6 years post-op and have gained everything back. Poor choices coupled with a band that is almost full that essentially has no restriction. Really looking to get back on track! Of course I have just moved and changed insurances that do not cover bariatric procedures so any fills will be on me. Looking for advice, your yo-yo success story or inspiration .......thanks

When I read this my first thought was....are you sure your band is almost full and have you been seeing your Dr. on a regular basis....

Not a answer, I know, just wondering. I have been banded 4 years, I could not tolerate another fill, can't imagine it being any tighter ot narrower........I have never "Yo-Yo'd" since having the band, although there comes times when eating gets easier...or "Too Easy" I should say with larger portions than normal allowed.....

In my opinion, the band remains a constant..cannot get looser or tighter, it has always remained a constant for me...so it is something else that happens.

It is then I will lay off solid foods for a few days, and stay with liquids such as shakes, Soups, etc., to give the band, the pouch actually, a chance to rest and return to normal.

I've also read stories of the esophagus dilating...I suppose my little maintenance thing would help prevent that too.......

I read stories here all the time, where people say they "Fell off the wagon" and "Need to get back on track"

With all respect to what they are going through, myself, after being banded for 4 years, cannot understand what they are talking about, how something like that can happen....unless they were never properly adjusted in the first place and it was their own will power and self discipline that was helping them loose weight and not the band....so it they that failed, and not the band.

That would make sense with traditional dieting.

That was the reason I had lap band surgery, because on my own I could not be successful..tried 100's of diets over the last 35 years.

I need the band to do what I am unable to do. And surgery was a Last Resort. It's not like I wanted to do this, I had to do this.

Which is why my original thought was if you were sure your band is actually filled to capacity? And have you been seeing your Dr. so as to detect problems like dilation?

Edited January 17, 201511 yr by B-52

I agree. Hard to understand how people are able to "eat around" the band. I'm thinking if your properly adjusted, too much food would just

1)make You very uncomfortable

2) make me vomit

3)make me feel like I wasn't being serious if it happened more than a few times

I truly don't understand but would be open to listening to how regains of all weight loss happen. It could happen to any of us not working our band right I suppose. I see it on this board a lot????

I think most people that eat around the band are simply choosing the wrong foods and are grazing between meals. This finger is being pointed at myself as well. For those that will grub on some Cheetos or cookies or graze between meals ..I think deal with mental hunger more than true physical hunger. That is why it is so important to make sure your band is properly adjusted, and you stay active in a support group or on boards like this! I know I stay on track more when I'm on the boards!

I totally understand your point, and to say that a properly adjusted band is the solution alone isn't really true. Although your band may be full or near full, perhaps meeting with a nutritionist would help you create a meal plan that would work better with your restriction. I recently did this and am working towards getting my brain wrapped back around the signals from my stomach, the brain is pretty crafty at figuring out work arounds.

Perhaps it's not just about the amount of Fluid but how everything else on this journey plays together.

I agree with 2babutterfly. Falling off the wagon may not be eating too much necessarily but eating the wrong things. I can only eat so much chicken but I could put away a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting easy. So I have to commit to eating the right things and not grazing.