Hi, I should have joined a support group a long time ago. I'm 22 years old and was banded in Jan, 2009. I come from a family of overweight people. Both my parents plus my uncle have had the lap band surgery with success. It was an easy decision for me to get the lap band at a young age because I didn't want to grow up obese like my parents who had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attacks, etc.....Although I only started at around 190 lbs before surgery, on my small 5'1" frame it was a disaster. My BMI was high and physically I was an overweight mess. Emotionally I was upset that I would never get to play sports or enjoy life! After being banded I lost about 30 lbs in the first year. I don't remember exactly now, but I got a fill sometime in the first year. Since then I have had about 3 or 4 fills with about 7.5cc in a 9cc swedish band. I have since gained back almost 20 lbs. I am getting a fill tomorrow from a new doctor that I have never seen before that will give me the support I need. I have not received a fill in almost a year so I KNOW that is why I have gained a lot of weight back. Also my current boyfriend is amazing and never criticizes me when I am eating a carton of ice cream or bags of popcorn that go down so easy. I guess all I am looking for is someone to help enourage me to lose the weight again and get back on track. Every bander knows it can be tough. I feel like it has been tougher for me because I don't have 100 lbs to lose. I would like to lose about 40 lbs to get to my goal weight. It doesn't seem like much but it is so hard. Also, besides my boyfriend and immediate family, no one knows I had gotten the surgery. Since I was only 19 it was hard for me to face the fact that I was getting a life changing weight loss surgery. I had tried every diet imaginable since I was about 9 and it was all "temporary" weight loss. I am just looking for support and people in my situation.

First .... Welcome to LBT! Read, post, learn, and jump back on the bandwagon! I'm glad you are going back to see a lapband Dr. You have the band in you, now it's time to put it back to use.

Find something that you really want and promise yourself it if you make your goal. You do not have that much to go but I know at your age everything is busy and on the go and so much involves food. This is the way I look at it, the next 6 months are going to past no matter what. You can spend it eating or losing weight. What is a few months out of your life? Count your blessing you only have a small amount to lose.

You would have never gone through the process if you didn't really want this. Do you have a support group you can go to with younger people, you need support and I think the same age range is good. If you have trouble cutting way back kick up your workout and burn it off.

A lot of people do Zumba and are loving it or go in your room and close the door and dance for 30 minutes a night in your room to your favorite music that is a good easy workout, go to the mall and walk all around several times, you can do that hot or cold, dry or raining.

Start changing something everyday 1 day no ice cream, next add the Water you are suppose to drink, then start to workout, find that support group or find a counselor that will help you find out what makes you want to eat You could go cold turkey and just make up your mind and do it or take small steps. By next summer you will be in those small sizes and feeling great, you can so this.

Can't find a support group? Start a thread looking for people in your area on that. I have done that twice and we are a small group but we help each other. Email, talk on the phone it helps so much

Cheri

There is a program on this site and on Google called The five day band test, that a number of people,

several in your situation, have used to get started after a while off. I hope you try it.

Thank you for the support! I went to see the new fill Dr. today. It was the first time I have ever gotten fluro. It was very cool! I would definitely recommend this method to people to do it at least once a year. I have never done it, and I have had my band for almost 3 years. When they pulled out my saline to check how much I had in there, it was only 6cc, and I thought I should be at 7.5cc based off my previous fills. But either way, I'm excited to get back on track. I'll be doing a liquid diet for the next 2 days, and then starting back up with mushies. Thanks again!