who here has been banded for at least 2 years and has had NO complications?

[Holly Dolly 575]

Muelle, I hope your girl is as successful as you!

[Humming Bird 275]

Banded July 2009 and no complications so far..... knock on wood. I'm still loving my band and keeping the weight off !

[Rebecca Cain Salpacka 100]

I am so glad to see this post and the responses. I will be 10 months on 2/26 and I also have noticed more recently that many are having probs after 18 months or so, and im also noticing people having their bands removed because of the complications..it was starting to worry me, because prior to having the band, i only seen one more two that had been removed...i researched like crazy before deciding to have it. This thread has helped me to feel at ease again.

[laurigee 545]

I have been banded almost 7 years and no real problems except I can't tolerate fills! Not the ideal, but not the worst! I actually left this forumn because it was annoying to hear how "perfect" some were! If you had a ligitamite question or concern you would get blasted about how unworthy you were of the band! Then you would get blasted again by that person starting a thread about you and how they felt about your topic! Got to high schoolish for me! Now that I have returned I've learned to take the good and learn from the mistakes others have made. I'm glad to hear others problems. If I listen to EVERYTHING I feel informed, if I would listen to only half, I feel that would make me ignorant and arrogant! There is enough of both on here if you look! Just my opinion?!

[this sucks 557]

I have been banded almost 7 years and no real problems except I can't tolerate fills! Not the ideal, but not the worst! I actually left this forumn because it was annoying to hear how "perfect" some were! If you had a ligitamite question or concern you would get blasted about how unworthy you were of the band! Then you would get blasted again by that person starting a thread about you and how they felt about your topic! Got to high schoolish for me! Now that I have returned I've learned to take the good and learn from the mistakes others have made. I'm glad to hear others problems. If I listen to EVERYTHING I feel informed, if I would listen to only half, I feel that would make me ignorant and arrogant! There is enough of both on here if you look! Just my opinion?!

Completely understand why you left...I have found the same problems with the high school attitude. The only reason I'm back is that I discovered that I could block posts from the "perfect" ones. It has made my visits much nicer! I don't disrespect others and their journeys. We should all be in this together instead of building ourselves up by bringing other people down. Just my opinion.

By the way, glad to see how long some of you have been banded. I'm at 31 months and counting. Glad I finally learned how to work the dumb thing!

[Humming Bird 275]

I don't pop on here at LBT as much as I used to because I figured out how the band works with my own body. I'm still working it. I have been busy living life and loving every moment. The band has been the best thing I have done for myself in a very long time. Believe me, this is the first place I will come if I start having any sort of problem. It's a great place to learn and a great place to find out how other bandsters deal with any problem that may happen.

I believe the band works differently for different people. We all have to figure it out on our own somewhat. I posted my thoughts on many topics over the first couple years and hope I helped many after me in some way. There have been bad attitudes and people who don't agree with my methods..... oh well....... that ignore list can come in very handy

[B-52 7,113]

I don't pop on here at LBT as much as I used to because I figured out how the band works with my own body. I'm still working it. I have been busy living life and loving every moment. The band has been the best thing I have done for myself in a very long time. Believe me, this is the first place I will come if I start having any sort of problem. It's a great place to learn and a great place to find out how other bandsters deal with any problem that may happen.

I believe the band works differently for different people. We all have to figure it out on our own somewhat. I posted my thoughts on many topics over the first couple years and hope I helped many after me in some way. There have been bad attitudes and people who don't agree with my methods..... oh well....... that ignore list can come in very handy

Very True.....most of the people who I looked to for inspiration no longer come around here at all....and I can now understand why....

You have the surgery, you go through the weight loss and lifestyle changes, eventually returning to that place where, after the weight has come off, your life returns to normal.....

If I did not come here on this website, I could go days without thinking I even had the surgery....just living life from day to day......

The overwhelmingly majority of people here are either just starting out, or are still loosing weight...frustrated because many think they know all the answers, (they're on my ignore list) and others frustrated not sure who to believe.....

Then there are people like me who are finished, sit back and witness it all and wonder why am I here???

The answer to that is because everyone has a success story to tell, there are always 2 sides to the story, and people need to hear it......

[Jim1967 3,569]

You have the surgery, you go through the weight loss and lifestyle changes, eventually returning to that place where, after the weight has come off, your life returns to normal.....

If I did not come here on this website, I could go days without thinking I even had the surgery....just living life from day to day......

The thought of this scares me....I get this is no 'fad' diet and I am making that lifestyle change but I fear the weight will come back. Losing has always been easy for me but keeping it off is hard. I dropped 170+ pounds on my own once and then gained it all back plus an additional 90. I went from 393 to 219 back up to to 488 all just under a decade.

"Normal" scares the hell out me B

[Rebecca Cain Salpacka 100]

The thought of this scares me....I get this is no 'fad' diet and I am making that lifestyle change but I fear the weight will come back. Losing has always been easy for me but keeping it off is hard. I dropped 170+ pounds on my own once and then gained it all back plus an additional 90. I went from 393 to 219 back up to to 488 all just under a decade.

"Normal" scares the hell out me B

Its crazy how much faster men lose weight then women...Jim..you were banded only 10 days before me, and have lost nearly double what I have since surgery. Way to go and keep up the good work.

[Jim1967 3,569]

Its crazy how much faster men lose weight then women...Jim..you were banded only 10 days before me, and have lost nearly double what I have since surgery. Way to go and keep up the good work.

Thanks Rebecca. You're doing great yourself. While I agree men seem to lose quicker than women I was 450 pounds on surgery day. Losing is easy if you break the cycle when your that overweight. I can only imagine how many calories I burned just getting out of bed in the morning. I lost 38lbs doing a 6 month monitored diet preop and quite honestly that last two months of that six I wasn't trying all that hard. I was 488 at that time and was lucky to stay on my feet for 10 minutes without my legs screaming at me I did it without trying honestly. I just cut back on everything and the weight came off.

[elcee 3,341]

And the reverse of this is that once you are at or close to goal it becomes really hard to lose or maintain. At age 50 , height 5'/153 cm, weight 119lb/ 54kg my BMR is dismal. 1221! No wonder it is so hard to maintain. It doesn't take much to go over that in terms of calories eaten.

[laurigee 545]

Its crazy how much faster men lose weight then women...Jim..you were banded only 10 days before me, and have lost nearly double what I have since surgery. Way to go and keep up the good work.

Don't give men that much credit! They don't have to deal with that monthly hormonal monster us women do! LOL... Just kidding.... Your both doing great!!!

[Jim1967 3,569]

You're absolutely right Laurigee. My Wife reminds all the time of the struggle.

[Jim1967 3,569]

And the reverse of this is that once you are at or close to goal it becomes really hard to lose or maintain.

That's my biggest fear...

[Humming Bird 275]

I have stayed the same weight, within 1-2 pounds for about 2 years now without counting calories or really even watching what I eat much. I think the key for me has been getting a tiny fill about once a year. I can feel when it's time and don't wait for a big weight gain before I go get that tiny "maintenance fill."

Of course it may not be that easy for everyone......I don't have hormone issues (hysterectomy at young age).

As far as things being back to normal...... it's is a new normal. Life in general is back to normal, but my eating will never be the way it was before the band. I have not eaten a full plate of food since July of 2009. This is my normal now.