longlegsally

I was banded on 1/5/09 and I thought I was CURED of being overweight. I lost weight and fast. But last year I gained back 9 lbs so easy when I stopped dieting and started living again. I forgot that this band was a tool for weight loss and not a magic cure. The minute you stop watching what you eat and counting every calorie you put in the pounds WILL come back. I have full restriction and I still slime so there is no trouble there, I'm just grazing and eating all the wrong foods. Now I need to get back on track and lose the last 20 lbs!

Since you are 2 days post op I suspect it is trapped gas from the surgery and GasX won't help. The only thing that helped me was a heating pad. I had this pain in my chest and sholders for about 3 weeks and then it went away.

I had LapBand on 1/5/09 and since then have lost about 90 lbs. I have been stuck at the same weight for over a year now and have the last 25 - 30 lbs to lose. When I go to support group and see the gastric folks there all skinny it makes me wish that I would of had the gastric instead. I'm mad at myself for not being able to push forward and lose the last part and sometimes I do wish I would of had the RNY. I do know that this has been the best gift that I have ever given myself and whatever decision you make it will be the right one.

I wanted to reply - not because of experience - just out of fear that I might be going the same way. This board has a lot of newbies with the same questions about pbing and restriction but no one really talks about what happens a few years out. I'm a year and a half post-op and I am stuck and have gained a few pounds back. I have full restriction and I think maybe you should make sure that you are eating the "right" calories as it looks like you are getting plenty of exercise. Have you started back on any bad eating patterns? Unfortunately, they can fix our stomachs, but they can't fix our brains. The emotional eating is still there if you are an emotional eater. Look at your life right now. Is there anything different going on now that wasn't going on 6 months ago? Maybe you can change it, maybe you can't but addressing it will help. Try to stick to a diet for 2 weeks and see if anything happens. Go back to your doctor and talk to him/her about it but most importantly don't let it get too far out of control before doing something. Good luck to you. We did this to change our lives and it has. Keep up the good work! :smile2:

Thanks ladies for the replies. I have been thinking about lipo for the last 10 lbs and maybe even a boob job but I'm just not sure yet if I want to do that. I would like to get everything I can as tight as I can without the need for more surgery :biggrin: Best of luck to all of you in your journey. This has been such a blessing to me as I hope it has for you. Lynda

I was banded on 1/5/09. Since then I have lost approximately 100 lbs. and almost to goal. I have about 15 more lbs to go and I just can't seem to get there. I have full restriction and I have been stuck at the same weight for about 6 months. I am 5'10 and 180 lbs. I would like to be at 165 lbs. I am very pleased with the weight loss but I would like to "finish what I have started" but my body doesn't seem to want to cooperate. I'm so frustrated by this. People tell me that it is my body telling me that I am were I should be but I don't buy it. I know I could stand to lose the extra pounds - so short of plastic surgery I don't know what to do.:tongue2:

Thanks for all your good wishes. My background is: my starting weight was 279, I am now at 182 and my goal is 150. I am 5'10. I started a walking club with a couple of girls that I met at my LB doctor's support group and we still walk every week. I walk about 20 miles a week but now I can even run! It really does help if you can find a walking buddy cuz we just start talking and before you know it 7 miles are done! My daily diet consists of a WL shake from costco (I like them the best), tuna salad for lunch or a lean cuisine (which usually goes cold before I can eat it) and maybe a taco for dinner. I might add another WL shake or a Protein Bar in or a banana. I have never been able to eat bread since the surgery only can eat tortilla which kind of sucks but you get used to it. The only draw back has been the hair loss but luckily I had plenty of it. I am still losing it and I take Biotin supplements. I must admit I have not been a regular Vitamin taker - I can never seem to remember which might have something to do with the hair loss. Have to make a concerted effort to get my Water in because there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to do all the drinking and eating. It is a great feeling not to think about food all the time though. Good luck to all of you! Happy New Year!

Today is my one year bandiversary! I am almost to goal (30 more pounds - which seems like nothing compared to my starting weight), I have never felt better in my life and I am finally happy! I only needed 3 fills to get to my sweet spot which I hit last July. I haven't been a regular poster BUT I have been a regular reader and I just wanted to thank everyone for taking the time for posting and replying because you have answered ALL of my questions even some my doctor wouldn't. And to those new bandsters who think they will never have restriction - just have patience - you will get there and then you will wish you could eat something without slimeing. To anyone just thinking about doing it - JUST DO IT! It will change your life forever!!! Thank you bandsters!

I was banded on Monday 1/5 and I guess I was a star patient because I was banded at 7:00 a.m. and I was ready to go home at 10:00 a.m. that same day. I was upset that I had to spend the night in the hospital. I was so bored and I felt so good so I just walked and walked around the hospital. My question is when do you get your first bowel movement? Since I have been on liquids since 3 days before the surgery and am on clear liquids still - I haven't had any. Plenty of gas but no BM.

Hi Charity, did you find out any info on Dr. Krahn? I'm going to see him in a couple of days and I haven't seen much posted on him except some old post about his staff not returning some phone calls. I do know that he is a Center of Excellence and I don't believe you can just call yourself that. I'm kind of out of luck anyway, because he is the only doctor that my hmo will pay for.

Hi everyone! I've been doing my 6 month pre-op supervised diet now for almost a year! I finally had my psych eval today (560 questions!) and the therapist said that she was recommending me for the lap band! Anyway, I've decided to keep going to my weekly meetings kind of as a support group and we can keep going for as long as we want so I figured "what the heck" it couldn't hurt. Even if it takes longer than 6 months - don't give up hope.:thumbup:

Hi Deanna, Your blog hit the nail on the head with me. We were just discussing this at lunch today - our fears of being thin. I just started a 6 mo weight loss program that is required to do before my insurance will pay for the lap band. The minute I go on a diet all I can think about is food and I totally blew it yesterday - and I hate myself. I think overweight people have a fear of intimacy. I think if I am thin then people will want to love me and I believe that most overweight people - especially those who have been overweight most of their lives - have real self esteem issues and don't believe they deserve to be loved. So I'm trying to approach this time with the idea that I am completely doing it for my health and to stay alive - nothing more. I still have issues but the most important one is my health! Good luck to you!