lellow

Oh hell yes, I'm like you, Denise! I'm the type of person who needs the entire plan of action spelt out in full or I start getting antsy. I *am* a project manager by profession, after all! My whole life is about planning! I was actually supposed to see my Dr on the 5 Mar and I harassed his receptionist into giving me an earlier appt. I can't wait any longer. This is driving me nuts! I am coping with no restriction at the moment, and if I had to live without the band, I believe I could, but call me crazy, I want my working band back. I am happy to put in the exercise. I am happy to eat well, but the band stopped the hunger and that, alone, was a godsend. AND I MISS IT!

I didn't have any therapy, never saw a dietician, never saw a nutritionist. I just really, REALLY believe if you want it enough, you make it happen. It was probably not long after I had my band that I realised how little in life you can control. You can't control how others treat you, You can't control how others feels. You can't control how others behave, You can't even control how your body behaves (hungry, tired etc) but the one thing you have complete control over is your head. If you set a goal, and a plan to work towards it, you can achieve it. So get back to basics: plan your meals, take it one day at a time, set the days that you will work out and make sure you do it. Connect with others to hold yourself accountable to your exercise goals, and your eating habits. Set mini goals for your weight loss and plan how you will reward yourself when you get there. Changing your life is about planning, patience and repetition. Chose to start. Starting is the hardest part of it.

Lol elcee, I personally would love for you to contribute here! coachramz and shues138, glad to have you onboard. And coachramz, I agree, I feel more motivation too just by having others around that are of the same mindset. Denise, yeah it does suck, huh? I am telling myself that I'm lucky though - I lost the weight, THEN had issues. I feel for those who have had a slip or a leak right in the beginning. How de-motivating must that be? So that's me - trying to count my blessings! And I have no idea what my dr has planned for the slip or the leak. The last I saw him was at my gastroendoscopy and all he said was that he thought I was leaking from my port, and depending on how much Fluid I'd lost by the next time he saw me, we would have to discuss whether to replace the port or just manage with regular fills. He also said I have a small prolapse, which might account for my ability to eat more, but didn't say anything about how he was intending to manage it. I hope I have more answers by Friday coz, like I said, I really miss my band!

Hey all, good to see you here! I called my dr's office and got my appt brought forward to this Friday. I want to know what his plan is for this leak and slip. I did 2 days on a liquid diet and can't say that it's actually done anything for increasing my restriction at all. I think maybe I need to be refilled back to where my band was before (8.5cc or so) and then see if it's making a difference, coz right now, it's not really. I'm watching what I eat but damn I miss my band and what it did for me. I'm hoping I get to understand the way forward this Friday so that I can get my head around either living without the band for a while, or trying to get some restriction back. I hate being in limbo. In the meantime, have picked up on the exercising. I can feel myself getting stronger again and that's good at least.

well, I couldn't find one, so I started a new one: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/142641-old-timers-3-years-banded-recommitting-to-the-bandster-lifestyle/ C'mon peeps, we can support each other.

Ok, I don't know if there's already a thread like this but I know for one thing that I would like to band together (pun intended) with those of us who have had our bands for over 3 years and have gotten complacent. I've always had it easy when it comes to maintaining, but now have a small slip and a leak, and very little restriction, so have decided to recommit to the bandster lifestyle to try to ensure that my weight is maintained. Whatever your motivations for recommiting to the bandster lifestyle, you're welcomed to join me here. So here's me: Banded Aug 2008 Lost 85lbs now have a small slip and a leak, and no restriction, and found I could eat more As a result, I gained 5lbs in a month, pulled myself up, returned to eating well and exercising and have lost it. Looking to maintain and redevelop good eating and exercise habits. I seem to be motivated best by being part of a support group, and I think it's fair, when I'm not trying to lose, but to maintain, to keep that separate from those who are trying to find the right mindset for the first time. I'm trying to reconnect with the mindset that helped me lose in the first place, so I think that's a different kettle of fish. So, who's with me?

I don't know if there is a forum for old-timers but I wouldn't mind joining if there was. I am over 3 years out and, yes, I too started to stray from my bandster lifestyle. It wasn't until my band loosened to the point of not having any restriction, and I found out that I have a leak and a small slip, have I gotten back on the wagon, so to speak. It would be good to talk to others who just want a little refresher on good habits, as opposed to trying to lose weight.

This is the vicious cycle, isn't it? You gain, so you feel like crap, so you eat, and you gain some more, and you feel even worse. So stop that cycle. Now. Every single day is a new day to start again. Pretend this is the first time you've had your band. You're in bandster hell now. Don't think about the weight you lost and gained because it's going to derail you. You had geniune problems and you had to have those fixed. Now you're coming back from that, Focus on the now. Think of what you need to lose today, not yesterday. Straighten up that spine and start doing it. There are so few things in like that you can control. This is one of them. So get control back. P.S I have no restriction either. My band has a leak and I have a small slip. My band's been loose for 12 months now. But it doesn't mean that I don't have the choice to eat well and exercise until that's fixed. You *can* do it.

Of course we are. I reckon we should celebrate ALL NSVs, and this sure sounds like an awesome one!

I lost 130% of my excess weight on the band. If I had to remove the band, I would replace it with another band. Because I know it works. I know the sleeve works too, but better the devil I know and all that! I used to have the biggest sleeve envy, but someone then said to me - but the band has been so successful for you, and I thought, actually, he's right! Why the hell am I knocking something that worked? I ate well, I exercised, hell yes I did those things. Because I figured if I lose it now, the band will help me keep it off. And it did. If you've lost weight before, hunny, this will be a breeze. Be disciplined, lose the weight, get your fills and pretty soon, the band will be 'kicking in' and doing a lot of the Portion Control work for you. And wrt the pregnancy, I have had friends who chose the band specifically because, once they got pregnant, the band could be unfilled so that they could eat enough to nourish themselves and their babies. Once they stopped breastfeeding, they started getting fills again and the band put them back on their weight loss journey.

I really feel for anyone who doesn't have access to good, affordable aftercare, because that really is the crux of how successful your band will be. I think a lot of people think that getting surgery is the whole kit and kaboodle, but it's only the start (I'm not saying that you thought so, btw). Having access to aftercare is absolutely paramount to bandsters. I'm so sorry for your frustrations gwfami. I hope that you find someone good who will take care of your fills at a cost that isn't going to cripple you. It makes me really appreciate how good we have it here in Australia.

I have been in the same place. I got down to 117lbs, and I still felt like I needed to lose. I was a size 2 US and people were starting to say I looked boney. And I was. My hip bones stuck out. If I wore a low top, you could see my ribs clearly between my breasts. I wasn't even tight really. I COULD have eaten more, but I was refusing to. I was so tied to those scales that gaining seemed like a blasphemy. It took a while to talk myself round to it. I decided I was going to gain until I got to 130lbs and then I would stop. My dr said that if I didn't stop losing he would take fill out. I knew I had to take control of it. I cried the first time I couldn't get into my size 2 pants anymore. But I stuck with it, despite feeling sick with dread that I was gaining. I finally got to 130lbs after about 4 months. I felt huge. But I still fit into size 4 - 6 clothes, so I was not huge. But your mind plays terrible tricks on you sometimes! I maintained 130lbs for almost a year and it started to become 'normal' for me. I look more voluptuous in my opinion, now that I'm getting used to it, but people still tell me I look like I'm going to snap in a strong breeze. Now my band is leaking and I'd started to gain. I gained 5lbs and panicked! So I watched what I ate, exercised, and I've lost it again. I know that that mentality of not wanting to gain will serve me well henceforth, band or no band, because as obsessive as I am, I know I will do whatever I have to to maintain my weight. I just had to 'break' that habit of losing. And you can too.

I did not journal, I didn't count calories, I didn't avoid carbs, I just avoided foods that were obviously bad for me (we all know what those are, elcee mentioned a lot of them earlier) and ate smaller portions and exercised, until my band kicked in with enough fills and took over all the portion control for me. The band, when you get the right amount of fills, stops you from eating too much. When I got to that point, I preferred to get in proper nutrition than eat chocolates. I needed the energy to exercise. So between the lifestyle change - exercising - and the mindset change - changing the way I thought about food and hunger, plus the band, it worked for me. And it actually wasn't that hard to do once I got the 'head' part right.

For me personally, I know I didn't do this without the band. The band did it along with me. I remember the years I tried to lose weight and didn't succeed, or couldn't keep it off, so I personally don't want to perpetuate the idea that if you just eat less and move more, you're going to have the success I've had. As if heavy people are just lazy gluttons, which is something that most of society so strongly believes already. I know it's not true. I ate like a 3yo to lose the weight and eat much less than most people now to maintain the loss. I couldn't have done that without the band all these years. So I'm not going to pretend I did it on my own, because I would hate that someone else who might have sought the help I did, doesn't do it because I led them to believe that I didn't need help. But that's my own PERSONAL decision, and I understand too that for a lot of people, their own privacy is paramount. I get that too, so I'm not for one minute saying others should talk about their bands to all and sundry. Those are just the reasons why I talk about mine.

I picked up some Optifast too. I don't like protein shakes either - bluergh. And yeah I won't stick to just 3 shakes like a diet - I'll have as much liquid as I need to not be hungry, coz yeah, I figure it isn't about trying to lose weight but to give the band a chance to reposition. Coffee, tea, soups, wine etc are all still on the menu for Monday!

Oh hell yes, I let go of the bandster habits. The last 12 months, I've been pretty unrestricted so I have been enjoying it. I eat what I want, drink what I want, and I've maintained pretty well. It's probably only been in the last month when I couldn't feel the band at all anymore that I thought, oh wow it's like not having a band at all! I started eating til I was full at almost every meal - I couldn't even remember how that felt before this - and started gaining past what I was comfortable with (2kgs). That's when I thought, um ok, maybe I need a fill now. But the truth is, I didn't need a fill to lose it. I've lost that 2kgs now already so I know I was just be being an opportunist and I can still stay the course if I need to. I am happy to hear, though, that you only have a leak and a small prolapse too. While it would have been better to have nothing, this is not the worst case scenario at least. I reckon too that a liquid diet might be what needs to be done. Might be a good starting point to get back into bandster habits again at the very least. If it prevents the need to be unfilled, even better! I'm thinking I might start mine on Monday. Weekends are hard for liquid diets. That's my reason and I'm sticking with it. And yeah, I'm sure we'll be fine no matter what. You and I have the same 'we're not giving this up so easily' attitude, I think!

I have gone months without vomiting, then forget myself and have too much food way too fast, and I get stuck and it all comes back out. I disagree that I was too tight at the time. Sometimes bad eating habits can cause vomiting, not just tightness. I got stuck after my 3rd fill, when I only had 4cc in my band. I was not too tight then, I can assure you.

I've been there - not sure if I had another fill, I'd be too tight. But also finding myself getting hungry more quickly. You're probably close to the green zone, so I'd say get a small fill (0.25cc or less) and see how you go. Make sure you nurse that band those first few days after a fill too - slow and steady so the swelling from the fill can go down. I lost most of my weight prior to getting to the green zone, but getting there once I had lost the weight made maintaining so much easier. Plus it got rid of that last 10lbs I was struggling with.

I was losing fast, and pretty consistently, but when the time came to get that first fill, I did it, because even though I was doing it on my own a lot, I wanted the band to take that hunger edge off, to make it easier for me to stop eating. That's what it's there for. The mental side of it, the will-power, it's awesome, but it can be tiring, and that's why so many people eventually fall off the wagon. I have no restriction right now. My band is leaking and I have a small slip and I can eat whatever I want. I maintain my weight with careful eating and exercise, but I miss my band just stopping me from eating too much, or even wanting to eat too much. When I was well restricted, I was not even hungry. I didn't think about food. If you're worried about getting stuck, ask your surgeon to be conservative with your fills. Take it slow. And adjust to it slowly. And can I say, your fear about not being able to eat bread and Pasta etc? When you're well restricted, you may not be able to eat those things, but you really don't miss them simply because you don't need them to make you full. Well, I didn't miss them anyway.

Did you Mimi? I want to see!!

Good luck for tomorrow! The best advice I can give you is to take it easy. Like seriously, even when you feel fine, don't push it. The more you push it, the longer the swelling will take to go down. Use this time to rest and recover. You'll be so happy with the result! Don't forget to take photos!

I have to appreciate someone who just NEEDED to tell someone about the unexpected benefits of his weight loss. :woot:

Rewarding yourself is an awesome idea to keep yourself motivated! I can't remember all of my little 'rewards' to myself now but I remember my first one for getting under 90kgs for the first time since before I had kids - I bought myself an iPod. It was the best investment because that thing blasted music in my ears every single time I worked out until it died a year ago!

I've actually never heard of the 'no straw' thing and I've been banded a long time! I never stopped using a straw ever.

Jacqui, I occurs to me now that I should have asked for recommendation on here when I was looking for a dr in Melbourne, lol! I will keep both Gary Crossthwaithe and Stuart Eaton in mind if it turns out to be too difficult continuing to see Peter Nottle. Though for now, I'm rather grateful to Mr Nottle so will hang in there!