gretchens4

so glad you asked ). I lost only 13 pounds in the 1st 3 months and thought this would never work for me. The first fill helped a little, but I did not "get it" until the 3 month mark and my 2nd fill. Hang in there. Those next 5 months my fill held up and I lost about 30 pounds. I seemed to have that pattern for the next year and half. I get a nice tight fill, it lasts about 3-4 months (I can only have a very small amount of food or I get stuck or PB), and then slowly I realize I am not losing, I need a new fill, and it usually takes 2 tries to get it back to optimal. Thankfully I have never been too tight, but if I don't lose I know I need to be a little tighter. My sweet spot is when I can drink and eat, but very little and I really need to think about it. When you are tight enough you naturally pick better foods with higher nutritional values etc. I would lose a lot in a month, and then plateau, it was not an even 2 pounds a week. You will know when you get the right fill, and then you'll know when you need it again. I got my last fill in November after not losing much in 2 months. I have lost 25 pounds since then which has made a huge difference since I am down to the last few pounds. thanks!

Hi everyone, I haven't been too active in the last year, but I check in often. I had my surgery 2/23/07 and have lost 139 pounds in 2 years. I can't believe how successful this has been for me. I am 3 pounds away from my original goal which is the high side of my healthy BMI. I started at 292 and was 153 this morning. I am hoping to make it to 149 by my 40th bday on 3/13. The key to my weight loss was definitely my fills. I was only successful during the times that my fill was fairly tight. I exercised only moderately, and seemed to lose the weight in chunks, not evenly through time. I am so happy I made this decision. With four children it has made such a difference in my life and theirs. I have some serious skin issues on my lower body and would LOVE to get it fixed someday, but as of now I will just live with it, try to get in better shape and see how it is in a year or two. Good luck to everyone starting out. I was scared and hesitant, I just wish I had done this sooner! Gretchen 292/153/149

Wow, our stories are very similar! The only thing I regret about lapband is that I could have done it when I was younger. I had my first baby at 25 and got the band when I was 37. I also feel like it was all about portion control for me. I never diet or watch what I eat. I always eat what I am craving, but it is in very small portions. I still have about 20 pounds to go, but as of today have lost 120 pounds. Congrats to you, and I'm jealous that you have many more years to enjoy it!!

It doesn't sound like you've had enough time with your other surgery and pregnancy to get to optimal restriction. When I have restriction I will lose consistently, and then over time it will loosen up, and it takes a few times in for a fill to get back to the point where I lose. If I have the right restriction I don't diet or have to watch what I eat. I can only eat a small amount of food. The key for me and my weightloss has been proper restriction. My doctor has great aftercare though. Good luck, and try to get in for another fill. I think everyone is different, but for me, I have to be very tight for my weight loss to continue.

Yeah, It took 15 months, but I was down 100 pounds today. I can't believe. It's almost embarrassing to even say it. I still have 35-40 pounds to go, but now I believe I can get there. My skin is awful. I have been feeling really self conscious in the last month with the warmer weather. Everything is loose and shakes and it's just discouraging. Sometimes I feel like I look worse, even though I know it's not true. Any advice?? Hope everyone is well.

Wow, it feels weird to write that! Today my scale said 192, 100 pounds lower than before my surgery. It has taken me 15 months, and I still have about 35-40 pounds to my goal. I have figured out that with the right fill it takes me about 5 months to lose that amount of weight. I haven't been exercising much, but I eat very small amounts and would consider my band to be as tight as it can get. I try not to focus on food because I have had an eating disorder in the past. I eat whatever I am wanting at the time, but very slowly and very small portions. I'm sure I could have lost this weight much faster if I put in more effort, but my main goal was to take the focus off of food, so I don't count calories or keep records or do any kind of diet. It works for me so far. I do feel pretty bad about my body at this time though. While I know I am healthier and look better, my skin is awful, and I am depressed that I feel so self conscious after losing so much weight. This board has been a great support to me over the last 15 months. If I can do this anyone can. It doesn't feel like I've really lost all this weight or changed my body this much. I had to weigh myself 3 times to really believe it!!

I made it about a week ago. I'm Down to 196 and 4 pounds away from 100. Yeah.

I have recently started to notice major problems with loose skin. I have lost about 94 pounds in the last 14 months. I still have 40 or so pounds to go and I am not optimistic at all. I know buiding some muscle will help a little, but it's going to be a big problem for me. I've had some issues buying clothes recently and filling weird about the loose skin. It's as if my skin is not attached and I just shake when I walk etc. My husband says it's not noticeable, but i feel more self conscious now than before, how crazy!!

Hi, I lost really slowly at the beginning and still average about 7 pounds a month. Have you had a fill yet?? It took me 2 fills to get it right, and then recently after a year, I had to go back for 3 fills to get back to the place where I lose consistently. I had only lost about 18 pounds in my first 4 months. I am currently down 93 pounds after 14 months. It is slow, but steady and over time it all adds up. I had a alot to lose, I'm sure it will be a little slower with a lower BMI. I'm at 199 now, and I know it is getting harder. Take care.

I am so close, I was 201 yesterday........90 pounds lost!!

My face looks so much better. It makes all the difference in pictures. I do worry about more wrinkles, but so far it's been okay. I still have 50 pounds to go, so we'll see what happens. I have always been much thinner in my upper body, including my face which is my best feature. My lower half is a disaster. I am not looking foward to seeing how bad the loose skin will get.

This is different than your past diets. You don't realize how different it is to have real restriction. It not only helps you lose, but it helps you to keep it off. I have lost 87 pounds this year and have eaten small amounts of regular food (food my family is eating etc.). I can't eat much more than a few bites if I have real restriction. I only lost about 18 pounds in the first 3 months when I didn't have restriction. You will feel it when you get it. Good luck and take care!

It took me two fills to get to proper restriction, and then it loosened back up and took two more to get back on track again. It's a long slow process. When I have restriction, I won't eat pizza or fast food, b/c I know I'll regret it (and need better nutrition for the little amount I do eat). If I don't have restriction I go right back to my old ways. You will do great, just be patient and don't put too much pressure on yourself!