Question:
Plateau

I am post op 70 pounds lapband, since 5/08. I need to lose an additional 20 pounds. I am more hungry now than before. I was wondering if I should get another fill, or should tough it out and control my eating. Please help!!!    — savoy7658 (posted on October 4, 2009)

October 4, 2009
I'd talk to your doctor or nut...good luck to you! hugs,kim
   — gpcmist

October 5, 2009
The last 20 obs are the hardest. Check and see if your doctor wants to do another fill if you are still hungry. But you need to try to set up a healthy eating pattern you can live with now.
   — trible

October 5, 2009
I am 5 years post-op and at my goal weight. I have the Lap-Band as well. It took me 3 years to reach my goal weight (I lost 110 pounds). After the first 40 - 50 pounds, my health was so improved, and I felt so good, I would have been happy even if I had not lost any more. We all go through plateaus. It is normal, and necessary for your body to take some time to adjust to all the changes it is undergoing. You should not be so hungry however. How often are you seeing your surgeon? I saw mine everyone month for the first two or three years. Since then I see him once every other month (more if necessary). As you get closer to your goal, the weight loss will slow down. Everyone looses the weight at a different rate. The last year or two when I was still loosing weight, I lost only about an average of 1-2 pounds a month. I was not in a big hurry. I concentrated on making healthy life style changes that I could sustain. This is a journey I'll be on the rest of my life. I was able to lose large amounts of weight before this surgery, but my problem was always being able to keep it off. The real miracle of the Lap-Band for me is that it is a tool to help me maintain my weight loss. A good rule of thumb to decide if you need a fill is: Add fluid if you are hungry more often, are eating bigger meals, and find yourself looking for food. Take out fluid if you are having difficulty swallowing, have acid reflux/heartburn, are throwing up, or have poor eating behavior (ie. you can only swallow soft foods). You are in the optimal zone if you eat 2-4 small meals a day, you have early and prolonged satiety, small meals satisfy you, and you are experiencing satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. I got this information off a hand-out my surgeon gave me. It was published by LAP-BAND SYSTEM, the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education. I hope that helps. God Bless.
   — KimM

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