lrw26

You can find research that says the band is not effective and you can find the same for counseling. If you look hard enough there are opinions that will suit you. You don't know whether counseling will work, trying could not hurt. As someone said it is another tool. I also think that the band can fail if we have not dealt with WHY we eat to begin with. I have been through lits of therapy before the band and I think I know why I ate and am now able to deal with it and just KNOW that I cannot do what I used to do. Even with the band we are stuck with the same feeling that made us eat. Just think what a shame it is to waste such a wonderful tool, the expense the frustration etc etc...

Hi.. well no I have always been able to feel it and know what it is. It has just moved further toward my belly button. I see the doctor this week and will see what he says...

Hi.. I am just wondering if someone else has had the port seem to move.. Mine seems to have moved from my side towards the center of stomach and I am wondering if this is normal.. Do they do anything to keep it in place?

He is a piece of work and not an expert... but I guess he is laughing all the way to the bank... Takes advantage of desperat people always looking for an easy fix. The band is not an "easy fix" it just helps us along the way and makes behaviors work

Don't be discouraged Zannie.. All the doctors say that we should lose between 1 nd 2 lbs a week, it is not an overnight cure, the weight comes off like in a regular diet, difference is it will stay off!!! Right? I am also self pay like I see you are and yes I am going to get my money's worth, cannot fail, paid 500 more than you but it all includes everything for a year which is good as I think the aftercare is soo important. Please don't feel bad, there are people who are not losing at all, just at standstill so as long as it is going in the right direction everything is fine. With the bypass surgery they lose the weight very fast but sometimes I don't think they look so healthy. Also when you lose a bit more slowly I think it gives the skin a chance to adjust so it doesn't get extra loose..

I just saw this post and will add myself to the group.. :nervous The last few days I have been 199.5 in the am and this evening I am 201 so I am right on the cusp, cant wait for the day when I will never see that BAD number again. I have now lost 32 lbs and my next goal is in about 30lbs when my BMI will no longer be in the obese category but just plain overweight.. then another 25 and I will be about there... get very impatient.

That is weird. I wasn't hungry at all the first weeks after surgery.. can you ask your doctor for an earlier fill. he gave me a fill after 18 days as we are planning fills for when I have to be gone all of June.. So it is not unheard of. Just before my next fill last week I was getting very hungry but now I can barely eat anything that is not mushy.. Good luck..

I feel lucky as well. My doctor and office are just a few miles from my house. The two days I had with a very painful too small band would have been a problem if he was not so close. I called and they told me to come right away and they took out .5cc. I was also self pay and the price included all care and fills and support groups for a full year. I feel very lucky.

I think the average of first fills is 6 weeks. Even if you are losing 1-2 lbs a week you may still need one. If you think it is hard to resist the food and it is a struggle I definitely think you need one. The restriction will make it so much easier to not eat so much..

I am just wondering as I hear alot of people saying they have needed a fill for a long time. Why don't you go get one, I don't understand waiting for 6 months, doesn't the doctor follow you on a regular basis. I thought thta was a must. Just curious..?

The dietitian who said 1200 calories cannot be that familiar with lap bnd patients, we simply cannot eat more, if we were to eat that many calories it would have to be very high calorie foods and sugars, so that makes no sense. I don't think i would listen to her What does make sense though is the high protein if you have a lap band.. In general I agree that of course we also have to have carbs, However because we eat such small amounts if too much of it is carbs you will start loosing muscle mass instead of fat. That is why it is so important to get the required amount of protein in every day.

I guess now I have 6c in the VG 10 cc band. I didn't realize there is also a 14cc band.. Confusing and wonder how they decide which on to give you. I suppose the ones with more room can have more variation in temrs of how much is in it.. I can definitely feel restriction and am now loosing weight again after standing still for a week

I agree with everyone else, You need to remember that they stress Protein at every meal and eat the proteinfirst. Since I had the surgery I ahve not had bread or pasta or anything like that at all altough I love bread. My understanding is that bread has too much gluten and it tends to clump and not dissolve fast enough. The bagel with cheese according to my dietitian is carb and fat, she counts cream chese as fat..

Oh I agree... however after my first fill of 2.5cc it was too tight and I called and it was unfilled 1cc within a couple of hours. I live very close to the medical center where all was done..

Thanks so much fro input... I was just curious about the different sizes etc.. I guess now I have 6cc in the VG band... hope it works as the last week I gained weight..