Yadiordz

Getting my first fill on Friday after nearly three years banded. It can't come soon enough. I seem to be able to make good choices one day and then the next, I'm not. I went back for a handful of pretzels three...no...four times last night. I couldn't stop myself. So for punishment, I got on the scale this morning and saw that I was above 125. I swore I'd never put the weight back on but it's now more than 12 pounds from my lowest.
I'm learning such a good lesson over this struggle to keep the weight off. I will always have the disease of obesity. I may have it under control at times, but I'll never be free of it. If my band isn't working, I'm going to put the weight back on. Simple as that.
I've seen plenty of people post about running into trouble at some point but stupidly felt that I would somehow be immune as my head is/was so in the game. It's hard to admit I'm not Superwoman and I struggle like everyone else when my tool is not working the way it should. If I ever find myself having to remove the band, I won't hesitate to revise the surgery to another procedure.
I won't fool myself into thinking I'm doing this on my own because I'm not. I told my sister on Sunday that I am gaining weight back because I need a fill. She is obese and I'm hoping she comes to the realization that WLS might help her as well. She has maintained that my success is about what's in my head, and not around my stomach and that I lost all that weight because I was in the right frame of mind. I'm hoping this shows her that it's not my will power alone that helped me but a combination of making good choices, along with a tool to tamp down the hunger so I could make those good choices.
So...today is a new day and again I make the pledge to make the right choices. Here's hoping I can stick to it.

I have had some similar issues, I've had my band unfilled since June of this year. I have had several tests upper GI, CAT Scans, Barium swallow and all show the band is sitting pretty right where it should be.
I have had several digestive issues which I had before WLS surgery, and these along with a bout of pancreatitis and sever emotional stress taking care of my father who passed in July, and now both my in laws..not to mention the full time job that was in the middle of a take over and 5 kids..who while "grown" present their own mash up of issues.
So yeah...all of that...and more I could probably type for a week or more...caused a big upset internally for me. I was getting sick from everything I ate and even was avoiding food just so I would not get sick. Nothing wanted to stay put, even though it would all pass my band, after about an hour I was nauseated and sick.
I had the band checked while I focused on my health and trying to find some stable ground again in my life. The band has no issues...I'm in a bit of a better place today with some relative stability and just peace of mind knowing there is nothing I can do about any of it and I just have to continue to rise and fall with the waves and occasionally I am going to get wet and I just have to accept it as what it is..let go and hope for the best.
I think I am ready to have a little fill in there and try again. I can't understand why the surgeon would want to remove my band, if there is nothing wrong with it. I could do a revision after 6 months of healing, they told me but you know...why fix what's not broken...and surgery...not just one but two more?
If I haven't lost the weight I wanted to with the band what makes me think I will with any other surgery? I haven't really given the band the full benefit of us working together toward that goal, I have been so busy focusing on other things. So I go tomorrow for a barium swallow, I haven't been sick in over a month now and I feel as though I am ready to focus on me and on this journey.
I just can't see having 2 more surgeries, when there is nothing in there going on other than I am not using this tool to help me reach the goals I set for myself.
So that's where I am sitting today. Now to get that barium swallow and set a goal and work toward it.

This can be the start of a different way of eating and drinking... most docs seem to say no to soda.
It is a prominent issue in obesity
And very addictive also apparently
Check with your doc, and try a new way for awhile. It can change your life if you let it. And trying everyday seems to be a must.
Best of luck

You need to forget about the carbonated beverages! Didn't your surgeon go through this with you? It expands your stomach and can do damage as well.

You've come this far, stay focused, you can get past the urges!

I've had the lapband since 2008. If you opt for a lap band my best advice is do NOT do it unless you are committed to follow ups with your doctor. If you want a maintenance free surgery, prolly go sleeve. Every time I get too busy and not follow up every 6 months, I get in to trouble. I'm currently going through the process of getting the revision to sleeve but haven't made up my mind. Glad I found this forum.

Love these success stories! And I love my band, too. As you say, it is a tool but having that appetite monster off of our backs makes it easy to make good decisions. Here's to health and happiness. Thanks so much for posting -- makes my day to hear from other banders (we are a rarer and rarer breed these days).

I went to a play tonight with my sister and found myself sitting between her and another gal who was also a large lady. If I hadn't lost all the weight, I would have never fit between them...and all three of us would have been very uncomfortable. Even with my sister and this other lady spilling over into 'my space', I was fine.
How many times can I say thank you for this band? How about every single time I fit somewhere that I used to not be able to.

Hi there,
I guess it's true that Time flies when you're having fun; I've been having a lot of that. Honestly, I cannot believe that two years ago today I was waking up from surgery and beginning a new chapter in my life. I had no idea then of the many ways my life would be reshaped aside from the shape of my body.
I'm forever grateful the band was available to me as it has been the perfect choice for my situation. We are all different. I was 52 at the time and had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before. I can barely tolerate going to the dentist. Getting a band was a big decision but I was fortunate somehow to just know that that's what I wanted to do. Thank goodnes there are so many different surgery choices available to us; we live in marvellous times.
Two years ago I was 250+ and now I'm in the seventies. I'm a little tall and like my curves (oh my goodness, do I LOVE having a waist!) so I don't want to get too thin. But a word about collarbones: YIPPEE! And hips. Wrists. You know how it is -- I'm celebrating this new body every day. I was wearing size twenty pants and am now in tens. No more Plus Size anything. I would not have predicted that I have a thing for clothes, but oh yes, I sure do. It's so much fun to be able to just try something on without all of that angst.
I have been an exerciser for many years (arthritis - have to move) but in the last two years I have ratcheted up to being more of an athlete. I feel ridiculous even typing that out as it's such a foreign concept. I used to work out for 45 minutes 3-4 times a week; well, it turns out I am some one who needs more like 75-90 minutes 5-6 times a week. There's the faking it until making it thing and that's what I did. I pretended that I liked it, that I was one of "those" people until I actually have become something resembling one of those lucky people who truly look forward to exercising. Like I said, resembling. I'm not quite there but I raise my hands up in that crossing the finish line pose and I go do what I need to do and I feel like a million bucks afterward.
food. I am happy to report that I still like food. I can taste almost anything and be quite satisfied. That is a miracle. I love to cook and one of my weird non-scale victories (NSVs) is being able to tie my apron double around my waist. I love that. All those years in all those kitchens with my big fat Winnie-the-Pooh belly in an ill-fitting apron or Chef's jacket. No more. Silly, but that just feels so good. I was very restrictive in my former life so I am careful to not be on a diet. I make good choices, which I can do because my appetite is dimmed and I know what good choices are. But I also let myself have a little bit of whatever I want, whether that's a square of chocolate or cheese (behold, the power of cheese). This is why I still have a little weight to lose but I'm okay with that. I do drink alcohol and we have a lot of dinner parties, go to restaurants, etc. Practically no one knows I am banded; I'm extremely private about that. What people do see, however, is how much I'm exercising and how good I feel. It was important for me to go a bit slowly because I wanted the weight loss to be incremental and I didn't want to have saggy skin.
Well, that's about it. I am tremendously grateful to all of my Lapband Talk friends and now Bariatric Pal. You know who you are -- the encourageers. Virtual friends. This has been my first experience on a forum and it's been great. Best wishes to all of you wherever you are in the process. For new people, a few words: don't get too hung up on what kind of surgery you had; we have much more in common than not. Don't try to give or take advice from strangers on the internet. Have a good working relationship with your doctor and show up for all your appointments. Show up for yourself! I really had to put myself first to get the surgery and choose my own well-being over taking care of other people's needs first. I don't do that any more and, guess what, every one else benefits from that. Here's to our health!

Wow Gowalking you look amazing!!!!so happy for you!!

Wow Gowalking you look amazing!!!!so happy for you!!

It’s hard to believe it, but July 18 marks my 12-year Surgiversary! 12 years ago, I weighed 255 lbs (at a height of 5’7”). That was at age 25, after years of being overweight and yo-yo dieting. I got the lap-band on July 18, 2003, under the skillful hand of Dr. Christine Ren-Fielding in New York, and the rest, as they say, is history. I have my life back and it’s better than ever.
I feel like the luckiest man in the world. I have a wonderful family with the best children ever, and I have the health and energy to be able to keep up with them and be a real part of their lives. I am also thrilled every day to be able to advocate for weight loss surgery patients through BariatricPal, working with major obesity, WLS, and medical organizations, and I am so grateful for the lap-band and getting my life back.
I also want to thank BariatricPal members and supporters. When I founded the boards right after my surgery in 2003, there wasn’t much other online support out there. The discussion forums helped me through some tough times, and I am so glad it is able to help others as they approach surgery, recover from it, lose weight, and maintain their loss.

Hi everyone,
It's been a long time since I've visited the site but I thought I'd come over to share my recent success.
I just hit my 8 month mark last week and as of today, I am down a total of 86lbs!!! I'm beyond thrilled!
Please allow me to list all of the recent success that I've seen in non-scale form:
* down to a size 16 from a 24
* I was able to get on the rides at six flags three weeks ago (it's been 7 years since I've been able to fit)
* I fit on the plane, comfortably
* I've been working out 2-3 times a week
* I'm happy!
Just needed to share, hope everyone is well!

Are you constantly throwing up and sliming because of issues with the band, or is it because you really have bulimia ? Just curious, because if its really bulima, you might want to address that issue with a psychological Dr. who specializes in eating disorders before you move to the sleeve. If its the band itself, then maybe the sleeve would be better for you. As the saying goes, " they operated on my stomach, not my head ." Good luck !

Wow Gowalking you look so beautiful and happy!!! You inspire me so much!! beautiful picture enjoy your trip!

Here you go. Me on a bike. I rode around for more than an hour. London, here I come!

So..most of you know I'm headed on my dream trip to London shortly. This is miraculous to me as only 2 1/2 years ago, I was barely able to walk a block and was only weeks away from going into a wheelchair.
In preparation for a bike tour through St. James and Hyde Parks that I signed up for, my friend and I rented bikes and will ride in Central Park this afternoon. I've been practicing at the Y but I need to make sure I can ride a real bike and not just a stationary one.
So...for those who focus too much on the scale and the numbers, think of me and others like me who note success as not just a number but in how we've regained our lives. In fact, I've climbed above 115 lbs. this week and while I'm not thrilled, I'm not obsessing. I've been eating out alot recently and this is likely the cause. I'll be a little more aware of how much I'm eating and the few pounds I've gained will come off. Or they may not come off. As long as I don't put on more, I'm OK with it.
I'm way more focused on the bike ride today than what I weighed this morning. Think about that when you get pissed or depressed because you didn't lose enough weight this week. Or why didn't I lose weight if I'm starving myself? Don't starve yourself. The body doesn't like it.
Have a great day today and a great holiday weekend. Eat well and eat smart. Enjoy all your non scale victories and enjoy your friends and family. I want to hear about all the holiday NSVs after the weekend. I hope to see lots and lots of them.
Liz

Compliance is a hard job. Diligence is hard Weighing 80lbs more is harder than any of those. I'm thrilled with my band for many years. Not perfect. But really happy w/a size 12

Started my journey 3 yrs ago.
Surgery 4/25/12
Sw:325lbslbs
CW:199.4lbs
GW:150lbs
Haven't been under 200lbs in over 8yrs

H

I had a NSV today. Wore a long dress with no pantyhose. No chubrub. Wahoo!!
Next NSV...went for a cleaning at the dentist and the hygienist was surprised I had all my teeth considering my size. Not sure what one has to do with the other but she just assumed I was small, and always that way. I like that..but it does make me feel like a fake. Gotta mention that to my therapist.

Will do my band again because I loved!!!!

This is me,1 year and 2 months post op lost about 65 pounds so far, 50 more pounds to my goal 150 pounds!! 

nice pictures Debbie , so glad you enjoyed you look great!!!

nice pictures Debbie , so glad you enjoyed you look great!!!

Oh! I forgot to say the picture of the stuff I displayed on my table in my Hotel is NOT EVEN HALF OF IT , so YOU can imagine I only took a little roll on case & 1 cary on bag so if YOU ever go to one of these Wlsfa seminar conventions make sure you take a extra case to bring back a LOT of stuff in LOL , seriously though, I forgot my wedges , but I remembered my flip flops , I am so glad I remembered my Tennis shoes though .