Slow /Plateu Weight Loss with Lapband

I am 10 months out with my lapband and have only lost 35 pounds, is anyone that can give me some advice?  

The first thing my doc would ask me if I was exercising at least 30 min a day .   Me personally, if I dont exercise then I dont lose weight.  It dont matter how little I eat, how good I eat no exercise no weight loss , its always been that way for me.    I

Are your calories to high or to low ?   Once again this is for me.  I cant eat anything less then 1000 a day if I do I will stall big time.  I have to eat between 1000 to 1400 per day .  

Then he will ask me if I'm eating over the amount of I'm allowed which is one cup of food . 

Those are just some of the things for me that will happen and I wont lose weight.

Maybe you could tell us what you are eating and what you are doing for exercise and we could guide you from there.

Also are you getting in your minimum of 64oz of water (or very very low calorie fluids.. such as crystal light) in a day?

We didn't get obese overnight, we won't lose it overnight.  Everyone looses at different rates.  Also take your measurements, sometimes when loss slows or stops, the body is reshaping.

Give us more details so we can better help you.

I have a protein smoothie for breakfast, lunch consist of a salad with bake chicken and dinner a bowl of chili.  I know I'm not drinking 64oz of fluid my average is 32oz..  Also I attenda zumba class three times a week. 

Great on the Zumba!!  It is a fun and energetic class and can really work your abs!  You may need/want to find something physical to do the other 4 days a week.  It could be as little as walking for 30 minutes. 

Now, as to your food plan.

Have you figured out how many calories are in the smoothie?  Some are good and some not so good.  I know many who say no liquid calories other than a serving or two of skim milk.. but I also understand being too tight or too busy in the morning to sit down and eat real food.  So, make sure that your smoothie isn't too high calorie or has too many carbs.  

Salad sounds ok, but are you putting dressing on it?  If you are, what kind?  I eat salads sometimes, but I use either just salt/pepper or a very light dressing which I measure out by the tablespoon (at home).  If I want to use a liquid dressing in public, I order it on the side and dip my fork in it, then spear my salad.  How much chicken?  My doctor says 3 oz of protein for most of his patients.  When I started I was nearly 400lbs, and I gave myself 4oz of protein as I thought 3oz just wasn't enough.  As I lost I cut my portion back to 3 oz.

How large a bowl of chili?  Is it made with lean (90/10 or at the very least 85/15) beef or turkey?  If you're using ground turkey, read the labels carefully, not all ground turkey is the same.  Are you eating saltines or other crackers with the chili?  (that's my downfall.. I love salty crackers and have to keep lower calorie/lower sodium alternatives handy).  And watch what other things you might put on the chili.. sour cream (try a dollop of plain greek yogurt instead, tastes almost the same and much more protein), cheese (if you must have cheese, try the weigh****cher's grated mexican cheese, you probably won't notice the difference when in a recipe, I sure don't).

Really try to up the water (or at the least, other very very low calorie fluids such as crystal lite, powerade zero, etc.  I try to shoot for no more than 10 calories in 16 oz).  Drinking sufficien****er is important to help flush the fat out of our body.  I can't remember the exact mechanics of it, but maybe someone else will remember or post a link to the information.

If you don't already, you may find it helpful to journal your food intake.  There are lots of online places available .. I like livestrong.com/thedailyplate, others like fitday, caloriecount.about.com, fatsecret.com.  If you have a smartphone, both dailyplate and fatsecret have apps.  Or you can use pencil & paper.. just do journal a while.  Studies show that those who keep a food journal are more successful at losing weight.

Here are some bandster rules that Jessie Ahroni, a bariatric nurse who's been banded for 11 years now (lost all her excess weight in 1 year and has kept it off) frequently recites:

No liquid calories (except 2 servings of non-fat milk).

No soft foods.

Two 3-4 ounce servings of protein every day.

Always eat the protein first, then the produce.

Avoid bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and other starchy foods.

Consume 20-25 grams of fiber every day.

Eat only three small meals a day.

Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.

Stop eating as soon as you feel full.

Do not drink while you are eating.

Do not eat between meals.

Eat only good quality foods.

Avoid fibrous food.

Drink enough fluids during the day.

Drink only low or no calorie liquids.

Avoid carbonated beverages.

Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

Hope some of this is helpful.   If you like Jessie's list, she's on the Smartbandsters yahoo group.  I find it to be a very helpful email list.

First of all you need to be truly honest with yourself and answer the following questions:

Also 35 pounds is nothing to sneeze at.....You still have your band and it still works so there is still hope for you to lose more, there is no window of opporunity with the band.

1. Are you truly committed to your new lifestyle change? Or are you looking for a magic wand?

2. Were you a light weight? Lightweights lose slower, the smaller you are the more work you will have to put into your weight loss efforts.

3. Are you truly exercising DAILY? Most people need at least 40 minutes to 1 hour dedicated each day to some form of exercise, bike, walking, swimming, running, hiking - SOME FORM OF MOVEMENT.

4. What are you truly eating? If you are eating mostly carbs and drinking your calories, you may need to change that to lean proteins, eggs, baked chicken, tuna, salmon any type of soft green veggie that you like will help you lose your weight. If can't eat those foods you are too tight and it serves no purpose at all for weight loss with the band.

5. Water, if you are not getting enough water, this also could stall your weight, you need to get at least 8 glasses of water per day to flush fat out.

6. Count every thing that goes into your mouth, you can follow  Sparkspeople at  http://www.sparkpeople.com/landing_free_cal3.asp, it is a great site for helping you track your calorie intake

7. If you are truly doing all the above you may have other health issues going on that this forum can't help with. Good luck to you

1.  Yes I am committed to the my life style change, no I am not looking for a magic wand.  I knew when I decided to have this procedure that it would be slow, but not this slow.
2. I never thought that I could be light weight
3. I exercise daily whi*****lude a 1 hour zumba class three times a week.
4. I think I am eat more protein than carbs and veg.  I drink mostly water and/or tea
5. I am average about 32oz of water a day.
 

You don't mention anything about restriction. Have u ever had restriction since u got the band??? If you don't have restriction then it is just like trying to lose weight before you had WLS.

Yes, I have restriction I have a Realize band with 7 1/2 cc.

You have gotten great advice. It comes down to calories in vs. calories out. If you burn more calories then you take in, you will loose weight. That being said, I swear by a lowcarb/lowfat/high protien diet. That is what I did and I lost 107 pounds in about 10 months. I had a low carb protien shake each day for breakfast- I couldn't eat anything in the morning when I was tighter. I would have lean protien (chicken breast, fish, pork loin) and a non-starchy veggie for lunch and dinner. I would have 1-2 planned snacks. Usually 1/4c nuts, 2 cheese sticks or beef jerky.
I recorded what I ate (just low-tech, pen and paper)and counted calories and protien. I stopped after a few months because it felt too much like a diet and I was in a routine in terms of my meals and snacks.
Excersise is the other piece of the puzzle, calories out. It is really hard to start, at least it was for me. It took me until I was 3-4 months post op before I hit the gym. Just do it! You may not learn to love it, but you will get over hating it. It will become a matter of routine. It is essential not only for weight loss but weight maintainance. Start out slow and gradually increase your duration/intensity. You can do it!