lindsayb

When I was banded, on 6/5/09, I was at my highest weight ever, 212. Now, a year later, I'm at 190.5. It took me 10 months to get to a satisifed level of restriction in my band. Now my weight is hardly budging, despite reducing what I'm eating. I don't always make the right choices, but sometimes I do. Exercise comes and goes, right now I'm not exercising. I went into the surgery with a weight loss goal of 60 pounds. As it never seems to get any closer (21.5 lbs in a year??!!), I'm really beginning to wonder if this is even worth it. Right now, I'm basically using the band to help me not gain weight, or at least not gain much weight, and am still having trouble learning how to eat. I've been eating on my own for 20+ years, and trying to learn how to re-eat is incredibly stressful. Does anyone else feel the same way as me? My nutritionist is on maternity leave, so the girl that has taken her place is just not nearly as good as the one I was used to. Granted, she does a great job sounding like a text book, but I left my most recent appointment (Thursday) feeling even more upset. The exercise physiologist helped some, but with having to make up some missed time at work, I'm finding it hard to exercise. I'm having a lot of trouble with this defeatist attitude - throwing up 50% chance at meals/not losing weight/makes me not want to exercise. Can anyone help me? This is the hardes thing I've ever done in my life and I just don't know if its worth it at all.

I can definitely understand where you're coming from TJ. Thank you for your honesty. It sounds like you're working really hard, staying positive, and doing all the right things. It's totally ok to be frustrated sometimes, or a lot, this is a huge change you're making in your life. Congratulations on the work you've accomplished so far. And feel free to talk about your day to day situations. Because in my opinion, that's what this forum is for. It's not just to talk about successes, but frustrations, failures, and everything in between!

I am wanting to recommit to my lapband. Does anyone know of any blogs or anything I can read, daily, to remind me to stay on track? I have not lost near the amount of weight I had assumed I would before I was banded. I am 7 months in, and really want to get the band working for me again. I've got 5 months until my first bandiversary and want to make them count and feel proud of myself. I get so down and depressed after trying to "start over" from having gone so far off the healthy weight loss path. It's really hard to get started again, even though I really want to. For those who have reached their goal weight - how long did it take you and how hard did you work? To be at my goal weight I've got 53 pounds to lose, but it just seems so daunting and a bit scary. I'd appreciate some kind advice. Thanks!

Originally my goal was to lose 85 pounds by my first band-iversary. I've now changed my goal, and would like to lose 65 pounds by my first band-iversary. I'm really struggling. Does anyone else feel this way? I can't find a support group meeting that fits my schedule, so my Mom suggested I join Weight Watchers. I can do okay for a few days or a couple weeks, but after that it seems like I lose all control again. I'm now wearing a size that's 4 sizes smaller than what I was wearing, but my weight keeps fluctuating. Sometimes I lose a pound in a week, sometimes my scale tells me I've gained 4 pounds overnight. Can anyone give me some advice to help me stay motivated. My Dr's office is not supportive either. Thanks for the help!

Thank you all so much for your replies! And MellaBella, I really like your mantra!

My lung was punctured during surgery (as we all know by now!), but it seems to have healed. I find it hard to breathe throughout the day, particularly taking deap breaths. It feels like my ribcage is too big for my body. Sometimes it gets better as the day progresses, just depends on the day. And yawning is really bad - you know when you have a really hard hiccup? That's what yawning feels like to me - I get about half way through and then have to hold my breath and wish the pain will go away. I just wondered if anyone else has had this trouble? Is it just the body getting used to the band (since it's so close to the diaphram)?

I have been banded for about 17 weeks. I have lost around 17 pounds. I'm really struggling - eating the right foods, not having any support. My Dr and his staff are really of no use. I can't seem to find the time to go to support groups in my area - they're usually around dinner time and after work I'm tired, hungry, and just ready to go home! I'm getting better about consistently exercising - but I'm really having trouble believing that this was the right choice for me. Like everyone else, I researched it and was ready to go - but so many things in my life have changed as a result of the surgery, and just in the last 6 months in general, that I just don't know what I was thinking. Can anyone give advice to stick with this? The food part is the hardest. I'm having trouble sticking with good choices. I don't think I only eat 1/2 a cup of food (but I never measure) either. Thanks!

I've found reading a good book helps a lot. And I know you're trying NOT to eat, but I really would recommend sugar free pudding or Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. Those just really hit the spot for me!

I think I'm at my sweet spot, but it seems like I'm not losing weight. People tell me they can see it in my face, but I can't. Clothes that were snug/tight before are looser/more comfortable now. I'm trying not to focus on the number on the scale - but the food part is the hardest. I've gotten really good about my exercise, so that's good. But every time I put a bite in my mouth I'm worried, and I can still overeat even though I have restriction - which is frustrating. Do others have trouble telling when you're full and when you need to eat more? Does that come easier with time, or do you always have to monitor how your body feels after each bite?

How many fills have people had in the first 6 months? Have you hit the "sweet spot" yet? I'm 2 months out, have had 1 fill. I am finding losing weight to be VERY difficult.

I lost my best friend, and I believe it was partly due to the surgery. We're trying to rebuild, but it will probably never be the same. She's struggled with her weight her entire life as well.

I'm in the same boat - feeling frustrated that I haven't lost more weight. It will be 2 months next Wednesday since I was banded and I've only lost 10-12 pounds. I was self-pay, so I didn't have to lose any weight before the surgery. My goal is to lose 85 pounds in total, and knowing that I have 75 more pounds to go is so frustrating, it feels like it's going to take forever! I know healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week, but I just don't have enough restriction. I've had one fill, and feel amost desperate for another one. I will admit, I eat some of the foods on the "do not eat" list, but in moderation, usually. I sure hope that once I finally get to the fill that finds the "sweet spot", I'll stop being hungry every 2 hours and finally see some better results. Everyone I talk to thinks my weightloss is great in "such a short time", but I can't seem to get over the frustration. A friend of mine has been on an "energy cocktail" injection weekly and at one time prescription diet pills for over a year now - and she's lost all of her post-baby weight and looks amazing! It's so frustrating that I got so fat (without even having a kid) and all she has to do is some "speed" and mysterious injections, and suddenly she's 1/4 my size, it seems. Grumble!

I will have had my band for a month on the 5th. I've done excellent on my eating and pretty good on my working out up until last Saturday and Sunday. I tried to get back on track yesterday. I did okay, but didn't exercise. I'm beginning to feel like life with the band is too hard. Finding the right things to eat, getting enough to eat, making time to exercise. It's making me very upset. I get my first fill next week, and honestly I'm really scared about how I'm going to handle it. My Mom recently asked me if I thought my band cost me too much. I asked her what she meant and she said "it seems you've lost your relationship with your best friend (which is likely true), and you're having to totally change what your eating and how you're living your life". Up until now I was really loving my band and feeling really positive, but now I'm feeling really frustrated. Not to mention that last Thursday I supposedly gained 1.8 pounds back from the 9 I had lost - if that's even accurate. Has anyone had a similar experience to this or can help me?

I was banded on Friday, June 5. I'm having trouble finding enough food to get full on, using the "liquid" phase (creamy Soup, cream of wheat, Jello, etc for 2 weeks). I'm feeling discouraged and frustrated, and wondering if I've made the wrong decision. Has anyone else felt this way soon after they were banded? Would someone please share with me their liquid/mushy food "diet" for the first few weeks after surgery? I need some inspiration!

Thanks everyone, for your words and advice. It's funny, when I mentioned my best friend in the original post, I did actually mean a person. But once I thought of it as food, it made a lot of sense too. This is quite the journey. I'm trying to remember to trust it!

I think the wad of something is actually the port - based on how mine feels. This started happening to me last week. My doctor recommended I take Tylenol and try using a heating pad on the spot. I would definitely call your Doctor on this though. My pain has lessened and I am only taking Tylenol as needed.

Congratulations! I hope I can be as close to my goal weight loss as you are at 1 year out!

I lost 3 pounds last week and gained 2 this week! I'm in the same boat! What's up with that? What are people's thoughts about weighing? Do you way every day, weekly, only at the Dr's? I can't decide if I want to throw my scale out the window yet...

Since this morning, I've been having pain at the suture/port site on my abdomen. Somtimes it's if I move a certain way, and sometimes it just randomly hurts. I was banded 18 days ago. Has anyone else had this happen? What did you do? Thanks!

So I've been doing really well with eating smaller portions, and making sure to get Protein in. But today was my first day back at work after surgery. I ate a serving of sliced turkey for lunch and some cheese. But it didn't fill me up like I thought it would. Any suggestions on other things to eat that are filling but in keeping w/ lapband guidelines? Thanks!

thanks for the advice!

thanks so much for the idea of dailyplate.com. i love it!

I don't have any saline in my band right now, but I can tell I'm not eating as much as I used to, and that I get full more quickly than I used to. I haven't gained any weight in the last week (thank goodness!), but I also haven't lost that much weight either. A question just occurred to me though - are you able to gain weight during bandster hell?