I was banded in Feb. 10, I lost almost 30 lbs. before and 20 lbs. after, all was going well until I plateaued for 3 months. I started throwing up all the time and was thinking that I'm just doing something wrong, also I lost alot of hair and got depressed. So I started to eat what my body seemed to want CALORIES! I still threw up, but if I ate chips I didn't, so now here I am 25 lbs. heavier and scared! I want to go back to the diet, but I am so afraid of being sick all the time, I need some words of encouragement. Has anyone else fallen so far off the wagon?

How about going to see your surgeon? That might be a good first step to help hold you accountable. You may need a slight unfill. Recommit yourself TO yourself and put one foot in front of the other. You can do it!

You need to go see your surgeon, have the placement of your band checked, and probably get an unfill, especially if you've resorted to slider foods, such as chips. If your band is too tight then of course you're not going to be able to eat normally..

Throwing up is not normal. Since you were throwing up what is generally a slider food, you might have something wrong with your band placement. Get to your doctor. Find out what's wrong. Recommit.

Also, try to wrap your head around the fact that this isn't just about weight loss. It's about improving your health. So you stall for 3 months. If you're recording what you eat in something like Fitday.com or Livestrong.com and you know *for a fact* (and not just a vague impression) that you're eating an acceptable calorie and carb (because they do seem to count for most of us here) range, then you have a foundation for 'tweaking' whatever you're doing until you find something that gets you losing again.

It's counterproductive (and you know this) to get frustrated with not losing and then go and eat the crap that makes you gain...yes?

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First of all let me say.....Don't give up! You are going to be ok. Need to recommit like ElfiePoo said and get back on the wagon. I'm wondering why you are throwing up. Do you feel any pain? Is there a chance you have something stuck?

My suggestion is to take yourself through a carb withdrawal to get those chips, etc out of your system. Just liquids for a couple of days (broth, Water, crystal light, etc). This will significantly curb your cravings for carbs and help you refocus. Then move back onto full liquids (Protein shakes) and finally to soft foods (chicken salad, eggs, etc). You CAN do it!

Most importantly, contact your Doctor for advice and to see if you need to have an adjustment.

You will get this back under control! Best of luck to you!!

don't give up and don't make yourself feel bad. i was banded on march 12 of 2010 and had lost 58 pounds. i was 32 pounds away from my goal. then life kinda took me by surprise. my special needs son took a major downhill turn. i've been stressed and depressed and every other emotion you can think of. we've had to start traveling every other weekend 7 hours there and 7 hours back and well... it's just been a heck of a ride. i slacked off on my exercising and basically wasn't exercising at all. then i'd start again but it wouldnt' last long. i slacked off on keeping my fill appointments. i started making bad food choices. drinking lots of cokes. then when i did start going to my appts like i was supposed to, my body had too much "mucus" and i had to get an unfill because it was filling up my pouch. i had the unfill in january and since then i've gained back 9 to 10 pounds (it fluctuates day to day). so now i'm back to having lost 49 pounds making me 41 pounds away from my goal. i was feeling really guilty and mad at myself about alll this but my doc said not to. she said "that's why it's call an adjustable band". it can adjust as you need it to, how you need it to.

i just called and set up another fill appt. it'll be my first since the unfill in jan. i am ready for it, but at the same time, i will miss being able to eat the way i have been for the past three months. it's worth it though because i don't miss the weight i've lost and i don't miss the asthma that i don't have anymore.

there are others, like me, who have "fallen off the wagon" so don't feel alone. i can do this. YOU can do this. having the band is not as easy as people would like to make it out to be. keep your head up. your doctor is there to support you, so let him/her. i often have to remind myself of that.

YOU CAN DO IT!!! =)

miss_seeann: I could've typed the same post! I was banded 4/15/09 and lost more weight pre-op than I can account for today. I had a fill (to 6cc) in July and proceeded to lose 20 pounds...then 7 months later...started having problems where I couldn't eat anything. Surgeon took all of the fluid out, sent me for esophogram (which was fine) and sent me on my way. During the time where I was having a "hard time eating' I gained 14 pounds. I must note that simultaneously, I started taking Zoloft in December. IT DID NOT AGREE WITH ME in regards to my weight. I gained 30 pounds in 3 months. My surgeon's office (nurse, dietician, surgeon) never mentioned that the medication could be the culprit. I went to my primary MD and she took me off it if immediately. I would dare say that the anti-depressant has backfired! I am struggling to get back into the groove of exercise, especially being in Vermont in the winter! The roads are finally clear and the the weather is improving. I guess the one thing that I keep in mind despite all of this chaos is that the band is adjustable for a reason, and that's the reason I went with this option versus gastric bypass. I am grateful that when I was having problems, my surgeon was able to simply relieve my discomfort by taking the fluid out!! I too could use support to get back on my feet.

miss_seeann: I could've typed the same post! I was banded 4/15/09 and lost more weight pre-op than I can account for today. I had a fill (to 6cc) in July and proceeded to lose 20 pounds...then 7 months later...started having problems where I couldn't eat anything. Surgeon took all of the Fluid out, sent me for esophogram (which was fine) and sent me on my way. During the time where I was having a "hard time eating' I gained 14 pounds. I must note that simultaneously, I started taking Zoloft in December. IT DID NOT AGREE WITH ME in regards to my weight. I gained 30 pounds in 3 months. My surgeon's office (nurse, dietician, surgeon) never mentioned that the medication could be the culprit. I went to my primary MD and she took me off it if immediately. I would dare say that the anti-depressant has backfired! I am struggling to get back into the groove of exercise, especially being in Vermont in the winter! The roads are finally clear and the the weather is improving. I guess the one thing that I keep in mind despite all of this chaos is that the band is adjustable for a reason, and that's the reason I went with this option versus gastric bypass. I am grateful that when I was having problems, my surgeon was able to simply relieve my discomfort by taking the fluid out!! I too could use support to get back on my feet.

I am here with you. This is so hard, to say that I'm having trouble, I feel like I failed in some way. I go back to the dr. in two weeks and will see if there is an actual problem with the band or with just the way I am eating. My life has been pure CHAOS for about 7 months, so getting back into the groove of this is hard! I know medication can hurt your weight loss efforts, I gained most of my oringal weight on morphine! I figure if I take one day at a time, and just make better decisions for the day.... maybe I'll get back to where I was, maybe we both will. I totally understand where you are coming from!

I am here with you. This is so hard, to say that I'm having trouble, I feel like I failed in some way. I go back to the dr. in two weeks and will see if there is an actual problem with the band or with just the way I am eating. My life has been pure CHAOS for about 7 months, so getting back into the groove of this is hard! I know medication can hurt your weight loss efforts, I gained most of my oringal weight on morphine! I figure if I take one day at a time, and just make better decisions for the day.... maybe I'll get back to where I was, maybe we both will. I totally understand where you are coming from!

I tried so many different things at once trying to tackle this head on. I got a fill in July 2010 to 6cc. I proceeded to lose 20 pounds. I started seeing a naturopath. Did acutpuncture, took supplements for my hair falling out (that didn't work). Did hormone testing and discovered that my cortisol was low. Took supplements for that (that didn't seem to work). I changed my primary MD because she was not very supportive of my efforts. Basically she told me I should ride a bike like she does! haha ! I started couseling and did that for almost a year, in hopes that I might get to the bottom of why I seem to sabotage myself etc. I have to admit that I didn't exercise over the winter, despite having a recumbent bike in my bedroom. Just not motivated. I had my thyroid tested (everything was fine). I had my Vitamin d level checked again. It had gone up some after taking supplements, but as still low. I had my Iron checked and that was fine. I have gained back the 20 pounds I lost and then some. I had my surgery on April 15, 2009. I weighed 202 that day. Right now I weigh 234 . After surgery, the most I lost was 15 pounds...

It is so frustrating because I thought "this is it"...this is the most extreme thing I can do ...I guess I was wrong. Right now I have an agreement with my surgeon's dietician to send her my food log once a week. I'm a little nervous about having someone know what I'm eating, but it was the only way I could think to hold myself accountable.

By the way, where are you? I live in rural Vermont...brrr!