A Few Tips From A Slow Loser - Now Past Goal -

NewSho · 07-15-2008, 01:43 PM

LENGTH ALERT! (This has very detailed tips and tricks, so this is not a short post. Just a "heads up")

People asked me a lot how I went from Slow Loser to getting to goal. I did better my second year of banding and when the weight came off - it really came off.
This is something that worked for me, and I recommended to other Bandsters.

Granted, these are tips that's not in any Lap Band brochure or doctor's manual, and YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY - but if you already think of yourself as a Slow Loser like I was, then maybe you will be open to trying something to shake things up a bit.

When I needed a weight-loss push, I didn't cut down on calories much (if I'd recently had a fill adjustment, that's different) but in general:

I *added* protein to every thing I ate.

This helped me to lose steadily (although it sped up my weight loss, more importantly it kept it steady). And it worked! Some Bandsters in my same banding date were better at counting calories - I wasn't. Some were better at counting carbs, I wasn't, but I excelled at ADDING protein. And I did well and later, other fellow Bandsters were asking me for help and tips.

How did I do it? I did not reduce calories or the amount I consumed (without a fill it wasn't much need to try that) and yet, I still lost. (I added a little bit of beans, or a sprinkle of cheese (my favorite), or eggs - whatever I could. I didn't reduce what I ate, but I "upped my protein" - and it worked.
With the band, if you eat more protein, you generally will find yourself eating less overall - it doesn't feel that way but you do.
Every single time I added more protein to my regular Band-friendly meals, I lost more weight, even though I wasn't eating less calories sometimes. Sounds crazy - but in my particular case, if I didn't keep my protein levels up, my body held on to calories a lot more. Who needs their bodies "hoarding" calories?

If adding a bit of food meant I would lose more, it was worth a try. It worked.
And I paid attention to the TYPE of protein I ate. (Even before banding, I didn't eat beef or pork at all. And the band was developed in other countries where the pork and beef consumption is a lot lower than it is here in the 'States. I'm not a vegetarian, I just eat seafood and poultry only. My doc said this helped my weight loss a lot because the protein I ate was leaner, not fattier protein like pork/ham/bacon or beef/hamburger/fatty red meat. So I didn't have to regulate my portions as much as some Bandsters did. My can of tuna did more for me than a hamburger ever would have.)
Also, I'm a single/childless Bandster who lives alone, so I eat out for almost every meal. If I could make it to goal - while eating out - ANYBODY can.

How did I do it? Here were some tips.

At breakfast, with my morning egg(s), I added a bit of cheese on top. Or I would have cottage cheese added. For protein and hunger reasons, cottage cheese did better than yogurt for me - unless I just had a fill or was very very filled or adjusted. The most filled I am, the less I eat in the mornings. So especially if you are not at your sweet spot, try proteins that "stick" with you more to keep hunger away. Yogurt alone was not good enough of a breakfast for me, with the band it just went through, and wasn't really filling. Now if I charged up my yogurt with lots of nuts, seeds, and wheat germ - then BAM! I'm not much of a cold cereal eater (I prefer hot cereals) but if I had one I made sure it was a protein-packed one (I LOVE Grape Nuts cereal best. Go Lean is awesome, and several of the Oatmeals & Cream of Wheat cereals have good protein content. I also added a few nuts to those, too. If I had a yogurt smoothie drink as a snack, I had them had a half scoop of protein powder (a full scoop can make it too thick sometimes) or some soy or nuts.
Lunchtime was easy to get more protein in. I'd eat a scoop of tuna salad or chicken salad for lunch - and have them add some shredded cheese, some seeds and/or some nuts. I also love soup. Usually a cup is a nice start to my lunch if I'm having a scoop of salad or tuna. If it's my whole lunch I get a bowl of soup and eat what I can from it. My band will tell me when to stop. Almost any kind of any soup is great with a sprinkle of cheese or nuts added. Beans, too!
With my DINNER I always like a cup of soup to begin. Gets me going, jump starts & 'primes' my band and it's a great protein opportunity. Then if I could, I concentrated on seafood. ANY type of fish worked great with my band - From catfish to salmon to snapper to Tilapia. Or even shrimp or my all time favorite, calamari. I enjoy oysters in season and clams all year. The weeks that I ate more seafood, I lost more weight - across the board. Usually grilled is a good choice to be honest I even ate it fried (sorry, weight loss experts) and I still did well. And with my seafood, if I could I added beans to almost everything. With my steamed veggies, I added nuts and a sprinkle of cheese sometimes. I know it's not very It really does work!

See when I restrict my calories or even when I try to cut down on fat - I usually just end up cutting down on protein. And no matter how "well" or how much less I eat, if I cut my protein my body won't 'burn' up the fat. It holds on to it. I know that protein is the fuel that helps the Lap Band machine work and not trying to diet or 'cut down' was a blessing to me.

I've had other Bandsters try this, and yes they are skeptical at first but when they start seeing inches lost (muscle really does weigh more than fat, so your clothes tell you before the scale ever will) then they get on the bandwagon. So don't just 'cut down' - ADD some food on your plate. That's right. ADD MORE nuts, boiled/diced egg, beans, cheese, seeds and other yummy forms of protein. Your body and your Lap Band will thank you for it. Also adding protein allowed me to eat fewer carbs and save them for what was really a nice treat - a nice martini or occasional glass of wine, with dinner. Yes, I'm a drinking Bandster. All the successful European Bandsters I knew drank a glass or two now and then and they were my role models. I can't drink a lot AT ALL - a little goes a long way, but it was nice to get to goal weight without ever missing a Friday Happy Hour. I got the band to enhance my life, not take away some of the things that make it enjoyable. I eat out at restaurants, I go have drinks with friends - and I feel and look great. BRAVO!

Good Luck to you. (And since so many people asked me the same question in private posts - that's why I am posting it on the Slow Losers board too...)

Keep up the good fight. I did it - and you can too.

**Jack** · 07-15-2008, 04:44 PM

Thanks for the pointers New Sho.....I'm going to have to get something working here....

cheers to you success!!!

Mischievous1 · 07-22-2008, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewSho

LENGTH ALERT! (This has very detailed tips and tricks, so this is not a short post. Just a "heads up")

People asked me a lot how I went from Slow Loser to getting to goal. I did better my second year of banding and when the weight came off - it really came off.
This is something that worked for me, and I recommended to other Bandsters.

Keep up the good fight. I did it - and you can too.

Thank you for the advice, I am going to give it a go!

cathychatts · 07-28-2008, 05:43 PM

Wow! I am going to give it a try. I have only had success with high protein in the past, so it stand to reason that it will work better now!

Thanks for the tips!

Dionna113 · 07-29-2008, 11:12 AM

Thank you NewSho. Your post makes good sense so I will definitely try it.

summertime1199 · 07-30-2008, 11:00 AM

Sounds weird but I going to give it a try. Love the cheese idea. Haven't found a cheese that I don't like!!

Melody2006 · 07-30-2008, 06:04 PM

I needed this post. I'm going to start today!

bbgray · 08-06-2008, 01:57 PM

This was a great post for me for today! I am almost a year out and have only lost 52 lbs. I am getting very discouraged but as i read you post i realized that i hardly ever add protien and i have almost completely stopped drinking protien shakes. I needed this wake up post.
Thanks

fairchilde23 · 08-06-2008, 03:59 PM

This was a great wake up for me, I'm 8 months out and only lost 30 pounds. I love protein and should eat more of it. Thanks for the tip!

Mischievous1 · 08-06-2008, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mischievous1

Thank you for the advice, I am going to give it a go!

Okay this is sooo weird, but it's working, I dropped 2 lbs since I started this and for me ( A VERY slow loser ) that was FAST! I'm going to keep working this angle and see if it continues...thank you soooo much for the advice!!

Mischievous1 · 08-09-2008, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mischievous1

Okay this is sooo weird, but it's working, I dropped 2 lbs since I started this and for me ( A VERY slow loser ) that was FAST! I'm going to keep working this angle and see if it continues...thank you soooo much for the advice!!

Lost another lb! I'm in such amazement as this is NOT my norm....thanks again for the advice.

mango24 · 08-11-2008, 08:01 PM

just subscribing

drh0729 · 08-14-2008, 06:37 PM

I eat protein with every meal, but may I need just a little more to kick in into place. Noramlly, I have a protein bar with 20 grams of protein in the morning or eggs. Lunch I normally have a salad with chicken or salmon in it and dinner is about the same chicken or fish with veg or salad... I have gone weeks without losing anything.

bjr · 08-14-2008, 08:16 PM

hi, my name is brenda from arkansa. i just read ur tips for a slow looser. i need your help. i am 6mo. out of lap band surgery. i have lost 40 pounds but feel like it was will power alone and following a low carb hi prot. diet. i did not have surgery to be on a 'diet.' i currently have 8 cc in a 12 cc band. sometimes when i eat faster or dont chew properly i get a stuck feeling but it eventually passes and im able to eat as much as i did before surgery. this is where im confused. you said ur band would tell you when to quit or when you were full. i have not experienced this. what will it feel like. is it a feeling of fullnesss like after eating a big meal like thgiving dinner or what. as far as your protein intake goes, the atkins diet worked the same for me. but i ate a lot of calories on it but still lost. so, im wondering what the point of the surgery is if i can still eat way more than 2 to 3 cups of food. im having some restriction when i take a bite in the morings or mid after noon but then , nothing. i started out at 360 and im now 320. ive been off track for a few days too. i want to get back to loosing. do you think i have a stretched pouch or an esophageal stretch. what can i do to start over again on diet. thank you so much . please replay asap as im desperate. email me at chubgirl2003@yahoo.com. thanks again, brenda

Lshelley21 · 08-14-2008, 11:17 PM

my dr. told me to eat at least 75g of protein per a day. find things before surgury that you can have that are super high in protein. but my question is, won't this kill your kidneys? I know that too high protein can lead to kidney failure...although that might just be in pets@! (sorry dog trainer here)