isaviolinist

I set my ultimate goal weight (130 pounds) based on what is healthy for my height. I could actually be 115 pounds and still be within the healthy range, but I thought 130 was a good start. I didn't talk much about it with my doctor, I just decided on my own.
My first mini goal is 215. I just chose that because on my last diet I got to about 219-220. But couldn't move past that. I thought it would probably be impossible to drop below that, so I'll feel really good when I get to 215. The next goal after that will be 199 (I haven't been under 200 in such a long time...I don't even remember when the last time was). That will feel SOOO good! I cant wait! :cool:

I have my eye on this vera wang gown for my wedding in 2012: http://brideguide.ehclients.com/images/uploads/Esther.jpg
I would love to wear it and look beautiful in it (including having some semblance of a waist line).

I'm not having the exact same issues as you but I did regain 50 pounds and then re lose it in the past couple of months. It was a real downer when I started re losing as I had to face the fact that I had regained so much weight. But I believe it was a learning experience for me and has made me even stronger in my resolve to lose. It can be that way for you too. While it stinks that you're having band issues (which you should continue to address with your doc), start doing something to get yourself back on track today. Start exercising or logging your food or cutting back on the high calorie foods. Take a walk! I love walking - you burn calories and it doesn't even feel like exercise. If it's too cold outside, it's a great time to walk laps in the mall with all of the holiday displays up. I'm here to help if you need a hand or some advice/motivation to get yourself back on track. The hardest part was restarting my exercise, logging, healthy eating etc. But once you start, it becomes part of your routine and gets easier!

Often times when you lose weight, you also lose fat in and around your stomach. Thus your restriction level needs to be readjusted as the fat "melts" away. The band isn't getting loser, you're just losing fat causing the the opening from pouch to the lower stomach to be wider. Also, a small amount of Fluid can "evaporate" over time. If its all the Fluid, thats a problem, but its not unusual for a small amount to exit, especially after 2.5 years.
And Im sure you've heard this, but even if the band somehow actually stopped working (totally possible, especially if there is a complication), you are of course in charge of your own food choices (Im not preaching, as I, as well as most others, struggle from time to time or for periods of time with food choices). Just friendly reminder

I'm a binge eater too. I'm seeing an eating disorder therapist for it. I lost almost 80 pounds initially with the lapband. I then was filled just a little too tight and started eating foods that would slide right through my band (namely, milkshakes and ice cream) because eating had become so cumbersome and I was throwing up a lot. That lead to full on binge eating for the better part of a year. I regained almost 50 pounds bingeing on milkshakes and ice cream (and sometimes mac and cheese...for some reason that also usually slides right through which is unusual). I have since lost all of the weight I regained plus more and am working hard in therapy to try and recover from my eating disorder, but its not easy and the evening is always very challenging for me (I can go the whole day without thinking about food...the nighttime is a different story). I think for binge eaters, it is possible to eat around any WLS. Binge eating is a mental issue, and the only way to fix it is to deal with the issues in your head. WLS won't really effect it very much, in my experience. I don't regret regaining 50 pounds, as it was a learning experience, but I do wish I had started going to therapy prior to getting the band. In hindsight, that would've been a great idea (although I'm grateful for my therapist now and it was the right time to start seeing her).
Overall, I would say the lapband has worked for me. Despite still struggling with binge eating, I have completely changed the way I look at food. I've lost almost 90 pounds (I probably have about 50 to go...but I focus more on my body composition - body fat percentage - more than scale weight...the last thing I want to do is start burning lean mass in order to see a number on the scale). And I'm officially a gym rat (that's the last thing I ever though I'd be). So yes, the band has worked for me but I have also put in the work, and it was hard (definitely not an easy fix). My best advice is to start seeing a therapist first (or go to an OA meeting...OA isn't for me, but I know it has worked for many many people), and then look into lapband surgery.

I did terribly the first week of Christmas Break (we were in Hawaii and it was an eating extravaganza) but then the second week I got a TERRIBLE stomach flu and when I returned I had lost a pound from before we left. So considering I was assuming I had gained 15 pounds, I feel pretty good about that! And then today, I FINALLY hit ONEDERLAND!! Last year this time, I was on my way to regaining 50 pounds. This year I'm grateful to be on the right track and not stopping anytime soon!

The formula for losing weight is pretty simple. Consume fewer calories than you burn. If you do that, you will lose. If you consume the SAME amount of calories as you burn, you will maintain your current weight. If you consume MORE calories than you burn, you will gain. So OP, if you have not lost and have not gained, then you are eating the same amount of calories as you are burning on a daily basis. It really doesn't matter if you cut your portions in half, and cutting portions in half does not necessarily mean weight loss. If you were consuming 6000 calories daily previously, and now you are consuming 3000 calories daily, you won't lose weight (unless you spend your entire day at the gym....doesn't sound like that's the case for you). It is, in fact, possible to lose weight eating hamburgers or whatever other thing you feel like you want to eat. However, if you eat more than what you burn, you won't lose. That's the story. Simple answer to your query. Track your food, see how many calories youre consuming, and adjust it. (And if you do track your food and you find your eating 1600 or 1700 calories or day, and you're not losing, it means that your body burns that amount per day...I'm 5'2, and despite my crazy workouts, my body only burns 2300-2600 calories daily where others would be burning 3000-3200 doing the same activity...sucks for me, but just means I have to eat fewer calories).

When someone on here is complaining that they're two weeks out and not losing, its most likely because they are drinking high calorie liquids, eating high calorie mushy foods, retaining fluids, not moving around or exercising, or any combination of any of those. If calories in exceed calories out, you will gain weight. If calories in equal calories out, you will maintain your weight. If calories in are less than calories out, you will lose weight. As I said, I had a 3 week preop diet (during which I lost 20 pounds), and then proceeded to lose 20 pounds a month for the following three months. The preop diet wasn't fun, but I loved losing the weight preop, and I'm glad that my liver was in great condition for surgery.

My brother is also getting married in May!! I have to go for my bridesmaid dress fitting at the beginning of April and I'm REALLY looking forward to the dress being huge When they ordered it, they ordered a size 22-24...Hoping I'll be down 8-10 sizes at that point

I'm a compulsive eater as well and have just started to see a therapist who specializes in eating disorders to try to deal with my binge eating. The way the band works and the way my emotions and head works remain separate. I know many people here claim that their band has taken care of their emotional and compulsive eAting habits, but I could never imagine that happening for me. Just gonna have to deal with it the old fashioned way. I would definitely look into seeing a therapist! Goodluck!

I don't have a card and if I did, I don't think I'd ever show it. Firstly, I don't want to discuss private details of my surgery with a waiter. Secondly, it was my choice to have this surgery. Why should a restaurant be forced to bend rules for me? Especially when Im perfectly capable of wrapping the leftovers up and taking them home. The thought of showing a card to a waiter makes me really uncomfortable.
On the other hand, it's probably not a bad idea to have one in case you are in an emergency and you need to be taken to the ER. That way the doc will know your situation if you're unable to verbalize it.