brbm6

I think you have unrealistic expectations of the band, and what it does. At the end of the day, all the band is intended to do is dim your appetite, so you can use your willpower and common sense to achieve the weight loss you're after. To expect the band to do more than that is inviting frustration and weight loss failure.
It's true - the band doesn't do anything you can't do for yourself. Technically. So you're right - you possibly could do this with diet and exercise. I did that. And I lost the same 20 pounds a dozen times. For me, the band helps keep the hunger monsters at bay, so I can focus on the rest of my life, and NOT focus on the next meal, or mindless snacking, or finding junk food, or finding the nearest drive-thru. It's liberating for me to be able to NOT constantly have to worry about where I'll find my next meal.
I don't diet, in the traditional sense. I eat healthier food, compared to how I used to eat, but I eat "real world" food, focusing on higher Protein, lower glycemic carbs, and avoiding fried, fatty, or overly-sweet foods. (Note I said "avoiding" not eliminating - I still eat some of those kinds of things, just not a lot.) And I find I'm very satisfied with a smaller portion of food, because my band is properly adjusted. The balance of calories in vs. calories out is up to me, and I take responsibility for my weight loss. I work my band, and in return, it works for me.
When you make statements like "I am a very picky eater. I do not like foods that would be better for me to eat. The foods I do eat, I cannot get down. They get stuck and I wind up purging or just in a lot of discomfort for a while." it shows you're doing something wrong. If you eat in proper bandster methods (small bites, taken slowly, chewed thoroughly, and not rushed), there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to eat anything you want. The rest is all about the food decisions you're making.
I suggest you evaluate what you're taking in every day, compared with what you're burning off every day. See your doctor to discuss your situation, and what you can do about it. Find out if your band is properly adjusted, and if there is a medical reason you're having such trouble. There is no reason to have to suffer with a band. For me, it has been a Godsend, and I'm grateful every single day that I have my life back in control.
Good luck!
Dave

I think you are hopeless and should give up.
Mimi

You know, I imagine what I say is not going to sound super sensitive and supportive, etc. However, after reading so many posts like yours, I have to get this off my chest. My husband, when I met him, couldnt be PAID to eat vegetables. Now he is on the Atkins diet and has lost a lot of weight, largely due to the fact that though he doesnt LIKE vegetables and he is PICKY, he sucked it up and ate them because it is and was more important to him to eat healthy (even if he didnt like the way it tasted at the beginning) than to be fat, unhealthy, not be able to enjoy our children and possibly die at a younger age from weight related medical issues. He is still experimenting to find ways to make them as tasty as possible for him and he SUCKS IT UP. Sure, we would all prefer that healthy foods taste like chocolate and Cookies, but the fact is, they don't. So if you went to the trouble to get banded, you must have realized that you were not having a magical weight loss machine put into you which would suddenly make the weight melt off you without any work. You don't mention at all about how you exercise at least 3 times a week and have limited your portions. All you say is that you are the same weight now as you were 3 years ago. That tells me that you think the band will do all the work for you. You need to go back to your doctor (I imagine you havent been to him/her in a long time) and work as a team to make the band work WITH you, not FOR you. You need to get in your kitchen with those foods that are good for you and a bunch of cookbooks and experiment until you find a way to eat those foods prepared in a healthy way that you can tolerate. You need to drop the self pity and realize that obesity is a disease and you carry inside yourself a GIFT. Don't squander it just because it hasn't lived up to your expectations. Make it work for you and your future.

My heart aches for you! As a wife of a former U.S. Army Bosnian Conflict Vet I can not imagine what you are going through. You are among friends here.

I have to say I totally agree. This 1/2 cup business is nonsense. My nutrionist won't even talk about anything other than 1000-1200 calores per day. I have been continually loosing since pre-op by counting calories. Please people, use some common sense and realize our bodies need fuel to keep going. 1/2 cup may be fine RIGHT after surgery but 3 month or a yr. out it will cause malnutrition and Vitamin deficencies.

Claudia, you should not be embarrassed. We all suffer from this "over-eating" disease. You are among friends.

Claudia, you should not be embarrassed. We all suffer from this "over-eating" disease. You are among friends.

I am excited too! I don't even mind the Protein shakes and liquid diet. My surgery is April 5th and I can not wait. My goal is to be fit and healthy by 40! (1 1/2 yrs. to go!) I do not care if I end up a size 8 or 16 as long as I feel good. I think that is what has made this such an easy decision for me (I backed out 2 yrs. ago) this time. I am mentally ready...I can not wait to start my life again. I want to be the strong mom that my girls will admire.