I was banded April 10, 2008, and I have had great success with the Realize band. I had lost 166 pounds up until a few months ago. My weight started to creep back on because I know I got "relaxed" about my band. I was eating and doing things I KNOW I wasnt supposed to be doing, yet I still allowed myself to do it. Like the saying goes, old habits die hard. After I got married in 2010 the pressure of being in the beautiful wedding gown was gone, and well I got comfortable and let myself "slide" on things here and there. When I got married in October of 2010 I weight 195, and felt so GOOD about myself. Today as I type this my weight has gone back up to 250 pounds. For the last 7 weeks I have been on prednisone, aka "the devil's drug". Since I started the medication 7 weeks ago I have gained at least 25 pounds. If you have ever been on it then you know it makes your appetite go NUTS! The higher the dose the more ravenous you are. There have been days where I want to put ketchup on a shoe and just eat it! Thank GOD my Dr is weaning me off of the drug, and I hope it will be over soon.

I do have a point, Im just taking a long time to get there, sorry. I feel like an oompa loompa since I have gained some weight back. Since all this madness began 7 weeks ago I have had two fills in my band because I had to have some Fluid removed due to being to tight. I am at 5.5 cc's now, and while I feel like I am getting full in a good amount of time I still feel like I am eating too much and I am in some ways out of control. I guess what I am saying is I feel like I have failed my band and myself, and that Im not sure what it is going to take to get me back to 195, so I can get to my ultimate goal weight of 145. I remind myself Ive done this before, and I can do it again. Why cant I get back on track? Why has my get up and go, gotten up and went?? Where is the motivation I once has that got me to onderland? Has anyone seen it? If so can you fedex it back to me?

So is anyone else been in this situation and perhaps been able to find their way out and get motivated again? Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me? I am open to anything at this point. Thanks for reading!

I have only been banded for a month and I appreciate your story. I wish you luck and you travel down this "new" path and hope you are able to once again find success.

You sound like me, having a big goal to work towards is what i need in order to stay motivated...you had your wedding day, and now that has passed. Is there another big day, maybe a childs graduation or reunion, etc..that you can pinpoint and use as a goal? The prednisone for sure has been a huge issue and when you are off of that, hopefully some will drop right back off...like you said you did this before and you CAN do this aggain. believe in yourself, those around you believe in you! Get back to tracking your meals...my guess is, that by now you have stopped doing that, (i only say that because in my past, before the band) i would stop tracking after a cpl months cuz i thought "i had it down and in my head" what i could and could not eat. you may have to go back to the very beginning. Do the pre-op diet for a week or two, then step up like post-op, this may be just enough to get that scale moving again, and once u see the numbers going back down, it will surely get you excited to keep it going.

positive thoughts lead to positive actions which can only lead to positive results!

My wife had Pneumonia back around Xmas and it affected her asthma so the doc put her on prednisone. She gained about 12 lbs in two months but lucky for her she wasn't overweight to start with. But she was eating twice as much as I was. Of course, I was newly banded but still, she attacked food like a May bear.

How does one find the motivation? If that could be answered easily no one would need a band. A change back to the lifestyle you created when you lost all the weight but it's all in your head. Maybe drop some dollars on a psychologist who works with people like us eh? Shrinks can be very helpful but some are just plain turds(sorry). We've had to work with a few with our son when he was in middle and high school and some of them suck!

tmf

I have been banded about 31/2 years. my weight has slowly gone up. I gained about 35 pounds. it has taken me a year to start dieting again. in the last two weeks, I get up every morning and don't hate myself. hopefully that will be enough to keep me going. I do not fit into my new clothes...a bummer but I will again. good luck! you can do this.

Could you create something to work towards, like a nice beach vacation, or a trip somewhere? (Can you tell I like to travel? lol).

Or what about buying a fantastic new outfit a size smaller, so you have something to work towards?

Set goals to work towards. I started with my son's wedding but knew that I would need to have something after that to keep me working. I met my goals for his wedding and am now working towards ticking of an item on my bucket list - a week long cycling tour called the Great Victorian Bike Ride at the end of November. Then I have the Lions Ride for Sight, another multi day group ride event coming up early next year.

I am just going to keep on adding goals so that I always have something to work towards ....until maybe one day I will realise that I am eating healthily and exercising simply cos it's become a habit (actually, the exercise part is there now, just not the eating part. I still struggle with that one every day!)