Banded For 3 Years!

[ashlyn8207 3]

Hi everyone. I'm Shannon, I've actually been banded since May 13, 2009. I started out great with the weight loss and now I've been at a plateau for the last 2.5 years! Luckily I haven't gained any weight back though. I recently went for a fill and had a different person that I had never met before and he made a world of difference from all the other fills I had. He gave me tips and suggestions and had some insight for me, rather than just giving me a fill and leaving me on my own to do this like the past providers have done.

I hope to connect with others here and be a support as well have have others support me As well.

[Overjoyed1 26]

Wow! I hope you realize what an inspiration you really are! Keeping the weight off for as long as you have is a huge accomplishment that all of us hope to achieve. So glad you've found a supportive provider and hopefully we can all be encourahing as well. We can do this!!!

[YngGram 73]

Welcome Shannon. I am a couple of months in front of you and I got a fill on Mon. It took me to 6cc in my 10cc band. This is the first time I have felt true restriction; I am over the moon. At my lowest I had lost about 67 lbs. from the true start of my journey. I lost 47 of that after getting the band and I lost 16lbs all of last year. I have been fighting about 8 lbs with a come and go kind of thing, hence the reason for the fill. That and the hope it would get me moving in the right direction. The week before I re-read my manual from the doc and started to do some things differently...I lost 2 lbs.! Good luck, I turely hope you find us helpful.

[msdv 5]

Im about in the same boat. I was banded 8/2010 and lost 50lbs after that. I have been at a standstill ever since then.

I need to lose another 50lbs to reach my goal. I'm at good restriction I think so I really cannot each much. My surgeon is very conservative with fills so I'm about 5.5 in a 10cc band. I don't think I need another fill because if I eat too big a bite or too much I will be stuck. I just had a stuck episode and had to bring that back up (which I loathe)

This band was my last resort. I never thought I would have to do another diet other than living my lapband lifestyle but I have to admit here that I have even tried to do homeopathic HCG to quick start my losses again and I resent having to do that.

I hope more people post here with some suggestions or maybe the OP @Shannon will come back and share what her Dr. told her. I need all the help I can get.

[2012 359]

I have not had a fill yet, but I would like to also know what Shannon was told by her new person doing the fill, would you mind sharing pretty please?

[tatylicious 1]

Hi Shannon! ! My last dietitian appointment is Sep 5th then I get my surgery date!! I'm just wonder are you going to the gym consistently? ? This is my biggest fear getting stuck which is y I'm still debating between the bypass!! Good luck to you maybe some cardio will help

[SuzieQ99 0]

Hi, Everyone. I had m surgery 19 months ago in Jan. 2011. I've lost 55 lbs. and have been at a plateau for a while. I still haven't found my "sweet spot," and am going in for a fill next week. For me the hardest part has been getting organized. I haven't tracked my food and, frankly, have eaten too many sweets. They are my downfall! Exercising is sporadic for me. I vaguely know that I'm usually not getting enough Protein. I forget to drink Water at work and am often dehydrated. I've developed deficiencies in Vitamins B1 and D, but don't do a good job of taking all my Vitamins every day. My biggest excuse is that my job is tremendously stressful and I don't have "time" to put all that energy into taking care of myself.

I've just started trying something different.I had had good, temporary results with Weightwatchers online and decided to try it again just because the tracking tools are so good. Plus, having to pay for something gives me a bit more motivation. Also, I'm on the computer all the time. Since I spend a lot of time at work (and at home) on the computer, I already have the mindset of getting stuff done that way.

This new plan seems to working! WeightWatchers is so much easier now that I'm not hungry (starving) all the time the way I used to be. I like the point system and have found it very easy to stick to. It's easier not to eat stuff when I'm aware of how much I'm really putting into my mouth.

The program let's me track my food, liquids, activity, servings of fruit & veggies, vitamins and healthy oil. The only thing I feel like I needs that it doesn't track is the Proteins, so I'm keeping an extra spreadsheet for that.

The first few days I just kept eating the way I have been, but tracking it all. No wonder I wasn't losing weight! I was way over the daily & weekly points by a lot everyday. So then I became more serious about focusing on healthier choices. This is helped me eat more fruit & veggies too. The program gives me "happy faces" when I'm on track and that a huge motivation for me.

So far, it's working! For about 6 months I had been going up and between 195 and 192 lbs. Since I started keeping track, I'm down to 189 in two weeks. I'm amazed at how much I enjoy the new awareness of what I'm doing. This is something that I could never do before the surgery. I am not hungry, I am taking caref of myself and I feel very organized. The best part, for me, is that it doesn't feel like a "time suck." I would be happier with a program that was this easy and designed specifically for lap band. Next week I'll also meet with the nutritionist in the doctor's office to go over what I'm doing and get suggestions for tailoring it more for lap band.

Let me know what you think of this scheme. I live in a rural area and am a 4-hour drive away from the doctor's office and support groups. I haven't been on the forum for a long time, but feel like I'm starving for communication on this journey!

Here's another question: any suggestions for exercise? I've joined a gym, but it's very easy to be "too busy" to go. My main activity right now is walking at least 20 minutes a day. It always feels good, but I know it's not enough because otherwise my life is very sedenatry.

Looking forward to your responses! Sue