Hey all!

I was banded on February 16th of last year. The past couple of months I've gotten very discouraged. I feel ashamed. I feel like I could be doing so much better than I have been. I've lost 60lbs and yes that's a lot.. but I feel like I couldv'e done that on my own. I am having regrets. Is getting stuck all the time, having a rock like object in my stomach, feeling ashamed that I had to have WLS inorder to be able to lose weight? I feel like it's just discouraging when I see all these people that are losing 100+ lbs and locing life. Congratulations to all those who are succeeding.. but I feel like there's something wrong here. I'm so depressed with my results. I recently got a fill, probably my 6th or 7th one and now I am altering my entire diet again because there seems to be way more things that I can't eat now. I eat very healthy but feel like I need a change. With this latest fill I am very limited now. I need suggestions from all my fellow AMAZING bandsters... I need quidance, I need suggestions and more than anything.. I need to know I didn't make a mistake. I sometimes wish I got the gastric sleeve.

Thanks All...

Much Love,

Ronni

Most of the issues you are having with the band you would probably have had with the sleeve as well.

Try going onto the sleeve board and reading some of the threads there - life isn't always greener on the other side.

Would you have felt ashamed if you had needed a kidney transplant because your kidneys weren't working properly? No, then don't feel ashamed that you neede WLS because your hunger control mechanism wasn't working properly.

You might feel that you could have lost 60lb without the band but I bet that you couldn't have lost that and kept it off. If you could have done then you would have done.

Stop being so down on yourself. Instead of looking at the glass as being half empty see that it is half full.

And most importantly make sure that YOU ARE WORKING THE BAND and not expecting it to do all the work. You should not have a band that is so tight that it restricts your diet. Ideally a well adjusted band should mean that you are able to eat most foods but less of them and not get hungry soon afterwards. Being too tight leads to weight gain, slips and other issues.

By no means should you feel ashamed. You have lost 60 pounds, be proud of that! You have lost 60% of your goal! Maybe you need a slight unfill if many things are getting stuck.

@Elcee.....how does being too tight lead to weight gain? Thank you.

Being too tight will often lead people to eat more high calorie slider foods which is what is responsible for weight gains. It is often the high calorie foods that slip past a tight band.. and if u are too restricted u are hungry and often desperate to get some form of food inside you ... Plenty of threads on the forum about people unable to eat protein but can eat pizza and burgers and all the other junk food

The band is designed to work best with solid food. Things such as meat, chicken , fish, vegetables etc. These do not break down too easily and pass through the band slower therefore increasing the amount of time until you get hungry again.

If you have too much Fluid in your band it becomes very difficult and uncomfortable to eat foods such as these so generally a person will start eating foods that go down easier.Foods that are liquid, smooth, dissolve in the mouth etc. These are termed sliders as they go down easily.Think chocolate, biscuits(cookies), crackers, nuts, custard, icecream, mushy foods etc. As well as going down easily they are generally high calorie and they do not satisfy you for very long.

What happens is a vicious circle. The person thinks they are not tight enough so they go for fill after fill after fill. They are able to eat less solid foods and they eat more sliders. The person still feels hungry between meals and they are gaining or not losing weight so they think they need another fill and so the problem gets worse.

Too tight leads to weight gain, reflux, slips, erosions and all sorts of problems.

A lot of the reason that people get too tight is because they are chasing a mythical "sweet spot" or "restriction" . They have read about it many times and think that just 1 more fill will put them in that magical place where they can eat next to nothing and never be hungry and never want chocolate. That place doesn't exist.

Each fill makes a difference. Some great, some slight. It is important to recognise and work with each one.

HTH and that I haven't confused you too much

@Elcee.....how does being too tight lead to weight gain? Thank you.

It leads to being too tight because people end up only being able to eat slider foods...

Thanks guys.. without this website... I think I'd be lost!!

<3<3

I was banded two years ago tomorrow. My band just started "working for me" when I had an unfill over the Summer.