Help! Off the Band Wagon! Ugh :(

[AmandaC86 8]

I am very frustrated with myself. I was banded oct 2009 and was down from 280lbs to 197 lbs in a year and 1/2. Weight crept back on due to personal and physical separate issues. I was back at 263 lbs last summer.... I've been trying to get back on track and am down to ~230lb. I am doing really well with exercise but my eating habits are not the best lately. I am hungry often and can eat more than I should be able to:( I'm getting upset and want to figure something out bc I am getting married July 2015!could my pouch have stretched and I should go on liquids for a week? I need some motivation and kick start again to get me 100% back on my game. It's almost as if I forgot how to eat the way I did when I was first banded:(

[Ima Fox 63]

If you have Netflix, check out a documentary called "Sick, Fat & almost Dead." It's about the benefits of juicing. Maybe it will help you detox your body and jump start your weight loss.

I haven't had any surgical procedure yet, but I picked the sleeve because many people seem to have your problem with the band. I decided that I just don't want to deal with it, even though it was my 1st choice. My 2nd choice was sleeve plication. My 3rd choice is VSG, which is what I will actually have.

Good luck to you! Do something, even if you just get a friend to walk with you everyday because wedding planning is stressful. They are going to make you taste a lot of cake flavors . Do you want to talk to your Dr. about getting a fill? Be ready for one of the most beautiful days of your life.

[Bandista 7,466]

Hi Amanda, how about a follow-up visit with your surgeon to assess whether you need a fill? If you are hungry more frequently and eat more than you think you should, your band isn't working for you. It will be good to get that appetite dimmed so you can make good choices. The exercise you're doing is a great choice -- way to go on that! And congratulations for regrouping to get healthy. Weddings can be stressful. It might be a good time to really sort out what might be emotional eating vs. actual hunger. Some people do the five-day pouch test (you can google it) to get back on track and feel the tightness of the band again. Remember, though, it's not about restriction it's about dimming the appetite. If you find you're eating over the band, it might help to work with a therapist. I had a lot of success with some counseling. It was a bit tedious but we really broke down the various triggers I had to reach for food -- work-related stuff, mother on the phone, rewarding myself, boredom, etc. It was good to go from generalizes responses to figuring out the really specific events. Good luck to you! You're not alone....

[Gr8fulMiniMe 66]

I too was banded in 2009 but had it removed last year due to discomfort and just got sleeved 18 days ago. What has happened is you learned to eat around your band, as I did. Your stomach is the same size it's been. Your only restriction is the band itself limiting how much you can take in at once. As I'm sure you know, once it passes through you can eat more. Although we probably should stop at that point. At any rate, I wish you much luck with your weight loss and a perfect wedding next year.

[2babutterfly 483]

Congrats on losing some of the weight you've gained! I agree you might want to check with your doc and make sure you are filled to a good level. Try to plan all of your meals and Snacks ahead so you won't do any "grab and eat", best wishes!

[B-52 7,113]

I am very frustrated with myself. I was banded oct 2009 and was down from 280lbs to 197 lbs in a year and 1/2. Weight crept back on due to personal and physical separate issues. I was back at 263 lbs last summer.... I've been trying to get back on track and am down to ~230lb. I am doing really well with exercise but my eating habits are not the best lately. I am hungry often and can eat more than I should be able to:( I'm getting upset and want to figure something out bc I am getting married July 2015!could my pouch have stretched and I should go on liquids for a week? I need some motivation and kick start again to get me 100% back on my game. It's almost as if I forgot how to eat the way I did when I was first banded:(

No offense, and I am trying to be supportive, but everything you said....I did not see anything that has to do with Weight Loss Surgery.....how is your band? Are you listening to it? Is it even talking to you.....

The way we ate when we were first banded was all about dieting alone....because the band was not adjusted and functioning yet.(Aside from a few exceptions I read here)

What you describe was the way I was for the first 4-6 months until the band took over...

How much do you have in your band? Your last fill? If it were me, and my band suddenly...or gradually for that matter, stopped performing after these years...I would be telling it to my Dr. to find out what went wrong....

[AmandaC86 8]

B-52... I agree I am going to call tomorrow and get in to see doctor and nutritionist for a refresher. Thanks everyone...I also realized how important it is to have support from others who had WLS.

[BeagleLover 1,020]

Here's an article I recently found on sleeve plication:

http://www.endobariatric.com/weblog/2014/06/16/sleeve-plication-vs-sleeve-gastrectomy

If you have Netflix, check out a documentary called "Sick, Fat & almost Dead." It's about the benefits of juicing. Maybe it will help you detox your body and jump start your weight loss.

I haven't had any surgical procedure yet, but I picked the sleeve because many people seem to have your problem with the band. I decided that I just don't want to deal with it, even though it was my 1st choice. My 2nd choice was sleeve plication. My 3rd choice is VSG, which is what I will actually have.

Good luck to you! Do something, even if you just get a friend to walk with you everyday because wedding planning is stressful. They are going to make you taste a lot of cake flavors . Do you want to talk to your Dr. about getting a fill? Be ready for one of the most beautiful days of your life.