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Hello everyone, It has been a long while since I have been here and things have changed alot. I got my band in July 2009 and I did lose 60 lbs in the beginning. However for the past ohh 4 yrs I want to say I have absolutly come to a stand still.. NOT gaining or losing.. This really stinks. I actually joined a gym about 14 months ago and I do go today 4-5 days a week. I love going to the gym but other then making me stronger and building my muscles I have not lost any inches nor weight!! I have had so many test done, thyroid is fine. I have gone through menopause, I have been on and off of hormone replacement, I do not sleep well and my life is full of major stress, I do eat very good and healthy, i cook my own food from mostly organics/fresh foods. I very REARLY do I eat out.. I even keep track of my food..I take suppliments and I am very very healthy ..I am not perfect with all this even after all these years but I do not get out of line much.. This NON weight loss is killing me..I work hard at the gym and I eat right but yet nothing is happening.. I am right now as I type having a very bad time dealing with all this. Something has to give here because all this along with these lingering symptoms of menopaus which by the way has been going on about 10 yrs now, well it is just about two much for me to bear emotionally.. Well if any of you have input that might help get me jump started,, Thanks alot for taking the time to read this and help out if you can.. Michele

Boy do you have a gorgeous smile, Liz. The kind that lights up a room! I know of your compassion from reading so many of your posts over this last year, and there it is in your eyes -- then and now. And you have purposeful hands -- the kind a painter likes to depict so something more is understood about the person when you notice the way they hold their fingers. I see a lot of intention there but of course I'm biased because I know what you have accomplished, how you grabbed a hold of your life and employed all your courage to go through joint replacement surgery. How you fought for that and lost the weight to make it happen, to get your life back. Your mobility. Your success. So I think in the "now" photo I see that courage and the pride of your having done all this, and gratitude. Joy. Let's face it, you're adorable, but the beauty of you is evident in both photos. You are definitely you. Look in the mirror at those beautiful eyes and thank yourself for everything it took to reclaim your health. I think many of us struggle with being seen for who we are, with being loved and understood, and we're afraid of being judged. I try to tell myself "receive graciously" when I'm told nice things about myself because for whatever reason it is hard to hear those things -- and harder still to feel them. So many little girls were brought up to be seen and not heard and it was always about how pretty, not how smart or gifted. Plus the not getting carried away with one's self part -- as if there were ever any chance of that! Just know you are lovely and worthy in both pictures but in the recent picture you are healthy and able to enjoy your life in a whole new way. I'm so happy for you! And I'm grateful for your posts -- you always get me thinking...

Hi apreezy1...are you taking pictures to record your weight loss? I had my surgery on Jan 5th and sometimes feel the same as you until I look at my pictures...only then do I see the difference. Remember this is a slow process, it will come off as long as we do what we are supposed to. Keep up the good work!!

Just to update, I did call the Dr and was able to get in today instead of on Jan 7 for my follow-up after my Dec 3 fill. I was able to eat over the holidays and did eat more than I should have. I was so afraid to step on his scale this morning. I thought for sure I would have gained 3-5 pounds but, to my surprise, I was down 1 pound. It doesn't make sense to me that I lost because I know I ate more than I had been eating right after surgery but I'll take it and run with it. My Dr is very conservative with fills he tells me so he added .75 to my already 3.5 filled band. So, I'm at 4.25 right now. He wanted to see me in 6 weeks so, I guess I'll see how this one works out. Happy New Year! I'm excited for this new start.

I got my lapband for the same reason , years of trying diets and loosing and putting it back on , I also realise it is just a tool but even so some of us will still have times when we struggle , I am doing the same , my dietition told me following surgery I would never need to go on a diet again , that may be true , at mo my weight has stuck and that is frustrating , my personal hell bandster style .

Yep, I think that 100%. Nuff said coz they'll only argue about it again and deny it and complain that its not their fault. Apart from the very few who actually do have medical/physical reasons for not losing weight, some of whom are people who for unknown reasons just CANT get their band to work right. Some people's bodies just dont seem to like lapbands. They're too tight, then they're too loose etc. Its realy hard for some.

Hey everyone, I'm sure everyone has heard someone say, "it doesn't matter what I do, I *can't* lose weight." They really seem to think they are doing a program correctly and just can't lose. Personally, I always think to myself, "well, then they aren't doing something right" (I'm not talking about people with a medical condition or something like that, I'm not trying to be offensive to anyone!!!) I completely understand...obviously I'm not losing weight, but it's b/c I'm unable to stick with any diet the way I need to, but I'm fully aware of it! But that is a whole different post, huh??? So, when I see banders and posts that say, "I'm not losing weight," yet there is really no explanation...it seems they think something is wrong, like the band is slipped, etc. I've posted a similar question, about gaining while banded, but I'm curious to opinions on this particular subject. I just can't imagine getting banded, eating waaaay less, but eating the appropriate amount and declaring it doesn't work. That would be horrible. Do you guys think that the same type of person who claims, "they did everything and can't lose weight" prebanded will have the same excuse/reasoning post banded?

Since my surgery a year ago I've lost about 60 lbs.- not alot compared to some. I've also noticed that I lost weight differently now than in the past. I used to see a steady weight lose but now it seems as though all of a sudden anywhere from 5-8 lbs. just come off. Is it my body changing with menopause- I'm 48- or perhaps the band creates a different type of weight lose. One thing though that makes a HUGE difference is mixing up exercise. As soon as my body adjusts to a routine I stop and go to something different it's not always easy but it does seem to make a difference. Has anyone else noticed that the weight comes off differently since their surgery?

Hi Pat, My weight loss is a combination of what I lost before the surgery, 15 pounds, and then after the surgery. I actually need to update again. Since I had my first fill on 1/16 I've lost some more, now putting me to a total of 41 pounds, 26 since the surgery. I'm sure the only reason I've lost more than you is because I have more to loss. Good luck to you!

Hi Becky, I am waiting to hear from my insurance. Your weight loss is unbelievable. Is that typical? You are doing great. I hope my experience will be as good as yours.

WOW Becky! Congrats on your weight loss! I have a fairly high tolerance for pain, so I am hoping my recovery goes as well as yours did! I cannot wait. I don't have a date set yet, but very, very soon!

Congratulations!! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: I really think you did the right thing. For the next month or so you still need to focus on healing so take it easy on yourself and don't expect huge weight loss right now. Soon enough you'll be healed up and on with your bandster journey. Good job!

ousooner Thanks for your post. Congrats on your loss. That is great only one pound to go. I am going to have is done. I really want to be there for my children. My son is already eating the wrong foods so I am think after I have my surgery we can all eat much healthier. I am excited to be able to play with my children on a physical level. I know that this is the right decision. I am lucky enough to do it while I am young and healthy ( other than my weight ). I hope that I have a success story to tell someone in my position someday. Thank you all for your posts they have helped a lot.

Try not to listen to them :-) . Really. Its very natural to have second thoughts but its really misplaced self judgement that causes them, not anything real. If you were having your gall bladder removed or an angioplasty or repair to a broken bone, you wouldnt be having second thoughts becuase it wouldnt be your fault right? Well its not you're fault you're having this surgery either. As far as surgical procedures go, this is a very safe, short and uncomplicated one in 99.9% of cases. It really really helped me to think of my weight problem as something broken, and that I would not hestiate to have surgery to fix my stupid troublesome ankle, nor did I even think about a planned caesarean for my third baby (and there were two lives at stake there!). Its really no different. Something is broken and you're fixing it. Its time to stop the self recrimination and just get on with the job of what you need to do to get better. And your surgery is the very first step in that process. Dont worry, there's plenty of hard work to follow, you'll feel like youve done it yourself, that's for sure. In six months time you'll be feeling pride in your achievements. This is a beginning, not some terrible ending that you've come to.

I agree 100% that it's frustrating to read others post that they cannot lose weight with the band. Like the previous postings... it is because they are not honest to themselves about what they are or are not doing. The band is a tool and that is it... You still must work very hard. Something as small as not getting enough water can keep you from losing. Theres rules to the band that must be followed if they want to receive the results they wanted when they got the band.

I am writing this for all those who are struggling with the idea of "am I too tight?", "I'm hungry but I can't eat anything...". I just spent the worst 2 weeks of my lapband experience, suffering from the "too tight" affliction, and let me tell you, NEVER AGAIN! Up until my last fill, I've had a pretty dream run of things. No great post-op hassles, first 3 fills of 1ml each were space 1 month apart and came in just at the right times. 4th fill of 0.5ml 2 months after that also went well - great restriction but not too much. After 3 months, when my appetite was starting to rage again, and I was eating 1.5+ cups of solid food at every meal and fighting the urge to snack in between, I knew it was time for fill #5. The doc put in 0.5ml again and warned me to do liquids for a couple of days and ease back into solids after that. Unfortunately, that night I couldn't even manage thick Soups and ended up PBing half the night, till I remembered my emergency anti-nausea pills. I went back to clear consommes for Day 2 and creamed soups for Day 3 but couldn't move past them for a while. By Day 6, I was managing mushies but had to fly back to work and that, combined with getting my ToM a couple of days later set me right back to clear consommes again - anything thicker and I chucked my ring up. I lived like that for the next 8 days but could never get past soups and on a good day, mushies. Let me tell you folks, that is NO WAY to live! I booked the unfill before I came home (got home last night) and just had 0.25ml taken out today - ahhh sweet relief! This morning, I was gurgling and burping over a cup of coffee. This evening, I had a small chicken & vege thingie in filo pastry - delicious, and FILLING and no burping, no sliming, no pain! Best of all is that now I've eaten it, I'M NOT HUNGRY ANY MORE!! What I noticed more than anything with that overfill, was that even when I was gurgling and burping, sliming and PBing, I was HUNGRY in between and kept trying to push past what I was capable of eating. It was so hard not to just get in the habit of eating slider foods and saying to myself "at least I'll lose weight". Of course, the only solid things I could eat in all that time were cheesecake and Cookies... but healthy solid veges and lean meat - not a chance! If any of you are thinking to yourselves "I'm really uncomfortable, but I don't want to take the fill out in case I start to gain", please PLEASE take a leaf out of my book. When you are too tight, the only thing that goes down easily is crap and you won't lose weight eating crap! Life on the band is not meant to be not eating at all! It's not meant to be living on soups and mushies! You need to eat solid, healthy veges and meat and you won't feel hungry! Stay too tight and you'll be miserable, eat fattening non-nutritious foods and will be HUNGRY all the time! Don't do it!!!

Everything you see on TV about drastic weight loss suggests that most of us are in for a tt in our future, but have ya'll noticed, the plastic surgery shows are ALWAYS about bypass patients? I've yet to see one that dealt with the slower weight loss strategy of the lapband. I'd like to see that changed. Meanwhile, maybe I'll invent "flesh colored" duct tape!! ha

I've had two tummy surgeries (c section and appendix) the appendix surgery left me with a scar from my hip to my belly button and even at my smallest weight I could not get my apron to disapear. For me I would need surgery to remove the skin. If your young you probably have a good shot of reducing it with exercise. Even thoug I know mine won't go flat, I'm still going to do exercise to reduce it. Good luck !!!

Hi Sherri, First, there is NO dumping syndrome with banding. Our anatomy and digestive processed are not altered, so there is no way anything like that could occur. There are certainly foods that people have trouble tolerating for one reason or another, and one thing I've found is that with weight loss I'm more sensitive to the ingredients in things (such as caffeine, and especially the MSG in Chinese food). I've just had to cut down a little. It is NOT the same thing as dumping syndrome. As for slippage, usually the symptoms are a dramatic change in restriction. Slippage can be severe or slight, and sometimes a slight slippage has no detectable symptoms. But a severe slippage can make it impossible to eat or drink, or can cause serious reflux. When that happens, the first line of defense is an unfill, which can sometimes fix the problem completely.

Thank you very much! I am very proud of myself...i'll be even prouder once I get back on my weight loss track..the holidays were killer...yes I should have tried tuna salad but I was starving and thought i'd be ok...yikes was I wrong!! I feel like 18 lbs isnt much especially compared to some of you guys but I figure that's 18 gone forever, i've been going through a bit of a downer stage lately since this fill has cut me down sooo much, but i'm learning to get over it...it's just so weird...my SO was chowing down last night and I was sitting there thinking wow I used to be able to outeat him and now I get practically nothing...it was so weird....Anyway, thanks for your replies Marie and the congratulations, I appreciate it so much!

as everyone knows my band was removed due to erosion on 11/28. I know that my band is not there but it sure feels like it is.... This is weird! I have PBed everyday for a week and I can only eat a small amount. I have also lost 8 lbs in 2 weeks.. I have not lost any weight in months... My band is gone,now I am losing weight... what is up with that? Am I just loosing my mind?

Dear Nathalie, I heard that from the professionals in my program as well... including doctors, nurses, and therapists... however, RNY was a definite NO for me, so they finally agreed to do the lapband. (Though I could tell by the looks I got that they didn't think it would be very successful.) I was going through some major changes in my life as well and had struggled (and I mean struggled!) to get just nine pounds off before the surgery. (They would have been much happier with more weight loss before surgery, and I probably have "not very compliant" written somewhere all over my charts! LOL) Well, I am eight months out and down 91 pounds and still losing! YAY! YOUR determination is what will make it work for you. I didn't want to compromise my health with the RNY and I AM SO GLAD I didn't. My "gut feeling" (no pun intended! LOL) was to do the lapband. Everyone is different, and many do better with bypass, but for me, I KNEW I didn't want to go that route and I was determined to make this work and it is! YAY! It really is YOUR decision. Their advise is helpful and certainly to be considered, but in the end it is YOUR body. SO, READ, READ, READ everything you can get your hands on so you can make an informed decision for YOURSELF! Blessings to you, Mary

Honestly, I'm surprised there is that much in my band. I haven't had any stuck episodes and can eat pretty much anything. Since I went on solid foods (3rd week after surgery) I stay satisfied for at least 4 hours between meals. I thought that was because I'm eating too much since I haven't been measuring my food. I've been measuring time. I wait 1 minute between each bite and eat for 20-25 minutes. I guess it's been the band the whole time. I haven't lost as much weight post op as I wish (about 14 lbs in 5 weeks), but I guess that's decent. I'm going to stop eating what I want (in small doses) and start doing low carb. Hopefully this will make the weight really drop off.

Mine was hilarious. I had 2 sessions the first one we went over my weight loss history and then I took a 166 question test that covered about 5 subjects. 1.Family 2.abuse 3.drugs/alcohol 4.religion 5.eating habits My favortie question was number 88 where it asked me (they were all true/false) I am answering this test truthfully T/F? When I got the results back I scored very high (you want to score between 65-80) on the religion part (100%). All she said was religion can be a helpful tool so if you ever feel depressed you may want to look for a religious belief. Hope this helps

Congrats to both Mindy ad isign. I'm always thrilled to see people close to their goal on this site. My doc keeps saying that loss of 50% of excess weight is the norm and we should be hapy if we achieve that.