maygoddess

Yeah...this TOTALLY blows having to worry about counting calories and getting exercise in to keep my calorie count lower. I ALWAYS sucked and hate food journalling and still can't do it. I feel like I am eating way less than I ever did on my many attempts at weight watchers, jenny craig, etc and I continue gain and lose the same few lbs.I know that if I was not really trying to count calories and obsess about it and work out, I am sure the weight would still be piling on. It's rediculous what happens now..I cannot be eating enough to gain 2lbs overnight! I struggle with deciding to get more fill in. My first dilemma is the dietician wants a food journal and she badgers me about what SHE thinks I should eat. I am very particular about what I want to eat and giving me the standard "eat an egg in the morning and a piece of turkey or two for lunch" blah blah won't work for me. Plus I don't know if a tiny bit more fill will help or not. Sigghhh.. I am tired of having to worry about every tiny morsel I put in my mouth. I got the band so that would stop. I don't recall ever having to be this obsessive in the weight loss phase of my band (well the ORIGINAL weight loss phase). This is so bad, I had a dream last night where I was supposed to head out and meet a client who was more than an hour away but I wasted a few hours trying on my entire wardrobe and nothing fit. All my clothes were too small. I am now up against having to buy new warm weather clothes since I gained all this weight over fall/winter so my fat clothes are sweaters and long sleeve tops. Uggh...was hoping I would be dropping already. Wanna cry!!

Well almost 2 months since my last update and my first refill on December 19th. Unfortunately I am still up 40lbs from before my unfill in September, but I appear to be staying where I am for now. The rapid weight gain has stopped. With a few colds and some other short medical issues since my refll, my diet,appetite, excercise routines have been thrown off. I am now REALLY trying to restrict calories even further than I was before to try and move the scale down. My hunger level was cut down with the first fill, but I don't think I want to get another fill. I can see why new bandsters get so desperate for fills right away. I don't think most are truly "listening" to their bodies, the hunger signals, appetite, portions, etc. It is sooooo easy to get in way too many calories even with proper restriction. I can see why this band appears to fail. I am at a place where I am not PBing, sliming, no acid reflux, no aspiration.I can take meds without them coming back up. I can drink Water before bed without worrying about it coming back up. I am hoping that this fill will be enough to keep the weight off once I am back to my ideal weight without having to constantly count calories and deprive myself. For now, I am really having to work at getting the weight back off. I worry about eating too much and stretching my esophagus. Such a delicate balance with this band these days. I soooo wish I never had this unfill because I HATE this extra weight back on and having to fight it off, but I knew it was necessary. Just be careful about wanting more restriction. This band takes some work and paying attention. I feel like a "rebandster" in a way..without starting back at square one..but regaining a 1/3 of what I originally lost was enough!! I will update as I progress...green zone? I guess..right now I just want out of this fat zone!!! :-)

Hey all! Just wanted to give an update since my refill on December 19th. It has been a bit of a crazy time since the fill. So my appointment started out with a session with the nutritionist for the surgeon. Now keep in mind, these two hardly know me or my journey. He is not my original surgeon and I only met them after the discovery of the esophogeal dilation back in September. It is hard to explain to someone who doesn't have a band what this journey day to day is like. The nutritionist is just reading out of her "proper band diet" papers and just wanted to drill in what I should or shouldn't eat. I am a bit stubborn after 12 years with this device that I know what works or doesn't for me. They were still convinced that my sudden and excessive weight gain was nothing but me stuffing myself with TONS of excess calories right after my unfill that caused the gain. Sigh! I could not convince that even if I went over my ACTUAL calories with an extra 500 calories a day, I should have at minimum maintained on those calories. I gave up, shook my head yes to all her demands and waited for the doctor to come in. Thankfully a nurse came in first with a needle and saline and stuff so the nutritionist didn't talk him out of my refill to start. He came in and repeated some of what she said to him in passing out in the hall. Uggh! So I originally had 2cc of Fluid that he had pulled out in September.When I had my fills way back at the beginning of this, I had numerous fills in Mexico and some up here in Nor Cal..and I believe each time my fills were 1/2cc or less. The doctor decided he would add back in 1cc! I was thinking he was going to trickle me back up. I was happy but a little nervous. I swallowed my cup of Water..definitely felt it gurgle and left. He said come back in 6-8 weeks. When I went in, I was at 196lbs..this is 46lbs up from my usual weight. I was already a little under the weather but the next day had a full blown cold. I didn't get to really test out the band as I was not eating properly..just getting in some chicken Soup and fluids. The next week was christmas and I went home to So Cal for a few days. I had dropped 2lbs since the fill, but came back from christmas trip home back up a few lbs. 24 hours after returning home on the 28th, I got a violent stomach bug. I had at least 4-5 sessions of attempting to vomit which were quite painful. I was scared my band would slip. I called my doctor and got a prescription for zofran (?) to stop the nausea. That helped but diarrhea continued for another few days. I was afraid to even get water and fluids in me. I managed to drop about 7lbs in 3 days from this. NOT a cool way to lose weight. After spending New Year's in bed, I finally was feeling better and started to eat again. I managed to gain back 2lbs of the 7lbs. figured it was fluid loss coming back. As of today I am down 6lbs total from where I was prefill. Most of that achieved from the bug! I am not sure yet if I am close to a "green zone" , I told the doctor it is not the restriction I am after but the removal of the screaming appetite! I missed being able to go all day without feeling hungry. This week has been fairly "normal" work wise and schedule wise and noticed the appetite is more "quiet" than it was when unfilled. I am still trying to figure out what and when to eat. I need to get back to the gym. Been waiting for me and my guy to stop being sick! So for now, I THINK the rapid gain has stopped. My body is probably just trying to figure itself out and I am sure my metabolism is jacked up. Who knows! I am definitely relearning better bandster habits and watching how I chew my food. I can see why it is easy to fail at this band and have issues..overfilled, underfilled, not listening to the signals of full and restriction, using it as a binge and purge diet tool..lots of craziness with this device for sure! I just want to get this excess weight back off and be back to where I can keep it off WITHOUT all the issues I had when it was too tight. It may mean I have to be more careful with calories than before, but if I can keep this device safely in, I will learn to comply! Will come back and post soon with updates once my body is out of sick and holiday mode!!

Thanks for your input B-52. You sound like you are truly listening to what your body and band want and disciplined enough to follow through with that. I think the majority of people who diet and lose and gain is because there is lack of discipline..desire is there, but our bodies tell us to eat when we KNOW we should restrict our diets. This is why diets fail and why we all got banded..but the same patterns of behavior are there that got us and kept us fat!! There are folks who successfully could lose weight on WW, Jenny, diet book of the day, etc etc and keep it off because they had that discipline. I like the idea of giving the pouch and esophagus a rest. I will incorporate that. DEFINITELY will be more mindful of what I eat and how much. My motivation to stay at my weight was all about leather! A one piece very unforgiving of even a few lbs weight gain motorcycle track suit. I love to do track days and it has been depressing to have had to miss out because this extra weight prevented me from fitting in that suit. I was gifted a suit form track friends in a larger size and had it altered a bit, but I told the leather guy that by the time next track season starts, I am hoping I fit back into my old one OR he has to alter the larger one down. I stare at my closet full of clothes that no longer fit, but also look at pics of me and want THAT person back again..the one that felt better in her body, achy joints back, not feeling like a lead balloon hauling around an extra 40+lbs. I think I will keep these size 14 work pants out when I get back into my usual 8's as a reminder to never go through this again! Tomorrow is the day for the journey to refills.. keep you all posted on how it goes! Green Zone here I come!

parisshel, Thank you for your post! Let's see if I can answer your questions. As far as my esophagus and feeling anything...no, not really. The band has always been sooooo completely fickle. Some days the band felt wide open and other days completely shut down. I was telling the surgeon's nutrionist about my restriction changing with altitude or when sick and she didn't believe me..said it's an internal pressurized system..blah blah..that is not effected by anything..yeah right. Live with this sucker and see! When I have the flu, I can barely get down gatorade(when I was filled of course) and then next day probably could eat a burger..or at least part of one! Like I mentioned, I lived with it probably being too tight for too long, but I was not really considering it too tight. I just adjusted to the quirks..don't eat or drink late..deal with having to go and PB because I ate too much or wrong thing. I know I was overeating my band...I did this to myself I know. But I lived with all this because I stayed at my goal weight. I didn't have any chronic pain that would have said "oh something is terribly wrong" .. I only was prompted to go to the surgeon in august because I just hit my 12 yr bandiversary and figured I should at least have it looked at to make sure all was okay. I worried if this band ever needed to be replaced or if it had moved or whatever..since I was in a maintenance phase with this, I was not worried for years that the band was helping me to lose weight. It was helping me to keep it off! Exactly why I got it!! I don't think ANY WLS is truly "plug and play". They all do something totally abnormal to our bodies in one way or another. I personally think the band is way too quirky for many to adhere to properly..as intended. The inventor just assumed an overweight person would just put this device on and automatically be able to go from a plate full of food to a cup full and MENTALLY be okay with that..FOOD IS FABULOUS. I want more! I don't want to stop at a cup. I KNOWI should, but I want more. Right? This is typical I think. So we eat over our band, we eat the wrong foods, we ask for more restriction thinking this will stop us from overeating, but it doesn't necessarily. It slips, erodes and causes other issues because of all the quirks and our tendancy to really put this band through the paces it was never intended for. Why do some people erode or slip while others don't? Who knows. Your heart issue is scary. The vagus nerve controls heart and digestion..so while helping with one issue, it is possibly causing another? Yikes. I have been off of forums and talking to other bandster for years. I had no clue so many people have had problems with it. I never knew the sleeve was a recent surgical option. I guess when things are okay, you go along quietly until something goes wrong. If I hadn't decided to just get a routine check of the band, I would be 40lbs lighter than I am today, but still just dealing with the quirks AND possible further damage to my esophagus. This was an expensive but valuable lesson for me. I got complacent over the years since I lost all the weight I wanted to. I ate more than I should and I will need to learn to behave if I want to keep this band long term. I don't want to be 140lbs heavier ever again! This 40 extra lbs up is just devastating enough! If I get to a "green zone" (funny had not heard that term until I came back here after my unfill) I don't know what the future holds.I will pray that a few small fills will at least stop the gain. I am already eating and working out where I should be losing, just need to stop swimming against a tide which is this unfilled band!! I will post up as I get refilled and hopefully lose what I have gained and learn to be a bandster again!!! Thanks for anyone listening to my rant!!

My update! I had an Upper GI today at Kaiser and the bariatric surgeon emailed me with results within an hour of me leaving the office. He said "looks better" so then I ask "so what's the plan from here"? He said that it is better but my esophagus is still a little dilated, so he said give it one more month and from there he feels confident to do a fill to get me back on track without doing another UGI. When I saw the barium go right through and collect down in my lower stomach quickly compared to when they did it 7 weeks ago where even some jiggling and dancing around for 15 minutes kept the barium above the band. This almost 30lbs weight gain since my band was unfilled has been quite depressing. I had to go up a few sizes in clothes, sell my track day to my favorite track because I had no leathers to wear and just feel huge in general. I know others are struggling with more weight than that and my friends say "you look great" but I feel enormous and miss my entire wardrobe of clothes and jackets that didn't make me look frumpy! :-/ So we shall see what happens in a month. WOuld be nice to start getting some fill back. I know I wont be going back to where I was before..toooo tight. I learned my lesson to not put up with behaviors that are not "normal" and to get back to bandster portions again. I have been working hard to reduce portions, calories, working out etc. It is discouraging to STILL see the scale go up, but it seems to have slowed down. Hoping for at least a maintain for now if not tiny loss! I am just so happy to keep my band for now. It did what it was supposed to do and had been doing for years..keep my weight off. I want that back!!

So I saw the bariatric nutritionist yesterday at Kaiser. This is just about 6 weeks after my complete unfill and I am now up 30lbs! most of that weight was gained in the first few weeks. It happened fast! I am so frustrated, drepressed, angry...I know it's my fault for not getting a follow up sooner..thinking everything I lived with was "normal". I stayed at my same weight for years. The band for me was not about losing the weight, but keeping it off long term and that is what it did. So before I saw this nutritionist yesterday, I contacted Dr Kuri's office to see what his experience and opinion is about unfills and esophagus issues, etc. I talked to his patient coordinator who has been banded about as long as I have AND had dealt with an unfill herself at one point. She said Dr Kuri would recommend being unfilled for at least 3-4 months and then rechecking the esophagus. This means fighting to keep from gaining and trying to lose this weight the way we struggled to pre-band. She suggested weight watchers for the "accountability" aspect of weighing in weekly..uggh...been there, done that...never worked..thus why I have the band in the first place. It is completely frustrating to be told to "eat like a bandster", at Protein first, veggies, etc..blah blah when I was doing just that and working out and STILL gaining weight faster than I could blink!! At minimum I should have easily maintained my weight on what little I ate and burned off. The Kaiser nutritionist was pretty much the same...gave me the pre-op and post op surgical diets to follow. All I could do was sigh with frustration. I KNOW all this but why am I still gaining?? I figured I would get the "you must be eating all the stuff you couldn't while banded like bread and other carbs"...uhh yeah...I actually craved salad once unfilled because I missed eating a nice salad without worrying about stuff getting stuck. If I was binging on bread and carbs, I would not be here in frustration wondering "why me?". I would take the blame on this and decide what my priorities are!! Uggh! Anyway...the surgeon scheduled me for another upper GI in a few weeks. May be too soon to see any improvement in the esophagus but I guess will be almost 2 months since the unfill. I was on vacation last week with no scale and off my shakes and low calorie plan..I just figured since eating low calorie and "bandster like" was not working, I would just eat , get my excercise from walking all over NYC and see what happens...another 6lbs up in a week..no surprise! But now that I am home, back to the gym and started a women's vitapak program from GNC with thermogenics, Vitamins, etc to see if that helps along with the low calories I was doing before and just pray I stop gaining and at least maintain. I soooo want my band filled again..I want the hunger control back now!!!!!

Hi! Sorry to hear about the erosion..Scares me cuz I am 12 years out...right now my band is unfilled since Sept 19th due to esophogeal dilation.I am hoping it will heal so I can get some fill back but realized I was just living with too tight of a band for too long. My fault. But since having my complete unfill, I have gained about 15-18lbs..most of that was first two weeks. It has been super frustrating because I have been ultra careful with my calories now..not eating fatty foods and really counting calories..started back at gym but STILL gaining...I just put on 4lbs overnight after three days at a conference where I tracked 30K steps in one day..18K another day..eating very healthy while there..and no..not monthly period Water gain. Soooo depressed! Had to go buy a few clothing items in bigger size already cuz I have been wearing same size for years..everytihng is now too small!! I think our metabolism is not normal. This does not seem possible to gain this much weight in short time, especially when I am making an effort..at least MAINTAIN..but gain? I think we have been in a long term starvation mode and when I was unfilled and able to eat more easily, my body decided to take advantage of that and hold on to everything it can! I would not complain if I was eating crap and not excercising..just praying I heal up and can get refilled a little to help..this is just horrible! I hope you heal up and get whatever surgery works best for you.

Just an update since my complete unfill on September 19th. It is almost a month and I am up by 22lbs! I am sooo freaking pissed off and depressed about it! Our bodies are not under normal caloric influences. Please do not reply with "well, you are eating too much"...well no...it is not normal to gain 3lbs overnight..or another 4lbs the next week..when I am in fact watching caloric intake carefully...started back at the gym..so if anything I should be at minimum maintaining my weight. This just does not make sense. Even at my fattest did ever gain 22lbs in a short month!! There has to be some starvation response our bodies are in while banded and restricted and then suddenly we are not and wham!! I am hoping at some point my body decides it is not in starvation mode any longer and is happy to maintain..just hoping that it's not 100lbs from now!! I have my next follow up with the bartriatric surgeon's nutrition nurse on the 30th. I don't know when they will decide to check my esophagus again and see if I am healed at all. So to try and get some of this lost or at least help stop the gain, I started on Ideal Shape Meal Replacement shakes and bars for my Breakfast and occasionally a dinner since I work out late. Please don't talk about "slider foods"..this helps me control calories easily and works with my work and life schedule for now. The Ideal Shape has a hunger blocker in it that seems to work if you do in fact follow the directions and drink a full glass of Water after the shake or bar. I get stomach hunger after a few hours but not head 'hangry" hunger. The restriction of the band kept my appetite under control..that I miss alot!! I had to break down and buy bigger sizes for some work clothes and casual..NOTHING in my closet fits. My old "fat jeans" no longer fit. 22lbs feels like 50 to me. I feel like a bus...I don't even remember what is what like to carry around 130 extra lbs...but 22 feels like a lot right now!! I will post again when I see the nurse. See how this shake plan works too. I did over 60k steps while attending a conference the last trhee days and still managed to see the scale go up 3lbs..with very little food!! Frustrating!!

Thanks for the info on the 5:2 plan. Looks interesting. I am doing the shake diet temporarily. I found one that supposedly has a good appetite control. I HAVE to drop these 20lbs I have gained since my unfill as quickly as I can. NOt only do most of my clothes(at least all my bottom) not fit, I also do motorcycle track days and have 4 left this season. My one piece leather track suit will only fit with the 20lbs off. This has been my motivation to keep the weight off since I started riding motorcycles a few years ago. I am praying I will eventually get some fill back and hit that sweet spot that takes away my appetite. I miss that desparately. I am back at the gym now which I know will help but my body is probably just so freaking confused right now. The shakes will make it easier to keep track of calories while I work to get this weight off. Once it is off, I will deal with working on eating more solid food. I just always hated counting calories, so this has been a hard adjustment. We shall see what happens. If the shake works for now I will be thrilled. I just need to stop the gain and maintain for now!!

Wow. Now I feel crappy seeing that list of foods you ate. I am nowhere eating anything like that and gaining weight. I could understand if I was eating high fat, high sugar, carry, salty foods,but I'm not. I cut liquid calories ways down. Was an avid milk drinker but cut that down...getting Protein in, small Snacks like grapes or beef Jerky. Any normal person would be losing weight on my current food plan.. I just ordered a few months a supply of Ideal Shape shakes to try a weight loss program similar to what I did years ago. I just want this 25lbs gone and my weight stable until I get some fill back. Hopefully the gym will help too. I am just distraught. Bought a few pairs of work pants and even larger workout clothes but everything else is too small. Don't want to be squeezing into my clothes unable to breathe for long! Ugh. Will keep everyone posted.

I am experiencing excatly what you described. I am 12 years banded and last fill was probably 5-6 years ago (don't even remember) I had 2cc in a 4cc Inamed band. my final fill finally got the last 30-40lbs off of a total of 130lbs. I felt it was "just right" but perhaps it was really too tight or I just started overeating and stuffing my pouch and eventually esophagus. Since I was banded in Mexico and everything was going okay..I stayed at my goal weight within a 5lb + or - so I never got follow up. I figured on my 12 year anniversay in August I should at least get a check up locally to make sure all was okay. Went in for Upper GI and the esophogeal dilation was found. 12 days ago I was completely unfilled in hopes of healing the esophagus. First few days was unbelievable gas pains and bloating..so bad I went to the ER because I had a bad spell where I had gas, sweating and tried to throw up. In those 12 days, I have put on 16lbs. I have weighed myself daily and 4lbs of that came OVERNIGHT!! WHUH? How can I have put on 4lbs in one day?? I am sure I am getting in more calories than before but because I was tight I probably relied on liquid calories and ate snacky easy foods..I am being careful with what I eat and how much. I started back at the gym again a few days ago so that effort has not kicked in yet..but food wise I am careful. The weight gain has bee very distressing. Just about all my clothes do not fit as I have been the same small size for years..I dont keep a range of sizes. It is very depressing. For those of you just saying " well watch what you eat" uhhh yeah...try a complete unfill and then give that advice. I didn't ever put on this amount of weight in a short amount of time pre-band. It's not that easy. There has to be the "starvation response" kicking in here. I cannot imagine I was not getting in no calories before.I had to survive. It's very scary to gain that much in a short amount of time. My world is upside down with 20lbs up from my usual. I am going to work at fighting it until I can get a refill..not sure how long this will be until my esophagus heals up. If it doesn't I have no clue what I will do..praying for healing but also praying I don't pork up any more. I wish everyone the best with the band..it is a fickle bitch and does require a ton of discipline to do the right thing!!

Hi all! I just had my 12 year anniversary with the Inamed 4cc lapband. I was banded in Mexico with Dr Kuri. I was getting fills with him the first 3-4 years but after that found a local surgeon willing to fill Mexico patients. I last went for a fill in 2007 or 08..don't even remember. I had pretty good restriction..better than I ever had from my fills in TJ. I think Dr Kuri's office was being conservative with patients who didn't live close enough for an emergency unfill..I live in Nor Cal but still a good 9 hour drive back. So since my last fill I have been pretty much at my "goal" weight..staying within a 5lb + or - range. SInce I started riding motorcycles and doing track days, my motivation has been able to fit into my one piece leather track suit that is unforgiving even with a few lbs up. Today...sigh...when I hit my anniversary in August I thought I really should get this device checked out and luckily Kaiser covers getting a flouroscopy. Had that early September and it showed that the barium would barely get past my band and drain. My esophagus is twice the size it should be. I had to be unfilled the next week. I was unfilled 14 days ago and have managed to put on 16lbs since! I was already up 5lbs so now I am up over 21lbs! I KNOW this is totally my fault. I have been living with it being tighter than it should be for quite awhile. Thinking it was normal that I would have to "relieve" food from myself when I overate. I was overeating the band. It had been so long, I forgot all the rules and just dealt with it. I really had no pain..only would have acid reflux if I ate or drank too late so I learned to stop way before I went to bed. It is not easy to limit yourself to tiny portions when food just taste so darn good and we are conditioned to clean our plate. I followed the rules initially..but just ate more and more..now with consequences. Luckily and thankfully the band is in place. I think Dr Kuri's surturing of the stomach around the band helps prevent slips..Mine would have slipped long ago given how much abuse it has gone through. I had alot of pain the day of the unfill and a few days later...lots of gas pain..not sure if the unfill caused some wierd release of pressure or something but it was not comfy. I tell people I not only got the band to lose my excess weight (130lbs off total) but more importantly to KEEP IT OFF. This I have done for past 5-6 years that I have lost all my excess weight. I was a slow loser and combined with not so helpful fills initial. I think I had only 2.5cc total in my 4cc band. Dr pulled out 2cc but pretty sure I was filled to 2.5cc..who knows. Today I am seriously depressed because I am just about out of all my clothes. I don't have multiple sizes of clothes..with staying the same size or two for many years..my wardrobe is limited. I am wanting to cry thinking I need to go buy bigger sizes so I can breathe at work! Sigghh.. I have been soooo careful with what I have been eating..back to bandster portions..counting calories..the dramatic weight gain stopped for a few days..I stayed stable..but this morning it was up again by 1/2lb. Perhaps my few days back at the gym caused it...yeah right!! I have my follow up appt with the bariatric nurse dietician on Oct 30th.not sure what the plan is from here. Doctor wants my esophagus to heal if possible. I am hoping it does and that I can get SOME fill back..even 1/2. What I miss the most is not having the hunger pains. I hate feeling like a mere mortal with hunger pains and counting calories and being obsssessed with my weight after years of being stable! Sucks! I really had gone away from forums years ago. Probably typical of most band "veterans" ..life goes on. I really had no clue that so many people have been having problems. Never even knew about the gastric sleeve popping into the market. Now I am scared about all this stuff happening to me! The band looked well in place..no slips or erosion. The pouch looked ok below my stretched out esophagus..so that is the main concern right now. I am just praying I can stave off this crazy gain..I was shocked to see the scale jump 5lbs overnight..I swear I am not eating or drinking anything to cause that dramatic of a quick gain..seems technically impossible. I am sitting at work on the verge of tears thinking I am going to have to give in and head to the store and get bigger pants for work because now nothing is fitting without feeling like I cannot breathe or move! I can't wear sweats to work or stretchy pants...sigh... I always say the band was the best decision I ever made. I have had 12 years(well really half that at full goal) of doing stuff I couldn't have done obese..riding sport bikes is one..I put up with the quirks because I like the way I am..but now..I am scared to go back to where I was. Praying for the best outcome and I can keep my band, get fill back and get this excess weight off again and go back to my size 8s and 10s!! Mwhhhaaa!!

I thought I would jump in and give perspective from someone who is about to hit my 5 year "bandiversary" in August. Would I do it again knowing what I know now? Yes! I can't say it has been a picnic and my loss was very slow over the last 5 years BUT I did not get this surgery expecting to lose it all in the first 6 months and be done with it. I KNOW we all expect it will be fast and some are very quick losers, but I decided I did not want to be a perfect bandster and I eat crap when I want to..but I don't beat myself up about knowing what the consequences are..slow loss vs fast loss.. I feel sad when I read Zengirl's reply that she is already given up on the band in a few months and wished she had bypass. You REALLY don't, girl. There is absolutely no benefit to losing it faster or what you may think is easier. I have personal experience with both. I was banded in 2002 at 286lbs. I initially lost 20lbs pretty quickly, but then it really came off in slow chunks from there..after a good fill a little came off..I would get the flu and drop 10lbs(not a fun way to lose but it happened) and no matter how "perfect" I thought I was..I would not budge..your body will be like that. You need to reverse your thinking on this band. Not how fast or easy the weight comes off, but how much easier it will be to KEEP IT OFF!! I have not gained back an ounce in almost 5 years..took me as long to lose it, but I managed to maintain it! Okay..fast forward to 2005 when my best friend, weighing around 285lbs at her sugery had gastric bypass. For some medical reasons, she explained to me gastric bypass was a better option(personally I think she made that up because her insurance would not cover the band but would cover the bypass or she felt that bypass was better to her..don't know) At the time of her surgery..I think I was just about 200lbs..can't remember..had already lost 85lbs..but after almost 3 years banded..still had another 50+ to go. My friend quickly lost down almost to her goal in the first year of her surgery. She passed me and kept on going. She was bound and determined to not "cheat" or even have sugar pass her lips in fear of dumping. Well that quickly ended when she did indeed have surgar. She doesn't "dump" and get really sick..she just gets extremely tired. She can quickly pass out after a few drinks..she gets stupid drunk fast and I worry about her dating men she doesn't know who could take advantage of this. I tell her not to drink but a glass a wine at the most when around other people. We eat about the same amount and just about the same foods, but she does watch how much sugar she consumes. I finally did get down to about the same weight..I weigh around 150 now..she got to 140 something, but has since started to gain a little weight. So I think she actually weighs a little more than me now. She just started having to take B12 injections and I really don't think she gets enough Vitamins in as she should. Her doctor told her to take a flintstone Vitamin. Not much in those even for kids never mind a bypass patient. She is almost 50 and will need extra nutritional support as she ages..but we shall see. So..you see..we both reached goal..she has more worry about weight gain than I do. I keep my band pretty snug and if I needed to..still do have some room to make it tighter..but I am pretty set where I am at right now. I don't have the worry about eating certain foods or consuming too much alchohol(and we are not talking ALOT to get her seriously screwed up!..a few glasses of wine can do it!) I would worry about the long term effects of actually bypassing stuff and getting nutritional support to my body..she always seems more tired than I am..but I am 9 years younger..but I know people who are 80 and more active than her! Looks like most of you are pretty recently banded and barely begun getting fills. It can take a while to get to a good fill..depending on how your doctor fills you and how agressive he/she is in keeping up with you. I was banded in Mexico and went down for fills, but I don't think my doctor ever really filled me enough worrying that I may have to come back for an unfill (and I live in Nor Calif!)..I finally started going to a fill doctor in Tahoe area(only a 3 hour drive instead of a 9 hour drive to Mexico) and though he fills "blind"(no flouro)...he gave me excellent fills and I finally started feeling like this was working. He spent more time with me each visit and really laid down the law with me...some of which I listened to and other stuff I was the typical "yeah, yeah, I know it all!"..but mentally..I needed a kick in the pants and it worked. Don't Don't Don't give up on this band and wish for that bypass..DON'T assume to be a hare and be fine with a tortoise as long as you don't gain it back. The journey..your journey will be different than EVERYONE"s elses journey..so don't compare. Don't beat yourself up about being too slow..I think we are more concerned about what our friends and family will think if we don't peel of the weight in a few months and THEY think it is a failure or you made a mistake..tell as few people as possible about the surgery..it will save you some agony on your journey. My in-laws were just told earlier this year! They obviously have seen my loss..but I never admitted to surgery until recently..now that I am done, they can know the truth. Does it feel good to be down to a "normal" weight finally? Yes..it does..lots of times my friend and I complain how uncomfy it is being too bony on hard chairs and feeling bones protrude where they didn't before. I was talking to her about seeing a pair of pants on ebay that I used to buy in size 20..in a size 2 and always thought..no way would I ever be there..but last week I tried a size 4 on at a dept store (I usually wear size 8-10 now with a few 6's and few 12's depending on cut)..so 2 now just does not seem that far off! Very weird. It will happen ladies and gents...don't fight it..don't regret anything..just enjoy the journey! Patty

I think I am somewhere on this already from last year but wanted to update that I am currently around 125lbs lost in almost 4 1/2 years. It took the whole time to lose. I was a slow loser...mostly my fault for not giving up all my bad habits..but I am fine with it. I have never been this thin before..never at a "goal" weight in my life. I don't know exactly where I should be..if I go off of height/weight charts, I should lose another 15lbs, but I could probably lose half of that in loose skin. My father said I am "too skinny" now..never been accused of that! When I slipped into size 8 pants and they are already a bit baggy..that floored me..I bought the same pants in 6 and they are a tiny bit snug...I stopped worrying about the last few lbs!! SIze 6??!! WOW!! Patty 8/13/02 Dr Kuri -125 (with a little more to go..someday..maybe..who cares..I am in size 6!!)

From what I recall..Sharon Osbourne had her band put in at Cedars Sinai around 1999...so not quite 10 years as stated..so I think she has an Inamed band rather than a swedish. I did see her on Dr Phil last month talk about wanting to remove the band. She is not having it removed because she thinks "it has done its job"...her doctor would tell her..once out..you will gain it back. Dr Phil questioned her on how she thinks she will handle life without the band...and she is scared she will revert to old habits..she admits she likes to eat. Dr Phil offered to help her through it..rather than have her go to a shrink which is what she thinks she needs to do. Closer to the truth is she is probably tired of the band and its restrictions on what you can eat. I think I read an interview with her kids that she would throw up all the time..which means she was probably overeating on her restriction or eating too fast, not chewing, etc, she may have even said she had acid reflux alot..and she would rather not deal with the extra work it requires to think about what you can eat. I have been banded almost 5 years..it was a slow and steady loss of 125lbs to date...I probably could lose another 10-15lbs..some I know will be loose skin if I ever get everything nipped and tucked..but I like where I am right now wearing size 6,8, 10's which I never have in my life! I too get days of frustration when I slime up when drinking liqiuds or something gets stuck or I really want to eat more of something yummy or worry at a restaurant if I am near a restroom in case something gets stuck there..it does become a hassle, but I know that these hassles are much easier to deal with than 125lbs on my body..so I deal with it. Anyway..wanted to add to the thread what I knew. I was banded in 2002, so I know Sharon was banded that much longer than me! Patty Dr Kuri Banded 8/13/02 -125lbs

I rarely am on these boards anymore but got an email update and saw your post... I am just coming up as of today..30 days away from my 4 year "bandiversary". As of today, I am down 103lbs lost total. I do still have about 30 to go. For my own reasons, it has been very slow loss over these 4 years. I was not one of those who lost it all quickly straight out of the gate..BUT that is said not to discourage anyone from this surgery! What was always most important to me was not how I lost it and how much I lost, but KEEPING IT OFF!!! LIke you said yourself..you probably could diet and excercise one more time..fighting your way down..and then you know as well as I knew...you will most likely gain it all back. I never did a diet where I managed to keep it off. Statistics are against us. Only 5% of the population who loses weight keeps it off over a 5 year period. You have 95% chance of FAILURE!!! Those are bad betting odds! I am not discouraged about what I have not lose yet..I know some of it is still fat and I do have some belly skin to get rid of as well with surgery some day, but when I am upset that my summer clothes in size 12 are suddenly loose..I can't complain that much. My 10's are even feeling a bit loose these days. I have managed to not gain back a single lb in 4 years!! 4 freaking years and no weight gain!! I do admit..there are days I hate the band and other days I am grateful for it. Most days I am bored with food and don't even want to take the time to chew food..other times, I have cravings that I cannot ignore. You won't totally be a perfect eater once banded..you will still have moments of wanting to eat crap, but just less of it! As far as the money..sure..your family could probably take $18K and buy a car, make house payments, buy "stuff", take a vacation..but what is all that stuff worth if your life is shortened because of your weight. My highest weight was 300lbs..I was less than that when banded..but even though I was fairly "healthy" at that time , I know I was on a slow death march if I continued to stay that weight. You are worth that money...that 95% is working against you..stop fighting it and make a decision that will save your life. I went to Mexico because my insurance would not cover it and it was the best $9000 I spent in my life!! Best of luck whatver you decide! Patty 8/13/02 -103 Dr Kuri

It can be easy to become discouraged along this journey that is the band. I am over 3 1/2 years banded and have lost 100lbs slowly over that time..fits and starts really. I zoomed down 20lbs in the first few months and from there, I may have stayed stagnant for months on end, then quickly drop 10lbs in a month and then stop again for a long time. I was banded in Mexico and though I live in Northern Cali, I still found it hard to get back down to Mexico for regular fills. It took me a good 2 years to finally go to a fill doctor closer and realize I was just not really at a good fill level and my new fill doctor gives me more of a reality check that my Mexican doctor had time for. BUT...big BUT...I also had to be more honest with myself about my eating habits and drinking habits for that matter. It is very easy to slip back into bad habits or just eat crap with very little nutritional value. Also, it is easy to drink alot of calories. My culprit is juice and milk. I was never really a soda drinker luckily but I like juice. I like Jamba Juice. I like drinking milk. I know I am taking in alot of liquid calories and have to watch that or I just maintain. I also work in the wine industry and I do drink more wine than the average person, so I have to be careful with calories there. I know that when all of us were banded, we hoped that our calorie counting days would be over and that the weight would all easily fall off no matter what we ate (well..okay..maybe just I thought this would happen), but reality has been..no matter how good my fill was, I could still work around a tight fill if I wanted to (what better wayto justify my Jamba Juice habit my thinking I need to get SOME calories in if I can't eat solids, right? yeah, right!) I say, definitely look into a new fill doctor and go more than 6 months if you can, but also do yourself a favor and do an honest reality check on your calories. Read labels and do a food diary for a week or two..count EVERYTHING so you can really see. I know a ton of bandsters who would say "well I only get 800 calories in so why am I not losing" and then when they really look at it, perhaps they were leaving out caloried drinks or nibbles here and there that added up to 1200 calories a day. I won't even go into the excercise part of this..I have been horrible about this off an on..I have lost weight with no excercise at all and than worked out like crazy and maintained..I won't negate importance of it, but I can't preach that when I suck at it right now. I know it will help me get toned and feel better and it DOES help curb your appetite, but I have my moments with it. Lastly, Like someone else said..try to also look at the glass half full and think about what you have lost and how you can easily keep it off with the band. I have about 30-40lbs left to lose (I know some of that will be plastic surgery'd off) but I would be happy where I am if I continued to keep 100lbs off like I have done for the last 3+ years. I have not gained an ounce since banding..that has never happened in my life before and every day I am grateful for that and I don't curse the fact I have not lost it all by now! Keep your chin up! This is a marathon and not a sprint! Patty

>> I said that 20-25% of patients don't lose much weight with LapBand. >> Dr Pleatman..I think there is some confusion on this 25% issue and what probably confused NewSho....the statistic I was quoting was something that was quoted in a follow up study of 300 lapband patients and 25% of those patients had their band removed. Some people have misread this as 25% of ALL lapband patients eventually have thier band removed. I think you are talking different statistics about 25% of band patients don't lose weight or fail to lose all their weight..I don't know what stats you are specifically talking about..but I think this is adding to everyone's confusion on this thread. I read in your last post that you say gastric bypass is totally reversable? Is this really the case? Would that involve recutting the intestines to "unbypass" them and then do they just leave the little stomach as is? Seems like it would be a mess of a process in comparison to the band removal which truly is much easier to reverse. Anyway..I don;t think we need to start a "pissing contest" on a lapband board about which surgery is better..I am sure you are not intending that but that is exactly what will transpire when the bypass is mentioned on any band board..of vice versa. Everyone's stats are different..you may have a higher incidents of band to RNY conversions because of your patient experiences and follow up with the band..while another doctor has no conversions because he has a different patient base.Hard to say! Any bypass patient I PERSONALLY know ( I do know a few) have either had complications or have started gaining weight back after a tremendous and quick loss...but that is them..many others have been successful in keeping it off and have had no complications. Anyway..I wanted to clear up this 25% discussion..two different things here... Patty

>>Ah, by your standards, I'm one of those fabled 25% - but guess what. >> NewSho, I think you are misreading what the 25% referred to in this study. It was NOT 25% of the study patients didn't lose WITH their band...they actually LOST their band!! So I don't think you are in that "fabled 25%" as you call it. And again, this was a limited study of 300 people..not full band population..that was the point of my post.. Sorry you were so offended by my post..you are right..there are bandsters who do give it a hard try and still have problems losing weight, but after 3+ years..the people IKNOW who have struggled have not been honest with themselves. This "gal" I was referring to is in MAJOR denial...I didn't mean to say she just likes to eat..but likes to eat large volumes..larger than what is normal for even unbanded and she doesn't understand why she is unsuccessful.Hmmmm... As I said in another post...most fat people are really in denial about how much they eat and how much they lie about what they eat(i include myself in that category!)..and also can THINK they are only eating 800 calories a day, but forget to count licks,tastes and sips throughout the day..or eat a little but drink calories all day. My fill doctor last told me that now that I am under 200 and have less to lose, that I WILL have to work harder at this than I did before. He won't be just about fills. Since my loss has been spread out over 3 1/2 years..it has gotten harder and I do have to really be more aware and not be in denial that my juice habit is slowing my progress or that my lack of regular excercise right now could be a factor. I don't know what you exact situation is..you just said you are stuck at 30 BMI..didn't say how much you lost or how long you have been banded and why you feel you may be "stuck at 30BMI"..but my nature likes to look at the glass half-full and say I am no longer a 48 BMI and would be fine stuck at 30 BMI in comparison...again..keeping it off for me is more important than just losing it at a certain time and speed. I know that some of my left over weight to lose is still some fat, but also some skin and when I get there, I get there. I will have to diet and excercise more to get it off...but I will if I want it bad enough.. and to end...I don't believe in a "seniority" per se around here..but length of experience does give someone a different persepective with the band. I have lived with it for 3+ years..I definitely will know more than someone who has had the band 3 months or a year. Someone who has lived with the band 5 years..sure..has alot more experience than I do with it.. Patty 8/13/02 Dr Kuri -100

I had surgery 3 1/2 years ago. I didn't do any last supper stuff..just didn't think of it and was busy getting ready to move into my new house at the time. I also got the stomach flu (very last time I ever truly vomited was the day before surgery)so I went down to Mexico sick and thought I was going to be delayed for surgery, but Dr Kuri took care of me and I recovered from the stomach flu quickly. Anyway..I have to say you will be able to just about anything after surgery..including cupcakes and Pasta. Cupcakes will be easier to eat..pasta can be gluey. The only thing I probably "mourn" is the ability eat a whole hamburger..bun and stuff and all. I have eaten hamburgers since banding, but usually have to pick it apart, removing the bun or parts of it. I just miss chowing down on a whole thing without pulling it apart and looking wierd. But other than that..depending on current levels of restriction..but you just won't be able to eat the volume you did before of these foods...which is why we have the band in the 1st place right? So..don't go too crazy and wind up gaining weight pre-surgery. food eating WILL be different..sometimes a pain in the a$$ worrying what textures go together..how much to bite and chew (after 3+ years, I may still chew and swallow too fast!) But you can enjoy just about anything..you WILL test your own bounderies..everyone is different. Good luck with your surgery date! Patty 8/13/02 Dr Kuri -100lbs

I have heard of patients converting to bypass..BUT I have also heard of bypass patients converting to band. I have an old assistant who was bypassed about a year or so before I was banded. She lost about 120-130lbs pretty steadily, but by the time she got down to where she needed to lose the last 30 or so lbs..she couldn't. Her doctor told her she would have to diet her way down. She eventually gained back about 40lbs and recently decided to get banded. Turns out when they went in to do the surgery, they couldn't band her because of scar tissue, but her dr did a revision of her bypass. She still is working her way down again, but it has been a struggle. My best friend had bypass just a year ago this month and has dropped 120lbs in that time. She is pretty close to done and she has already passed me in weight. But I would not be happy having to watch sugar intake. She has eaten some sugar stuff and passed out once while at dinner with us..just got really sleepy. I work in the wine industry and have to taste and would have a problem with ingesting alcohol and sugar. That is not living to me. Ihave seen more people gain their weight back then keep it off in my circle of friends. Now a friend of my best friends who was also banded by my doctor has been very unsuccessful with the band..her own fault. She likes to eat ALOT..volume..she is not getting fills and refuses to change her eating habits. She looks at my now skinny friend and says she should have gotten the bypass. Well...my friend and I laugh at that because she would be a horrible candidate for that surgery as well..she won't change her habits either way. I think before anyone decides to be unbanded and resurgeried, is really be honest with yourself about what you are eating and doing to get the weight off. It took me over 2 years to realize that I really was not that tight...what a real fill was and I just realized that I didn't want to cut my portions...I wanted to eat more than I should. I also had to re-evaluate my excercise. I was walking 2 hours 4-5x a day, but realized that walking burns less calories. I was only burning 300 calories after a few hours! I could have easily eaten that back quickly in a day. Even had a glass of milk or two and drank that back!! I know that there are people with disorders that make it harder to lose weight, but there is alot of denial in what we do to. We lie to ourselves alot about what we eat or don't eat or do or don't do... And lastly (I promise)..don't evaluate a surgery based on how quickly you are going to lose weight, evaluate it on how well you are going to keep it off! That is THE REASON I had surgery in the 1st place. I knew I could probably do a diet one more time and get some weight off, but keeping it off never worked..tired of pushing that rock up the hill to come back down on me and then some. I don't consider my banding a failure because after 3 1/2 years I STILL have to lose at least 30-40lbs. I have kept nearly 100lbs off in that time! Not a single lb back! Wahoo!! That has NEVER happened. So if it takes me another 3 years to lose the last 40lbs..so what..as long as I kept off what I lost. Use the band as a tool in helping you lose weight at ANY speed and look at it as a maintenance tool along the way. It takes alot of head work and body work to make any surgery work..it isn't easy and shouldn't be really. patty

I wanted to jump in here. Statistics can be misleading and taken out of context. When I was on Dr Kuri's referral list, I received an email from a prospective patient that asked me if it was true that 25% of ALL band patients eventually have their band removed. I was alarmed at where she read this "fact" and she pointed me to the same stat pointed out here. If you really read the stat..it is referring to a sampling of 299 patients in a follow up study over 3 years. It does seem high that 25% of almost 300 people were unbanded..but you cannot necessarily extrapolate that stat out to the general band population. I was banded in 2002 and at that time almost 100K people were banded worldwide and there was no such statistic. I didn't hear of many people having to get unbanded and I was VERY active in many band groups online. I find that people who I know who have not been successful with the band are not really the right people for it in the 1st place. I know one gal who I referred to my doctor has been very unsuccessful but it is because she likes to eat and refuses to believe she has to watch what she eats,get regular fills, excercise..she wants to eat like she did before. I still recommend banding to anyone who asks, but I come from over three years of living with this noose around my stomach! Don't expect tight fills to do all the work. You still need to watch what you eat, come to grips with emotional eating habits you will still have and not freak out if you aren't losing fast enough or so many lbs per week. The band does stop you from overeating which is sooo easy..we all overeat as a society..portions are out of control. Banded, we are probably closer to approriate portions everyone shoul dbe eating but you still have to watch WHAT you eat..you can get alot of calories in even with the tightest fill. We all learn to eat around the band! Anyway..really read statistics in context and read all you can. I know that 100lbs off and no gain of a single lb in 3+ years is a big success for me..no matter how much I finally lose. I still have another 30-40 to go..but keeping it off is WHY I got the band..not to lose the fastest or the most... Patty

I wanted to add some thoughts as a band "veteran" of almost 3 1/2 years. I have lost 100lbs to date and still have about 40ish to go..not sure..but I am happily under 200 and size 10-12 right now and happy where I am at. You are obviously getting in calories because you are bouncing up and down. I don't think you are making the wisest food choices..a baked potato ( I have no idea what is on a "wendy's baked potato) but where's the Protein in that? Pudding Snacks? You are way past post-op and no need to be eating soft snacks like that. I don't want to beat anyone up. I am not and have never been the perfect bandster food wise..I think that I just had to come to grips (and still struggle with) the quantity of food we truly can eat. Some of the throwing up could be because your pouch is full but you continue to eat and then throw up what is working up your esophagus. I don't know how big this baked potato is, as an example..but 1/2 of a big one would be just about how much pouch space you have. One small potato would be your entire pouch. I throw up when I overeat and ignore the full signal and want to finish off my portion. I know I shouldn't, but I still do it. not often...sometimes something just gets stuck and I need to unstick it..usually it is the copious amounts of slime building up to move it down that causes the pressure. I try and stop eating and sit and wait and see if it will pass rather than run to the restroom. It is really all about patience. We cannot eat fast and mindlessly anymore. We can't finish our plate and we can't rely on soft calories to work around our tight fill we insist on having thinking it will help us lose faster. It won't because you are resorting to pudding cups and other soft foods..still calories.. My fill doctor who I went to in december looked at what i wrote down on my sample food menus. I put down I occasionally drink fruit juice..I don't drink alot..but I was avoiding whole fruit in favor of fruit juice. He told me if I am able to eat 8 oranges, he then said I can have a glass of orange juice. If I couldn't consume 8 oranges..I shouldn't be drinking the equivelent in juice. I was avoiding the oranges, because sometimes the pulp would stick or it was just too much trouble. I realized he was right. I was just avoiding it because juice was easier to deal with than chewing a real fruit. So now I will try and eat a tangerine or I snack on grapes(low on the glycemic index). I may be only be able to pop a few..but I am controlling my calories better. A tight fill is not always going to guarantee the weight loss. It still is about food choices and not lying to yourself about what you are doing to work around your fill. Sorry to babble on..I have been there, done that for almost 4 years now. I lie to myself less these days and the results are I am losing weight with a decent fill and not throwing up because I am overeating and when you are just way too tight..brave enough to loosen it up and change your behaviors along with it! Patty 8/13/02 Dr Kuri -100

Gosh...I will "weigh" in on this one. I have not been around these boards for ages..or any lapband boards for that matter.I think my intro is posted around here somewhere. I was banded in August 2002, so I am just over three years banded and I have lost just about 60% of my excess body weight so far. I think I have another 40+ lbs to go. I have never been at a goal weight so I have no idea where that really is..just a figure or range on a chart. Why have I personally lost 100% of my excess weight yet?? Well..many reasons..mainly me and how I have worked this whole band thing, various circumstances over the last three years and now at a point where I am pretty complacent because I am size 10/12 and feel a little more "normal" in this world. I can shop for clothes wherever I want, not just the ugly fat gal departments or stores. More people take notice of me and though I do want to lose the rest of this weight and have at minimum a tummy tuck to make clothes fit better, I get tired of the whole band thing and worrying about calories and restriction and all that. I stillhave plenty of fill space left in my band since I have taken it easy on the fills or at least been lucky I didn't need to fill my band to the fullest in order to lose weight so far. I think I am still below 3cc's in fill.. If I was to do this all over again...I would have worked harder initially at losing as much as I could as fast as I could which would have involved more frequent fill schedule than what allowed me going back and forth to Mexico to see my doctor. It is not in my nature to go hard core at anything..and I excercise off an on and I eat what I want when I want(within my restriction of course).I now work in the wine industry which involves frequent intake of ahheemmm...liquid calories in the form of the grape stuff..so this makes it harder to lose more right now without some cutting back elsewhere... But for me...I am not really as caught up in the % of excess weight LOST since I was banded as I am in the reason I was banded...how much of the weight I have lost so far in three years have I kept off....100%!!!!! Now that is a number I have never achieved in dieting all my life. Three freaking years and dropped 100lbs and I have not gained back an ounce!! So..you can look at this any way you want. If losing 100% of your excess weight is important to you..then make sure you put in all effort to get it off and keep going when life gets in the way as it surely will..and you hit that somewhat happy point many of us do that says "I am fine where I am and the rest is gravy" from here point. THEN measure your success on the abillity to keep off what you have lost..no matter if it is 60%, 100% or anywhere in between. Best of luck to you! Patty 8/13/02 Dr Kuri -100