Just a thought, but will I be banded forever? To be honest, I never thought past losing the weight. I never thought about having the band 20 years from now. Is it normal to leave it in or take it out?

Mine will be in me forever. I know that if I had mine removed I would gain all my weight back. I can tell after having all my Fluid removed that my eating habits would go back to like they were before being banded. It is scary that it probably wouldn't take long for me to gain a significant amount of weight back.

I've heard of some people saying they were going to get it removed down the road.

I think that's one of those "time will tell" things. There isn't a reason for it to be removed, unless you develop a problem of some sort. If you did have it removed, are you comfortable that you won't start eating poorly again, and start regaining weight? At this point in my life, I expect to have it for the duration.

Dave

I'm pretty sure my eating habits would go back to the way they were. So, I also plan to keep my band.

At my seminar someone asked if people had the band taken out after they lost their weight. The surgeon said some do...and gained all the weight back.

It makes sense. If the band eliminates the hunger, then the hunger will return when the band is removed.

I'm do not think I would have it removed unless medically necessary, like complications or erosion or some other specific need. However, once I reach my goals, I would like to slowly and gradually get unfilled to the point where it would be like I didn't have it at all. Hopefully, I can learn to live without it, but it's still there in case I start gaining again.

Like Dave said, time will tell

Time will definitely tell though if I lost my band tomorrow, I think I'd be just fine. I think I finally understand the coorelation between weight loss, exercise, and the need for a caloric deficiency to lose weight. I think the band gave me the push I needed to learn/understand and as long as I keep myself on schedule, I don't see myself gaining the weight back.

At my seminar someone asked if people had the band taken out after they lost their weight. The surgeon said some do...and gained all the weight back.

It makes sense. If the band eliminates the hunger, then the hunger will return when the band is removed.

That makes perfect sense. I am lucky that I am not having hunger between meals. In fact, I don't think about food the way I did before. Of course, I am new to this. I haven't had a fill yet but if this keeps happening--eating a small portioin, being full for a3 hours, I may only need a smal one.

I think that's one of those "time will tell" things. There isn't a reason for it to be removed, unless you develop a problem of some sort. If you did have it removed, are you comfortable that you won't start eating poorly again, and start regaining weight? At this point in my life, I expect to have it for the duration.

Dave

To me, the bigger question is what to do when you're ready to maintain your existing weight. My goal isn't to be skinny. Even though the charts say I should weigh about 165, I know that I start to look unhealthy and gaunt as I drop below 180. I'm shooting for 200 pounds (okay, maybe 195, just so I'm not in 200s territory), and then I'd like the weight loss to basically stop. Do they unfill a little at some point, if your goal is to maintain without further loss?

Mine is unfilled completely for another surgery I had a few months ago and my eating habits have not returned to preband days - but I had great restriction for over five years. At the moment, I plan on leaving it unfilled, but I wouldnt take it out - it pleased me to know that its there if I need it - and truthfully, I am not 100% confident about why I have been able to maintain a very low weight without restriction - I'm having chemo, have had major abdominal surgery, etc and although my appetite has remained healthy and I eat a good solid 3 meals a day, and have to use willpower to fight head hunger between meals, I'd want to be pretty sure that I could do it much longer term before I removed my band. Besides, its not doing any harm in there, so why would I have more surgery?

It is generally designed to stay there long term and statistics show that if its removed, weight gain almost certainly follows.

I am ready for maintenance but my body keeps losing so now I need another fill. I know I can't maintain without more saline because my hunger has come back. When I am filled good I can pass on the junk food but when I need a fill I can't. I wish I could leave it alone but I don't think I can do it without gaining weight back.