Is it just me, or are most of these post discouraging? I know that this is a place to vent the good, the bad, and the ugly, but I must admit alot of these post are negative. I know the results will be different for everyone. I cant say how this will work for me yet since It has only been 2 days, but the more I read the less I have to look forward to. I am thankful this site exist, but I am starting to think that coming on here everyday is just as bad a constantly watching the scale. I wish it wasn't like that. Why cant we have a place of encouragement and support; Good testimony and advice? Maybe I am just looking under the wrong topics. Please someone lead me in the right direction- I want this experience to be as great as possible, even if the weight doesn't miraculously disappear.

Is it just me, or are most of these post discouraging? I know that this is a place to vent the good, the bad, and the ugly, but I must admit alot of these post are negative. I know the results will be different for everyone. I cant say how this will work for me yet since It has only been 2 days, but the more I read the less I have to look forward to. I am thankful this site exist, but I am starting to think that coming on here everyday is just as bad a constantly watching the scale. I wish it wasn't like that. Why cant we have a place of encouragement and support; Good testimony and advice? Maybe I am just looking under the wrong topics. Please someone lead me in the right direction- I want this experience to be as great as possible, even if the weight doesn't miraculously disappear.

I know how you feel. And it does sometimes seem like there are a lot of whiners here complaining that their lives aren't perfect. I have a feeling a lot of the complaints are from people who didn't properly research the band before they had surgery, or who expect the band will magically change their lives, fix their food issues, correct their poor self esteem, and force them to stop eating badly. None of that happens automatically, and they'll end up successful only if they educate themselves and make the effort in how to make the most of their band.

As you read through these forums, try to keep it in perspective, and consider the source: Just like with people you know at your job, or in your family, some folks are never happy with anything that happens to them, and they always look for someone else to fix their broken lives.

In contrast, there are some people here (I include myself in this group) who try to put an encouraging spin on things, and who try to find good reasons to make the most of the experience. I take full responsibility for the success (or lack of it) of my band. I like to joke that I'm like the kid who is waist deep in horse manure in a barn, shoveling like crazy, and shouting, "There has to be a pony in here somewhere!"

I was banded last December, and I've had ZERO problems. Whenever I've had a question about something related to my band, I've been able to find assistance here. I don't read the obviously negative posts, or waste time trying to make my experience anything less than it is - and that experience has been AWESOME! I feel sorry for those who post negative things, but I have to put it back on them - their experience is their responsibility. It's all about personal accountability.

I hope you'll continue to participate in the forums, and contribute whatever you think is proper. This place is very big, and very busy. There is room for everyone.

Good luck with your weight loss!

Dave

Like you said, this is a place where people come to vent or get questions answered. There are some of us on here who have been successful and pop in from time to time to answer questions or give advice.

One thing you might look into is the lapband blogs...there are many people (me included) who blog regularly about our journeys. If you want, you can start with mine (the link is in my signature) and I have links on my blog to the ones I follow.

Good luck!

I think people naturally seek out support or those who will listen when things are bad, depressing or not going as they expect. That may be one reason why there are more of those posts here than happy stories. This is one reason I check in on here for a little bit then may go silent for a few weeks. It stinks seeing so much negativity.

Is it just me, or are most of these post discouraging? I know that this is a place to vent the good, the bad, and the ugly, but I must admit alot of these post are negative. I know the results will be different for everyone. I cant say how this will work for me yet since It has only been 2 days, but the more I read the less I have to look forward to. I am thankful this site exist, but I am starting to think that coming on here everyday is just as bad a constantly watching the scale. I wish it wasn't like that. Why cant we have a place of encouragement and support; Good testimony and advice? Maybe I am just looking under the wrong topics. Please someone lead me in the right direction- I want this experience to be as great as possible, even if the weight doesn't miraculously disappear.

Hello,

I'm new to this site and am just reading some of the post. I will probably come across negatively also, but I'm kind of comforted to see, I'm not the only person who's getting discouraged etc. and had others who've had this procedure been very open and honest with me, I may have chosen not to do it. I have learned, if one has been successful with the lapband......they deserve a HUGE pat on the back and applauds because THEY did it!!! As one spoke in another post, it is all about one personal journey and their own determination to make it work. I fall in the category of thinking it was going to work more for me than I'm finding, thus my disappointment, but more in myself, but also in the fact, had I known before I'd have chosen to make myself eventually stick to a Weight Watchers program lol. It would have been much cheaper and like this procedure, it's a lifetime change of eating habits. Although I can no longer eat bread or pizza, there are many other foods my stupid, food addicted mind has found to eat that will go down with ease, thus my lack of weight loss. Like anything in life..there are good, bad, positive, negative, etc. I like honesty, period! What works for one, may not work for another. I pray you find peace in this journey and success for yourself!

I think people naturally seek out support or those who will listen when things are bad, depressing or not going as they expect. That may be one reason why there are more of those posts here than happy stories. This is one reason I check in on here for a little bit then may go silent for a few weeks. It stinks seeing so much negativity.

^^^ This is what I was going to say. Here's the thing, People who don't have problems, generally dont have as many questions to ask (depending on how far out from surgery they are). So, what you have on this board are people who ARE having problems, thus more questions. Let me tell you my story, it is (I believe) Generally encouraging.

I have fought with my weight since puberty. No one could figure out why I was gaining weight so quickly. I fell asleep crying when i was 11 because the stretch marks were literally hurting. Doctor after doctor could not figure it out. Finaly when I was 20 I had (literally) one last doc to see. Before any examination, I told him my symptoms... his responce "Thats an easy diagnosis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome"

Problem was, that about the time I turned 16 (the summer before my Sophmore year in high school) my parents moved us across the state, 6 hours away from all my friends. I became depressed, and figured "well if I am going to be fat, I might as well eat enough to deserve it" So I did.

At 20 years old I had finally had enough and made HUGE HONEST attempts to lose the weight with NO avail. I loved going to the gym and working out, but I was getting LITERALLY NO results!

May 2007

My regular GYN visit. I tell her about all my honest attempts, and failures. She asked if I was interested in being refered to a bariatric surgeon. I thought long and hard, and figured "what harm can it do to go to a seminar for information?". I researched for more hours than I could count, and became oprimistic that THIS might be for me. I went to the seminar, where they refered me to a surgeon, and I began all the pre-op "stuff"

I understood fully that my band (I actually do not have the lap-band; I have the Realize band-but the group is great-so I stay) would be a tool to help me, and would in no way do the work for me. I chose the band for the better long term results (as opposed to bypass), and have NEVER ONCE regretted what I have done.

Dec 2008

This is my new birth day. I could go through the whole day of my surgery in great detail (I actually did a descriptive writting paper my freshman year of college for it), but what it comes down to is THIS was the first day of the rest of my life

My highest weight was 305.

March 2010

I weighed 210 (and was still losing) when I got pregnant. My baby girl leaned against my stomach blocking any food from coming through. On top of that I have sporatic kidney failure which caused a great deal of vomiting. All my Fluid was removed, and I gained 80lbs.

Dec 2010

I weighed 280 lbs and gave birth to the most perfect baby girl on the face of this planet (dont even try to argue with me).

Feb 2011

I cant remember what I weighed, but I want to say I was at 260. This is when i finally got in to get a fill, so that I could get this weight off me.

May 2011

At some point in time, I got to where I was unable to eat, or drink much of anything. Much of the time Water would not even stay down. I ignored it, and just told my self to deal with it. So I did. for about 2 months.... Didnt lose much weight in this time either.

July 2011

Finally I gave in and called my surgeon, he wanted me in ASAP of course, removed all my fluid, and waited 2 weeks to bring me back in (During this 2 weeks I got an upper GI to see if I had slipped-He was almost POSITIVE I had slipped). When I went back in, ther was NO SLIP! Thank Goodness!

August 2011

I am down to 238 lbs. Not ideal by any means, but I have FINALLY started losing again, so I am happy with that.

Sure, I had a VERY rough few months (because I was so stuborn---BAD IDEA BTW-dont do that) and a big scare. I dreaded the thought of going back through surgery, but I WOULD HAVE DONE IT.

Look at it this way

December 2008-March 2010 I lost 95 lbs

March 2010- December 2010 I gained 80 lbs

Feb. 2011-August 2011 I have lost 42 lbs

Seems worth it to me!!

I hope this helps balance the negativity... Dont get discouraged, do what you need to do. There is always someone here to ask questions. There WILL be bumps in your road, but I know of no road that is paved perfectly smooth. The journey, in my opinion, is well worth it.

I too am new here since yesterday. I skim the negativity but sometimes in the negative you can find positives. I also find more questions. As my surgeon - I was his first! and his team, New to Bariatric, they really cannot answer ALL my questions, nor do I expect them to. I believe in my heart the day I got scheduled and started the surgical date thing that I became - that was I not anyone else, part of THEIR team and it is up to me to give them the good, the bad and the ugly and let them find the answers for the next person. I tend to be very relaxed about stuff which is NOT GOOD. But I also an not afraid to tell them what is going on.

My one concern is - I do not have a fill. He told me he put "some" Water in because I had been so good. However I have to say I don't FEEL anything. I don't feel any different (other then the surgical holes) then I did the day before. It scares me. I worked hard to get here, it was a journey of many years, alot of tears, alot of fear. I am alone as I have a family of light weights. I did this to ME, no one else. And I will get out of it.

In any event, I have nothing but good things to say except that the Protein shakes for a month are annoying and boring no matter what. But you do what you have to do to get thru this and make it work. I am determined to be down 100 lbs by next year.

So my question to long termers is - is this normal physical feelings at this early time - i.e. like nothing happened? How do I know I have reached the pouch limit? I really don't want to fail and I don't want Dr. B to have to go back in and revise it. he said I can't hurt it. But can I..

Actually it is kind of fun. I look at it as a game and you have to go to jail sometimes before buying railroad...But you will get thru it...

By the way, imagine my life. I live in a household of my husband, myself, my 26 yr old daughter and her boyfriend - who is a certified CHEF. He is top notch in his field and cooks most of our dinners. We buy the food, he cooks it. So imagine how I feel sitting at the dinner table with a Protein shake and his massive goodness flows? He cooks healthy and fresh and it is just awesome. I will never be able to eat everything he cooks, but I could have a bit....Looking forward to that - and still lose weight. With his help, and daughters, I lost 50 lbs pre-surgery and so I knwo we can do it after......and maybe, just maybe, I will be the mother of the bride!!! If they ever get their restaurant going and making money - hahah ahahaha...

Please feel free to write me at maryjofundock@yahoo.com

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The majority of negative posts, IMO, come from people who have recently been banded. They are not sure what to expect, or are seeking immediate results from their surgery. They freak out when they gain weight, have post-op pains, fear getting stuck/slimed as though it is a bad thing. And when nothing goes THEIR WAY, their band must have slipped!!

To all of those, I say PATIENCE!

For me, the first month was nothing. 2-3 months after that, with 2-3 fills, it was a roller coaster getting on the scale. I was convinced I must be doing something wrong. Then, one day it all fell into place.

I have been stuck more times than I can count. Is that negative??? NO. Did I run to the Dr.? NO. It was, and is, a learning experience that changed the way I approach food. I've learned and currently learning a new way of eating!

It's tough after 40 years of being a glutton! But I have nothing negative to say about it.

Is it just me, or are most of these post discouraging? I know that this is a place to vent the good, the bad, and the ugly, but I must admit alot of these post are negative. I know the results will be different for everyone. I cant say how this will work for me yet since It has only been 2 days, but the more I read the less I have to look forward to. I am thankful this site exist, but I am starting to think that coming on here everyday is just as bad a constantly watching the scale. I wish it wasn't like that. Why cant we have a place of encouragement and support; Good testimony and advice? Maybe I am just looking under the wrong topics. Please someone lead me in the right direction- I want this experience to be as great as possible, even if the weight doesn't miraculously disappear.

You need to print this post, pin it to your wall, and come back and read it say, around mid November !

Then you're going to have a story to tell!

Maybe it's because the people that are happy are out living & enjoying their life. And the upset ones are here complaining. I've seen quite a few people on here thinking the band was going to be a cure-all and are upset because they have to actually watch what they eat and work out.

I think the most negativity comes from those who do not understand the band. Maybe they have been recently banded, or just did not have to wait to get banded. I had to do a 6 month supervised diet. I was really upset I had to do that since I had proof of diet attempts and was originally told I did not have o do it. This I think was a blessing in disguise. It gave me time, time to be on this board and read peoples experience, time to research the band further. And time to get my head on straight and realize, this is my one chance. Prior to banding I was miserable very close to suicidal, and I came to the decision of do this or die. Sorry to be so morbid, but it is true. This procedure has given me a brand new life.

The research I did made me the success I am (not a fast success, but a success none the less.) I am almost 8 months post op and have only have had one tiny fill (which honestly didn't really do anything and I probably shouldn't have got in the first place. So I'm doing this with only 0.75ml in my band, but I'm losing weight, like I said maybe slower than others, but that's ok. AT this moment I seem to be plateaued a little bit, but using things that I have read, I'm not here complaining, I'm using the knowledge to try to break out of it. First I am trying to switch up the exercise, I joined a gym, instead of just doing the kickboxing that I normally do, I'm going to throw that into a mix and try to break out. If that doesn't work I'm going to try to switch up my calories, either up or down. I'm also trying to get a body media fit, to accurately monitor my calories, since I have no trust in my polar HR monitor anymore, to old and is giving me problems.

So yes, people complain, but that's the nature of forums like this. If you go online and look up, let's say a restaurant, odds are a lot of the reviews will be negative. A lot of people only post a review if they've had a bad experience , not a good one. I agree a lot of the posts I see here are people complaining, and I feel like writing, well you should have done more research, but I don't want people to think I;m an ass.

*like button*

I lost weight quickly and easily with the band. After bandster hell it was hard, but not THAT hard. I exercise a lot and make good choices, but I haven't killed myself, not even for a second. People are impatient, don't read up on bandster hell, and don't like to exercise. To succeed you DO need to exercise, need to be patient and know that it takes some time to reach your sweet spot and find your groove. I literally have nothing bad to say about this whole process. Some people have it harder than others, but generally speaking, you have a great tool at your disposal and it's up to you to use it wisely. Wishing you every success!

I have had ZERO problems with my band and haven't even had a fill.

Even the negative posts help me. I find it makes me so thankful that I am doing well and not having problems and it also reminds me that some day I might need help and support like people who are struggling need now. Sure, I don't love the posts but I do try to respond to the posts that sound like they are coming from people who are genuinely trying to work their band. I don't respond to the posts from people who flat out refuse to change and I also don't want to waste my time replying to a post I feel will fall on deaf ears. You see those people on here all the time. I had to stop responding to posts about people breaking their surgeon's rules because those are the hardest for me to take. it just makes me really mad - even though I don't even know the person!! "Everyone cheats" is simply not true. I have not once broken my surgeon's rules and many on this board can line up right next to me in that category.

You will see, very early on, who you can listen to and who you must simply dismiss from your thoughts. I know I definitely click on posts that might not interested me because I see the last person posting there is one of my peeps who I know thinks like I do. Not to see if there is something I can add, but to read their post for my own benefit.

Don't get discouraged, Genesishanna. You will learn to weed out the posts you should ignore in no time. The band has worked like a charm for me - with no fill - because I followed my surgeon's orders and am committed to living a healthy life. That's pretty easy, no?

All the best!

I started here in October of 2006. Everyone that I was friends with, went on to lose weight, and now have no use for this site.

You see newbies, some veterans, and people who have questions. I know I had them, and was helped, and I pass the good words on, and my own experience also.

Then you have those who b i t c h ! I don't see much in that area, but even I have let it ROLL...........

Basically it is a good site, or I would have never came back to it..

It is different then 5 yrs. ago, but so are the people.

If interested My Journal is under my Topics. Just scroll down, and it will pop up.

Shirley.

I agree with most of the posts about the negativity. I came on here to get answers. I have never had surgery before so my first week post op I listened to my body more than I ever have because I was scared I could do something to ruin it. I was calling my doctors office way too much so that is when I decided to come on here and talk to people that are exactly where I am at. I also (two days after surgery) read some of these posts and thought to myself that this was a mistake! Between people losing 15 lbs in 6 months to slippage, to pain, to vomiting, to having bypass AFTER the band. I was traumatized for a couple days and with the pain I was going through I was scared I would not be strong enough to really change my life.

With that, I just started worrying about myself. I think I realized that there are some doctors out there that make you go through the extensive appointments/research/classes that I had to. I was lucky that my insurance company didn't make me diet before hand, I was approved right away. BUT my doctor was the tough one. I went through this for 10 months before I had surgery and I was reassured the whole way. I was educated, I was tested, and I was told to get into counseling to deal with the food issues and why I chose to be so destructive to my body. My doctor would not do the surgery unless my mental health was being healed as well and I am grateful that he did because that is what really saved me. Once my surgery was done I decided to stay in counseling because she is my sanctuary. I get to say what I want and not be judged which is where the food came in, along with learning how to love myself a little bit more everyday.

With that, I think I am lucky to have such a wonderful support system and even though I get scared here and there I come on here to find answers and it make me feel better. You have the power to choose which ones you read so I suggest that you stick to the positive and realize that EVERYONE is different. Live with your band in your way and listen to your body, you know it best! God Bless....