I was banded in August of 09, have had 2 fills - but have only lost 16 lbs and gained back 3. I feel like a total failure. I told myself before I got the band that this would be my last ditch effort for weight loss - that if this failed - I would never diet again - I would just learn to accept myself and move on.

I read all this wonder stories about people lossing weight consistantly every month and wonder how the hell they are doing it. I can't seem to even maintain.:biggrin:

I'm going for one final fill in a couple of weeks - I'm going to ask the doctor to max out my band - I want it so tight that a glass of Water takes 2 minutes to make it through.

Any other failures out there?

I think you're being awfully hard on yourself....

There is no nice way to say this... but I truly don't mean to be rude.. but have you considered counseling to see if perhaps you suffer from depression? I had depression at one time (and I'm not convinced that it's totally gone), but your statements, along with the struggles to lose, could indicate other issues.

I seem to go up and down for 2 weeks with every 2 pounds, but once it falls, it stays off. It's not easy - I can still eat anything I want to eat, and I occasionally do, but I force myself to get back on track after it's over. I've lost about 35 pounds in 7 months. It's not a lot, but it's much better than gaining 35 in the same time frame. Slow and steady seems to be my way.

I hope you can find a way to make it work. Journal your food and activity, and you may find that you are eating more calories than you think, and not getting as much exercise as you could.

16lbs is more than you would have lost without the band right? So on the upside you ARE losing.

We all are going to lose at different paces so it's important to not compare yourself to others. That being said it's very hard to offer advice without knowing what you're eating.

Are you eating in the right order? Are you eating high calorie or high fat foods? Are you snacking? Are you eating enough? Etc..

There's so many aspects that go into this for the weight loss to be successful. Having the band is NOT what makes us lose weight. It's the healthy food and lifestyle choices that we make that makes us lose or gain weight.

So without knowing what a typical week's menu is for you, exercise, Water intake, etc.. it would be difficult to provide any real help or suggestions.

But don't feel like a failure, remember without failure there's no success. You WILL get to your sweet spot and lose!

Trust me, I know it's very frustrating when things aren't happening as fast as you'd like. Please don't get filled too tight though - it will not help you. You'll be miserable (trust me, I know!). It won't help with weight loss in the long run. I've been off the wagon for awhile, but have decided to start eating more healthy. There's no diet here, just better food choices. I've also started Couch to 5K. It helps you get from walking at a brisk pace to running 3 miles in two months (or longer if you need). Exercise is the key to losing weight and keeping it off. Feel free to join me in this program if you'd like.

Don't give up and don't get filled too tight. Neither is going to work. Keep you head up - and I agree with the post above, counseling may be helpful as well. I'm in counseling too. :biggrin:

Relax and calm down!! My fills didnt take until the 3rd one. Up until then, I had no restrictions and was working on will power alone. It will happen, dont worry.

Look @ my stats below...I was super frustrated for months too, but on 12/31 found restriction and am now down more & more every week! "Don't give up"...even though I hated when people said this to me before 12/31!

You can do this! You are a winner for going through with the surgery...now your body and band need to begin communicating and work as a team...your mind and attitude must be their fan club!

You'll soon be posting wonder stories of your own!

A little more info would help. What and how much are you eating? Are you tracking your food? Are you exercising? The Dr will not make it ultra tight. It is a process. I found myself not losing and figured out when I started putting my food in on thedailyplate.com that I was eating 2X as much as I should be. Good luck.

Greg

I think your doing fine! It took me till my 8th fill (9 months after banding) to finally really feel what it was to have this band work for me! I think no actually I know I was not patient but then my surgeon kept saying slow and steady wins this race. And I'm a week from being 1 year out and I must tell you that slow and steady does win the race. I did have a lot of depression in my mix with stress, which all factored into my progress. I also had to re-look at what I was consuming not always the best choices when I realized I needed to get it all together (eating, working out and my personal self worth) this all started working for me and I'm loosing. You will fail if you don't believe in yourself!

I agree - need more info

How's your restriction...

What are you eating - portion size - and what's your typical daily food.

Are you exercising..

Our bands aren't the magic cure to our issues w/food - it doesn't make your food choices.

With proper restiction it make a hard job just a little easier but it's still work..

I am a firm believer in keeping a food diary tracking your calories - Protein and exercise..

What the heck it taking so long with your fills? I got banded in sep. and I went in every 2 weeks untill I got restriction. I just got it 3 weeks ago and it is such a difference. Why are you waiting so long to get fills?

A friend of mine was banded over a year ago and didn't get real restriction until her 7th fill....And trust me you don't want to be too tight cause then they will take it all out and make you wait a month before they give you anything back and then you really will gain weight...

Don't beat yourself up..You didn't gain it all at one time and we all know it isn't gonna fall off all at one time...

You can do this!!

I was banded in August of 09, have had 2 fills - but have only lost 16 lbs and gained back 3. I feel like a total failure?

The number of fills you have is unimportant. It's the amount in your band. My doctor was pretty aggressive with my fills, giving 3cc's on both my first and 2nd fill...and I didn't even get temporary restriction. On my 3rd and 4th fills (which now brings me up to 7.5cc's), I had temporary restriction for almost a week...and that's when I lost weight because I wasn't hungry and couldn't have eaten to excess even if I had wanted. When the restriction goes away, my weight goes up a bit. I've been yoyoing between the same 8 pounds for more than a month.

I don't worry about it, nor do I think I'm a failure. If I could've done this without the band, I wouldn't have needed the band.

Do you know how many cc's are in your band? Do you still deal with hunger? Can you still eat (and do) to excess? Then get yourself into your doctor for a fill. There is no reason he can't give you a fill every 2 weeks until you reach restriction, if you need it.

.

I agree with the others, try not to be impatient.

Journalling would help you a lot I bet...you bite it, you write it. I am willing to place money that will be an eye opener. To go a step further, write how you are feeling with each meal to see what is working, what isn't and what you eat when you are sad, happy, mad, etc.

Narrate your food life. It may clear up the mystery of what is going on.

Good Luck to you.