast in wine sauce, green Beans, and red potatoes. I know thats too much food. I had hoped that the band was going to help me not to eat as much.

Well yesterday: for breakfast one whole egg, one egg white, and one peice of whole grain toast. Then for lunch I had a chipotle bowl which had chicken, veggies, salsa, lettus and I told them to go light on the rice. For dinner I had a chicken breast in wine sauce, green Beans, and red potatoes. I know thats too much food. I had hoped that the band was going to help me not to eat as much.

I am early in the process, but with this second fill (from 4ccs to 6 ccs) there is no way I could eat that much food. Before the second fill, definitely! So sounds like you do need another fill. Good luck!

I agree, you need another fill.

Don't beat yourself up for being able to more then those of us with good restriction. When you get good restriction you too will eat much less.

Hang in there,

Donna

And whilst its great to make changes to your lifestyle such as the walking, exercising like crazy DOES make a very very big difference. Many of us need really high intensity stuff to lose, - strength training and cardio circuits, that type of thing, for an hour, say five days a week AND the walking on top of that. That's the sorts of exercise levels I did to lose weight and to maintain my loss.

It kills you at first but now I go to bootcamp and still have the energy to run on the treadmill after it, when you get fit, you recover quickly and arent so tired.

Well I guess all I can do is stay positive, get another fill, and excersise more. Being negitive isnt going to help. I just wondered if there were those who lost super slow at first. Like five pounds in four months is the worst I have ever seen on the boards and being the slowst loser makes me wonder if I even have a chance. But thats a really screwed up way to look at it. I'll never have a chance if I look at it from that way. Its hard when I have failed at every diet, and that fear is in the back of my head that I will fail at the band too. With such a crappy weightloss after four moths, my head is like, "See!! Look this wont work for you either!" But Im going to shut it up, get a fill, hit the weights, and keep trying. Hopefully this next fill with some harder excersise will get it started. I really hope so.

And whilst its great to make changes to your lifestyle such as the walking, exercising like crazy DOES make a very very big difference. Many of us need really high intensity stuff to lose, - strength training and cardio circuits, that type of thing, for an hour, say five days a week AND the walking on top of that. That's the sorts of exercise levels I did to lose weight and to maintain my loss.

It kills you at first but now I go to bootcamp and still have the energy to run on the treadmill after it, when you get fit, you recover quickly and arent so tired.

I love your quote in green.

I also think you have to stop eating even when you are hungry whether you have restriction or not. I only have 2 fills and I am not sure how much I could eat because I always stop at a certain point (3/4 cup). I wish you luck, just watch what you eat and stop at whatever point you choose for yourself, but stop at that point everytime. I think you will begin to lose. Good luck to you!!

Hi! I was a slow loser. I started out at 285 and it took me 3 years to loose 135 lbs. I am now at 150. I lost very slowly for at least the first 1 1/2 years, then the weight just started coming off. I felt like a failure for about the 1st year. Just try to relax, follow the rules and don't make weight loss your life's focus....it will happen.

Good Luck.

HI, I was just about to post to see if there where any July 09 bander and how much they've lost. I was banded July 29th and had 2 fills, I have lost about 30 lbs. I was wonderiing if it should be more. My doctor said that it will be a slow consistant loss of 1-2 per week.

Hang in there, I was told when you slow down stick an extra protein shake in to get things going again. I don't really think I'm losing like I should but I've been eating more than I should.