AllisAngels428

I was banded April 10, 2008, and I have had great success with the Realize band. I had lost 166 pounds up until a few months ago. My weight started to creep back on because I know I got "relaxed" about my band. I was eating and doing things I KNOW I wasnt supposed to be doing, yet I still allowed myself to do it. Like the saying goes, old habits die hard. After I got married in 2010 the pressure of being in the beautiful wedding gown was gone, and well I got comfortable and let myself "slide" on things here and there. When I got married in October of 2010 I weight 195, and felt so GOOD about myself. Today as I type this my weight has gone back up to 250 pounds. For the last 7 weeks I have been on prednisone, aka "the devil's drug". Since I started the medication 7 weeks ago I have gained at least 25 pounds. If you have ever been on it then you know it makes your appetite go NUTS! The higher the dose the more ravenous you are. There have been days where I want to put ketchup on a shoe and just eat it! Thank GOD my Dr is weaning me off of the drug, and I hope it will be over soon. I do have a point, Im just taking a long time to get there, sorry. I feel like an oompa loompa since I have gained some weight back. Since all this madness began 7 weeks ago I have had two fills in my band because I had to have some Fluid removed due to being to tight. I am at 5.5 cc's now, and while I feel like I am getting full in a good amount of time I still feel like I am eating too much and I am in some ways out of control. I guess what I am saying is I feel like I have failed my band and myself, and that Im not sure what it is going to take to get me back to 195, so I can get to my ultimate goal weight of 145. I remind myself Ive done this before, and I can do it again. Why cant I get back on track? Why has my get up and go, gotten up and went?? Where is the motivation I once has that got me to onderland? Has anyone seen it? If so can you fedex it back to me? So is anyone else been in this situation and perhaps been able to find their way out and get motivated again? Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me? I am open to anything at this point. Thanks for reading!

I havent had a fill since April 10, 2009. 1 year to the date of my surgery. The first 100 pounds were easy, but the last 70 have been a hell of a struggle. I havent had a fill in well over 2 years now (realize band). I live in California now and I had my surgery in VA, so I dont have access tomy surgeon. I also paid cash for my surgery since my insurance wouldnt cover it.. My weight loss has hit a pleatu, big time. I blame myself because I know I have not been the best bander I can be, Ive kind of lost my motovation. I have another 50 pounds I want to lose, and I am struggling big time. So my questions is, should I go get a fill to get things going again? Honestly, I am lost and I have totally fallen off the wagon. This band is a life comittment, and I need to get back on track. Any input is welcome.... just feeling lost.

I was banded in April 2008 and so far I have lost 168 pounds. I havent had a fill since April 2009. Over the last six months or so I have been having heartburn/acid reflux. It went from every now and then to every day. Just drinking Water gave me heartburn, and still does. My family doctor ordered and upper GI for me and I went and had it done this morning. I have a hiatal hernia, something I never had pre lap band. The doctor doing the test said perhaps it is because my band is too tight, could this really be the reason? In the back of my mind I thought that maybe that would be the answer, the shocker was the hiatal hernia diagnosis. Has anyone heard of this, or has it happened to you? The doctor said the Fluid goes down my esoughagus, but then some of the fluid goes back up causing the gerd/reflux. Any thoughts on this? All input is welcome!

Diane: Thank you so much for sharing. Finally, someone who is going through and feeling the exact way I am. If I didnt know better, I would swear you are inside my head. I was banded April 2008, and to date I have lost 168 pounds (pre- band I was 363). The last year or so has been quite a struggle for me. I am 50 pounds away from my goal weight, and I just cant seem to get motivated again. I see old habits creeping back in slowly, and I dont want to excercise either. I havent drank soda since 2007, and in the last month I have had soda quite a few times. I know I am not supposed to drink it, so why am I? Today I had to have an upper GI done, I have been having some bad heartburn/gerd for the last 6 months or so. My family Dr said it would be a good idea to check it out and make sure all is well with my band and what not. Well... the Radiologist says that I have a hiatal hernia and he thinks my band is too tight. Oddly I wasnt surprised about his thought on my band being too tight, I thought that might be the reason as well. The surprise was the hital hernia, Ive never had one. I feel like it is all my fault. If I had just done something sooner, maybe I wouldnt have the hernia. Anyway I wanted to know how you keep yourself motivated. I need some words of wisdom, or maybe just a good swift kick in the butt. Thanks for sharing your story, Im happy to know there is someone else out there fighting the same war I am. Best of Luck to you! Alli

Hi my name is Alli, and I was banded on 4/10/2008. This April will mark my two year bandaversary. At this point I have lost 141 pounds. I have hit the wall though for many reasons. Last July I left my entire family and social network in Virginia and moved to San Diego, Ca. Needless to say the change has been very hard on me in so many ways. Ive lost about 20 pounds since we moved here in July 09, but since then I have been yo-yoing up and down with 5-10 pounds. I think my band is pretty well adjusted, I get full easily and I stay satisfied the normal amount of time. I think the real reason I am here is because I am alone. I feel like I dont have any support anymore. I dont work out like I was and I have been eating no no foods. I know everything I am supposed to be doing but I have fallen into such a deep depression about leaving what was my entire world. I need some guidance, a friend, someone to help me get back to losing weight. I wsnt to lose about another 80 pounds. Is there someone out there who can help me? I need and angel.

I agree my feeling of restriction is that feeling if I eat one more bite its going to be coming back at me, and not in a good way. I feel very tight in my band, I can still feel the food in my esophogus, and I will hiccup if I had one bite too many. Restriction is great, but can be painful as hell too. Its hard to know when you will get it with some things. Today I had chicken chili and didnt feel restriction, but tonight I got 4 bites of shrimp scampi in and can really FEEL the restriction. Needless to say I didnt get 4 oz in. In fact, most meals since this last fill I dont get 4oz's in. My best advice to you is watch your bites, because just one small bite can be one small bit tooooooo many. Ohhhh thats when it all comes back to haunt you!!! Listen to your stomach....!!! Good Luck!!

<sigh> I havent posted in awhile. Ive just been lurking and hiding out. So today I have finally had enough. For the last 2 weeks I have been very, very bad. I have been eating non band friendly items, and I feel so guilty for my behavior. I know old habits die hard, but it seems my old habits are creeping back into my life. Those bad habits mad me weighing 363 pounds at one time. Its been 5 months since I was banded, and Ive lost 46 pounds and many inches. I dont want to go backwards. I feel like if I get this out it will help. Ive been hiding what Im eating, which is what I use to do. Last week I had a blizzard from Dairy Queen not just once, I had 4. Not in the same day though. 4 days in a row. Ive been eating more than my 4 ounces and I know it. Ive also had some fried food which I know is a NO NO! To top it all off yesterday I had a HUGE slice of pizza and a small cherry pie. Im starting to think I have lost my mind. Im getting a fill on Monday, and I know that will help, but damn what is wrong with me. I was doing really good. I thought things were on track. I know I have had a great deal of changes in my life in the last few weeks, which may be the source of my eating. My boyfriend is moving in with me in a few weeks, and he is so very supportive of my band. I guess Im scared that when he comes I wont be able to have a "treat" every now and then. Ive also lied to him about the food Ive been eating in the last 2 weeks. Besides the guilt I just feel like Im going backwards instead of forward. I dont want to hide what Im eating, I dont want to have to be all hush hush about what I put in my mouth. Ive been so bad, and Im afraid I cant stop it. I know I need to come clean with my boyfriend about what Ive eaten. I guess if I didnt tell him then I didnt have to admit I was a failure and an addict. Does the food addiction ever get easier? For the most part I do ok during the day, its the night time that gets me. I come home, go to the gym, and by the time Im ready for dinner I just go nuts. I still also get cravings for all the things I shouldnt be consuming. Im scared for myself, and my band. I paid a lot of money to get healthy and I am sabotaging myself. Any words of wisdom out there? Thanks for reading.

Dr. Schroder did my lap band surgery. I love that man! I am 5 months out and I have lost 45 pounds! You will do great. The nurses at St Marys were wonderful and you will be home in no time!! Good luck to you!

So I did it. I ate 2 peices of pizza for lunch today. I let the craving win over. I am ashamed I did it. Once again I gave into gluttony. The pizza wasnt even that good. I dont get the same "feelings" I use to from eating that I did before being banded. I feel like Ive eaten a rock. No nothing feels stuck, but I just feel heavy. Ive been doing so good too. Im just dissapointed in myself. Im down 40 pounds, and I feel like I am at a stand still. Ive tried to shake things up and change up my routine. Im at a loss, and Im just feeling guilty about what I just consumed. I thought I had this head hunger craving thing taken care of, it seems that it has creeped back up on me. I guess its back to reality tonight for dinner. Who do I think I am? I keep having to tell myself you are a fat girl in recovery, you cant allow those feelings to take you over. Look what happens when you do! Im just venting. I know there are people out here that are in the same shoes as I am. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated. Thanks for reading...:thumbdown:

Thanks for the WOW! To answer the question of what Ive been doing, Ive been eating a lot of protien, staying away from the carbs and excercising my butt off. I do a lot of swimming and Curves. I dont have much restriction right now, in fact I can eat more than 4oz.... BUT I DONT!!! If I eat too much, or eat something I shouldnt it hurts like hell. I pretty much eat tuna salad, refried beans, chicken, shrimp, fish, and weight watchers ice cream for a treat. If Im reallt bad, I have mexican food. My weakness. Ive gotten to the point now where Im not having cravings, which is such a blessing. I find the things that I use to love, like french fries I dont want. I had a few today and they were so grose. I dont crave sweet things anymore, even smelling things that are sweet nauseate me. Weird huh? You can do this, I have this conversation with myself EVERYDAY!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! No one ever said it would be easy.... you just need to reevaluate and mix it up a bit.

I have been reading latley, but not posting. Im now 8 weeks to the day from having had my surgery. Today was a milestone for me. I have lost 40 pounds and 4 and a quarter inches since being banded 4/10/2008. In some ways I am in absolute disbelief, in others Im like FINALLY! Even though I have had little restiction, and I know I have over indulged a few times I have still managed to get to this point. This hasnt been easy, but the band is my new best friend. Im just so amazed at my progress, and I can only hope that in 8 more weeks I can report anoother 40 pound loss. Ahhh life is good!

So today I had my first fill at St. Marys. I was kind of nervous, but it eneded up being ok. I met some other first timers there too, so I didnt feel so bad. I had not eaten since 10:30 this morning, so I was pretty hungry by the time I got home a little after 7 tonight. I drank my 8oz carnation instant breakfeast hoping for the same restirction I felt 1 day out of surgey. So I think I was hoping for too much. So at first when I finished my shake, and yes I drank it slow I didnt feel the restriction I was hoping for. Now as I sit here typing I feel a bit more restriction and a sense of fullness. Im hoping tomorrow is better. I think its because I havent eaten anything in 8 hours so Im not feeling the full effects. I pray so much that this band continues to work. I am offically 33 pounds gone as of today. Im so proud of myself. My primary care doctor said I can get off my high blood pressure medication when I hit the 50 pound mark, 17 more pounds til that happens. He was so excitied with my progress. So has anyone else expereienced this??? Any advice is welcome! Proud to be a bandster!!!

FREEZE!! Put the double cheeseburger DOWN and WALK AWAY!!!! I have to say that to myself as well. I get my first fill 5/22 and I cant wait. I feel like I can eat a whole horse, but Im not big on fried horses! Keep eating your 4oz's each meal and IGNORE YOUR HEAD AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!!!!