Band to RNY and I'm struggling

Jenbug43
on 9/22/15 11:18 am

Hello all.....I'm hoping someone can identify with my story and give me some advice.  I had lap band surgery in 2007.  I did pretty good at first and lost 90 lbs.  After a few years i started having complications...which I ignored....fast forward to 2015 I had gained back 60 lbs and was malnourished and very sick.  I had my band out on July 2nd with a revision to RNY.  All went perfectly and I do feel great....but I'm not losing any weight.  I have only lost 30 lbs. since July.  I feel like I never even had surgery.  I am never full or satisfied.  I can eat as much as I want and whatever i want (except sugar...I haven't even tried).  When I last saw my surgeon I was told that they don't know why band to bypass patients don't do so well and come back in six weeks.  I'm in a couple of facebook groups and haven't really found the folks there particularly friendly.  I know that I should be measuring my food better but basically at this point I'm on a diet.  I've been failing at diets my entire life.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Queen JB
on 9/22/15 11:52 am
RNY on 07/20/15

My loss is extremely slow, too (on fact you are beating me)! I had my revision on July 20 (9 weeks ago) and I've only lost 21lbs so far. It's frustrating! It started with a long stall, now I lose about a pound a week if I'm lucky. 

The only difference is that I don't feel particularly hungry (99% of the time if I feel hungry I remember that I didn't take my acid reducer). I think it's funny to read people post about how restricted their food choices are. After the band I feel like I can eat a million more things than I used to be able to tolerate. 

All I can say is to get back to measuring, follow all the nutritional guidelines, get active, and know that slow and steady CAN win the race! 

  • High Weight before LapBand: 200 (2008)
  • High Weight before RNY: 160 (2015)
  • Lowest post-op weight: 110 (2016)
  • Maintenance Weight: 120 (2017-2019)
  • Battling Regain Weight: 135 (current)

Jenbug43
on 9/22/15 12:02 pm

But it doesn't even make any sense?  I read about others who have had RNY and can only eat a few bites.  I specially asked my surgeon if this would happen and he said I would do fine.  And now I'm being told not to expect too much loss? 

Queen JB
on 9/22/15 1:01 pm
RNY on 07/20/15

I can eat much more than a few bites, depending on what it is, some things fill me more than others... Dense protein fills me faster than other things, for sure. 

I was NEVER told that I wouldn't lose much, just that it would be slow. I just refuse to compare myself to others and remember that on my own, 1lb a week would be impossible, so this is still a miracle :)

Chin up---prove your surgeon wrong!

  • High Weight before LapBand: 200 (2008)
  • High Weight before RNY: 160 (2015)
  • Lowest post-op weight: 110 (2016)
  • Maintenance Weight: 120 (2017-2019)
  • Battling Regain Weight: 135 (current)

NYMom222
on 9/22/15 7:05 pm
RNY on 07/23/14

You do need to measure your food, especially in the beginning when you are still healing. Yes, we still need to watch what we are eating. Solid foods will make you feel full faster. If you posted a menu it might help people to make suggestions. 30lbs at not even three months out, while might not be what you expected is not horrible. I know I had 2 stalls in my first 3 months. Are you tracking at all? Protein, water, carbs?

Don't let the statement of the Doc get you down. Slower does not mean you won't lose the weight.

Cynthia 5'11" RNY 7/23/2014

Goal reached 17 months. 220lb Weight Loss
Plastic Surgery Dr. Joseph Michaels - LBL and Hernia Repair 2/29/16, Arm Lift, BL, 5/2/16, Leg Lift 7/25/16

#lifeisanadventure #fightthegoodfight #noregrets

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Jenbug43
on 9/23/15 5:47 am

I have a really hard time measuring for some reason.  Today for breakfast I made a protein drink with milk, protein powder, some frozen mango and a little diet V8.  For lunch I made three lettuce leaf wraps with ham and swiss.  I brought about 20 almonds and some raw veggies and hummus.  I didn't measure any of this.  Does this seem like too much?  How much were you eating at 3 months out.  I do get in all my water every day. 

rocky513
on 9/23/15 7:17 am - WI

Three lettuce wraps is WAY too much food.  One lettuce wrap is more in line with what you should be eating.  Ditch the mango.  Your body reads fruit as sugar and it will slow or even stop your weight loss. I would severely limit fruit until you get closer to your goal weight.  Many of us will gain weight when we add a lot of fruit back into our diets.  Some people do fine eating a lot of fruit.  I do not.  Stick to dense protein and veggies. Meat like steak, chicken, and pork will keep you feeling full longer.  3 ounces of meat is a serving.  Get a kitchen scale and get out the measuring cups. Start weighing things track how many calories you eat in a day.  You might be surprised at how much you are actually eating.  We didn't get obese by knowing what a proper portion looks like.  I am 5 years out and still don't trust myself to eyeball a portion.  If I did, I KNOW I would over eat.  

Remember to NOT drink with your meals and for 30 minutes after.  If you drink with your meals, you will be able to eat much larger portions than you should.  

Surgery is not magic.  We need to be aware and vigilant about what and how much we eat for the rest of our lives.  Surgery will not stop you from making poor food choices.  Any surgery can be "eaten around" and regain will happen.

HW 270 SW 236 GW 160 CW 145 (15 pounds below goal!)

VBG Aug. 7, 1986, Revised to RNY Nov. 18, 2010

NYMom222
on 9/23/15 11:13 am
RNY on 07/23/14

At three months out I was having one Protein Shake or drink a day. I always made sure it was 16oz and 30g protein. It shouldn't be more than 200-250 calories at most when all is said and done. I have a kitchen scale and would measure 3oz of protein and not always finish. Now I can eat 4oz. Sometimes a yogurt. First 6 months fruit and any starchy carbs were rare. I eat it occasionally now, but not daily. My Surgeon said could eat up to 5-6 times a day. Smaller more often if needed is better than having a big meal. I usually ate( and still do) One protein drink plus 3 meals/snacks. Occasional an extra snack, but that is my usual.  Having a digital scale is great because lets say you put some salad in the bowl, you can set the bowl on your scale and hit the 'tare' button and it goes back to zero. Then I can just add the protein and measure right in the bowl you are going to eat from.

To help with measuring I figured out how much each of the bowls in my cabinet hold. Took a pyrex measuring cup and measured how much water they hold. I have 6oz pyrex cups, 8oz bowls, 12oz bowls and 16oz bowls. If I wanted cottage cheese with a little pineapple, I would take my 6oz bowl fill it 2/3 cottage cheese and 1/3 pineapple. So measuring without taking out the measuring cup every time.

Almonds, and hummus, while there is nothing wrong with them per se, they don't have a lot of protein in them. 60-80g protein a day is really the minimum. I would shoot for 75-80 as the minimum. My surgeon always put it this way. "Protein first then veggies and then IF you have room some fruit or starchy carbs. He never says no fruit or carbs, just put it at the end of the list.

I count my water and count my protein. While I don't total calories or carbs  for the day, - I do try to make sure individual items/meals aren't too high carb or high calorie.

Cynthia 5'11" RNY 7/23/2014

Goal reached 17 months. 220lb Weight Loss
Plastic Surgery Dr. Joseph Michaels - LBL and Hernia Repair 2/29/16, Arm Lift, BL, 5/2/16, Leg Lift 7/25/16

#lifeisanadventure #fightthegoodfight #noregrets

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Grim_Traveller
on 9/23/15 5:15 am
RNY on 08/21/12
On September 22, 2015 at 11:18 AM Pacific Time, Jenbug43 wrote:

Hello all.....I'm hoping someone can identify with my story and give me some advice.  I had lap band surgery in 2007.  I did pretty good at first and lost 90 lbs.  After a few years i started having complications...which I ignored....fast forward to 2015 I had gained back 60 lbs and was malnourished and very sick.  I had my band out on July 2nd with a revision to RNY.  All went perfectly and I do feel great....but I'm not losing any weight.  I have only lost 30 lbs. since July.  I feel like I never even had surgery.  I am never full or satisfied.  I can eat as much as I want and whatever i want (except sugar...I haven't even tried).  When I last saw my surgeon I was told that they don't know why band to bypass patients don't do so well and come back in six weeks.  I'm in a couple of facebook groups and haven't really found the folks there particularly friendly.  I know that I should be measuring my food better but basically at this point I'm on a diet.  I've been failing at diets my entire life.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

We're all on a diet every one of us. To be successful, every single one os us has to watch what we eat. You know what happens when we eat as much as we want, whenever we want? We gain weight.

I still weigh everything I want on a kitchen scale. I eat dense protein so I'll be satisfied. These are the things that keep me on track.

Surgery isn't magic. You can always eat around surgery. Weight never miraculously falls off. It's hard work.

6'3" tall, male.

Highest weight was 475. RNY on 08/21/12. Current weight: 198.

M1 -24; M2 -21; M3 -19; M4 -21; M5 -13; M6 -21; M7 -10; M8 -16; M9 -10; M10 -8; M11 -6; M12 -5.

losing_the_band
on 9/23/15 9:03 am
Revision on 08/27/15

I'm an band-to-bypass revision, too.  My surgeon was honest when he told me that revisions usually lose much more slowly than virgin surgeries.  I think a lot of it is because our bodies are already accustomed to the lower calories, so it's not such a shock to our bodies when we're back on a bariatric diet, so we don't lose as quickly. 

Definitely get a kitchen scale!  I got a cheap one that was on clearance at Target for $10.  Most of us have no idea how to accurately eyeball an amount, so getting the scale will keep you honest.  I would bet money that you're eating more calories and carbs than you realize you're eating.  Read labels, weigh and count everything, and log it.  I use My Fitness Pal to log everything, and it really does help.   When you go to enter something in the log, and you actually see the calories and carbs in it, and you see what it would do to your daily totals, it makes certain foods a lot less appetizing.  I personally have to keep carbs low in order to lose.  I've got PCOS, so my body tends to hold onto carbs very easily, which makes it difficult to lose weight when I overdo the carbs.  I try to stay as far below 50/day as I can and still be satisfied.  If you drink milk or use it in recipes, try Fairlife milk.  It's cow milk, but it's been filtered to remove about half the carbs and sugars, so it's much more bariatric friendly, since milk actually has quite a few carbs in it.  

Lap-Band 2007

Lap-Band Replaced 2011

APPROVED for revision to RNY! Awaiting surgery date!

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