WHy didn't anyone tell me....????

[TQUAD64 9]

gosh this post really made me depressed. i am being banded in 2 weeks and now i wonder if i am making a mistake. i just can't imagine going through all this and not losing one pound.:bored:

But not everyone has the same story as NoPJB. Actuall her story is not typical. It can happen, but for the most part the Band works.

I have never been stuck with the band.

I have never vomited with the band.

And I have lost over 30 pounds.

Don't base your journey on someone else's journey. Our individual experiences do not compare. Check out the threads on this forum that show all the weight loss. Draw your inspiration from there if need be.

[luluc 6]

But not everyone has the same story as NoPJB. Actuall her story is not typical. It can happen, but for the most part the Band works..

true.

i have only PB'd 3 times - and each time it was because i was starved and ate too fast. i personally think NoPBJ is too tight - anytime i got to a point that i could no longer eat chicken/beef/bread/pasta, i got an unfill. i didn't sign up to not eat the foods i enjoy or healthy ones (ie - salads/fruits/veggies).

sure the band has it's downfalls & requires more than the average attention than other WLS - but it can work.

[losingjusme 12]

sorry you are having such issues ...

couple things i've noticed...

*you may be TOO tight... if you are chewing properly and eating the right foods (not cakes, candies, etc) you should NOT be PB'ing all the time and you should be losing weight

*i know it's been mentioned - but SOME form of exercise... find something you like, start out slowly (swim for 20 minutes once a week for instance - gradually increase it then add some variety)... it really does help and will more than likely help with the energy (plus when you start losing, you'll get more energy)

*once you PB, go on liquids for at least 18 hours after ... ideally 24 hours

*i agree with the post(s) that said talk with your surgeon... they should be able to help you

good luck

[MistyD65 1]

You DON"T feel full...you feel like something is stuck in your chest and that's how you lose weight! You're supposed to walk away from the table with the "stuck" feeling and work through it for the next couple hours until you can eat again. My last visit for a fill, the NP actually told that to me. It all made sense b/c I either drink a tbsp of liquid to get it "unstuck" or it ends up coming up on it's own, and then I can eat. If I wait until I'm "full" i can eat way too much.

There's been some great advice given and I don't really have any to add. I did, however, want to comment on the quote above - for the NP to say that you are "supposed to walk away from the table with the 'stuck' feeling and work through it for the next couple hours until you can eat again" is just unbelievable. Getting stuck is NOT supposed to be something that occurs with every meal. Rather, it is an indicator - you are too tight, you ate too fast or didn't chew well enough or took too big a bite, or maybe this is a food that just isn't going to work for you. I've been banded for 6 months and I have never PBed. The few times I've gotten stuck were because I ate too fast or didn't chew well.

Also, for anyone who is frightened by threads such as this, just remember something - the nature of forums such as LBT is that people are more likely to post about problems they are having than about being wildly successful. The folks who are rolling smoothly along with their bands don't really need to come here and post about their experiences, although many do. It's kinda like the news - bad news gets much more coverage than good news. But that's one of the things I appreciate about LBT. It's a "warts and all" source of information, the good and the bad. And it's best to have all of the information you can gather on something that is going to affect the rest of your life the way this surgery will.

[di1138 8]

gosh this post really made me depressed. i am being banded in 2 weeks and now i wonder if i am making a mistake. i just can't imagine going through all this and not losing one pound.:bored:

Walk, go back and re read the positive post. We are here for you and can help you through it. Most of us love our bands but it cant be said enough, there is no magic wand. There are rules to follow and we are all different. Best of luck to you.

[heather.vasquez 0]

NOBPJ

Everyone has told you from the beginning that this is a tool and you need to use it to HELP you. It won't do it for you. The fact that you are not exercising says a lot to me. You're gonna have to do your part. I'm not convinced you are.

I had a really really hard time learning to eat with the band as well. It sounds like you are eating WAY too fast and probably to big of bites. I used to get stuck on everything and I blamed how stupid the band was. In reality, it was my fault and after changing my eating style I don't get stuck nearly as often. I used to be addicted to food and the addiction would eat for me. Now, I'm not so addicted to food and it's a lot easier to not get stuck. I dunno if that makes sense.

I do not get full with the band. Either I’m in pain for eating too much, or I have to tell myself, “Okay, enough food”. I agree that we were mislead on this fact, but there’s no way, on God’s green earth, I would have be able to say “Okay, enough food” with out my band. So, I give that credit to the band.

You should make a food journal. You will see that you are eating more calories than you are burning. If you weren't, you would be losing. It's IMPOSSIBLE to eat less and stay the same weight. Here are some free sites that will help you keep track of your food. Sparkpeople.com, myfitnesspal.com, myfood guidepyramid.gov or something like that.

Next, get your ass moving!!! What the hell? You paid a shit load of money to get this surgery to what, get online and bitch to us? LoL You can hate me for that comment, but really, get with it. You must have been tired enough of being fat that you’d risk you life in surgery. Sweat a little bit and put some effort into changing your body. I was stuck for a LONG time when I had lost 60lbs. I got very bitter and mad at the band. I had to start running to get over my plateau. I easily run 3, 5, 7 miles a day and I’ve never been more proud of myself!! The more work you put into this process the prouder of yourself you’ll be.

I think you need to stop thinking that magically this band is gonna make you skinny. Maybe you did make the wrong choice of getting the band instead of gastric. Even that surgery you have to follow the rules or you’d gain the weight back. There is no simple answer. We are addicted to food or we wouldn’t have to make any of these choices.

I really hope you can get yourself to let your band work for you. You’ll LOVE it. It’s the most amazing ride I’ve ever been on. And when I say ride, I mean it. This band is a freaking rollercoaster ride, but the results of it are WAY cool.

Best of luck,

PS For those of you that don't agree with me and want to send me some angry comment..DON'T, just stop reading my posts. :bored:

Jeep Gal..your post was interesting how many calories do you take in a day? and how much or what is it that you do for exercise to make you go negative in calories everyday?

[BethFromVA 5]

If I could go back and reverse this I would

You can reverse it.

Edited January 29, 2009 by BethFromVA

[BethFromVA 5]

So...anyway, I know what it means to get off my ass and work, b/c I did it. Aftera few babies and this sleep thing, I knew that I'd never have the energy to devote 2-3 hours a day to the gym. So, i figured that the band would HELP me. I knew my exercise wouldn't change that much, but I fugured it must help a little.

First and foremost, nobody has to work out 2-3 hours a day! Many work out maybe an hour a day every other day. I am committing myself to 45 minutes to 1 hour about four days a week. I'm sure you can find that amount of time. Even some 30-minute walks would be better than NOTHING.

Secondly, I would bet you would find you have energy AND can sleep if you exercised. It releases endorphins which help with those things. I know it sounds crazy to say you have to exert energy to have energy, but it's true.

I also have to wonder what you're eating. You're right, the band SHOULD help (even if you aren't exercising), but because you don't put much into your part of the deal, I can only wonder how you eat.

[BethFromVA 5]

Thanks for this! And I will try this! You guys don't know how badly i WANT to be at fault. I want to fgure out if it is me and something I am doing wrong. I just can't imagine that I am not losing anything.

I mean this in the nicest way possible, I swear -- but it IS your fault. The band has worked for so many people, so if somebody out there is not losing, the first thing I ask myself is, "What are they doing wrong?"

How badly do you want this? I ask myself that every night I know I should be exercising and don't want to. Positive self-speak is very important. But I want to be thin more than I want to sit on the couch or eat that thing I shouldn't have. Only you can answer that question for yourself.

[~MyNewLife~ 0]

thank you all for replying and being kind! It took me a long time to REMEMBER that I had to chew my food, so for the first while I would forget to chew and things would get stuck. I can't really get chicken down to well. That gets stuck almost always. But now I usually remember that I have to take my time and chew.

I am always in shock to hear someone say they have never pb'd. this is a common occurrance for me and don't understand how some don't ever have it happen? hmm

What do you mean by "eating around the band"? like cheating?

I am just so thrown by the NP saying that I SHOULD feel that stuck feeling. Do you all feel that as your "full" feeling?

Also, how much do you all drink if any with your meals?

Im sorry you are having such a hard time. I have some questions I would like to ask. Are you eating at least 1200 calories a day, are you drinking with your food and are you getting in 60 grams of protien a day. How much food and what foods are you eating. I hope no one judges you, we are all here for the same reason, for support!!

[BethFromVA 5]

True, we ARE here for support. However, I guess I get a little tweaked when people start blasting the band and scaring newbies when in reality it is the person who is not working it correctly. :bored:

[crzytchr 3]

thank you all for replying and being kind! It took me a long time to REMEMBER that I had to chew my food, so for the first while I would forget to chew and things would get stuck. I can't really get chicken down to well. That gets stuck almost always. But now I usually remember that I have to take my time and chew.

I am always in shock to hear someone say they have never pb'd. this is a common occurrance for me and don't understand how some don't ever have it happen? hmm

What do you mean by "eating around the band"? like cheating?

I am just so thrown by the NP saying that I SHOULD feel that stuck feeling. Do you all feel that as your "full" feeling?

Also, how much do you all drink if any with your meals?

I am sorry I missed this post earlier. I am not sure anyone answered the "eating around the band" question. I don't consider eating around the band to necessarily mean cheating, because it usually isn't done intentionally. If your band is too tight and it hurts to eat the foods you are supposed to, then you naturally will turn to foods that cause less pain, "slider foods"...ice cream, chips, Cookies, and other normally carb laden foods that mush up easy and slip through the band easily. It is understandable that people do this if eating healthy is causing pain and discomfort.

My surgeon is aggressive with fills. My friend was banded 2 weeks prior to me. My friend began getting her fills and was excited about restriction. Then after her 3rd fill she started pbing a lot and so she began eating chips every day. She thought because she felt restricted it was supposed to be like that. She stayed like this for over a month. Finally she got an unfill and is able to eat better now.

And dangit, I am a little ticked off that the NP told you that it is what you are supposed to feel like.:bored: You shouldn't have been made to think you are supposed to feel like crap every day.

[twiggysmiff 0]

Well..it's been 7 months since my surgery and I have lost NO POUNDS! Nothing, nada. I was banded on june 30th, 2008 in Buffalo, ny. Now, let me say this before I start, I do NOT excercise, or very little anyway. Go ahead and judge me if you want, but I lack energy all the time. I have trouble sleeping (not related to lapband) and am drained all the time.

Now that I have said that, I should still be losing. I am filled almost 6 cc's on a 10 cc band. I can barely get stuff down and PB all the time. I am eating 30% of what I used to eat..so why am I not losing SOMETHING?

Here is what NOBODY tells you before you have th surgery and I feel a little lied to. Haven't we all been told that we will eat normally but just "feel full faster"?? Well, that's what I was told over and over and over again. THAT's A LIE! You DON"T feel full...you feel like something is stuck in your chest and that's how you lose weight! You're supposed to walk away from the table with the "stuck" feeling and work through it for the next couple hours until you can eat again. My last visit for a fill, the NP actually told that to me. It all made sense b/c I either drink a tbsp of liquid to get it "unstuck" or it ends up coming up on it's own, and then I can eat. If I wait until I'm "full" i can eat way too much.

If I could go back and reverse this I would b/c that's not what I signed up for. That stuck feeling makes me feel anxious and like I can't breathe...

Anyone else understand this?

And please, no haters...thanks

I'm only two weeks in, but the doctor said I would probably feel some restriction because my 10 cc band is "quite snug". I am only eating about 1/3 of what I normally would and I don't feel something stuck in my throat. I really do feel "full". I'm still learning to stop eating when I'm not hungry anymore and I will feel "stuffed" afterward, but the feeling is no different to me than pre-band when I gorged on huge amounts of food. The only difference is that I feel this after eating some veggie Soup. Have you talked to your doctor about this feeling? Something sounds wrong somewhere if you constantly feel like you are choking. Maybe someone else on here has had a similar experience and can help.

[plain 12]

I TOTALLY AGREE! My doctor told me that I would lose all my weight within 6 months. He said having this surgery is a lot like being on Phen Phen.

WannaB, your doctor either lied to you , or he is an idiot.

NoPBJ, put me in the "I think you're too tight" camp. And seriously consider seeing somebody else.......If somebody tells you you're supposed to feel stuck, then they 1) haven't a clue as to how this thing works, or 2) don't care about you and just want you in and out as soon as possible.

Now on feeling full.....

One of the wisest things I've ever read on here was that, as fatties, many of us have gotten the feeling of "full" mixed up with the feeling of "stuffed". Now we have to re-train ourselves. Eat very slowly until you are no longer hungry. When you're no longer hungry, you're full.

I know that sounds simplistic to the point of being snarky, but (for me at least) it was very true.......and took quite awhile for me to learn that point.

Also, like everybody else said, exercise is very important. You can do it. Don't give up now.

[AliNSanDiego 1]

I don't believe for one second that people CAN'T lose with this tool.

The ONLY excuse I am willing to accept is a malfunctioning band or an unfilled band.

That being said...I am not nearly as hungry as I was pre-band. I have a 24/7 appetite suppressant (my band) and I love it!

If you are not losing IMO, you are either eating WAY to much fat/calories (who cares if its smaller qty's, you still WONT lose eating junk and sitting on the couch!!!) OR you are not exercising.

If your diet consists of high fat and high calories AND you are a couch potato too....DOUBLE whammy! You are NOT going to lose with the band or any other weight loss tool!