Is It Possible

To not have success with the lap band? I admit, I am very afraid I will be one of the few. Seriously, I haven't lost anything for almost 4 months now and my band is tight enough that I often get stuck. I am working out and eating health and have seen some change in the way my clothes are fitting but it is minimal at best. Also, I have yet to break 210 and have been fluctuating for 4 months. I called my Doctor, talked with others and prayed for the answer as to why this isn't working. I am just feeling absolutely hopeless at this point. What could be wrong......as I am at witts end?

Yes, of course it is possible. What are you eating? Do you measure the amounts of your food? What is your daily calorie intake?

All weight loss comes down to burning more calories than you are taking in. The band stops you from eating large amounts of many foods, but you can thwart it by eating the wrong things that will pass through the band or by snacking continuously (my own demon, unfortunately.) It comes down to you on how much you burn (your level of exercise) and how much you eat.

I've hit a plateau, but I know it is because I snack a lot and eat things that pass through the band without being restricted.

Sometimes being too tight results in less weight loss, because you give up eating the foods you should be eating and start eating the stuff that goes through easily.

You might try really keeping an accurate food diary to see if that points out what your problem is. I keep a mental calorie count each day. If I eat more than 1200 calories a day I don't lose weight. It doesn't seem fair when I see what other people eat, but that's the truth of band life for me.

The band isn't an easy fix, at least not for me. It takes daily awareness and dedication for me to continue to lose weight. My daughter's boyfriend has lost 150 lb with the band and has never had a fill, but that sure isn't the way things are going for either my daughter, my husband, or me!

Snowbird is right in her thinking. I would add a few thoughts: Are you drinking enough water? If you eat too few calories your body will be thinking you are in starvation mode and hold on too as much weight as possible. Make sure you get approximately 60 grms of protein a da. (some others have other ideas as to the amount of protein) 60 works for me. ALso, change your exercise routine and try something different. Above all, keep a positive attitude. Are you eating no more than 30 carbs a day? Good luck and keep on working out and eating healthy.

I've been reading Dr. Paul O'Brien's book, The Lap Band Solution. He's one of the doctors in Australia that's done a massive amount of research on Lap Bands. He would say that you must get in and talk to your doctor and impress upon him/her that you are not losing weight. When was the last time you went in for a check up? Had you stalled at the time? What did the doctor tell you when you called to say you weren't losing weight?

On another note, are you consuming any caffeine? Caffeine causes the blood sugar level of Type II diabetics to spike up to 36% after dinner. That can definitely have an impact on your weight loss. Dr. Atkins always told his patients that wouldn't lose weight on his diet if they were drinking coffee. He didn't know why but he did know it to be the case. Along that line, one can of diet soda a day is sufficient to trigger metabolic syndrome - the series of health symptoms that lead to full blown diabetes. Since you're stuck, if you haven't laid off those things - do it now. No caffeine, no artificial sweeteners. See what happens after a few weeks.

I had a friend who struggled mightily for months on Atkins to lose 40 pounds. She finally laid off caffeine, and boom! it was gone. And she was in her fifties at the time. It's been several years, and she still won't touch it.

But really, you need to get back in to see your surgeon, or a bariatric surgeon.

It certainly doesn't hurt to discuss this with your surgeon. However, If I went to my surgeon right now, he would ask me, "Are you eating three meals per day of protein and vegetables?" and I would have to say, "no." "Are you snacking on foods that your band does not restrict?" "Yes."

Sometimes a little honest self-examination is more helpful and enough to resolve the problem. But if that doesn't give you any answers, talk to your doctor.

By the way, I was on Atkins and lost 65 pounds with caffeine and artificial sweeteners every day. With my band, I've lost 68 lb doing the same. My nutritionist allows both coffee and artificial sweeteners, although many others disagree. If you honestly can't find another reason you aren't losing, it is certainly worthwhile to try cutting out caffeine and sweeteners.

the only thing i can think of is if your band is tight that you often get stuck is that you are too tight. if you are too tight you wind up eating softer foods so that they will go down, but the problem is they go down passed the band easily. you are not filling up your pouch and getting that full feeling with just a few ounces of food, because most of what you eat is passing through. so you eat more.