CaGottaBand

if you're not losing weight but losing inches, then you're building muscle and losing weight simultaneously, at least that's what it sounds like. 1lb of fat=1lb of muscle but muscle takes up less space.
if you're more concerned about dropping weight try doing less weight lifting and do more cardio

In the age of technology we are fortunate to have this little diversion called the Internet. In our cases we have found this forum because we all have, want, are thinking about, used to have or just flat hate lapbands.
In my opinion Getting a band for whatever reason should be a considerate, thoughtful and drastic decision to get your weight under control once and for all. I believe for most people it's the last resort. Let's face it no one in their right mind would do it because it's the fad of the year or the cool thing to do. We are all here because we are or were desperate.
That said... Like anything else so people are amazingly successfull and some are not. Some people take to the lifestyle change and others do not. No different than any other diet we have been on. And sorry but based on my experience...call it what ever you like but THIS IS A DIET until you get to the point of maintaining your weight. Thats is where the band shines. I can sight you several examples but the most recent happened last night.
I was at a Christmas party...I had one glass of wine and picked at a few shrimp and a stuffed mushroom. There was a dessert table and there was a piece of chocolate cheese cake with my name on it. That is something I haven't had in 25 months. Not even a bite. So I decided to try it. Keep in mind I have lost 220 lbs and am basically at goal and happy with my current weight. If I lose a little more I am ok with it but bottom line... I am maintaining.
So I get the cheese cake and settle in to enjoy every bite. It was amazing, I don't know if it was really that good of I was just in love with the idea but after the first bite I wanted another. LOL. I ate 3 bites. I left well over half.... Could I have eaten the whole thing? Yes. It's basically a slider food and I hadn't had any food in a few hours. It dawned on me that this is what I am reading about when I see people complain they aren't losing weight.... I wasn't full per se after my 3 bites. If I ate until I was full the whole thing would have been gone and I would be on to the fried shrimp or something.
My point is...you MUST find self control to make the band work for you. PERIOD. If you don't you will come on this forum looking for answers, validation and any excuse you can justify as to why the band isn't working for you. And then people will tell you stuff you do not want to hear and feelings get hurt and tempers rise... And what good is it?
I am an extreme case. I was super strict with myself because I knew if I didn't see results I would get frustrated and be one of those people complaining the band didn't work for me.... I don't expect every one else to do it like I did. But if you ask me about it I can only tell you what worked for me. Please keep that in mind when post about why your band isn't working....

well i havent lost no where near as my heros b52 or floridas, but the little i have lost, i have noticed a hard spot just beginning to make itself known. i myself am not too concerned as i dont think ole hef is gonna return my call anytime soon......i kinda like knowing its there.

My reason and motivation for WLS.......
57 years old....morbidly obese...diabetes....smoker of 2 packs day....blood work all over the charts, ALL of it dangerously bad....
My brother died at age 60, sister at 64....I am the youngest of 3. They died due to weight related issues, so I have family Hx working against me....
I was Dx'd with CAD, Coranary Artery Disease.....laymen's terms I had too much fat in my blood clogging my arteries putting me for risk of CVA's, circulatory issues -amputations, and above all...SUDDEN Death....
A stress test revealed Coranary artery blockage.....underwent angioplasty which revealed one artery 60% occluded in 2 places, and another artery 100%, but that artery regenerated branches compensating for the blockage....cardiac catherization revealed scar tissue at the 100% area, meaning I had a MI ( heart attack) and did not even know it...silent, which is not uncommon for diabetics and women...
I was getting dizzy spells all the time..lack of blood flow? Could not lift my chin and look up without vertigo...
Loss of feeling in my legs, feet.. ( neuropathy) ....skin issues including infections....cellulitis....
My PCP sat knee to knee with me and flat out said unless I loose 50 lbs, I will surely die! Can go at any time....
Perhaps you can understand why I take this surgery very seriously....my very aggressive approach, I don't give a dam what others think...it is life or death!
It may be why I don't have patience with whiners.....suck it up!
So here I am, 2 years post banded, 60 years old......100 lbs down....ALL blood work normal, no more diabetes, passed my last stress test with flying colors.....off all meds, except the cardiac...those are for life....
I run 5 miles per day, 5 days a week, lift weights...make wise food choices...eat only healthy food, no more red meat.< /p>
ALL my Dr.s are THRILLED! And I have 5 of them....they all want to take credit but I don't care.....I am their favorite patient, success story.....
Bottom line, it is all because I had lap band surgery...I could never had done it on my own will power, self discipline...I needed surgery to correct my bad habits, prevent me from being a glutton .........easy way out? Yes, but so what! ...look at the alternative......I will never be fat again!

I have not been banded yet, but from what I've learned on this forum I think what you're experiencing is fairly common. I've heard this phase referred to as Bandster Hell....the time after surgery, before you get fills. Just hang in there! You're doing great!

I have not been banded yet, but from what I've learned on this forum I think what you're experiencing is fairly common. I've heard this phase referred to as Bandster Hell....the time after surgery, before you get fills. Just hang in there! You're doing great!

again i agree with cheryl and bayou
success depends alot on you (helping the band)
sure there is good and bad with any WLS but try not to focus on the negative. read the posts on here from people who have lost alot of weight and are successful:
cheryl
bayou
missy 73
love the new me
grammy
AJ
Jim
B52
TMF
lapbandster
jean mcmillian
our own Alex head of this forum..
and so many more..
try to not think what could happen but can happen
if you use it to get well.

This happens and sometimes a lot. You just have to breathe and know its temporary. I still weigh twice a day everyday. Morning and night. It's okay to do this if that is what makes you comfortable but if its freaking you out that the scale is not moving then I would say don't do it for about a week you might be surprised. Your body after a while has no choice but to lose. Fat was not gained overnight and neither is losing it. Keep calm because stressing over it will make you not lose weight also.

The weirdest question I was asked was if I was good at saving money. That threw me. I guess there's a correlation between being obese and being poor at saving money.

Congratulations Maddy!

if you get the lap band, a diet is un-necessary
just eat your allotted amount of good quality foods and exercise, and the inches/weight should steadily come off. that is how i am doing it. no tricks, no gimmicks, just doing what i have been advised to do.

I started my liquid diet today. Surgery is on Friday, December 21, 2012. I am excited to get started with a new and healthier lifestyle. On Facebook today I found a quote from Marianne Williamson that said, "You must learn a new way to think before you can master a new way to be." Underneath I printed out---Think Thin and Healthy. I am determined to be healthy before 50, a year and a half away, and to have a better quality of life.
Healthy Habits to all of us!

Go to whatever hospital you want.

Please know that its okay if your doctor thinks the sleeve is best for you. It's not our right to question his judgement. Good luck with the sleeve you will do awesome.

so go by what their dr's scales say
some go their home scale
i weigh once a month at my dr's office. that works for me. .bee well

i am sorry, i disagree.
this forum is a great support unit.
i joined in feb and have had nothing but support/friendship from just about everyone.

i dont forget anything about myself about being over 300+ pounds and not being mobile and other things like that. i know how hard it was and how hard it is every single day. i think of that every day and that makes me try harder. i dont accept anything less than that.
i eat better foods in smaller amounts and i move my ass as much as i can. i dont live by the daily scale weigh in drama, i go by how my clothes are getting looser and how much better i can move
i have want power. dont believe in will power ****i want this bad enough to do something about it besides whining.

any wls has good or bad. there are risks to all surgeries...every dr should have told patients it can or cant work. its not a guarantee. you cant just have the surgery and wake up at 100 pounds.

i also disagree that the band is useless.
it is useful to me as i listened to what my dr said in regards to how to use it and what to do (to help the band) by eating/exercising
etc and also not to expect overnight miracles.

but in some cases, it doesnt work....but give it a try before you knock it.

and to TMF WTF comment...that was a point alot of new banders saying how and what do i eat, just banded a day or a week or a month and the band is failing and its hard, alot of whining truthfully and he hit it on the head. WTF..
its frustrating when people do not seem to listen to their doctors or realize you must let your body heal and that you (yeah me too) has to work at losing weight by eating and not starving.

sorry it did not work for you.
i wish it would have as i know how hard being overweight is.

bee well everyone.

well, i feel that way also (wanting to help)
but when i was over 300 pounds, i knew it and did not want anyone telling me what to do or offer advice. as if i would have listened.
i would not have been offended but embarrassed and would have literally died more on the inside.
bee well

Accountant for local county government. Hate it...but it pays the bills

It has just been a long day with the same questions over and over. It really would help if folks did a search on the topic of their question and read previous posts before starting another thread.

You know I'm where you're at. I've talked with you many a time trying to encourage you to hang on. Trying to give you idea's on how to stop the hunger between meals. I've only had one fill the end of Nov, next one Jan 6th and yes, I do get hungry between meals. So I do understand and it's not about willpower, it's about wantpower. How bad do you want to lose weight? Bad enough to stick to Drs orders and eat your allotted meals?
It aggravates me when ppl barely out of their 6wk healing phase and boohooing that the band isn't working for them. It wasn't meant to work right out of the gate and it's really a shame that the surgeons doing these procedures are not explaining this well enough.
We're in "Bandsters Hell", either deal with it, or give up. I choose to deal with it! For heavens sake, none of us are going to starve to death, we have too much fat to live off. Every time my stomach growls, it's like ok burn that fat baby!
Now I believe you can do this. I know I am going to do this!!!!
Like CG, I'm sticking to my Drs plans and yes I am losing weight, but not b/c I have restriction. It's because I have WANTPOWER. I want this more than anything. Between a car accident and needing double knee replacement,pain so bad I'd rather die than live like this. This is my only hope and I refuse to blow it.
God pretty much threw this in my face, made it happen, made my wish come true, gave me signs it was the right path. I'm not going to let Him down either. He & I are in this together!
Now darnit, put your big boy pants on and deal with it!
I know I'm going to get blasted for this, but I think sometimes being direct is the only way, considering I've talked with you many times already.
May God Bless & keep you!

I really don't understand the spirit of your post...I believe that most of us who have been through "bandster hell" never forget those weeks or months. I know that memories of those times are etched indelibly in my memory.
As for your perception of a lack of support, I read the thread, and felt that those who responded did offer you emotional support. Just what type of support are you looking for?
Last time I checked, none of the individuals who post on the forum are able to read minds...perhaps it would be helpful for you to attend a local WLS support group at the medical center where you had your surgery done...
BEE well...

You have to excuse me but WTF is going on today??? This is the 6th post like this in the last 8 hours? Sorry, but here are the links to the first two that mirror your thoughts almost exactly?
http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/161530-very-confused-about-lapband-and-reason-for-it/page__hl__b#820852#entry1893880
http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/161530-very-confused-about-lapband-and-reason-for-it/
I'm sorry and I don't mean to be rude and I know you just logged in so you have no idea what went on before you came along today, but many of us have been answering the same questions over and over again today. So, the links above should help you, i hope?
tmf

Testing the like system.

Well not many lose all this weight without fills. Why are you regretting it now? Apparently your decision was not thought through very much. We all got the band because we failed at dieting. We dont diet with the band. Six weeks is not going to make you lose hundreds of pounds. Its a process. Is today pity party day or is everyone pmsing. It takes work its not a miracle drug. Its not magic. However it does do what its supposed to do if you let it.