BioTeacher

I just got on there to talk. Basically a couple of people all excited about the banding surgery. All I said was basically maybe not to make it the end of the world. It might not work as fast or well as they had been told. Then someone said--this is about encouragement right? Then someone else said--go eat a donut! Wow that was nice! I was asking how much people had in their bands and saying I was trying to figure out why it worked so well for some and not others. Someone said it was a rarity for it to not work. Gosh I feel so much better. I sure hope for the sake of all those people on there that it works like the hype says. But my point is it sure may not. Maybe a realistic approach might be good. Go eat a donut! Thanks for the help people. I appreciate it. Glad I went there to talk and see if anyone else was struggling and had any tips. Now I feel worse. :biggrin:

I eat too much! Well isn't that a big surprise! I again got the lecture that I am expecting something that the band will not give me. I got the question of what I thought 'RESTRICTION' was. Here is what I think: at the LEAST a little "tug" that says--I am full and I cannot really eat any more. The lecture I got says that if I actually FEEL something then I am filled TOO FULL in my band! I should not feel pain, sick, pressure, nothing! I should just eat my one cup of food that is mostly protein, then stop and not be hungry. That is what the band is doing for me. Hmmmmm..... I still say that is NOT what I was told before I did this band thing. I thought I heard them say that I would feel full to the point where I could not eat and would not want to. I have heard so many people here say this. I feel NOTHING! Very seldom if EVER do I feel anything. I can eat a lot of food ---be it good stuff--- and keep right on going. Somehow, someway I have to put the stops to my eating. Well gee, if I could do that I would not have gotten the stupid band!! Anyway, I got to see the dietician AGAIN too. I think I know what to eat. I have seen so many dieticians, so many many times.... But I tried to put on my cooperative face and listened and will try to do. It just isn't helping. Also I now have 7ml in a 9ml Realize band. Who would have thought almost a YEAR later I would still be fooling around with this and not be having much success?? I was pretty much told that this is about IT. I will not get anymore in my band?? How do they know it isn't just leaking out into my abdomen? How do they know there is not a hole in the tube or something and it is just leaking out?? It could be. Sure would help me to know yes or no so I would think I am not CRAZY!!?? Who would have thought?? Oh Oh you people out there who think this banding is the beginning of just getting the weight off almost automatically, BEWARE! Here I am with not too much success. I read about these people and their "Bandiversaries" and how excited they are to get surgery and I fear for them. I was there. And now I am here. Well, I am hoping this is the FILL where I finally GET IT! Please, please let the restriction COME in some form to HELP ME!!!!!!! I guess that is it Bloggie. Nice to kind of GET IT OUT!!

I read your comments and appreciate the thoughtfulness. At my doc's office they simply put the saline in your port. They NEVER look to see what it is doing. They give you a bottle of water to make sure you can drink before you leave the office and that is it! I sure WISH mine did it the way yours did! I just returned from the office with small gain. They put another half ml in and and I got the impression that is going to be it! I now have 7ml in a 9ml band. It should be working. I basically got the whole lecture about the fact that I am eating too much. And that I should NOT feel any restriction, I should just stop eating after about a cup of food and feel fine. Do you feel something that kind of tells you when to stop? Or DID you feel something? I am not trying to get sick or something just a little tug. I have been told several times now that is not what to look for. Well enough of my struggles. You keep up the good work. So glad it is working for you and I appreciate your kindness.

You posted a comment on my blog. "You need a fill." Well my doctor does not allow me to make that decision. Plus I have had 7 fills so far and have hit no sweet spot. I am so happy that you have hit yours and you have lost 60 lbs. in 5 months! I really am. But I feel I am doing all I can and am supposed to and am not losing and have not lost nearly that much. Every month when I go in I am afraid too but not because of my old "full" habits but because I know this is not working for me for some reason. Anyway--thanks for the thoughts. I saw your list of things that could be wrong and I still say I am trying all those things. Keep up your wonderful progress!

Well I have tried valiantly and still showed a nice GAIN when I got on the scale this morning! I have tried very hard this week to UP the protein! I am having a MEGA protein shake in the morning that has 42g in it. I have eaten snacks of meat, some 20g protein bars I bought(no more than one a day) and a few nuts here and there. This does not seem to be working either! Darn. What is going to? I am not happy to go in there tomorrow and have yet again gained. I will be put in the "bad" category, what am I eating too much,etc. etc. Believe me, I do not even eat BREAD! I have exercised an HOUR yesterday and my usual 30 min walk outside today. What a glorious day it was here too. Protein and food have been good. But I can still eat too much. I ate a big salad out yesterday and I realized I was able to eat the entire thing with no problem. It had lots of protein on it which is why I ate it and tried to eat all the meat especially. But I just should NOT be able to eat that much! Well I am on my 11 month checkup, and NO restriction. Hmmmm...... I just cannot get this gaining STOPPED! man o man. I have found a new friend to talk to though. She is not far along on her LB journey and is doing well. She is trying to help and I SURE do not want to bring her down! She does not need that. I will go back to a support group with her maybe. Gotta keep trying something. Well bloggie, please help me to be calm tomorrow. Please do not let me get too upset by my gaining. I know it has happened. I am really trying hard. I am going to try to get to my ZEN place again before I go in there. These appts. are just very traumatic! I want to go in there and be HAPPY because I have LOST! Oh well.....I will see how it goes. Am dreading it.... :biggrin:

Well I have tried valiantly and still showed a nice GAIN when I got on the scale this morning! I have tried very hard this week to UP the protein! I am having a MEGA protein shake in the morning that has 42g in it. I have eaten snacks of meat, some 20g protein bars I bought(no more than one a day) and a few nuts here and there. This does not seem to be working either! Darn. What is going to? I am not happy to go in there tomorrow and have yet again gained. I will be put in the "bad" category, what am I eating too much,etc. etc. Believe me, I do not even eat BREAD! I have exercised an HOUR yesterday and my usual 30 min walk outside today. What a glorious day it was here too. Protein and food have been good. But I can still eat too much. I ate a big salad out yesterday and I realized I was able to eat the entire thing with no problem. It had lots of protein on it which is why I ate it and tried to eat all the meat especially. But I just should NOT be able to eat that much! Well I am on my 11 month checkup, and NO restriction. Hmmmm...... I just cannot get this gaining STOPPED! man o man. I have found a new friend to talk to though. She is not far along on her LB journey and is doing well. She is trying to help and I SURE do not want to bring her down! She does not need that. I will go back to a support group with her maybe. Gotta keep trying something. Well bloggie, please help me to be calm tomorrow. Please do not let me get too upset by my gaining. I know it has happened. I am really trying hard. I am going to try to get to my ZEN place again before I go in there. These appts. are just very traumatic! I want to go in there and be HAPPY because I have LOST! Oh well.....I will see how it goes. Am dreading it....

:thumbup: I appreciate your encouraging comments. I am really pouring it out on my blog. It just helps for me to get this all out!! I will see what happens as I go in this week. IF I get another fill it will not be much but I just keep hoping each month it will be enough...thanks, thanks for the kind words. Looks like you are doing really well! Keep it up now!

:thumbup: Well I am now out of school for the year! That is a good feeling! I NEED the rest and time to regroup :w00t: My daughter and I are joining the community center and will be lifting some weights and I intend to do a lot more exercise. Right now I still feel kind of tired. Even though I was off yesterday I am tired. School just wears me out. I read an article this week on the Spark that was about how working overtime makes you fat. Studies done, etc.that show it. Well, well what surprise that is! But there is nothing I can do about that! I have tried to evaluate how to make it easier and it just does not happen. Also does not leave me with lots of time to work out, etc. I am exhausted at the end of every day. Can barely get home, make a meal, clean it up, walk about 25 min, grade some stuff then go to bed at midnight. Weekends I catch up. Heavens if I have to get up early on a weekend. We go to church Sat night which I hate but is good for the catching up on sleep. Some Sundays I grade papers ALL DAY LONG. Oh well, BREAK time is here! Yeah! :biggrin: OK now the weight thing. I am going in Monday for my 11months. I think I have gained a couple more pounds. So I have lost maybe 35 lbs total. Have not lost a THING since November. I have to go to an open house for a family member and I have a sister in law who had a roux-en-y right before Christmas--she had lost 70 lbs. Who knows now? It is going to be HARD to look at her and not be upset. This is just not going the way I thought it would. By the time school was out I thought I would be maybe 20 lbs from goal. Well I am nowhere near that and not losing. I am struggling to not gain.... I need to lose about 65 lbs. and it is just not happening. Gosh I would like to lose 5 lbs a month?? I would get there eventually. So tired of this. I read the answer to my blog and have started just this week to eat very high protein with little or no carbs. However, I have fallen down at the end of the day a couple of times this week and had some fruit. It has been hard. Interesting that when I do this I feel really tired no matter what time of day it is and need to shut my eyes and sleep! My head starts to hurt and eyes hurt. Hmmmm.... The two days I ate so much protein I felt invigorated and good. Just ran into trouble on the other two. I did a BIG protein shake this morning adding 26g whey to 2c milk (16g) and the low sugar inst breakfast (5g). That is a whopper 47g for breakfast. I intend on having meat if I have anything else before dinner. There are some carbs there but am trying to do what was suggested to me. I think I will be able to now especially with school out. What I need to see if some RESULTS! If I start losing and I feel a lot better I will be motivated to go on. However, this is just like Atkins diet. I went on that once. Lost 13 lbs first month then like 5 then it stopped. As usual for me. But with the band, maybe this is different. So I go in Monday to weigh (great??) and probably get yelled at again. I have no idea if I will get a fill or not. I am not going to base my life and my outlook on that darn fill and it making a difference. I have done that every month since I started this mess and it has been a severe letdown every single time. What a rollercoaster ride this is! I also am NOT going to let the negativity from those in charge at my doc's office get me down. I will NOT let them do that to me. I am trying as hard as I can. I exercise DAILY with a fast walk at 20-30 minutes, I am drinking more water than ever, I gave up any caffeine, carbonated drinks, bread when eating out(I have NONE!! when I used to limit myself anyway!), and am writing down most of the time too. What else is there to do??????? I SELDOM feel any what I would call restriction. I have just about given up on hoping the the band is going to help me to restrict and stop eating at a very small amount. I do not eat much anyway but I guess it is too much..... I have a friend online who was struggling too. She just got a fill, said she now gets stopped and almost throws up at each meal. Has lost 7 lbs this month! How great! Where oh where is that for me! I told her she would get the throwing up figured out and quit eating at the right point. That will stop. Again I have another friend who had a roux-en-y and she did that but eventually knows exactly how much to eat and has done well. She has less in her band than me. I am so happy for her but man this is HARD to take. I think I have 6 1/2 in my 9 band. How much does it take? How much will they put in? I fear that they will say--hey that is it, we aren't putting any more in, it isn't safe so now it is all up to you. And guess what? I am not getting it done....... I know my doctor is very conservative. They told me this. Which is good, they have had almost no complications with their bands. But gee this is just not doing much for me. I just do not get any help from it, very, very little. Very disappointing after 11months.... Also I am SICK SICK SICK of the way I look! I have this big fat shelf belly that is gradually growing back. UGH, UGH!! I wanted to just look better this summer. UGH. So disappointing. I think my body has been on a diet so so so long it just adjusts to whatever level I am at. All thyroids been checked, are OK, I am not diabetic, had that test. I just suck! Well this is long, it is nice to have time to get it all out. Please don't read this if you want encouragement because it ain't here. This is just a place to POUR it out. I am gearing up now to go in Monday and getting in my ZEN place so I do not get upset when they tell me I am a failure... I just keep repeating "zen, zen, zen....." I will keep trying to exercise, eat lots of protein, not drink diet coke which I still love and MISS after a YEAR of not having it. Like it is doing any good. Maybe the next fill will work.....ha. Do you believe this? I still have that little hope in there that I will finally get this.....later.

I was banded in July 08. Lost 40 lbs real quick. Stopped losing in November. Have lost NOTHING since then in fact have gained about 5 lbs. I have a realize band with about 6 1/2 ml in an 9ml band. I am just doing all I can--exercising, Water, diary, upping the Protein. I feel almost NO restriction EVER. Doc's office not very helpful or nice. I eat too much and that is it according to them. I am a HS Biology teacher, 52 years old, two grown kids both still at home. Married 28 years. Thyroid, diabetes, all been checked and are OK. I admit I am not a very positive person about this band thing. I am so disillusioned about this. I get upset with reading all these success stories and I fear for the people who think they are going to get banded and all will be right with the world. I fear for them to be like me. If anyone wants to talk to me I could sure use a buddy. Thanks. I understand if you can't be with this downer person......oh well.....I will try to encourage YOU....

:thumbup: Well I am now out of school for the year! That is a good feeling! I NEED the rest and time to regroup :w00t: My daughter and I are joining the community center and will be lifting some weights and I intend to do a lot more exercise. Right now I still feel kind of tired. Even though I was off yesterday I am tired. School just wears me out. I read an article this week on the Spark that was about how working overtime makes you fat. Studies done, etc.that show it. Well, well what surprise that is! But there is nothing I can do about that! I have tried to evaluate how to make it easier and it just does not happen. Also does not leave me with lots of time to work out, etc. I am exhausted at the end of every day. Can barely get home, make a meal, clean it up, walk about 25 min, grade some stuff then go to bed at midnight. Weekends I catch up. Heavens if I have to get up early on a weekend. We go to church Sat night which I hate but is good for the catching up on sleep. Some Sundays I grade papers ALL DAY LONG. Oh well, BREAK time is here! Yeah! OK now the weight thing. I am going in Monday for my 11months. I think I have gained a couple more pounds. So I have lost maybe 35 lbs total. Have not lost a THING since November. I have to go to an open house for a family member and I have a sister in law who had a roux-en-y right before Christmas--she had lost 70 lbs. Who knows now? It is going to be HARD to look at her and not be upset. This is just not going the way I thought it would. By the time school was out I thought I would be maybe 20 lbs from goal. Well I am nowhere near that and not losing. I am struggling to not gain.... I need to lose about 65 lbs. and it is just not happening. Gosh I would like to lose 5 lbs a month?? I would get there eventually. So tired of this. I read the answer to my blog and have started just this week to eat very high protein with little or no carbs. However, I have fallen down at the end of the day a couple of times this week and had some fruit. It has been hard. Interesting that when I do this I feel really tired no matter what time of day it is and need to shut my eyes and sleep! My head starts to hurt and eyes hurt. Hmmmm.... The two days I ate so much protein I felt invigorated and good. Just ran into trouble on the other two. I did a BIG protein shake this morning adding 26g whey to 2c milk (16g) and the low sugar inst breakfast (5g). That is a whopper 47g for breakfast. I intend on having meat if I have anything else before dinner. There are some carbs there but am trying to do what was suggested to me. I think I will be able to now especially with school out. What I need to see if some RESULTS! If I start losing and I feel a lot better I will be motivated to go on. However, this is just like Atkins diet. I went on that once. Lost 13 lbs first month then like 5 then it stopped. As usual for me. But with the band, maybe this is different. So I go in Monday to weigh (great??) and probably get yelled at again. I have no idea if I will get a fill or not. I am not going to base my life and my outlook on that darn fill and it making a difference. I have done that every month since I started this mess and it has been a severe letdown every single time. What a rollercoaster ride this is! I also am NOT going to let the negativity from those in charge at my doc's office get me down. I will NOT let them do that to me. I am trying as hard as I can. I exercise DAILY with a fast walk at 20-30 minutes, I am drinking more water than ever, I gave up any caffeine, carbonated drinks, bread when eating out(I have NONE!! when I used to limit myself anyway!), and am writing down most of the time too. What else is there to do??????? I SELDOM feel any what I would call restriction. I have just about given up on hoping the the band is going to help me to restrict and stop eating at a very small amount. I do not eat much anyway but I guess it is too much..... I have a friend online who was struggling too. She just got a fill, said she now gets stopped and almost throws up at each meal. Has lost 7 lbs this month! How great! Where oh where is that for me! I told her she would get the throwing up figured out and quit eating at the right point. That will stop. Again I have another friend who had a roux-en-y and she did that but eventually knows exactly how much to eat and has done well. She has less in her band than me. I am so happy for her but man this is HARD to take. I think I have 6 1/2 in my 9 band. How much does it take? How much will they put in? I fear that they will say--hey that is it, we aren't putting any more in, it isn't safe so now it is all up to you. And guess what? I am not getting it done....... I know my doctor is very conservative. They told me this. Which is good, they have had almost no complications with their bands. But gee this is just not doing much for me. I just do not get any help from it, very, very little. Very disappointing after 11months.... Also I am SICK SICK SICK of the way I look! I have this big fat shelf belly that is gradually growing back. UGH, UGH!! I wanted to just look better this summer. UGH. So disappointing. I think my body has been on a diet so so so long it just adjusts to whatever level I am at. All thyroids been checked, are OK, I am not diabetic, had that test. I just suck! Well this is long, it is nice to have time to get it all out. Please don't read this if you want encouragement because it ain't here. This is just a place to POUR it out. I am gearing up now to go in Monday and getting in my ZEN place so I do not get upset when they tell me I am a failure... I just keep repeating "zen, zen, zen....." I will keep trying to exercise, eat lots of protein, not drink diet coke which I still love and MISS after a YEAR of not having it. Like it is doing any good. Maybe the next fill will work.....ha. Do you believe this? I still have that little hope in there that I will finally get this.....later.

I just read and copied your note. I feel like there has GOT to be something wrong with my metabolism. Maybe this is it. I have not been having too many carbs but more than 50g a day for sure. I will give my doctor a couple for more tries. I guess i am just very hesitant to switch off. It has taken me almost 11months to get the 6 1/2in there that I have. I keep waiting for the big difference and it just isnt happening. I feel like I am a freak or something. We have discussed the protein thing several times and I thought I had it up there pretty high but maybe not. I have been using instant breakfast in mornings but even the low sugar has carbs. I will check that. Now my doc says it will take two years to even get this straight. I just think they think I sit around and eat bon-bons which I do NOT. I just came back from a big walk and am trying to drink lots of water too. Thanks for taking all the time to write all that out!! I will start in and see what happens. :devil:

Hey, I haven't lost a pound since Nov 08! I too am getting yelled at about eating by someone who is not so nice. I am not losing at all for months and months. I cannot get restriction going like I hear these people do. They do not believe me.....I have to go in the office saying, " go to my zen place, zen place...." over and over again because I am so angry at them for telling me I eat too much.... I am trying HARD and not getting the help I need.

:glare: Well I just read someone's blog here who had lost 90 lbs.in 6 months. I am not about 11 months post op and am creeping back up! I have gained a couple more pounds. I think I might have lost 33 now. Had lost close to 40. I am trying very hard to not eat much. It is so hard. I do not feel the band too much. Have trouble eating stringy meat, now apples with skin. But I just do not feel too much. I have about 6 and 1/2 ml in a 9 ml band. I don't think they can put much more in there. This last few pounds I have gained back has made me feel really tired and depressed. it is right on my stomach. I can just feel the "ledge" coming back on. Everyday I get on the scale and it is higher and higher. I feel like I am on a roller coaster and I cannot stop the gaining. I keep thinking I will go back on liquids with just a few ounces between meals and then I don't do it. Same old same old as before surgery. I really eat in a very good way--low fat milk, etc. etc.... I only eat barely half of my meal when eating out and no bread. Only bread I eat is sometimes diet breads. No caffeine at all, no carbonated sodas and I am really really wanting a diet coke! Yikes...and I don't see why I cannot have it, I am not losing anyway!! I do have a cookie here and there but not much. I walk briskly every day. I guess my body is just so used to dieting for years and years and years that it can now even GAIN weight on very little food. I have just about given up on the band helping me at all. For some reason, I get to be one of the few that it doesn't work for. This is making me tear up now. I again feel like a loser and failure. I am tired of looking like this fat thing. I am so tired, tired of this. I had hoped to lose constantly. I have lost nothing since Nov. and have now started gaining it back. This is a classic for me. it is what I always do. Lose 40 and gain it back. I need to lose like 65 more. never going to happen. The doctor is no help. I don't need to see a dietician. I just need help!! why , why why can't I be one of the ones this works for? Why did I have to be one of the failures?? Oh well... I will keep exercising and eating as well as I can until I am as fat as before and i will have a band in me too. Great.... done...I hate this. :devil:

:wink: Friday night I was woken up by the police slamming on my door. The son was too loud and someone--one of his dumb "friends" was running up and down the street with a loud car. I let them in his room to talk to him about it. they hauled my son out of my own house to jail. This is not the first time. Things were just looking up for him, he is graduating from college, got a job part time for the first time in a long time. Not a great job but a job anyway. And now this. We will make him pay us back but we are out $2-3000 for lawyers and such. We have spent so much on them already. But from what we have seen he cannot go to court without one. Why am I writing this? Meanwhile I am supposed to be watching what I am eating. I could have ate a gallon of chocolate yesterday for sure. My husband who is thin got sick and could not eat. I get the opposite when upset. I guess my point is that there are a lot more things going on than just why am I not eating what I should? There are lots of problems and it is so hard. I have done really well not going crazy. Luckily I have several Lo cal things that are sweet that are helping. I still have exercised and yesterday a big walk. I just am not not losing. I am so stuck where I am since November. The fill I got has affected me a little bit but just is not doing the job. I am in my 11th month here. I just need that little boost --- something needs to go right! I guess that is it tonite blog. When will this kid change? Why can't he see that his friends are using him and now using us and that we are the only ones who have ever really supported and cared about him?? I don't feel like a good week is coming up. I will keep trying but keeping my attitude and chin up about all this weight stuff is just getting to be too hard. I don't have diet cokes anymore, and why? I am not losing, it is not helping? I don't eat any bread when eating out at all. I bring half my food home. And for WHAT!? This is tough....God please give me a break soon. :wub:

:thumbup: Friday night I was woken up by the police slamming on my door. The son was too loud and someone--one of his dumb "friends" was running up and down the street with a loud car. I let them in his room to talk to him about it. they hauled my son out of my own house to jail. This is not the first time. Things were just looking up for him, he is graduating from college, got a job part time for the first time in a long time. Not a great job but a job anyway. And now this. We will make him pay us back but we are out $2-3000 for lawyers and such. We have spent so much on them already. But from what we have seen he cannot go to court without one. Why am I writing this? Meanwhile I am supposed to be watching what I am eating. I could have ate a gallon of chocolate yesterday for sure. My husband who is thin got sick and could not eat. I get the opposite when upset. I guess my point is that there are a lot more things going on than just why am I not eating what I should? There are lots of problems and it is so hard. I have done really well not going crazy. Luckily I have several Lo cal things that are sweet that are helping. I still have exercised and yesterday a big walk. I just am not not losing. I am so stuck where I am since November. The fill I got has affected me a little bit but just is not doing the job. I am in my 11th month here. I just need that little boost --- something needs to go right! I guess that is it tonite blog. When will this kid change? Why can't he see that his friends are using him and now using us and that we are the only ones who have ever really supported and cared about him?? I don't feel like a good week is coming up. I will keep trying but keeping my attitude and chin up about all this weight stuff is just getting to be too hard. I don't have diet cokes anymore, and why? I am not losing, it is not helping? I don't eat any bread when eating out at all. I bring half my food home. And for WHAT!? This is tough....God please give me a break soon. :sad:

:biggrin: I went in last Monday. Had a slight gain. I basically have lost nothing in 5 months. I am so tired of reading all these people losing, losing. What is wrong with me?? I am ten months out of surgery and here I am. Nothing happening on the scale. I can still pretty much eat whatever I want. Only thing I feel is stringy meat and today on an apple. That cannot be real restriction. I just continue to try to eat less, more protein, keep exercising. Keep hoping for something to start to happen... I have 6.5 in a 9 band. I feel in my heart that I need one more fill for a total of 7. Not sure why I think that but I do. School is about to let out and I thought I would be close to goal. What a laugh that one is. 60 more lbs. to go and no movement! CRAP. Anyway, I went in there Monday and just kept saying Zen, Zen, Zen, trying to keep on a positive note no matter HOW they treated me. I was not going to leave there crying again. The NURSE said that my doc is very conservative, does not fill fast so he has had like NO complications, etc. Told me it might take a good TWO years! Well OK but let's get this MOVING again. I am SICK SICK of looking like this and feeling like this. I just want to have some slow gradual LOSS!!! Help me GET somewhere!!!!!!!! OH well. More later. :thumbup:

I just got on there to talk. Basically a couple of people all excited about the banding surgery. All I said was basically maybe not to make it the end of the world. It might not work as fast or well as they had been told. Then someone said--this is about encouragement right? Then someone else said--go eat a donut! Wow that was nice! I was asking how much people had in their bands and saying I was trying to figure out why it worked so well for some and not others. Someone said it was a rarity for it to not work. Gosh I feel so much better. I sure hope for the sake of all those people on there that it works like the hype says. But my point is it sure may not. Maybe a realistic approach might be good. Go eat a donut! Thanks for the help people. I appreciate it. Glad I went there to talk and see if anyone else was struggling and had any tips. Now I feel worse. :wink:

:wink: I went in last Monday. Had a slight gain. I basically have lost nothing in 5 months. I am so tired of reading all these people losing, losing. What is wrong with me?? I am ten months out of surgery and here I am. Nothing happening on the scale. I can still pretty much eat whatever I want. Only thing I feel is stringy meat and today on an apple. That cannot be real restriction. I just continue to try to eat less, more protein, keep exercising. Keep hoping for something to start to happen... I have 6.5 in a 9 band. I feel in my heart that I need one more fill for a total of 7. Not sure why I think that but I do. School is about to let out and I thought I would be close to goal. What a laugh that one is. 60 more lbs. to go and no movement! CRAP. Anyway, I went in there Monday and just kept saying Zen, Zen, Zen, trying to keep on a positive note no matter HOW they treated me. I was not going to leave there crying again. The NURSE said that my doc is very conservative, does not fill fast so he has had like NO complications, etc. Told me it might take a good TWO years! Well OK but let's get this MOVING again. I am SICK SICK of looking like this and feeling like this. I just want to have some slow gradual LOSS!!! Help me GET somewhere!!!!!!!! OH well. More later. :wub:

I was banded in July 08. I have now 6.5 ml in a 9ml Realize band. I have NEVER felt real restriction! I lost 40 lbs. but since Nov08 nothing. I just went and still nothing. I had barium swallow, all is fine. Only time I feel it is when I eat really stringy meat or now an apple. It is not helping me much. Basically I am same as I was before surgery. NOT IN MY HEAD. Last appt. I was told this could take TWO years. To get some restriction? huh?? Not what I was told beforehand. Gee whiz.

I am still having a time of it. I got on the scale and it is highest since surgery. I have GOT to get a handle on this! I do pretty well all day and then when I am most tired I eat dumb things. Not too bad bad stuff but things like too much peanut butter and and apple. Stuff like that. Today has been a good day. I hope to now make it to bed before I eat anything else. I think that is one key for me. For some reason I think I must eat to go to bed. How bent is that? Sometimes I am hungry and honestly I cannot sleep with growling stomach. But most of time I am just "rewarding" myself. I have got to try to break this. It is a LOOOONGG going problem though. Anyway I ate well today and what I think were controlled quantities. I kept the protein constant through the day. I just walked outside briskly about 30 min and all is well. Now I need about 365 more days like this one! Wow. :tongue2: Still not feeling the restriction much. Was eating some stringy white meat chicken and I felt something so I stopped and fed lots of it to the dog. But as far as just helping me stop, I just still don't get it. I am hoping to go in there in two weeks and just not gain but it is not looking good! Gotta get a handle here! I fully expect no more fills no matter what--and I just don't care any more....for sure... well more later. No eating before bed, no eating before bed.....keep repeating it... :smile2:

I am still having a time of it. I got on the scale and it is highest since surgery. I have GOT to get a handle on this! I do pretty well all day and then when I am most tired I eat dumb things. Not too bad bad stuff but things like too much peanut butter and and apple. Stuff like that. Today has been a good day. I hope to now make it to bed before I eat anything else. I think that is one key for me. For some reason I think I must eat to go to bed. How bent is that? Sometimes I am hungry and honestly I cannot sleep with growling stomach. But most of time I am just "rewarding" myself. I have got to try to break this. It is a LOOOONGG going problem though. Anyway I ate well today and what I think were controlled quantities. I kept the protein constant through the day. I just walked outside briskly about 30 min and all is well. Now I need about 365 more days like this one! Wow. Still not feeling the restriction much. Was eating some stringy white meat chicken and I felt something so I stopped and fed lots of it to the dog. But as far as just helping me stop, I just still don't get it. I am hoping to go in there in two weeks and just not gain but it is not looking good! Gotta get a handle here! I fully expect no more fills no matter what--and I just don't care any more....for sure... well more later. No eating before bed, no eating before bed.....keep repeating it... :scared2:

I am wondering if anyone else working through St. Francis South / Dr. Clark is as frustrated with them as I am?? I am 6 mos. post-op. I bet my appts. have been rescheduled and messed up 4 of the six times I should have gone. This started from the very first post-op which was put off two weeks to just now. I was supposed to go Dec. 15th for a month check and am put off to Jan 5th! That is three more weeks! In November I went to my appt. at St. Francis and they did not have it on the record! I found my card with the date and time on it! I had to take off a whole day of work to go for a 15 min. appt! Or else wait until Dec. 15th which would have been 7 weeks, and then they would have re-scheduled it too. And in November I did not even SEE Dr. Clark, just the nurse practioner. I am trying to change my life and they are not much help! I read other threads and they seem much more happy with theirs. Anyone else this upset!??

Well, well how interesting to hear someone ELSE say exactly what I have thought for several months now! Since I am not losing they have decided they will NOT fill me either. I have visited the dietician several times already and last time I got so angry they sent me to talk to the counselor. I need more in my band and it is not up to me. I have not hit any sweet spot and they just do NOT believe me. That nurse is NOT very nice. She just is not, glad to hear I am not the only one who thinks so. You are so right about the calling in and stuff too. They are not that great. I went to a couple of support groups too--you are right they are simply presentations--not helpful! I am thinking of trying to find a new fill doctor. I understand that the other Dr. in our office--Mandalbaum is not like that. Clark is OK but I never see him just the lovely nurse who thinks I am just a stupid overeating dumby. I cried the last two times I left there. I try to be calm but by the time I leave I am upset as heck! PLEASE KEEP IN CONTACT! You ARE doing better than me! Hang in there and we can surely commiserate together! Please write back! :cool2:

Hey Noel! I am glad you wrote about my blog even though it sounds like my story. Sounds like you thought the very same thing that I did. Why is this working so WELL for so many people and not for us?? It is OK you really DID help me more than you think because I do not feel stupid like I am nuts about what I thought the band should do. And it is possible it just may not work for me. I just feel better knowing I am not crazy and the restriction I am supposed to feel just ain't there. I will hope the best for you too. Hope the refilling does get there. That seems like a really SMALL band you have there anyway. Why can't they get the size of the opening right? You wonder for sure. Just keep in contact and maybe we can figure this out and at least not think we are both nuts! Thanks for writing. Right now this is about all I have to vent my frustration and loss of hope with this dumb thing I put in my body!