Hollie519

The band doesn't make it impossible for you to eat and eat. It is designed to help you feel full not to make you stop eating. It does also sound like you do need to make an appoinment to see your doctor but see if it is possible for you to have an x-ray done first. I was once at a point where my band was too tight and it eventually got swollen shut and I had to start my band at being completely empty again. Just like Jodi says, certain carbs and sugars can make you feel more hungry sooner or also things high on sugar. Take a step back and re-evaluate your diet. I found I was eating a little of this here and a little of that there and i gained about 10 pounds back around may. I am now back on track and have lost a little more than the 10 pounds I has gained. Once you get used to it, sometimes you kind of forget to not eat things out of habbit. Try to find other things that satisfy your sweet tooth. I'm a big chocolate and Peanut Butter person and it is hard to satisfy that craving without actually eating a reeses. :] just try to eat a meal and than have some kind of alternative like certain frozen yogurt can be low in calories and also satisfy that craving. Keep up the good work and hang in there.

Steph, My advice, being over weight my whole life as well, only have this surgery if you are ready to change your life. This surgery, although not as drastic as the bypass, is a complete change in the things you eat and the way you think about food. I myself have struggled with diets since I was 10 years old. I did the slim fast, adkins, Vitamins b12 shots and many other diets. I have never felt as great as I do with this band. I am almost 11 months post op and I could not be happier with the results. BUT Lap band is not something that you can have and jsut lose the weight. The band is a tool; you only get what you put into it. My boss, who drives me nuts, had the bypass and she sits at her desk and eats candy and junk food all day long. If i ever poisoned my body with that, I would gain weight. So just keep in mind, if you are a goal oriented person and are willing to put in the work, than lap band is everything you are looking for. I am only 18, so i owe my life to this band. The way I feel about myself is amazing. This is something I never thought would ever happen to me. So if you are willing, have the surgery. Good luck with your further research and I hope this provided a little more insight for you. Let me know if you have anymore questions :]

Lisa, 45 pounds is a BIG deal. That is a toddler. I find that things like that always helped me keep going. If you go to the gym or even when you go to the grocery store, pick up something that weighs like 5 pounds, hold it in your hand for a while and than think, you have lost 9 times that weight. That is a big accomplishment. It is natural for a human to want it all right now. I had the same problem around 53 pounds lost. I just recall seeing so many different people around than and i felt like I was saying I had lost 53 pounds too many times. I felt like I should be saying a different number by than and i didn't feel like it was that much yet. I also noticed people acted weird around me for a while, like they wanted to say you look different but didn't want to offend me by saying I lost weight, especially if i hadn't. When i hit 60 pounds, the compliments came from people i hadn't even seen since elementry school. So keep up the good work and remember that you have come so far in the right direction. Hollie

Um see I guess I am different from all of you. I had the surgery and was driving around the next day because I was sooooo bored of sitting in bed. When you eat certain foods that give you gas, it can be VERY painful though. I had gas so bad one time I had to call in sick to work because I couldn't move. These things pass though. I had my surgery 10 1/2 months ago and I have lost 89 pounds. Good luck and keep me posted. I love to see progress :]

Don't be discouraged. I'm not sure who you had the surgery through, but at UCSD medical center, they tell you not to drink any liquids 30 minutes before and after each meal. If you don't do this already, you should try it and see how your body reacts. The whole thing with the band is that its supposed to help the bottom of your stomach as well. If you are drinking liquids while you eat, than there is really no point in you even having the band at all. I know its so hard to give up these food that we love so much. Trust me, I was overweight my whole life and am a big fan of anything chocolate and Peanut Butter or bread. You have to learn to give these things up. If you are not committed to the dieting part, than the lap band just won't work for you. Try to hang in there and just keep working hard. Just think every time you put something like chocolate in your mouth, remember how many miles you'd have to run/walk to burn it off. please keep me updated on how the liquids work for you. i am very curious. I had surgery 10 months ago and have lost 89 pounds. So keep me filled in. :] Hollie

I also started with a BMI over 40. I just went to my 10 month post op appointment on the 6th and I have lost 89 pounds today. I am also 18. I am the type of person who weighs myself every morning and writes it on the calander. So I feel your pain about not losing any weight for 2 weeks. I know it may seem like a long time but you also have to remember that the faster you lose it, the faster you put it back on. I'm sure you can relate since you said that you had lost 60 than gained it back. Since you are only at 1 month post op, you should know now that you will hit platos where you don't lose weight for a few weeks. This is normal. The lap band procedure is meant to have the weight come off slow to keep your body from going into shock, or your skin from being baggy, and as a better way to change your lifestyle. The band is meant to be a tool not a quick fix. Focus more on changing your lifestyle and my nutritionist said it is a good idea to only weigh yourself once a week because the body fluxuates differently through out the day. Just keep working hard because hard work always pays off. Don't be discouraged because you have taken the first step into becoming a healthier person. Try to be happy that you are one of the rare people who actually try.