IT ISN'T HELPING, ANY SUGGESTIONS

[GORDITA32 0]

I GOT MY LAP BAND 2 MONTHS AGO, AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE LOST AROUND 30 POUNDS (I WAS OVER 400) IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF MY SELF CONTROLL, MY BAND ISN'T REALLY HELPING. I GOT THE BAND HOPING THAT IT WOULD HELP ME FEEL FULL AND EAT LESS BUT RIGHT NOW I AM DOING IT ON MY OWN AND IT IS SOOOO HARD. MAYBE I AM JUMPING THE GUN AND NEED TO GIVE IT MORE TIME BUT WHEN DOES IT START HELPING?

[SuzanneCollins 0]

I GOT MY LAP BAND 2 MONTHS AGO, AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE LOST AROUND 30 POUNDS (I WAS OVER 400) IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF MY SELF CONTROLL, MY BAND ISN'T REALLY HELPING. I GOT THE BAND HOPING THAT IT WOULD HELP ME FEEL FULL AND EAT LESS BUT RIGHT NOW I AM DOING IT ON MY OWN AND IT IS SOOOO HARD. MAYBE I AM JUMPING THE GUN AND NEED TO GIVE IT MORE TIME BUT WHEN DOES IT START HELPING?

Everyone is different and most people will hit their "sweet spot" about 4-6 adjustments later. While some feel no hunger immediately after surgery, others don't, and some never at all. A few even elect to switch from the lap band to gastric bypass because they never feel satisfied. Rare, but it does happen. I would advise you to keep up the good work and address your hunger with your surgeon. Keep getting your fills and hopefully you'll find a happy medium soon!

Best wishes...

[Msbandtastic 1]

I GOT MY LAP BAND 2 MONTHS AGO, AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE LOST AROUND 30 POUNDS (I WAS OVER 400) IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF MY SELF CONTROLL, MY BAND ISN'T REALLY HELPING. I GOT THE BAND HOPING THAT IT WOULD HELP ME FEEL FULL AND EAT LESS BUT RIGHT NOW I AM DOING IT ON MY OWN AND IT IS SOOOO HARD. MAYBE I AM JUMPING THE GUN AND NEED TO GIVE IT MORE TIME BUT WHEN DOES IT START HELPING?

It is not going to start working until you start getting fills and it could take months for you to reach your ideal fill level or sweet spot. I have had two fills so far and no restriction yet. BUT my band is helping me in that it gives me hope for my future and I know it eventually will start working. This helps me to get through the hard times now. Choosing the lap band means a lot of hard work ahead of you but if you are willing to do the work, you can eventually reach your goal weight. Good luck.

[MaineJackie 3]

It can take a while to reach that elusive "sweet spot". I have done very well but I will admit, at time it hasn't been easy. But--it is better than pre-band. I no longer live to eat but eat to live......I know that the band doesn't take away hunger....hunger if normal. But when I really really really pay attention, it does help me feel satisfied.

If you had told me a year ago that I would be eating on average 900 calories a day--I would have said you were crazy. If you had said that I would no longer crave carbs---I wouldn't have believed you. If you had told me that it is possible to go through the day without eating chocolate/cookies/ice cream/chips.....I would have argued with you until the cows come home.

I am so proud of where I am right now. I would never have imagined it. food no longer controls me. If I really really really WANT chocolate/cookies/ice cream/chips....I can have a normal person sized portion. Something that 5 months ago, I would not have been able to do.

My suggestions? Do your very best to get through this time....focus on re-training your brain.....portion control, eating slowly, chewing...enjoying each bite....paying attention to the signals from your body that you are SATISFIED.........that comes with time.

Are there times when I want to keep on eating? Absolutely. But I am learning to listen to my body and realize I am satisfied....no longer hungry, but not over stuffed.

You can do it......this is for LIFE....some days will be good and some days not so much.

Jackie

[ElfiePoo 109]

I GOT MY LAP BAND 2 MONTHS AGO, AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE LOST AROUND 30 POUNDS (I WAS OVER 400) IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF MY SELF CONTROLL, MY BAND ISN'T REALLY HELPING. I GOT THE BAND HOPING THAT IT WOULD HELP ME FEEL FULL AND EAT LESS BUT RIGHT NOW I AM DOING IT ON MY OWN AND IT IS SOOOO HARD. MAYBE I AM JUMPING THE GUN AND NEED TO GIVE IT MORE TIME BUT WHEN DOES IT START HELPING?

It starts helping when you have enough fills to put pressure on those vagus nerves (which control the hunger). Some people get that with just the band. Most don't. Have you had your first fill yet? At 2 months, if you're hungry after a meal, you're overdue. You should be able to go 4 hours (assuming you're not also dealing with blood sugar issues) after a meal without hunger. If you have diabetes, I'd suggest eating every 2.5 hours...three main meals and a mini-Protein snack (hard boiled egg or 1-2 oz cheese, etc.) mid-meal.

My first fill was 3cc at one month post op. Then I had 1cc every 2-3 weeks.

.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Obviously this doctor has a self-interest in promoting the mini-bypass at his Center for Excellence in Laprascopic Surgery, but I think he makes a lot of good points and he absolutely nails it as far as my experience with the band is as well as why I got to be obese in the first place (big hunger and lots of food to satisfy it). I KNOW that this isn't the experience of all those who love their band and for whom it works but it's worth watching. I also checked his credentials and they are impressive - thousand of surgeries, been doing WLS for 20 years.

Here he discusses grehlin, the vagus nerve and how they relate to the RNY and lapband:

So, this isn't a call for everyone who loves their band to dispute what he says in post after post. We all know that it works wonderfully for many. This is to show the other side as to why it may not work for some of us - like me. And to at least acknowledge that the fault could lie with the band and not us and why.

[kcg 6]

Gordita - you need time. Most of the time, the band requires several fills (4-6) before one reaches restriction.

I was fortunate that soon after my op, I was restricted and did not feel hungry (still don`t experience hunger) so I managed to lose a few lbs. However, after the 1st fill, the band losened up and I could eat whatever I chose to so I had to monitor my intake.

On my 3rd fill, I met a lady at the fill centre who looked quite anorexic and had attended to unfill. She informed us that her first year was dissappointing since it was not until the second year that she started losing weight. That had been at the back of my mind throughout my journey.

I can`t say I did not winge and moan about the slow pace I was losing weight and the numerous stalls I went through but unconsciously, I knew that if I worked the tool and respected it a bit, I would reach my goal. It was difficult though. Well, I got there eventually. However, I should point out that not everyone succeed with the band.

You will get there so hang in there. The weight loss at 2 months is impressive so Celebrate that and keep up the good work. Good luck.

[HeatherinCA 10]

Adjustments help, I'm not hungry almost at all.. ever anymore

Make sure you only eat when you are physically hungry, and eat slowly, your mind can be a beeotch.

No grazing on food in between meals

don't drink while you eat.

exercise 5 days a week.

[hiddnstar 167]

I GOT MY LAP BAND 2 MONTHS AGO, AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE LOST AROUND 30 POUNDS (I WAS OVER 400) IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF MY SELF CONTROLL, MY BAND ISN'T REALLY HELPING. I GOT THE BAND HOPING THAT IT WOULD HELP ME FEEL FULL AND EAT LESS BUT RIGHT NOW I AM DOING IT ON MY OWN AND IT IS SOOOO HARD. MAYBE I AM JUMPING THE GUN AND NEED TO GIVE IT MORE TIME BUT WHEN DOES IT START HELPING?

Hang in there! I love your self control! I often simply pretend I cannot eat very much -- it is not the band that stops me. I agree with what others have said about giving the band some time, get a few fills, and be patient.

Once you learn how to use the band -- what it can and can't do for you --- you'll be just fine. You'll find that sweet spot and the weight will come tumbling off! Your band is your new weight loss partner.

Keep your eyes on the prize

~hiddn

[ElfiePoo 109]

Cleo...great video and, even though my band is working for me at the moment in controlling hunger most days, I know it's because it's putting enough pressure (when I eat) on the vagus nerves. He talks about cutting the vagus nerve while doing the mini bypass. I'm wondering why bother doing the bypass and not just cut that vagus nerve. I'll bet in the not so far future that's going to be *the* WLS.

.

[Phranp 46]

Cleo...great video and, even though my band is working for me at the moment in controlling hunger most days, I know it's because it's putting enough pressure (when I eat) on the vagus nerves. He talks about cutting the vagus nerve while doing the mini bypass. I'm wondering why bother doing the bypass and not just cut that vagus nerve. I'll bet in the not so far future that's going to be *the* WLS.

.

You make a good point, Melody. Why not just cut the vagus nerve? IMO, the reason is because not everyone is overweight because of constant physical hunger, and to discover the true reason for obesity in each person before deciding which surgery is the right one would take more time and effort than many doctors (and/or patients) are willing to put into it. Add to that the fact that insurance companies are looking at their "bottom line" at ALL times, it would seem that generalizing about the reasons for obesity is the easiest path. I have for years thought that I was different from my (always thin) sister. I thought that she didn't get hungry EVER, and, to an extent this is true. After much therapy I learned to pay attention to what I was actually feeling BEFORE I ate the cake, candy, mac & cheese, etc. I discovered (and this was before lap band surgery) that my stomach was not hungry. I wanted to eat because I had a need to stuff down my feelings and using food (a habit learned in childhood) was my vehicle for doing that. Since being banded I feel even less physical hunger than I did before surgery. I get weak and lose energy, but my stomach rarely growls. So, for me, restriction is important. It makes a difference because it stops me before I have done damage to my weight loss efforts. Restriction gives me time to think about the "why" when I want to eat more after I am full. You say that you continue to feel hunger (only not as much), and that you are able to eat large amounts of food, but you don't. You make a conscious choice to stop eating. For me, making that choice was my greatest challenge. This says to me, that whether you have head hunger or physical hunger, it still comes down to making a decision that will get us to our goal weight. Making a decision to change our lifestyle as it pertains to food so that we can keep the weight off. So, cutting the vagus nerve AND doing the mini bypass is kind of a "catch all" if you will. It will help those with constant hunger, while at the same time helping those that eat even when not hungry. Just my opinion.

~Fran

[Cleo's Mom 257]

I think we all got obese for different reasons - there is even a thread on here somewhere that asks that question.

Some have been overweight or obese all their lives. Some, like me, started out skinny or normal weight and gradually got obese.

I come from a long line of obese family members, most of whom got that way in adulthood. I definitely inherited my dad's appetite. He was a volume eater. He didn't care what he ate whether it was healthy foods or whatever, just so that he ate. Growing up we didn't have fast food restaurants or eat out. So, he would snack on a sandwich and milk, or make jelly bread if there wasn't dessert (which there rarely was) or have some Cereal.

I was a skinny kid and I could eat a lot and stay thin. I was one of those people who others would say "I don't know how you eat so much and stay thin." But, I ate when hungry, stopped when satisfied and didn't think of food again until I was hungry.

All that changed in my late 20's. My metabolism slowed, my appetite was the same and I started putting on a little weigh for the first time in my life and it scared me. I went to WW when I weighed 136 (at almost 5'6") and thus started a lifetime of dieting, failing, regaining, etc..the whole yo-yo dieting that everyone does. I tried all the diets that everyone else has. All of this just caused me to be hungry, feel deprived and obsess about food. Nothing addressed my appetite.

Now fast forward almost 4 decades and the more I read about the whole process between your brain, stomach, appetite, hunger, and satiety, I am convinced that something doesn't work right for me in all this process. Something is broken. Whether it is genetic or anatomical, I don't know, but I do know that it takes more food to satisfy me than I can afford to eat in calories.

I thought the band would take care of this, but it hasn't. And I can eat enough to be satisfied but like I said it requires more calories than my body burns.

So here I am still living with the hunger and depending on willpower to be successful. I mean I have gone as far as I can go with the healthy food choices and exercise.

Obesity and weight loss is not a one-size-fits all problem but I think the medical community often treats it as such. When you say that no one wants to take the time to find the root cause of your obesity, you are right.

[Phranp 46]

I think we all got obese for different reasons - there is even a thread on here somewhere that asks that question.

Some have been overweight or obese all their lives. Some, like me, started out skinny or normal weight and gradually got obese.

I come from a long line of obese family members, most of whom got that way in adulthood. I definitely inherited my dad's appetite. He was a volume eater. He didn't care what he ate whether it was healthy foods or whatever, just so that he ate. Growing up we didn't have fast food restaurants or eat out. So, he would snack on a sandwich and milk, or make jelly bread if there wasn't dessert (which there rarely was) or have some Cereal.

I was a skinny kid and I could eat a lot and stay thin. I was one of those people who others would say "I don't know how you eat so much and stay thin." But, I ate when hungry, stopped when satisfied and didn't think of food again until I was hungry.

All that changed in my late 20's. My metabolism slowed, my appetite was the same and I started putting on a little weigh for the first time in my life and it scared me. I went to WW when I weighed 136 (at almost 5'6") and thus started a lifetime of dieting, failing, regaining, etc..the whole yo-yo dieting that everyone does. I tried all the diets that everyone else has. All of this just caused me to be hungry, feel deprived and obsess about food. Nothing addressed my appetite.

Now fast forward almost 4 decades and the more I read about the whole process between your brain, stomach, appetite, hunger, and satiety, I am convinced that something doesn't work right for me in all this process. Something is broken. Whether it is genetic or anatomical, I don't know, but I do know that it takes more food to satisfy me than I can afford to eat in calories.

I thought the band would take care of this, but it hasn't. And I can eat enough to be satisfied but like I said it requires more calories than my body burns.

So here I am still living with the hunger and depending on willpower to be successful. I mean I have gone as far as I can go with the healthy food choices and exercise.

Obesity and weight loss is not a one-size-fits all problem but I think the medical community often treats it as such. When you say that no one wants to take the time to find the root cause of your obesity, you are right.

LOL Cleo's mom .. I accidentally hit "reply" to your quote instead of elfipoo (Melody), sorry about that. But, of course you are right, there are many different reasons that each of us is overweight. I know that if I were in your shoes with not getting results with the band, I would be incredibly frustrated. But even with that, you have done an amazing job on your own. Good luck as you continue your journey!

~Fran