1 year...90 pounds...and some (hard learned) sage advice

[joni2 27]

Reading all the posts on this topic is a real eye opener. I have a lot to think about. So far I've done very well. X- mas has been very hard. Was banded on 04/30/12, so this is my first holiday. I have gone from 272 to 187. I am realizing this is such a life changing decision and so different for each person on this walk. I want to learn from each post and appreciate each comment. Thanks for sharing and caring enough to be honest.

[MiniMi 1,468]

Missy and Sojo couldn't have voiced my opinion better. Any time you have to medicate daily to survive its not a good thing. I was wondering if your surgeon knows your approach. It seems dangerous to me.

You can lose weight with the band without taking the approach that you have. Maybe you could find a happy medium between never losing and being too tight.

I'll be happy to hear that you never developed the conditions that I fear you are heading for.

Best of luck to you!

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

i agree with missy and others on the seriousness of being too tight,

tmf is dead on in regards that living on mush is not a way to live...

"Folks who want their cake and and eat it too (literally) will opt to keep their band fairly open, allowing them to eat what they want"

i guess this is me.. i eat what i want in smaller amounts and make good choices of crap food vs healthy foods. i dont have any fills and have lost 88 pounds with out one so far. so it can be done by eating to lose weight.

[cantbetoothinortoorich 20]

TMF - I prefer my big "O's" lying down....my knees get too weak.....

Hey, again, I understand the slow and steady not much sacrafice approach....I followed it as well until the weight stopped comming off. Im not advocating a life on smoothies and nuts; I am suggesting for those who are taking that route for whom it is not (no longer) working that PERHAPS you may not be tight enough...

I indulged for 25 years...I am OK with a year or two of sacrafice to get to my goal weight...I am not satisfied with simply saying the journey is enough and if I get there fine, if I dont 'Im eating healthy'...For me its about reaching the goal and then being heathly foreverafter...not reaching the goal is not acceptable to me...taking years to get there is not either. Its a personal choice.

Some folks who have advocated against my approach have lost immense amounts of weight doing it their way...but one should look at it as a percentage of total body weight...if I lost 90 in a year and someone else lost 180...my 90 may be 33% of my body weight and their 180 may be 20%...at some point they too may reach that point of diminisging return (as I did) where they too stop losing. I would recommend exercise, change in food types, more Water...but if that didnt work I would also suggest less calories as a possible means of continuing the loss...I couldnt do that without the band's help...others may have more self control than I.

And for those who have said the band does not work at all...those are the folks to whom I was initially talking...those who may want to eat what they want BUT WHO ARE NOT LOSING WEIGHT....the have their cake and eat it too eprson...they incurred an expensive and dangerous procedure to offset the risk of dying from obesity...(we all did)...why not sacarafice for a while to have the chance to dance at your children's wedding or to hold your first grandchild? ...seth

[joni2 27]

Lv ur response

[ginadon 17]

Thanks for posting this.... You described my life over the last year to a tee! I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one having these issues and yes including the impacted colon... Not fun! But you know when I look in the mirror at my body or slip on the size 8 jeans I know my journey has been worth it!

My relationship with food has absolutely changed and it will stick for the rest if my life , I never want to be the obese person I once was as the person I am today is healthier and soooo much happier and I wouldn't trade that for any plate of food!