need some advice and encouragement

Well, tomorrow is my two month mark, and I have lost 25 pounds or so.  However, I have totally stalled in the last two weeks, as in not losing a pound, and need some encouragement.

I am currently in a difficult work situation, which will ease up in three weeks, when I will have time to work out more regularly.  I know this will make a difference.  In addition, I have been doing some stress eating lately; this should ease soon, but I am worried about how much I can still eat.

I am struggling with not feeling any restriction at all.  To be fair, I have had only one fill, and I need someone to tell me that I will feel more restricted soon.  I have felt much less hunger between meals, but let's not kid ourselves; I didn't get fat because I only ate when I was hungry; I had some very bad habits.  While I am working on stopping some of those habits, I still need the help of the band to literally make me feel full or unable to eat certain foods.  Please, someone, tell me this is going to happen!!!  I have not yet felt any fullness.

Or, tell me the truth that it is not going to happen and I have to make other adjustments to my life...

I currently have 6ccs in an 11cc band (Realize).  Is there anyone who can give me some advice or hope?  I have another fill next week, and I intend to ask my dr. to be very aggressive.

Thanks in advance for any comments.  Have a great day.

OMG...when you get enough in the band you will fill so much restriction!  Sometimes I think I have too much restriction...food just doesn't appeal to me like it once did.  It can get overwhelming when you see such drastic loss in weight from others...everyone is different.  You will do great...move your appt up a few days, maybe they can squeeze you in tomorrow!

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.

 

Fills: Fills are very different for everyone. The first thing to remember is how the fills are done. Some doctors do it under fluoroscope (x-ray and barium drink), while most do it “blindly" (aka poke and hope) and it may take a few fills until you feel the restriction. If under x-ray the Doctor can “see" exactly how ‘tight’ the band is, compared of a Doctor who puts in .5 cc in at a time. Sometimes it takes fewer visits to get to the “sweet" spot with fluoroscope then with blind. If possible, ask for fluoroscope fill. While it may be a little more expensive, in the long run you will have to go less times to get the correct restrictions.

 

Realize has two size bands. 9cc and 11cc. Hence it could take more saline in one band to get to the “sweet spot" (ex. It will take 4.5 cc for a 9cc band to be half-fill, compared to 5.5cc for a 11cc band to be half-filled). Plus everyone is differnent. 4 cc's could be good for one person, and be too much for another, and not enough for the 3rd. When you get there, you'll know. So give it some time.  

 

Don't give up hope or get frustrated - you'll be there soon. And if/when you're "too tight" you'll wish you never had the fill ;D !!

Every reply is great advice!  I have found that when I stall, i change my workout routine and i seem to get rolling again.  I figure if I walk 5 miles a day and lose..........then still doing the same thing i stop losing, i need to shake it up a little bit.  I going back to boxing once a week and now doing the eliptical more regularly.  Still hitting the track/treadmill for 2 miles, but thats going to be my warm up for cardio. 

My Pastor says "The deffinition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results"  Im all about NO insanity LOL so I change it up.  Works for me! 

O and be careful about asking your doc to be agressive with your fills..............too full is a NIGHTMARE!!!!!  i promise!!!!!   I cried because I had no restriction, so he smacked ti to me and dangggggggg, it was the worst time ever.   It took me over a year to get my perfect sweet spot, (because i was too stubborn to get a unfill for 6 months) bu****CH OUT NOW! LOL    I feel unstoppable!

Hang in there its well worth the wait!!

 

Wow.This is my story also!I have had one fill.had the realize band 2/23/2010.I feel no resriction and Im depressed!Whats the point of the surgery Im thinking!Swimming laps isnt even helping.UGG.I have lost 21 pounds so far.I am also worried how much i can eat..any words of advice?

First a little tough love – are you following ALL THE RULES? If you’re not, that could be the issue. If you are, then (as I said above) relax a bit because stalls are natural part of weight loss.

You have lost 21 pounds in about 7 weeks. A normal good weight loss (with the band) is an average of two pounds a week, so you're on track.
I know we'd all like to lose was fast as a bypass patient, but for the majority this doesn't happen. Band patients lose slower, but over a 3 to 5 year span we lose as much as a bypass patient. Remember 2 pounds a week is a 104 pounds in a year.

Remember, this isn’t a race. “Slow and steady wins the race".  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. We all know types of programs always fail. This is a way of life

 

Nowhere does any of the literate state you will lose x amount of weight in x days. Think LONG TERM. If it takes you 2 – 3 -5 years to lose all the weight, WHO CARES!!! How long did it take you to put all those pounds on? Try to remind yourself that even if I lost only 1 pound per week, in year’s time I’d be 52 pounds lighter. Many doctors believe the slower you lose weight, the better chance you have of keeping it off. 

 

Many folks are hung up on the number. It’s not the number of pounds that someone loses in a specified period of time that is important. It’s how you feel. Don’t forget, 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 weighting 200 pounds with a body fat percentage of 25 is carrying around 50 pounds of extra fat. That same person weighting 200 pounds with 10 percent body fat would be carrying 20 pounds of fat. So it’s not the number that is important.

 

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. 

 

 

Also 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.

                    

 

Be proud of your lost. No matter how small it may seem. Remember, it’s better to lose not a pound than to GAIN a ounce.

 

Thank you so much for the incourgement.No,Im not folling some of the rules.The protien,well..I only get half of what I was told to.Im going to try and be better.Thanks again,

I cannot stress enough how important meeting your protein is important to weight loss and remaining full longer. Make sure your hit your protein numbers, then you'll see your weight loss continue.

Have you ever try to change those habits that you discussed here?? May be you 50% problem will solve after making change in those habits. obesityhelp

   

I understand exactly how you feel. I am getting ready to have my first fill on 4/26/2010 and I am scared that I will feel no restriction. I have been making new eating habits that were suggested by my nutritionist and I have started to exercise but I have only lost 11 pounds. I am scared that I will go back to my bad eating habits if I feel no restriction. I am very stressed also from work by my boss which is not helping my recover process. She says that she can't believe I took the easy way out! This is by far not the easy way out! All this is making me depressed. I will try to keep my head up and you do the same!