I'm a bad bandster-a badster!

[babyjessica 0]

I think you need counseling. A fill won't make it better. It will just make you sick because you will still try to eat everything you did pre-band. You have to decide if you want to lose weight before anything will help. The band won't help you unless you help the band with healthy food choices.

[em1125 0]

Jack,

I love reading all of your posts. You are truly the voice of reason.

Thank you.

[em1125 0]

chuggachugga,

I think it's very important for you to seek a support group for lapbanders. I truly think you need to make an effort. Think about what you did six months ago. You put yourself through a surgery that wasn't very easy- not to mention risky. If you're eating passed your band and you don't have problems, then you don't need to have it removed. Even if you did have problems with eating around the band, I still would not have it removed. You can choose to do something about your weight or continue to do what your doing and in time, truly put your health at risk. Think about your options. I would say that you only have one. Think positive and start working on your weight loss efforts. You didn't come this far to fail. C'mon you can do it. The band is a great tool, but it needs you to work with it.

I have not had a fill yet. I am only 4 weeks post op and I can eat anything I want as well. I have tested the waters and I know that I have very little restriction. I do get full faster which is how I know the band is there. Even with little restriction, I keep telling myself that I didn't come this far to fail. Think positive and start getting back on track. Atleast you excercise. That's half the battle.

The best of luck to you. Keep us posted on your progress.

[chuggachugga 0]

Thanks so much, Em, your supportive words meant so much! I felt so much better after reading your post. You might just be right.

[Fauxnaif 1]

Perhaps some therapy?

It sure as heck has helped me.

[barbara465 2]

Everyone has given you great advice. However, the issue is within you. Do you want to lose weight? Are you happy the way you are? Is your life fullfilling to you? Do you have no health concerns? If you answer these questions and still insist on eating around the band, then you never wanted to lose weight to begin with.

Your eating everything can be damaging. The band might be damaged by the time you decide you want to lose. Taking the band out until your ready may not be the answer, but gourging yourself can cause damage to the band. That could lead to the band having to come out under dire circumstances.

I say you need to look within yourself for the answers. Get help if you can to determine what you want and why you are undermining your weight loss efforts. Get your head into the program or just get out. The choice is yours. If you don't get the answers and were to lose the weight, you most likely would gain it back. Why? Because you are not ready to accept the "new" you and would feel uncomfortable in your own skin.

Sorry to sound so harsh, but its the reality of the situation. I am taking your post to mean that you were looking for help. Its time for you to take some positive action for yourself. You are worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck to you.

[CCBSTX 0]

I don't have much to add to the other posts.

Getting some counseling will help address why you feel that you sabatoge your weight loss.

Restriction is just that...you can't eat whatever quantities you want. For most of us, that also means certain foods. Washing past the food, often does nothing but make matters worse.

Come here, as often as possible for support and info. The band is a finicky tool.

The fact that you are exercising is wonderful! That will only help you.

Take care. Shawn

[BandyKandy 0]

Most of us.. myself for sure, are (were) morbidly obese because we have a problem with food. I can't make good decisions long term on my own. Think about it... if we all would just follow all of the bandster rules all of the time, we would never need the band. You need proper restriction, so that the band decides for you, or at least helps decide. When I had proper restriction, I stopped thinking about food.

[babsintx3 0]

Hi,

As Michele said, Ditto. I could never drink and eat at the same time with proper restriction without pain and discomfort. Especially bread which expands.

Of course this isn't your real issue. Anyone who wants to sabotage themselves can, but with good restriction it is definitely harder.

Babs in TX

[drcollier 0]

Have you not gotten a fill? Do they help restrict you at all? How many fills have you gotten so far?

All I am hearing from you is that you are eating a lot of foods and washing them down, etc. And to me that is somewhat surprising.

I haven't even had a fill yet and I find that I really cannot eat every thing in the quantity that i was accustomed to before the band. And even when I can eat the quantity, I find that it takes me such a long time to eat (compared to before) that I finally lose interest and just STOP. It just seems to be too much trouble sometimes.

I'm saying all that to say that it sounds like you go to extraordinary lengths to eat and drink around your band, and I just don't see how you're physically doing it, no matter how driven you feel to do it. I know people react to their bands differently.

So I am in agreement with the ones who say that maybe talking to a professinal or getting into a steady support group would help.

Good luck to you, and get ahold of yourself any way you can, and don't waste your band! (I'm a poet and don't know it).

[Telly 4]

Most of us.. myself for sure, are (were) morbidly obese because we have a problem with food. I can't make good decisions long term on my own. Think about it... if we all would just follow all of the bandster rules all of the time, we would never need the band. You need proper restriction, so that the band decides for you, or at least helps decide. When I had proper restriction, I stopped thinking about food.< /div>

Not true. Some people have diseases that even with proper food choices, Portion Control and exercise, weight loss just won't happen. I know a few people who this statement pertains to so really... even if we followed all of the bandster rules some of us will still very much need the band.