Hard time eating and not losing weight

[suefromca]

I was banded on June 18. My first fill was Aug 8, 1.5 cc. After about two weeks I had no restriction and was hungry all of time. Only lost a few pounds. On Aug 29 I had another fill 1.cc. A little more restricting but still hungry. On Sept 19 I had yet another fill to 4.5cc. Now I have a hard time eathing anything hot, any meats and any bread products. Liquids go down really easly. The bad part is that I have only lost 10 pound since Sept 19 and I feel like I never really eat much. When I try to eat meat or anything hot I really feel the pain and the only way to relieve is to throw up. Any suggestions. I wouldn't mind the liquids if I was losing weight.

[jenf3]

I was banded on June 18. My first fill was Aug 8, 1.5 cc. After about two weeks I had no restriction and was hungry all of time. Only lost a few pounds. On Aug 29 I had another fill 1.cc. A little more restricting but still hungry. On Sept 19 I had yet another fill to 4.5cc. Now I have a hard time eathing anything hot, any meats and any bread products. Liquids go down really easly. The bad part is that I have only lost 10 pound since Sept 19 and I feel like I never really eat much. When I try to eat meat or anything hot I really feel the pain and the only way to relieve is to throw up. Any suggestions. I wouldn't mind the liquids if I was losing weight.

Hi, I have a similar experience,I was banded 6-20, I'm at a 3cc fill in the 4cc band. I havent lost any weight. I just had my fill 10-8, I think I might be too tight but I just want to lose! I dont want to get an unfill, but like you I can do liquids and have a hard time with hot meals. I can drink coffee eat things like cookies and chips and ice cream, but not chkn or beef or anything good. I donrt know what to do.I throw up all the time and spit up a lot of slime yuk! Hopefully there is someone who can give us some advice.

[Clynn]

Being over-filled will actually work against you, as you will tend to eat the high calorie & carb softer foods and avoid the foods rich in proteins and nutrients. The band is POWERLESS against soft foods as they go right through. This is called eating around the band as your are negating any benefit it may give.

Eat normally but stay away from breads and pastas since they are very likely to cause a problem and have little to no redeeming value nutrition-wise. Chew slowly and thoroughly and stay away from the foods which give you a problem. Keep a food journal and count your carbs and calories. You might be surprised and where they are coming from as foods you thought were harmless can often be surprisingly bad for you. If none of these work then give Dr Miranda a call and share your food journal with her. She can look it over and make suggestions.

[suefromca]

Hi, I have a similar experience,I was banded 6-20, I'm at a 3cc fill in the 4cc band. I havent lost any weight. I just had my fill 10-8, I think I might be too tight but I just want to lose! I dont want to get an unfill, but like you I can do liquids and have a hard time with hot meals. I can drink coffee eat things like cookies and chips and ice cream, but not chkn or beef or anything good. I donrt know what to do.I throw up all the time and spit up a lot of slime yuk! Hopefully there is someone who can give us some advice.

This is exactly what I am going through. I go back to the doctors on Nov 7. I am going to cut out all of the soft foods, like ice cream, dips and stuff and see if there is any relief. I really crave meat.

[jenf3]

This is exactly what I am going through. I go back to the doctors on Nov 7. I am going to cut out all of the soft foods, like ice cream, dips and stuff and see if there is any relief. I really crave meat.

I would like to know what a normal sized portion is when you are at the sweet spot, because they say to stick with solids but how can you get the nutrition from 1-2 bites??

[kym828]

i had to start counting calories like crazy and stay at 1200 or less a day to lose wt. monday thru friday i eat lean cusines or something along those lines as i have always had a hard time with meat unless it is dipped in gravy or potatoes. i get the casarole type frozen dinners because they seem to go down alot easier. on the weekends i eat whatever i want but very small amounts ie... i will eat maybe 3 chicken wings and thats it for a meal or 1/2 a grilled cheese sandwich... sometimes i can eat 1/2 a burger if it is juicey and not dry... i can usually only eat dark meat chicken and only 1 leg and maybe a thigh at one sitting. 1 peice of pizza and i am done.

if you eat very very slow you will probably get satisfied but not exactly full, honestly i dont eat until i am actually full, i eat until i get that feeling that i am almost full because i dont want to PB - which i used to eat until i PB'd at every meal and that is very dangerous.

i lost very little wt eating soups and drinking my meals, but like you guys i felt i was starving and needed something. you will get the hang of this, it definitely takes lots of trial and error to get the band eating right.

kym

[snowbird]

I was banded on June 18. My first fill was Aug 8, 1.5 cc. After about two weeks I had no restriction and was hungry all of time. Only lost a few pounds. On Aug 29 I had another fill 1.cc. A little more restricting but still hungry. On Sept 19 I had yet another fill to 4.5cc. Now I have a hard time eathing anything hot, any meats and any bread products. Liquids go down really easly. The bad part is that I have only lost 10 pound since Sept 19 and I feel like I never really eat much. When I try to eat meat or anything hot I really feel the pain and the only way to relieve is to throw up. Any suggestions. I wouldn't mind the liquids if I was losing weight.

Wait a minute, Sue. You have lost 10 lb in a month and you think that is really bad? I know we all have great expectations of the band and think the weight will just fall off of us, but think about it. A pound of fat is 3500 calories. To lose 10 pounds we need to reduce our caloric intake by 35000 calories. We lose a lot in the first month or two because much of it is fluid, but no one can keep up that rate of loss. A rate of 10 pounds a month is 120 a year, and that is a heck of a lot. The weight didn't go on overnight, and it's not going to come off that fast either. While it sounds as if you may be a bit overfilled, I don't think you should think of your weight loss rate as failure. Have some patience; you are doing very well.

[suefromca]

Wait a minute, Sue. You have lost 10 lb in a month and you think that is really bad? I know we all have great expectations of the band and think the weight will just fall off of us, but think about it. A pound of fat is 3500 calories. To lose 10 pounds we need to reduce our caloric intake by 35000 calories. We lose a lot in the first month or two because much of it is fluid, but no one can keep up that rate of loss. A rate of 10 pounds a month is 120 a year, and that is a heck of a lot. The weight didn't go on overnight, and it's not going to come off that fast either. While it sounds as if you may be a bit overfilled, I don't think you should think of your weight loss rate as failure. Have some patience; you are doing very well.

I guess I thought that I would lose about 3-5 pounds a week. Compared what my eating habits were before I went from 4000 calories or probably more to under 1100. I think I need to re learn how to each. I did try taking 3 hours to eat dinner and that did help. I really crave the ice cooffee drinks, can anyone suggest a log cal iced coffee drink?

Thanks Sue >

[Suzie]

I was banded on June 18. My first fill was Aug 8, 1.5 cc. After about two weeks I had no restriction and was hungry all of time. Only lost a few pounds. On Aug 29 I had another fill 1.cc. A little more restricting but still hungry. On Sept 19 I had yet another fill to 4.5cc. Now I have a hard time eathing anything hot, any meats and any bread products. Liquids go down really easly. The bad part is that I have only lost 10 pound since Sept 19 and I feel like I never really eat much. When I try to eat meat or anything hot I really feel the pain and the only way to relieve is to throw up. Any suggestions. I wouldn't mind the liquids if I was losing weight.

have you tried some soft foods like cottage cheese, hamburger because you can mash it into little pieces, lunch meat rolled up with cheese in it and eating small bites? Baked potato, chili, I will think some more.

[Cherylann]

Hi, I have a similar experience,I was banded 6-20, I'm at a 3cc fill in the 4cc band. I havent lost any weight. I just had my fill 10-8, I think I might be too tight but I just want to lose! I dont want to get an unfill, but like you I can do liquids and have a hard time with hot meals. I can drink coffee eat things like cookies and chips and ice cream, but not chkn or beef or anything good. I donrt know what to do.I throw up all the time and spit up a lot of slime yuk! Hopefully there is someone who can give us some advice.

Hi! I have been procrastinating getting on-line. The last time I did was in May of this year! I realize now, how much I need the support! I was banded nearly a year ago, the 3rd week in Nov. "06. I went back to TJ in early Jan. for my follow-up and fill. I had lost 35 lbs. by May 07. I have not used this website to my advantage, for help, comraderie, etc. so here I am. I had another fill the end of Sept. (I don't remember the cc amount.) My problem is that I have had some problems in my life that I have taken medication for. The medication makes me want to eat, and relaxes my muscles to the point that the band almost becomes non-existent. I can hardly feel it, when I take the medication. When I went for my fill in late Sept. the Dr. looked at me really funny when I told her the date of my surgery. She later said that she would have thought that I would have lost much more weight! Well, the fill definitely made a difference and I have lost more weight. However, I still fight the food thing everyday. It seems like I'm subconciously always trying to beat the system.(The lapband system.) Anyway to make a long story short, I have found in the past year that warm foods go down well for me. And unfortunately cookies and other sugars go down very smoothly. And like you, the meats, green salads, and other foods that seem more healthy, don't go down as well. I think I am still in my former mind set, and trying to eat the same portions that I used to! Old habits die HARD!!! I have also done my share of throwing up! If you can only do liquids, stick with warm broth (like at the beginning-in the days after surgery). I also drink Atkins shakes. They are similar to Ensure, and I love them! You can freeze them in the can, let them thaw a bit, use a can opener, and eat them like ice-cream, without the calories of ice cream. Anyway, this whole mind set of smaller portions has been hard for me. But to make a long story short, try warm liquids and liquids that have vitamins and nutrients like Ensure, Atkins, etc. There have been days since my last fill that liquids were all I could have. That's when the weight comes off. (As long as you are not drinking high calorie liquids.) Take care, and good luck.

[suefromca]

Hi! I have been procrastinating getting on-line. The last time I did was in May of this year! I realize now, how much I need the support! I was banded nearly a year ago, the 3rd week in Nov. "06. I went back to TJ in early Jan. for my follow-up and fill. I had lost 35 lbs. by May 07. I have not used this website to my advantage, for help, comraderie, etc. so here I am. I had another fill the end of Sept. (I don't remember the cc amount.) My problem is that I have had some problems in my life that I have taken medication for. The medication makes me want to eat, and relaxes my muscles to the point that the band almost becomes non-existent. I can hardly feel it, when I take the medication. When I went for my fill in late Sept. the Dr. looked at me really funny when I told her the date of my surgery. She later said that she would have thought that I would have lost much more weight! Well, the fill definitely made a difference and I have lost more weight. However, I still fight the food thing everyday. It seems like I'm subconciously always trying to beat the system.(The lapband system.) Anyway to make a long story short, I have found in the past year that warm foods go down well for me. And unfortunately cookies and other sugars go down very smoothly. And like you, the meats, green salads, and other foods that seem more healthy, don't go down as well. I think I am still in my former mind set, and trying to eat the same portions that I used to! Old habits die HARD!!! I have also done my share of throwing up! If you can only do liquids, stick with warm broth (like at the beginning-in the days after surgery). I also drink Atkins shakes. They are similar to Ensure, and I love them! You can freeze them in the can, let them thaw a bit, use a can opener, and eat them like ice-cream, without the calories of ice cream. Anyway, this whole mind set of smaller portions has been hard for me. But to make a long story short, try warm liquids and liquids that have vitamins and nutrients like Ensure, Atkins, etc. There have been days since my last fill that liquids were all I could have. That's when the weight comes off. (As long as you are not drinking high calorie liquids.) Take care, and good luck.

Thank you for your reply. My problem is that I feel sick way before I even can feel fill. Anything warm does me in. Last Sat was the first time that I was able to eat a few bites of different foods and I wasn't in discomfort. I only have lost 10 pound in 7 weeks. I could have almost lost that doing weight watchers. Liquids are OK but unless I take hours to drink them I get the pressure in my stomach. I go to the doctor this wed. I hate the thought of asking to have some of my fill taken out but if I am not losing and eating is such a pain in the butt. Thank again for your help

[FurEllie]

I guess I thought that I would lose about 3-5 pounds a week. Compared what my eating habits were before I went from 4000 calories or probably more to under 1100. I think I need to re learn how to each. I did try taking 3 hours to eat dinner and that did help. I really crave the ice cooffee drinks, can anyone suggest a log cal iced coffee drink?

Thanks Sue >

Make your own low cal iced coffee drink

Starbucks also has a "20 under 200" list:

http://www.starbucks.com/retail/BEV-530_20under200.pdf