I have been looking for some sort of support group, or even just a group of lapbanders that have basically given up on the weight loss and are just going to live with the band, and go on with their lives.. LOL

See, I had the band put in 9/02 and lost about 60 lbs before finding out I was pregnant with my daughter. I can honestly say, that was the last of any weight loss for me.. after I had her, I got tightened and went about losing weight again, but it was as difficult as preband.. the weight just does NOT budge like it did right after I had the band put in..

Fast forward 3 1/2 years later and I'm almost as heavy as I was when I put it in and am just living La Vida Loca .. in other words, I'm not "trying" anymore and would like to get in touch with other people that have basically given up, but still live with the band. Can't seem to find anything on Yahoo under that title.. LOL

Anything like that here??

Thank you!! :-)

Celine banded 9/3/02 (absolutely NO complications other than I'm still fat!)

Kevin 4/20/93

Matthew 10/26/99 - severely autistic

Aidan 4/6/02

Liette (aka - our big surprise) 9/7/03

Hi! Not nosy! Um, I never had my fill removed while pregnant because I was determined not to gain 100 lbs like I'd done with my previous pregnancies (slight exageration, but not by much! LOL) so I was well restricted during the pregnancy.. after I had her, I wanted to be tighter as we all do thinking that would do the magic and had it filled to 2.5.. well, I was back in the next day because I couldn't even swallow Water just about.. it was stupid and I knew I wasn't going to live like that.. so we took it back down to 2cc and that gave me PLENTY of restriction (as in struggle to get anything down that isn't baby food!) and that's where I am now... I've had this restriction for almost 2 years now and am the same.. I don't gain, I don't lose.. the not gaining is actually HUGE to me and I DO thank the band for that.. I mean, I could always be bigger, right? LOL

On a side note, but in answer to the rest of the first question, I also developed chronic nausea about a year ago that about shook my world up.. at first we thought it was the Lexapro I'd started about 3 months before, but after not taking it some 9 months now (and still living with the chronic nausea) I think we can agree it wasn't that. I have been to three DRs and have had EVERYTHING done from an endoscopy, colonoscopy, cat scan, (then we moved to another area) had an ovary removed (it was enlarged and Doc thought MAYBE that was the cause of the nausea) (tubes tied while in there! LOL) and in the end, NO ONE can find anything wrong.. the only thing I didn't have chekced was my head and I might still do that, but for now I'm so used to it, I've pretty much dropped the ball and am just living with it.

Um, let me say again, I am not interested in "trying" to lose weight anymore.. I have too much on my plate with all of my kids and really just don't care anymore. That's why I was asking if there is a group of bandster "losers" (LOL) that I could join and us just talk about being banded and what that entails without the constant and very emotionally consuming task of losing weight.

I hope I answered everything?? LOL

Celine

Did you ever think the band could be causing your chronic nausea? Would you consider have it taken out? Do you still eat a lot less but eat around the band?? I feel like if I were to stop trying I could just sit here too until my head was in the right place to try to start losing again. I am not even half way to where I want to be. Do you think you are causing more damage keeping the band in and not following the rules than you would be to just have it out? Just questions I have, hope you don't feel I'm being pushy?

Maybe you should take it out and try to lose weight another way. There are several people on here that have switched to a different type of surgery, or who have recommited to live the bandster way, or who have had to have thier bands removed ande are now flying solo but still actively trying to lose. I know for me, no matter how tight my band is, I only really lose when I exersize 5 days per week.

Yes, we thought that.. I went to my band Dr (Dr Geiss for you LIers) and he did his thorough check to make sure all was as it should be and it was.. you know, the floro thing.. he even said (and this is now almost 2 years later after my last fill) "are you sure you are ok with this much fill?" because the barium stuff really hung there for a few before finally seeping through. I said YES, because I DO appreciate the not gaining weight thing and am afraid that if I had less restriction, I would get bigger than I am. Can't have that! LOL So, I guess that answered the "would you consider taking it out" because, no I would not.. I truly fear I would get bigger!!

I would by lying to you if I said I was living on salads and yogurt.. I DO eat around the band.. absolutely do.. but in spite of that, I don't gain weight, so it's ALMOST (like if you squinted your eyes, looked at the sun and shook your head all at the same time LOL) like I can eat whatever I want and not gain weight. AND in some weird parallel universe, I LIKE IT! LOL

NO, there's no damage being done.. I mean, not that any DR has found since I've been seen and poked and check up the wazzooo LOL Hell, all this time later and it's still sitting in exactly the right place and where it was put some 3 1/2 years ago! After reading about so many slippages, erosions, etc., I was pretty proud of that! I totally anticipate being 80 yrs old and still having my old friend in there! LOL

Celine

My guess is that you are too tight. Many people who have been living like you are (although not for TWO years!!) have commented that just a very slight unfill had made all the difference, and the weight started coming off.

Oh, and P.S. - living with such a tight retriction could lead to esophageal motility problems. GeezerSue can tell you all about that...

Hi Laura, like I was saying in my last post, I don't want to take it out because I would be where I was before I put it in.. STRUGGLING with my weight and ever gaining. I was probably not a good candidate for it.. but before getting pg I was losing weight and pretty fast at that!! I KNEW I was going to be a success because I'd lost all of my weight before (110lbs) and even had a tummy tuck, breast lift, lipo.. to name a few LOL but without the band to help me KEEP it all off, I slowly gained everything back and THEN some! If only I'd had the band PUT IN when I lost all of that weight instead of plastic surgery, I'd still be thin!! So, I guess I could say I'm using the band to keep me where I am and maybe, just maybe, if I get hit in the head with a soccer ball at one of the many games I watch, I might change my mind and actually put the effort to lose weight again.. and if so, at least it's still there to use.. know what i mean? I do think that once my babies get a little older, and I have more "emotional" time to devote to myself, I may try again.. but right now with my autistic son consuming almost all of my energy and then my other two very little ones in the middle.. I have all I can do to brush my hair everyday, nevermind the very consuming task of "dieting and losing weight."

So, back to my original question.. anyone know of other banded people that are just sort of living with it without actively trying to lose weight? I'm guessing there's nothing like that here.. right? I can totally understand why.. I mean, no mixing the two groups, right? LOL

Celine

Wow Donali, I noticed your erosion problem and removal!! How did you know? What were the symptoms? Nausea by any chance? LOL I would be shocked if I had anything like that or the "motility thing" (what IS that?) since as of just 2-3 months ago I had everything completely checked out..

Don't get me wrong, I'm not so tight that I can't get anything down.. but there are no more loaves of french bread for me or even cake since we all know how that turns into little death ball! LOL No more spaghetti, no more sandwiches, no more gulping food down faster than I can taste it.. I eat what I want.. (outside of those things) but just in smaller quantities and much slower.. I do still get the occasional PB and even had an extreme situation about 2 months ago at a restaurant where I had to make myself throw up in my Water glass right at the table because I was in such extreme distress, but that never happens and I don't make those mistakes twice! LOL (I'd swallowed a piece of steak meat too soon and HOLY MOLY, never again!) But for the most part, I don't even think about it if I just eat my normal home way.. I guess that would be called "grazing" LOL

Celine

I'm going to address your original question -

Yes - I think you will be able to find some people on this board who have stopped losing weight with the band, are no where near their goal weight and have simply decided to 'live with it'.

I am sorry to hear about your nausea problems, though. I can't even imagine living like that. I hope you can figure out what's causing it - band related or not.

Good Luck

I think that if you are happy with where you are then the band has worked for you and is continuing to work for you by letting you stay at a level you are comfortable with and still be able to eat the foods you want in smaller amounts. This was the reason we all got the band, so congrats and it is good to know that even after 3 years all is well with the band and it continues to keep you from gaining any weight. I hope you can figure out what is causing your nausea...since to me there is nothing worse. GOOD LUCK!

First of all, let me assure you that I am NOT flaming you, and I hope this doesn't come across as disrespectful. From your intro and your signature, it sounds like you have a lot of stress in your life, and you don't need any more from me. But......

What I hear you saying is that you have weighed approximately the same with the band for two years, basically eating whatever you want/can tolerate. You aren't interested or feel you don't have the time to work your band, and you want to find some other people who have also given up and accept that about themselves.

I think the answer is pretty easy. You just need to figure out if you are willing to put forth effort, or if you are going to just do what's the easiest. If you are not gaining weight, then your band is working at some level, since you are eating what you want. Not having enough time and energy is NOT an excuse for not eating properly. Making wise food choices is a pain in the @ss most of the time, but I still choose to do it, because I like the results. Going to the gym at 5:00 a.m. every day is also an unpopular choice, but I know that I would never go to the gym if I didn't go first thing in the morning, and my body requires exercise to drop weight.

You are in charge of your destiny. You are so fortunate that you haven't had any complications. You still have just as much potential to reach your goal weight as you did on the day you were banded, IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH. What I hear you saying is that you don't really want it bad enough to work for it. Think about it.

K

so we took it back down to 2cc and that gave me PLENTY of restriction (as in struggle to get anything down that isn't baby food!) and that's where I am now... I've had this restriction for almost 2 years now and am the same..

Sorry, I thought you'd been living on baby food and ice cream for the past two years... :biggrin1:

Here are all the gory details of my erosion - no symptoms to speak of, except what felt like a severe gallbaldder attack ONE day. Had the endoscope shortly after that to rule out the band, and the rest is history, so to speak.

http://lapbandtalk.com/showpost.php?p=18974&postcount=9

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2250

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2256

As far as your question, most people here are trying to lose weight, but whether you want to lose weight or not, this is a great BAND support group. Don't post about not being able to lose weight, and people won't try to help you with that. I still think you sound too tight, but if you can eat well chewed steak...

Welcome! Pull up a chair, and stay awhile!

***What I hear you saying is that you don't really want it bad enough to work for it. Think about it.***

LOL! I don't need to think about it, I think I made it abundantly clear that I DON'T want to work at losing weight anymore.. I don't.. and that's ok.. I'm no less a person for making that choice.. and while I'm not looking for others TO quit and give up (or however you worded it) I AM interested in finding a nice friendly group to be a part of where we aren't going to be discussing our weight, the lack of loss, the loss, the eating, the not eating.. the etc etc etc etc of it.. Just others that can relate to the banded life, but that aren't actively trying to lose weight as you so apparently are. I applaud you.. I HAVE been there believe it or not.. a couple of times actually... keep up the great work!! That's really wonderful!!

NOW K, even though you said you weren't flaming me, I will add ONE rebuttal.. in this life time, nor the next, would someone walk into my life.. watch me for just one single day and EVER and I mean EVER use the word EASY! Now, you don't know me, so I will forgive you! LMAO! ;-P

Celine

Olah all.I have had the band since October 2004. I have lost about 40 pounds. I wish i could have lost more but its stil on progress. I am now 5 months pregnant. i have not gained anything as of yet. I am actually losing weight. Currently i weigh 243 i start at 283. I am happy but i thought i would have lost more by now. I guess i should get in the gym alittle more. I must admit going to the gym is not something i do all the time. But i do eat less. I no longer eat thick break or alot of hamburger meat. I also do not eat that many sweets. I drink alot of OVALUTINE in the morning. It gives me almost all of the vitamins and minerals that i need for the day. I also take my prenatal vitamin.

Celine, you absolutely made it clear that you aren't actively trying to lose weight, nor do you want to. It's no different than someone who loses down to 200, and decides that even though that's not their textbook ideal weight, it makes them happy. I have never, ever been able to maintain my weight (no matter what it was). Maintenance IS an accomplishment. If you hadn't been banded 3 years ago, you'd be up what? 30 lbs? I know I would, lol.

Obviously, the focus for most of us is weight loss, but I think you'll find that there are all sorts of folk on here (banded, not banded, trying to lose, trying to maintain, trying not to go insane, etc), and all are welcome.