I was banded in August 2010. The day of surgery, I weighed 217lbs. As of today, I weigh 217lbs. I've had no weight loss whatsoever. I've had 3 fills and am now up to 6.5cc of a 10cc band. I haven't found anyone who has had the band and not lost weight, only some who have had minimal weight loss. By now, I thought I'd be 25lbs lighter, at least. I'm very discouraged and depressed and wishing I would have just had gastric bypass. The latest fill I had gives me so much restriction that I can barely eat solid foods. I can only eat soft foods like mashed potatoes or chili, etc. Is this the way it's supposed to be? When I decided to get Lap Band, I thought I'd be able to eat everything I wanted only in smaller portions. At my last dr. appt, I asked that I be considered for gastric bypass because of the failure. But, they told me that I have to have band failure for at least a year to even be considered and even then, they didn't know that insurance would cover it. I still have all the health problems I had prior to surgery.

Can anyone shed some light on the situation for me? Is there ANYONE out there who has had the same issue? I feel so alone and lost and so, so depressed.

Feel free to post to my new topic in the forum. But, if you want, you can email me at buffyclary@yahoo.com. Thank you in advance.

Buffy, I definitely think you're too tight. To me, the "sweet spot" is feeling satisfied for 4-5 hours after eating about a cup of food, but not being so tight that I'm getting stuck a lot or having to resort to slider foods all the time.

Also, it sounds to me like low carb might be beneficial to you. I personally don't lose weight unless I cut out carbs. I can restrict foods all day, but if I'm still eating mostly carbs, I don't lose. I currently aim for 50-100g of carbs a day and that works for me.

My two cents....for what it is worth.

Remember that you are worth this and you are not a failure because your weight loss journey is different from those around you. In my three years I have come to realize that everyone is different even with the band. For example, I have great restriction, but I can eat bread. I always have been able to and waiting around for bread to get stuck to let me know that I have restriction or can't eat anymore is not going to help me at all.

I lost 10 -15 lbs in the first month and basically hit a plateau that lasted nearly a year. Then I gave up, was depressed avoided my doctor and gained a lot of that weight back. My doctor wanted me to have a gastric bypass, even encouraged me to run the new testing and thankfully my insurance company denied it. He basically wrote me off as a patient.

New doctor gave me very different support and aftercare. Some things I have now learned:

(1) I need a low-carb diet. I eat 45-55 gms of carbs a day. Thats it, and a lot of that comes from fruits and veggies. The funny thing is that with carbs, they are either slider foods (potatoes) foods that get stuck, (doughy foods, rice) or sweets/nuts (high calorie, high sugar, high fat) and they often trigger cravings for more carbs!

(2) I eat at regular intervals, every 3 hrs. Some people say they don't get hungry for 4-5 hrs. Not me. I'm hungry. If I rely on just hunger, I eat too much, if I to wait for 4-5 hrs I am starving and again I eat too much, too fast or make bad choices. Seriously figure out how long it takes you to get hungry and set your meals around that. I had an alarm on my cell the first week to remind me to eat because I am not starving at that point and sometimes miss the hunger signals, but I know if I go past the 3 hrs pt bad things happen. I also know if I am hungry between then it is probably dehydration and I'm not getting my fluids in.

3. Eat slowly. If I eat my 3/4 cup to 1 cup of food in less than 15 or 20 minutes I am eating way too fast and likely to eat way too much. You'll find if you are only eating softer foods you eat them faster because they don't get stuck. I have to force myself to eat Proteins like chicken or steak and fresh veggies because I am afraid they will get stuck and they require me to be very careful with the chewing. The other day I ate carrots too fast and they were stuck! Ugh. The old me would have stopped eating raw carrots. The new me knows I ate them too fast, and didn't chew well enough. Also know that I will get full on a smaller amount of carrots than I will lunch meat, or yogurt. If I can eat it that fast it is probably not that good for me!! Time yourself. I've done it and having that external cue to keep you on pace helps. Note: If you follow this guideline with portion size, small chews and length it takes to finish a meal and are still getting food stuck you are too tight!!! I know it sounds counterproductive, but being too tight means your body thinks it is starving and you WILL NOT LOSE ANY WEIGHT!! Get the unfill, let your pouch heal and go back to the basics. My dr. does not like people relying solely upon Protein supplements for regular maintenance...so in his opinion you need to be able to eat lean meats without getting stuck.You can also be too tight and go over your calories because you tend to rely on soft mushy foods that are not going to keep you full and that are higher calorie for the volume.

4. Track your calories very very carefully. The've said it before and it is true. One of my biggest issues for me with this surgery was my slow metabolism. My body adjusts very quickly to a reduced caloric intake. You are not losing any weight because your body is adjusted to the amount of calories you are taking in. If i ate the amount of calories the calculators say I should to maintain weight (even without exercise I would be gaining 2-3 lbs a week! Trust me! I have tried.) I have to stay on a strict 1000-1200 calorie diet. If I am around 1400 or 1600 I gain. And when you break it down that is not a ton of calories and one pudding cup, cookie, or yogurt can quickly throw me over my daily goal. I may be eating what I would call a healthy diet but now post lap band for me healthy means getting lots of protein, paying strict attention to carbs, and focusing on non-starchy veggies. Very different from my BFF. If the scale is not moving I have to take a very serious look at what I am eating, own what I ate and make adjustments. My guess, if you haven't lost weight you are probably taking in the same amount of calories you were before the surgery just in a decreased volume. Again, doesn't mean you're eating ice cream all the time, but you would be amazed at how many calories you can take in even with the band. Someone said he does 3000 calories on a calorie cycling regimine for his high cal day.

I know its hard and I know you may feel like people assume you aren't following the rules or are doing something to sabotage your success. Please don't give up!! I have run into plenty of guys and gals who struggle and this journey is a mental and physical one! Don't judge yourself or your success based on what others have done on the boards it will only make you feel more depressed. Set your own goals and Celebrate them, no matter how small. I celebrate tracking all my calories (especially if I have missed a day or two!) Adjusting behavior patterns and breaking internal cues and triggers can be hard. Your body does not want to lose weight, it thinks of that as starvation. You've got to outsmart your body and for some of us it takes more work than others!

Good luck!

My two cents....for what it is worth.

Remember that you are worth this and you are not a failure because your weight loss journey is different from those around you. In my three years I have come to realize that everyone is different even with the band. For example, I have great restriction, but I can eat bread. I always have been able to and waiting around for bread to get stuck to let me know that I have restriction or can't eat anymore is not going to help me at all.

I lost 10 -15 lbs in the first month and basically hit a plateau that lasted nearly a year. Then I gave up, was depressed avoided my doctor and gained a lot of that weight back. My doctor wanted me to have a gastric bypass, even encouraged me to run the new testing and thankfully my insurance company denied it. He basically wrote me off as a patient.

New doctor gave me very different support and aftercare. Some things I have now learned:

(1) I need a low-carb diet. I eat 45-55 gms of carbs a day. Thats it, and a lot of that comes from fruits and veggies. The funny thing is that with carbs, they are either slider foods (potatoes) foods that get stuck, (doughy foods, rice) or sweets/nuts (high calorie, high sugar, high fat) and they often trigger cravings for more carbs!

(2) I eat at regular intervals, every 3 hrs. Some people say they don't get hungry for 4-5 hrs. Not me. I'm hungry. If I rely on just hunger, I eat too much, if I to wait for 4-5 hrs I am starving and again I eat too much, too fast or make bad choices. Seriously figure out how long it takes you to get hungry and set your meals around that. I had an alarm on my cell the first week to remind me to eat because I am not starving at that point and sometimes miss the hunger signals, but I know if I go past the 3 hrs pt bad things happen. I also know if I am hungry between then it is probably dehydration and I'm not getting my fluids in.

3. Eat slowly. If I eat my 3/4 cup to 1 cup of food in less than 15 or 20 minutes I am eating way too fast and likely to eat way too much. You'll find if you are only eating softer foods you eat them faster because they don't get stuck. I have to force myself to eat Proteins like chicken or steak and fresh veggies because I am afraid they will get stuck and they require me to be very careful with the chewing. The other day I ate carrots too fast and they were stuck! Ugh. The old me would have stopped eating raw carrots. The new me knows I ate them too fast, and didn't chew well enough. Also know that I will get full on a smaller amount of carrots than I will lunch meat, or yogurt. If I can eat it that fast it is probably not that good for me!! Time yourself. I've done it and having that external cue to keep you on pace helps. Note: If you follow this guideline with portion size, small chews and length it takes to finish a meal and are still getting food stuck you are too tight!!! I know it sounds counterproductive, but being too tight means your body thinks it is starving and you WILL NOT LOSE ANY WEIGHT!! Get the unfill, let your pouch heal and go back to the basics. My dr. does not like people relying solely upon Protein supplements for regular maintenance...so in his opinion you need to be able to eat lean meats without getting stuck.You can also be too tight and go over your calories because you tend to rely on soft mushy foods that are not going to keep you full and that are higher calorie for the volume.

4. Track your calories very very carefully. The've said it before and it is true. One of my biggest issues for me with this surgery was my slow metabolism. My body adjusts very quickly to a reduced caloric intake. You are not losing any weight because your body is adjusted to the amount of calories you are taking in. If i ate the amount of calories the calculators say I should to maintain weight (even without exercise I would be gaining 2-3 lbs a week! Trust me! I have tried.) I have to stay on a strict 1000-1200 calorie diet. If I am around 1400 or 1600 I gain. And when you break it down that is not a ton of calories and one pudding cup, cookie, or yogurt can quickly throw me over my daily goal. I may be eating what I would call a healthy diet but now post lap band for me healthy means getting lots of protein, paying strict attention to carbs, and focusing on non-starchy veggies. Very different from my BFF. If the scale is not moving I have to take a very serious look at what I am eating, own what I ate and make adjustments. My guess, if you haven't lost weight you are probably taking in the same amount of calories you were before the surgery just in a decreased volume. Again, doesn't mean you're eating ice cream all the time, but you would be amazed at how many calories you can take in even with the band. Someone said he does 3000 calories on a calorie cycling regimine for his high cal day.

I know its hard and I know you may feel like people assume you aren't following the rules or are doing something to sabotage your success. Please don't give up!! I have run into plenty of guys and gals who struggle and this journey is a mental and physical one! Don't judge yourself or your success based on what others have done on the boards it will only make you feel more depressed. Set your own goals and celebrate them, no matter how small. I celebrate tracking all my calories (especially if I have missed a day or two!) Adjusting behavior patterns and breaking internal cues and triggers can be hard. Your body does not want to lose weight, it thinks of that as starvation. You've got to outsmart your body and for some of us it takes more work than others!

Good luck!

Thanks Meli. Some good tips.!

I agree a great resourse for tracking calories and excercise 9I also track my glucose numbers daily) is SPARKSPEOPLE.COM it is FREE AND IS AN AWESOME SITE Try it out - Good luck to you and don't get frustrated. Even minimal activity will help - ealk around your kitchen- living room bedrooom for a few minutes eachj day

It's possible to eat healthy (low fat, Vitamin rich, etc.) but consume too many calories for your activity level. In your first post you said you thought you'd be able to eat everything you wanted--did you keep records to see what/how much that is? If you are unable to be very active, you will have to be extremely conscious of the number of calories you take in, no matter WHAT you eat. At some point your doctor/nutritionist is probably going to ask for the number of calories you take in daily. It would be a good idea for you to journal at least for a little while so that you know that for yourself and for them. It might uncover some suprises for you, it might not. But it will give you a realistic idea of the actual numbers, and what/if other approaches to weight loss would be beneficial to you.

I haven't lost any weight with the band either and I've had mine almost two years. I either have zero restriction or I can't get anything down and I spend my whole day puking. The "sweet spot" has always eluded me despite 20-30 fills and unfills. After a year of eating nothing more than Soup, oatmeal and salad (no idea why salad stays down but it does) I looked horrible: my skin was awful, dark bags under my eyes and I always looked like I was about to drop. I finally had to get all the fill out so that I could get some real food into me to bring my nutrition level back up. My doctors (I've been to a few now) say I fall into the category of people who have unexplained band complications and it's not going to get better. I'm jumping ship and revising.

You haven't even had your band a full year yet. You should tough it out a bit longer to see if you can get that balance. The whole point of the band is not to make it so you can't eat solid foods so it sounds like you are just a bit too tight. It's a fine line between restriction and starvation.

I haven't lost any weight with the band either and I've had mine almost two years. I either have zero restriction or I can't get anything down and I spend my whole day puking. The "sweet spot" has always eluded me despite 20-30 fills and unfills. After a year of eating nothing more than soup, oatmeal and salad (no idea why salad stays down but it does) I looked horrible: my skin was awful, dark bags under my eyes and I always looked like I was about to drop. I finally had to get all the fill out so that I could get some real food into me to bring my nutrition level back up. My doctors (I've been to a few now) say I fall into the category of people who have unexplained band complications and it's not going to get better. I'm jumping ship and revising.

You haven't even had your band a full year yet. You should tough it out a bit longer to see if you can get that balance. The whole point of the band is not to make it so you can't eat solid foods so it sounds like you are just a bit too tight. It's a fine line between restriction and starvation.

Thanks alot for you advise

....I am going to continue to give it a try. I am having good days and bad. Next week i am getting a defill. Hopefully that makes a difference.

Thanks alot for you advise

....I am going to continue to give it a try. I am having good days and bad. Next week i am getting a defill. Hopefully that makes a difference.

What I want to say is I am doing the same. I lost 2 last week and I want to keep it off. I have started eating hard boiled eggs ( just the white) for lunch and when I feel hungry and it seemed to help. Also a protein shake in the evening ( 120 cal one) . I was hungry alot but I made it! I just wish this band would help me feel full like it should! I honestly feel no restriction except that if I am not careful I get very stuck and then it comes up.

(((hugs))) to my fellow band strugglers !!!!!!! Stay in touch.

I started using sparkpeople.com again yesterday ... for some reason I own what I eat much better when I record it. I also walked yesterday for the first time in almost 2 months and it felt good. Hopefully I am getting back on track so I can get the weight loss started again.

I agree a great resourse for tracking calories and excercise 9I also track my glucose numbers daily) is SPARKSPEOPLE.COM it is FREE AND IS AN AWESOME SITE Try it out - Good luck to you and don't get frustrated. Even minimal activity will help - ealk around your kitchen- living room bedrooom for a few minutes eachj day

I agree that recording things helps!! So does being busy! I have totally changed my proteins too. Eggs. Turkey. More solid proteins and that has helped. I lost last week and hope for more. Still not dropping as I hoped! .

I must say I am too in the same boat with zero to miniumn weight loss. I am extremely encouraged by this post. You made me realize that I am not a failure and I really need to start paying attention to all that I am eatting and drinking bc I could very well be over eating and my body may need to be shocked by eating around 1000 cals just to start lossing. Thank you. I feel much better.

My two cents....for what it is worth.

Remember that you are worth this and you are not a failure because your weight loss journey is different from those around you. In my three years I have come to realize that everyone is different even with the band. For example, I have great restriction, but I can eat bread. I always have been able to and waiting around for bread to get stuck to let me know that I have restriction or can't eat anymore is not going to help me at all.

I lost 10 -15 lbs in the first month and basically hit a plateau that lasted nearly a year. Then I gave up, was depressed avoided my doctor and gained a lot of that weight back. My doctor wanted me to have a gastric bypass, even encouraged me to run the new testing and thankfully my insurance company denied it. He basically wrote me off as a patient.

New doctor gave me very different support and aftercare. Some things I have now learned:

(1) I need a low-carb diet. I eat 45-55 gms of carbs a day. Thats it, and a lot of that comes from fruits and veggies. The funny thing is that with carbs, they are either slider foods (potatoes) foods that get stuck, (doughy foods, rice) or sweets/nuts (high calorie, high sugar, high fat) and they often trigger cravings for more carbs!

(2) I eat at regular intervals, every 3 hrs. Some people say they don't get hungry for 4-5 hrs. Not me. I'm hungry. If I rely on just hunger, I eat too much, if I to wait for 4-5 hrs I am starving and again I eat too much, too fast or make bad choices. Seriously figure out how long it takes you to get hungry and set your meals around that. I had an alarm on my cell the first week to remind me to eat because I am not starving at that point and sometimes miss the hunger signals, but I know if I go past the 3 hrs pt bad things happen. I also know if I am hungry between then it is probably dehydration and I'm not getting my fluids in.

3. Eat slowly. If I eat my 3/4 cup to 1 cup of food in less than 15 or 20 minutes I am eating way too fast and likely to eat way too much. You'll find if you are only eating softer foods you eat them faster because they don't get stuck. I have to force myself to eat Proteins like chicken or steak and fresh veggies because I am afraid they will get stuck and they require me to be very careful with the chewing. The other day I ate carrots too fast and they were stuck! Ugh. The old me would have stopped eating raw carrots. The new me knows I ate them too fast, and didn't chew well enough. Also know that I will get full on a smaller amount of carrots than I will lunch meat, or yogurt. If I can eat it that fast it is probably not that good for me!! Time yourself. I've done it and having that external cue to keep you on pace helps. Note: If you follow this guideline with portion size, small chews and length it takes to finish a meal and are still getting food stuck you are too tight!!! I know it sounds counterproductive, but being too tight means your body thinks it is starving and you WILL NOT LOSE ANY WEIGHT!! Get the unfill, let your pouch heal and go back to the basics. My dr. does not like people relying solely upon Protein supplements for regular maintenance...so in his opinion you need to be able to eat lean meats without getting stuck.You can also be too tight and go over your calories because you tend to rely on soft mushy foods that are not going to keep you full and that are higher calorie for the volume.

4. Track your calories very very carefully. The've said it before and it is true. One of my biggest issues for me with this surgery was my slow metabolism. My body adjusts very quickly to a reduced caloric intake. You are not losing any weight because your body is adjusted to the amount of calories you are taking in. If i ate the amount of calories the calculators say I should to maintain weight (even without exercise I would be gaining 2-3 lbs a week! Trust me! I have tried.) I have to stay on a strict 1000-1200 calorie diet. If I am around 1400 or 1600 I gain. And when you break it down that is not a ton of calories and one pudding cup, cookie, or yogurt can quickly throw me over my daily goal. I may be eating what I would call a healthy diet but now post lap band for me healthy means getting lots of protein, paying strict attention to carbs, and focusing on non-starchy veggies. Very different from my BFF. If the scale is not moving I have to take a very serious look at what I am eating, own what I ate and make adjustments. My guess, if you haven't lost weight you are probably taking in the same amount of calories you were before the surgery just in a decreased volume. Again, doesn't mean you're eating ice cream all the time, but you would be amazed at how many calories you can take in even with the band. Someone said he does 3000 calories on a calorie cycling regimine for his high cal day.

I know its hard and I know you may feel like people assume you aren't following the rules or are doing something to sabotage your success. Please don't give up!! I have run into plenty of guys and gals who struggle and this journey is a mental and physical one! Don't judge yourself or your success based on what others have done on the boards it will only make you feel more depressed. Set your own goals and Celebrate them, no matter how small. I celebrate tracking all my calories (especially if I have missed a day or two!) Adjusting behavior patterns and breaking internal cues and triggers can be hard. Your body does not want to lose weight, it thinks of that as starvation. You've got to outsmart your body and for some of us it takes more work than others!

Good luck!

I agree... I had the band done on July 6th 2010. I lost 65 pounds in the first 4 months. I don't eat bread, pasta or rice. I am very cautious. I had a few complications while traveling and moving and ended up having my fluid removed for 6 months. Now, after having the fluid put back in slowly, the past 6 months, I haven't lost anything..I think instead of continuing on the right path, I got sidelined and started learning that if i eat softer foods, I can eat more, without ever learning what the "full" feeling was. I have gone back to my dietitian and she is helping get back on the right path....Its not learning the full feeling, its the feeling of Satiety. So now I am retraining myself. Its definitely hard. But if you get your mind set right and use the medical supervision, I think they will guide you to the right path. You definitely have to work out. If you don't, it is easy to fail.

Thanks Mel. That is good advice. I had my surgery in August 2010 and I have had no weight loss. I am 5"7 and they used a standard lapband, not sure if that is the problem. I notice you wrote you changed doctors, perhaps someone knows a good doctor in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/Palm Beach area. I have had about 7 fills and once I was so tight that I would vomit water and had to get deflated. It is a struggle. Someone said Weight Watchers, others say unjury, which I had not heard of it until this website. When I am too tight, I live off shakes and they are fattening and when I can have my salads I still do not lose weight. I have good insurance and I want to change doctors or perhaps go to a nutricionist/dietician. Can you please help? Thank you.