Strugglers, do you regret getting the Lap Band?

I am 2.5 years out, haven't lost anything much to speak of. I am so depressed and disappointed in myself, but I am also pissed off at this industry. I think the weight loss lap band industry holds back a lot of the truth.

Putting this thing inside me was a bad, costly decision. I feel bad, I think I just look bad.

I never lost my hunger. I throw up from different things at different times. I still have nasty dark scars on my belly that probably won't ever go away.

I am struggling the exact same way I did before I had the lap band, going on diets, trying to control my eating, same old roller coaster. Right now I am Low-Carbing it, if I lose weight on low-carb, why did I not do low carb without the lap band???

This is just a rant session for me, but I am wondering if I am the only one that feels this way???

Yes it IS possible to stay satiated on 800 calories. IF you are at a proper restriction.

First off, I think you need to go in and have your fill level checked and add more if you feel like you cannot stay satiated on small quantities of food. Before you do that though, you really need to measure your food intake and pay attention to how long you are staying full.

I am a struggler and have had my fair share of complications. I just recently re-committed myself in an effort to save my band. I was just DX'd with a hiatal hernia and severe esophagitis and was so fed up I told my surgeon I wanted it out. Then I sat down and REALLY evaluated what I was doing and whether or not my expectations from the band were realistic.

And you know what. I don't think they were. I am FOUR years post op and I am JUST figuring this out. Talk about a slow learner. So I decided to re-commit. I have spent the past few weeks drastically altering my diet, following the band rules, measuring and weighing my food... and you want to know what I am discovering.. my band works when I work with it.

I was doing all the wrong things for too long. Eating slider foods, downing waaaay too much ice cream, snacking, drinking with meals, etc etc. I wasn't chewing well enough, getting stuck and frustrated.

Now I am making good choices and paying attention. That was the hardest thing for me. PAYING ATTENTION. I actually think my restriction is pretty good right now. Some nights I can eat more than I should, but other nights I am too tight. I still HATE that part about the band. It is damn finicky. Salmon is great one night, and a no go the next.

Anyway.. I digress. My point is, YES, this is NOT an easy journey. It takes work and commitment. Some people have a sickeningly easy journey, and some people, like us, struggle. But right now, in this moment, I truly believe it is what you make of it.

Today my calorie intake was approx 825 calories (I didn't finish my dinner) and I am satiated physically. Mentally, not so much. Mentally I still want more. Head hunger is a byatch. It takes time and practice and WILL POWER to listen to those stop signals. You are retraining your brain.

Sorry if my post is all over the place. I feel your pain. I have been there. I lost 100 pounds and gained 56 back. I am on my way back down right now and feeling positive. I hope some of the positiveness rubs off on you.

Find a doctor who will work with you. I am VERY fortunate to have found an amazing Dr who took me on as a patient even though he did not perform my surgery. I am self pay and my fills cost me $100 and my office consults without a fill cost me $50. He check my fill level when I request and he always tells me what he is putting in. ADVOCATE for yourself. Sometimes he wants to add more than I am comfortable with... and I will request only .25cc vs .5cc. A SMALL fill can make a huge difference.

I have a lot of money invested in this as well. I paid $9995 for my surgery, countless more in followups over the past 4 years, and $1300 for a port replacement. Sometimes I wonder if it was a sucky investment. Could I have done this on my own? Yes... I could have made these food choices before... but the small amounts of food I eat now would not have kept me full.

Get your band checked out. Really evaluate what you are eating. I wish you tons of success!! Hang in there.

Here is my meals for today... just to give you an idea of what I ate and stayed FULL on. I wasn't even able to eat all of my dinner... my dog got half my quinoa and asparagus.. lol. I try and stay under 1000 calories. My Dr recommends 1200.

TOTAL

825 kcal ... 66.5g Protein

Breakfast

Peach Chobani w/Kashi Go Lean Crunch

235 kcal ... 18.5g protein

lunch

Protein shake w/lactose free milk

240 kcal ... 29g protein

Dinner

Scallops w/quinoa and asparagus

250 kcal ... 16g protein

Snack

Skinny cow ice cream bar

100 kcal ... 3g protein

I appreciate your consise response. It's been over a month since I created this post, this is a little update on my situation.

Since then (I started March 1st) I have been strictly in a Low Carb Diet, giving up wheat, bread and sugar.

What started me to "recommit" to weight loss was reading a book called Wheat Belly. Read it, it's amazing.

But I did not lose weight with the Lap Band, I have lost weight by incorporating a Low Carb diet. I think many people, if they made the decision before they did the surgery, were to give up wheat, flour, sugar - they would within a couple weeks lose cravings for those foods, they would feel better, and they would lose weight.

I only lost 10 pounds in a month and a half, and I have a long way to go, but I don't think I should of had this surgery. I should have just sucked it up & gone low carb. Paleo, Keto, Caveman, Hi Protein, High Full Fat, Low Carb, Atkins, Southbeach, plus many more books and diets that preach this stuff... This is the way to go folks, try it first before you get surgery. Just my opinion.