I'm even a failure at the band (vent)!!!(HELP PLZ)

[marfar7 1,532]

Please help! I was banded Oct 1, 2009 - over 7 mths ago. I've only lost 30 lbs - and I am hungry all the time. I don't get full at meals. But, I still find myself vomiting about 2x a week from getting stuck. So I know my band is tight. Can my band be tight and me be able to eat almost anything I want, as much as I want? I thought I would feel full after a few bites, but it doesn't work. I've had 4 fills so far, my next ones due June 10th.

I started going to the gym about 6 weeks ago and even have a personal trainer. I'm losing inches (they weigh/measure me every 2 wks) and I lost 4 lbs over the past 2 weeks , but that's all due to good old fashioned willpower. I thought the band would help with my willpower, make it easier to push the plate away. I was hoping to lose my 100 lbs in 1 yr - doesn't look like that's gunna happen. There's some people on here that have lost 80 lbs since Oct - and I'm at 30.I know, I know people lost at different rates - but 30 lbs and 7 1/2 mths is pathetic. And I just keep gaining/losing the same 4 lbs. Help please!

Edited May 16, 2010 by marfar7

[k-baby 0]

That is so frustrating - I know how annoyed I get when I am stuck in a bit of a hole but I have seen results in the long term which makes it easier for me to work through those periods. Can I ask what types of foods you are eating? I have not lost any weight for 3 months but I have been eating a lot of unhealthy foods - I often fool myself saying that I am only eating a small amount, which is true but it is still too much to lose weight.

Also, do you have any support network to help you focus on your eating? They say 70% of dieting is the food that you eat. I have had success with a Protein rich diet, takes a couple of weeks of willpower but after that the cravings really seem to disappear. Aside from that, perhaps try something really different, Reiki or Accupuncture - just a different focus for a little while - might just jump start you? Good luck

[LeighaMason 19]

I don't think getting stuck is a indicator of restriction. You can get stuck by taking too big of bites. eating too fast or eating the wrong foods long before you get to the point of good restriction. I was hungry until my 5th fill, actually it was about 10 days after that fill that I quit being so hungry. When you say you can eat "anything you want" that tells me you don't have real restriction yet. Hang in there, get your fills, and don't give up.

[BetsyB 9]

I agree with Leigha. The fact that foods sometimes get stuck doesn't mean you're at the right level of restriction.

You're NOT a failure! The band is not failing you, either. You've just seem to have made a decision about whether you need a fill based on information that doesn't really tell the right story.

Stuck-ness is not really a measure of appropriate restriction. It tells us more about user error and, even more often, about certain foods that aren't as compatible with the band as we'd hoped they'd be.

Getting another fill may well push you into the green zone---where you feel satisfied longer, and aren't white-knuckling for each and every pound lost.

[Queen Fig 0]

You need another fill! I had only lost about 25lbs and I was banded a couple of weeks after you in November. I just got my 5th fill and asked the doctor to make it VERY tight. I finally have good restriction and the weight is just falling off. I have to take teeny-tiny bites (like the size of a pencil eraser!) and chew like crazy, but that's okay with me as long as the weight is coming off. I sometimes mistake the stuck feeling for the full feeling. So, when I think I am stuck now, I am actually full on the 1/2 cup of food we are supposed to be eating.

Good Luck! Just know that it will get better. I wish someone had told us that it could be 6+ months before you REALLY start losing!:redface:

[jldchester 0]

Go ahead and vent away. Just know you are not alone. I am 8 months out and only at the 31 pound mark. It is so frustrating. Just when I got restriction....I started having gas and bloating issues. Had an unfill gained 6 pounds. Now back to the 7.1 cc's where I was before (3 1/2 weeks out) and have lost 1 pound. And guess what? Friday started with the gas and bloating again. I feel like a complete failure. I know a couple ladies who have had it done with alot more success. Hopefully we will start moving in the right direction. Just might take us a little longer. It does sound like you need a fill.

[mominkansas 2]

could you give us an example of your daily menu?

[esv2000 0]

I had surgery in June 2009 that is 10 months ago and I have lost only 30lbs so far. I am happy for my slow loss bcoz it is better to lose some than gain. I wish I have lost 60-80lbs like others by now. It took 5-6 fills before I felt the restriction. Now I eat very less, dont feel constantly hungry but I am not loosing fast. I am taking it at face value as there are no other options for me. I do have some drawbacks though as I am still eating sweets and going to gym only 2x a week. If I can work on some of the issues may be I will lose some more weight but willpower is not there.

Hang in, think positive.....things will be better slowly.:thumbup:

[notateechanow 7]

Saw your heading and knew I had to respond. I'm about 2.5 years post banding now and am pretty sure I lost about 60-65 pounds in the first year. Yes, like you, I knew people who lost significantly more in the first year and it frustrated the heck out of me. Worse, though, I lost more than 75 pounds in 6 months on Weight Watchers 6 years prior....but found it again. As someone who has been there, made progress, and MOST importantly, KEPT OFF THE WEIGHT THIS TIME....keep at it. I hit the 100 pound mark about a year and a half after I had surgery. I would have loved to hit it faster, but when I look back at pictures, it was all worth it.

The best advice I can give is----don't give up. Continue to work with your trainer. Take measurements as those will be a better indicator of your efforts. I often gain when I workout---because I retain Water and gain a whole lot of muscle. Your clothes will fit you better and differently. Don't allow the scale to be your sole indicator. Do you have access to a dietician or a nutritionist? Mine has been invaluable.

This is a really slow journey----it's worth it. I'm sorry you're frustrated, but as someone who has been exactly where you are, please believe me when I tell you it all adds up! :thumbup:

[KathleenZ 0]

I know exactly how you feel, I'm 8 months out, have 9cc's in an 11cc band (yes I'm still hungry) and have only lost about 25 lbs since the surgery. My surgeon said that the surgery is generally most successful for people in whom their appetite is decreased after surgery. I'm not one of those, yet no help was offered to diminish the appetite. Very frustrating. Yes, I'm exercising, and at times I've tried a 750-1000 diet to get things moving, no no avail. I too throw up often, but it's more because of the air trapped in the upper pouch. Once I toss my Cookies, I burp and feel better.

So, in addition to diet and exercise, I'm back on the diet pill merry go round. It's the only thing that seems to get the scale moving down. I'm not gaining weight, for which I'm grateful, and I did lose weight when I was on a 500 cal a day diet, but I got woosey after about 3 days and couldn't function.

Try different food combinations, less carbs, more Protein. See if that helps. I know how you feel and it's awful to know that you have gone to the extreme of having your body cut open and it still isn't helping. What to do next?

[notateechanow 7]

I know exactly how you feel, I'm 8 months out, have 9cc's in an 11cc band (yes I'm still hungry) and have only lost about 25 lbs since the surgery. My surgeon said that the surgery is generally most successful for people in whom their appetite is decreased after surgery. I'm not one of those, yet no help was offered to diminish the appetite. Very frustrating. Yes, I'm exercising, and at times I've tried a 750-1000 diet to get things moving, no no avail. I too throw up often, but it's more because of the air trapped in the upper pouch. Once I toss my Cookies, I burp and feel better.

So, in addition to diet and exercise, I'm back on the diet pill merry go round. It's the only thing that seems to get the scale moving down. I'm not gaining weight, for which I'm grateful, and I did lose weight when I was on a 500 cal a day diet, but I got woosey after about 3 days and couldn't function.

Try different food combinations, less carbs, more Protein. See if that helps. I know how you feel and it's awful to know that you have gone to the extreme of having your body cut open and it still isn't helping. What to do next?

OMG---that's super low in calories!!! If you're exercising, are you eating ENOUGH?! Do you guys have access to a nutritionist or dietician? Most insurance companies pay for it, and I was fortunate enough to have one in my program---who works with LB and GB patients. I felt very much the same way around 6-7 months out from surgery. I met with my nutritionist because I was working out at least 5-6 days a week for at least an hour to an hour and a half and my weight loss stalled. I was put up to 100-120 grams of Protein a day instead and it made a world of difference! While this was a ton of work, it feels like you're working too hard at this and something needs to be tweaked. I'd hope that a proper fill level should rid you of that gnawing hunger, too.....have you revisited your surgeon? Someone (if not you) has paid good money for this and you should be getting support. I'm so sorry you guys are having such struggles---but please know that it is absolutely normal to have these problems! Keep in touch with others like you just to validate your efforts and to remind you that you're not crazy. Stay with it!

[KathleenZ 0]

Thanks for your encouraging words. I've been to see my surgeon numerous times...been to 3 different nutritionists over the past 2-3 years, REALLY don't want to hear the 'muscle weighs more than fat' argument. I've been fat for nearly 20 years and have tried more things than I care to recall, been to more drs, tried various pills, shots, done more 'programs': high carb, low carb, food combos, a bunch of exercise, light on the exercise, actually gained weight on weight watchers -- yes I followed the plan!

All I get is 'watch what you eat and exercise.' Well DUH! Anyway, don't want to be a downer, but just get frustrated when it seems like everyone around you is doing great, and you aren't. I don't expect 10 lbs a week, but 1-2 would be spiffy. Onward and upward. No where to go but forward!

[notateechanow 7]

Kathleen---

I'm totally with you---I don't believe that muscle weighs more than fat, but I will tell you that when I workout, I do retain far more Water than without working out. With that said, I'm about 40 pounds above being at a normal BMI. I'm not fighting it. I'm tired of fighting. Am I accepting mediocrity? Perhaps...but I'm maintaining. I've been at this weight for over a year. I think---as you've mentioned---you need to get to know your own body. Make one change every few weeks so you can accurately track how that change affects you. For me, it was increasing my Protein to nearly 2 or 3 times what I was consuming before. I've never before been told to eat more, but this time I was. I found that using a journal and tracking everything and being super careful with measurements was essential for me. With that said, I don't agree with people who say it's simple math---that calories in versus those burned should be how to figure it out. We all react very differently to different kinds of food, exercise, etc. I'm sensitive to carbs, sugar, and sodium--which doesn't leave much else! I just have to limit what I take in. I'm sorry you're struggling. I hope that you are able to figure out what it is that's keeping you from losing---for me it was sleep and emotional baggage. I started sleeping more and dumped the baggage and felt physically better immediately. Hope you can find some relief. :thumbup:

[jtreece 0]

I got banded a week after you and I'm in the same boat. I have a 14cc band and only 7cc in it. I'm still losing at a snail's pace :thumbup: but I'm not gaining. I have had 3 fills and 1 unfill so it's been a difficult time trying to find the right amount with a very conservative doctor. I would love to get to the point where the weight falls off but for now it's still a couple pounds a month. But I feel better in so many regards that I'm willing to go slow if it means I'll keep it off. It's is so hard not to get discouraged when you see people saying they lost 50lbs 3 months out. I just figure that no matter how long the journey, we'll all be at the same destination. Keep your chin up. You are not alone!!!

[okiegirl79 1]

well...let me just jump on this frustration bandwagon with you guys. I was banded on 10/14/09 and have lost 37 pounds. I work out like crazy..as a matter of fact I just finished a month of "boot camp" and only lost three pounds. I am so close to getting under the 200 mark I can taste it..but week after week nothing. I have 6.2 cc's in a 10 cc band and am thinking I will get another fill next week. It is hard when we see everyone around us being banded at the same time losing 60-100 pounds.

i could really use an e-mail support buddy in the same boat if anyone is interested. we could help one another and share info....

hang in there guys!:thumbup: