Ok, I am 17 months out of surgery and have been having alot of trouble with adjustments. They put in, then remove some , then put in.

I haven't lost in 8 months, and have not been able to eat for the last month. The doctor took out a 1/2 a CC and I am hungry every two hours. So much so that my stomache hurts from being hungry. My doctor said the band is not working for me and suggested I have it removed and do the Sleave. I am so upset and frustrated. Has anyone else had the doctor tell you it isn't working for you?

Ok, I am 17 months out of surgery and have been having alot of trouble with adjustments. They put in, then remove some , then put in.

I haven't lost in 8 months, and have not been able to eat for the last month. The doctor took out a 1/2 a CC and I am hungry every two hours. So much so that my stomache hurts from being hungry. My doctor said the band is not working for me and suggested I have it removed and do the Sleave. I am so upset and frustrated. Has anyone else had the doctor tell you it isn't working for you?

Hi dana67, It's funny that I found your post because I went to my surgeon just last week and I point blank told him that we are going to have to explore other options. That this band is just not working for me.. I was banded May 11, 2010 and I have only lost 34lbs. I have been walking, eating right, exercising, oh and throwing up.. My doctors nurse practitioner told me that I was to tight that if they loosing it then I will loose weight.. I'm no doctor but if you loosing the band doesn't that make you eat more? I asked him if we could go another route and he said yes that I would be a good candidate for either the sleeve or gastric bypass.. So I think I'm kinda in the same boat as you are..

I am so sorry you are having a hard time. I have to say, I was successful in loosing my excess weight, but the band wasn't the tool I hoped it would be. I spent a lot time either hungry or getting sick. Did slight fills that caused me to be way to tight, even though I was hungry a lot before the fill. I was in a good place for a few weeks here and there, but I feel like I did it on my own for the most part. I kinda wish I had given it one more try before having surgery. I hadn't gotten on a healthy eating plan or excersised in years. I don't know much about the sleeve so I really can't comment on that. Just wanted you to know your not the only one who doesn't get good restriction with the band. Good luck!

Thanks,

It helps to know I am not the only one. I just don't know if my husband or insurance will consider it.

I just don't know what to do anymore and I am feeling very lost and alone.

My husband is one of those people who eat everything and never gain a pound. He thinks if I just work out more and eat less it will come off easily but his family eats all kinds of junk and never gain weight.

Hi dana67, It's funny that I found your post because I went to my surgeon just last week and I point blank told him that we are going to have to explore other options. That this band is just not working for me.. I was banded May 11, 2010 and I have only lost 34lbs. I have been walking, eating right, exercising, oh and throwing up.. My doctors nurse practitioner told me that I was to tight that if they loosing it then I will loose weight.. I'm no doctor but if you loosing the band doesn't that make you eat more? I asked him if we could go another route and he said yes that I would be a good candidate for either the sleeve or gastric bypass.. So I think I'm kinda in the same boat as you are..

Hi Dana, actually loosening the band might help. If my calorie count is too low I stop loosing weight, get tired, and other not so fun stuff. Keep in mind the what they mean by restriction isn't that it prevents you from eating any more or feel full. Instead you just feel satisfied or really just not hungry anymore. You could still eat more you just have to choose not to. You also have to drink enough water too. If you don't eat enough or drink enough the weight loss can stop or slow down. Frankly even if you are perfect at all that the weight loss still isn't linear. What can it hurt to have them remove some and then really make sure you stick to the diet, exercise, and water requirements. It won't cost anything.

Removing fill can help you lose weight. You can eat healthy foods. Being too tight will cause weight gain because you resort to sliders and on the odd day you can eat you over eat.

The band isn't about restriction. It's about making it so you eat until satiated (not full) and that you don't eat again until hungry.

If you're eating more than 1-2 cups per meal ask yourself why. Are you doing it because you can or because you're actually hungry. If you're doing it because you can then no surgery will help you.

Write down everything you eat, everything you feel before you eat, how long it takes you to eat a meal (30 mins minimum), did you eat more because it tasted good? Are you eating white carbs? Sugars? Drinking fruit juice? How active are you really? Get a FitBit $99 to see how much you really move. Take a photo of every meal before you start and when done. Remind yourself about what you're doing. We often overestimate our calorie burn and underestimate our intake.

It sounds more like it's you that is not working -- not the band. It's doing its job sitting there. You have to make the conscious decision to stop eating when you are no longer hungry, to slow down, to drink 8 oz of Water 15 before a meal to help fill you up and hydrate you, to make the right food choices, and to use your band as it is intended -- to make you mindful of hunger.

Dana,

Have you lost weight at all with the band? If not, I would suggest that you calorie track and see where you are. I know it is frustrating to go back and forth with the fills but it will be easier if you take some control over your intake and let the band help you rather than making the band do all the work. (If you are already doing this and not losing, please forgive me for suggesting it but your post didn't really say what you eat,etc.)

I'm not going to sit here and say the band is a tool, you need to work it blah blah but what I will say is that maybe the band can't work as hard as you want it to and you need to take some of the control into your own hands.

If you are hungry every two hours, are you eating enough Protein? You said you haven't been able to eat for the past month - if this is the case, you need to get some Fluid removed. You are NOT in the green zone for effective use of the band. I know you are scared to have fluid removed in case you go back to old habits but maybe change your mindset a little bit and get back to the place where the band can work for you. It can't work the way it is supposed to if it is too tight.

Best wishes to you!