I am in a foul mood and really feel down on myself. The ONLY weight loss I have experienced since April after the lap band was in the first week. I wasn’t a high BMI to start with (30 bmi) so I thought it may not come off as quickly but I never thought it would not come off.

When I first considered a lap band I telephoned the clinic and the dr. telephoned me back. I never did meet directly with my dr until 15 minutes before the surgery. I only wanted initially a bariatric balloon for 6 months. I thought that this quick tool may snap me back into a healthy weight and do something about my grazing (no…feasting!) from 8 pm to 1 am. The doctor, after hearing my particulars, discouraged the balloon and stated – ‘why not address this problem for life and get a lap band for your hunger for life - instead of a balloon to stop you from eating”. After considerable thought I got the band in April. Because of my lower bmi I didn’t have a pre-diet. My first 10 days of weight loss of about 10 days (during recovery) was inspiring and I was so optimistic. Not so much now.

I have recovered well with no physical problems to date. I now have a fill of approximately 6 cm. For the first time during the last fill I now feel aa difference - but not in my appetite. I have some obstruction (which I understand is not what you are aiming for or what is supposed to help) with certain foods or where I take too big a mouthful or don’t chew as well as I should. What has not happened is any change in my appetite or eating habits or ability to eat. DOES THIS EVER REALLY OCCUR? I thought that this would stop my hunger – but there is literally no change in my hunger – just now a change in how quickly foods can go down. So discouraged and feel like this was not the tool I needed. Perhaps my relatively lower bmi has something to do with this but since the operation in April I have not lost any weight. I am back to dieting as I did previously. I don’t feel like I have a tool – just two scars on my stomach and $16,000 less in my bank.

I suspect you don't have enough restriction yet. I absolutely feel less hunger. Not no hunger though. What the band does is tamp down the hunger enough for you to make good food choices both in what you eat, and how much you eat. It's not a 'set it and forget it' type of tool. I can screw this up whenever I feel like it. I choose not to because the band helps me to control my appetite. You have to follow the rules though...eat slowly and chew well. It not only helps you from getting stuck, but by the time you are done, the hunger should be satisfied. Don't expect to feel full either. I have been full only a handful of times, and you can go from full to uncomfortable in a split second so I do my best to stop before then.

Please try to be patient. Talk to the doctor about ways to help you be successful with the band and keep reading posts on this forum for advice and inspiration.

This is not a linear journey...most of us have had our ups and downs so know that you're not alone in feeling this way. Good luck and keep us posted on what your doctor and/or NUT says.

What GW said is very true. This is not an easy journey you have to work it. The band or any other WLS tool is not going to change your thinking or eating habits. You have to do that. You want to be compliant in band eating mechanics so you don't hurt yourself.

Go back to the basics and try a "reset" in mind and eating. Add some cardio and resistance training you can do this!!!

Your expectations that the band would stop the eating demons were ill placed. Head hunger(cravings) don't go away for many of us. Eating processed foods such as anything with sugar/fructose or white flour and fruits can cause a body to want more and more. Easily digested foods which are high BMI foods break down much quicker causing insulin spikes. When your insulin plummets a short time later it's easy to reach for the chips, crackers or sweets to assuage your hunger.

It's unfortunate your surgeon didn't diagnose your personal health condition correctly. But the simple answer to your needs is there is no WLS that takes away your hunger if you don't follow the rules of that particular WLS. With the band, it's eating very small bites, chewing your food to a mush like consistency and consuming fresh non processed healthy food.

Those eating demons can be mitigated if you follow the eating rules. Not completely of course, but for most of us enough to not seek more food through the night.

This is all about eating the right kind of foods and in the right quantity. You have to choose the right foods and if you follow the rules your appetite can be reduced along with your waistline.

re: "What has not happened is any change in my appetite or eating habits or ability to eat. DOES THIS EVER REALLY OCCUR?"

yes it does....although not in a linear progression

It wasn't until postOp I actually experienced what "SATIETY" is.

Among the many triggers that remain active though, for in in "sport eating"....is ANY amount of corn-syrup-fructose.

I'm not claiming to be 'allergic' to it....what I do notice, is after just a few bites of unguarded non-hunger eating of something with this poison in it...my appetite mechanism kicks into high gear and I lust after moreMoreMORE of anything I can stick in my mouth.

My impression with lower BMI patients, is they seem to work a lot harder to lose fewer pounds. And the high BMI patients usually seem to lose more slowly as their size comes down.

Maybe your band isn't tight enough I lost the first month but then I found I was getting hungrier and losing less. The last fill I received was tighter and I got my mind back on track and am losing again..

I think this may be true as well. My mother remarked the other day "by now, I thought you would be skin and bones", but then, if I have a sliming incident in front of her she is all worried and remarks how that is "not normal".

My BMI wasn't extremely high, and I have lost slowly and sometimes don't lose at all. It is frustrating, but the high points for me have been:

1. not regaining what I do manage to lose (first time in my life EVER)

2. Actually not having a hunger that is just ravenous. I feel hunger, but it's nothing like it used to be. (keep in mind, I have had 4 or 5 fills)

3. The belief that I have a tool and although I am not on here at my one year anniverisary (coming up in November) screaming that I have lost 100 pounds ( wish I would be)- I still made a positive choice for my health, and honestly, 100 pounds would have been too much anyway.

But, if I could do about 40 more, which I will, I will be content.....

1. not regaining what I do manage to lose (first time in my life EVER)

2. Actually not having a hunger that is just ravenous. I feel hunger, but it's nothing like it used to be. (keep in mind, I have had 4 or 5 fills)

3. The belief that I have a tool and although I am not on here at my one year anniverisary (coming up in November) screaming that I have lost 100 pounds ( wish I would be)- I still made a positive choice for my health, and honestly, 100 pounds would have been too much anyway.

Indeed! After almost two years I feel in control... weight lost does NOT come back. I can eat what I want, and enjoy food on cruises, but I remain in control!!! Sometimes the weight comes off slow, but it is usually my fault. But, I don't gain when I'm not being as careful as I should be. The need or ability to gorge is gone.

Thank you everybody for your encouragement and helpful comments. Had a fill and am hoping that this assists.

Hi Enuf! Wow you are telling my story...I can relate to all the details in your post. Our stats, bmi and surgery month is the same! Did you happen to have your wls in canada?! I've had 4 fills so far....I thought id be down much more by now....every once in a while that doubt creeps in and I think this isn't working...then I change my mind set and remind myself to be patient, just lookin forward to what others describe as this green zone...Hang in there- we'll get there!

Thanks for the note Yes, I had my surgery in Mississauga The nurse stated that perhaps because my bmi was lower that there wasn't the pressure on my stomach which is why I was not feeling a change. ??? hmmmm. I am up to about 6.2 now. Here is hoping! Comforting to know I am not the only one. Keep in touch

@@enuf, I was banded in March 2014. Four fills and 7.5 in my 14cc band and I think I'm in the green zone. I feel satisfied with a small meal IF (and this is a big IF) I start with lean Protein and eat slowly. If I eat a salad I could probably eat a gallon of it. If I don't chew my meat to mush I can get stuck. But fried chicken strips just slide on down.

My point is that after a month of stalling, or rather, bouncing up and down about 5 pounds over and over, I took a hard look at my food and faced facts.

I was eating huge tubs of popcorn at the movies, sometimes with buttercrap on it.

I was eating fried chicken strips three or more times a week.

I was drinking apple martinis whenever I'd go out to dinner. Sometimes two.

Although I logged every bite, I hadn't looked at those logs and faced what I was eating. I was often exceeding 1900-2000 calories in a day.

Two weeks ago I did a "reset" and got my act together. I cleaned up my food and made a plan. I stuck to the plan. I also began to work on the emotional issues behind my eating.

I'm back on track and I feel empowered. I have a fill appointment on October 2 but I'm pretty sure I'm going to stay at this fill level for now. But I'm still going to go to the appointment. I need that reinforcement and I get such a boost whenever I meet with the nurse who does my fills. It refocuses me.

Please don't give up. We are all learning how to live without excess food and it's so hard sometimes. The band is helping me to not give up on myself when I feel like a failure. An attitude adjustment, a mental recommitment, and I was able to resume my weight loss. That has NEVER happened before. I was on Weight Watchers for decades. First small gain always always always was the beginning of the end. A slip was always a slide back into binging and dropping out.

Not this time.

I had my wls at the same place! I call in every 4 weeks to make sure I get booked for the fills consistently...tryin desperately to get to this green zone. i travel about an hr to the fill dr. I'll be going for anotherv fill again in 2 weeks. I've lost about 15 lbs so far and alot of that was the week after surgery ( no pre op diet) . I too find its very slow....but on the bright side I've tried everything else with not much success....so 15lbs is good for me. Take care...and good luck! By Christmas ...I hope to see some serious results!

What helpful and constructive comments. Thanks friends. I guess I need a re-set in attitude and thinking.