mj23

just wanted to update and give some thoughts dont judge or be negative because these are just my opinions. everyone is different it has been just shy of one year and i have lost 100 pounds and i truly regret getting the lap band, it has not helped anywhere near what i thought it would of.yes i have been following the rules and getting fills and check up regularly so it is not that, it is just the simple fact that it has not helped me as much as i thought it should. On a percent basis i say the band did 10% (maybe even less) the check ups did 10% (i never wanted to go back and not be at least a couple pounds down so it forced me to go work out) and then my own will power and mind set 80% i still have another 60-80 pounds (havent decided final goal) to go and just like every other time i have dieted and exercised i am losing that motivation and fear gaining the weight back or being stuck right where i am... still fat, overweight and obese. the two main regrets i have with the band now besides it not working like it should (which i do have good restriction maybe even a little too tight) is that you can still easily eat around the band if you want and intake quite a bit of calories. it almost has had a reverse effect on me mentally instead of my mind reteaching myself to stay away i have just found different ways to satisfy the cravings. the second thing is long term concerns with the band and port, every day i stress if its slipping or the port has flipped because of the horror stories you read, and the fact that i now have foreign items inside my body. the insurance is getting worse so if anything ever does happen i dont know how i will afford the surgery if it does need to be taken out. i know that any weight loss surgery is not a quick easy fix and that it is just a tool and its only as good as you use it but for me the band was not the right choice it works too slow and not helpful enough. i easily could of gotten the same results with out implanting this into my stomach if i would of just motivated myself and hired a trainer and nutritionist. to make me accountable.

yes regular fills 9 ccs in a 10 cc band

obviously at no point did i think this was a quick fix or an easy way out either i knew i would have to work hard and that it was only a tool and if i didnt use it it would not work but once again im simply stating it just didnt help as much as i thought it would. in some examples i guess you could say i was expecting an air tool and got a hand tool or expecting a cadillac and got a cheap honda i cant rely on the thing for much...

i wasnt going to share about eating around the band because once you figure out how to do it, it really gets you off track stay focused on the diet part but if you most know there are alot of foods you can eat that it feels like the band is not even there and before i knew it i found myself endulging heavily on these foods almost like out of control the easy way around the band obviously is foods that break down very easily the one huge down fall for me is ice cream, even with the band i can eat ice cream very normally before i know it i would have half a carton down and be like what the eff and really upset with myself so certain foods like that. i know when i make meat loaf if i make it just the right way i can eat quite a bit of it as long as i take my time it doesnt fill me per say. foods like that if you dont watch your self you could consume quite a bit of calories. another way of eating around it is to graze i cant eat a whole 6 inch sub to save my life but if i take a bite of it here and then a bit of it later on if i really was focused on doing that i eventually would eat the whole thing which is very embarrassing thing to admit but i have done it before just because i wanted it that bad obviously not worth it but can be done

its not that i am not happy that i have lost the 100 pounds i am ecstatic to lose it and feel better about myself physically and mentally (more outgoing) i am just disappointed that i feel like the band has not help as much as i was expecting thats all. i had to work my ass off to get it off diet and exercise just like before and if i dont do both of those things the weight doesnt come off ive actually gone periods of not doing either and the weight has actually been put back on im simply stating that this is not as useful as a tool as i thought it was going to be

just out of curiousity how easy is it to actually stretch your pouch out ? is there any certain types of symptoms to let you know? i feel like ive been able to eat alot more lately and get more hungry sooner i have been so far off eating its terrible

people Exaggerate on here you can drink pop just slow, wait for the fizz to go away a little bit and nothing is going to happen to you from drinking it

i think im throwing in the towel after numerous fills and months and months of dieting and exercising, my motivation has gone away like everytime in the past. ive returned to my old eating habits and not exercising anymore. no help from the band at all and im just depressed about it. i feel like this is just another fad diet that ive failed at. i just want people to know its alot of work and not a magical cure. really evaluate yourself before you get this surgery.

thanks everyone for the support i dont think it has anything to do with the support from the doctor or office there doing a great job. him and his team are actually the best doctors ive had. i go once a month i just dont update my profile.... not really sure how to, but total i am down about 70-75 pounds which just like every other diet fad is how much i usually lose and then stop for some reason nothing really motivated me per say to lose the weight which is part of the problem, besides having to go every month to see him and not wanting to seem like a failure to him, but now its just not enough or real motivation to continue i was just expecting alot different feeling and things with the band which is not the case it just isnt helping me the way its helping others. and i have posted before i dont think it is about the fill amount i already have 8.5 or 9 cc cant member now in it so there not much left to fill i just dont get the so called "symptons" everyone on here describes ya there is a little discomfort when i over eat but not to the point of stoping

so ive been getting fills on time with my doctors schedule and he always says im doing really good which is frustrating because the band is not helping! even though i am losing weight ive noticed something the band only works for a couple days after the fill then im back to eating pretty much normal again. i feel no restriction or very little and no there is no leaks or anything because every time i get a fill he pulls out whats in there and its always the same as last time. so then for the whole month i have to constantly struggle to diet and watch what i eat so next month i go with a loss instead of a gain. has any one else experienced that and know why its not working?

i have 8.5 cc's in a 10 cc band

THIS IS A GREAT POST!

so sorry to hear about this, do you mind me asking why it failed and slipped? i dont know how much help i can be but i worry about this so much happening to me as well because i cant stick to the dieting and exercising even scaring myself into a situation like this. you defiantly have my support and i hope things start to turn around for you. they will start to get better just gotta stay positive. try to get your mind off of it and be more active slowly build your confidence up and start saving some money and get the sleeve you deserve it. surround yourself with family and friends that love you that is the best way to start

i cant wait to go to the doctor next month to see what he thinks and how frustrated i am with this band. i cant figure it out. i dont think i am too tight but then at times i do worry that it is too tight and that i throw up way to much and that the dumb thing is going to slip. i will go for days eating just fine and thinking i need more fill that im eating way too much food, then couple days later i will puke every meal up and feel like a bulimic person. im thinking i am not to tight that im just not chewing enough but who knows everyday and every meal its different i dont care about losing weight if i always have to worry about this thing giving me problems and eventually needing surgery to fix it i cant control my eating habit thats why i got this thing in the first place to help me but its just not. ive lost a total of 70 pounds so far which is great but all this stressing and worrying and obsessing about this thing is not healthy emotionally. i still feel like i have lost the weight with no help at all so far from the band that its just been because ive been dieiting and exercising. the last diet fad i went on i lost more then this actually and gained it all back. i gave up which is happening again now i lose motivation. just frustrated and needed to vent this seems to be the best place to do it and if you have negative things to say just dont bother im already insecure and know my issues

i am up to 8cc's and still feel very little restriction i am not even sure what it is suppose to feel like i know everyone talks about the green zone where they eat a small amount and are satisified i hope that comes soon for me because i still have another 100 pounds to lose and only have a 10 cc band i dont think it will give me enough restriction to get me to that goal it seems like i only feel it for like maybe a week and its not even that great then it just goes back to normal the longer i wait for a fill the worse it gets i can eat more and more

i think if you have over 100lbs to lose they should do both, the sleeve then put the band around the sleeve, the band so far to me seems more like a maintance thing then actually helpingme lose the weight. just my opinion

it will consistently start coming off once you start dieting and exercising , good luck!

ya this is great advice and something i should do but...obviously im thinking its stretched cause i just cant stick to the whole diet things never have been able to no will power

i know it sounds bad but i do feel restriction its just not enough to stop me

ya ive had numerous fills i have 8 cc's in 10 cc band my next one is next month

unfortunatly its the same as before i had the band, Protein bar in the morning, subway at lunch then what ever is for dinner this isnt going to stop you from eating poorly fyi

no offense to any one that these things really do happen to and if this is how it actually is for you , but i just want to share my personal experience so far with people that read this who are thinking about getting the band. its just me personally so please dont jump my guns and get all defensive. or say oh i am not tight enough because you dont want to be too tight any ways.or call me immature or what ever negative comments you have for me, but since ive had my band so far im starting to think some of the symptoms and feelings people talk about on here are a little bit of an exaggeration. i can eat and drink what ever i want. yes there is some discomfort but not to the point of me not wanting it any more. i have gotten stuck and had to puke but it wasnt anything to do with the type of food. just that i didnt chew enough.and it feels more of stuck in your throat then actual stomach. ive drank pop it doesnt hurt. no i dont sit there and slug bottles and cans on a regular basis but its my own choice not because of the band.i just stay away from it now because i want to. if i want something with flavor besides Water they now have arnold palmer (ice tea & lemonade mix) with no calories that i drink. i eat less but because i stop myself i feel full but could eat more if i wanted too. if you think the band will be an easy fix or the best route you may want to research and think more about it. yes its a great tool and yes im loosing weight but its more of will power then anything else you have to watch what you eat, you have to diet,exercise, deprive yourself of the foods you loved because its more mental then anything else if you go through a drive through and want that burger bad enough you will get it and you will be able to eat it and you will gain weight if you dont watch what you put into your body just like some one would with out a band. so far it seems like it does not work all the time either. some days i will feel full off of half of what i use to eat and say oh man this is great, then other days or a different meal i will be able to eat alot of it and if i dont watch myself i will eat the entire thing of whatever it was. you need to be dedicated and motivated to the whole process in order for the band to work for you. i know with me i am learning that its wasnt all about the amount of food and thats what the band focus's on. for me its that i like bad food too much and dont exercise enough, im lazy thats why i got fat and nothing can change that and im sure im not the only one and my metabolism and genetics dont help either but im trying to stop finding excuses these are just my thoughts like i said before i dont mean to offend anyone like i said im just realizing its more of a mental problem then my actual stomach and that the band will not help with that

thanks hopefully it goes good for you!, sweets are my down fall as well!! soo good haha, i know im going to try and get back on the horse and focus on dieting and exercising again ive been slacking so bad lately. back to Protein bars and shakes.... how boring

yes it is frustrating but dont worry and just keep your head up the more frustrated and depressed you get the harder it is to stay focused just stick to your diet and exercise i know it sucks but thats what needs to be done u will feel more restriction the more fills you .im up to 8.5 ccs in a 10 cc band so you have plenty of room i noticed what works best for me is pick one bad or enjoyable food and take it completely out of your routine until you just dont crave it any more. my first take away was pop i loved pop so i focused on not drinking that, then it was pizza, now im trying to work on no more burgers. its just making the right choices and i have to retrain myself to make the better choice.

yes everyones experiences are really different with the band and i want people to realize that and understand that its not like the other major weight loss surgery's out there. im sorry your fills are so delicate that would be really tough to try and pin point a good spot to be in, but thats awesome you lost all that weight great job!!