100 pounds in one year

Rockin' Robyn · March 6, 2006

There are so many variables that weigh in on this issue.....but the answer is YES it is 'possible'.....and possibilities give people hope. I had NO hope before my band. I was approaching 400 pounds, and I was never one of those overweight people that had lost 100 pounds 3-4 times in my life and gained it back. I tried everything, and nothing ever seemed to work. The most I had ever lost after trying 100's of diets since I was 10 years old, was 40 pounds, ONCE!

The band has been my answer to prayer. I never in my life thought I would EVER lose 100 pounds, not even this time around. I didn't believe in myself. I still don't believe it has actually happened. But 8 months after banding, I have lost 115 pounds. Many people IM me and ask what I am doing.....I don't think anything special, but I am VERY strict on myself and do what my physician has told me to do. I also am of the mindset that I may not have my band in another year (since I had a port infection which makes me more susceptible to a future erosion). So I make the most of every moment.

And most importantly, (I may get hammered for this:rolleyes: )....Banded in KS and I were banded by the same surgeon. He is awesome in that he does fills very assertively. Sometimes he filled me every 2-3 weeks to get me to my sweet spot asap. It took me 7 fills to get there. Had I had a surgeon that made me wait 6 weeks between fills, that means it would have taken me a whopping 42 weeks (or 10.5 months) to get to my sweet spot. Being as they say the majority of the weight is lost in the first 6 months....waiting so long between fills for people who are feeing absolutely no restriction just doesn't make sense to me. The only time this makes sense is waiting for the first fill so the area can heal.

The band hasn't been around very long, and I know the research is starting to turn in a different direction on this topic....so hopefully as the research data gets out to the surgeons, this 6 week rule will turn around. Anyway...that's just my 2 cents...But I TRULY believe in my case anyway that the timing of the fills have been absolutely key. Just make sure you ask your surgeon his philosophy on fills, and how long he will make you wait in between.

melissalee · March 6, 2006

I agree with what everyone else has posted in that it all depends on you. And not only on how well you work the band or exercise. Sometimes it's just as easy as your metabolism or where your eating issues lied in the first place.

I have been very fortunate to have lost a little over 100 pounds the first year. I hit that goal right at my 1 year anniversary but have sat there ever since, almost 6 months later. I try not to be discouraged and I am going in for a fill tomorrow to see if that will push me over a little but if I stay this weight forever, I would be perfectly happy.

The band, for me, has worked well becuase it has kept me from following many of the bad eating habits that caused me to gain so much weight in the first place. I used to go all day without eating and then stop at the fast food place to order 2 or 3 meals for me to eat throughout the course of the evening until I went to bed around midnight. Now with the band, I have to have something for Breakfast and I can't eat hardly any breads and no Pasta or rice or any of those wonderful carbs that I loved so much. It's a constant reminder that I cannot and will not go back to those old habits.

But though I have been lazy in that I haven't really exercised during these past 18 months, I think my body has caught on and that is the reason that I have plateaued, so I am reaffirming myself to a new routine that will help me to lose what I need to get to my goal.