shelley2b

Hey all - it's been a while since I've been here, but I wanted to share that I just hit 100 pounds! I had moments of despair all the way along, and some of you might know me from being on this site and asking for help, advice, support.... but it happened. I had my surgery in Dec 08 - so it's taken me just about 2.5 years to get here. My experience is that I would lose 20lbs then stay the same for months - then another 10lbs... I tried to think of it as a journey. To give myself time rather than getting discouraged (although of course I did). I guess I never thought this was really possible. I don't think the band is for everyone, because ultimately it's your eating habits that get you here - but I just wanted to let you know that it's possible, it happens. I was 244 when I started, I'm 144 today. I went from a size 18/20to an 8/10. You can do it, you've just got to stay in it for the long journey. ANY OTHER 100 LBS BANDERS, would love to hear from you.

Good luck everyone - make sure you stick to your doc's rules post-surgery. It's tempting not to, but will make a big difference to your success in the long run. Best of luck.

I'm 2 years into my journey, and recognize everything that everyone's saying. Before the surgery, I would think about food all the time - every day. Even now, I still miss the freedom that I had, I sometimes still order what I used to - then can't really get past a few bites. If it makes you feel any better, I found that since I wasn't hungry all the time, I turned into one of those people who actually FORGET TO EAT!!! There's no way I ever thought that would happen to me, but now when I'm busy, the time just passes and the busier I am, the more weight I lose. This band isn't a silver bullet, but it is a very useful tool that you can use to break your addiction. Alcoholics don't have a Lap Band for drinking, but thankfully - it's helpful for us Food Addicts.

well done! i'm at the point where i'm down from a size 20 to a size 10 -- still a little ways to go, but it certainly feels good to be this far. nice to hear that others are doing well...

definitely not worth the side effects of living with reflux. my experience was that I had bad reflux for about a month - had my unfill, then re-filled the band and it didn't come back. so now I'm at the same fill level, still losing weight, and no reflux at all... the nurse said that when you unfill that the band slightly shifts and so the reflux might not be an issue again. it may delay a bit of weight loss, but better than having reflux. good luck!

Hi guys - this is a very common problem, but doesn't necessarily mean that you're too tight. Apparently it's part of the band - I think of mine like a machine that needs to be oiled and warmed up before you use it. In other words, when you wake up in the morning, it's dry and tight... then what you have to do is drink warm liquids, like tea or coffee or even just hot Water.... then more liquids... then you have to try a single bite or a handful of nuts. There's something called first bite syndrome that means that if you try to eat more than one bite first thing in the morning, it doesn't work... Then what I do is wait for that first bite to go down - sometimes as much as 30-45 mins... then I can think about eating more. If I'd really like to eat early, then I go for a run -- for some reason exercise helps it as well. Also - I'm pretty tight, so if I want to go out for dinner, I have a handful of nuts about 30-45 mins before I eat dinner... then by the time dinner comes along, I'm ready to eat a reasonable sized meal without PBs. Hope that helps. Good luck.

Well done... I've just passed the 70lbs mark and am hoping that I get to 100lbs... I'll be close to goal by that point. My weight loss has been a lot slower, but I recognize a lot of the feelings and emotions that you're talking about. It's funny - I wanted my band out and it took me 8 months to figure out how not to throw up almost every time I eat. Now I'm just in the home stretch of weight loss, and then I've got to think about how to keep it off in a healthy and nutritionally balanced way. Good for you!!! Good for us all!

OK - so just got home, and my giant weight loss wasn't that... it was just a new scale. I'm actually at 173.6 - so that's not too bad.. It's one pound down despite being away from home and stuck in a Volcanic Ash cloud. I'm going to get back in the gym today and will try to focus on losing a few more pounds. Good luck to everyone - it's a long haul, not a magic bullet!

Hi guys - one of the first posts I've seen that's similar to my story... although I've had my band a lot longer. I was banded in Dec 08 - then lost about 20lbs and then it stalled then another 10 then a plateau, and so it's gone. What I've found, is that I'm in it for the long game - so I just wait them out and try not to worry. In fact, I've found that if I eat more during my plateaus and then go back to a restrictive diet that it works better. For example, I've been stalled at about 175lbs for a while -- I stopped thinking about it, upped my calories (not on purpose but because I've been traveling and going to restaurants) and then started being strict again. Today I got on the scale and it looks like about 167-169lbs... just stay with the program and think long term. It's so much better than going in the other direction.

To give you a little hope - I was in the same place. I got banded in Dec 08 and had lost about 15 lbs before surgery and only about 35 lbs after surgery!! even less than you!! Then about Feb this year I went to the mountains and the altitude did something to my band - it tightened it up and I lost 12 lbs in about 3 weeks --- clearly I wasn't using my 'tool' like it was meant to be used!! So when I came home, I tightened it up and managed to lose another 8 lbs pretty quickly. Now I'm almost at 70lbs total and about 55lbs since surgery.... I'm really happy with my progress and am happy to plateau for a bit to let my body adjust. Just go get tightened, try and eat properly and give yourself a break!!

Hi guys - I know what it's like. I've been banded since Dec 08 and it took me a whole year to start to get it under control. We expect ourselves to be perfect and to have a consistent weight loss journey, but if we were perfect - we wouldn't have had to get a band in the first place!! My rule is that it's OK to slip - as long as I don't gain more than 2 lbs... if that happens, I go back to 100% being healthy - that way I either am going down, or staying stable... over the long run, it seems to be working for me. Keep trying and stop beating yourself up. This is a long haul game - not about getting it all done immediately!!

thanks for posting - i'm so glad that i'm not the only one... I've read a lot of statistics recently that say that a lot of peple with bands don't lose the weight - and only achieve a minimal level of weight loss, but I think that it's not a magic bullet - rather it's a tool and you have to do the work to make the changes. now i'm certain that i'll have more plateau's and more struggles - but eventually I'm pretty sure I'm going to get there... it's just a matter of doing the right things most of the time and minimizing the bad days... anyone else??

Have you heard of first bite syndrome? Think of it like oiling an engine - apparently if you haven't eaten in more than 2 hours, you need to 'prime' your stomach before trying to eat anything real. So I had the same problem for months. Now I try to eat/drink a bite or two about 20 mins before I sit down at the table. Like a cracker, a couple of nuts, etc... It kind of oils the machine so that the rest goes down. Give that a try and let us know how you're doing... ps - you might want to search for first bite syndrome to find out more.

Hi everyone - I just wanted to find out how the rest of you are doing... I feel like I've recently turned a corner. So I lost about 44 lbs total in just under a year - and then plateaued. I checked my records, and it looks like I was steady for about 3 months. I've got to say that I was giving up hope. Then... - I went up to the mountains to ski and the altitude did something to tighten up my band. - I started having tiny meals (instead of the bigger ones I'd been forcing down) - that in combination with the skiing every day - and I ski pretty hard - for 5-7 hours a day helped me to lose some. - So I came home and got my band tightened up and now I've lost about 17-25 lbs in the last 2 months. So now... - I'm just in overweight instead of in the obese category:thumbup: - I look at myself in the mirror and don't see a fat girl anymore! I'm still bigger than I'd like to be, but not fat!!:thumbup: - I'm in a size 12 trouser from banana Republic:thumbup::thumbup: - ...and I'm just feeling generally positive about finishing up the journey. I guess I'm writing this to encourage those of you who are struggling to go get tightened up. I was thinking back to my plateau, and there was a lot more Ice Cream binges than I needed and also I was clearly trying to eat things I shouldn't have been because there was a lot of PBing. Now, I'm much more careful and I don't throw up barely at all. Any stories from you guys?? Advice, tips, successes?

Hi all - I was banded in Dec 08 and I've had a good amount of weight loss. I had been down about 50lbs forever and was struggling to get any further. Well, I've just come back from a skiing holiday at altitude and it seems that I've lost about 13lbs in 2.5 weeks. Now I knew that I was eating a lot less than normal, but it was because I felt like my band was super super tight and I couldn't get a lot down it... have any of you experienced similar things at altitude?? If it's not the altitude is a sudden feeling of additional restrictions something I should worry about? Let me know what you think....

Haven't you guys ever seen the Biggest Loser episodes where someone's stopped losing weight and Bob or Jillian says that they're not eating enough calories?? I find if I vary my calorie intake - so some days a bit more, and some days a bit less, the weight comes off. As far as the food aversion, you poor bandster. I would suggest getting an unfill at least for a few months until your appetite comes back... but make sure you're working out loads so that you don't gain any weight. I've had my band for a year, and find that my eating is in general getting better and better -- but I have gone through periods where ice cream and Soups are my only friend, and that's when I don't lose at all!

Gosh - so nice to finally hear stories... I've gone from 39.4 to a BMI of 31.3, but I've always been really fit and muscular, so I didn't look or feel as obese as the number say. I've lost 50 lbs exactly as of today, and probably only about 6 lbs in the last 3 months. Things are slow and I've really got to work hard to take off every single pound. My newest secret that seems to be working is consistent snacking on Brazil nuts... I eat about 20 over the course of the day, but I think part of my problem is that I'm really tight in the mornings, so Breakfast is really really hard... then my body thinks that I'm starving myself and holds onto every pound. It's been a difficult journey just figuring out how not to PB too -- there was a period where I was throwing up almost every day, but now I've got it down to about once every 2 weeks. Usually when I'm stressed. More stories please! they're so motivational.

Hi guys - been a while for me... I'm stalling, but starting to see a tiny bit of progress again. It's hard to remember that even though I'm eating less, my body requires less than it used to. I'm about 1/2 way towards my big ambitious goal, but the reality is I'm feeling much healthier. Shelli

There's an adjustment to be made, but because the weight loss is really slow -- I've found that I've got the time to change my mind about myself. I've lost 50lbs since the start of my journey and 34lbs since surgery... it's not a magic bullet solution, and so you don't just drop weight like if you were to get a gastric bypass. It's slow, you have to diet and exercise, and do the work -- so the psychological thing kind of comes with that.

Oh god - I'm so glad that I came on this today!! I've been having the same problem... sometimes it's so hard to have the first bite that I end up PB-ing and then after that, I can eat anything I want. I've had my band for about 10 months and hearing that it might go away eventually is making me very hopeful! Thanks so much for posting this question.

Hi all - haven't posted in a while, but I thought you might want to know that things have started moving again -- I think I was stressed out and that's why I couldn't shift even a pound. Now I've been on holiday for a few weeks and I lost 5 lbs... I'm now almost 50lbs down and more importantly am consistently under 200 for the first time in about 8 years!! It's really wonderful! I still have a long journey, but I'm more hopeful. How is everyone doing?

hi everyone - i've been off of the forum for a long time, and have also been on a complete plateau - i'm wondering if you are all experiencing the same thing. So I was 100% focused at the beginning and have lost about 30 lbs since surgery in December... then I started working really hard in May and I kind of fell off the wagon. Now on the good side - unlike in the past, I haven't gained any weight while I was off the wagon. In the past, I would lose 20-30lbs and then when I wasn't exercising or dieting I would put it right back on and have to start from scratch... now I just stayed exactly the same weight for about 4 months. I'm ready to get back on track now - and have started exercising and watching my diet again - so I expect that I'll start to drop more weight again. I guess my lesson is that the tool doesn't do the work for you - it definitely helps - but it's not the answer. How about you guys - have you had the same experience?

...hey all, I got on the scale this morning and found that I weight 200.6 lbs... hmmm:wink2: and YAY! :thumbup: Can't wait until I pass the 200s.. YAY:thumbup: - because I don't think I've been at 200 lbs in at least 6 or 7 years and that I've found the band helps me not to put on weight in between the times when I'm feeling like staying healthy. hmmm:wink2:... because I wonder what it is about a number on a scale that means so much to me. I won't be a better person if I weight 1xx rather than 2xx, but I'm sooo pleased to be getting to that point. It somehow symbolizes something. I'm less than halfway through my LapBand weightloss journey, but it's really making a difference to my success - the weight isn't coming off quickly, but it keeps coming off... Good luck to everyone else - any similar stories? What was it like for you when you were approaching the 200 mark?

Don't worry - it's the same for most of us. The reality is that other than the recovery from surgery, your band doesn't tend to provide any restriction at all until you've had fills. Some people are lucky, but most of us are in the same position. It's really critical though that you follow your doctor's advice about meal plans, because if you eat the wrong foods too early you can cause complications and issues... So hang on and bear with yourself through 'bandster hell' - it's not fun, and it sucks considering what you thought was going to happen - but it does end. Stay strong and try to distract yourself... Good luck.

I always carry around protein bars... I use either South Beach Living ones or the Zone bars - find the ones that you like, and I've used them in lots of situations instead of food. That being said, Austria is a wonderful country with lots of yummy food - you'll be able to eat exactly like you do at home... Good luck.