morrisong

Thanks for this chart, it's a new tool that I needed. I have been bandned since summer 2009 and have lost only 25 pounds now, having gained back 15. Seeing this chart plus reading another bandster's post saying she got a fill every month for a year and lost 175 pounds! made me realize that my failure could be converted to success-I just need to regroup on my thinking, and give up the idea that 4 or 5 fills should be all I need to have me on the road to success. It does for some apparently, just not me.

This last fill was the first time I felt restriction ever, but it didn't last more than 3 months. My doctor in Mexico said it shouldn't take more than 4 or 5 fills, but perhaps that was him trying to be positive and encouraging-but didn't really answer my specific situation.

So I am now going back to get another fill, and potentially more if I need to. Yes, I will have to pay more money-grumble, grumble-but I have to try everything. Without restriction I am just on a diet, and that has been a lifetime of yo-yo-ing for me.

HI I am having trouble adding my doctor who is not on the list.

1. One time the box asking me to enter in the Dr.s name appeared, I filled it out, hit Save. But it didn't save it.

2. I clicked on Review to click on the link to add drs name, but never got the box to fill in again.

I use Google Chrome by the way.

Could you add the doctors name for me, its Dr. Ariel Ortiz, OCC in Tijuana, MX

Thanks, morrisong

Hey All,

As you may have noticed, we've launched a Lap-Band Surgeon and Patient Search application for LapBandTalk!

The application is currently in Beta - so there may be minor issues or bugs. If you find any, or if you simply have a suggestion that you'd like to see make it into the system, please let us know right here!

Thanks, and we are looking forward to your feedback!

- Ken S.

Banded in 2009. Took me four fills to feel restriction. I am perplexed why, but glad it finally happened. I could eat a Thanksgiving dinner after my first three fills. Then this last one-restricted! I am so glad I didn't give up.

I am 6 weeks post op. I have had one fill but I still feel NO RESTRICTION. For the last 2 days I have been eating everything not nailed down. I feel like a failure and I am starting over on all liquids today. Has anyone else had issues like this???? Please help!

Okay update! Went for another fill and guess what, this one is working. I have lost 1 dress size. THIS WAS FILL #4 and finally, I feel restricted. I couldn't tell you why this one worked and the others didn't. This fill performed differently right off the bat. Right after my fill, I went to the Applebees and ordered vegetables and hamburger which I crumbled up. I couldn't swallow either one easily. So I went back to the clinic and they looked at me under the flouroscope and said it looked fine and I probably needed a few days of liquid till the swelling went down. That's exactly what happened. After about 3 or 4 days, I could eat my 1/2 cup protein-vegetables and felt fine.

So the tool is working, now its up to me to exercise and make good eating choices. That was the deal with the band and I am so happy its working the way it was suppose to finally.

How I am eating:

It's been 3 weeks and I feel like its a habit now eating this little, though its not ridiculously skimpy amounts. This week for dinner I have been eating barbecued salmon about the size of my palm, and a mixed salad with peppers, carrots, tomatoes, greens, feta/goat cheese crumbles and a glass of wine or two. My lunches are usually salads with canadian bacon cut in very little dices. Breakfast I am usually too tight to eat, but will get down cream of wheat easily-I do try scrambled eggs, but some days are better than others. I drink fresh veg juices during the day. Starches have pretty much left my diet, but I do eat corn. I do have sweets, but I can only take a few bites mentally and physically now, so I don't worry about it when I do.

I will update again to see how my journey is progressing. I hope this isn't the honeymoon stage. Staying positive and feel great getting into clothes I haven't worn in awhile!

HI Alysa, your post could have been written by me. I was banded summer of 2009. I have lost 32 pounds total, 22 pounds of which I did prior to the banding and the rest during the liquid phase right after the banding. I have been filled 3 times on a 11cc band. I have never felt satiated, never felt full, still don't know the "sweet spot". I do have to be careful what I eat in the morning, but after that initial meal of the day, I can eat anything. I was looked at by Flouroscope on my 2nd visit and they said it looked fine. So I kind of gave up-but just for now. I do plan to go back to my doctor in Mexico this summer and see if there are any issues and give it another try. I do wonder if some of us don't have the "shut off" button in our brains to tell us we are full-that's my scientific interpretation, but you get what I mean. It's frustrating to see so many bandsters here be so successful. I know of someone who never even got a fill and he lost 80lbs! My daughter got Gastric Bypass and is doing fantastic with it. I am thinking about that as a possibility down the road. On a positive note, the weight loss I have accomplished is maintaining and I quickly got into the normal range with a little bit of weight loss avoiding Diabetes.

I found a list of free websites, and checked them out myself. Some do require you to at least register with the website. I hope this helps you!

1.Self Magazine online has some free exercise vidoes:

http://www.self.com/

2. This website has some free yoga vidoes, and other types of exercise videos. You must register, but you will have access to some vidoes.

See: http://www.slimtree.com/

3. This website will give you one free exercise video if you 'like' them on Facebook. They have dance exercise videos:

http://www.workoutsondemand.com/

4. This website has some videos as well as some exercise regimens that you can print out:

http://www.workoutz.com/

5.This is a free work out came, similar to Wii Fi: (but you don't need Wii Fi)

http://www.fitbyfun.com/index

6.These may be free as well and includes dance video's:

http://www.exerciset...t-videos/dance/

Have fun!

HI Alysa, your post could have been written by me. I was banded summer of 2009. I have lost 32 pounds total, 22 pounds of which I did prior to the banding and the rest during the liquid phase right after the banding. I have been filled 3 times on a 11cc band. I have never felt satiated, never felt full, still don't know the "sweet spot". I do have to be careful what I eat in the morning, but after that initial meal of the day, I can eat anything. I was looked at by Flouroscope on my 2nd visit and they said it looked fine. So I kind of gave up-but just for now. I do plan to go back to my doctor in Mexico this summer and see if there are any issues and give it another try. I do wonder if some of us don't have the "shut off" button in our brains to tell us we are full-that's my scientific interpretation, but you get what I mean. It's frustrating to see so many bandsters here be so successful. I know of someone who never even got a fill and he lost 80lbs! My daughter got Gastric Bypass and is doing fantastic with it. I am thinking about that as a possibility down the road. On a positive note, the weight loss I have accomplished is maintaining and I quickly got into the normal range with a little bit of weight loss avoiding Diabetes.

Haven't been on the site in about a year. Glad to see this thread. I have pretty much come to the conclusion that I am in the minority that the band does not work for. I took about a year off getting fills, too. I just needed an emotional (and financial) break wanted to get to place where I was doing all the right things so that they couldn't blame the band's failure on me. I KNOW I need to eat less, eat right, and exercise, but I thought the band would at least make me feel full so I could do all the right things. Obviously, if I could do all the right things, I would never have needed the band to begin with.

I lost just under 30 pounds, and about half of that was in the first month when I was on the liquid diet. (It's been almost three years.) After that, I lost about three pounds per month a couple of times. Then I gained about half of it back. I have never really experienced feeling full with the band. I am amazed by people who say they just eat a few bites of food and feel full. I can eat just as much as the average person. I will say that I cannot eat the ENORMOUS amounts of food I could before, or rather, I haven't wanted to, so I guess that is something.

Right now, I am doing Weight Watchers, and honestly, I am actually doing better with it than I did with the band. I have lost 13 pounds in the last three months. Now that I am eating the right way, I think I am ready to go back and get another fill. At least now when I explain that I am not experiencing fullness, I can say I am doing all the other right things. I wish I could rely on the band a little more instead of just plain will power. We all know that will power eventually fails. I am optimistic, though, that I can keep this up long term. I'm not really depriving myself of anything. I am just eating healthy meals, avoiding processed foods and food with added sugar--for the most part--so my blood sugar is balanced, and I really don't want too much junk. When I do, I eat a little. Guess I have gotten a little (or a lot) off topic. At any rate, I feel motivated to make a call tomorrow to go back in for a fill and see if I can't this thing jump started! I have an 11 cc band, I am already at 11 cc's. They said more actually will fit in there, so we'll see.

Thanks for the thread. Sometimes a little venting is all it takes to feel better.

I have been on a low carb high Protein diet for 9 days. I have had stomach pain in my upper abdomen and nausea. When I eat it gets worse. When I don't eat the pain goes away. The stomach pain doesn't move around, stays in one place. Don't have diahreah or Constipation or abnormal passing of gas. It hurts bad enough that I have to lay down and I have a reasonable tolerance to pain. I am going to call the doctor on Monday, but have any of you had that reaction from eating a low carb/high protein diet? Good news, I have lost 10 pounds in 9 days.

Okay, here's one for you. I was banded one year ago exactly and I have never felt the "sweet spot" of restriction.

I have a 11cc band and have had 2 fills now equalling a total of 9.4cc's. one at 3.4cc and another at 6cc. Have any of you had to be filled to the max in order to feel restriction?

I know I need to do better on not drinking and eating at the same time. I give myself a C+ on my efforts. But when I do the right thing, I still havent had restriction.

Decision to have surgery: weighed 232

Pre-surgery weight: 214 pounds

Surgery: July 2009

Post-surgery weight: 199 pounds

1st fill 3.4cc: Sept 2009: 202 pounds

2nd fill under fluro October 2009: 205 pounds, no stretched pouch or leak, 6CC

1 year later: 214 pounds