La_madam

I was not hungry at all for the first 5 weeks or so..

Your surgoen is dead wrong on this one I'm sorry to say it.. Ask any one from this board who knows me personally and they will tell you that I was the model bandster..I followed the rules and reccomendations, never drank carbonation, never took NSAIDS, never drank with meals, never stuffed my pouch , had great aftercare, saw my doctor on a regular basis, had barium swallows on a regular basis..I followed all the rules..which is why I was successful in losing over 100 lbs in 19 months..however I still eroded. It was nothing I did or did not do..it was something that just happened..it can happen to the best or the worst bandsters..if your body is going to reject it, it does not matter whether you follow the rules and reccomendations. Others here who have eroded will tel you the same thing..I am not the only bandster who followed the rules who eroded. Even my own doctor told me I was a model bandster.. I gave compliance one hell of a try..I complied 100% the entire time I had my band.

Journal your food..write down every single bite you put in your mouth..also write down how you are feeling when you eat..sad, happy mad etc..also write down the degree of hunger and what you were doing when you ate..this is what helped me alot..it works, there is something to be said about seeing it on paper, you may not think you are eating alot or those little bites we take all day long throughout the day matter but they do..once you see it on paper you seem to want to make better food choices and once you see it on paper you may see a pattern for example you eat more when you are mad or sad etc...this worked wonders for me..One other thing I did was do the 3 a day dairy..calcium servings of milk yogurt and cheese check out the site http://www.3aday.org/3aday/About3ADay/learnMoreAbout3ADay

I'm happy for you that you feel you found the answer..my personal experience with antidepressants was the opposite..I too lost a child and my mother within 10 days of eachother and had another child diagnosed with cancer at the same time I was put on an anti depressant. I have always been overweight my whole life but the anti depressant was my demise..I gained over 65 lbs in 1.5 yrs with the Paxil... I 'm sorry to hear about your daughter..I know first hand how difficult the loss of a child can be..I wish you the best..and wish you continued success

Alexra...I have th exact same problem..I still see myself as the 265 lb woman I had known for years looking back at me in the mirror...the only reason I know it to be untrue is the size 10 I now wear compared to the size 22 I wore 100 lbs ago. If not for the friends, family and people who comment on my weight loss everyday..I'd never know it by the image I see in my mirror..I'm learning to see a different image of myself ...just this afternoon I taped my before picture on to my mirrored wardrobe doors so I see it everytime I look in the mirror, I'm hopeful it will inspire me to see the new and improved me..it takes time, we are so programed to see ourselves as we have for so many years. You are not alone my friend

So did I..my band worked amazingly well for me..however I ERODED and am now bandless. I lost over 100 lbs with my band in 19 months and Iam damed and determined to not gain this weight back so Iam willing to "go there" again to prevent it from happening and so far so good, today was my frist day with the hoodia and it has worked amazingly well for me..I have had controlled hunger and no jitters all day long, it was the best eating day I have had in weeks..I'm happy. Everyone is different and things work differently for each individual..had I still have my band I would not need the hoodia, but bandless there is a huge difference in my hunger and cravings..it is incredible how well the band works.. the obsessi9on for food for me was literally gone when I had my band I was just unfortunate to have mine erode but I'm happy with the results I achieved with it..no doubt..reality is though it's gone and hunger is back...

I used to be that way..I was always shopping for things for everyone but me...but not anymore..I love myself and the new me..I now get my nails and toes done every 2 weeks like clockwork as well as my hair done every 4 weeks like clockwork..when I shop I now only buy for me well sometime my kids and hubby too ..I spoil myself now..and I love it!

Congratulations Jonathan on a job well done, you have definately had your share of things this past year and through it all you lost 40 lbs..Good for you my friend! kepp up the good work

I had better restrcition the last month I had my band then ever before I lost 11 lbs in October, found out I was eroded in November..go figure. However I have heard other eroded bandsters say they lost theirrestriction. Guess everyone is different!

That is good news Vines! Lets hope this does not happen, I just started birth control pills 2.5 weeks ago for some hormonal problems I have been having ever since my band was removed..it sucks...all I want to do is eat. I'm feeling the affectsfrom them horribly by my body thinking I'm pregnant and wanting to eat. Without my band it is difficult. I wish you the best and hope you get more answers soon..hang in there Hope the new meds do the trick for you!

I took it years ago..it did not work for me..all it did was make a mess in my toilet with layers of greasy fat & oil making an orange ring around my toilet bowl..not to mention it made me feel like I had the runs al lthe time..I had runny orange, oily bowel movements from the fat that was blocked coming out in my BM's..not a pretty sight..especially in a public restroom

Yes you were meant to have the band...even though it did not work out for you, your above comment would not be true without the help from your band..you strutting around in your size 18 jeans would not of been possible most likely without the band..so even though you eroded..it did something for you..I can hear it in your voice..I see it in your attitude..dont sell yourself short..and yes..you were meant to have the band, you have made some amazing new friends in your life that without your band you would of never met..Like me Your attitude and determination you have now without your band seem stronger then ever to continue this happier healthier lifestyle.. But you are right erosion is not the end all...still though for us eroders we have come to far to fail..not again..not this time! We will succeed

to give an idea of how far I have come here is a picture from the Vegas bash in Sept last year..since then I have lost 11 lbs... This is me and Coyotegirl ( Terri) in Delarla's backyard

I did in 19 months..my starting weight was 265..right now I currently weigh 161

If anything mine has gotten better..I feel sexy for the first time in years..I now wear thongs and cute little matching bras and panties..my husband is lovin' it!

My biggest fear is gaining all of the wieght back I have lost with my band now that Iam bandless....

Call me crazy but I'm finding the opposite to be true,seems I can not get enough Water. I definately have drank all my water today and it is only 2:45 in the afternoon..been peeing all day long but it has been said that the San Tirbesman from the African Klalhari dessert used Hoodia to quench thirst.

Happy to hear you got answers and are on your way to feeling better, hopefully the unfill will correct the slip, one of our other members here Jonathan had a slipped band and he had an unfil land it did the trick..I hope the same for you

Susan, I was the perfect bandster...never drank carbonation, never took NSAID"s ...never stuffed my pouch, drank my Water, at my Protein first, never drank with a meal and waited the full hour after a meal to drink..if erosion is going to happen , it is going to happen regardless of what you do or dont do..plain and simple....try to relax and not live in fear of the dreaded "E " word, that is one of the biggest fears with us bandsters. it was something I worried about constantly, maybe that was my demise..who knows..all I know is my band did its job, Ilost over 100 lbs and the only piece of advice I can give to those still fortunate to have their bands is , work your band..dont mess around, dont eat past the band, follow the rules, lose as much weight while you can ...or you could wake up like me one day and be bandless..I have to say if I had not been so successful with my band, I would of been devastated to lose it had I not lost over 60% of my weight ..but as I said, my band did it's job because I was a good little bandster.. Ceira, my heart goes out to you my friend, I'm here for any supprot I can offer you..PM me or emai lme anytimer, we can help eachother...

I'm guilty of this too..every night while laying in bed fighting off the food demon, while being chained ot my bed so I wont go to the kitchen I say to myself " tomorrow I am going to exercise" and everyday I don't! Tomorrow is a new day..maybe just maybe I will exercise

Ceira... I'm so sorry to hear of your eorsion but as Donali said there are several of us here who can relate to what you are going through, me being one of them. I too am suprised to hear of an erosion happening in such a short period of time. If I may ask, who was your surgeon and where did you have your surgery done? If I can be of any support to you please do not hesitate to PM me or email me....us eroded bandsters need al lthe support we can get. It has been 2 months for me since I lost my band and it is a struglle but a struggle Iam determined to win. I was fortunate I guess you could say to not have any pain or symptoms from my erosion, I caught it early and was still losing weight 19 months out with great restriction. I wish you the best and just know we are all here for you during this difficult time. Do not go away, stick around , we can all help eachother. I still think of myself as a bandster and try to live as one, the minute I leave LBT is the time I will go back to my old ways so I keep coming here as if I were still banded, this is home for me, these people are family to me. Without them I would be a lost soul.

Hi my name is La_Madam and I lost my band on November 28th due to erosion. I had my band for 19 awesome months and lost over 100 lbs. It has been 2 months since I lost my band, the first month was great and this past month...not so great Right now I'm struggling to just maintain.....started hormone regimen 2 weeks ago that makes me hungry a crave food something fierce in the evenings..I am addicted to caffeine and am now taking appetitie suppressants just to not gain.. and like Delarla struggling to lose more Thank you Delarla for starting this thread, us Debandsters need a place to feel warm and cozy and cuss..... @!*&@!$%!@*!@%$^

TOday I started my Hoodia.... I'm happy to report it seems to be working, no jitters but controlled hunger...Hooray Hooray for me! I have made it through 2 nights of not going into the kitchen after 5:00pm only cuz I'm chained to the bed and have threatened my DH to kick my ass if he sees me anywehre within 5 ft of the kitchen.. now maybe by taking my hoodia I can unchain myself from my bed after 5:00 pm and go into the kitchen without doing much damage

Yep happened to me..I had to take B12 also, problem is when I had a good fill I had to cut the pill into tiny pieces to get it down..

Oh Man! This sucks! Yes curious to know who was her surgeon, when she was banded etc... Is she a member here on LBT My heartfelt condolences to her..I know how she is feeling right now