hopeful2 be slim

thanks so much...will surely try that..u have lost an amzing amt of weight..wow...real will power...

All the best!!!Your story is wonderful!!!I wish you luck in your weightloss!!

hello everyone,

I have been a bandster for a yr now and I am really greatful to the band!!!I have not lost a lot of weight,,,,but i have reduced my NSAIDS and am on a right path for health improvement..

All say that the band works better in the 2nd yr!!! My problem is that I cant walk much due to muscle pain and arthritis.

And because I dont exercise I am not loosing!!!Being a vegetarian my protien content is also low.

I am sure that I will find a way out. At least I have stopped putting on weight ,since I cant eat much!!!!Hahaha..

All the best to all of you. The band is a wonderful tool and we should use it well.

thanks so much !!!I have now decided to keep a check on my diet and also exercise.!!!

Thanks guys!!!

Hi all,

i am a bandster since 17th march 2011...I lost some weight in the first 4 months....now I have good restriction, but I have not been careful about my diet...hence not loosing..

exercising is another problem for me...I have arthritis...but thats just an excuse...there are so many exercises that I can do....If I wish to ..

someone please motivate me....I need to loose to be able to walk...

This is an article that helps explain a cause of stalls: Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of Water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.

As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a sabertooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored.

I hope this helps.

Thanks a million....im feeling so much better after reading this!!!

What helps me is thinking about when a brilliant bander reminded me that weight loss is not a slide, but a set of stairs. When you eat much fewer calories that you used to, your body goes into starvation mode. It knows you are getting less food and calories and reacts to it. Your body will hold on to a few pounds in case it needs them and once the body realizes it doesn't, it drops them. The cycle then repeats. I don't know how much truth is to that info, but I have noticed that when I hit a plateau for a few days and start to fret, I wake up one morning and am at a new, lower place on the scale, where I hang out for a few more days before a drop. It usually takes a week and a half to see the pound or two on the scale, but as long as I am moving down and not up, I am satisfied.

Also, remember us women retain Water like a sponge before and during menstration and before and during ovulation, so that is two weeks out of the month.

Keep your head up, we are all in this for the long run. Your hard work will pay off. Good Luck!!

Thanks a lot...I have got only 1 fill so far....and my doc is just not ready for another one...I feel hungry and my appetite is also increasing..... some doctors are really peculiar....

hello everyone...

I got my band on 17th july 2011...first few months were so good....now the band just plays tricks with me..... one day my weight is down and I am thinking of buying new clothes... and there...the band has had a good laugh..new clothes???here you go....

and the next day I am up by few pounds.....a week's hard work gone down the drain.....

oh this is so depressing.....u change your diet just a little bit and the scales are up.....we were eating so much earlier without any change in our weight....

oh this is so depressing....

Thanks a lot Alex..I had my surgery in march 2011 and have seen my doc only 3 times...:othats bad isnt it..no wonders I am not loosing weight....

I have got just 1 fill which has not helped me....i cant exercise much as I have OA...but your article has really motivated me..

we keep finding excuses for ourselves....and so we fail...

thanks again..

Here it is, I hope you find it helpful.

My name is Amy Workman and I am a bandster (everyone: HI Amy). I haven't posted on here in a long time and thought I might share with you my blog post from today. If any of you watched the recent Dr. Oz show about Lapband, I thought it might be nice for those of you just beginning to see a more realistic idea of the band. I was banded January 27th, 2009. I weighed 327 and today weight 159 pounds. I love my band. My before and after pictures on here are not updated, but you can find all my pictures on my blog. If you have any questions, please email me and ask away.

Sometimes we forget when we were first beginning. Do you remember the first time you googled Lapband? Or the first time you logged into the forums...frantically searching for before and afters....looking at successes and getting pumped...stumbling upon a horror story and then getting scared? Do you remember the stupid questions you asked? I remember posting on lapbandtalk.com something like "is one cup of Wendy's chili bad for you?"

Well, I am going to try and remember back to when I didn't know much about the band...and what information would have been helpful. Here goes...

Did you know:

I started at 327 pounds. My doctor, the wonderful and handsome Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, told me that the band is not always the best choice for someone who is a grazer. They find that the band is actually more successful for men, because men tend to eat in volume (sitting down for a huge dinner and getting really full, vs eating and munching on little things all day).

Some doctors say that the band will not work as well for those of us who are or were really morbidly obese. I disagree. And there are plenty of us out here who are proving them wrong.

Did you know:

The band may not work for you? You could have the surgery and not lose much weight at all. It is not a sure thing. BUT, if you work with the band...it can and will work for most of us.

What does "work with the band mean"?

Every doctor has a different regimen they want you to follow. Every doc is different, as it almost every patient. Some say no pop/soda, some say it's fine. Some have a 2 week liquid preop and scare the sweet baby jebsus out of you about not shrinking your liver enough for surgery and not being able to operate (thank you Dr. Friedman). But, you will have to do your part with the band. You will have to watch what you eat. You will have to eventually get your ass up and exercise. You will have to make healthier choices and just be better. I know you are saying WHAT? That sounds like a diet to me. And I fail at diets!!! The band is a TOOL, not the Alpha and Omega of your weight loss journey. You can "cheat" the band by eating sliders and soft food. I for one could eat cheetos all day long and the band would sleep right through it. But with the right restriction, your band prevents you from eating that large pizza, the extra value meal, the entire bovine.

You have to find a doctor that you can have a relationship with. They have to be open with you and you have to be open with them. You HAVE to go see them for fills. You have to follow up. You have to be a good patient. ASK QUESTIONS.

What can you eat once you are banded?

At this point in my journey, I can't think of one thing I CANT eat. However, there are somethings that I try to stay away from because they are difficult with my band. Example: Bowtie Pasta. It doesnt go down well. And then it just sits in my band and expands...causing me to PB (get to that in a second).

I can't eat a sandwich, or a hamburger with a bun, but I could eat a roll if I tear off little pieces at a time. Hot dogs give me problems for some reason. Dry chicken or reheated meat (with the exception of a hamburger) often give me problems as well.

I still drink soda, I still drink beer.

I love Soups. I can eat veggies. I can eat fruit.

Eating after being banded is about going slow. It's about chewing. They say with proper restriction that 4-6 ounces of solid Protein (a piece of meat about the size of your fist) should keep you full for 3-4 hours.

Most docs want their patients to avoid "slider meals". Meaning, eating a bowl of Soup for lunch or yogurt for Breakfast isn't going to keep you full or satisfied because it will SLIDE right down. You want your food to stay in your pouch, and slowly drop down.

Sometimes though...food may get stuck and then you get "sick".

The Dreaded PB:

A couple things may happen if a piece of food gets "stuck in your pipe" as Heather refers to it. You aren't going to die. It's not like it gets stuck and you need the Heimlich. But if a piece of food gets stuck, ain't nothing else going down until it moves or comes up.

The first thing that may happen is a productive burp (PB). This is not throwing up. When something gets stuck, your slobber starts to build on top of it. For me, when this happens, I get a weird sensation in the back of my jaw. And if I wait long enough, I will have to get somewhere private (hopefully) and let it come up. What comes up is this weird slime/foam combo. It doesn't hurt. And hopefully...it moves whatever is stuck.

Sometimes though, it takes a little more work. Sometimes that one piece of food I didnt chew enough will be down there for hours. And then, it's not PBing. It's sort of like dry heaving until that piece comes up. There is a tightness in the chest...a pressure. It's not fun.

I will say that not everyone gets stuck or PB's. And most of us would agree that when we do get stuck...it's our fault. We eat without being present, we didn't chew, we ate too fast.

Restriction and Tips for Eating:

Unless you are extremely lucky, you will not awake from surgery with perfect restriction. Some docs put a little liquid in your band to start with, others wait. I had to wait 6 weeks for my first fill. And again, unless you are the rare case, you probably won't get restriction with your first fill. It took me several fills before I had good restriction.

ASK your doctor what his/her fill policy is. Some docs are super restrictive with their fills. They only fill on a schedule. They don't care whether or not you have restriction. All I know is if Dr. Friedman hadn't let me tell him that I was ready for a fill...and if he had made me wait regardless of what I could eat...I wouldn't have been as successful as I was.

You will know you have restriction when you have it. It's sort of like having sex. If you have to wonder if you had an orgasm or not...um...you probably didn't.

Restriction will keep you full and satisfied for 3-4 hours. You will be able to eat less.

Restriction DOES NOT RESTRICT YOUR BRAIN. You may still mentally crave things. You will have to learn the difference between head hunger and physical hunger. This is very hard.

When you do have good restriction, you will have to change the way you eat. This is easier said than done. You should be taking small bites. For example, if you are eating steak, you need to cut that sucker up into pea sized bites. You need to chew. Then, set your fork down and wait a few seconds. You should eat sitting down. You should pay attention to what you are doing. You will learn that things like eating in the car is rarely going to end well. (Always have your emergency PB kit in your car. A couple of bags, some papertowels or handywipes. Trust me.)

You probably shouldnt drink with your meal or for 30 minutes after. liquids can help push your food down...thus...cheating the band.

How much weight will I lose? How quickly will I lose it?

Now you know that there is no one answer for this. Statistically, Lapband patients lose around 40% of their excess weight. SO, if you are 100 pounds overweight, statistically you will lose 40 pounds. I hate statistics. And remember, they are an average. 17 more pounds lost and I will have lost 100% of my excess weight...and I am not alone. It can happen.

However, there are so many factors that go into how much and how fast. Genetics, age, diet history, personal support, family life, exercise. Some weeks I lost 7 pounds. Some weeks I gained 5. The weeks I gained, I gained because I ate poorly. I cheated the band The weeks I lost, I ate and made healthy choices. There are some weeks, even when I WAS doing the right thing...I didn't lose. It can be frustrating. But you can't give up.

You will have to keep upping your game. At some point, even with the band, you will either have to adjust your food or exercise.

But, I feel like the band is "cheating". I feel like if I have WLS, I am weak.

I'm gonna tell you what. Who gives a flying monkey's ass?! Cheating what? Cheating early death? Cheating sleep apena? Cheating high blood pressure, sore joints, diabetes? I say CHEAT AWAY then. There is no shame in WLS. It's not about will power. It's not about failing. It is about trying to find a tool that works to give you some power, give you your health.

I tell whoever wants to know or will listen about the band. And yes, I have heard "Oh...well...I thought you did it the hard way"...or "hmmm...that must be nice". I say listen FOOL. There ain't nothing easy about the band. It makes some things easier but it is still work. And I find that people either give you 'tude about the band bc they are afraid or jealous or because they don't understand. Either way, that is okay. I will educate or I will ignore. I feel like if I were to say "oh, I am just watching my diet and working out"...that I would be lying by omission. AND, my real fear is that someone who is overweight will think "Well, Amy did it "the old fashioned way", and they will feel like a failure when they try and do not succeed.

Will my relationship fall apart if I have the surgery?

We all hear the stories of what happens when someone has WLS. The divorce rate and seperation rate is a little higher for us. There are several reasons. One, for some of us....when we lose weight, we become a different person...or the person we would have been if our bodies hadn't been our enemies so long. Our expectations may change, we may want more. OR, our partners may not be able to deal with the new us. OR, as in any relationship...sometimes it's just time to move on. I don't think that having WLS should make you fear losing or changing your partner anymore than the normal person. There are tons of bandsters out there still happy and maybe even happier with their significant other. Sometimes though, even though we can't see it or don't want to admit it...we have settled. And once you start to shed your cloak of security or denial...you realize you deserve more (too bad we don't realize that to begin with. Long story short...people change and grow...with or without weightloss surgery.

Are you worried about complications:

No. But most days I am not a worrier about things that may or may not happen. I heard recently that the stats for band slipping are about 5% and for erosion, about 1-2%. Slipping for example, can be avoided most of the time and according to the docs...is easy to fix. Erosion is of course a little more scary. But I hope that by always paying attention to my body, my band, and how I am feeling...I can avoid it or if it ever happens...catch it early.

Do fills hurt?

Mine never do. My doc has never done one under fluoro. He gives me a numbing shot and then the fill.

How many fills do you have to have?

To get restriction, it took me 4. My first year I had around 6 fills. My second year, I had 2.

Will you ever have the band taken out?

Lord I hope not. Even now that I am at goal weight and weight loss is more of what I do instead of what the band does for me...it's always there. It's my safety net. It will keep me from ever being 327 pounds again.

Why did you choose the band over other options?

I was 28 when I decided on the surgery. I didn't want my stomach cut apart. I still wanted to be able to absorb my nutrients. I wanted to be able to eat sugar and other things without getting physcially ill. I liked that the removal of the band was a possibility if something went wrong. I liked the idea of being able to control my restriction. And even though I bitched and complained along the way, I liked the idea of a slower weight loss (vs Gastric bypass). It gave my skin and my brain a little more time to adjust.

Did you know there are different brands of lapbands?

I have the Allegran Lapband. Ask you doctor your choices and the differences. Mine is a 10-11cc band. Some are smaller.

Were you worried about the loose skin?

Barely. I figured I may look like a saggy deflated sack after I lost my weight, but I would rather be deflated then morbidly obese.

And I am lucky. My skin is nowhere as bad as it could have been. Again, so many factors go into skin. Age, genes, working out, sun...etc.

Would you do it again?

In a heartbeat my friends. In a heartbeat. It was the best decision of my life. It was a tremedous catalyst for change. I can't think of one negative consequence of the band.

Wish I knew the answer to that myself. I was banded on 9/1 and have lost a total of 9 pounds. How can this be? I'm suffering with terrible hunger as well! I know that I am eating more than I expected because I have no restriction, but for the first few weeks I was eating between 800 and 1000 calories. I don't expect to eat less than that for the rest of my life, so if I can't lose weight with that caloric intake, when do I lose the weight?? I fel your pain!! I really expected a better outcome. I write in and everyone tells me to be patient, so I guess that would be my advice to you. It soundslike you are doing the right thing with your portions and with the expercide...keep up the good work!! Can you be gaining muscle?

are you eating sufficient Protein?and drinking enough Water?exercise Protein and Water and the things that make the band work.I am sailing in the same boat..as I cant exercise much...

all the best...try try and u will suceed.

hi...im from india..and would love to have a buddy to motivate me...i have OA and cant exercise much..weight loss is slow...had my band in march 2011..have lost 15 lbs in first 3 months....none after that..

can anyone be my buddy...i work in a school...love kids...am fun loving...

When was your surgery? How many ounces of Water do you think you're drinking during the day?

I had my surgery on 17th march 11. I drink a lot of water...easily more than 2 litres...

I havent had much weight loss....

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Why do we feel thirsty all the time...

I even have to drink Water 3,4 times at night and through out the night I am going to the loo and drinking water...

my throat dries up several times at night....why... as a result i dont get enough sleep...

Thanks a lot for motivating me....I always find excuses for not exercising....

But I must learn to tolerate the pain. only if i loose wt will I be able to have a knee transplant.....

So I better be tough with myself!!!

Why is exercise so important after lap band....We are eating so little, have so much Protein yet when we dont exercise we put on weight..

Earlier we were having full meals and our weight was constant mostly....

Its really not logical....its so depressing when you eat lots of protein....but have an extra biscuit or two and ur weight goes up....

hi..I just had my first fill was so excited my weight dropped the first 2 days and now on the 3rd day its up!!!

its really sad that our bodies dont respond...every one looses in the liquid diet phase...why not me..

anyone has a similar story....

Can I do my regular exercises after a fill...or should i rest for few days....

These posts are really encouraging arent they...even I was so low....not lost anything in the last 2 months....and I was scared of a fill....isnt that silly..i thought I would be malnourished..

finally I have got my first fill !!!I am praying hard it will help me....

Hello...

this thread has given me hope...I too have not lost in these 2 months... but my clothes are looser....

I thought no one was like me...

hi...

I had my first fill yesterday...How many days are we on a liquid diet....My doc said 5 days...I have got a severe headache and am feeling dull...

I havent lost weight in last 2 months....I am hopeful now..

hello every one...I am feeling slightly better now that I found this forum...

I am counting my calories, eating good Protein, exercising and yet not loosing weight!!

I am fed up now ,almost...last 2 months almost no weight loss...I loose a few pounds but they come back quickly...

I was banded on 17th march, lost 14 pounds in the first 2 months....now my body is just not responding....

I have not had a fill as after reading about fills and unfills I am afraid....even after so many fills people dont loose...they can hardly eat...they throw up....

I just dont know why this is happening...too depressed...

I am in the SAME boat as you except that I lost 45 lbs in the first 4 months then NOTHING since January. it's SOOOOOO frustrating because I know that I am eating what I should and working out. Went to my doc last week and he actually said that it looks like I have "LapBand Failure" where the band just isn't working for me. He recommended I consider the sleeve or gastric bypass. I can't decide which one to do.

OH NO...its really frustrating isnt it....I had hoped to be slim and fit in 4 months and look at me...

the doctors are not very interested in our problems....we have to work it out ourselves....

ALL THE BEST...

hi....looks like ur eating too less....if its less body goes into starvation mode and we dont loose weight ,we may put on....

so try once again write down your calories and try having 1200 calories daily..

dont be depressed...tell yourself u r going to get slim and slowly you will.

BEST OF LUCK.

I am also a slow looser so i came to this forum.

Well, I've started a post here quite a few times only to get a few paragraphs in, tell myself "who cares" and log off without posting anything. The night before last I got a call from the Bariatric Clinic where I had my lap band done and they were calling to remind me to make my three year follow up visit appointment.

Three years. Has it been three years? And where am I at? I'm heavier today than I was the day of surgery. To say I'm discouraged is the understatement of the century. I was 320 pounds when approved for surgery. I lost 35 pounds before surgery on Medifast because I needed to shrink my liver, per doctor's orders. I am now at 298.

The lowest weight I achieved was 268 and that was about 6 months after banding. It will be three years in May and the thought of even going in for a follow up visit leaves me cold. At an appointment about a year and half a ago (for a fill) the doctor told me, "You did not fail the band - the band failed you." Seriously? Doesn't that sound like a cop-out? He wants me to have gastric bypass. He always did want me to have gastric bypass. So did my PCP. So does my diabetes doctor. Anyone I've encountered in the medical field advises me to have gastric bypass.

They don't really come out and say it, but I know with my super high blood pressure and pre-diabetes (I was Type II diabetic before surgery, but was able to come off the meds after surgery and haven't had to go back on them - yet), plus a BMI of 54 (nothing like being more than half fat) they're fearful I'm going to have a stroke. They never come out and SAY that, but the urgency is there. The constant encouragement to have gastric bypass is there.

I've been overweight since I was about 12. I'd been called fat or variations thereof my entire life up until that point. I look at photos now and sigh with regret. I was tall (for my age - now I'm 5'3" - who knew I'd end up a shrimp?!), but I was thin. I don't know why so many said I was fat. I am a big-boned girl, but I'm not Andre the Giant. Anyway, by 12 I was seeing myself as the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man and I grew from there.

I've lost the weight off and on my entire life, starting in my teens. 50 pounds here, 100 pounds there. I lost 100 pounds in 1997 and kept it off for five years until I had a car accident and couldn't work out 7 days a week like I had been. The weight came back so quickly without my constant exercising. It was pure heartache for me.

So here I am again. I'm seeing a Hypertension specialist because my BP is so high and my PCP can't manage it any longer. I have hereditary high BP and was diagnosed at 15. I'm 40 now. I take more medications than a 70 year old. Even when I lost the 100 pounds my BP didn't budge. I'm seeing an Endocrinologist because my PCP thinks my issues might be hormonal, however the Endocrinologist is coming at me more from a diabetes standpoint.

I have arthritis in my hands and feet and I'm having flare ups almost on a daily basis. My RA doctor doesn't want to prescribe medications because they will jack up my already high BP. I haven't been in for a fill in about two years. I don't go because I feel like I'm a failure. Every weigh in depresses me. Oddly enough I don't need a fill. I have pretty good restriction and I'm limited in what I can eat.

I haven't drank soda or eaten fast food in 20 years. I don't eat junk food (really I don't). I rarely touch alcohol with very few exceptions. I try to exercise 3-4 times a week, but with my feet hurting so badly lately, exercise seems impossible. Plus I fractured my foot two months ago, so I'm only recently even ready to think about exercising again.

Sweets are difficult for me, but I really limit what I eat. I'll have sorbet about once a week (maybe twice if it's that time of the month) and a piece of chocolate (not candy bars) every now and again. I haven't maintained a perfect course since being banded, but I've stayed the course pretty darn well.

A woman in our office was banded about 6 months ago. I'd say she's lost probably 75 pounds. She looks fantastic. Before surgery she ate a lot. Eating out every day, large portions, soda, fast food, etc. She was pretty big. Even before my surgery I never ate that way. Weight just seems to stick to me like a booger that won't flick off. This same woman who was banded 6 months ago still drinks soda, but it's diet now (which I know soda is a no-no). She eats pretty large portions (I cannot or I'll puke) and she looks amazing.

I was sitting in the breakroom with a friend the other day eating lunch and I told my friend, "I'm so jealous. I'm never jealous of anyone or anything, but I'm jealous of this woman's weightloss." If you're thinking I'm not eating enough, I did have my trainer tell me that he didn't think I was eating enough, but I feel full. What am I supposed to do? Force it?

Here's a typical day:

Breakfast

Greek Yogurt with a handful of Grape Nuts on top

1 cup of coffee with Splenda and creamer

Water throughout the day

lunch

Half a sandwich (Typically turkey)

OR

Egg salad with a serving of Wheat Thins (about 16 chips)

snack (I know we're not supposed to snack, but sometimes I'm just starving and I have to take a pill with food)

Some slices of cheese

OR

Handful of almonds

dinner

salad with lowfat Ranch dressing

Protein of some sort (chicken or steak)

OR

Meatloaf and cottage cheese

I can't eat past 7pm because of heartburn, so I'm eating early and I do not eat or have dessert after 7pm because of the heartburn. I drink plenty of Water throughout the day. Sometimes I do have juice (like a mango/orange from concentrate) when I get home, but I cut it with water (usually 1/4 juice and 3/4 water).

If I do have dessert it's usually sorbet. I will have a piece of birthday cake (it's a birthday celebration - come on!) or a piece of pie at Thanksgiving. I don't believe in being insane about restrictions.

I don't understand what's wrong. I take so many medications that I wonder if all these BP drugs are slowing my metabolism down. I've been medicated since 22 - heavily medicated. My BP is 220/120 unmedicated. Medicated I'm 140/90 and lately it's been 153/100, hence the reason for the referral to the Hypertension Clinic.

I'm discouraged. My sister and I are exactly the same size and she weighs 30 pounds less than I do! 30 pounds less and we're the same size! That's crazy! I don't want to starve myself and exercise like a mad woman in order to take the weight off. What's wrong with me? I'm so very, very discouarged. I don't like being this big. I do want to change. I'm trying to change. My whole life I've tried. What am I doing wrong?