Introduction (And a Cry for Help)
Hello everyone! My name's Michelle and I had gastric banding on 8/3/10 (performed by Dr. Michael Peters in DE). It was a whirlwind month--surgery, a new job, and relocating to PA. I am almost 5 months out and have only lost about 30 lbs. :( I know I am not supposed to compare myself to others but I am finding it hard to get support in my new town and am growing frustrated. For weeks, I was losing steadily--now I am stalled (and have been for about 8 weeks).
With that said, I'm asking for help in the form of advice, support groups, or just good ol' fashioned kind words. :) I get my adjustments done in DE but it is becoming taxing having to drive almost 2 hours in traffic for a 10-minute appointment so any tips on that front would be appreciated.
I've lurked around the site for a while and I found you guys to be very supportive so thanks in advance for listening to my rant! :)
With that said, I'm asking for help in the form of advice, support groups, or just good ol' fashioned kind words. :) I get my adjustments done in DE but it is becoming taxing having to drive almost 2 hours in traffic for a 10-minute appointment so any tips on that front would be appreciated.
I've lurked around the site for a while and I found you guys to be very supportive so thanks in advance for listening to my rant! :)
hello. I didn't have the band i had the bypass,but i have stalls. i know how hard it is. keep trying and the scale will move.
I don't know where i pa you are , the barix clinic in langhorne pa has a great support group. they meet the 2ND Tuesday of the month for pre-ops, the 3rd Wednesday of the month for post ops, and the 1st Saturday of the month for everyone. they have both band and bypass patients. it is free and all are welcome.
I don't know where i pa you are , the barix clinic in langhorne pa has a great support group. they meet the 2ND Tuesday of the month for pre-ops, the 3rd Wednesday of the month for post ops, and the 1st Saturday of the month for everyone. they have both band and bypass patients. it is free and all are welcome.
Welcome Michelle.. again, I didn't have the band. BUT, it seems that there might be an issue with your fills? Where in Pa are you? There are lots of great doctors in PA and I'm sure someone would be willing to take over your case. I did not have my surgery at Barix, but from what everyone here says, they are the best around. SO, if you are in the Langhorne area or within an hour or so, I would say it would be worth the drive.
We do have a couple of banders here who I'm sure will jump on with words of advice for you.
Welcome to you an stick around. We do try to help out however we can. Stick to your initial post op diet and maybe that will help you to get back on track. Good Luck!
We do have a couple of banders here who I'm sure will jump on with words of advice for you.
Welcome to you an stick around. We do try to help out however we can. Stick to your initial post op diet and maybe that will help you to get back on track. Good Luck!
My tracker
hers 
Welcome Michelle - at this point I wouldn't get too discouraged about your stall - it happens to everyone and your body is probably just adjusting to the band and the sudden weight loss you had. It will start to come off again, so be patient with it.
It would help us to know what general area you're living in - I'm guessing if you have a 2 hour drive to Delaware you're north of Philly? But yes, Barix is awesome and welcomes everyone, as do most support groups.
I wish you all the best with your band...and finding a good support group close to where you live. But we are always here and while I don't have the band we're all in this together to lose weight and be healthier, right?
Welcome - glad to have you on the boards!!
Kathy
It would help us to know what general area you're living in - I'm guessing if you have a 2 hour drive to Delaware you're north of Philly? But yes, Barix is awesome and welcomes everyone, as do most support groups.
I wish you all the best with your band...and finding a good support group close to where you live. But we are always here and while I don't have the band we're all in this together to lose weight and be healthier, right?
Welcome - glad to have you on the boards!!
Kathy
'One shoe can change your life'...Cinderella
Hi Michelle - welcome out of lurkdom and into the wonderful world of the PA boards. I truly hope you find the help, support and friendship here that we all have found. I echo what the others have said, I too am no help with the band - however, do NOT sneeze at the 30 pounds! That is awesome! And so long as you continue to follow the plan, you will continue your journey more and more successful! Good luck and keep coming back - sometimes we are funny AND adorable! :)
Hi Michelle,
Welcome and congratulations on your new life. We never, ever say "only" here about anything... (only 30 pounds???!!!) If it were easy to lose 30 pounds, wouldn't you have done it before? Every ounce represents your hard work and dedication, so treasure them.
Each person will lose weight differently, based on metabolism, exercise, food choices, genetics, and so much more. For MOST of us (RNY and lap-banders alike), the body goes through an initial "rapid" loss phase (ketosis), and will then "stall" for a bit because your metabolism goes into starvation mode where it thinks it needs to conserve all of the energy going in for a bit. After a little while, your body catches up to itself and starts allowing weight loss once again. That stall can happen anywhere from 3 - 6 months out and can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. It's normal and frustrating as all heck.
Keep up your nutrition regimen that is part of your new lifestyle plan. Avoid sugars, minimize fat and carbs, get your protein in first, etc. Don't drink within 10 minutes before and 30 minutes after eating. Just keep your eyes on the prize and focus on the basics.
The best way to get through it is to NOT be obsessed with the scale - put it away and only weigh once a week or once a month (better). Continue to take your body measurements monthly (haven't done it yet? START NOW!!!) and you will likely see inches lost even when the scale doesn't move. That's because muscle is more dense than fat - 1 pound of muscle takes up less room than 1 lb of fat.
Also recognize that this is about the time when you can expect to start feeling cranky and out-of-sorts, because all of the estrogen that has been stored in your fat cells starts to be released into your blood. Think "PMS on steroids." Again, it's normal, it will decrease over time, and we've all been through it. Don't worry!
I hope we'll meet you at the Barix support groups! In the meantime, we'll be happy to provide support here, as well!
Karen
Welcome and congratulations on your new life. We never, ever say "only" here about anything... (only 30 pounds???!!!) If it were easy to lose 30 pounds, wouldn't you have done it before? Every ounce represents your hard work and dedication, so treasure them.
Each person will lose weight differently, based on metabolism, exercise, food choices, genetics, and so much more. For MOST of us (RNY and lap-banders alike), the body goes through an initial "rapid" loss phase (ketosis), and will then "stall" for a bit because your metabolism goes into starvation mode where it thinks it needs to conserve all of the energy going in for a bit. After a little while, your body catches up to itself and starts allowing weight loss once again. That stall can happen anywhere from 3 - 6 months out and can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. It's normal and frustrating as all heck.
Keep up your nutrition regimen that is part of your new lifestyle plan. Avoid sugars, minimize fat and carbs, get your protein in first, etc. Don't drink within 10 minutes before and 30 minutes after eating. Just keep your eyes on the prize and focus on the basics.
The best way to get through it is to NOT be obsessed with the scale - put it away and only weigh once a week or once a month (better). Continue to take your body measurements monthly (haven't done it yet? START NOW!!!) and you will likely see inches lost even when the scale doesn't move. That's because muscle is more dense than fat - 1 pound of muscle takes up less room than 1 lb of fat.
Also recognize that this is about the time when you can expect to start feeling cranky and out-of-sorts, because all of the estrogen that has been stored in your fat cells starts to be released into your blood. Think "PMS on steroids." Again, it's normal, it will decrease over time, and we've all been through it. Don't worry!
I hope we'll meet you at the Barix support groups! In the meantime, we'll be happy to provide support here, as well!
Karen
Hi Michelle,
I have the Realize Band, and had my surger on 8/24 just 3 weeks after you had yours. I too have been having a rough past few weeks, and I've had a stall as well. For the past 6 weeks I've pretty much stayed around the same weight (some weeks I've lost, some weeks I gained a few). I know that it is very frustrating to be going through a stall in weight loss, but hopefully your luck will change and the weight will start coming off again.
Have you discussed this with your surgeon, maybe you need another fill? Also, if you have to drive 2 hours to see your surgeon, I'd definitely recommending finding a doctor in PA. I went through the program at Abington Memorial Hospital, and I like the doctors there. But like others have posted, I've also heard nothing but good things about Barix in Langhorne.
Good luck to you,
David
I have the Realize Band, and had my surger on 8/24 just 3 weeks after you had yours. I too have been having a rough past few weeks, and I've had a stall as well. For the past 6 weeks I've pretty much stayed around the same weight (some weeks I've lost, some weeks I gained a few). I know that it is very frustrating to be going through a stall in weight loss, but hopefully your luck will change and the weight will start coming off again.
Have you discussed this with your surgeon, maybe you need another fill? Also, if you have to drive 2 hours to see your surgeon, I'd definitely recommending finding a doctor in PA. I went through the program at Abington Memorial Hospital, and I like the doctors there. But like others have posted, I've also heard nothing but good things about Barix in Langhorne.
Good luck to you,
David
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