Dave_NW

Susan, you may want to contact Tricare directly, and ask them about their current requirements. There was talk about them approving people with a BMI under 40, but I don't know if that happened. If all else fails, you could also become a tiny bit shorter when they measure your height, so your height/weight ratio would be less. If you're shorter, your top weight would be lower, right? Not that I'm saying to fake out the system or anything... <wink wink> Dave

Vicky, I am SO proud of you! You've worked so hard, it's excellent to see you having such success! Way to go!!! Dave

The ladies above are correct: The band will not stop you from overeating, or eating poorly. If you have food issues, you should address them before you have surgery. Even though the band will reduce the amount of food you can eat in one bite, you can take many bites over time, and still eat much more than is prudent. This link may help you better understand the band, and how it works: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html Good luck with your journey! Dave

The ladies above are correct: The band will not stop you from overeating, or eating poorly. If you have food issues, you should address them before you have surgery. Even though the band will reduce the amount of food you can eat in one bite, you can take many bites over time, and still eat much more than is prudent. This link may help you better understand the band, and how it works: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html Good luck with your journey! Dave

Don't let it freak you out. It's not real. Your weight can fluctuate several pounds in just one day. Women, especially, can have swings in weight that don't stick around. Things like your TOM will contribute, too. If you weigh yourself often, let it be a general indicator, but not the final answer in what you currently weigh. A weekly weigh-in, done at the same time and place each week, is a better indicator. It's weird for me too. I weigh less when I first wake up, but an hour later, even before eating anything, I may weigh a half pound more. If I weigh myself at the end of a day, I know I'll be up a couple of pounds, compared to that morning. But the next morning I'm down again to where I was the previous morning, or even less. So I only count it when I know the loss is real. Once you figure out how your body reports your weight, you can keep it in perspective. Dave

I eat a blend of foods at most meals, that include dense Proteins mixed with other things. (Obvously, if you're having a salad, you aren't going to pick the Protein out and eat just that first, then eat just the lettuce or whatever. Common sense prevails.) My mornings typically start with a protein shake in the car on my way to work. It kickstarts my metabolism, and gives my system 30g of protein to start its day. About an hour later for my real breakfast I often eat half a "naked" breakfast sandwich. That's my term for a fried egg, slice of breakfast sausage, and slice of cheese - basically it's the inside of an Egg McMuffin type sandwich, without the muffin. Lots of protein there. And I'm good till lunch time. Lunch is often a salad of some sort. Today it was a mixture of things from the salad bar: A partial scoop of red kidney Beans, some sliced olives, a dozen or so fresh baby spinach leaves, about a half cup diced grilled chicken breast, some grated cheddar cheese, and a small splash of an oil & vinegar dressing. I mixed it all up, and ate the whole thing, a bite at a time. No picking and choosing with that mess. Good protein and not a lot of calories. dinner tonight will be part of a chicken taco salad at a favorite Mexican restaurant. Hold the sour cream, and have the guacamole on the side. Toss in some fresh salsa, and it's good to go. I eat until my system tells me I'm done, and I leave the table. I may take the rest home for later, or not, depending on how I feel. Easy, breezy... It's easy to get the protein in if you mix it up wth other things, and control the portions. I don't care for the "diet food" kind of things, so I eat "real world" food whenever I can. Dave

I know, right? One of the hardest things (but probably the most important thing) a bandster needs to develop is patience. It's frustrating, because we all want the excess weight gone, and we want it gone now! But the reality is that it takes time for the band to be adjusted to the person's individual requirements, and for things to start working as advertised. There's a reason it's called an "adjustable" band. However, I can tell you that if someone had told me a year ago that I'd be sitting here more than a hundred pounds lighter this Summer, compared to last Summer - well, that's a lot of weight lost in a pretty short amount of time. I'd have been very happy with that kind of schedule. So hang in there, keep working the plan, and give things a chance to work right for you. When it begins to work as expected, the weight will go away once and for all, and you're going to be thrilled at the progress. And I don't know about you, but I can live with that. "Slow and steady" and so forth. Dave

Keep in mind the band won't stop you from overeating, regardless of your fill level. The point of fills is to help the band put pressure on the vagus nerve when you eat, which helps to dim your appetite. When you've eaten a proper bandster portion meal and step away from the table, you should feel satiated with the amount of food you ate at that meal. In ten or twenty minutes, you should not be hungry at all. The key is having enough fill to retain that feeling of no hunger for several hours. Some folks make the mistake of thinking the band is supposed to prevent them from eating. It won't do that. The other point is to examine what you're eating. The optimum (according to my fill PA) is to have ten percent of daily calories be grams of Protein. That is to say, if you are consuming 900 calories a day, then you should shoot for 90g of protein within that 900 calorie amount. Your carbs should be lower than your protein grams, with fat and sugar even lower. Also, the protein you eat should be a dense protein in a solid form, like grilled chicken. If you eat 3 ounces of dense protein every three to four hours, you probably won't get hungry in between, especially as you get more fill. For ease of comparison, three ounces of protein should be about the size of a deck of cards. I follow a modified South Beach Diet kind of eating plan. Higher protein, lower glycemic carbs, and avoiding excess fat or sugars. It's working well for me, and I feel great. I'm not strict about it, but I do use common sense and willpower to stay on track. And I find if I eat carb-loaded meals, I get hungry sooner, and my weght loss stalls. Staying on course with my eating plan, exercising regularly, and giving my body time to adjust my metabolism to catch up with the changes I'm forcing on my system really helps keep my weght loss moving forward. The rest of the equation is to drink enough fluids every day, and get enough sleep every night. Everyone is different, and you'll have to sort out how your body responds to your lifestyle, and how you're feeding it. Good luck! Dave

Depending on the size of your band, 4cc isn't all that much, so you may not notice any difference just yet. I have a 14cc band, and didn't start feeling any kind of restriction until I was around 7cc. In fact, they put in 3.2cc just during my surgery, and I got 2cc in my first fill. It made zero difference. I'm currently at 9cc in my band, and I'm at exactly the right place. but everyone is different, and your mileage may vary. Good luck! Dave

Before you spend any money, make sure you also look at the Bodymedia.com bluetooth armband. The same company that makes Bodybugg makes the BT armband, but it does a lot more. The "move your arms" thing you described does not happen with the Bodymedia armband I own. It also measures "laying down" vs. "sleeping" for your inactive time. It knows the difference. And the entire settings are adjustable to suit your exact use and lifestyle, so you can get a very accurate read. It's very adaptable. I've worn mine about six months, and I have no complaints. Dave

I have Tricare Prime. I was interviewed by my PCM when I asked to be referred to a weight loss surgeon, and I was basically asked about my weight issues over the years. I explained all the things I'd tried, and how I had been unsuccessful keeping weight off. That was good enough, and I got my referral. I was more than 100 pounds over ideal weight for my height, and I had at least one of the co-morbidities Tricare asks for. So I was pre-qualified before being referred. At the consult I was sent on with the weight loss surgeon, I was asked very specific questions about how much I weighed at this or that age, how long I'd had weight problems, what diets I'd been on, and so forth. Then they did a physical exam, confirmed the BMI and such, and scheduled me for lab work and an Endoscopy. All that was done within two weeks, and they submitted the request to Tricare for me to have surgery. Three days later I was approved. It was literally just that simple. If you have questions, contact Tricare and confirm the current requirements. Tricare Prime does not require a six-month managed diet, or repeated visits to a Nutritionist, and whatever. They are very specific about what they will and won't pay for. If you are qualified to have surgery, you will be approved. It is very specific. But it all starts with a referral from your PCM. So you should start there. Good luck! Dave

Welcome, Jen. Have a seat and keep reading everything on these forums you can find. There is a TON of real-world information here. But before you get too deeply into things, you need to consider that this forum, and others like it, exist for the benefit of people who need assistance. People who don't have issues with their band rarely post online - they're too busy out living their lives. So consider the source. For every post here that sounds like a problem, there are literally THOUSANDS of people who aren't having any issue at all. Secondly, a lot of the posts here are what I think of as "fear posts," where people are freaking out because of something happening (or not happening) that they didn't (or did) expect. A lot of people have expectations that aren't realistic. So again, you have to consider the source, and take everything with an ENORMOUS grain of salt. (That is not to say problems don't happen, but by the numbers, they are pretty rare with a band, especially considering the issues people have with the other surgeries available.) There is no substitute for education about the band, and it seems a lot of people get banded before they fully understand what it is or how it works. So a lot of those freaked-out posts are coming from the people who are not fully aware of the whole picture. The more you learn, the better experience you're likely to have. Having said that, my own story is that I decided I was sick and tired of being obese, and dieting like crazy, only to keep losing and reagaining the same 20 pounds over and over. I needed a better solution. After researching things (and a bit of prodding from my insurance company) banding was the best choice for me. I went through the preliminary hoops required of me, and was banded last December. I have never looked back. I've had zero issues, and my weight loss to date has been completely textbook. The PA who does my band fills jokes that if there was a poster boy for banding, I'd be that guy. So put me down on the plus side as someone who thinks banding is a great way to finally gain control over weight issues. I'm happy I did this, and my only regret is that I didn't do it years ago. Good luck! Dave

Or you can do what I did after my Manager announced to the entire department in a group meeting (40+ people who LOVE to gossip) that I'd be away from work for a few weeks "because Dave is having bariatric surgery." So much for keeping it to myself! I said, "Gosh, thanks, boss! Now the pressure is really on!" And I laughed about it. At that point there was no point in hiding anything. I've since told anyone who asked what I've done to lose so much weight. Being open and honest about the surgery has done the most to dispel the rumors and questions. I work at a hospital, so it's really bad sometimes. "No, I do NOT have cancer. I'm fine! In fact, I've lost..." and I give them the whole messy story. i figure nobody should be able to gossip about me more than I can gossip about myself. By being proactive, I can head off the rumor-gossip before it starts. And if they do gossip, at least they'll have the facts. People tend to make up stuff if they don't know the real story. And it truly helps some others. Just yesterday a new-hire nursing assistant asked me about my surgery. She is obese, and is desperately trying to lose weight. By the time we were done talking she was convinced to look further into banding. I think she'll do well with it, now that she knows someone who has had a good experience with it. I offered to share anything with her that she wanted to know about things. The only other person she knows who was banded has lost nothing to speak of, but as she said, "The woman LIVES on junk food." So there you go... My personal philosophy about gossip, work attitudes, and such is like a sign I once saw on an office wall. It read, "When they're running you out of town, get in front of the crowd and make it look like a parade." Dave

Always glad to help. There is so much confusion out there about the band, anything that helps clear up the mystery seems to make a big difference. Wishing you great success on your journey! Dave

What you'll find as you go forward with this is that everyone has a different experience with their band. Some folks eat a few bites, and are ready to vomit (like your coworker. Sounds like she's too tight.) Others, like me, have never vomited post-banding. I've been stuck a few times, because I ate too big a bite and didn't chew it thoroughly enough, but those events are rare, and they teach you how to live with your band. As to diet, I can eat just about anything, as long as I cut it into small enough bites, and chew it thoroughly enough. Some things go down easier than others, so I learn what works, and what doesn't. I can eat toast easier than I can eat bread. So if I'm in a restaurant and want to order a sandwich, I ask for the bread to be toasted. (Then I only eat part of it, while eating the sandwich filling with a fork. I don't have room enough for a full sandwich anyway.) Managing a meal and enjoying it is all about doing what works for a bandster. For example, if I go to Olive Garden and order their Steak Toscano, I ask to substitute additional steamed vegetables instead of the potato. When the meal arrives (a 12 ounce steak) I cut off a third, and put the other two-thirds of the steak and two-thirds of the veggies in a to-go box. Then I socialize with my friends, and eat my steak and veggies. By the time my 4 ounces of steak and that one-third amount of veggies are gone, I'm finishing my meal about the same time my friends are finishing theirs. It's a non-issue, and I have another two meals with me in the to-go box. (Hint: Order the steak one level less-done than you might otherwise, and the reheating of the leftovers won't hurt it. That works well for me.) It's all about learning how to live with the band, and what works best for you. As you go along, you'll sort things out. And if you avoid known triggers and bad behaviors, you'll do fine. Education is vital, and the key to success with the band. Learn everything you can about the band, how it works, and what others have gone through. It sounds to me like you're on track to have a great experience. Good luck! Dave

You need to find someone else to do your fills. She's giving you conflicting information that is not helping you, and you're not getting the right kind of support. it's one thing to show/tell you how to do things better, but it's quite another when you're stressed out and crying after your meeting. And if you're black and blue after a fill, somebody isn't doing things right. Find another person to give you your fills. The "sweet spot" is one term for the optimum amount of fill in your band. See this link for a chart that shows what it's about. (My surgeon has this chart on the wall of every exam room at his clinic.) http://all-about-lapband.com/post-op/fill-chart.html She is right, too many carbs can sabotage your weight loss. if you want to eat a lot of carbs, you're going to have to make changes in other parts of your diet. It's the BALANCE of Protein vs. carbs that help with your weight loss, and you DO have to make adjustments to your diet to get the results you want. Just walking for 45 minutes may not be enough exercise to burn enough calories to offset the diet you're eating. You may have to get into the gym and actively burn off more calories than that. You shouldn't be chasing a "two bites of a hamburger patty" meal and expecting it to be enough to satisfy you for several horus. It may be fine for awhile, but you'll find yourself getting hungry within a short time. And if your meals are carb-loaded, you'll feel hungry even sooner. So in that regard, you do have to "diet" (in the sense of planning what to eat), but you shouldn't have to feel deprived. I said this before, and it bears repeating: All the band does is help dim your appetite. You need to use your willpower and common sesne to control what you eat, and when you eat it. The band is not magic, nor will it do the hard work for you. it only gives you control over your appetite. Nothing more. And the rest is up to you. One thing I use that helps me tremendously, is the Bodymedia.com FIT armband. It's made by the same people who make the Bodybugg, worn by contestants on The Biggest Loser. This gadget measures your activity, helps track your calories eaten, shows calories buned off, and even traacks your sleep quality. I especially like that it shows the nutritional breakdown of foods I've eaten. Over time, you can see trends in your weight loss, and learn how to best manage your plan. I've worn mine daily for over six months, and I won't be without it. www.bodymedia.com. You can learn about it there, but if you get it, shop around. costco.com and BestBuy.com sell them for less. Good luck! Dave

Mary, the purpose of the band is not to stop you from overeating (as you try to feel "full.") The purpose is to dim your appetite so you can use your willpower and common sense to stop eating BEFORE you overdo things. Once your band is adjusted correctly (which takes a bit of time to get right), as you eat proper, bandster-style meals (small bites, one at a time, chewed thoroughly, and eating slowly), the pressure of food in your pouch above the band puts pressure on the vagus nerve, which turns off your hunger switch. IF you eat slowly, this process is amazing and works VERY well. After a normal bandster-sized portion of food, (and sometimes even before you're finished with it), you will find you HAVE NO MORE HUNGER, and you can walk away from the table. The trick is to be self-aware of how you feel while eating. When you get to the point where your hunger is done, you can stop eating. It's that simple. I was someome who never had a "full" sensation pre-banding. I could eat till there was nothing left on the table, and I'd still be in the fridge twenty minutes later, looking for something to eat. That concept was completely, utterly, and thoroughly erased after I was banded. Now I eat a bandster-sized meal, and i'm done eating for several hours. I don't get hungry, I don't feel deprived, I never have those 2PM energy crashes, and I feel as though I've eaten a big meal every time. It's about satiety, not food volume. An extremely important point to fully understand: The band will NOT stop you from overeating, or from making bad food choices. Even if you no longer have an appetite at your meal, you CAN continue to eat, until you're stuffed and miserable. DO NOT DO THIS. There is no point, and doing so only causes you discomfort. The trick is to serve yourself a bandster-sized meal portion, and stop there. Once you've eaten it, get away from the food. Sitting at the table only encourages you to eat more, even though you aren't hungry. A lot of bandster success is about developing good habits, and not encouraging bad ones. Having a band is a LOT about learning to listen to and feel what your body is telling you. When you know the clues to watch for, and you feel the right feelings, then you are in control to stop whatever you're doing at that point, and walk away. Over time, as you gain more experience, you'll be very successful with your band, but the two of you have to work together. It sounds cliche, but the band truly is a "tool." You have to learn how to work it - because on its own, the band does not do the work for you. It only gives you the ability to control what's happening in your day-to-day life. I'm one who used to literally crave food, and I'd lose sleep wondering where my next meal was coming from. I was terrified of being hungry, and not being able to find food. Every day was based around making sure I knew exactly what to eat, and when I was going to eat it. I'd start my day by making plans for every meal and snack I was going to eat that day, and scheduling my time around my meals. Looking back, it was crazy doing that. Now, eight months after banding, I don't even think about food most of the time. When I realize it's meal time, I grab an appropriate meal, eat it, and move on with my day. I've gained back an amazing amount of time, because I'm not wasting time trying to make sure I have enough food lined up to be wolfed down that day. (Because even though I ate like a horse, I never slowed down enough to taste or appreciate the food I was eating. It was all about "stoking the hulk." Stupid behavior that contributed immensely to my obesity.) I've posted this link many times, but it's a website you need to read. It'll make your band journey much more meaningful, and easier to handle: Dr. Terry Simpson's page about the band, "It's NOT About Restriction." http://drsimpson.net...estriction.html Good luck on your journey! Dave

I have an Allergan lap band, so I'm not sure if it gets managed differently than the Realize bands, but I've had as much as 2.5cc added in a fill. So if yours can be done the same, then a 1cc addition shouldn't be a problem. But I'd insist they confirm your band amount before doing that. You need to know for sure how much is in your band. As to portion control - I find it's tedious to weigh and measure every little thing. I go for average (bandster) portion sizes, served on regular plates, and eaten with regular utensils. I try to eat slowly and chew well, and when the food is gone, I'm done eating. Depending on what it is, sometimes I'm done eating before the food is gone. My soft stop is gentle burps and hiccups, and if I get to that point, I know I'm done eating for now. Eating past that point makes me feel overly full. And as Melissa mentions, getting up and leaving the table at that point is good - after 20 minutes if you're still hungry, eat some more. Chances are great you won't need to do that. The big thing is to get away from the kitchen, and more food. Sitting there only encourages you to eat more. I do find listening to my system has been the best way for me to manage my band. My NUT had all these hairbrained ideas for me at first, very few of which have worked out. I've done what I think is best for me, and adjusted my behavior, exercise, and diet methods to suit what's working for me, in my life. And I'm doing great. So something must be paying attention -- oh yeah, it's ME! Glad to help. Good luck! Dave

My surgeon only required me to go on Clear liquids the day before surgery. But he required me to do three weeks of liquid diet after surgery. I did fine, and have lost plenty since surgery. The weight loss shown in my ticker is counted since my surgery day. Dave

You don't need too many of those kinds of episodes to get your attention. I've found the only times I get stuck like that is when i'm eating too fast, and not chewing well enough. I've never gotten stuck at home, but have been stuck several times in restaurants. Taught me a valuable lesson: I have to THINK about chewing when I'm eating in public, no matter what is happening at the table. Dave

Hi Staci, I know this is tough for you. It's so easy to ask, "What's going on?" when things aren't working as you'd like. I don't have any specific answers, but I do have a few suggestions to try. This post will ramble a bit, so try to read between the lines of what I'm trying to say. First thing to find out is if there is a different PA you can use for your fills. Sometimes it's about personality. I changed from one who was as nice a person as you'd ever want to meet, but she was giving me conflicting information. Her knowledge was mainly for managed weight loss non-surgical people and Gastric Bypass patients, and not so much with Band patients. After a few false starts, I decided I needed someone I could relate to better. The new PA I'm seeing is awesome. He "gets it" about banding, and he hasn't steered me wrong since. It made all the difference in the world. I didn't start feeling restriction until I was at about 7cc in my 14cc band. So if that's roughly 50% of capacity, then I'd think for you, around 5.5cc in your 11cc band should be a similar place. Everyone is different, of course, so you may find that's not enough, or may be too much. I'm currently at 9cc, and I'm at a perfect spot. So the question to ask yourself (that your PA should also be asking) is "Are you feeling hungry between meals? Do you find yourself feeling satisfied with a smaller portion of food for several hours at a time?" If the answer to that is No (and your post above indicates that is the case) then you SHOULD have another fill. When you get closer to your sweet spot, green zone, or restriction, (depending on which words you want to use), you SHOULD find yourself feeling satisfied after eating. Note you should not necessarily feel FULL, as in the "Thanksgiving dinner" kind of "full." But a portion of food should stay with you for more than an hour or two. You should be able to properly eat a normal bandster portion, and walk away from the table. You won't necessarily feel FULL, but your appetite should be gone. That's where the willpower comes in. Within a few minutes, you shouldn't be hungry, or even have a desire to eat. And it should stay that way for several hours. If you slow down while you're eating, your hunger may even turn off before the food portion is gone. For me, if I eat too fast, I get hungrier sooner. All else being equal, you may want to evaluate what types of foods you're eating. For me, if I eat too many carbs, they don't stay with me very long, and I find myself actually getting stomach rumbling hungry within a few hours after eating. But if I eat some dense Protein every three to four hours, I rarely feel hunger pangs. So you may want to adjust your balance of protein vs. carbs. And since protein tends to be lower calories than carbs, you may find yourself able to stay within your limits more easily. Going off the record here, let me offer this: If you find that despite everything you're doing, you just aren't able to manage it by the numbers, then boost the numbers. My daily intake is around 1200 calories, sometimes more, sometimes less, and I shoot for 10% of that number to be protein grams. (So with 1200 calories eaten, I try for 120g of protein.) But I go with how I feel about the foods I'm eating. By focusing my meals on higher protein and lower glycemic carbs, and eating properly (small bites, eaten slowly, chewed well, and giving my system a chance to recognize that I'm feeding it), I can usually stop eating after a suitable portion of food, and I'm good for several hours. (Again, if I eat more carbs, I get hungrier sooner.) And then there are two aspects of this whole process that are underrated: Water and sleep. If I don't drink enough fluids every day, I tend to stall on my weight loss. If I up the fluids a bit more, I find the scale moves more. And sleep is vital. For me, weight loss happens when I sleep. So getting better/more sleep tends to help me out. I'm by no means an expert, but that sort of thing is what helps me the best. Now, as to how to talk to your PA, explain to her that you don't want to be made to feel like you're the one who is always doing wrong. Tell her you've done everything you were taught, but that you're still not at your sweet spot. She will know that term. Tell her you're still getting hungry between meals, and you want a fill. Ask her to confirm the amount of Fluid in your band. They do that by extracting all the fluid out of your band during the fill process, then they put it back in, plus the new fill amount. It's one way to know exactly how much is in your band. You may not have as much in your band as you think. And if she gives you attitude about it, then ask her point blank if there is someone else you can talk to about this. Wishing you only good luck with things! Dave

How's your blood pressure? Very low blood pressure can cause dizziness. That happened to me. I was taking two meds for it, and my BP went so low after I was banded for awhile and had lost a lot of weight, I felt like I was going to pass out. Doctor took me completely off one of them and reduced the other, and now everything is fine. Good luck! Dave

I think you have unrealistic expectations of the band, and what it does. At the end of the day, all the band is intended to do is dim your appetite, so you can use your willpower and common sense to achieve the weight loss you're after. To expect the band to do more than that is inviting frustration and weight loss failure. It's true - the band doesn't do anything you can't do for yourself. Technically. So you're right - you possibly could do this with diet and exercise. I did that. And I lost the same 20 pounds a dozen times. For me, the band helps keep the hunger monsters at bay, so I can focus on the rest of my life, and NOT focus on the next meal, or mindless snacking, or finding junk food, or finding the nearest drive-thru. It's liberating for me to be able to NOT constantly have to worry about where I'll find my next meal. I don't diet, in the traditional sense. I eat healthier food, compared to how I used to eat, but I eat "real world" food, focusing on higher Protein, lower glycemic carbs, and avoiding fried, fatty, or overly-sweet foods. (Note I said "avoiding" not eliminating - I still eat some of those kinds of things, just not a lot.) And I find I'm very satisfied with a smaller portion of food, because my band is properly adjusted. The balance of calories in vs. calories out is up to me, and I take responsibility for my weight loss. I work my band, and in return, it works for me. When you make statements like "I am a very picky eater. I do not like foods that would be better for me to eat. The foods I do eat, I cannot get down. They get stuck and I wind up purging or just in a lot of discomfort for a while." it shows you're doing something wrong. If you eat in proper bandster methods (small bites, taken slowly, chewed thoroughly, and not rushed), there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to eat anything you want. The rest is all about the food decisions you're making. I suggest you evaluate what you're taking in every day, compared with what you're burning off every day. See your doctor to discuss your situation, and what you can do about it. Find out if your band is properly adjusted, and if there is a medical reason you're having such trouble. There is no reason to have to suffer with a band. For me, it has been a Godsend, and I'm grateful every single day that I have my life back in control. Good luck! Dave

Heather, sorry to hear of your struggles. But come on, girl! Time to set aside the troubles, and get back on the horse! You know how easy it is to fall into the "I'll do it tomorrow" rut. Don't go there! You were on such a roll for awhile - let's go for it again! I'm here to help! I've had my slowest weight loss month so far - only four more pounds lost since my last post in this thread a month ago. But combined with being sick with a stupid Summer cold for two weeks, having a birthday, and having a ton of family visiting, forced into eating out too much, and lots of upsetting-my-apple-cart daily routine, my weight loss was lousy this past month. But time for excuses is over!!! I'm back at it in earnest, and expect to catch up over the next few weeks. I have a follow-up appointment with my fill PA on the 17th, and I want to impress him with how well I've done. (See, even after all this weight lost, I'm still looking for approval from authority figures... LOL!) Dave