Is your band working for you?

[babyk 1]

I am almost 8 months out. I have lost 15 pounds (which was at the very beginning) but have not lost anything since. I have to be honest, I did not stick to the plan until very recently but I just do not feel like my band is even in me. I get so depressed when I see how much weight everyone else is losing. I am more than thrilled for those who have been successful, i just wish I could join you guys and say that I have lost a huge amount of weight. Does anyone else feel like it's not working for them? And for those of you have have been successful, what have you been doing!? Any response is more than appreciated!

[CheckYes 46]

Hi,

I think if you stick with the plan consistently, you will see some movement on the scale. You said you haven't been following the plan until recently. Just give it some more time. Recommit yourself to this journey and buckle your seat belt.

You can do it. Sometimes turning over a new leaf is exactly the jump start you might need!

All the best,

[babyk 1]

Hi,

I think if you stick with the plan consistently, you will see some movement on the scale. You said you haven't been following the plan until recently. Just give it some more time. Recommit yourself to this journey and buckle your seat belt.

You can do it. Sometimes turning over a new leaf is exactly the jump start you might need!

All the best,

Thank you! I just don;t like the feeling of failure. obviously no one does, but it's hard to know that i risked my life to go in for surgery and i haven't done anything to change my eating habits until very recently.

[Dave_NW 92]

Thank you! I just don;t like the feeling of failure. obviously no one does, but it's hard to know that i risked my life to go in for surgery and i haven't done anything to change my eating habits until very recently.

I appreciate your frustration. It would be awful to go through all these steps and then have things stop cold like that. As I'm sure you know, banding isn't an instant solution - it's a process, and you have to work the band to get the best results.

You had your surgery three days before I started monitoring my weight through my surgeon's office. I was banded in December, and yes, the band is definitely working for me. I feel better than I have in years, and as of this morning's weigh in, I am at a weight I haven't seen in over ten years. I'm very pleased.

Having said that, it's also important to point out that I've also worked my butt off to get here. It wasn't automatic, and I had to pay close attention to what I was eating, when I was eating it, and how much exercise I was doing. Once I sorted things out, things have gone very well for me. But it took planning and foresight to stay on top of things.

I didn't strictly follow my surgeon's plan (or more properly, the nutritionist - I've only seen my surgeon a couple of times in passing since my surgery.) The nutritionist set some caloric levels that just didn't work for me. I wasn't losing anything much till I figured out that I needed to eat more calories. After adopting a kind of modified South Beach eating plan (higher Protein, lower glycemic carbs, and eating small meals every 3 to 4 hours), the weight started to drop off. I'm not hungry, I can eat most anything I want (within reason), and my weight loss is now fairly consistent.

I'd suggest you schedule a visit to your surgeon and talk about where you are, and what it will take to get back on track. You most likely need a fill or two to get some restriction, and some assistance getting your eating under control. The beauty of the band is it can be pretty forgiving - if you start working it right, it'll start working right for you.

Best of luck, and let's see those numbers start moving!

Dave

[zeniada 9]

Is the band working for me??? Well I am losing weight about 37lbs in the past 7 mos but at what cost...

I cant eat solid foods I get stuck and vomit 2-4 times a day, I miss chewing as all I can eat is liquids.

So is the band working to help me lose weight I suppose so but am I satisfied with my life NO

[reverie 49]

Yep I've had amazing success; wouldn't trade it for the world really, except for those mornings where I'm tighter than normal, but that's usually my own fault as I'm still learning to slow down.

Can't say I've done anything to special. Did low carb for the first 6-7 months, now I am eating normally, no low carb low fat low anything. I exercise my butt off, eat what I want within my calorie level and yeah. Have 11lbs to go.

Find what works for you weight-loss wise. When you start following your "plan' I think you'll see results. Also, have you gotten a fill? You say you feel like the band isn't even in you. Maybe you need a fill to slowly reach restriction. Good luck and know you have plenty of support here!

[Humming Bird 275]

The band has worked very well for me. I think the key was getting to a good restriction level early in my journey. How many fills have you had?

[tripletmomma2000 3]

The band has worked for me....... and I have totally worked the band. I have followed the rules completely. I haven't drank anything carbonated, I don't eat slider foods, I chew, chew, chew (and even still, I get stuck sometimes) I listen to my body, I eat at scheduled times, I try to exercise, and I eat normal sized portions.

I have had to completely dedicate myself to this...... and once I've lost all the weight, I have to completely dedicate myself to maintenance. This is a total lifestyle change, and the band has helped me right along the way. You'd have to pry my cold dead hands off my band in order for me to give it up.

I could certainly eat past this band if I wanted to. I don't want to. If I'm having a craving you know what I do? I drink flavored Water....... I'll drink one of those 16.9 ounce bottles, and take a quick walk if I can get out. 10 minutes later, I usually have beaten the craving.

You CAN do this...... I know you can!

[ElfiePoo 109]

You aren't alone. Read through enough of the threads and you'll find that you are *not* in the minority. It's just that those who are successful are more vocal. This is borne out by the statistics as well. One report I pulled up said that only 4 in 10 people are successful with the band...success wasn't even defined as losing all their excess weight. Success was if they lost 50% of their excess weight.

I think if you look at those who are successful, you'll find they all have something in common. They took control. They chose to make the right food choices and chose to put the fork down. Some might say, "well hell, if that's all it takes, why bother with the band?"...and that might be a valid question depending on why you're obese...and may explain why the failure rate is so high for the band.

In the end, success means changing they way we eat and, most likely, changing our lifestyle since (for most of us) everything seems to revolve around food...how we spend our spare time, what we enjoy doing and even our relationships. As our relationship to food changes, and it must, many of these other relationships will also change. Our success is going to depend on how willing we are to let them change.

I just had my band out and none of my weight loss can be attributed to any help from the band. I don't regret it because it forced me to take a serious look at my eating habits and, along the way discovered that my 'hunger' and physical cravings were caused by my body's inability to deal with most carbs. Now, as long as I avoid grains, fruit and starchy vegies...no hunger or cravings. Oh sure, it sucks that I can't eat them and every so often I rant about how it's 'just not fair' but then I put aside my inner 'child' and pull up my big girl pants and 'deal with it'.

So...stop 'wishing' and start 'doing'. Pick a plan - whether it's Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, etc. Pick something you can live with for life...and then just do it.

.

[crzyfry 0]

What does your surgeon say? Sounds like you have a slippage or your too tight! I hope you get that fix.

Is the band working for me??? Well I am losing weight about 37lbs in the past 7 mos but at what cost...

I cant eat solid foods I get stuck and vomit 2-4 times a day, I miss chewing as all I can eat is liquids.< /p>

So is the band working to help me lose weight I suppose so but am I satisfied with my life NO

[jingleboob 5]

You're not alone... I am also 8 months post op and am just now starting to like the band. It's only in the past few weeks I've felt "restriction" and what the band is made to do. Up until now I was sure I made a huge mistake and wasted a lot of money.

I lost more weight pre-op than I have in the 8 months I've had the band... but am finally losing again and hope this is "it".

[CheckYes 46]

The band has worked for me....... and I have totally worked the band. I have followed the rules completely. I haven't drank anything carbonated, I don't eat slider foods, I chew, chew, chew (and even still, I get stuck sometimes) I listen to my body, I eat at scheduled times, I try to exercise, and I eat normal sized portions.

I have had to completely dedicate myself to this...... and once I've lost all the weight, I have to completely dedicate myself to maintenance. This is a total lifestyle change, and the band has helped me right along the way. You'd have to pry my cold dead hands off my band in order for me to give it up.

I could certainly eat past this band if I wanted to. I don't want to. If I'm having a craving you know what I do? I drink flavored Water....... I'll drink one of those 16.9 ounce bottles, and take a quick walk if I can get out. 10 minutes later, I usually have beaten the craving.

You CAN do this...... I know you can!

I could have written this post. You and I are on the same page! I have followed the rules completely as well. Haven't had a bite of anything that I know are trigger foods for me since my surgery. I figure I might be able to try those things in moderation during maintenance but for now, my lifestyle change requires complete dedication too.

The Water trick is an excellent idea. I use it too but primarily because I don't drink at least 30 minutes before I eat. So, if I take a big chug of water or Crystal Light, I have to reset my countdown timer. That has helped me realize the difference between actual hunger and head hunger.

[Drasan 23]

I'm over a year out. My weight loss happened the first 6 weeks post-op. For the past year, I've been playing around with the same 5 lbs, up and down. I had 4 fills, none of which gave me restriction. Last week the surgeon decided to fill me under flouroscopy to give me a safe, maximum fill. Now, I've been posting on this board this morning about being stuck after eating my first solid food. Looks like I have restriction now! I just hope it's not too much and that I can make it work.

I initially lost weight and I've kept it off, that I'm grateful for. But over the past year, I wanted more help from my band than I got. If I could control my eating on my own, I wouldn't need the band. Right?

I'm stuck for the second time this morning .. and it HURTS. I'm slimming and coughing and it's disgusting. I don't want to call my surgeon cause I don't want an unfill. I want restriction, I want this to work. It's so frustrating.

So, is the band working for me? So far, not like I'd hoped. But I am still hopeful, is that crazy?

[Phranp 46]

I'm over a year out. My weight loss happened the first 6 weeks post-op. For the past year, I've been playing around with the same 5 lbs, up and down. I had 4 fills, none of which gave me restriction. Last week the surgeon decided to fill me under flouroscopy to give me a safe, maximum fill. Now, I've been posting on this board this morning about being stuck after eating my first solid food. Looks like I have restriction now! I just hope it's not too much and that I can make it work.

I initially lost weight and I've kept it off, that I'm grateful for. But over the past year, I wanted more help from my band than I got. If I could control my eating on my own, I wouldn't need the band. Right?

I'm stuck for the second time this morning .. and it HURTS. I'm slimming and coughing and it's disgusting. I don't want to call my surgeon cause I don't want an unfill. I want restriction, I want this to work. It's so frustrating.

So, is the band working for me? So far, not like I'd hoped. But I am still hopeful, is that crazy?

While it's true, you may be too tight, I know how you feel about not wanting to get an unfill. But you can't continue to get stuck everytime you eat the right foods because sooner or later sliders will start talking to you and they can get pretty loud. LOL So I ask, are you properly hydrated? I thought I was too tight as well, but when I paid attention, I noticed that I was only having problems getting the "right" foods down when I had not been drinking enough Water. If you ARE hydrated and you are still getting stuck every time you eat ... you may need a slight unfill.

Hope it gets better soon.

~fran

[Drasan 23]

ohh hydration, now there's a good thought. Of course in the morning, I haven't started drinking my Water yet. I'm usually pretty good about it. I'll start getting my Water in right now. We have to do it EVERYTHING correctly.. It's great to be reminded of that.

Thanks Fran!

Zeniada, stay hopeful. After a whole year of mediocre success, I'm still trying to remain positive and not give up. I've invested way too much in this to stop now.

Good luck everyone.