Let's be honest....please!

[ParaGirl 71]

Thank you for your story. I know how it feels too. I will eat if I can get it down. The feeling of fullness that we are supposed to feel isnt the same as without the band. Before, feeling full was in the belly area. But now it is in the throat area. Does that make sense?

I have started my journey over with a nice fill yesterday and am ready to get to losing.

Please dont give us.

[ParaGirl 71]

oops, that was supposed to say, please dont give UP

[RobinJ 0]

I also am a low BMI'er, I started at 190 pre-surgery and it has been 14 months since I have been banded. I have to be honest I stayed at 185 for about eight months. Reasons: tiny fills, a flipped port (more surgery), drinking alcohol heavily on the weekends, and eating junk food despite my continued exercise for the entire 14 months. I was frustrated with the band and felt like such a failure. Although I was happy with those who were losing weight, I had to stop coming to the site out of anger - mostly at myself. Especially because I have high blood pressure and diabetes. So six months ago I would've agreed with every word in your post and I even thought about getting the sleeve.

Things changed after I decided I was not going to let $8,000 be thrown down the drain. So again I reread the posts and decided to follow the plan to the letter.

The result was a 25 pound weight loss in six months (great for a low BMIer). Of course I stopped drinking, and finally reached my sweet spot at 7 cc in a 10cc band. Eating Protein with every meal was difficult as I used to be a heavy carbs eater but I stayed full a lot longer. I was convinced I could not lose weight but viewing the band as only a tool allowed me to use the other essential weight loss tools as well. The biggest tool for me is not eating after six o'clock unless it was a piece of fruit...I was hungry for about a week and then my body became used to eat.

Please give it another try...but have a plan that includes exercise. Believe me I am an emotional eater as well, but no weight loss surgery will work permanently unless we decide to change our destructive habits. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck.

[Want To Be Thin 0]

I am so glad you were honest. I have seriously said the same thing. This is why I paid out of pocket to make this band keep me from eating. Cause i like you will find a way to get it down.

Let me start by saying, I am very happy for those of you that this procedure worked for!

It could be that I had a low BMI and needed to lose only 40-50 pounds which doesn't seem like a lot to some of you but I seriously have battled with my weight the same way as you. Was called fat in grammer school, and by my sister growing up. I am an emotional eater or just say an eater. If I can get it down the pipe I am going to consume more than I need to.

The only way this band worked for me is by getting it filled tight enough so nothing but liquid could get down and I would vomit every time I would eat. I tried the proper tightness but like I mentioned above If I can get it down I will eat till the cows come home!

After my band was in and I started to get my fills and I would go back with no success, my doctor would say to me, well are you eating the right food and exercising? I thought to myself, you moran if I could do that I wouldn't need the band now would I?

So what I am trying to say is this band was NOT a success for me and they should have a forum on that however most of the unsuccessful people are eating right now and don't really care about this forum.

Again, the only way I was succcessful with the band was to get it filled to the degree only liquid would stay down (and that took a lot of fills to get it just right) and if I did eat I would vomit it back up! Going out on a date was always a disaster, "oh will you excuse me I have a problem with my esphogus" and I would leave the table to go puke. Lukily, I never got to thin where they would suspect bulimia.

Thank you for reading and I am happy for the ones that are successful!!! My next procedure will probably be the sleeve???? That will be when I can get save up enough money to do it being that I probably spent almost 20K in surgery and fills, etc.

I would love to hear from anyone that has had the same experience as I have. I do know one thing when I told my doctor I wanted the sleeve he said, I've been hearing that alot!! So be sure this is the right procedure for you.

[Sunshine40 0]

Amen sister! I've been banded for 7yrs and have yet to find the sweet spot. I have trained with personal trainers, ate healthy, done multiple triathlons, half marathon and still I am the big girl!

banded 9/2003 247#

now 206 size 14/16

Angela

I am so glad you were honest. I have seriously said the same thing. This is why I paid out of pocket to make this band keep me from eating. Cause i like you will find a way to get it down.

[Sunshine40 0]

I am in the same boat as you. So what did you do? Did you do the sleeve?

Let me start by saying, I am very happy for those of you that this procedure worked for!

It could be that I had a low BMI and needed to lose only 40-50 pounds which doesn't seem like a lot to some of you but I seriously have battled with my weight the same way as you. Was called fat in grammer school, and by my sister growing up. I am an emotional eater or just say an eater. If I can get it down the pipe I am going to consume more than I need to.

The only way this band worked for me is by getting it filled tight enough so nothing but liquid could get down and I would vomit every time I would eat. I tried the proper tightness but like I mentioned above If I can get it down I will eat till the cows come home!

After my band was in and I started to get my fills and I would go back with no success, my doctor would say to me, well are you eating the right food and exercising? I thought to myself, you moran if I could do that I wouldn't need the band now would I?

So what I am trying to say is this band was NOT a success for me and they should have a forum on that however most of the unsuccessful people are eating right now and don't really care about this forum.

Again, the only way I was succcessful with the band was to get it filled to the degree only liquid would stay down (and that took a lot of fills to get it just right) and if I did eat I would vomit it back up! Going out on a date was always a disaster, "oh will you excuse me I have a problem with my esphogus" and I would leave the table to go puke. Lukily, I never got to thin where they would suspect bulimia.

Thank you for reading and I am happy for the ones that are successful!!! My next procedure will probably be the sleeve???? That will be when I can get save up enough money to do it being that I probably spent almost 20K in surgery and fills, etc.

I would love to hear from anyone that has had the same experience as I have. I do know one thing when I told my doctor I wanted the sleeve he said, I've been hearing that alot!! So be sure this is the right procedure for you.

[klrromano 0]

Hi, I have just recently come back to this site and came across your posting. I have had my band since August 08 and I would never change a thing! I started this journey ay 309 lbs, and I am now 180lbs. When I went into this surgery I knew it was a lifetime commitment, and have stuck through its ups and downs. I still attend monthly support meetings and check in with my doctors. This surgery is a tool to be used along with changing your eating habits. Now don't get me wrong, I am far from perfect and still eat things that I shouldn't on occasion but you will never get the results from ANY surgery you have unless you make a change within yourself. The surgeon makes the stomach smaller but he doesn't shut the emotions off that are causing you to overeat or eat emotionally. You need to find it in you to make a change, start slow and take baby steps but in time it will all come together. I wish you the best of luck!

[Maddy O 0]

All of you don't realize how truly helpful you are to those of us still struggling. I am literally at the start of this road, and am honestly scared to death about the commitment - Can I do it? Will I succeed? Will I have enough willpower? And so on.

It TRULY helps to read how "I'll eat if I can get it down," and "oh this was sooo good and that was sooo good," and "I had feared that I was going to be in the same position as our thread starter. My relationship with food seemed so intense."

This IS hard. Especially for those of us who love to eat...which I do.

But, it can't be stressed enough that the Lap Band is NOT a cure, it's a tool...It's you guys and gals who ARE making it happen, who are helping the rest of us learn to accept and use this tool in the most effective way possible.

No, it's not for everyone, and I'm so sorry for those who don't succeed with it. Partly because I'm worried I may end up one of them.

But then one of you posts about your personal food addictions, and how you are dealing with them, and I go, "Oh! That sounds like me! If they can deal with it, then I can too!"

I believe that if you don't want it bad enough to make it work, nothing will help. If you do want it bad enough, and have a good physician to help, then you WILL make it work. If not a Lap Band, then possibly a sleeve or GB...

Thanks for sharing both sides of the story.

[readytoroll 1]

Hi my name is Linda and I was banded 8/15/08 and lost 10lbs and have gained it back. I think like you if I could only eat 4oz a meal 3times a day I would not need the band. I want to give it another chance. I dont want to give up.

Is it okay if I disagree with you? Because, with your larger "normal" stomach it is indeed close to impossible to only eat three 4 oz. meals a day because the signals of fullness come so much slower, and you will normally keep eating.

The point of the band (anyone chime in who thinks I am out in the left field or missing anything), is to create a small pouch above the normal stomach area so that the fullness happens quickly thus making you able to be okay with the 4 oz. 3 times a day. Simply, you should not be hungry after you eat that 4 oz. for a few hours. And, what are those 4 oz. consisting of? They have to consist of Protein, chewed thoroughly so that it passes through slowly, and gets absorbed. This is to protect your muscle mass, hair, etc. I DO believe this is what helps our lack of willpower by default.

[Donna B. 0]

Let me start by saying, I am very happy for those of you that this procedure worked for!

It could be that I had a low BMI and needed to lose only 40-50 pounds which doesn't seem like a lot to some of you but I seriously have battled with my weight the same way as you. Was called fat in grammer school, and by my sister growing up. I am an emotional eater or just say an eater. If I can get it down the pipe I am going to consume more than I need to.

The only way this band worked for me is by getting it filled tight enough so nothing but liquid could get down and I would vomit every time I would eat. I tried the proper tightness but like I mentioned above If I can get it down I will eat till the cows come home!

After my band was in and I started to get my fills and I would go back with no success, my doctor would say to me, well are you eating the right food and exercising? I thought to myself, you moran if I could do that I wouldn't need the band now would I?

So what I am trying to say is this band was NOT a success for me and they should have a forum on that however most of the unsuccessful people are eating right now and don't really care about this forum.

Again, the only way I was succcessful with the band was to get it filled to the degree only liquid would stay down (and that took a lot of fills to get it just right) and if I did eat I would vomit it back up! Going out on a date was always a disaster, "oh will you excuse me I have a problem with my esphogus" and I would leave the table to go puke. Lukily, I never got to thin where they would suspect bulimia.

Thank you for reading and I am happy for the ones that are successful!!! My next procedure will probably be the sleeve???? That will be when I can get save up enough money to do it being that I probably spent almost 20K in surgery and fills, etc.

I would love to hear from anyone that has had the same experience as I have. I do know one thing when I told my doctor I wanted the sleeve he said, I've been hearing that alot!! So be sure this is the right procedure for you.