When I hear others say that they are not happy with getting the band......To me and for me it has been such a lifesaving experience....I know that I have probably done better than the average person seeing as how I have lost 61 lbs in 2 months but everyone does things differently... I have been lucky and my first fill was wonderful and has allowed me to lose 20+ lbs since it....but I wonder how many people that think the band isnt working for them really is putting 100% in to it as they should....Exercise is A BIG IMPORTANT factor and balancing those calories is as well....NOT TO EAT Toooooo many but NOT TO EAT tooooooo few...that is the key....My doctor specifically said to not eat below 800 and not more than 1200.......so I range it in there somewhere and it works well......

Please dont give up to all those that are questioning if the band is working......work it dont let it work you! Its your tool and if you work it then it will work! and exercise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and then exercise some more ....hang in there and if there is anything I can do EVER EVER EVER to help anyone...please dont ever hesitate to contact me....

Much much love to all my fam on here

Carla--

I am VERY impressed !!! You go woman!!! Good job!!! Like you I am VERY happy w/ the band....it has saved my life and has offered me a feeling of control for the first time in a lonnnnnnnnnng time!

I had my first fill this month and I lost about 6lbs in 3 days....hoping to keep going!!! What a rush to do so well!!!!

Keep up the good work!!!!!

God Bless,

Melody

Banded 3/20/06 -43lbs

I havent lost that much weight, but I didnt have that much to lose in the first place. I had lost 50% of my excess at 5 months, my doc was really really pleased with me. I've never PB'd or had difficulty with any foods either, so I'm probably in the same boat - one of the lucky ones for whom it does work very well.

But I think whether you say it works or not depends largely on your expectations of it! I'm pretty sure a lot of people expect that they're not going to have to put in much work themselves, that they just wont be able to eat much and that magically they'll lose weight. It doesnt work that way at all. There's always personal choice and willpower come into play. I suspect people that want their bands that way are also the people who need to be very tight to feel in control.

I think 15lb in 5 months is success! We all lose weight at different rates and by different methods and I think you just have to accept that the way the band works for you is your personal success and not to compare yourself to other people.

I could be anxious and worrying about "can I eat too much"? But instead I just feel lucky that I get to lose weight without the downsides of having trouble eating out or PBing all the time. So what if I dont lose it as fast as someone else?

I think that holds true for most people but there are people whose eating is so disordered and who have so many issues to do with food that the band in itself is not enough for them. I really feal for those people because I think a lot of the time those problems are almost insurmountable.

Thank you Carlacollins!! I am still waiting for my band and will admit that after reading some post, I was getting nervous. I realize that everyone has a different experience but I sure hope that mine is as positive as yours. Or close to it.

Thanks again,

Hi, I am very new to the site and was just banded tuesday. I am having some issues that nobody seems to be able to explain. I have this full heavy feeling in my chest and between my shoulder blades. They tell me I have to come back for an x-ray but I don't feel any different than when they x-rayed after surgery. Has anyone had this feeling before? It is almost like it is in my throat or something. I can't really explain it. My sister said she had a similar feeling after having her gall bladder removed and her dr. said gas....any ideas?

Thanks to everyone for your kind words and your encouragement..........

Tamt.......its gas....most of us have had it....it will go away...hang in there....

Tamt - I would have guessed gas. When they bloat you for surgery, it stretches the diahpram and causes it to be achy for a while. Those pains "radiate" up into the chest and shoulders, sometimes the neck. My was like a band around my lower rib cage. It hurt like crazy to breathe in very deep.

Many suggest a heating pad on the area. I know that the more I was able to move around, the quicker the pain subsided. I hope it goes away quickly for you. *hugs*

Carla - I think it's both amazing and wonderful that you've lost so much weight in such a short amount of time. Your advice to everyone is spot on. And please, don't let people dampen your spirits or take away any praise you deserve by claiming that this is just a "honeymoon phase" that you will eventually get over. Keep up the good work, stay committed and focused, and enjoy your success. Thanks for sharing that bit of encouragement for others. It's appreciated. *hugs*

Mrs Husker- I was so nervous too....afraid of what would happen...or what wouldnt happen etc......but you will do fine......Good luck

Thank you photo....if not for you..I would never have made it through those first few days thanks again...and I am very happy and I hope that everyone else has as much NO MORE success than I have...I love all you guys very much

Photo: I just realized something...you have lost alot in a short amount of time as well......68.5 and you were banded 2 months before me.. YOU GO GIRL! and the new avatar looks nice as well!

Hey Carla - It's a blast losing all this weight isn't it? *grins*

I'm glad I was able to help ya out, and thanks for the compliments.

*big hugs*

hugs and smiles...you deserve that and more

Carla, it makes me sad too, I have to admit. What I think is most likely the culprit, in MANY cases, is a lack of patience. Sure it's true that we have to work with our bands and not against them, but we also have to give it time to work. That's the big unknown and unknowable factor: how our bodies will react to limited food in the short term. In the LONG term it's absolutely true that limiting calories will result in weight loss. But not necessarily over the weekend.

It seems that when I see posts from people worried that their band is failing them, it's based on a "plateau" of a couple of weeks (or even days!), and this is a complete fallacy. ANY weight loss regimen is going to go in fits and starts, and everyone loses weight differently. That's why I hate hearing "1-2 lbs a week" as a standard, because that implies a steady loss at that rate. I know for me was indeed like 1-2 lbs a week over time, but ONLY when looking backward over great periods, like six months or a year.

Rather than watching the scale closely we should look continuously at the micro issues: how do we physically live with the band? Is it causing pain? Can we eat a meal comfortably? Have we learned how to be satisfied on a small amount of food? Are we dealing with cravings sensibly? Are we getting enough Fluid? Are we getting some activity in on a daily basis? If all of these issues are addressed successfully, the weight loss will follow. Maybe not at a consistent pace of 1-2 lbs a week, but over time it will, most likely, average out to something in that neighborhood.

Patience. Consistency. Realistic expectations. An understanding that restriction changes with adjustments and over time. These are the keys to a happy bandster journey.

Tamt......the discomfort and pain you are discribing sounds just like gas. As P'nut explained they use gas to expand your abdomen so that they can see where they are going during surgery. It is very usual for any type of laprascopic surgery to have this feeling. What we tell our patients is toget up and walk. Sometimes bloating occurs and it can last anywhere from 1 week to 5 or 6 depending on how much you ambulate. Its not always the thing you want to do but it does help in the long run.Aside from the earlier mentiioned areas...The gas can make you feel like you are having a heart attack also.....such terrible pressure at your sternum chest area. Heating pads are wonderful as well. But in the long run the only thing to help make that gas break up is to walk walk and walk. Hope that you are feeling better soon!

well said Alexandra......we would be horrified if we gained 10+ lbs in a week but if we dont lose 10+ lbs in a week..then we are horrified.....*sigh*

Carla-You go girl. AWESOME job!!!!

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