slm2007

I've been banded almost a year (mid-april) and have had very little luck at this point. Honestly, I gave up in October and stopped going for fills etc. I've decided to give it another shot and I'm going to start over when I go to the appointment on 2/21. I became so disgusted and while I know the band is supposed to help and not do the work for me, there was NO help happening. I was having a difficult time staying under 1,600 calories let alone 1,100. I was struggling and failing and not getting much "support" from the doctors office. Frustrated, I stopped going and doing follow ups. I'm going to try again. It's hard work and those who say "oh, she has a lap band and that's cheating" - well, honestly it's like I have no band and I'm doing it on my own. IF I could have done it on my own, I wouldn't have resorted to surgery! Anyhow, everyone is different and a lot of people have had wonderful success on this and I am jealous of that and wish you the absolute best of luck and hope it happens for you quickly. Everyone tells me that when I reach the "sweet" spot it will start happening.....fingers crossed. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

Thank you Alex. I'm getting back to the program after giving up in September. So frustrated. I'm definately NOT in the Green Zone but was so disgusted with the criticism from the PA. I know she was trying to be helpful but I wouldn't be in this situation if it were easy for me! Keeping it under 1,000 calories a day is hard when you are starving! I stopped going for fills after my last appointment in September because I was so frustrated. I feel that at 5.5 cc's I should be feeling "Something?" but I'm not. So, I'm going to give this another shot, maybe I need more to get in the "Green" - THank you and I'm taking this chart with me, very helpful and maybe it will help me communicate better with my PA. Thanks again

I think I would name my PITS ( Pain in the Side) - If I squat to pick something, it moves up under my ribs and I swear the thing moves around because some days it is really bothersome and I can feel it hitting me in the ribs or it gets sore in that area just from regular activity. It is in the way for a lot of things, I can feel it when I bend over at the waist, when I put my son on my hip etc.

There is a Lap Band Success Stories section on here somewhere and I would go there all the time. I'm a frustrated bandster.....BUT.....I know that it is going to take time. I'm getting less frustrated and more accepting of this process/journey. I actually frustrate myself because I DO read the success stories and they are losing 30 pounds in two months and losing 3-4 pounds a week! UGH! I had surgery in April and I'm barely losing a pound a week. THAT is frustrating. I'm NOT at a good restriction and I understand that takes time. I get double talk from my "fill" lady and she says one thing but then I read another. Frustrating. I get frustrated because I'm on YET another diet and I didn't want to diet, but I'm getting the mind set that I'm a fat person right now and fat people need to diet to lose weight! I have to diet before I can do maintenance and maintain my happy weight. I didn't want to sacrifice and I've set myself back. I'm learning. I'm not perfect but I'm getting better and I've made HUGE changes to my life compared to how I was before surgery. I get full now on a Lean CUisine....that would have never happened before. They talk about life style changes and I've made a lot of them. I'm getting better at eating better and I make such better choices now, but like I said, I'm not perfect. I think a lot of how you lose is how you work it. If you are super disciplined (or really lucky) then you'll lose faster but I'm happy with 1 pound a week....if it is more, awesome but I'm accepting my fate that I'm not perfect but if I can lose 1 pound a week, that is 52 pounds in a year. I don't regret my decision. I regret that I wasn't prepared mentally for not being able to lose as fast as I wanted. I thought the first few months would be the easiest weightloss but that isn't the case with me. I've read that some people it took months before they really had the band kicked in and working with them. I have to do a lot of my control on my own....it is a lot of will power and the band won't stop you from eating whatever you want. Just be clear about that. Some people have restriction problems with certain foods sticking or not agreeing wtih them. I havent' found that yet....I can literally eat anything, steak, bread, chicken, anything. Good luck and it's what you do with it...I don't regret getting mine.

Today, out of habit, I thought to myself...."self, I better get a 1/2 salad because that Lean Cuisine I have in there just isn't going to fill me up." Yes, this is how I still think and I'm learning this isn't the case anymore and I'm so thrilled. It's been a long 6 months! Anyhow, I went out for lunch and forgot to pick up a salad and came back, heated up my Lean Cuisine and guess what....I'm full! I'm actually full on a little Lean Cuisine dinner. NOW, if I could just learn to listen to the band I'll be better and not "think" that I need more food. I'm working on this still but doing so much better and my portions have been cut down dramatically, I'm now paying attention to how long I stay full. That's the next step but I think 5.5 cc's is good for me. I'm starting to finally like my band and understand it. :woot:

Wow, thank you. I tape him daily but don't get to watch the show daily (my 3 year old consumes the television in the evening watching NickJr. and even if he's not watching he has to have it on as background.). ANyhow, let us know how the recipe is. I'm going to look this show up on-line now. Thank you! Staci

Totally normal....I was banded on 4/18/11 and still feel totally normal like I don't have a band. I have to catch myself taking too big of bites at times and slow myself down eating because I have no problems. I've had 3 fills!!! You are doing fine and may not "feel" anything just follow the rules, and try to stay on track no matter how easy it is to "test the waters." Good luck to you in your journey!

I hear you! See this is what frustrates the heck out of me. I THINK i'm doing so much better in comparison to what I could put away before. A steak, salad, pototo and veggie would have been nothing for me. I'd be full but not "stuffed." Now I have not even 1/2 piece of steak, veggie and maybe (huge maybe) a small red baked potato (spray butter and greek yogurt for sour cream). I still get criticism from my physician assistant because that is "too much" - - seriously, if I eat less, then I'lm looking in an hour or two for something to get me over the hunger and a yogurt isn't going to cut it. I'm proud of my improvements and know I could be doing better but if my band would ever get in gear, and help me out a little, maybe some weight would start coming off better? I "just keep swimming" and hope I hit that sweet spot soon. I have 5cc's in an 11cc Realize band. Good luck to everyone...those who are not struggling so much and those of us who are. Keep up the good efforts everyone.

I'm struggling with this right along with you. I hear what everyone is telling me and I get back on the horse and try to keep going so I guess my advice would be what I tell myself (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't) - - - "just keep swimming, just keep swimming" (hopefully you have seen Finding Nemo and know what the heck i'm talking about) Anyhow, There are alot of success stories and we'll get there. Patience (not something I admittedly good at) is what I must learn to have. I keep hoping that one day it will "click" for me but right now I'm struggling with you. Good luck....we can do this and everyone on here offers such great words of wisdom. I come here often and re-read things to keep myself going. Staci

I have a "new" Realize band. I think it is called Realize C? It is 11cc's and I went for this option because of the lower profile and that I've heard recovery is a bit easier with this band because of how it is attached. Honestly, I had hardly any pain with my port...the worst pain for me after surgery was the massive headache I got from the gas about 4 days post op and it lasted for another 4 days. Horrible. Anyhow, my doctor didn't have a preference and would have done either. His words to me it is an instrument that we use, they both do the same thing. It is up to me to use the band. Neither is going to be better or worse. He said it is 95% you and 5% the band. I researched both sites and went with the Realize because of the things I've read....but it is a personal decision and if my surgeon only placed Lap Bands, that is what I would have gotten. I wasn't thrilled with the "continous balloon" and maybe like the idea of the baffles of the Lap band, but I liked that this had a wider band and they have done changes to it so it is a low pressure band and helped with the erosion issues. Erosion according to my doctor is not a super duper common issue so really shouldn't be a deciding factor...either can erode and the %'s are about the same. Good luck...I like my decision.

Welcome! And, good luck to you, I hope you are healing nicely. This is an awesome site. You will find some incredibly helpful and supportive people on here. Some people get frustated with this site because "we" (me being one of them) likes to come on here and vent, blow off frustration and get advise, support and good ol' fashioned butt kicking when we/I have screwed up and need to get back on track. Don't let the negative discourage you. Everyone is different, feels different, loses weight differently, and progresses differently but these people are awesome to give you suggestions and explain what happened in their case. I've been slowly figuring out a lot of things I'm doing wrong that I thought I was doing right. I love these people...well, most of them Good luck to you and welcome to being a bandster. Staci