I am one month out and stopped losing

First of all Happy New Year to everyone.

Ok this is the issue..I had my realize band put in nov. 24 and in the first few days i lost 8 pounds then very slow until I got up to 19 pounds in a month...I thought that it would be much more, and noiw I have not lost anymore weight in a couple of weeks..I am frustrated, i have no restriction, i can drink like a whole bottle of water no problem...I only got sick twice..one on sushi, one peice and a small bite of roast beef.....I am can't have a fill until feb. and I probably won't get lucky on the first fill....I am doing something wrong?  I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT ALREADY...HELP..give me some encouragement...thanks,,, N

Many people see a stall in weight loss after they reach solid foods but before the first fill. Your body is adjusting...be patient!

Unfortunately, our doctors don't prepare us for this stuff...I've learned everything here on the boards.

You must pat yourself on the back for 19 lbs in a month - it's very unlikely that you would accomplish that without surgery so BRAVO!!!

You'll get there...it's slow and steady and until you get used to that, you'll be frustrated. It's actually kind of liberating once you get used to it.

One thing I always do during stalls is to make sure that I am measuring myself. I tend to loose more inches during stalls. But even without restriction you can still loose weight, it is all about portion control. For the last 5 weeks I have only been loosing about a pound a week. But even still a pound a week is a whole lot better than gaining a pound a week like I did over the holidays last year.

Congrats on the 19 pounds in one month. That is no small feat.

Yep, and the band sights and Dr's say we are to loose 1-2 pounds a week, so it sounds like you are doing great.  

I think people forget that and get upset, if they want bypass weight loss then they should have gotten a bypass.  I'm not saying you Randy, just a lot of people post they are not losing enough or quick enough and then you see their numbers and they are actually doing pretty good.  I guess that is just the way it is.  LOL  

Boo

I tend to agree with you on this one. I have lost 15 lbs so far and I had surgery November 12th.  I had one fill with 4 cc's put in and I do feel restriction but I'm still not loosing fast.  I have to constantly remind myself that any loss is a positive thing. I also have to remind myself that the band is a tool not a miracle and I have to work with it to make it work for me.  I lost weight slowly ... very slowly prior to this surgery so I have to remember it will be slowly with the band.  My doctor expects me to loose the 80 lbs I want to loose in 2 years... so that's only 40 lbs a year... VERY SLOW!  

Keep your spirits up that your heading in the right direction!  

Your doing great so far and the loss is 1-2 pounds a week with the band.  So, just remember you are getting healthier and healthier with each pound that comes off.  Even if it's seems slow, time flys by and before you know it you WILL be at goal.  Hang in there and keep it up.  I know when I was like 1 month post op I wanted more, more, more loss.  Now that I am 3 months out and still losing, I have mellowed and see that I am losing. Some weeks .5 and some weeks 3, but I am losing weight and I am doing it the way I planned.  Sometimes we loose sight of what we said we wanted pre-op.  So, just remember you are losing and doing great and you WILL get there.  :)  Slow and steady wins the race.  I lost 7 pounds this month and I am thrilled because it was the hardest month by far I have had so far.  I am so ready for January and to get back to normal things and no more non-stop parties.  :) 

Boo

I know you hate hearing patience, but that is all we can really say right now.  That and follow the rules, make sure your staying in check.  Your gonna have to put that good ole Willpower friend to work till you can get some restriction.  Also, even if you don't hit your sweet spot right away, just getting some restriction does help.  Also, remember what you read pre-op, the bandsters hell, being patient, doing the work yourself too, still healing and just getting ready for your fills and weight loss to kick in, the 1-2 pounds a week.   It's all still the same now, I kind of  lost sight of all the things I "KNEW" pre-op for the first weeks post op cause I was just so focused on surgery and losing.  Keep the whole big picture in sight.  You are doing great so far and are gonna do great.  Hang in there!  :)

Boo

Noelle64,  

19 pounds in one month is a GREAT accomplishment. Be proud that your LOST this much, and haven’t gained one ounce. What you are going through is normal. Don’t despair. Here is my diatribe when folks worry about losing weight   When I first stared out, I had the same concerns. I asked a close friend, who is a Certified Fitness Trainer, about losing weight. He gave me some information I found interesting, and thought I’d pass it along. 

The first thing he said is “You have to EAT in order to loose weight". He further explained, this does not mean to OVEREAT, but eat sensible portions. 

He explained the body is a marvelous machine, and it will protect it self. If one doesn’t eat enough, the body’s metabolism will slow down - in order to keep it self functioning. If a person's intake is less then what it expels, the body will start to “store" food. If a person stay on this type of eating regiment over a prolonged period, the body starts to “eat it self" - which is extremely unhealthy and could be fatal. 

According to my friend, the first thing the body will first start to “eat away" at is all the stored sugars in the body. After that has been depleted, the body then attacks all the (both good and bad) carbohydrates and fats. Finally the body starts to “digest" the proteins in the body. The proteins are mostly stored in muscle. One of the most important muscles our body has is the HEART. That’s why many anorexia patients die of heart problems - basically the body ate it away. 

He said don’t worry if you’re not loosing right away. He said as long as we follow the guidelines our Doctors/Nutritionist has set for us, we will lose weight. The body sometimes takes a while before it “resets" itself.   I’ve come to realize we are a generation of instantaneous gratification. However in all my years of losing weight I’ve also come too realized to have a success weight loss, it must be done gradually (in steps).    

Many times folks are obsessed about the number of pounds they loose. They are constantly jumping on the scale, and get depressed if they haven’t lost weight in a given time period.  

I know there are folks out there who believe scales should be used only for fishes or pianos ... However, many others like to weight themselves regularly. They feel it helps keep them on track.   

Either way, remember there are other “scales" you can use to monitor your success: your constant hunger reduction (eliminate); reduced clothing size; increase energy; re-familiarizing yourself to body-parts unseen for years (errr… like your toes) ; “common" activity becoming easier (walking, climbing steps), just feeling good about yourself; sleeping better (reduced snoring); the mirror; better medical exam results (lower cholesterol and/or blood pressure); even friends/acquaintances compliments. For everyone out there who is a little “depressed" about the slowing/lack of weight loss - try to remember where you were when you started compared to where you are today.  

Think LONG TERM. That’s what I am doing. My new outlook is “Slow and steady wins the race".  Even if it take me over 5 years to loose all the weight I want to, I know in the long run I will be happy and healthier. My family doctor firmly believes the slower you lose weight, the better chance you have of keeping it off. My doctor reminded me that each pound I gained took time to put on, so it’s going to take some time to loose those same pounds. She reminded me that even if I lost only 1 pound per week, in year’s time I’d be 52 pounds lighter.

Many may compare their lost to someone else’s, and get discouraged. The amount of weight lost is affected by many factors. Everyone loses weight at different rates. It has to do with age, gender, one’s weight, exercise, etc.. A 10 pound lost to one person could be as affected as a 40 pound lost to another. Think of it this way: If a 400-pound person loses 40 pounds; a 300-pound person loses 30 pounds, a 200-pound person loses 20 pounds, and a 100-pound person loses 10 pounds – the 400-pound person didn’t necessarily loose more weight then the others. All three lost 10% of their body weight. 

And sometimes it is not the number of pounds that someone loses in a specified period of time that is important. Remember, if you are toning up muscle – your weight loss may seem to have slowed (or stopped), when in fact you are replacing fat with muscle. Muscle is heavier then fat.

Someone weighing 200 pounds with a body fat percentage of 25 is carrying around 50 pounds of extra fat. That same person weighing 200 pounds with 10 percent body fat would be carrying only 20 pounds of fat. So it’s not the number that is important.

Be proud of your lost. No matter how small it may seem. Remember, it’s better to loose 1 pound then to GAIN 1 ounce. 

Just make sure you are following the rules ALS set out for you. Make sure you are taking in your 60 to 80 grams of protein; you’re drinking 64 ounces of non-carbonated decaffeinated liquid; you’re not drinking 30 minutes before/after or during meals. Call the office or speak to the Nutritionists with questions. That’s why they are there.

Good luck, and know I am here if you need.  

May 2010 be lighter and brighter then 2009.  

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thought out message to me....you are right in all accounts of your message....I know that I am being greedy, but sometimes i just feel like i can't tell that i have lost the weight that i already have and I had a picture in my mind of what I will look like this summer coming up...Oh well,  I do need to forge on...

Hey by the way, I notice that you went to dr. abkin....I had the realize band..what did you have? and tellme about your fills and stuff...I cannot get a fill until feb...I am so anxious, becasue right now,,,i do not feel any restriction.

Take care and thanks again and a VEry Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year.

N

I am 5 months out and have 3 fills and eat and drink just like i did before surgery. I lost about 19lbs during the pre-op diet and have actually fluctuated gaining and losing 3 of those. So in my 5 months, I've lost NOTHING!!! I am so disappointed, and ready to have RNY.