Lovingit

Hi All I have been banded since September 2007. I weighed 235 pounds. Now almost 5 years later I am 194. I lost around 50 pounds in first 6 months. But after that try what I may the weight wouldnt budge. So I lost motivation. Only plus side was that I was eating healthy and trying to exercise regularly. I did maintain the weight for about 4 years but last year due to major life changes(change of country,job etc) I have put on around 15 pounds. I have found now another doctor to give me a fill and monitor my weight loss. I feel like a newly banded person now. Have lost 2 pounds in 5 days since being filled again. During barium swallow and all, it was discovered that by trying to push down food and drinking so much Water with my meals I have actually dilated my food pipe. :-( I repent my lack of self control. I want this post to be a message to anybody whose weightloss has plateaued to NOT GIVE UP. DONT GO BACK TO OUR SAME UNHEALTHY EATING HABITS. OR YOU WOULD END UP WITH TWO STOMACHS LIKE ME! Would appreciate all support...

Yes Judych and Happy Healthy, Good news is that my esophagal expansion is not that much....it is there...but not scary like other pics he showed me in which people had expanded theirs to a new stomach size! He says human body is very adapting...and if i behave well it could return to normal. He has given me 3 months after that I go for an Endoscopy to figure out if any difference has been made. Take care everyone! Dont lose motivation....

Please dont lose the motivation it happened to me, so I have been there. Every little gram sorry ounce counts. Do not forget to pat yourself for every little victory!

Hi dear, it is hard to find that perfect fill volume once you do that it becomes better...its taken me 5 years to find that... but I know others are luckier they have lost all their excess weight in less than a year. In past 10 days I have lost 5 pounds. things I am doing differently now are, 1- No water 30 mins before or after meals. NO WATER OR ANY LIQUID WITH THE MEAL. 2- alcohol consumption stopped. i will have it only on special occasions now. 3-I walk everyday for 30 mins. Try this. See if it helps. Keep us posted.

Thank you so much for taking the time out to reply! I will be regular here now and keep posting about my progress!

Hi Everyone, I am 26 i was banded last year on 21/09...since then i have lost 48 pounds...i was 235 originally... now my problems are following, 1) my weight has plateaued for last 3 months...have barely lost 3 pounds...had a fill too but no help 2) I am getting horrendously bloated ...my belly feels so taut all the time...filled with all taht air...n yes that means i have flatulence... 3) And I am not having a smooth bowel movement...i always feel constricted... ah sorry to load u guys with all this pvt personal info...but i need help...my doctor is not the most sympathetic or helpful of them all...each consultation which lasts for not more that 4 mins costs me 300 bucks...and i cant change doctors cause he is teh only one offering banding in Dubai...my city....

hi Jodi thanks for your words.. i agree with you... one more question u n i seem to have same start weight and same goal... but i have been banded for longer than you....but i have lost only 50 pounds till date.... I know I am a slow loser ...but whoaaaa.....u r doing really good...

Hi guys just saw this thread....i got banded 21/09/07....and well i have lost 50 pounds...till date... eeeeeeeeeeeee....i seem to be a real slow loser....

Hi All, I have not told anybody besides my brother and 2 close friends about this. And one of the close friends is no longer a close friend because of this. I had told her prior to teh procedure and she flew into a rage. From the list of all the insulting things she said to me some were...I am lazy i do not wish to make an effort... i am looking at an easy way out...I am a low self esteem person who will go under a knife to get approval... I was very hurt I tried to explain to her that i have been fat all my life...and there is nothing that i have not tried...n i was 25 and i really wanted to look good.... but to no avail...well if my best frnd could think like that others would too...so i didnt tell nebdy... I am very happy with the decision...I m happy with my band...its an aid not a magic pill...it just makes it manageable...i can diet better...n exercise shows me results... I am glad i did this....

hi thanks a lot for ur reply!! i had an appointment with him on sunday for a fill now he has changed that to a wednesday let me ask him then to do the xrays...shall keep u posted... thanks again...by the way how much have u lost...

Hi i m 26...and weighed 235 pounds a year back i am now187 and about 50 pounds away from the target... thankfully till date i have loose skin only on my upper arms which were always a problem..n genetic as my mom has gigantic arms but is ok all over else...and ya my boobs dont look that great anymore... but the thing is my dear since we are at similar ages...YOU NEED TO EXERCISE...thats what works...lose weight slow and steady drink Water comes next...but most most important exercise... on good days i do 40 mins cardio which comprises 10 mins on crosstrainer and 30 on treadmill which i do at low speed but high incline...and then 30 mins of weight training...on regular days i make sure to do atleast 30 mins of weight training and floor exercise...i do this 3-4 times a week... and it works babe!!!

Hi Everyone I think i must top the list of slow losers...i have lost 48 pounds in a year...i got banded on 21/09/07...and most of the weight loss was in first 6 mnths... but guess what I am loving it!!! today i am wearing a skirt which used to fit me like sausage skin...but now is hanging on pelvic bones...yup i got pelvic bones now...i feel happy dressing up in morning... ofcourse i deally i would have wanted to lose around 80 pounds...i am 187 pounds now...n my healthy weight is 147 pounds...so thats another 40 to go ....though i want to be 132 pounds...thats lowest i remmebr me being n i was 10 yrs old that time.. :-)... anyways i am getting there slowly but surely!!!

Hi Brenda from arkansas, I m LovingIt from Dubai and I think you recounted my story...i lost my 40 pounds in first 6 mnths and now 5 mnths later only 8 pounds so in total 11 mnths of surgery it is only 48 pounds... and yes i feel i can eat a lot before i start feeling restricted...and then i just throw up...and i eat more...it is terrible yes... only good thing i m doing is exercising...in some ways i m happy with teh band that i can eat watever i want ....albeit in small qunatities compared to earlier...n still maintain my weight and also lose it ...very slowly though... but when i read about other people losing hundreds of pounds in less than a year i start worrying... but yes i am going to start the Protein diet now...i love fish...so it is a fish dinner for me from now on...lets c what happens... my advice to u...think of it as an aid to ur will power...

hey dear.. u r same height n same problems as me...wen i got the band put 11 mnths back i was 240 pounds...and a size 20... 11 mnths later i am 187 pounds and a size 14...though my pound loss has not been phenomenol compared to the rest of teh people here...but inch loss is great and teh thing is i have nejoyed my weight loss...i ate what i wanted from cheese loaded pizza to creamy shakes... the difference is where i would have eaten half of a medium size pizza easily i can now do only a slice... and thats good... no starvation ...no deprivation...so what if weight loss was slow...i m loving it!!! n i look good... PS:- remember the band will help u cut the calories...but u need to tighten up that fast sagging skin with exercise...no second operations of tummy tucks... i m proud to say i am as firm as ever... best of luck!!!

Dear i know exactly what u mean...i have always been fat ...a fat baby a fat child...a fat girl...and a fat woman...have been the butt of all cruel childhood jokes...insults...called everything under the sun from lazy to a hog...n i can't remember a single period in my life wen i have not been dieting...i am 26 now...though because of my weight n huge frame i was excluded ...well yes of my own choice from all forms of sport...i knew i would look damn funny running...and kids will make fun of me again... anyways for last 6 years i have been an avid gymmer...but even that was of no avail too as i kept gaining at 240 pounds i finally decided taht it couldnt go on...i was 25 and pretty...but my self confidence my personal and professional life was taking a beating...and this is not the way a yound girl should spend the best year's of her life... i m happy for u n ur family...glad u took this decision at the age u did...

thank u so much for ur encouragement i also started at around 235 pounds or 107 kgs...i m more comfortable in metric i have to use calculator to get the pounds right...n i have lost 22 kgs in these 11 mnths going for my fill on this sunday got really motivated...sometimes u knw u play slack on fills hoping u can eat a bit more...for a bit longer but no longer...another 15 kgs to go before i hit my normal BMI

Dear Just how did u manage a 130 pound loss?!!! i am 26 i have had teh band for 11 mnths and i have lsot a mere 48 ponds till half n hor back i was proud of my weightloss but not any longer... i feel crap now...i exercise atleast 4 times aweek for 40 mins...but ya i have had this nagging feeling for last 4 mnths and last 2 fills taht i can eat quite substantially compared to what i could after my first 2 fills...i mean one Mc Donald burger...regular not double...n no fries or drinks with that...but still... pls tell me what are the bandster rules...i need u to guide me pls...:thumbup:

finally somebody whose wieght loss story is similar to mine...i have been banded for a year and i have lost around 48 pounds but when i read other people's posts i feel so confused...and worried...they have all lost atleast over 70 pounds and there is somebody there who has lost 130 pounds!!! in 13 mnths...i feel so pressured...infact i have been worried for last 3 mnths about my weight loss taht it has been very slow...in last 3 months i have barely lost 2 kgs...

actually i have a similar problem i have had the band for 11 months now and have had around 5 fiklls but for last 3 fills i do not feel much difference sometimes i can eat as much as i want and sometimes i throw up...and in last 4 months i have lost only 4 kgs..