Hello everyone, I had lap band surgery on 9-1-09 and i lost only about 25 pounds, I have not been the best at following the lap band rules and i have really gotten off track and am really starting to gain weight,, I know i have to have more control over myself and I am, I am starting to diet but i wanna use my band as a tool again and get back on the wagon, I am embaressed to go see my Dr because i feel like a failure. I am filled to the max with no restriction, it has been about a year since my last fill, any advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance

Start over as if you'd just had surgery. Do one week of just protein shakes, 1 week of mushy foods. Protein first, then veggies, then carbs. No more than 2 cups a meal. And call your doctor. She wants to help you- remember, if you "fail" it counts as her "fail" too.

But I have no restriction at all, If I wanted i could eat a whole large pizza, Is there any other options I could try like take all fluid out and start over with the fills?

Well sure, you could, but I don't know that it would make any difference. Read the article that is the first link in my sig- I could eat a whole pizza if I wanted to, too. But it's not about restricting what you eat, it's about feeling satisfied (not full- not stuffed, just not HUNGRY anymore) after a smaller meal.

But I have no restriction at all, If I wanted i could eat a whole large pizza, Is there any other options I could try like take all fluid out and start over with the fills?

This link REALLY helped me! It's a MUST READ for all banders. Someone else on this site had posted it.-----> http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

That's the link in my sig

go see your doctor. have him/her check to see if the band might have developed a leak? in between start over as Rachel has suggested. bad things happen to good people. Good luck

That's the link in my sig

Thanks for the link Rachel. I am very new with my band and really love reading up on everything.

Thanks Kathy

Thank you for the other 2 links as well.

Definitely go in and see your Dr. and ask them to do a complete unfill and measure the Fluid and a refill - under fluoroscopy - then a barium swallow while refilling.

That will tell you:

1) How much you currently really have.

2) If your band is in the right position.

3) If the fluid is flowing freely and why.

4) If your pouch has expanded or slipped down a bit (making for a bigger pouch).

5) And as your Dr refills, and you swallow the barium fluid s/he can watch how the restriction is to see if there are issues - the band may not actually be on right.

Once you know all of that, then you can deal with the fact that the band isn't about restriction but about hunger suppression and you can relearn how to eat based on the images you saw.

I like Acadia's advice the best....something isn't right and you need to get to the bottom of it. It might be you have a fixable situation going on. I can't imagine being so filled and not having any physical restriction...especially if you are not eating slider food and eating around your band. As Acadia said, if it not the band, you will have that proof and can attack the situation from another angle.

Best wishes.

Mimi

I agree with the others. Bite the bullet and go see your doctor. They will help you