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Hi, I'm Tiana I aaam 18 years old, and I'm about 3 weeks away from my lap band surgery date. I am 325, my BMI is 52 ( shocking I know!). My overall goal weight is 150. And I think it's very doable for me. I decided to have the lap band on my 18th birthday. When I decided I needed to do something about my weight was when I was unable to fit on a ride at Hersey Park, then found myself google fat friendly amusement parks. I then realized it wasn't the parks that needed to change, it was myself. I love amusement parks. I start my two week diet on Friday, yippy, I think that's all. K, bai!

Im confused why some people are continuing to stay on this website when they SAY "the band didn't work". It looks like they are here to cause trouble and bash the band? If you SAY the BAND is the reason you didn't lose weight. Then move on. right? Not that I can say leave, because obviously I can't and wouldn't do that . But i've noticed the same person going post to post arguing with people. Honestly, how do we know the band is preventing you from losing weight? How do we know you didn't eat right ? Just saying. The band helps with over eating. It does not make you lose weight. They don't place the band and the weight just comes off. It's all about your diet. Sounds like some one needs something to blame it on. Im new WITH the BAND, but im not NEW when it comes TO the band. Ive done a lot of research on the Band.

It's absolutely true that the band doesn't work for everyone. "Doesn't work" may have a million meanings if you ask a million people, but some people can't tolerate the band (and all that comes with it) and some people, perhaps because the term "restriction" is so inadequate that even Allergan is moving away from using it, never feel they've achieved optimal "restriction" even after many fills. But does that mean that this "failure" of the band is as common as Fluffy and her ilk claim? Probably not. It's kind of like how I felt when I bought a new car last year. I hadn't particularly noticed that make/model on the road before, even though I knew it was a popular one. But once I was in the driver's seat of my new vehicle, I saw that exact same car everywhere I went...often in the exact same color as mine! So as Fluffy travels the bariatric world driving her "defective" band, everywhere she looks, she sees more defective bands. How can that be? Does it mean that out of (say) 100,000 band patients, 99,999 of them are suffering band failure? Do you honestly think that Allergan would be able to go on selling their product with that kind of track record? Not likely....but Fluffy belongs to the Conspiracy Club, so if you ask her, Allergan and the FDA have teamed up to perpetrate a terrible medical fraud on unwitting obese Americans. And if you believe that, then you'll be interested to hear that this guy who used to work with my hairdresser's stepfather lives across the street from this other guy who saw a UFO land in his swimming pool last Sunday, and he watched with utter horror as Michelle Obama emerged from the UFO wearing a purple polka dot bikini. And after Mrs. Obama had finished a few laps in the pool, got back in the UFO and sped away, this guy's pool Water has been purple! And that very same day, his wife's poodle disappeared while wearing a Rolex watch and was last seen mud-wrestling with Mitt Romney down at Bubba's Bar & Grill...

I have to say, I feel great! I am not having any issues. I went for my first post-op visit last week and was told that I can start my mushy stage this week. So, I'm looking forward to a little more solid foods. I do have to admit, I have cheated a couple times and had 'real' food with no issues. I was careful to chew extremely well and take small bites. Other than a little gas, I felt normal. I am concerned since my appetite has returned. I am looking forward to my first fill. I know that I need the restriction in my band because the hunger can be oerwhelming at times. And a protein shake only lasts for about 4 hours before Im starving again. I know this is normal, and just take each day as it comes. I'm happy with my progress and know that when I start getting my fills I will feel much better and not so hungry. Thanks to all of you on this forum, its great to have people of all stages of this process to bounce ideas, comments, and suggestions off of. I have learned so much and appreciate you!

No, I believe band failure terminology is: 1) losing less than 25-30% of your excess weight or 2) having complications that require removal of the band. I think you never reached restriction, but you lost weight with your band and you're unhappy that you didn't get it "easy" like other people did. You never deny that you lost weight, just that the band didn't work as you expected it to and you had to diet and exercise. Don't you think that most of the people on here STILL diet and exercise even with the band???!!! So, please ask yourself the following questions: What is the point of getting the lapband? To lose weight. Did you lose weight? yes Looks like you did both, did you not? There are people who REALLY failed, who didn't lose more than 25-30% of their weight or did have to get the band removed. Why don't you end your pity party and actually provide support for those people and not go around moaning about how the Lapband never got you to restriction? Isn't that always the point of your posts, to complain that the people who failed need the most support? You are providing them no support whatsoever. In fact, you are deceiving these new people that don't bother to look at the blog you posted or the facebook group you're a part of into thinking you didn't lose weight. Frankly, that's extremely sad and I hope someday you find peace with whatever your problem seems to be.

What more can you possibly want? I think that is great

Lellow has reminded me about the noises. The first few months after surgery I burped a lot, it the changed to farting which is definetly not good. But it all seems to have settled down and those minor inconveniences are long forgotten. My digestive system does still make lots of really loud gurgling noises. I am getting used to them and they don't really worry me except occasionally at night when I am trying to go to sleep. Then they can feel very weird. But to swap all that ugly fat for some strange noises seems like quite a good bargain to me.

Back when I was one week post-op I asked why wasn't I losing weight????? I was so very frustrated. I had 'only' lost 4 pounds since my surgery the week before. Boy, was I young and naive. Those 4 pounds were just the fluids from the surgery, and about the only weight I lost until about 5-6 months post-op when my fills finally kicked in and started working for me. But, the nice people here at LBT boosted my spirits and reminded me that until I got to my green zone, my weight loss would be limited. Then I starte getting my fills, and the weight started coming off...pretty easily too. Easily if not consistently. The Lap Band literature tells us 1-2 lbs per week. That was a pipe dream for me. I averaged 3/4 lb per week. Yes three quarters. Some weeks were more than others, some weeks were gains, some weeks/months were plateaus. But the overall trend was down. I stuck with my new portions and habits, and I got to a healthy BMI, my blood pressure normalized, my cholesterol normalized, and my blood sugar improved. Sometimes, when the short-term is sucking...look at the long term...focus on portion control, food choices. Even if your portions are not tiny, make them better. One of you was banded in November...you've had what? 1 maybe 2 fills? The band isn't helping much yet. But it's there, and you are working on it. The July bandster, DON'T compare yourself to bypass patients. We had completely different procedures. That will mess with your psyche and set you up for failure..."why should I get a fill, it won't help..my brother's lost 100 lbs already...there's no point, I'll never catch up." We are in this for life, being banded is not really about losing the weight. It is about making changes forever that help you become a healthier, thinner person. Work on the habits...the weight will follow.

Well, insurance says you have to wait and that's that. I just finished my first month and I have 5 more to go. After waiting, for what seems like a lifetime, to finally make this choice, I thought "What the hell will 6 more months do? Besides add 10lbs to my rear." Then I decided I'm going to try to use this 6months to work on me. I believe my weight is not just a result of my love for carbs, but a result of whatever happened in my past that made me believe that food was the only thing that could fix me. I wanted so badly not to have a waiting period and things to move with lightening speed, but thinking about it, i really need that time. And the more I talk about me, the more I wanna curl up in a ball and hide in my closet. i cant believed that my life has turned this way. uggghhh. I'm going to bed.

I passed my doctor's goal and I hit my personal goal of 160 this morning. I am down 102 pounds in 8 1/2 months. I have now changed my personal goal to 145-150. If I don't make it I will be fine with that because I am happy right now.