It's like a love/hate relationship I have with my band -- UGH! Damn if I do (with restriction) and Damn if I don't (a looser band).

I will tell you, after having a restrictive band year in and year out...sometimes it get OLD...at least for me.

With my old band, I had kiss a@@ restriction and lived with that for years, until I had saline removed and I honestly (welcomed it) because I was sick and tired of getting food stuck, slimming, etc. chewing, etc.

When my surgeon removed some saline back in 2012 due to a hiatal hernia and back pain when it was filled optimally-- I felt FREE.. a release from (lap band jail)...LOL....

I felt so free, I went wild....I ate a Five Guys burger, with melted cheese and fries without getting that ( Deer in the Headlights) Look...you know what I am talking about .

Then I had a delicious philly cheese steak sandwich with toasted bun, onions the whole nine yards....I was on a roll....

I continued my FREEDOM...Until my pants started to get tight...and then I had to go shopping again for a new size....

At this time, my band was still pretty empty, I could not fill it properly because I had back and chest pains from my hernia, so I continued on a downward spiral of FREEDOM....forget about ice cream and candy...you know the sliders we sneak and eat with a very tight band....I wanted REAL food...and I got it...

Well...50 pounds later and finding myself in a size tight 16-18 pants...something that I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN WITH A LAP BAND INSTALLED....HAPPENED TO ME...ME? I was the person that was obsessed with the scale, someone who walked at 5 each morning, in 20-30 degree temperatures for 6 straight years...because I HAD CHANGED MY LIFESTYLE FOREVER? EVER ...EVER?

Once I found a surgeon to HELP me repair my hernia, give me a second chance to get my "grove back" I was humbled and grateful..

THE MORAL OF MY POST IS...NEVER THINK YOU GOT THIS WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY IN THE PALM OF YOUR HANDS....BECAUSE ANYTHING CAN COME AND TAKE IT AWAY FROM YOU ....

When the lap band is UNFILLED AFTER YEARS OF EATING HARDLY NOTHING...your metabolism gets SHOT...and if you EVER have to get unfilled....THE WEIGHT CAN COME BACK QUICKLY...I GAINED 20 pounds in ONE month....

And oh yea....after I had ..had my feel of Burgers and Cheese Steaks....it was too late to eat Broccoli and baked chicken....no matter what I'd done with a LOOSE band...I could NOT get the weight off UNTIL I got my lap band properly restricted again.....

It took over 14 months JUST TO LOSE the 50 pound weight gain, I was FINALLY BACK to my old lap band fighting weight ...it sure was not easy like it was when I was first banded...

So while my lap band (SuzieQ) is working NOW in full over load.....I still want to stuff my face and I can't, I just can't do it.....and you know what? I glad.... ...

Please respect your band and cherish with love, because one day...you may find yourself IN FREEDOM with an unfilled band and that is a very SCARY place to be!

Edited January 7, 201412 yr by NaNa

Rebanded 1/14/14, feel pretty good about second time around. First time I went 4 years using the band properly,then I thought I could eat like other people, my mistake.

Must remember I CAN'T eat like other people,

First post op Dr. visit Monday 1/20/14. Thank you all for not letting me forget....I guess it's just "One Day at a Time" or "One Meal at a Time"

Oh my goodness NaNa....I could have written your post!!! I had my fluid removed in July and I went crazy! I never really thought i would but.... As I started to refill I thought I'd keep it a little loose and do the rest on my own...wrong! Since my lowest I have regained 40 lbs! It sure goes on a hell of a lot faster than it goes off! I bought size a bigger at the beginning of the school year and even they are getting tight. I'm going tomorrow for another fill ( fingers crossed this will help). I know that I am mentally addicted to food so I need this tool to be aggressive and help. I have to " know" that the bread and stuff will not go down for me to avoid it.

I go to my first post op visit today and hope I can get a fill soon. I feel hungry at night just like before.

Eating soups and cottage cheese like crazy. Need a fill so I don't start overeating again.

Wish I had a scale here that went over 300 lbs.Anyway, I feel good and hopeful for the future.

actually....I'm rethinking the term "restriction".....

......perhaps a different term would be more......user friendly....

maybe something like......"alternately enabled".....

well I've tried it for a few days in reading some of these posts.

I have to agree, it ain't what you call the Rose that makes it smell....

'Sport eating" vs "Over eating" doesn't change the behavior but does show a certain contempt for repeating my own FAIL eating behavior that would be humorous in other circumstances.

We ALL must find a way to feed our Inner Selves in a way our Outter Selves don't hit the mega-sizes.

One tiny behavior that helps me often when MY control starts slipping....is to develop some kind of little mini-ceremonial activity...

using the same dish perhaps, or only sit in a certain chair facing a certain direction. Making sure that only a particular cup is what I use for certain liquids.....and all of course, smaller than the MUG sizes used preOp.

I've discovered becoming somewhat 'fussy' can act in my eating compulsiveness.....so it rarely gets to that point.

Edited January 21, 201412 yr by Jack

I'm a novice at this band...only have had mine for a little over 8 weeks...so I get concerned when I read stories like these...but feel I am already there...I had my first fill of 2 cc's and I feel I can eat more than I should be able to eat. At first I would get my food stuck and that was very painful, due to eating to fast and not chewing enough. I learned to slow down a bit, but fear I still eat too fast...but I am able to eat things that folks have told me I shouldn't be able to eat? Is there something wrong? My doctor's staff told me I needed to increase my protein-which I have...but I can eat alot more than I think I should be able too. Last night I ate some Wendy's chili and although it wasn't painful heartburn I felt alittle discomfort (nothing that kept me awake or anything)...so I was wondering if any of you long timers could let me know if this is something I need to report to the doctor or not? Thanks!!!

Good to hear you still have your old band, I honestly miss my truly, but I have come accustom to this bigger Allergan Band, it definitely does not have the restriction the older band has, but overall I am happy with it, my insurance paid for my revision so I can't argue too much.

We are in the fight together to stop this regain, good to hear you are heading back on the right path!

1st off congrats on your weight loss .

i had some questions , from what you wrote i think you had both the swedish band ( realize bad ) and now you have the lap-band (LAGB) i am contemplating surgery soon and have the option between both bands.

so could you tell me about them both, pros./cons and difference ?

i have heard that they are mostly the same but that the realize band has a bigger port therefore a bigger incision and scar afterwards than the lap-band ? is this true ?

this questions i know i ll get dirty looks for and all but i want to know when you said that you ate philly cheese steak sandwich and burgers when you were unfilled does this mean you couldn't eat them when you were filled ?

am not asking this question because i wana eat it every day but i would like to every now and then eat them with my kids/family .......

really feeling down I have had my band since Jan. 09. I originally lost 120 pounds, but have now gained back 70. I know that it is totally my fault, I stopped exercising and started eating the slider foods cause real food always got stuck. I had an endoscopy this morning and Dr. said nothing was wrong so will send me to dietitian to learn to eat right again. My problem is I'm afraid that I can't loss it all again and that I'm just doomed to be huge....wish I could go back and not stop the exercising process. Not sure what to do anymore.

really feeling down I have had my band since Jan. 09. I originally lost 120 pounds, but have now gained back 70. I know that it is totally my fault, I stopped exercising and started eating the slider foods cause real food always got stuck. I had an endoscopy this morning and Dr. said nothing was wrong so will send me to dietitian to learn to eat right again. My problem is I'm afraid that I can't loss it all again and that I'm just doomed to be huge....wish I could go back and not stop the exercising process. Not sure what to do anymore.

I am sorry to hear this. I hope the dietitian can help you. I have gained about 5-9 pounds lately and it sucks. My go to food was and is bread. I try not to have any good ones in the house but restaurants I do love it. Maybe have someone do your food shopping. I wish you good luck. Now that spring is more or less here take walks

I love this thread. It reminds me that I'm not alone in my struggles. I am starting over as of today.

I have the old 4cc band from 2006. My pre-surgery weight was 206 and I'm now at 247. I've been unfilled at least 3 times (once for pregnancy) and each time I gain a little more. Originally I got the band because I wanted to look good and be thin like I was when I was in my 20's, but now I want to be healthy and get rid of high bp, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, etc. Different motivation seems to make a big difference in my mind. I feel more determined because I want to be there for my 6 year old for a long time.

This morning I had my first fill in over a year. My band was pretty much empty. So I'm on liquids for 2 days and soft foods for 2 days. Things have changed since 2006 and I'm so grateful to have more information now.

Thanks everyone for the support and happy banding.

Always please if there are any concerns about anything ask your Surgeon and if your having heart burn your surgeon know , please , I know just for me I don't get it any more , I don't know if when you had your band placed if they also did a Hiatal Hernia repair , I know y surgeon did mine , and I have had no issues with gerd, heart burn or acid reflux since, and I had it bad where I had to wake up from a deep sleep or what ever just to run to the toilet and get sick with it all to come up , I used to live on Imodium for IBS and Tums for the heart burn, so any concerns please ask your surgeon ,

I'm a novice at this band...only have had mine for a little over 8 weeks...so I get concerned when I read stories like these...but feel I am already there...I had my first fill of 2 cc's and I feel I can eat more than I should be able to eat. At first I would get my food stuck and that was very painful, due to eating to fast and not chewing enough. I learned to slow down a bit, but fear I still eat too fast...but I am able to eat things that folks have told me I shouldn't be able to eat? Is there something wrong? My doctor's staff told me I needed to increase my protein-which I have...but I can eat alot more than I think I should be able too. Last night I ate some Wendy's chili and although it wasn't painful heartburn I felt alittle discomfort (nothing that kept me awake or anything)...so I was wondering if any of you long timers could let me know if this is something I need to report to the doctor or not? Thanks!!!

Thank you for the insight. My mom has had her band for 5 years and has a lot of problems with throwing up. She has not reached her goal weight and is wanting to get another fill. I'm a bit worried about another fill at this point because I think her band may have slipped. She gets sick multiple times a week. Do you think I'm this could be true? She has had her band much longer than I have and I don't want to scare her. I realize your problem was different, but being a "seasoned bandster", I feel that you would have some good advice for me.

re: "I think her band may have slipped. She gets sick multiple times a week. Do you think I'm this could be true?"

the ONLY way to tell for SURE is to go see her doctor.

'Being sick' multiple times a week is not very concise information on which to base ANY kind of recommendation.

The Bandsters will be happy to help if possible, but get some basic MEDICAL FACTS first, and let us know what the status really is.