CurvyCat

I have such a ridiculous relationship with my band. It hasn't done much for me as far as losing weight goes, but it has proven to be an excellent maintenance tool for me. I lost about 2/3 of my lost weight in the pre-surgery diet and then slowly the other 1/3 or so in the first 6 months after. Since then I've hovered within a 10-12 pound maintenance/plateau range. I was banded because I suck at keeping weight off long-term. Getting stuck and bringing food back up is pretty much a daily occurrence for me, as it seems that "restriction" for me equals anything from "ugh-uncomfortable" to "holy-cr@p-pain". There's no rhyme or reason to it. I can get stuck on cottage cheese and smoothies, or on chicken or tuna. Steak and popcorn can go down fine.... or not. Frozen yogurt or ice cream sometimes come back to haunt me.... and stir fry might stay or it might go. It varies from meal to meal and bite to bite. No warnings, just instant discomfort from one bite to the next. Sometimes I can ride it out and eventually things settle down, but at this point it's easier for me to usually just hasten the food's return trip. Never thought it would take WLS to make me bulimic, but that's kind of what it's come down to for me. At least it's just the food in my pouch, no acid to contend with. My best girlfriend of 20 years was banded with me, and she lost her band to complications earlier this year. Hers slipped and she was unable to keep ANYTHING down, lost too much too fast and ended up on a cardiac unit with emergency band removal. Since then, she's gained back some, but seems so much happier without the constant trips to the restroom after every (partial) meal. Do I want mine out? No, not yet -- I doubt I could maintain on my own. But do I miss being able to eat food and make good choices knowing that I'm going to be giving my body what it needs? Yeah, I do. It's kind of depressing to work on making fabulous healthy meals, only to maybe bring it all back up. I still usually make good choices,but I'm less enthusiastic about it, and less likely to make the effort than I was before. Just a rant, sort of. Wish I could say that this tool has proven as useful as I had hoped. Now getting the rest of the weight off is more of a challenge than before (because lean Protein nearly always sticks/returns, no matter how much I chew).... But at least binging is well under control. Only 35# or so left to go.... but who knows if I'll ever get there.

Thanks! I think jrae is right, I am getting some small amounts of acid, but not much I can do aside from getting totally unfilled, for now. I'll go in after the first of the year and have an in-depth discussion with my surgeon about the whole situation. I did get a prescription for omaprazole to reduce any acid for the time being, and I've switched from taking a regular Calcium chew supplement to TUMS before bed as a bit of a prophylactic against possible acid issues at night. I don't know that I could get a revision to sleeve at my current weight. Insurance would probably only cover it if I backslid back to a high enough BMI. Here's hoping I don't have to deal with all that again --- this is my third time to lose this much weight and the idea of gaining it all back AGAIN is really depressing. heh

Thanks, y'all. I do take it slowly, I think I am just sensitive to the restriction sensation, which makes the band problematic for me. I've tried varying levels of fills. Back and forth, filled and unfilled. I'm at 6.5cc now, which might be a touch too much, but 6cc is like being completely unfilled -- nothing stopping me at all from eating as much as I want. So, I'm trying to hang in there at this fill level and figure out something that will work for me food-wise to take the rest of the weight off.Then I can tackle maintenance maybe at a different level without the stuck/upchuck issues. haha I don't think a revision to sleeve would be covered by insurance as I haven't gained the weight back -- I've just been totally unable to lose any more. Thus far, no slipping. The process of the food coming back up isn't particularly harsh or vomit-y -- just kind of like a PB, but I do get tired of waiting for it to decide whether or not it's going to do it and I help it along. Sometimes all I have to do is bend over the toilet and up it comes. If I wait it out through the more uncomfortable episodes, it seems even MORE sensitive afterwards, whereas if I get rid of the offending food right away, it's not so much. I do "help" with a swallow or two of Water if I know it's already going to come back up so it's not trying to push out something thick, so what comes back up is like Soup (sorry if TMI). Otherwise I do follow the "rules" and I do not drink with meals - only when I can feel that it is already stuck and going to make a return trip up. Thanks so much for the feedback. I was blogging, but it was hard when it just became month after month of the same plateau and problems. A girl's gotta vent sometimes, though!

I feel you on this. I am almost a year and a half out from banding and have very seldom had what others describe as restriction (i.e. feeling full). I have either I-can-eat-anything.... OR.... I have OW-stuck-and-must-vomit. If it's the latter, then, like you, I can usually go back 5 minutes later and eat anything..... well, except firm Protein - I've had to develop some tricks to get chicken/fish/tofu/eggs/pork to go down. Mine is definitely not at your level of fill, though. I'm only at 2cc, and still get stuck very very often. Just wanted to say you aren't the only one. My band works (at least nominally) because I'm terrified of causing myself pain. Loss post-banding (I lost over half my total in the pre-op diet months), has been EXTREMELY slow, but at least I'm not gaining. So, thinking of it as a maintenance tool for me has kept me from getting TOO down about it. Maybe that's the approach you will have to take too? Hang in there!

I used to be one of those people who would say exactly that kind of thing to someone struggling with the band. But you know what? After eating healthy mushies for the better part of year (cottage cheese, yogurt, etc) because solids won't go down, I have to say that it's a REALLY depressing boat to be in. You're hungry because those soft foods don't offer any satiety, you end up eating more than you should, and you don't lose a damn thing. So eventually you just end up saying what the heck, and eating things you shouldn't too.... like ice cream. I've only recently re-motivated and am just living with the being hungry thing. Which is what I was trying to NOT have by having the band. I can't eat the healthy things I should be eating without fear of pain. I'm sick to death of the few mushy Protein sources available. So I'm trying to work with it, but it's so much harder WITH the band than without it. For me. I'll do it, I'm stubborn like that, but I certainly don't assume anymore that every story of band failure is a failure on the part of the banded person to use their "tool" correctly. It is a great tool for MANY people, but for some folks it just isn't the cat's meow, and it is a real downer to realize that this major undertaking was so unsuccessful. I think for those of us in this position that do manage to take off the weight despite the band's limitations for us, the band has the possibility to be a good tool for MAINTAINING. But man, the struggle to lose when you can't eat what you should is REALLY hard.

I'm another one who is frustrated with slow losing and with the band in general. I was banded in June of 2010, and lost 47 pounds post-banding at my lowest point back in April of this year (I lost 44 in the 6 months before being banded). Over this summer, I basically gave up on the whole thing, and gained 16 back. I've now managed to get 5 of that back off again. See, I apparently am very good at getting myself STUCK on any and all non-liquid Protein sources. Which prompted me to get unfilled down to my original 2cc level back in early April. Not enough, though, as I still have to watch very closely any time I eat meat, tofu, or eggs, though I have better luck when I "lubricate" the works with salsa or fat free refried Beans or fat free sour cream. Of course, the lack of fill and the slide-y nature of my meals (healthy or not), means I have no full feeling at all after eating -- no helpful restriction, just random episodes of OWCH. It's all on my willpower, which is variable, and now I live in fear of the healthy foods that pre-banding I could eat and post-banding I should eat. I guess the fear of stuck pain and vomiting has had a positive(?) effect of keeping me from really binging on anything solid, but the whole scenario to me just stinks of yet another failure that has the added suckage of causing me pain when I do **ck up. I was more successful by far in the 6 months before getting my band than in the 14 months since getting it. Sure, I could go in and get filled again, but I fear that would just put me back in the situation of getting stuck and vomiting several times each day, instead of only every other day or so. I'm very discouraged, but still determined to do this, despite my band becoming more of an obstacle than a useful tool.

Yep, I think there are a few of us that just don't have a sweet spot, and are VERY sensitive to being stuck. I can literally feel my esophagus having spasms trying to unstick me after most meat/egg/tofu/fish/chicken meals. I've been up and down with fills and anything above where I am now (at the 2cc that was in my band immediately post-op) has me stuck on everything solid, no matter how much I chew it. It was very much a mutual agreement between me and my surgeon to unfill me to this point, because this is the level post-banding where I lost the most --- in the 6-8 weeks post-surgery. Over the past 3 weeks, I've been heavily experimenting with more options to lubricate my meals with healthy sauces and salsas, and it's been working reasonably well. I'm just incredibly frustrated that I can't sit down to a chicken breast, grilled fish filet, or an omelet (all of which were staples for me pre-band) without being afraid it's going to send me to the bathroom to come back up. And never mind eating around other people. bleh. I have two young daughters as well, and the LAST thing I want them to do is think that vomiting after meals is normal or OK. I feel like this thing is going to backfire on me in more ways than one. I WILL take the remainder of the weight off, and I do think the band will help me keep it off, but I hope the price isn't too much to pay for the negative impact on my relationship with healthy food and the influence it is having on the perception my children are getting of food/weight/dieting/health.

I'll have to chime in from the other side. I don't *hate* my band, but I don't love it either. I seem to be one of those people who is particularly sensitive to getting stuck, so it's been rough for me. I love healthy food, but unless I am almost completely unfilled (like I am now), I get stuck on almost every solid form of Protein there is available -- no matter how much I chew it. So, I'm back to losing again, but my near-empty band doesn't do much for me in the way of helping me control my portions. That said, it DOES keep me from big binging pretty well. I can eat more than I should, for sure, but not the WAY over the top benders that I could do pre-band. Mostly that's from eating slower and giving myself time to feel full (lower in my stomach), not from restriction. So, it has been working for me as a good maintenance tool. But NOT as a weight loss tool. Most people, it seems, are not as sensitive to being stuck. A few of us are. It's impossible to know beforehand whether you would be one of those or not. The odds are in your favor for *not* having problems, though, I think. So, would I do it again? Maybe. Would I have gone for bypass? No. Sleeve? Maybe -- I like the idea, but not the reality of having portions of my internal organs removed. The choice between the band and the sleeve would have been more difficult had I known how uncomfortable the band would be for me. The forums seem to have a whole lot of people who are VERY successful and a whole lot of people who have BIG problems, but not a lot of folks who are somewhere between those two things.

Hi I thought I would join this thread too. I was banded 14 months ago and am down 36# from my weight the day of surgery (I lost 44# pre-surgery). I hate looking at my week-by-week journal and seeing myself basically exactly where I was last year. But I'm making the best of things and re-motivating after a summer of basically giving up. I saw a gain of 16# from my lowest point as a result of slacking, but that is MUCH better than the typical gain I would have had pre-band. I've taken back off 5# of that in the last few weeks, so that's something. I think the band will make an awesome maintenance tool for me someday, but it certainly isn't what I had hoped for as a weight loss tool. Following that "hard protein" rule, even in my mostly-unfilled band, leads to stuck pain, sliming, and vomiting, so matter how small my bites are or how much I chew. So I'm working around that the best way I can with fat-free sour cream, salsa, etc, as lubricants but it's a real trial --- especially as I LOVE the healthy high-protein sources I'm supposed to be eating. I'll get there, eventually, but in some ways it's harder than it was before being banded. At least I have this tool that does keep me from quantity binging, and that's a very good thing.

I'm right there with you too. I've lost a little in my year+ post-op, but more in the 6 months before my surgery. I know I'm not too tight --- I've been filled and unfilled and am currently unfilled. No restriction that helps with satisfaction, just this thing that sticks and causes pain and vomiting any time I eat any sort of solid Protein (including the aforementioned canned tuna, etc) unless it's mushy and/or "lubricated" with something wet. Like you, if I wanted the vomit-after-every-meal diet, I would have just gone bulimic. This is the pits.

Argh, I just typed out a response and hit something wrong and my browser refreshed. (new-to-me-laptop, grrrrr) I lost 44# in the 6 months of my pre-approval, pre-surgery diet. I was eating lean meats, fish, egg whites, tofu, canned tuna, etc. All the things I have not been able to eat well since getting banded. I DO eat them, I just have to make them wet or mushy, which makes them very slider-y. And so they slip right through my unfilled band and I am not full or satisfied in any way. When I am more filled, I have even more trouble with being stuck on ANYTHING not pureed (heck, even split pea Soup will stick on me sometimes). I was more successful in the 6 months before getting banded (44#) than I have been in the 10-14 months since (47#, current 35#). My TOTAL has been over 90# at my lowest point, but half of that was BEFORE the band. Despite spitting up all the time and being in pain nearly every meal, I was "on track" and compliant with the rules for the first 10-11 months after banding. It's only been over this summer that I've been not as compliant. And I HATE it. I was never a junk food junkie, even at my biggest. I have been hooked on healthy foods since I got pregnant in 2003, I just had problems with portion control (even too much of the good stuff will make you gain weight). Eating less healthy fare over this summer has made me feel horrible. Which is why I'm back on the good stuff again, but because it needs to be wet/mushy, I am far less satisfied with it than I was before getting banded. Yeah, I can do it, but I'm really starting to wish I had just done it (again) without this not-so-helpful (for me) "tool". If I'm going to have to rely on my own willpower to this degree, I would certainly prefer to be able to eat the healthy things I need to eat, should eat, could eat, and DID eat before getting this thing. Thanks for your encouragement, though!

I got a bracelet and dog tag, but I don't really wear them unless I'm out camping (I do primitve camping and extended trips a few times a year) or on the road traveling. I didn't have anything about NSAIDS put on mine, as if I were to be taking NSAIDS orally, I'd be awake and able to tell them myself. Intravenous NSAIDS aren't an issue, so no need for it on my bracelet/tag. Mine says: My Name No Penicillin (I'm allergic) No Blind NG ICE: Spouse's Name Spouse's Phone Number

I just commented on another thread about this, but ask your Dr if you can get an REE or RMR test done using a calorimeter. It will give you YOUR metabolic rate and what YOU personally need to eat to be able to lose. For me, it was less than 1400/day. I tend to eat somewhere in the 1000-1400 range, and my average weightloss when I stay in that range is about 1.5 pounds per week. On days where my workout is heavy cardio, I eat closer to 1400, when it's strength training or flexibility training, it's closer to 1000. I also toss in a high calorie day around 2000-ish once every few weeks to kind of reset things. I try to get in over 70g of Protein because it satisfies me for longer periods, and helps me to not lose lean muscle mass. But I do eat carbs too, just not much in the way of starches and the like. I recently got unfilled back to what I was immediately post-op (had ALL my fills taken out), so I can eat pretty much whatever I want now. I was getting stuck on all meat/eggs/tofu/fish and having a very rough time getting enough protein. So my band does not restrict my portions now, but it does help me stay not-hungry for longer. My Dr. and I looked at my progress and discovered that this level was where I lost the best post-banding, so obviously the very tight band thing is not good for me. It works for others, though. I agree that the whole 1/2 cup of food thing is sort of nutty, and really hated (and I mean HATED) being at that level... I kept finding ways to sabotage the band and myself until I realized that we each use this tool in different ways. You can find the way that works best for you.

Has your Dr. done a REE (resting energy expenditure) test on you, using a calorimeter? Everyone's metabolism is different, and following formulas works for some, but not all of us. 600 seems VERY low for long-term progress. My REE basically said that I need to eat less than 1400/day to lose. I've found that to be very true over the last year or so since I had it done. Between 1000-1400/day and I lose an average of 1.5 pounds/week. Some weeks more, some less. If I go over 1400 on a regular basis, my loss progress comes to a halt. If I go under 1000, I hit starvation mode and things slow again. Like Knaroz, I toss a 2000+ day in there every once in a while to jump start my body. I also tend to eat closer to 1400 on heavy cardio days and closer to 1000 on days where I'm doing non-cardio exercise. I just recently got unfilled back to what I was just post-surgery (took out ALL my fills) and the difference is amazing for me. The band doesn't restrict what I eat at this lower level, so portion control is all back on my willpower, but what I do eat satisfies me for so much longer than without the band. I was sick of getting stuck and not being able to eat the things I needed to eat. Every one of us uses this tool in a different way, it seems. You will find what works for you -- hang in there!!

I chew too. More when I'm out than when I'm at home. The only reason I try to cut back sometimes is that I find I drink more water when I'm not chewing gum. But especially when I've been really doing well with a low-carb intake, I chew to help counter that ick-mouth that you get when your body starts to hit ketosis. My Dr. doesn't recommend it, but I haven't had any issues, and haven't swallowed any.

Yay for going the fiber route! Miralax is gentle as laxatives go, but it's still a laxative. I was an on-again-off-again laxative abusing bulimic, and fortunately have no lasting ill effects. My younger sister regularly abused laxatives for years and her system has never recovered. Now she HAS to use Miralax and also has been put on IBS meds. So yeah, I'm all about fiber vs. laxatives these days. I've been using Benefiber (or the generic knockoff) for over a year now. I had to work my way up to the full daily amount, as it does make you produce more gas at first. I'd say it took a couple of months to get my body fully adjusted. But even though my diet contains a lot of Protein, the fiber via the Benefiber and regular dietary fiber (mostly in legumes) has kept me as regular as clockwork. (LOL TMI) I put a heaping tablespoon in my hot tea once each day. It's nearly flavorless, and has no texture at all. Love it!

At first, I wasn't planning on any body plastic surgery after all the weight comes off. But now that it's getting closer, I am seriously reconsidering. I think I would be OK if my stomach was uniformly flabby/wrinkly, but it's not. Where my port is, the skin sharply pulls in, creating this sort of divot that makes the rest of the skin/fat on the upper part of my abdomen all uneven and lumpy. So yeah, I really want it gone, and a TT looks like it will be the only way to do so. I was already planning on a neck lift, but losing weight has only stepped up the timeline on something that I would have done regardless. It just means I won't have to do lipo in combination with the lift. Women in my family get jowly early (fat or thin), and I want an actual jawline. No arms, thighs, butt, or back for me. I'm on the fence about my boobs. I was thinking just lift and reduce whatever is left after I'm at goal, but it seems that most surgeons won't do that without implants. I'm not overall all that keen on that idea, and my spouse is definitely not in favor of artificial boobs. LOL

Hey Betsy! I have also never PB'd, but I do get stuck not infrequently. I had a really horrible episode earlier today that lasted over 3 hours. I finally did just induce vomiting (first time I'd done that) and it did fix the problem. Oh my, I am NEVER even TRYING to eat eggs for Breakfast again. I hadn't tried in months, as the last go also resulted in a particularly unpleasant stuck episode, but obviously I need to stick with shakes/cottage cheese/yogurt in the A.M. Are you ever sore afterwards from doing so? I waited a while and then tried to have a yogurt+protein powder+soymilk+water shake. Which also got stuck! I got that to come back up, and am sticking with Water for now instead. I hope I'm just swollen from all that time being stuck, and that I haven't done something awful to myself.

I am totally devoted to Benefiber (or rather the Walmart knockoff generic)! A tablespoon in my morning tea, and I am very regular - once every other day. It dissolves faster in warm beverages, and I can't tell it's in my tea at all. Other Fiber supplements can be gritty, but Benefiber is undetectable in a flavored beverage, IMO. A lot of folks swear by Miralax, but I prefer to take the non-laxative route if at all possible, even though Miralax is mild.

Yum!! I totally forgot about mentioning tofu (thanks isaviolinist!) I agree that it's GREAT... because it has no real flavor on its own, you can do almost anything with it -- and it's CHEAP! I swear, if I don't start getting better with poultry getting stuck on me soon, I'm going to give up and go veggie, though I doubt I can get the rest of my family to follow suit. I do tofu a couple of times a week, but I think my spouse might mutiny if I try to sub any more family meals with it. heheheh

You really don't have to puree your food for the mushy stage, as there are a lot of foods that are pretty darn close to that already. The only thing that I'd watch out for with a lot of the recommendations here is that foods like oatmeal, mashed potatoes, creamy Soups, etc. are not going to help you lose during this period. If you're not shooting to lose weight until after you're back on full solids, then disregard. I ate a lot of bean soups, made low-fat and without cream. Fat-free refried Beans, split pea or red beans made with a touch of liquid smoke and a well-cleaned ham bone for flavor. Chana masala, daal. Etc. If the beans didn't cook down on their own like the split peas or lentils, then I would toss the Soup in the blender. All high in Protein and Fiber. Fat-free ricotta cheese, seasoned with italian seasoning, topped with marinara sauce and baked. Like others said, cottage cheese and greek yogurts were favorites too, also high in protein and no blending required. I also stuck with at least 1 shake per day in that period too to make sure I kept up my protein intake. It went by before I knew it and neither pureeds or mushies was that big of a deal. I still use the recipes on days when my band feels tight, any day after a bad stuck episode, or for the day after I get a fill!

I have issues with most solids in the morning, so unless I have a lot of time to take miniscule teeny tiny nibbles and chew the heck out of each nibble, I just go with a shake, cottage cheese, or greek yogurt. Otherwise, I have very few problems with most foods I eat for lunch or snack. I can usually eat bread and nuts without an issue. Cornbread is worse than other breads for some reason. Occasionally edamame or chickpeas will give me a little trouble. Dinner is my rough spot. I think even though it's been almost 6 months, I'm still learning the CHEW lesson, especially in the evening when I'm hungry and tired. Chicken is my nemesis. But, we're on a very tight budget, so unless I want to go vegetarian, it's what I've got for dinner protein at least 4-5 nights each week. Other meats (when I have them) are occasionally troublesome, but not nearly as bad as poultry. Hopefully someday I'll get the hang of it and not get stuck almost every time.

Single incision, through my navel. I can only see it if I stretch out my navel, otherwise you can't tell at all.

I have wondered that about both Oprah and Kirstie Alley.... why they have not opted for WLS, when they both have struggled so much and so publicly with rollercoaster weight loss. I know the choice was very difficult for me, and it is not something I would have considered in my 20s, but as I got older I realized that the constant yo-yo had to STOP, and I obviously was ready for something other than the hell of constant diet and deprivation. It was not the only choice, and not an easy one, but one I do not regret making.

The stats you quote in your initial post are about right, but I don't think it's the fault of the band or complications with it that results in the success rate not being higher. I think that complications are only a small portion of the failure rate. Physical hunger is only one thing of many that contributes to someone who is chronically obese. Head hunger and other emotional/psychological issues are a HUGE part of our problem, and the band doesn't fix those, of course. Perhaps looking at those numbers from a glass-half-full perspective is in order. 95% of people who lose weight through diet alone gain it back. 50% of bandsters gain it back. Personally, I like the odds WITH the band (or other WLS) a whole lot better than those without it.