Melis,
Let me tell you a few things that I hope will put your mind at ease: 1) Until you have restriction, you're simply dieting. The band isn't doing its job until it's at a place where it has to kick in. With that said, don't test it! I know I did, and a lot of my friends did, too. I've told a lot of people on here that my band didn't start to work for me until after my 3rd or 4th fill and it is entirely true. 2) I didn't lose weight consistently in this process. Just as we don't gain it uniformly, some of us just don't lose it the same way as others do. I would stay the same weight for months on end, then drop a quick 15. My surgeon was happy because I still managed the 1-2 pounds average by the time my next appointment would come. 3) You're doing great! Keep up the good work. If, like me, you've never stuck to a plan regularly of eating well and exercising, it's just a matter of time.....don't give up now. I know how frustrating it can be, but it will happen. If you lose slowly, you'll lose more permanently. The weeks I drop more weight than others, the scale manages to creep back up a little on me. You're only 7 months post op and you've lost 35 pounds+!! That's more than 1 pound a week. You're doing this right and it will happen for you. As difficult as it sounds, you just need to be patient. If you wanted the quick fix, you would have gone the route of GB. You chose this instead. You'll make this work. You've clearly committed to changing your life and you're doing great! Take measurements--Particularly if you're working out. Your body will change in ways that the scale doesn't measure. My mom saw me yesterday for the first time in about a month and asked if I was continuing to lose weight. (My family thinks I should be "done" by now and worries....) I've actually gained about 6 pounds this summer. Sad, huh?! BUT, because of working out, I've re-shaped my body. Take pics. This will be a better way to be objective, too.
Melis, you're running a marathon here, not a sprint. I know how defeating it is and how frustrating it is not to feel and see immediate results. I also suggest keeping records of your workouts. I did that so I could track my progress. I went from walking on a treadmill at 2.7 to running at 6.0 in about a year. THAT was my biggest accomplishment, not losing 100 pounds. Keep in touch and look on here for support. This website SAVED me when I most needed it. We've all been through (and are going through) the same thing. You can do this and you will! Take pics of the scale as you go, too! I love reflecting on how happy I was when I hit 275!! OMG that was nearly 80 pounds ago now, but I was SO excited!!!! You'll get there, little by little! You CAN do this....
As far as increasing my protein goes, I may have gone a little overboard. I was up and in and out of the bathroom all night long with huge stomach pains. Anyone else have really bad constipation? I did take a laxative and fiber but I thought I was going to die last night. Thank goodness I'm on vacation for another week......
MELIS, As an added thought after the fact---1 pound per week ends up to be 52 in a year. You'd be happy with that, wouldn't you?! My biggest weight loss came between months 11-15 for me.....
