Come out of the band failure closet!

[anonemouse 1]

You really shouldn't take this so personally, there are a group of us, whether we are the minority or not who deserve a safe place to discuss problems we are having with the band!!!!!

If you do not have a problem you need not use this thread. It is a safe haven for people to help each, support each other as they go through various issues they've had since they were banded.

You don't know what everyone's issue is, whether it is physical, mental, emotional or a plastic device. Not everyone has Cushing's Disease. We all have high expectations or we would not have been banded in the first place. We did not pay $30,000 each plus or minus a few$$$$$ to "diet" like we had failed many, many, many times before. What right do you have to legitimize one person's failure over another's?

We all chose the band because we were sold a savior that was going to fix our dieting failures. No one jumped into this lightly, it was well planned out, we were all screened, we all researched and we paid a lot of money for something that has disappointed us. I've saw the Lap Band commercial twice today on TV, it showed obese people who wanted to lose weight, it did not say, hey, it's still going to be just as hard as sh&t to lose weight after the band than it was prior to being banded.

Not everyone goes on forums prior to getting the lap band, no one ever told me to do that. It wasn't until after I started having problems that during my research this forum came up.

If a person has "self control" in the first place they don't need a band, that's not what we were sold!!! Trust me this thread is only going to grow as people are not afraid to come out of the band closet like the lap band elitists" think they should be locked into. I still have a difficult time understanding why it upsets so many of you that people who are having problems with their lap band need a place to converse and get support!!! We're trying to get through a tough situation and work it out without revision or with revision depending on the persons' situation.

I doubt any of us would ever take a revision lightly! After trusting that the lap band was going to be our saving grace do you think we'd just go and jump into another surgery? I don't think so. Most of us are trying to do the best we can by supporting each other with helpful ideas and not by acting like assh:angry:les to each other, thanks for the support brandyII:thumbdown:

Not sure how you read into my post that I was taking it personally, because I wasn't and I'm not. I was simply making a statement in agreement with the gist of what another poster said. In fact, I wasn't even talking to the other people that posted in the thread, I was talking to you, based on your past posts in this thread, the posts where you said you were considering a revision, that you like to eat things that the band doesn't really restrict, and that you aren't exercising. I wasn't saying that you were taking that possible revision lightly, but I was warning you that you were likely to run into trouble if you revise and go into that surgery assuming certain things, like you apparently went into lap-band surgery with certain assumptions. And I'm sorry if you think it's an attack on you, because it's not. The fact is, you've admitted in this thread that you had certain assumptions about what lap-band surgery could do for you, assumptions that weren't accurate.

I do want to pull one comment you made in the above post out and go over it, though. "No one jumped into this lightly, it was well planned out, we were all screened, we all researched and we paid a lot of money for something that has disappointed us." (emphasis mine) Can you honestly say that you really researched this surgery, though, if you continue to blame your surgeon for not telling you certain things about the lap-band? For example, I believe you've said in the past that your surgeon failed to inform you that sweets-eaters might not do as well with the band as they would have with the bypass. That's something that could have been found very easily through research.

And yes, that was my exact point, when I mentioned the member here that has Cushing's Syndrome, that not everyone has it. In fact, it's an extremely rare condition. That was my point. Those people that DO have it, like Vinesqueen, have a reason that they aren't losing weight that is truly out of their control. They can't help the fact that they've got a brain tumor that prevents them from losing weight. That is why I said that it was "legitimate."

I have a lot of sympathy for you, I do. This road hasn't been all roses for me, either. I've got quite a bit of acid reflux that I deal with, I had a very hard time losing any weight in the beginning, and I've plateaued and even gained weight (now losing again) since being banded. But you know what? I also don't consider you "a band failure." Why? Your band hasn't failed. You may have been using it incorrectly, due to being overfilled, but now that you've had an unfill (I think you said that, anyway), hopefully it will be working correctly. But you also have to take responsibility for doing half the work and exercise and NOT eat stuff that goes right through it.

And honestly, I have no problem with people that are really having issues with their bands supporting each other. In fact, I think it's awesome. That's what the complications forum is for, after all, to be that safe place you mentioned. But you didn't post in the complications forum, you posted in the rants and raves forum.

[brandyII 9]

WCG,

We're cool, you're obviously as passionate about weight issues as I am but being two different people we're having two different experiences.

Some of us are having issues working out some kinks that we need to and need a place to "discuss, amongst ourselves". We probably need a new place on the site for us" weight gainers, plateau reachers for many months type people, don't know what we'd call it or if they'd give us an official title but Rants and Raves probably isn't the best place to be because people think they can come and attack us and that's not what we're all about. But we are like lions and if someone attacks one of our cubs, don't expect us not to bite back:thumbup:brandyII still working at it after all these months!!!!

[brandyII 9]

Not sure how you read into my post that I was taking it personally, because I wasn't and I'm not. I was simply making a statement in agreement with the gist of what another poster said. In fact, I wasn't even talking to the other people that posted in the thread, I was talking to you, based on your past posts in this thread, the posts where you said you were considering a revision, that you like to eat things that the band doesn't really restrict, and that you aren't exercising. I wasn't saying that you were taking that possible revision lightly, but I was warning you that you were likely to run into trouble if you revise and go into that surgery assuming certain things, like you apparently went into lap-band surgery with certain assumptions. And I'm sorry if you think it's an attack on you, because it's not. The fact is, you've admitted in this thread that you had certain assumptions about what lap-band surgery could do for you, assumptions that weren't accurate.

I do want to pull one comment you made in the above post out and go over it, though. "No one jumped into this lightly, it was well planned out, we were all screened, we all researched and we paid a lot of money for something that has disappointed us." (emphasis mine) Can you honestly say that you really researched this surgery, though, if you continue to blame your surgeon for not telling you certain things about the lap-band? For example, I believe you've said in the past that your surgeon failed to inform you that sweets-eaters might not do as well with the band as they would have with the bypass. That's something that could have been found very easily through research.

And yes, that was my exact point, when I mentioned the member here that has Cushing's Syndrome, that not everyone has it. In fact, it's an extremely rare condition. That was my point. Those people that DO have it, like Vinesqueen, have a reason that they aren't losing weight that is truly out of their control. They can't help the fact that they've got a brain tumor that prevents them from losing weight. That is why I said that it was "legitimate."

I have a lot of sympathy for you, I do. This road hasn't been all roses for me, either. I've got quite a bit of acid reflux that I deal with, I had a very hard time losing any weight in the beginning, and I've plateaued and even gained weight (now losing again) since being banded. But you know what? I also don't consider you "a band failure." Why? Your band hasn't failed. You may have been using it incorrectly, due to being overfilled, but now that you've had an unfill (I think you said that, anyway), hopefully it will be working correctly. But you also have to take responsibility for doing half the work and exercise and NOT eat stuff that goes right through it.

And honestly, I have no problem with people that are really having issues with their bands supporting each other. In fact, I think it's awesome. That's what the complications forum is for, after all, to be that safe place you mentioned. But you didn't post in the complications forum, you posted in the rants and raves forum.

Sorry didn't mean to get so passionate about it with you. But that's how I am when it comes to me and others who are having issues with our bands. We're not having complications with our band like on that thread because we're not suffering from mechanical problems with the band. We feel like failures and we have lap band so we think of ourselves as lap band failures and a lot of people have private messaged me from the start about their issues because they were afraid to come out.

It's not easy as you stated yourself it's not easy for you either but I went to an orientation, I received all the pamphlets one could get, I met with the surgeon, I went on line and watched videos and watched many programs on cable about people having the procedure etc...I did not go on any forums and did not know anyone personally who had the procedure. My problem is that I really did not know that only certain solids would remain in the band. I'm sorry if I sound like the dumbest person in the world to you but it's true. I had much higher expectations.

Be that as it may, I've made my bed and I have to lie in it for now. I also have some other issues that have affected my weight loss in the past and continue to do so with band, I am now back on my diabetes meds which a doctor took me off because he assumed I'd lose weight so fast that I would be diabetes free within minutes.

Everyone is different on the band, there are many factors to consider. You have to understand that it could be a bit disappointing for a lot of people who lost a great deal of weight and are starting to put it back on. I was one of the rare ones that just put it back on right after surgery, well within about 6 months put back the 25 I had lost.

So anyway it's okay to give people advice but we don't want to be shot down anymore, we're already doing that to ourselves and we don't need fellow bandsters telling us to exercise more and eat less, it's been ingrained in many of us since we were children as we've been suffering with this physically, mentally and emotionally for many years.

We want the band to work and we trying, we're not giving up and we need each other's support. We're not hear to fight people, we're tired of that we just need each other so that when we lose a pound and then the next week put it back on for some reason we don't feel like jumping off a bridge!

Thanks brandyII

[anonemouse 1]

Everyone is different on the band, there are many factors to consider. You have to understand that it could be a bit disappointing for a lot of people who lost a great deal of weight and are starting to put it back on. I was one of the rare ones that just put it back on right after surgery, well within about 6 months put back the 25 I had lost.

So anyway it's okay to give people advice but we don't want to be shot down anymore, we're already doing that to ourselves and we don't need fellow bandsters telling us to exercise more and eat less, it's been ingrained in many of us since we were children as we've been suffering with this physically, mentally and emotionally for many years.

We want the band to work and we trying, we're not giving up and we need each other's support. We're not hear to fight people, we're tired of that we just need each other so that when we lose a pound and then the next week put it back on for some reason we don't feel like jumping off a bridge!

Thanks brandyII

Believe me, I understand that. By the time I went for my second fill, I'd gained back all but 7 pounds of what I'd lost during my pre-op diet and immediately after surgery. I definitely had a lot of periods where I was REALLY scared that I wasn't going to be successful at this.

I do agree with something that WCFG said in his last post, we all have to have willpower at some point. Maybe not the willpower to say "No!" entirely to a bowl of ice cream or a platter of cupcakes, but maybe the willpower to only eat a single serving of ice cream or one cupcake. Believe me, it's something that we all have to deal with, whether or not we're currently successful bandsters. Recently, I even gained back almost 10 pounds of what I'd lost, simply because I'd found a recipe for home-made cream sodas that were literally about 800 calories each. And I was craving them HARD. I'd drink at least one a day, along with eating a lot of full-calorie mozzarella cheese that I'd melt and brown in the oven. So yeah, that weight came back. I had to find the willpower to pour my ingredients down the drain and not buy any more. It was hard, but I still had to do it, because I'd rather lose weight than drink a very yummy cream soda. It took me a while to lose those pounds again, and then I plateaued. I've only recently started losing weight again.

[*JASMINE* 1]

Sorry didn't mean to get so passionate about it with you. But that's how I am when it comes to me and others who are having issues with our bands. We're not having complications with our band like on that thread because we're not suffering from mechanical problems with the band. We feel like failures and we have lap band so we think of ourselves as lap band failures and a lot of people have private messaged me from the start about their issues because they were afraid to come out.

I think we need a section for psychological issues with the band. I also interpret the complications section as a section for those with "mechanical" complications. I guess maybe this could have been posted in the lounge? Maybe then it would be more likely to be viewed by people having the same issues. Alot of members steer clear of this section when coming to this forum for support.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Sorry didn't mean to get so passionate about it with you. But that's how I am when it comes to me and others who are having issues with our bands. We're not having complications with our band like on that thread because we're not suffering from mechanical problems with the band. We feel like failures and we have lap band so we think of ourselves as lap band failures and a lot of people have private messaged me from the start about their issues because they were afraid to come out.

It's not easy as you stated yourself it's not easy for you either but I went to an orientation, I received all the pamphlets one could get, I met with the surgeon, I went on line and watched videos and watched many programs on cable about people having the procedure etc...I did not go on any forums and did not know anyone personally who had the procedure. My problem is that I really did not know that only certain solids would remain in the band. I'm sorry if I sound like the dumbest person in the world to you but it's true. I had much higher expectations.

Be that as it may, I've made my bed and I have to lie in it for now. I also have some other issues that have affected my weight loss in the past and continue to do so with band, I am now back on my diabetes meds which a doctor took me off because he assumed I'd lose weight so fast that I would be diabetes free within minutes.

Everyone is different on the band, there are many factors to consider. You have to understand that it could be a bit disappointing for a lot of people who lost a great deal of weight and are starting to put it back on. I was one of the rare ones that just put it back on right after surgery, well within about 6 months put back the 25 I had lost.

So anyway it's okay to give people advice but we don't want to be shot down anymore, we're already doing that to ourselves and we don't need fellow bandsters telling us to exercise more and eat less, it's been ingrained in many of us since we were children as we've been suffering with this physically, mentally and emotionally for many years.

We want the band to work and we trying, we're not giving up and we need each other's support. We're not hear to fight people, we're tired of that we just need each other so that when we lose a pound and then the next week put it back on for some reason we don't feel like jumping off a bridge!

Thanks brandyII

Brandy...

I'm kinda jumping in late and I haven't read all the posts (I skipped a few pages) but there is one thing I want to point out.

Regardless of which WLS type you have there is a certain amount of will power that does go with it. You can't eat anything you want (generic you, not specific you) and lose weight.

Banding: If it goes through a straw it will go through your band

Gastric Sleeve: See Banding

Bypass: Dumping isn't promised and it's not likely to last forever. Usually after about 6-12 months you don't dump anymore, assuming you did to begin with. Then after about 18 months intestinal tissue begins to compensate for bypass intestine and you absorb fat and calories again.

DS: They CAN eat carbs and sugar but they'll gain weight.

MGB: Why not just have people shoot themselves now and get it over with instead of a slow death? However, see bypass.

Gastric Ball: Limits quantity for a short period of time only, maybe 6 months. Does not prevent poor food choices

VBG: Total failure of a procedure, see banding. If it will go through a straw it will go through your band.

As you can see with any of the above you can eat around your surgery type. :woot:/

My thinking...

You have a band. It's time to start working your band. Here is a post I wrote on another forum. I am not sure if this is gonna piss you off or help. It will likely do one or the other. My intent is not to piss you off. Thing is, we often times tend to go through a stage where we fight the band. I think it's normal. But nobody can end that stage but YOU. Yep, it takes will power and determination but WITH the band, you can do this. Here is the post I wrote elsewhere to someone in your shoes:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm going to get hammered for writing this but that has never stopped me before. ;o) You know these people that eat pizza and tacos a few days after surgery and they come to the boards asking if they just messed up? You know those people that pat them on the head, tell them it's okay, and to "try" to do better tomorrow? Yeah, I'm not one of those people. I tell them to knock it off, they are risking their band and why? For a lousy taco?? Are they serious? I don't suggest they TRY to do better the next day, I tell them to DO better right now.

I think we often times don't give ourselves enough credit. We think we are weak willed and powerless over the world. That simply isn't true. We have been living a life of fat for many years. You tell me the weak willed and powerless can do that, I won't believe you. Being fat in today's society is no easy task. It's really damned hard. Yet we survive it and if we can survive that, we can survive passing up a donut. Let's face it, it is much easier to pass up a donut than it is to have to buy two airlines seats because our butts are too big for one seat. It's much easier to pass up a single donut than it is to face ourselves in the mirror of Lane Giant after realizing we are yet... a bigger size than the last time we were there. We face humiliation and embarrassment every single day just due to our size. I think sometimes we tend to get used to it and forget that humiliation and embarrassment are normal and a part of life. We also pretend it does not hurt as much as it does.

I'm not trying to be a skank about this but you know, WLS is our last shot at WL. This is a big deal, we have choices and too many times we are all making the wrong ones. I don't eat a lot of junk because I don't need it. Neither do you. I disagree with those that say ANYTHING in moderation is okay. The reason I disagree is because ALL of us did not get fat because we can do moderation well. With a band or any WLS our caloric intake is cut drastically and we need every calorie for food we actually need and use. The only thing cake, Pasta, or crap food will do for your body is make it more plump.

This is a lifestyle change and a lifestyle change does not mean eating the same load of crap but just less of it, that means overhauling your diet and eating food that your body needs and does something positive for it. What "value" does chocolate cake have for your body?

So does this mean that you can never have a piece of birthday cake again? Of course not. It means that eating junk on a regular basis serves no value. We don't know what moderation is so we have to go searching for it. Moderation does not mean limiting ourselves to crap food just one time daily or one time weekly, it means more along the lines of on birthdays, special occasions. When we "plan" on eating junk weekly, what does that make our thinking? That means we are *still* planning our lives around food and poor choices. Thin people don't set out to plan on when they will eat a load of crap, they don't even think about it until the birthday party or social meeting is there staring them in the face. Yet we fatties actually plan a date and time to eat bad food. See the difference in thinking between a fat person and a normal size person?

The lifestyle change is not planning on WHEN we will have loads of crap food, lifestyle change means actually going out there and living what we claim we want. Life as a normal size person.

If you can face the humiliation of being obese in society, can you honestly sit there and tell yourself that passing up junk food is harder than being the fat girl walking into a room where being MO is socially unacceptable? I mean, I think there comes a time when we have to put things in their proper perspective and this is one of those times. Next time you want junk food get real and get honest with yourself. Get a photo of that food item and a photo of a person that is the size you want to be. Which do you want more, do you want the cake more than you want to be thin and healthy? Be verrry honest with yourself. If you prefer the cake over thin then just go for it and have the darn band removed. But I'll bet you'd rather have thin over a piece of cake when you really get honest with yourself. It's all about perspective and self awareness of what you want out of this life. We have a choice, and it IS a choice. We can be fat or we can be thin. With a band thin IS within grasp.

The thing about us fat folks is that traditional diet and exercise is too hard, we just can't do it. We cannot lose and maintain at a normal size weight. Call it a lack of self control, call it anything you want. I'll cop to it, I'll be one to stand right up there and admit that I can't do it. But with a band it is still hard but it is the kind of hard WE can do, OUR population. Losing weight with a band is the kind of hard we can do but without a band, nope... we can't do it.

Sometimes, maybe often times, maybe 20x a day when we are justifying more grazing behaviors and opening the frig to see what unnecessary food is in there, there comes a time when you just have to tell yourself no. We tell our children "no" daily. No, you can't play with razor blades in the middle of a busy street. No, you can't eat rat poison. No, you can't fail to look both ways when crossing a street. No, you can't do drugs. No, you can't go out with that drug abuser who just got out of juvvy. Sometimes we have to tell ourselves no as well.

If you are like me, not sure you are, but if you are like me I can't stop at one Frito, or one bite of this or that. For me it is all or none. If I eat white carbs I can't quit. I lose self control. If I stay away from them completely I have no problem. The more I eat the more I crave. I am a person that wanted bread so bad about 3 months after banding I actually broke into the bread crumbs I use for cooking and ate the whole can. Then I started in on dry stuffing mix. It wasn't even something that tasted good (pretty rank, actually) but I couldn't stand the carb cravings anymore. That was my moment when I realized when and how I lose self control. So I avoid those situations.

You can come over to my house right now and look through my house. You won't find any flour, pasta, bread, Fritos, or other foods that are my triggers. There are no bread crumbs, stuffing mix, cake mixes, cookie mixes... none of it. I don't even keep it in the house. There is not a person that has ever once been in my home that even needs those foods. My husband doesn't need them and he doesn't get them if he is here. Why would your family NEED cakes, Cookies, etc? We are not punishing our family members by denying them food habits WE have, it really is okay if you don't load your cupboards full of crap your kids do not need. I think that is another mindset we have to change. I've seen people post on these very boards that they can't pass up the cookies in the cupboard but they can't punish their children by not having cookies in the house. Since when it is a punishment to decline to feed a growing child cookies to the point you can't have a day without them in your home?

Exercise... you know, we have physical and emotional reasons for overeating. Those issues we have to overcome and find ways to deal with them. But exercise? Nahhh, we have no excuse. That is just plain lazy behavior. You don't like exercise? Neither do I. But it's like cleaning the toilet. Who DOES like to do it? We do it because we have to. It's just a responsibility. We are all great at justifying eating too much and not exercising but the reality comes down to sheer lazy behaviors. If you can't run then power walk. If you can't power walk then walk. If you can't walk then do chair exercises. We have the energy to get up and run to the frig 20 times a day yet we can't find the time nor the motivation to do the SAME walking outside and away from food. How does that work? ;o)

There are people who LOVE exercise, zog bless their little hearts! It's like a transfer addiction. They go from eating to exercising. They love it. Personally, I think they are sick and twisted human beings. ;o) I exercise but I hate it. Never have enjoyed it, not even a little. The person who invented weight resistance cannot possibly be anything but a lover of S&M. They should be shot. But you know what? It really really works. The motivation for me was not busting my butt on a treadmill when I would have much preferred doing my nails. The motivation was that the more I exercised the more weight I lost. THAT was my addiction, losing weight and getting thin. The more you lose the more motivation you get.

What if you do this, just for ONE week... one week only. Cut out ALL white carbs. Yep, you'll be climbing the walls, you'll be dealing with head hunger full force. Every single TV commercial for food will be calling your name. You'll cus and swear at me and everyone else that is around you in real time or the boards. Start exercising. Even ten minutes of brisk walking. Work up a sweat, bust your butt. Just 10 minutes. That's nothing, that is the same as a couple of TV commercials. That is about the same amount of time to read a single thread on OH. Just take 10 simple minutes and go out for a hard walk. Then you are done exercising for the day. Honestly, 10 minutes is NOTHING. We have 144 10 minute blocks in a day, it really is nothing.

Then tomorrow do 11 minutes. And yes, time it from the time your walk is a brisk one, not when you start thinking it's time to go outside for your walk. When your pace is up to brisk then start timing. Daily add a single minute to it. Push yourself to do better each day, just a single minute added.

So for a week eat what you want, don't count calories, don't count fat grams. Don't worry about calories in the least. Eat what you want but do limit WHITE carbs to 20 a day. I'm just talking for a week. Do the 10 minutes of exercise while adding one minute daily. See what that does for you. You want 20 chicken breasts? Eat them. You want zucchini, yellow squash, any other carbs except fruit? Eat them. Lots of them. Don't even count carbs from veggies. Just count white carbs and limit those drastically to 20gms daily. The idea here is not to get you into ketosis, the idea is to get you eating the right carbs. Have unlimited VEGGIE carbs. You'll poop like a champ too. ;o)

I'll bet you that you lose weight.

Then as the motivation kicks in and the stomach hunger dies down you will be able to cut those 20 chicken breasts down to 10. Then 5, then 1 daily. Understand what is head hunger and what is true stomach hunger. Just focus on white carbs and minimal exercise. I'll bet you it works.

If you can live the life and frustration as a fat person, you can do this. Being fat is MUCH harder than better food choices. Again, it's all perspective.

What about your fill level? Are you at good restricton? If not, get thy butt to the doc and take care of it.

There, that's yer' butt kicking. ;o) Just remember, you CAN do this, you have survived much much harder as a fat person and you have survived a life that is no walk in the park. If you can survive fat life you can easily survive the above plan for the next week.

And BTW, this means start the whole plan tomorrow, not on Sunday at the beginning of the week. If you have already eaten a load of carbs today you will be hungry for the rest of the day. It's a blood sugar thing. So start tomorrow and keep remembering, you can do this.

Good luck to you!

[ingyrob 1]

Wow! Wasa, Hear! Hear! You call it "white carbs", I call it "sugar". It is the root of all evil. There is a book about sugar called "Pure, White and Deadly" and so it is

[*JASMINE* 1]

Wow, Wasa,

I really got motivated reading what you typed towards the end. I mean REALLY! I know all of that stuff, but there is something about the way you wrote it. I think I'm gonna try that week and see how it goes. Thanks!

[MedRN 1]

Thank you Wasa, I've not been banded yet, still need to lose 13 lbs and was pretty depressed that I wasn't really putting the effort into accomplishing that goal. talk about motivation!! You got me there so Thanks again. Cathy

[Turler 6]

WASA: Thank you. I know you weren't talking to me, but it spoke to me!

~c

[*susan* 1,709]

Wow, WasA, I have to agree that that was a very inspiring post. Thank you for sharing that with us.

BrandyII, as the thread starter, if you would prefer that this thread be moved to complications or another forum instead of Rants and Raves, send me a pm and I will be happy to move it for you.

[Keywestgirl 0]

Don't get mad at WCFG people, he is just telling it like it is. Godspeed everyone, we are all on this journey together.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Wow! Wasa, Hear! Hear! You call it "white carbs", I call it "sugar". It is the root of all evil. There is a book about sugar called "Pure, White and Deadly" and so it is

For you it is sugar, for me it is ANYTHING with flour in it. One teaspoon of gravy will get me going. It's all or none for me and I have had to make choices. I can't have those things and today I'm okay with that. I wasn't at first but I am now.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Thank you Wasa, I've not been banded yet, still need to lose 13 lbs and was pretty depressed that I wasn't really putting the effort into accomplishing that goal. talk about motivation!! You got me there so Thanks again. Cathy

It may not seem like it today but there will be a day when you realize that 13# is nothing. You can do that in a short time. Just cut out all white carbs and it will be gone in no time. You can do this!

I take it you need to lose 13# to comply with insurance or MD requirements for band surgery? The first 13# are the easiest if you get rid of ALL white carbs. You can have that off in no time! If you think about it, 13# is the beginning of the rest of your life. I'd say that's worth it.

Look, 1.5 years ago I was wearing a 22/24. I *just* got back from Dillards buying my..... (drum roll) Size SIX jeans! SIX! In my wildest dreams I never thought that would be the case. I used to wear a 2X in scrubs. Today my XS scrubs are getting a little baggy. I haven't even had a tummytuck yet. Plastic surgeon guy said that after my tt I'll go down another 1-2 sizes (I think one size).

All you have to do to get the band is lose 13#, is it worth giving up a donut or sandwich? That's the question you have to ask yourself. If it is worth it to you, get it done. If not, eat the carbs and give up the band concept. But I think you'll find it is verrrry worth it! Easier than you might think in the long haul. Not at first, but in the long haul it's not as hard as you might think.

[brandyII 9]

Believe me, I understand that. By the time I went for my second fill, I'd gained back all but 7 pounds of what I'd lost during my pre-op diet and immediately after surgery. I definitely had a lot of periods where I was REALLY scared that I wasn't going to be successful at this.

I do agree with something that WCFG said in his last post, we all have to have willpower at some point. Maybe not the willpower to say "No!" entirely to a bowl of ice cream or a platter of cupcakes, but maybe the willpower to only eat a single serving of ice cream or one cupcake. Believe me, it's something that we all have to deal with, whether or not we're currently successful bandsters. Recently, I even gained back almost 10 pounds of what I'd lost, simply because I'd found a recipe for home-made cream sodas that were literally about 800 calories each. And I was craving them HARD. I'd drink at least one a day, along with eating a lot of full-calorie mozzarella cheese that I'd melt and brown in the oven. So yeah, that weight came back. I had to find the willpower to pour my ingredients down the drain and not buy any more. It was hard, but I still had to do it, because I'd rather lose weight than drink a very yummy cream soda. It took me a while to lose those pounds again, and then I plateaued. I've only recently started losing weight again.

I think I was a bit bitchy to you and I'm sorry! I know you've come really far and have information that you'd like to share too and have also had problems and I didn't mean to shut you out of this thread. I can relate to that soda story because my daughter who is getting the bypass on the 27th has been "perfect" on her liquid diet for the past 4 or 5 weeks and lost 32 pounds so far. But she has been cooking up a storm for everyone else and on Mothers Day made the family a gourmet meal which was fairly healthy until the "dessert" which I did eat but had made more portions etc... and I knew if I didn't throw them away I would eat them! So I've had to throw out food just to keep myself from eating it. I've even had to throw away Weight Watchers Desserts because they're pretty much as bad as anything else if you're way too tempted.

I'm hoping my metformin might help me with my cravings and I can turn this thing around. I lost 25 pounds before the surgery you'd think I could do that again! I hate not wearing my button jeans! Sometimes stress makes me work in the wrong direction and most of my stressors will be gone soon so I hope I can focus on getting back on track, thanks brandyII.