Not loosing... eating too much?

For several months now I have not lost an ounce!  I feel really discouraged and know all of the things I should be doing to loose the weight - but cannot bring myself to do so.  I am eating more than I thought I could - yet have a very full band.  The hiccups continue to haunt me at every meal.  Usually after only one or two bites.   I feel like a bit of a "Band Failure".  I go to face the music with my Dr. in 2 days.  I am unhappy not be presenting a thinner me!  I am letting life get in the way of my efforts also....troubles at home make things that much harder. 
I need a good kick in the butt! :))

Sounds like you need to get back to basics. Measure your food track your protein and calories. Log your workouts. For me I see more results when I do these 3 things that are so easy to stop doing. Even if you are getting more calories than you need or want having it written down will help you see your problems and makes it easier to figure it out.

Kristina,

 

You stated you haven’t lost an ounce, but the real big question is have you gained? If not, be happy with that.

 

Stalls are natural part of weight loss. It seems the body "catches on" to what we have been doing, and holds onto everything. After a while, the lost restarts and things go well.

However, stalls can also because by eating (a) too much (b) not enough. I know it sounds a little contradictory, and I will try to explain.

 

Too much: While we need to make sure we hit our protein requirements (60-80 grams, or whatever your Doctor told you), we need to make sure the carbs, calories, etc are “acceptable". Remember, you don’t want to make your 80 grams of protein by eating 4 gallons of ice cream or a starchy carb.

 

Not enough: Again, make sure you are meeting your daily protein requirements. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO WEIGHT LOSS. The body is a marvelous machine, and it will protect itself. If one doesn’t eat enough, the body’s metabolism will slow down - in order to keep itself functioning. If a person intake is less then what it expels, the body will start to “store" food.

 

Your issue may be not you, but the band itself. Ask the Doctor to make sure the band hasn’t slipped, and is holding the amount of saline that was installed.

 

If the band is fine, then I need to get a little tough (with love) and ask .. WHAT &#^#%@ ARE YOU DOING ?!?!?!?  You need to stop and reflect and be proud of all you have accomplished and call upon your strength. How do I know you have strength? Because it took strength to admit you wanted to regain control of your life; it took strength to have the operation; it took strength to make you lose weight; it took strength to realize you’re not doing what you’re suppose to be doing; and it took strength to ask for help.

 

Be proud you have realized your “issue", and you are being accountable for it. Now get back to the basics. In all the time I’ve gained some weight back, I realize why and went BACK TO THE BASICS. The last time was during Christmas I gained 13 pounds. I am happy to report I have lost those 13 pounds, and 3 additional pounds. What you need to do is pretend you just had the operation and do a few days (1 week) of liquids, then soft food, then regular foods. What you are actually doing is purging/detoxifying your body of those “bad" foods that can/will cause cravings.

 

And also remember this: skinny (what we perceive as normal) people deal with this their entire lives. HOW they react to it is what makes us different.

 

Using a military analogy: In my “past life" I would see a weight gain or stall as a ‘defeat’, and decide that since I already ‘lost this battle" I might as well “lose the war"; admit defeat, and eat uncontrollably. Now days, I realize I haven’t “lost the battle", but I had a “minor skirmish setback". I regroup, with help of the troops (folks on the board and/or support groups) – get the weapons and/or artillery I need (eat correctly), and go and try to conqueror my foe. I also stop and realize I have won more battles then lost, and I see victory on the horizon.

 

Some of us (me include) believe scales should be used only for fish or piano ... Many 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 lose more weight than 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.

 

Remember there are other “scales" you can use to monitor your success: your constant hunger reduction (eliminated); reduced clothing size; increase energy; re-familiarizing yourself to body-parts unseen for years (errr… 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); etc.

                    

Finally, we are a generation of instantaneous results, however remember we didn’t put all the weight on at once, it took years. So don’t you think losing it would take just as long? This isn't one of those miracle instantaneous weight loss programs. Those types of programs always fail. This is a way of life. Plus in all my years of losing weight I’ve come too realized with instantaneous weight lost comes instantaneous weight gain.

 

Nowhere does any of the literature state you will lose x amount of weight in x days. 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 lose all the weight I want to, I know in the long run I will be happy and healthier. My 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, and it’s going to take some time to lose those same pounds. Try to remind yourself that even if I lost only 1 pound per week, in year’s time I’d be 52 pounds lighter.

 

OK .. I will get off my soapbox. I think I given more then my 2¢ worth

I'm so glad that you mentioned muscle gain affecting the scales. I know for a fact that I've gained alot of muscle so I wonder what my body fat percentage is. Do you know of the best way to get this determined?

The best way is a "submerged" test where they put you in a tank of water and calculate your weight and compare it with the water displacement.

The most conventional way is using calipers. I would suggest going to a health club and asking someone to take measurements for you.

Kristina, you and I are in the same boat. Hang in there, we've managed to get this far..... this is only a small bump in the road :)