I can't lose weight....

I am almost at a year in August and I have only lost 14lbs. I am at 8ccs fill. I am exercising almost 5 days a week. my diet consists of the following: protein shake for breakfast, lean cuisine for lunch(none of them are over 300 calories), and some sort of fish such as Tilapia or soup with brown rice for dinner. I am drinking atleast 4 bottles of water a day along with diet ice tea or diet Fuze. Nothing is working.....my doctor just keeps saying exercise more. I have 2 jobs, I can't get to the gym more. What do I have to do, starve myself?
Any help will be greatly appreciated because I feel like the biggest failure.  I couldn't lose weight before weight loss surgery and I still can't lose it now. I hate my body!!!

If you couldn't lose weight before surgery, that's a big indicator that your problem is more of a metabolic one than an "I'm eating too much" one.  That's why there are different procedures.  None of them are universal approaches.  If you eat 5,000 calories a day habitually, sure, restriction alone may work well for you.  But if you were already leading a healthy lifestyle and dieting pre-op, that is a big big sign that your problem is your metabolism.  In which case, restriction will help you lose a little weight (like you described above), but it's not going to work long term.  I know I'll probably get flamed from someone for saying this, but the stats are there, the band has a high failure rate.  Combine that with metabolic resistance and you're at even more of a disadvantage. 

I know you're still early out, but have you considered a revision down the road in the event the lap band continues to fail you?  (This is important to recognize that it is NOT your fault that the lap band isn't working as well as you'd hope.  I think it's a matter of surgery mismatch.) 

I was like you... I could NOT lose weight even as a pre-op eating 1200-1600 cals a day, exercising, seeing a nutritionist, personal trainer, endocrinologist, etc.  I knew I was metabolically resistant and would need MALABSORPTION in order to put my body and metabolism on a somewhat level playing field to lose the weight.  I had the duodenal switch (DS) a little over a year ago.  Even though it's technically considered to be the most extreme of the bariatric procedures, I've lost at a slower pace than most.  But I've lost almost 100 lbs and am only 15 lbs from goal.  And I can eat.  I HAVE to eat.  I eat at least double what you listed you eat in a typical day.  It's worth checking out.  www.dsfacts.com

Just something to consider a little farther down the road.  In the meantime, I would try upping your protein.  I don't think you're eating enough to fuel your body.  Try adding some low carb Atkins bars and some more protein shakes to your daily intake and see if that helps you.

My situation was the same as yours.  I feel your pain.  My friend and I had the band done at the same time and she lost weight and I didnt.  After one year  I had the band removed and just had the gastric bypass surgery done.  You are not a failure..it just wasnt the right surgery for you and we just dont know this until we know it.  Consider other options.  I think you have developed great habits with the excercise and eating habits that will serve you well.

I am sorry to hear about your problem but I'm relieved at the same time that I'm not by myself and I'm so tired of people telling me "well you need to eat right". I've tried and tried and tried since my surgery which was Feb 2009 and I haven't been able to lose either. I also get my protein in and I'm at 7.5cc's and for the last 3 weeks have only been able to eat a bite here and there and that's it. I haven't been able to eat a "meal" in 3 weeks now. I STILL haven't eve lost 1 pound! I also started on some vitamin injections that people in my hometown are dropping TONS of weight on. My good friend just lost 26 pounds in the last 3 weeks and I could name 30 people I know that are losing. I take DOUBLE the dose and STILL can't lost 1 pound! I just want to know if there is another Dr I could see that could run some kind of test to see what the problem may be. I've had some tests run but I'm just not satisfied. I want answers and I want them now. I'm tired of not being able to eat and still not loseing weight. I hope we can stay in touch and maybe help eachother through this. Take Care!
Staci

I eat 1200 calories minumum and workout regularily.  If you don't move, you won't burn off the calories.  The first advice is quit saying you "CAN'T".  Otherwise you will fail.

The band won't make you lose weight.  If your metabolism doesnt work it won't just burn off the calories without movement.  You can do workouts at home quit making excuses.  You can walk the stairs, walk during lunch, movement is the key and what kind of stuff you are eating.  Lean cuisines have a lot of sodium too so you can retain a lot of H2O if you don****ch it too.

My advice is to get rid of that word CAN'T.

I had RNY.  And i lost all the excess weight.  But - I really limited carbs.  I still do. I have to. i can eat more calories if I eliminate starchy carbs and most fruits.  My body works that way.  When i try to indroduce more carbs - I start gaing weigh very fast.   For some of us we are designed to keep and retain all the starchy - carby foods and then some.  It has to do with insuline secretion.  We are designed to store fat.  Some people get insuline response from diet drinks.  There was study.
Not that you doing anything wrong - but maybe your body needs differnt type of food... like proteins, and no-starchy veggies + some healthy fats.  - almost like an atkins low fat induction diet.  You may want to try that for a few weeks and see if you can lose weight, and then add one item a day - and see how much will it take for you to stop losing.   

 I understand this metabolic difficulty all too well where energy in does not equal energy out.  Has anyone failed to lose sufficient weight with the VSG due to metabolic resistance?  And...does any know if they test a person for that prior to doing surgery in order to recommend the best surgery option?
Thanks for any replies.
Straw Walker