So, it has been a year...and what a year! I set a goal to be at my goal weight on my 1 year mark...not realistic, but that is what goals are for...to motivate you. I lost 90 pounds...30 more to go. I feel....great...I can run up stairs, play with my dog/daughter (yes, in that order) and make love for hours...what else is there in life??

And I have come to some truths about lap band...it works if you let it. I was so confused when I started as to why there was such a broad swath of experiences...from very successful to folks who had it removed. It is all clear to me now...the difference between success and failure is all in the adjustments.

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. Those who want to loose will keep getting fills until they can no longer eat bread and are satiated with about 3 oz of food. Crazy people like me will have it tightened to the point of being on a perpetual liquid/mush diet until goal, and then a setting that permits you to maintain thereafter. The difference between these types of peole is those who are motivation to win vs those who are not yet wiling to give up food as a crutch. I have been both of these people...and I have opted to win.

And it it not easy. I have sad days when I miss eating (many). I have jealous days when I watch others eat pizza and egg rolls (what else is there?) and I have days when I try to eat more than I should, or something that I should not have and..yes...it all comes back up...and then I have those days when I get on the scale and I have lost another 10 pounds, bought my 3rd belt, experienced my forth drop in pants size, gave all my clothing to charity (I kept the underwear), looked in the mirror ( I have not done that in 20 years) and no longer recognized myself...

I often have to remind myself that I got here through glutney and I am now paying the price...and the trade off is more than fair...forty + years of pizza and chinese food vs 1-2 years of protien shakes...and a longer, happier and healthy life forward. You have to keep it all in perspective and always keep your mind on the goal, not what you are giving up..what you are gaining by losing.

And a couple of other nuggests...I know foam, slime, burning...all too well...and I have come to another truth (took a year)...you HAVE to take anti-acid meds every day (cause of foam/burning) and allergy meds as well (cause of slime). Without them you will suffer terribly and you will losen your band to stop these symptoms when you could keep the band tight and control them with meds. Try if for a few weeks and then stop...you will see a difference and be convinced to stay on them (minimally) until you reach goal. Walmart has very inexpensive and effective generic anti-acid pills...the dollar store as well, but they dont work as well. For allergies I use Singulair...it has the least side effects for me. We wont discuss constipation...I got impacted once...it was a horrible experience...I proactivly take softeners now when needed...never let it get away from you or you could be in the ER with a latex hand up your rear (for those of you, like me, who DONT enjoy that)....the rest of you...well...get help...

I hope this helps someone become (more) successful, feel less alone, suffer less...learn from my mistakes......Seth

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!

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.

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

Lv ur response

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!