Hi need advice had my band done end jan I am bigger now than I was!! I have a 10ml band and had 7 put in every time they do it for few days I think finally its working and I struggle to eat Nd feel full quick but within a week I can eat fine I can eat a big plate of food no problem - been told to get another done but what's the point if it only works for couple days a time?! I'm trying to cut down myself to lose weight I know the band isn't a miracle but I am wondering why I spent thousands on it as so far it's not helping me at all any advice or experience the same thing? Thanks

have your surgeon check to see how much is in the band and compare what should be there. there could be a small leak. or you just haven't reached the right fill for you yet.

They checked last time as she didn't know what I was up too said it was all ok just so surprised I'm nearly at max yet I can still eat bread, rice, meats etc am I being impaitent expecting some weight loss in 5 months?

Why can't someone with a band not be able to eat rice, meats or bread? Most foods go through my band fine. But, I feel full after eating a lot less than I used to.

A fill seems to give me the same filling as you, for a few days afterwards I feel restriction and have to avoid a lot of foods, but within a few days I am able tolerate most foods without problems. But, I avoid starches like rice and breads.

They checked last time as she didn't know what I was up too said it was all ok just so surprised I'm nearly at max yet I can still eat bread, rice, meats etc am I being impaitent expecting some weight loss in 5 months?

Are you tracking your food; calories and Protein? If you're waiting for the band to stop you from eating, it won't. That's not what it's designed for. It's designed to signal you when to stop....on much smaller portions. If you ignore the signals & eat right past it, you won't lose weight.

As labwalker said, the band doesn't stop you from eating bread, rice, meat, etc. Some people have issues with certain foods, and avoid them. Many are fine with bread (I am), but some have an issue. Some people do fine with steak, some don't. If they've ruled out a leak in your band, maybe there is some confusion on what the band is supposed to do?

Hi need advice had my band done end jan I am bigger now than I was!! I have a 10ml band and had 7 put in every time they do it for few days I think finally its working and I struggle to eat Nd feel full quick but within a week I can eat fine I can eat a big plate of food no problem - been told to get another done but what's the point if it only works for couple days a time?! I'm trying to cut down myself to lose weight I know the band isn't a miracle but I am wondering why I spent thousands on it as so far it's not helping me at all any advice or experience the same thing? Thanks

I'M so sorry I WILL KEEP U IN MY PRAYERS

Everyone's journey to sufficient restriction is different - mine was 5 fills. Until you reach that spot its' pure will power and determination that drives the bus. Even after restriction it takes an extraordinary amount of determination to stay on track. Do not allow yourself to eat a big plate of food! Eat a small amount and walk away. I gave up eating "meals." Instead, I literally eat all day long - just small amounts. Effectively, I've become a "grazer" which has its pros and cons dependent on your lifestyle and schedule. Evenly spreading your calories out rather than clumping them together is superior for your metabolism, bodily chemical balances, etc. Be patient, determined, energetic, and you'll be in the driver's seat soon.

Brad

You've received some good advice here.

You have to realize the band isn't supposed to physically stop you from eating anything. That is exactly why it's so important to stick to band sized portions and not even serve yourself a big plate of food. The band is there to control your hunger and allow you to be satisfied on less food for longer periods of time. Making good food choices and sticking to band sized portions is your responsibility and always will be.

Have a look at this link, I think it'll give you much more realistic expectations of what the band does (and doesn't) do: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Best wishes.

I wish I'd never got it I was told it would stop me over eating and I'd physically not be able to over eat I feel like I have been mid sold this and wasted thousands if I could cut back and not over eat I'd have lost the weight myself years ago? Struggling to see the point of the band if you can eat past it - and if its down to will power why doesnt everyone do that anyway? i was told by surgeon id not be able to ear most meat or bread thats why i thought that - sorry to be negative but not feeling very positive right now about this thanks for the advice though

I wish I'd never got it I was told it would stop me over eating and I'd physically not be able to over eat I feel like I have been mid sold this and wasted thousands if I could cut back and not over eat I'd have lost the weight myself years ago? Struggling to see the point of the band if you can eat past it - and if its down to will power why doesnt everyone do that anyway? i was told by surgeon id not be able to ear most meat or bread thats why i thought that - sorry to be negative but not feeling very positive right now about this thanks for the advice though

What's done is done. Look forward to what can be. Just because you can eat past your band, doesn't mean that you should. Measure your food and don't eat past that point. As you stated, you already spent thousands of dollars on the band....get the most out of your investment. Focus on Protein first. Plan your meals for the week. Make a plate of food and put the rest away so you aren't tempted to have seconds.

I know it is hard but you have to put your mind to it. The band can only take you so far....you have to do the rest!!

Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

Have a look at this link' date=' I think it'll give you much more realistic expectations of what the band does (and doesn't) do: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Best wishes.

Informative link - thank you!

I wish I'd never got it I was told it would stop me over eating and I'd physically not be able to over eat I feel like I have been mid sold this and wasted thousands if I could cut back and not over eat I'd have lost the weight myself years ago? Struggling to see the point of the band if you can eat past it - and if its down to will power why doesnt everyone do that anyway? i was told by surgeon id not be able to ear most meat or bread thats why i thought that - sorry to be negative but not feeling very positive right now about this thanks for the advice though

I'm very sorry you feel mislead. It's unfortunate but too often we see newly banded people who either weren't given all the necessary info or outdated info.

But here's the thing: The band may not stop you from eating, but it will definitely make it a lot easier to stop yourself. When you have adequate Fluid in your band, you can easily go 4 or more hours without hunger after eating very little food. A good example- today I had about a cup of Chinese food for lunch. I didn't finish it because I felt satisfied before it was gone. That was about 6 hours ago and it's now almost 9pm where I am- I just realized I haven't had dinner. Why? Because I'm not hungry so I forgot. The band does a superb job controlling hunger, and when you're not hungry all the time and satisfied on very little food, you're no longer preoccupied with food either.

You have a really great tool for weight loss. It's only a waste of money if you choose not to use it. You have it and you now have a better understanding of what it does (and doesn't do), so why not use it?

Best wishes.

With my first band it took me 8.5cc in a 10cc band to get good restriction. Like you, I didn't even feel it until I got to about 7cc. Like you, I'd feel it for a few days then the swelling from the fill would settle and it would disappear.

All it means is you're not yet at your green zone. Get more fills.

Now to add to what Missy said, when I'm in the green zone, I actually FEEL like I can't eat anymore once I've eaten a little bit of food. I'm right now sitting in front of a plate of food and I've had 3 bites and feel no desire to eat anymore because I feel like I can't take another bite. That's what you're striving for when getting the right restriction, imo. Satiety. Satisfaction. But you can push past that feeling and keep going if you really wanted to, risking stretching your pouch and over-eating. That's where your band stops and where YOU kick in, to ensure you keep to band-sized meals. But with the right restriction, you shouldn't be hungry for a long while even after eating that little.

So is it just me or is anyone else wondering why her doctor can't tell her what is in her band? My doctor logs ever cc in.

Your doctor should be able to look at your chart and add up all the in and deduct all the out (if any) and be able to tell you what you have in. Then pull out whats in the band and see if it matches what should be there. If it doesn't match... you may have a leak.

I know after my fills i felt full for weeks. Than as i lost it got looser. But that was just my experience..

Good luck

when I'm in the green zone, I actually FEEL like I can't eat anymore once I've eaten a little bit of food. I'm right now sitting in front of a plate of food and I've had 3 bites and feel no desire to eat anymore because I feel like I can't take another bite.

DITTO

I've read countless places (books, articles, posts), that the food is no longer above the band within a minute or two of the last bite, so we should be able to continue eating, but as you said, there is no desire.

I've also read countless posts that after a week of feeling like you are in the green zone, it can disappear. I'm hoping this fill actually did it. It's a week today and I'm still feeling satisfied on very little food.

Sorry you have to go through all this, I understand its frustrating sometimes. I've had the same problems you have in the past, but I would just go get a fill. (About every 3 months) Sometimes I would hit the green zone, sometimes not. And yes, I could eat a big plate of food too,. Why? you ask ? because I was HUNGRY !!! ALOT !!! But its a daily learning thing of what to do and not do. When I started eating too much, I found that if I ate a band sized meal of protein and veggies, I was still hungry, so I would fill in around the edges with as much salad or veggies as I wanted. It always worked , as I wasn't hungry anymore, so I could keep my mind off of food ! I also didn't have to make or buy any different foods, and my body liked all the salad and raw veggies. I lost 50 lbs the 1st 7 months, (banded Dec,2011 at 225 lbs ) now im SLOWLY take off the remaining weight and im down to 162 !!! (Goal is 140 !) 3 weeks ago my Lap band Dr told me to I was eating too much, so go for about 1200 cals daily, move exercise from 3-4 x a week to 4-6, and track everything on an app like myfitnesspal.com. Ummm, ok, I 'll try it......... Hey !! I lost 4 lbs the 1st week and 1.5 lbs each week after that so far ! OK!!! I can do this and so can you !!! Good luck !!