MissE44

I have not told anyone. And everyone has noticed I do find it a struggle to come up with reasons however 6 months ago I went through a tough break up and now dating so that accounts from some "reasons". My one girlfriend I had to tell becuase she thought I had an eating disorder. Honestly I don't want anyone in my business where that is concerned if i want to eat whatever I have no one breathing down my back saying can you eat that? Also I was VERY slow to start losing and was in band hell for a long time and i knew if people knew they wouldn't undertsand why I wasn't losing after paying all that money. So personal choice but for me it is more difficult to keep it to yourself but I have no disire to share.

Hi, I was banded August 31, 2012 and I choose to only tell my partner at the time (I needed a ride home after the surgery) I never regretted my decision to keep it to my self becuase I was very slow to start losing and I could just imagine what others would have said. But I am running into difficulty and wondering if others are too and what they are saying? My friends and co workers are always commenting on how little I eat. I even had to break down and tell my friend becuase she actually asked if i had an eating disorder. My co-worker always say OMG you ate nothing. Now I am sort of lucky I went through a difficult break up and now in the dating circle so i use that as an excuse "lost my appitite through the break up and now on a strict diet becuase I want to look good for dating". But the comments do not stop. Also now that i am dating I am the girls that eats nothing. Also worried becuase i have a bad scar from it do I eventually tell the person i am in a relationship with what it is from? Anyone else have those problems and what do you say?

Thank you I like this. I went on a date recently and ordered the soup which I thought was safe. It was the biggest bowl I have ever seen. Needless to say he felt bad becuase I said that the soup as ok I just wouldn't order it again. He kept asking if I wanted anything else. Next time we will stick to non food things great idea.

I agree with the above statements but I also think that the more you lose the better you feel and that give motivation to keep going towards your goal which for most of us is over 60%.

Everyone is different but I was pretty much in your boat. I didn't lose anything for the first 6months and felt like a failure but I kept going to the Doctors and got fills and I have had many. Once I was adjusted properly I can't even think of eating pizza (my fav food from my old life). All I want now is fish and Tofu (crazy for me) and I am not really trying to eat healthly it is just those foods are what my band likes so bonus. Then you start on the path of losing and you are into it even more. Don't give up I was in bandster hell for a long time but keep going to your doctor you'll get there.

Yes I feel like I experienced the same type of thing I was banded in August 2012 and really I did not lose much of anything in the first 5 months and it has been off and off slow since and I have had 5 or 6 fills? So many I forgot and i think i am at 6.3 cc in a 10cc band which to me is crazy even my nurses said yeah it is a bit longer than normal to be starting to lose and I get the sense that they are a little nervous putting more in. At the 6cc mark you could tell. And thanks GuyMontag never looked at it like I have a leaner stomach haha haven't been told that in the long time. But here I am now for the last couple of months I feel like I am on track but again the band will lossen (loss of weight) and I will need to go in again for another fill and once I do..... boom I am on track again. There were many times I felt like a failure "I was going to be the one that spent all this money for nothing" and the one person I told was not getting it but neither was I. Hang in you will know when it starts working and you will not have to work as much either it will be your friend but keep up on fills even go in and talk to them if you aren't sure. I doubted many times going in cause I really thought I can't possibly need that much fluid but I do.

Totally agree you might need a fill. I had a fill lost a little weight and then I was hungry and the band just wasn't acting the same even though it wasn't that long since I went for a fill so i gained weight. I called the nurse and she gave me a fill becuase I probably lost some fat around the band. Now back on track and loving it instead of feeling down on my self.

Lately mine has been salad crazy I think...I always enjoyed a good salad and so this does restrict what I order on a menu. I also have trouble with dry meat so usually my go to is fish.

I was in the same boat I had my surgery Aug 31, 2012 and it really took me 6months and I think 5 or 6 fills to get going. The second last fill I went to I just felt like a failure like I was going to be that girl spent all of her money and I failed. the nurse even said it is not that common to go that long but now I have a little over 6cc in a 10cc band and for the last couple of months I eat every little, I am not that interested in food like I use to be and just naturally stop. My weight has been slower than i thought it would be but today i thought well i have lost 30 pounds and that is a big deal. Also I am glad i didn't tell anyone but I also get the that is all your eating? and I take forever to eat. I am glad that I went through a break up so i just blame it on that "loss of appetite" but I am sure that will get old eventually. When i try to keep up i have to go to the bathroom to PB and i am sure someone thinks I am blimick. haha. Ohh well it is a journey i know it is hard to have faith cause there are many days that i think I failed but you'll get there.

I totally agree I was worried that i wouldn't be able to eat pizza and I had a piece (not the four I use to) and it was too much work and i don't want it. I also struggle with ordering food like I use to not sure why i do this and eat nothing. The one big thing I have noticed is just how fast people eat and that one is hard because I feel i have to keep up but naturally I can't. I haven't told anyone about the surgery and people really do notice but I am losing so i don't care!

I would at least try again. i know first hand that yes eating properly is a must but the fills really do make all the difference. As well as they make it easier to eat properly.

I was in bandster hell and everyone is different. I thought I would have the surgery and poof I would start losing but it took 6 months 4 fills, weigth GAIN and now I think I am in "green zone." Now I love the band I see what everyone is talking about weight is coming off and it provides more motivation to stick with it. Some people don't even need a fill for the first 6 months so I felt like a failure and I was self paid so that was hell thinking I was going to be the one that failed at it. Just go at your own pace no one is the same. Oh and I never new what NSV meant so thank you!

I too was struggling and feeling terrible especially since I was a self pay. I really didn't lose much until my third fill end of December and now I see why the band works and helps in losing weight I think it is important to have the right mindset (that i too was lacking) but having the right adjustment really helped me get to that mindset and making it easier, less hunger and I just stop eating so imagine actaully seeing the scale go down.... I have the mind set now. before I felt like a dissipointment and glad i told no one. Now I even just got back from an all-inculsive resort and lost weight, that was unthinkiable pre-band. So hang in see your doctor and get the right amount of fills.

Yesterday I went to see the nurse about my scars as I have been very angry that they are not little and have not gone away in fact they look awful and I got surgery August 2012. Anyways she told me to buy a silicone patch. It was a little expensive but you cut what you need and it acts like a second skin and you shower and do everything until it falls off. You do this for 6 months and scar will at least not be red and will be flatter. You can goggle it and perhaps find it cheaper. Not sure if that has already been addressed here but I just wish I knew about it sooner and maybe the scar would be gone completely.

I was like you banded August 31, 2012 and I am only now starting to lose. I had to get my third fill to now lose 2 pounds a week and I just natrually now stop eating. It is way harder to do that if you don't have the right fill and I felt like a failure and forked over a ton of money for nothing. Hense this is my first post since Novemeber. Hang in I went for a fill every four weeks until I got here it will work.

Here is to tomorrow another fill to bring me to 5.5cc in a 10cc band I am praying this is the sweet spot becuase I am like most of you....discouraged and not losing wondering why I did this. Kepp you posted I have faith that this is it.

thank you. that does make sense.

Ok so here is where I get confused if fills have nothing to do with it why did we get the band? I get that you can loose with low cal and limited portions but is it not easier when we are in the green zone? I have been in "bandster hell" I orginally thought I would get this I would loose weight but my nurse has even said "it's not uncommon to even gain until you are at the green zone." Now I am in Canada things are different here especially self pay we don't go through any process or real pre diet and counselling, we pay we get. However when i got it nothing was different which was a struggle and I did not loose so I thought whay did I pay all this money for what. Now here I am 5cc in a 10cc band and I am just starting to get it things are falling into place there is restriction with food, I have to slow down, I don't mentally and physically want to over eat and it is becoming easier in return i am loosing weight. Most improantly and get what why everyone else loves it. So again I think it does make a difference, no?

I was told by my nurse that gaining some times can be expected until you reach the green zone. I think this is called bandster hell and what some have mentioned on the forum. Others will still say "well if you eat right and excersise you should still lose" but I was told things wont be what you expect until the "sweet spot" and this is what i am hearing in this discussion. I know that the band is a tool but right now it feels like there is no diffrence what-so-ever and i was discouraged thinking why did i spend all this money. So I am hopeful i will get there and things will fall into place too. More importantly talk about these things on the forum it seemed no one went through this it was like that had the surgery and boom they lose all this weight and love it and life is wonderful. i think a lot more go through this period of adjustment.

OMG I love you for saying these things I have been very discouraged. I have lost very little I am trying to eat smaller portions and healthier and excerising and nothing is different. i was think why the hell did I do this. I knew the band was not a Miracle but really no differnce. I got my second fill today and i am at 5cc so I am hoping it starts to work more. Thank you for giving me hope.

I have to agree with you mine which I didn't knwo from the surgery put in 4cc and then my first fill at .5 cc and from then will only do .5 ccs I am not in green zone and think it will take longer than I anticipated. I just think when I got the surgery and read all the posts i was expecting things to be quicker. oh well it will come.

Thank you,I am having a tough time I am 1.5 months post op and have not lost. There is differnt messages comming form all directions and I have no idea who to listen too. The nurses at the place i had it done I just asked if it was normal not to lose until you are in the green zone. And they said I should be losing and maybe that is true but it is hard when it feel like nothing is different. I am really hoping the band ends up being majic like it was for you and i don't regret doing this especially since I and a self pay and unsupported by my family.

I am getting my band August 31, 2012 and it is a done deal, I was excited and now I have major doubts. It doesn’t help that my loved ones closest to me have the same doubts as I now do. I have told two people my mom (just in passing so she doesn’t know I am doing it in 11 days) and my boyfriend. Both never had weight issues, super healthy and fitness freaks. I have never really shared my weight struggles and agony with my boyfriend so he just thinks I haven’t tried hard enough, that I am quick to give up a lot. Maybe he is right and maybe this will not work and I will be out of a lot of money. I am looking to not do this alone and have someone that understands weight gain and loss. Who understand why I am doing this and we can support each other to be successful.

OMG so this is banster hell!! For the first time yesterday i started to regret my decision. I know it is a tool but I did not think it It was going to be so hard and since it is for me right now I might as well just be an a regular diet without it. So today is a new day and I have made the effort to stick to low intake of calories and one cup portions dispite being straving. At least I do not get the guilt along with it. i feel like people forgot to mention this part if the journey.

I am getting banded August 31, 2012 and I have been super excited up until now-11 days to go and I am having doubts. I have no support from people around me. My boyfriend is a fitness fanatic thinks I am taking the easy way out and have not tried hard enough. I do have a problem with follow through on some things. I am self- paying so it is a lot of money and what if this doesn’t work? What if I can’t do it or don’t like the fact that I can’t eat as much and I eat all the wrong foods because I do like food, good comfort food. To me I am doing this more for the keeping it off part. I have lost before but it always comes back…that is what my boyfriend sees me giving up…what if that happens with the band? I know it is up to me but I haven’t been successful in the past what will make the difference now? Anyone else freaking out and I need encouragement that I am doing the right thing cause right now I am not so sure.