I have failed my band - SUPPORT GROUP

[therylme 0]

i was banded on 05-06-09 and already had an unfill. I got food stuck. I ate food i had no business eating. when I went to get my unfill i had lost 9 lbs. since the unfil ive gained 3 back...ugh

i get my first fill at the end of this month. I dont want to be a failure. I really am glad to see that I am not out here alone. And we are not failures we just made BAD choices. We have to remember the band is a tool and we paid lots of money and should use it....

[crzytchr 3]

i was banded on 05-06-09 and already had an unfill. I got food stuck. I ate food i had no business eating. when I went to get my unfill i had lost 9 lbs. since the unfil ive gained 3 back...ugh

i get my first fill at the end of this month. I dont want to be a failure. I really am glad to see that I am not out here alone. And we are not failures we just made BAD choices. We have to remember the band is a tool and we paid lots of money and should use it....

This is a learning process, we are not perfect. People make mistakes. As long as you learn from it, that is all that matters. Wow, I just realized you were banded less than two weeks ago:ohmy:, Was your band prefilled?

[ScrapKarla 0]

I too have failed my band...

Pre-Surgery Weight = 321

Surgery Day Weight = 310

Date 05/26/05

Lowest weight = 221

Today's Weight = 255

And it's my own fault that I haven't lost more. In June I planned to pay for a year of fills AGAIN (if they still offer the special deal) and hope that it works this time...

4 years out and 66lbs down.. not enough

[DivaStyleCoach 89]

Hi All,

Just wanted to post here to encourage you all...I was banded in November 08, struggled a little at first, but stuck with it and as of now have lost 50 lbs to date.

I ate around my band at first...didn't have good restriction and didn't change my eating habits. Now that I have good restriction, I'm doing much better. One of the keys for me was to get moving...

I walk a minimum of 30 minutes per day - spread out over a few sessions. I walk in the morning with my dog (usually a mile or so) which takes me about 20 - 25 minutes. Not a fast pace, but still okay. I walk at lunchtime with music - fast music - and get in 20 minutes or so (summer hours means only a 1/2 hour lunch instead of 1 hour), then I walk from my building to the train station (commuter) which is about another 20 minutes, and about a mile.

Now that I write it all down, it sounds like a lot, but it's working the exercise into my daily routine (not going out of my way) that has made it work for me.

I want to encourage you all - keep logging your food, keep working out, and you'll be more successful than you already are. Yes, you are all ALREADY successful, because you haven't quit.

Keep up the good work, keep supporting each other, and you will reach your goals...:thumbdown:

[BioTeacher 0]

I read a lot of posts here and looks like my group. I was banded just about one year ago today. I lost 40 lbs. initially and in the last 8 months have lot NOTHING and have gained about 5-6 back. I exercise like crazy every day. I have started doing some weights for about 4 weeks now too. I do not measure so I will try some of the online trackers you guys are using. I feel like I am beating my head against the wall in trying to fix all the things that could be wrong with me and my band journey. I have a Realize Band with 7ml in a 9ml band. I keep waiting for this "magic" restriction spot that has just never happened. Doc's office has pretty much told me it is in my head. I really and truly do not eat sliders, candy, stuff like that . I really don't. I guess I eat too much period. I am trying to get back on the somewhat post-op diet and using at least one high Protein Shake a day and three very little meals. Let's see if that makes a difference. I am feeling like this is just one more diet that I have again failed at. I thought I would have lost so much more by now. I am so glad I did not tell too many people about this banding because I too would be trying to explain my lack of success to them. Ugh. :cursing: I am getting on LBT a lot now because I am a teacher and off for the summer. Once school starts the stress begins and I spend my nights grading grading grading. I barely have time for 6 hours sleep a night much less exercise! Then there is all that measuring, logging, etc. Probably not enough time in the day for all that and I am LAST on the list. I too have addiction in my family. I have a brother who is about 6'2" and weighs every bit of 500lbs. He is in a wheelchair with diabetes and all. I have a brother who is alcoholic, been sober for 20 years, now just heard he is taking pain pills. My mom was an alcoholic and so was her dad. I too stayed away from alcohol but food now that seems to be another story. After a hard day, I sit down and say--I DESERVE IT! Gotta stop that. Again, now I am because I am getting enough sleep. When school starts and all the stuff needs to get done, parents yelling at you for no reason, etc. etc. I turn to it for comfort. I gotta break that one before school starts. So, enough of my pity party. I am going to watch, listen, and learn here. Maybe by next year I will get some more of this off. Any initial suggestions?? You guys are trying HARD and doing your best! You are an inspiration even when you have problems. We have all been there so it helps us feel like we are not alone! Sign me up! :tongue2:

[DivaStyleCoach 89]

Hi BioTeacher!

Welcome to LBT, and though I'm not the thread starter or moderator, I hope I can answer some of your questions and offer some suggestions...

I read a lot of posts here and looks like my group. I was banded just about one year ago today. I lost 40 lbs. initially and in the last 8 months have lot NOTHING and have gained about 5-6 back. I exercise like crazy every day. I have started doing some weights for about 4 weeks now too.

The first thing that jumps out at me is that you are exercising every day - could you be 'overtraining'? Rest periods are important to get the best results...

I do not measure so I will try some of the online trackers you guys are using. I feel like I am beating my head against the wall in trying to fix all the things that could be wrong with me and my band journey.

Tracking is crucial - try writing down everything (absolutely everything) that goes in your mouth for a week, and then use one of the online food sites to figure out what your average calorie load is. Then use one of the fitness / exercise sites to figure out how many calories you are burning on an average day. You might find that you are burning off everything you eat, therefore putting your body into 'starvation' mode, where it will hang on to everything...

Perhaps a few days rest and some analysis will help you determine what your next step might be...

I have a Realize Band with 7ml in a 9ml band. I keep waiting for this "magic" restriction spot that has just never happened. Doc's office has pretty much told me it is in my head. I really and truly do not eat sliders, candy, stuff like that . I really don't. I guess I eat too much period. I am trying to get back on the somewhat post-op diet and using at least one high Protein shake a day and three very little meals. Let's see if that makes a difference.

Many bandsters have reported success by re-starting with the 5-Day pouch test eating plan (I hate the word diet). You can google it and print out the plan, and it's also listed here on LBT. It's a way to re-set your body and your small stomach to post-op levels (shrink any enlargement, etc) and gives you a great jump-start to weight loss. I've done it once, and it really helped me. Lots of other LBT'ers have done it and indicated it helped.

I am feeling like this is just one more diet that I have again failed at. I thought I would have lost so much more by now. I am so glad I did not tell too many people about this banding because I too would be trying to explain my lack of success to them. Ugh. :thumbup: I am getting on LBT a lot now because I am a teacher and off for the summer.

Then this is the PERFECT time to get into some new, positive habits, then you'll be ready to go when school starts back - they'll be second nature!

Once school starts the stress begins and I spend my nights grading grading grading. I barely have time for 6 hours sleep a night much less exercise! Then there is all that measuring, logging, etc. Probably not enough time in the day for all that and I am LAST on the list.

You've got to put yourself FIRST in some things - and this, your journey to better health, is one of them...

I too have addiction in my family. I have a brother who is about 6'2" and weighs every bit of 500lbs. He is in a wheelchair with diabetes and all. I have a brother who is alcoholic, been sober for 20 years, now just heard he is taking pain pills. My mom was an alcoholic and so was her dad. I too stayed away from alcohol but food now that seems to be another story. After a hard day, I sit down and say--I DESERVE IT! Gotta stop that. Again, now I am because I am getting enough sleep. When school starts and all the stuff needs to get done, parents yelling at you for no reason, etc. etc. I turn to it for comfort. I gotta break that one before school starts.

I agree - though I've never been a teacher, I believe it to be a very stressful job. Perhaps taking just 10 or 15 minute walk breaks during the day when you can will help to manage the stress.

So, enough of my pity party. I am going to watch, listen, and learn here. Maybe by next year I will get some more of this off. Any initial suggestions?? You guys are trying HARD and doing your best! You are an inspiration even when you have problems. We have all been there so it helps us feel like we are not alone! Sign me up! :tongue2:

I hope the suggestions I've given will help you to get started and help you succeed. I am doing quite well right now, but struggled initially. I struggled with the same feelings of failure that you express here - but realize, you are NOT a failure! You dropped 40 pounds and have kept 30+ of it off...how many times before the band were you that successful? Don't beat yourself up too much - we're all human and we all have our challenges.

Check in periodically and let us know how you're doing! :cursing:

[BioTeacher 0]

Ebony thanks for your thoughts and suggestions. I did start using the tracker at Fit.com yesterday and it is amazing. Also I can show it to those doubters at my doc's office next Monday when they say I am eating too much. So far I have made my foods fit it really well. I am trying to have one to two Protein Shakes a day for the next week here and then some small meals to get jump started again. I hope that works. I really doubt if I am overexercising. It is sort of funny to hear someone accuse me the fattie of that! but it is kind of nice too so thanks! This upcoming year is my 24th year of teaching. I have always gained a bunch of weight when I start out and just cannot handle the weight thing after. Sounds like stress eating or just rewarding myself for a long hard day? Maybe. I have had two times since 2000 where I lost 40 with medication and supervision only to gain it right back. Lots of $$ spent there too. This next year I have more students than I have EVER had and the older I get the harder it is to grade stuff and keep up. At 3pm I am EXHAUSTED and guess what--I gotta eat! It is a bad bad thing. I always every single school year have all these goals for myself and I fall right on my face when all the work starts piling up. Well thanks again for the nice nice note. You sound like you have really got it going now and I am so happy for you! Talk to you later...:thumbup:

[jmarruda 22]

Hi all... I just wanted to give some hope to someone out there. I've been in similar situations for over a year now. Had my band placed 3/07. Lost 45lbs... And Stopped losing... I tried eating healthy, leafy greens, lean Protein, lots of Water, but every time I pb'd I'd run for the Ben and Jerry's, or anything else that would slide down so that I could have a "meal". Yeah, I was hungry, but I probably could have done without another meal...

So, I went to the doc to consider revision to bypass, and she requires 6 months with a nutritionist. So I've been seeing the nutritionist for 2 months, without a budge of the scale. I finally had to come clean with myself. Cut the crap out. No more Ben and Jerrys.

I've read every single weight loss book on the market over the past 2 months. Digested all the info. None of the diets included ice cream. But I also didn't want to live a life of fat free, no sugar, no coffee, restrictions, and rules. Life happens. If I eat a donut, I don't want to care about it. Its the dozen I fear after a meltdown.

So I basically wanted to revise my diet, not completely revamp. I went out and bought weight watchers ice creams, sugar free popsicles, and a Protein shake from Arbonne that's super thick. I drink the shake for Breakfast. snack is fruit or a light n' fit yogurt. lunch is 6" subway sandwich (of which I can only eat half) and Lay's Light potato chips (75 calories a serving). If I get the hungries around 3-4 pm, I eat fruit or another yogurt, or no sugar pudding. dinner is anything. A slice of pizza, chicken and veggies, big salad with protein, beef tenderloin, anything. After 2 hours I drink 3 glasses of Water, or a couple cups of tea. If I still want anything after that, its weight watchers, sugar free, or lo-cal...

To me, it wasn't a life altering diet, with 200 calories of this, or 5 points of that, net carbs, and such. I was just sick of the same old routine. Step on the scale, same number. Every day. Maybe I also wanted to prove to myself that I could do it without revision to bypass. Maybe I gave up on food. Maybe just the evil food.< /p>

Of course I guess you could say that I wasn't using my band for what it was intended... (by the way, I hate when people say that. use your band as a tool. I know, I know. Just stop lecturing already). So, with revised diet in place, in 1 week I dropped 6lbs. How does that happen? I guess when you stop eating a pint of Ben and Jerrys for dinner every night, you can drop a few pounds. I haven't even started seriously excersizing. All I do is ride my bike 2 times a week for about an hour.

I don't want to preach to anyone. But I gave up. And I'm trying again. Maybe this won't continue to work for me. Maybe I will still revise to bypass. Who knows. But it'd be great to lose another 20 pounds before the bypass, if thats what I decide...

[BioTeacher 0]

I am just wondering how you are doing now after a few more days. Is the weight still seeming to come off? I have NOT been eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's a day. However, my weight is just not moving. Your plan of eating seems like a good one. I can sure live with it. When school starts and I am a teacher I cannot eat subway each day but maybe something close to that. I am just about to start eating a shake in the morning, then tuna and green Beans for the other two meals of the day with maybe some yogurt for Snacks. I am desperate to get the scale moving again! I just returned from almost two weeks on vacation and did OK but not so well. Too much fat in the things I ate. The pictures of me in my bathing suit were absolutely AWFUL. They make me sick to see them. I just feel like I have made no progress here. For the past 8 Weeks I have worked out with weights:mad: 2-3 times a week and done 30-50 minutes of fast walking almost EVERY DAY! And I am no better off right now than I was 8 weeks ago when school ended! I have lost nothing and maybe gained. I am afraid to get on the scale and come this Monday morning I will be getting on there at the doc's office. And then get yelled at. At least I know WHAT I did wrong this time. WHY I cannot get this loss going again I just cannot figure it out. I too have invested in some Weight Watchers chocolate fudge bars. They are so good, one point, and even my family loves them. Try them if you have not--they are truly good fudgies. Just get the plain chocolate fudge ones for a treat. Another problem I have now is that school is starting in ONE week. I found out I have 180 total students which is 25 more than I have ever had in the same 6 classes. I can hardly keep up with the number of papers and planning that I had--I never got more than 6 hours of sleep and had trouble exercising much less eating right. I just ate and was so tired. I was just beat after fixing dinner, cleaning it up, grading papers, then bed at about midnight and up at 6am. By Friday I was DEAD! Now it is going to be WORSE!!! Every year I hope to stop it but once the merry-go -round starts I am lucky to hang on. And MY health and what I need will not get done. Much less to even LOSE any weight. ha ha....I am so fearful. I do not weigh enough for any other kind of surgery but I sure weigh enough to look and feel BAD and FAT. I may have to face that this is IT! It makes me so sad. I know I would have more energy and feel better too if I could get more off. But I was unable to make a DENT in it this summer with all the charting and exercising. I cannot do it when school starts. Not sure what to do. I will try to use an eating plan similar to yours. But I have sort of in the past and I just do NOT lose any weight. It just stays right on my front belly. thanks for the thoughts and please post and let me/us strugglers know if it is still working for you. It might help me for sure!

[suzie g 0]

It is so good to hear your story. I was banded Oct. 07 and was doing great until June when I finally went in for an unfill do to vomiting frequently and reflux. I got unfilled, gained about 8# and then got filled again. At that time the nurse prac. who does the fills kind of yelled at me for gaining! She said she filled me tighter than I was but now I am about 18# heavier!! I am eating between meals and not eating good. What happened to me? I was at goal of 175# which is good for my height of 5ft 10in. I am supposed to go back with a food diary and have not yet as I can't seem to write all my bad choices down. Every day I say it is going to be different. I want to lose 15# by December. I know what I have to do but have to keep reminding myself. I do get some fullness after I eat a healthy meal but then am hungry later. I have been exercising also. Should I try to stay at 1200 calories? I am afraid to call my nurse because I have failed. Lets encourage each other. Lets change our mindset. WE CAN DO IT!!

[crzytchr 3]

It is so good to hear your story. I was banded Oct. 07 and was doing great until June when I finally went in for an unfill do to vomiting frequently and reflux. I got unfilled, gained about 8# and then got filled again. At that time the nurse prac. who does the fills kind of yelled at me for gaining! She said she filled me tighter than I was but now I am about 18# heavier!! I am eating between meals and not eating good. What happened to me? I was at goal of 175# which is good for my height of 5ft 10in. I am supposed to go back with a food diary and have not yet as I can't seem to write all my bad choices down. Every day I say it is going to be different. I want to lose 15# by December. I know what I have to do but have to keep reminding myself. I do get some fullness after I eat a healthy meal but then am hungry later. I have been exercising also. Should I try to stay at 1200 calories? I am afraid to call my nurse because I have failed. Lets encourage each other. Lets change our mindset. WE CAN DO IT!!

Try journaling for your own benefit so you can see where your calories are coming from. Are you too tight and eating slider foods? If so, get an unfill so you can eat better quality foods. I eat 1200-1500 calories each day.

[taffiegirl 0]

Tabithan:

In Sept. of 2207 I too was banded with all the high expectations of success. initially I lost about 50 lbs. But I was still able to eat too large a quantity, I complained to my surgeon aboot this and he kept telling me to eat slower and make sure I was only eating 3oz at any sitting. This continued and he finallly ordered a barium swallow test and discovered my esophageous was acting like a stomach and food was stacking up in there and my esophageous was 3 times the size it should have been,so he took out all my Fluid for 3 months and my esophageous normalized and I've had 100cc put back in my 14cc band,however I feel no restriction and have given up all hope of any success, and the really crappy thing is I would see another surgeon for a second opinion but other DR.'s have no interest in seeing you or helping you if they didn't perform the original surgery, anyways that's how it's been here in Seattle. have you ever heard of "esophageal Stacking" my own surgeon has never heard of it. I've basically been left by the wayside. anyone else feel like that?

I think it's great you have a new lease on life with your band, good luck and much success.

Cheryl:frown::thumbup:

MY STORY

I was banded in March of 2007. At the time I was 299 lbs. I am a 6ft tall lady. Today, I weigh 255, and basically just as big as I was when I got my band. I have got numerous fills and I usually eat through my fiils. I can eat whatever I want. I overeat and I am confident that I have caused my stomach to expand. I snack on candy, I eat the wrong foods - I eat until I am STUFFED. Sometimes when I overeat, I feel sick and gag to relieve the pressure.

I moved to Houston 4 months ago, and last week, I went in for a port-readjustment with Dr Alanis. It went well and I now have a new resolve to make it work. My doctor mentioned to me that about 40% of all bandsters fail. I do not want to be a failure. I have paid too much money to go through this.

MY GOAL FOR DECEMBER

• To write everything I eat down, including calories
  
• To stay within 1500 Calories.
  

What's your story? What's your goal? How can I support you? How can we support each other?

Misery loves company, and company can help us move from failure to success. Please join me by telling me your story, and your GOAL for December. Let's vent - but more importantly, let's talk about strategies to make this work - let's share and support each other - Let's turn this from failure to success.

I REFUSE TO BE A FAILURE

[jmarruda 22]

I just wanted to give you guys an update. I joined weight watchers the first week of september, mostly because I needed an organized plan... If I don't track every bite, I have food amnesia. So I've been doing weight watchers for 8 weeks and have lost 20 pounds so far, and it hasn't been all that difficult. I still have a shake for Breakfast, salad with Protein for lunch, and any typical dinner... protein, vegg, and small starch. I'm excited that I've got the ball rolling again. It's funny, I started really tracking, and noticed that if I ate lots of Snacks throughout the day, the weight dropped faster. Not sure if I'm just constantly fueling my metabolism or what. I haven't even started excersizing yet.

[HappyHomeCC 2]

I just wanted to give you guys an update. I joined weight watchers the first week of september, mostly because I needed an organized plan... If I don't track every bite, I have food amnesia. So I've been doing weight watchers for 8 weeks and have lost 20 pounds so far, and it hasn't been all that difficult. I still have a shake for breakfast, salad with Protein for lunch, and any typical dinner... Protein, vegg, and small starch. I'm excited that I've got the ball rolling again. It's funny, I started really tracking, and noticed that if I ate lots of Snacks throughout the day, the weight dropped faster. Not sure if I'm just constantly fueling my metabolism or what. I haven't even started excersizing yet.

wow can you imagine when you throw in that exercise plan. You have done great so far! That is one thing I need to get on... an exercise routine .

[luchay 0]

Greetings fellow bandsters. I am so happy to find this site. I have read so many sucess stories-which are awesome- i was really feeling like a loser. I to did not realize the band was only a tool and not a majic pill. Head hunger and emotional eating has been my downfall, just like before i got the band. (banded 2/11/9). today i take diet pills to try to control the head hunger and the band does control the amount i eat. i cant pig out like i used to and i am very grateful for that. i have lost about 25 lbs since my surgery. My issue-i can not eat most Protein very easily, it gives me acid reflux, but i can easily eat anything with sugar, like Cookies, ect...i mean it goes down easy. i got banded in mexico, had a great surgeon, but no support back home in texas. i have had numerous fills and unfills till i am sick of that. right now i am at about 7.1 on a 10cc band and just want to stay here for a while and try to retrain my self to eat the protein i can manage. i always worry i have slipped my band. i eat to fast, to much and get acid reflux. prilosec and alka seltzer are my daily friends. over all i still would not trade my band for anything, i am holding out hope i can get on track and use the band properly. thank you for your posts-really encouraging. i plan on staying in touch now that i have found you all! God bless you and all of us who struggle with addiction. it is like a rabbit trying to contain a lion!

luchay