TheProfessor

Not me. 15 months in, and after having the band placed by the most experienced bariatric surgeon in Canada, and followed up closely with excellent nutritional webinars, tiny adjustments and me modifying my bad eating habits, I am down 75 pounds, dropped 10 dress sizes and feel incredible. Like B-52, this is the best decision I've ever made. So my assumption is that, of course, you have been accountable as well. You have addressed your concerns with your surgeon /surgical team and nutritionist, clearly described your symptoms and lack of weight loss? Your indicators are that the band is likely too tight, hence the heartburn and 'red zone' lack of weight loss. Hey, I'm no Doc. I could be wrong. It's a partnership. If you band was placed correctly by a skilled surgeon, and you have been keeping up your end of the bargain by modifying your eating habits, there should be results. Don't give up on your band. It sounds like a bit more education and some adjustment will get you on the right track.

Wow, what a fantastic story. Thank you so much for sharing it with the forum. Yes, having babies really throws a (joyful!) wrench in things, doesn't it? I'm banded (15 months) and loving it. Sounds like it was really working well for you, too, (despite the stall after your incredible 138 pound loss!) and it sound like your new Doctor, Dr. Mihil, is supportive and kind. How lovely to have someone in your corner. So your port flipped... not an overly big deal to correct laparoscopically, so I hear (if it comes to that). I'll bet you're excited to get the "wrinkle" ironed out, and to hop back on the weight loss train. Woot woot! Keep us posted!

Hot flashes (due to obesity) have disappeared. I used to get them CONSTANTLY. Haven't had one since I lost my first 50 pounds.Hopped up on a high kitchen stool yesterday with no effort to grab a rarely-used pot.Sat cross-legged on a desk in front of my students and discussed a course topic yesterday for 45 minutes - no discomfortI can walk for miles and not have to sit down and rest my poor feet.I can run up and down stairs and not lose my breath.Knee issues have resolved. Disappeared. Happened at the 50-pounds lost markRuptured disc and associated backpain has vanished.I no longer have to lift "stuff" up to wash other "stuff" in the shower. (Seriously ladies, can I get a holla!)I sleep better than I have in years. Deeply, soundly, beautifully.Happier. I am happier.

I agree with what everyone has said here. I remember three days before my surgery, I was so weary of the boring shakes I had to drink and was craving a burger... I never thought of throwing in the towel, but I, like you, was very worried. What if this meant the end of dinners out? The end of enjoying food? What then? WHAT THE HECK WAS I ABOUT TO DO TO MYSELF??! All my worries were for nothing. 15 months in, I am 75 pounds down. My knee and back issues have evaporated. I have dropped 12 dress sizes (from a 22 to a 12). I feel gorgeous. My husband tells me I look gorgeous and he;s going to have to go shopping for a new wife who doesn't make him look so bad. (LOL!) I can still chug Water ( a love of mine!) I can still eat gorgeous food and enjoy it with all my heart. I just eat LESS of it. I still enjoy wine (sometimes more than I should) and I still love going out for meals with friends. Life with food has not ended - it's just entered a new chapter! I have not had McDonald's in 2 years. My band has taught what foods are no-goes for me. Anything sloppy, (nachos) gloppy or spongy is completely out. On my no-can-eat food list is bagels, french bread (goes to a thick paste when chewed), pizza, Pasta, dry chicken/ribs. Funny, but all the foods listed above were what made me obese in the first place...! Do I miss them? Believe it or not, I do NOT miss them. Do I sometimes dream of a gorgeous bowl of seafood pasta with lobster and scallops? Sure. But there are other ways to get my love of food and beautiful tastes satisfied. I eat low carb and high Protein. My band has taught me well ... and the changes that I've adopted include no white foods (potato, rice, bread, rice, starches), no pasta, no sugar. What I can eat: Prime rib, pork, ribs, lamb, roasted vegetables, stirfries, seafood, fish, eggs, yoghurt, hard cheese, raw veggies, salads, dips (low cal!) and my favourite ethnic foods (Indian - shorwedaar ghost! Mediterranean - dolmas!) I can eat beautifully and enjoy every morsel. I just eat LESS. I no longer find myself obsessing about food, what or when I'm going to eat next. The HUNGER MONSTER is gone. So is 75 pounds of ridiculously unnecessary body weight. GO FOR IT! Your band will teach you, too! Cheering you on over here!

Sounds to me like the fill was significant (over 2 mls...?) and that could be too much for your lovely body to adjust to in one sitting. If you can't keep anything doesn't, even liquids, you need to have Fluid out, I think. Keep us posted - we are with you!

I had fill #8 two days ago. I am hopeful that each tiny fill I get has me creeping even further into the green. Every fill I have had in my 10CC band has been .1mls (yes, that's right, a teeny .1!) or .2mls. I have been patient and careful, and am delighted with my almost 75 pound weight loss. I have been stalled for a while now, getting REALLY munchy in the evenings, and so I thought another band adjustment was in order. Creeping towards that fabulous green zone instead of rushing towards it with overfills is the way to go, methinks! Patience is a virtue and pays off...!

@@haley1297 Sure there's a way to follow me - friend me! Click on my profile and click "add friend". I haven't had a cheeseburger in 14 months. Haven't even craved one. WILD as I was the Queen of the double-quarter pounder with cheese. Lose 75 pounds and the desire to fall back into old habits dies a pretty quick and unceremonious death.

I'm buddhist. Maitraya Buddha (or Shakyamuni Buddha) is the Buddha image most of us associate with the round belly dude. I love this quote from Buddhist wisdom on all 'good' Buddhists being vegetarian (stemming from one of the precepts of not killing and another about having respect for all sentient beings: Buddha cares more about what is in your heart than what is in your stomach. That's pretty to hear considering that I have a BBQ chicken leg digesting quietly away in my gullet. I still have my Buddha belly (harrumph!) and I'm desperate to get rid of it!

Oh sweetie - that was a huge fill! .7ml - woowee. Glad to hear things are resolved now. :-) Phewf! Onwards and upwards.

Your band is teaching you what you can and cannot eat, right? Eat too fast, get stuck. Eat the wrong kind of meat, get stuck. Eat the RIGHT kind of food, no worries. Chew everything until a paste and slow down, no worries. See my post "Why I am in Love with My Band". It might offer some respectful and sage advice.

@haley1297 Welcome and hello! Ohhh my goodness, April 7th is just weeks away. Are you excited? Nervous? The 'realistic goal for weight loss' is different for everyone. We have roughly similar stats - I'm also 5' 6", my ideal weight is about 140 (that's my goal weight) and at my heaviest (ie; the week before my surgery 14 months ago) I was 259 lbs. The goal you set for yourself (or your ideal weight...whatever you want to call it) will depend on what feels right for you. Some folks here are happy to lose 50 pounds. Me, I have 100 pounds to lose (and I'm 3/4 of the way there). It will be up to you to see what's right. There's no use in comparing yourself to anyone else on the board, or finding out what a realistic weight loss goal is. Everyone has had different procedures and has different goals, and depending on how diligent you are with using your lapband (it's a tool, not a magic bullet), results will vary wildly. As far as booze goes, I love red wine. I didn't have a glass of the grape until 6 weeks post-op, and it was a teeny one. Since then, I've noticed a correlation between drinking wine and stalling my weight loss, so I simply don't do it much anymore. (And I still have a great social life!) Enjoy the next few weeks - we are here for you to lean on!

Personally, didn't tell anyone except sister, husband and daughter. My colleagues at work started commenting at 25 pounds gone. At 40 pounds, they were highly complimentary and asked me what my secret was. I told them the truth: "I'm eating less and moving more". Now at 75 pounds down, they see me as someone who has worked hard at losing the weight. They see the high Protein, low carb meals I bring for lunch. They notice the small portions, how slowly I eat and how I religiously avoid the office goodies. They notice how I take the stairs now rather than the elevator. Glad I didn't let anyone know as I can do without any judgment or assumptions where the WLS is concerned. All they see is... me!

Absolutely. All of a sudden my colleagues are seriously listening to me and tuning in when I'm in conversation or discussion at the College, where before my weight loss, I was largely ignored. As a professor and expert in human behaviour I find this not sad or distressing but just plain interesting! I'm certainly much more 'visible' now to my colleagues, even though, ironically, there is less of me.

My WLS-supportive physician advised me to take a photo of myself in the mirror every Friday. I have been doing that for 14 months. The changes are astonishing. Like you, I cannot believe the person I see now in the mirror is the same woman from before. And it's only going to keep getting better as I go for those last 40 pounds! Woo weeeeeee!

Really??! Viviscal... mental note to Self....

Woo wee you are doing beautifully! You are an inspiration! Yay!

@@marroyo hair loss happened to me as well. My hair started thinning about 4 months post-op (Lap Band) and at first I wasn't really nervous as I have a thick head of hair. It continued to come out by the handful for another 5 months. Yikes! In my research I've learned that most people (like you) start experiencing hair loss a couple of months post-op. Me, I was late starting to lose my hair. Dunno why. I did some research and learned that hair goes a 6-month growth period, 6-month 'dormant' period. My rapid weight loss in my 3rd and 4th month triggered my hair into that dormant period, (apparently) and as I lost it (a serious handful after every shower!) it just wasn't growing back. It was kind of unnerving. I'm sure you can relate. Just this month my hair has entered the regrowth phase. All along my hair-part brand new 3-inch long strands have started to stick up. My hairdresser (a super-pro!) commented that I had a lot of "new growth" - she could tell they were new and not just 'fly-aways' because they were sticking straight up. Never thought I'd be so happy to have that problem! I'm relieved to know my hair is coming back! So take heart that many of us go through hair loss .... but that it will grow back! Hang in there, dear marroyo - you are adjusting to your new you and there are bound to be ups and downs as you do.

@@Julie norton Thanks you so much for responding. This is a little unnerving, feeling hungry so suddenly after such long periods of satiety. Today I've eaten very little and I'm feeling ok - not as ravenous as the past few days. Good to know that you have been at this for years, and experience some weeks where you are hungrier than others. I wonder why that is?? My cycle just ended, so I'm left wondering if perhaps it might be something hormonal. AS for eating more Protein at lunch, I've been eating SO much protein - like almost nothing but! Smoked mussels, chicken salad, mixed greens, a tiny amount of dressing, no carbs, no sugars. Thanks for checking in with me and offering our thoughts. Very helpful indeed!

@@Katy Walton Yay for you, Katy. CONGRATULATIONS on an amazing decision. Welcome to the other side. Should you have tried harder on your own? Well. Many of us, if not all, have asked ourselves the same question. Like most of us, you probably yo-yo dieted and experienced weight loss and weight gain and frustration and heartache until you just couldn't take it anymore. Chances are, YOU DID INDEED try hard enough. Now you have a tool that will help you FINALLY get where you need to be. What a great decision. Like you, I love to cook and experience new foods. For me this has NOT CHANGED. I'm 14 months out from being banded, and I have cooked loads of new things this year. I've been diving into the glorious world of Indian food and have made lots of new dishes this year. The thing is, I eat much less than I used to, and As for drinky-poos ... I had a few months there while I cut out wine completely. This helped me kickstart the weight-loss process when I hit a wee stall (where you don't lose weight for a few weeks). I now enjoy a glass or two every few days just as joyfully as I did before being banded. No cocktails for me, though - too much sugar/carbs. So life is good, Katy. I still love food but use it for nourishment now rather than therapy. The band has eliminated the 'hunger monster' that used to dominate my life. I am now in control, with the help of the band, and experience long periods of satiety and have NO CRAVINGS. Finally free! And 73 pounds skinnier for it! My husband and I still go out to dinner and have a great time. (And we go with friend, too, even though they don't know about my surgery). Dinners out are terrific as long as I follow my "new" way of eating - ordering appy sized portions and eating slooooooowly. I skip the bread, butter, rice, Pasta and potatoes. Instead, I hit the Protein - fish, chicken or red meat, and round out my plate with salad or veggies. I enjoy eating meals out just as much as I ever did before. You will adjust, you will heal and you will lose weight. Trust the process, be patient, be kind to yourself and get ready to watch the magic as the weight begins to fall off. Woo wee - - excited for you, Katy. You are doing great!

Forgive me, but I'm confused by your post. "No weight lost" but you are down an astonishing 105 pounds in a single year. (Congratulations - tremendous!) You say you have no restriction with your band, and yet you say you're not hungry. ? I'm trying to interpret what you're saying - seems your weight loss has slowed so perhaps you are in a stall? If that is it, just keep doing what you were doing and the stall will eventually resolve. Stalls often happen with WLS patients. They are a normal part of the process.

Laying down.

Hi @@gabita - Oh dear, that's not good. If the band is working for you it should NOT be causing you to vomit or not sleep. I would get in touch with your surgeon immediately and ask for advice. In terms of fills, I had tiny fills, too - seven of them - until I got to the green zone. Took me 8 months to get into the green zone and it was worth every second of 'creeping towards the green' rather than rushing there and paying the price through frequent sticking episodes. The name of this thread is "Why I am in Love with My Band" - so let me relate this post back to the thread. I am in love with my band because I had a superb, experienced surgical team/support team who placed the band correctly, followed up with me when I had questions and required me to participate in (awesome!) educational webinars. The band is wonderful. If you are having problems with sleeping, maladaptive eating or vomiting, get in touch with your surgeon asap in order that the issues can be resolved, and YOU TOO can fall in love with YOUR band!

If you're not on solids yet, what could you have stretched your pouch with? I suspect your nutritionist or surgeon would suggest it's a better idea to have a few 1/2 cup servings spaced apart than one bigger 1-cup serving. Some advice from someone who was where you are just over a year ago - start getting into those new Band-friendly eating habits NOW (ie; the half cup portion size, small bites, eating sloooooowly, stopping eating before you become 'full') ... so that you can really get them ingrained. Glad to hear you are feeling well!

Yes indeed - perfectly normal. When you were banded, your surgeon started you out by placing only the tiniest amount of Fluid in the band to accommodate the swelling at the placement site (at the bottom of your esophagus/top of your stomach). In a few weeks you will have your first adjustment (for many Bandsters its about 6 weeks post-surgery). By then the majority of the swelling has disappeared, your band has settled into it's new home, and you are ready for some fluid! To place the band already filled would not allow you to eat, drink or heal properly. CONGRATULATIONS @@bel1995 - you are on your way! Be patient and trust the process. It took me 7 fills to reach the "green zone" and was worth every bit of my patience. Not rushing the process along bolsters your success!

Spectacular. Woo-wee! Congratulations. I know that is a HECK of a lot of hard work that has gone into that - amazing. You are an inspiration!