Dear Amy,
I was banded on the exact same day as you, August 13. I have only lost 20 pounds as well. I have had 3 fills. It is very discouraging. I also had foot surgery August 7th that kept me from exercising at first. Then I had another minor surgery(biopsy) a week after the lap-band surgery. So, basically I had 3 surgeries that month. I was beginning to feel like a slab of meat being sliced and diced. Anyway, I have been working with a personal trainer 2 days/2 hours a week and exercising on my own as much as i can. He took my measurements and i have lost 2 & 1/2 inches in my waist and 5 inches in my hips however i am still only down 20 pounds. It is very discouraging. When I went in for my last fill, I had gained 4 pounds over the holidays. My trainer says that the fact that i have lost so many inches and not lost pounds means that i have put on a lot of muscle which means that my metabolism is higher, so hopefully the scale will start to move down. But, i understand how it feels to see others losing so much weight and you and i are not. It is disappointing. I paid cash for my surgery and have only lost 20 pounds. Sometimes I feel like I totally wasted the money. I am hoping that by March 13(my birthday) and 7 months exactly after the surgery I will have lost a significant amount of weight. But even if i don't I am still going to love myself. I know it is hard to be patient. I am right there with you. Hang in there girl!