As I was walking from the train to my office this morning two thoughts struck me like a shovel in the back of the head.

My first thought was that I have lost 90 pounds and I haven’t really noticed. There have been times when I have lost weight before but on those occasions I was highly motivated. As soon as the motivation waned I put the weight back on. This time I would say that my motivation level is, at best moderate and I have managed to lose 90 lbs. For the last 2 months I have lost weight at a slow rate, this is also abnormal for me and one of the things I am most excited about. In the past if I was not losing big I was gaining big. That sort of weight loss and gain, as you all know, is bad.

I measure weight loss in increments of five (old habits die hard) only because I could lose 5 pounds a week easily. Now it takes at least 2 and often 3 weeks for me to lose 5 pounds.

The amazing part is that I keep losing, it has been an adjustment, but even when I feel discouraged I am unable to put on any significant weight. I feel strongly that my band has made it possible to moderate weight loss and gain and by doing so it has also had a moderating affect on my motivation and moods. I no longer seem to get all depressed and eat 6000 calories because I am unhappy due to a loss of control or a sudden 3 pound gain due to salt intake.

The second thought that struck me was that I needed to tell everyone at Lap Band Talk that the band works. I feel strongly that I made the right decision and that the future is bright. When I initially decided to get banded I did so because I thought that the band would be a weapon in my battle with obesity and it has. It is one weapon and a good one at that. No longer do I feel like I have brought a knife (and fork, just to add a little humour) to a gunfight.

I have learned a lot from the good folks I have met hear at LBT and I wanted to thank each and every one of you for your advice, guidance, fairness and most of all your differences. I believe that each of you have made my band a more affective weapon by ensuring that I understand that I needed to learn how to use the weapon and that I knew that it was not going to end the war only better prepare me for battle.

Finally I wanted to say that I know that everyone’s experience is different and success varies by individual. I don’t want to infer that the lap band is the answer and that it should work for everyone and if it doesn’t you have failed. We are all fighting our own personal wars and different wars require different weapons.

Last but not least I need to make this statement, if anyone wants to know what I think about the effectiveness of Gastric banding I say loudly

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IT WORKS<o:p></o:p>

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P.S. Sorry about all the war analogies but I like the knife and fork joke so I stuck with gun and war theme<o:p></o:p>

it is so exciting to hear about your loss

yep thats what I hear

But for me the really really big advantage of the band is that on bad days, during bad weeks you dont gain weight.

When I dont behave like a dieter - ie. when I dont keep a rough control of calories and when I dont mostly avoid fattening foods, I dont lose weight.

Its just that when you have a breather or fall off the wagon a bit or simply dont try so hard for while you dont start to regain, it doesnt turn into a huge binge. And I can see now how I wont simply start to get heavier when I reach my goal weight.

THIS is why I got this band. I am a great starter, and an even better quitter!

I'm going thru all the old threads on my subscribed list, cleaning house so to speak, and found a few that deserved a quick bump to the top of the list. This was definitely one of them! So inspiring.

I'd say the #1 reason I know it works is pretty similar...

I've been having a pretty rough month. I moved, am still looking for a job, my car/ipod/sunglasses were stolen, and my computer died. In the past five weeks, I've exercised maybe twice or three times. I started eating whatever I wanted for every meal, including lots of sushi (rice), burgers, potatoes, pizza, fried foods, chips, chocolate, fast food, whatever I wanted. My restriction isn't at the level where it can stop me, and I can eat what I would call normal sized portions (i.e. equal to someone of normal weight who isn't banded - not what i ate pre-band). I also have been in party mode and drinking 5 or so nights per week (which can be anywhere from 200-500 calories per night). Not the ideal bandster, I have to say...

So my lowest weight pre-craziness was 260. Weighed this morning, I'm at 263. In a month of doing all sorts of craziness, I have gained maybe 3 lbs (now I say maybe because my weight does fluctuate a lot, and 4 days ago I was at 260 still).

So I'm ready to jump-start my weight loss again. I've committed to at least a ten-day run of no drinking alcohol or high-calorie liquids, and no eating anything that I don't cook in my own kitchen or that's processed.

But still... 1+ month of no motivation to lose weight and bad choices... And I'm still within a 3-lb. range (normally my "hey wake up!" point is 5 lbs, due to fluctuation).

Anyway, just thought i'd jump on a bandwagon.

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">It has been some time since I originally posted this but my feelings have not changed. I have not yet broken the 100 lb barrier but I am very close, 2 pounds. This summer has been a great one filled with all the ingredients that make another perfect summer. I have not been a good bandster eating too much BBQ,d steak and chicken along with lots of ice cold beer and great wines. Still I am down another 8 lbs, not a huge number but still pretty good considering any other time I would have put on 50 pounds or more.

Yes I am still happy and yes the band works I have lost 8 pounds during a period that would have normally see me gain.

I leave today with my family for two weeks in England and Ireland, a trip that we have been looking forward to for some time. As soon as I get back it's time to get back in the saddle and focus on some significant weight loss. But for now I plan to feel good about my accomplishments as I enjoy a few pints of Guiness.

Who knows, I may even dance a jig or two

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Thank you so much for your post. I am stuck in lack of proper fill land and I think I am still better off. I don't think I could gain unless I really started hitting the caloric liquids alot. And I know I can lose easily when I have my restriction. It was really easy the 6 weeks after surgery. Just gotta get the fill! It is totally "the tool" and I still love it.