Not What I Expected

[TArnold123 1]

I had my surgery done over two years ago in Houston by Dr. Speigel who has done THOUSANDS of lap-bands here in the U.S. I have to say, I am very disappointed in the end results. I can't eat anything before suppertime without drinking lots of hot liquids along with it. It has made having lunch out next to impossible and I haven't lost nearly all the weight I expected to lose. I was on the low end of the scale (comparatively speaking), I guess, to begin with and so I didn't have AS much to lose as maybe some others but still, I would think after 2+ years, it would be more than 40 lbs. I still get choked and have pb if I am not extremely careful with every single bite. It's been this way from day one and so here I sit, still overweight and miserable at every meal. Dr. Speigel has absolutely no bedside manner. I would trust him for fills but if you're looking for a doctor you can talk to, find someone else.

Unhappy with the results all the way around-:wink2:

Tammy

[Bel 1]

Hi,

Im sorry you feel like this but i understand the band can be frustrating. It sounds to me as though you are too tight, you should be able to eat and drink without the problems you are having, being too tight can also cause you to gain because you eat 'easy' foods like ice cream and chocolate...it can also cause a heap of other probs like slippage.

I wonder if maybe you should see a nutritionist as well as getting an unfill...they can help you with diet and what you should and shouldnt be eating, i am banded 6 years and still see mine for weigh ins and advice. It helps to keep you accountable.

I wish you luck, hang in there and please think about an unfill

Bel

[TArnold123 1]

You're absolutely right about eating "easy" foods. And I do need to see a doctor about getting an un-fill...I moved to Ala. about a year and a half ago and haven't found a doctor over here. I think I'm motivated to look a little harder and make it happen, now (thank you!).

Having been banded for six years, have you lost all that you expected to lose and are you totally satisfied with the end results? I really want to be. And quite honestly, I can't say I wouldn't do it again because I HAVE lost about 40 lbs. and kept it off but it sure hasn't been easy nor has it really been what I expected. I need to search out a doctor over here and have him look at me through a fluoroscopy and see just what is going on. Thanks again...

[Bel 1]

I have lost everything i aimed too, i have decided to lose more the last week or so and am dropping it easily!

I would never change the band, i couldnt keep the weight off without it and i wouldnt want to try...the thing is, you really come to realise that eating to live not living to eat is much more satisfying but you do have to put i the work, its hard no doubt but its so worth it.

It took me years to really realise the band is a TOOL not a cure, i lost my weight but i worked for it too which is generally not something many people realise you have to do when you want to lose weight, with or without the band.

I have lost 99lb/45kgs and kept it off for nearly 7 years but it was a choice, i still have to make a concious effort to eat nutritious food and not eat the easy stuff!

I really hope you get back on track soon, i always say to people you need to think about why you chose this...why you put yourself through a life threatening surgery. If you can remember the reason and use it to motivate you then you cannot fail.

If you need a band buddy im happy to help, pm me anytime and i will help you however i can. As i said i recently started losing again through choice so i am going through all the old things like restriction and crap again!

Best of luck

Bel

[brandyII 9]

I had my surgery done over two years ago in Houston by Dr. Speigel who has done THOUSANDS of lap-bands here in the U.S. I have to say, I am very disappointed in the end results. I can't eat anything before suppertime without drinking lots of hot liquids along with it. It has made having lunch out next to impossible and I haven't lost nearly all the weight I expected to lose. I was on the low end of the scale (comparatively speaking), I guess, to begin with and so I didn't have AS much to lose as maybe some others but still, I would think after 2+ years, it would be more than 40 lbs. I still get choked and have pb if I am not extremely careful with every single bite. It's been this way from day one and so here I sit, still overweight and miserable at every meal. Dr. Speigel has absolutely no bedside manner. I would trust him for fills but if you're looking for a doctor you can talk to, find someone else.

Unhappy with the results all the way around-

Tammy

Hi Tammy, the good news is you haven't gained it back yet. The bad news is you're not losing and that's depressing enough for you. I agree with the other bandster it sounds to me like you're probably too tight.

I've been struggling with mine for 9 months now and have a 10cc band and have had quite a wild ride on the band fill wagon! I gained back the 25 pounds that I had lost on my Medifast liquid diet prior to surgery.

At my last appointment I asked my surgeon, well kind of pleaded, if he would take out 2ccs out of the 4 so I could see how I would do. I had been eating the softer foods before because I was tired of pbing up all my food before and still had the urge to eat and it was pretty much physiological to me. Especially if what I'm eating is crap my body wanted good food but I couldn't give it to it. All I wanted was a big salad!!!!

I didn't realize before my surgery that most of the bad stuff goes down quite easily and the healthy stuff you'd take a couple bites and bam you're done. Most bandsters find this a bit looney that I didn't know but all I was told and or read was that sugary liquids like sodas and ice cream would go down and add those unwanted calories. I didn't know I could eat an once of Protein and be full but could still eat Cookies, chocolate, candy, cakes etc... on top of it. I know those were to be avoided but I didn't know it was because they'd go down like water!

Anyway I'm sorry you're disappointed, I am too and still am trying to get things working but I don't know if they'll ever work as well as some people who are more or less "bulk" eaters and find a couple bites of food does the trick for them and they can leave the table feeling satisfied. I don't know if my brain would ever let that happen.

So basically find a good doctor now that you've moved and discuss the issues you've had and see if you can work out something and start over again with a fresh attitude like you had when you first had surgery and lost those 40 pounds. Maybe you can post to people in your area and they might have suggestions for a new doctor with a "good" bedside manner. Hopefully you'll be able to get back on track and things will work out for you again, take care brandyII:smile:

[bandofhope 1]

Hi Bel,

You said you have had your band for six years.. have you had any problems with it? Are there any negatives that you have discovered along the way? Thanks for the info...

[Bel 1]

Hi, the only negative for me comes when i am too tight, then i get an unfill and its all good. I have had a port replaced and found out today i have a small leak that will eventually need fixing.

I still wouldnt change a thing, i love my band and know that i would gain all the weight back within a year if i lost it :-)

[EricaLyn 0]

I didn't realize before my surgery that most of the bad stuff goes down quite easily and the healthy stuff you'd take a couple bites and bam you're done. Most bandsters find this a bit looney that I didn't know but all I was told and or read was that sugary liquids like sodas and ice cream would go down and add those unwanted calories. I didn't know I could eat an once of Protein and be full but could still eat Cookies, chocolate, candy, cakes etc... on top of it. I know those were to be avoided but I didn't know it was because they'd go down like water!

:smile2:

I guess I don't understand why people even buy Cookies, cake, pie, ice cream, candy bars, etc. and bring them home. I admit that if those items are in the house, I'll probably eat them, so I just don't buy them and bring them home.

I read so often on this website that people just sabotage themselves by allowing these foods to come into their home. Most of us are doing this to save our own lives, why do we keep putting the proverbial gun to our heads?

[I_Said_NO 1]

I guess I don't understand why people even buy Cookies, cake, pie, ice cream, candy bars, etc. and bring them home. I admit that if those items are in the house, I'll probably eat them, so I just don't buy them and bring them home.

I read so often on this website that people just sabotage themselves by allowing these foods to come into their home. Most of us are doing this to save our own lives, why do we keep putting the proverbial gun to our heads?

This is a tough one for me. I do buy those things. I live with 7 other people, who are yes, ALL skinny. I'm the fattie in the group. I have a lot of healthy foods on hand, easy to get. The bad stuff is kept in a pantry in the carport. I just don't want my kids to have issues either. I was raised in a house with diet drinks and diet foods. I was thin, but when I got on my own I ordered all the bad foods I could. I gained. But I wanted my kids raised in a house that had both, and left it to them to choose.

I'm really frustrated with this topic. HELP!@!:sad:

I argue with myself about this. I think that 'hey' your dh wants an apple pie for dessert, let him have it!!!

My dh would skip it completely if he thought it was tempting for me.

So it is not my family, it is me. I feel like I'm setting them up to sneak foods and become like I was.

[brandyII 9]

I guess I don't understand why people even buy Cookies, cake, pie, ice cream, candy bars, etc. and bring them home. I admit that if those items are in the house, I'll probably eat them, so I just don't buy them and bring them home.

I read so often on this website that people just sabotage themselves by allowing these foods to come into their home. Most of us are doing this to save our own lives, why do we keep putting the proverbial gun to our heads?

I think there are people that can't help it. For whatever reason. Maybe they're pmsing and they can't control their sweet tooth, there are 100s of reasons. But you must admit there is a bigger problem than just buying the junk food. The problem is that we know if we eat a bit of Protein it may get stuck, we eat a cookie it will go down. What person who is in a weakened state for whatever reason, wouldn't do that.

I did not know all junk food went down the band prior to banding but once I realized that it went down easier than the healthy foods my brain did a 360 and now I'm trying to over come that by letting out a large amount of fill so that I can "fill up" on healthier choices. Before I couldn't because I was too tight and every time I went to the doctor and gained weight they gave me another fill to fix it!

We're all very different. If it were that easy for some of us to give up certain trigger foods to begin with we would have lost weight without the band but that didn't happen and so here we are. There are a few of us who are not as disciplined and may need a bit of extra help to get through the hard times!

We're human and we make mistakes, we also have lap bands and we want them to help us and be the tool we paid for and expected. It may help a person who likes to eat bowls of Pasta at a time but not the one that likes a couple or too many chocolate chip cookies! For me I did find out that if I was over filled and I was that I would compensate for the lack of healthy foods by eating the non-healthy slider foods that go right threw me and I don't think I'm the only one who has struggled with this problem, brandyII, (still recovering from Guiradelli brownie overload at Christmas):sad:

[EricaLyn 0]

This is a tough one for me. I do buy those things. I live with 7 other people, who are yes, ALL skinny. I'm the fattie in the group. I have a lot of healthy foods on hand, easy to get. The bad stuff is kept in a pantry in the carport. I just don't want my kids to have issues either. I was raised in a house with diet drinks and diet foods. I was thin, but when I got on my own I ordered all the bad foods I could. I gained. But I wanted my kids raised in a house that had both, and left it to them to choose.

I'm really frustrated with this topic. HELP!@!:sad:

I argue with myself about this. I think that 'hey' your dh wants an apple pie for dessert, let him have it!!!

My dh would skip it completely if he thought it was tempting for me.

So it is not my family, it is me. I feel like I'm setting them up to sneak foods and become like I was.

Maybe a solution would be to restrict the junk food while you're losing weight or set a certain 'goal' amount, i.e., no junk food in the house until you lose 75 lbs or whatever.

I grew up in a house that didn't have soda, sugar Cereal (Cheerios and Grape Nuts ONLY or my mom's homemade granola - ugh!) or dessert every night. It wasn't a big deal - we just didn't buy it or have it around.

I had to be honest with my husband and tell him that for right now we can't have temptations in the house. He is so on board with that and he's happy I told him what I need - right now.

Your kids will learn by example. If you're striving for better, that can only be a positive thing for them. Maybe having a 'family fun night' where everyone gets a favorite treat. Not the entire bag of Nutter Butter's, but a limited number or it's brownie night or whatever.

Everything in moderation. Right? :frown:

[Bea1128 1]

Tammy- I'm sorry you are having so much trouble. I know it has to be frustrating. I hope you get it fixed soon. I wanted to also say that there are several people from Alabama in the chat room in the evening. Maybe they can help you out and give you the name of a good doc. I'm sure you could also post in the Alabama thread and get some good feedback. Good luck!

[H-Lo 0]

Hi Tammy, I'm not really new here... but haven't been posting much. I too have been struggling to lose weight with my band. It's been 1 year tomorrow (May 30th) since my surgery. I've lost a whopping grand total since the day of surgery 17 lbs. Since I started with the Bariatric Center (pre-op diet and all) I lost 35 pounds. To me that's such a failure when I compare it to where I expected to be at this time. I am completely dissapointed in myself and the band.

I've just started getting filled again on a regular basis to test where my restriction needs to be. I went a good 4 months without a fill when I should have had one. Anyway, long story short(er) I actually gained back up to my surgery day weight over that time and have lost it again since March. So at least the fill I had then helped and I just had another one yesterday. I just think it's a matter of figuring out what fill level you can live with.

I was told at my 1 year Nutritionist review yesterday that she wasn't surprised at all that I've lost so slowly based on what I eat. I basically have what they call "soft food syndrome" where I lean towards all the stuff that is easiest to eat. Slim Fast, Protein shakes with fruit in them... cottege cheese, yogurt, soft stuff... whenever I can find it...that's what I'll eat. I get to annoyed with meat and all that and the slow eating small bite stuff. I admit that. But THAT is what I need to do and I am told to eat Solids at EVERY meal now...even Breakfast which should be real fun since I'm closed up tight in the mornings. Anyway, I just resolved to do it. I have to. I'm not walking in there in another 6 months (sooner if I need a fill) for my review and not have lost a significant amount of weight. I'm shooting for that 1 to 2 pounds a week they promised. That's all I ask for. I'm not asking for much. Ya know? It's what I expected and didn't get. But I have to re-learn everything I learned before going for the surgery I guess. It's easy to have it all down and know what to do and harder to live with and do it. Ya know?

Anyway, hope all is getting better for you and you have found a surgeon in your area!:biggrin:

I hear what your saying when you say not what you expected. Me neither... you are not alone there!

[nomadem 1]

great thread

I too have struggled with eating (getting down) healther foods and coming to terms with the fact that I can only eat a very small amount of hard protien vs more quanity of the chips and Cookies.

[quiltinginiowa 0]

My surgery was May 17th of 2007. I had lost 70 pounds and have put on 40! I am so upset with myself but I can't seem to be "good" and stick to my diet for a full day. I love sweets and they are my big down fall. I don't know what to do to get back to eating right. Why is my self control so weak all of a sudden? HELP!!!!