I was banded in June of 2011. From June to January, I steadily lost 2lbs. a week. I lost 35 pounds in total. Around the holidays, I began to eat more sweets and it was a slippery slope. In the last 7 months, I have put back all but 10 of those pounds. I've only had 2 fills. When I went for the second fill, the doctor almost wouldn't give it to me because there were a few things that would come back up. Turns out, the only things that come back are the healthy things - meat mostly, chicken, fish and beef. As the weight came back on, I got more and more discouraged and never went back. I'm discouraged to say the least, and now am thinking of just having it removed. The problem I have is addiction to food. The reason I lost 35 pounds is because I was tracking my food and eating 1000 - 1200 calories a day. I could have (and still could) do that without the lap band. I just wondered if any one else has had this experience. Also if anyone has had a lap band removed, without there being a major complication with it. :-(

I'm so sorry you are discouraged and facing a real struggle to lose weight or take it off again. I am sure that is very diffiult, both physically and emotionally. Are you able to get down foods like tuna or other fish, or protein shakes, or other foods that will sustain you? If so, maybe you can talk to your doctor again, or perhaps see another doctor in the office or another office. Let them know that some foods are hard to get down, but others are not, and that you need a fill to succeed. I know at my doctor's office there are 3 doctors who do fills and they each have such a different perspective. They have a vested interest in your success because your success is also their success, as professionals. Don't give up! You have lost a lot of weight and you just need to re-energize. Your addiction to food will eventually make you miserable, sick or dead! Be strong and courageous and make a fresh start! You can do this!

You can succeed at this. You have to decide you are worth it, take ownership of your process and get the fills you need. Go see your nutritionist and psychologist that you saw before you started. Don't say "I can't" until you've truly tried everything you "can" to get back on track. I have lost and regained 52lbs on weight watchers. I know how much that discourages you. Don't wait three years like I did to decide I was worth starting over!

I understand your frustration. The band wasn't the tool for me I hoped it would be. However I lost all my excess weight due to sticking with a program, despite lots of hunger. If you've really had it with the band, why not get the fluid removed rather than another surgery. I imagine you would get loose enough to eat chicken and such. Just a thought. Good luck!

No doubt, the band will not do it for you. It only helps. You still have to watch your intake, your calories, how and what you eat. You still have to exercise.

That's the problem.

In the end, if you succeed, it's not the band... it's you.

And if you fail, it's not the band, it's you.

That's the harsh reality of it.

The good news is that you can do it. You can make it work. Just go back to the basics, and keep working the plan.

When you can't keep down healthy food your band is too tight. I've struggled just like you and kept thinking I needed more fills because I'm starving and how terrible the band is and what's wrong with me because everyone can lose weight with it but me, blah blah blah, etc etc! Its really very simple but it took me 3 years to learn this: When you are hungry and can't keep down good solid protein you will fill up on sliders. It doesn't seem like you are eating much but you are consuming lots of calories. It doesn't matter if you have 10 ccs or 2 ccs! Get a tiny unfill so you can comfortably eat 4 oz of protein & 1/2 cup of veggies & fruit. The band will only help with hunger if you are eating correctly and drinking 8-10 cups of water a day. Do what you know you need to do! Keep us posted. Good luck. :-)

JennyPenny I can so completly relate but Please don’t give up, I went in faithfully every 3 weeks for fills for 7 months after I was banded in April of 2011, it wasn’t working for me I would get a fill and be starved by the time I got home, next morning fighting all the urges that come with hunger, after 7 months my doc told me I had a leak.....I was very depressed but in a sense, happy that I could get it fixed and the band might work, after my second surgery and my second fill they had a horrid time giving me a fill and then halfway home I realized I was overfilled, with that experience it took me 6 months to get the nerve to go in again, some things where getting stuck but most of the time my appetite was very high, he also decided I did not need a fill, again feeling like a failure and that this is and was just not going to work for me, 6 months later I went in and basically begged for a fill, I had been here to this forum enough to know what I should be feeling and at no time in the last year have I truly 100% experienced this "green zone" they gave me 1/4 of a cc and I am now in the green zone I GET IT! no breads, eat slow, no soda, 3 small (less the 1/2cup) meals a day and full for 4 hours, and all the other little things you hear about, good and bad, I am here the GREEN ZONE I have averaged a 1.5 lb. weight loss per week, and I am so glad I didn’t give up, so please don’t give up it might take longer then you had expected and it might just take a drop or two but just know you will get there eventually.