I was banded 9 months ago - Dec, 2014 at 259 pounds, size 22 pants, tops: 2XL, bra 44 DDD. My weight loss was slow and steady for the first 4 months - what a delight it was to see the weight coming off and myself size getting smaller.

At 6 months and my 5th fill, all of a sudden I hit the green zone. My hunger dimmed to almost nothing and then the weight started falling off fast.

I hit the one-hundreds (ONE-derland!) a couple of weeks ago, and I am ecstatic. I'm down 64 pounds now. 25 of those pounds have been the past 3 weeks. WOW. I'm a size 14, L tops, 40DD bra.

And I'm still going down fast. I am eating less than 1000 calories a day because I have no desire to eat more. I don't snack. I eat tiny meals. I am well hydrated and I am full of energy - woo - I feel terrific.

The danger: The band for me can dim hunger to the point where I have no desire to eat at all.

There were two days this past week that were absolutely nutty at the College. After my 1 coffee at 6:30 am, it was non-stop meetings and classes and I was filled with energy, bursting with a sense of wellness... and at 4pm I realized I hadn't eaten ANYTHING. No food at all. My Greek yoghurt with honey, my container of 4 Tbsps of home-made chicken salad and my 1oz of cheese was untouched. I checked in with myself - no hunger. Forced myself to eat a small dinner.

The following day I had a repeat performance. Had a coffee in the a.m., then a Protein shake... and that was it. NOT GOOD!

The band as a tool acts to trick my body into that feeling of satiety. With the help of the band, I know my body is happily consuming the 100 extra pounds of weight I've been carrying for 15 years that resulted from over-eating. That said, beware the band working almost too well!

I have become highly aware that the busier I am the less distracted I am by food and hunger - first time I've been at the College in the green zone. So while I'm enjoying my band TREMENDOUSLY (best thing I've ever done for myself), I find mine is working almost too well!

@@Thellie

Band adjustments may be uncomfortable, but what of it? Some people squawk about them as though they've undergone appendectomy with no anesthesia. I've never felt more than discomfort. It hurts for as long as the needle is in. At some practices, adjustments are done under fluoroscope so that the port is visible. My practice and many others simply feel the port.

At any rate, I think it's safe to say that you'll find adjustments less unhappy than the few days after surgery. The incisions are a primary culprit.

You'll be fine.

P.S. A thousand years ago I worked with a woman who was called Thel. It was short for her given name, a mash-up of her mother's and father's names. Yours is the only similar name I've ever heard.

Edited November 1, 201510 yr by WLSResources/ClothingExch

Hi guys so happy to have found this... It is my second time to loose weight with the lap band - first time i was too young/overeating to the point that the band would flip over so i removed it and got it again this year - a question to you - what do you eat? I find it very difficult to figure it out - i have it closed to the extent that i can only take liquids/yogurt/soups is this the correct way?????

You have to choose the band tightness that makes sense to you and is wise for health and well-being. Here are a few of my thoughts in no particular order.

If you're saying that solid food is painful going down or comes right back up, I'd suggest removing a bit of the Fluid from the band. On only two occasions in my six-year band history have I heard people say they wanted their bands as tight as yours is. One was specific about caring only about a very rapid weight-loss; he was achieving it, but at what cost? I heard from him years ago, so don't know his thinking now.

An important consideration is that you're getting in enough calories. My practice advises not to go under 800, but preferably average about 1,000, which results in a very nice rate of loss. It also matters that you're getting as many nutrients in decent quantities as possible.

The other consideration that I see is quality of life. I want solid food. Without it I'd be cranky and miserable. It's a Pinocchio thing -- I want and need to be a real, live girl. I want to sit at a table with friends without staring into their plates as I sip watered gruel. I want aromas rising from under my own nose. The textures and flavors of food belong in my mouth; I was designed that way by the planets. The act of chewing tells me that I'm human. And on and on.

You gave sketch information on your history. It would be helpful to have the blanks filled in for respond to you as usefully as possible. Reading between the lines, I'm guessing that you're still young, but feeling more ready to be responsible for your weight-loss. That's great. Take part in BariatricPal. Also attend your practice's in-person support group. A face-to-face setting is especially helpful. If your practice doesn't offer a group, check the other hospitals in your area. Most welcome patients from the competition because it costs them nothing to have you talking with other people on their premises. There's also a "we're all in this together" attitude.

P.S. What I didn't write in so many words is that you'd also do well to talk with your practice's RD, NP or surgeon about common-sense band tightness. The more info you have, the better the choices you make.

The band fills don't 'hurt' so much as they feel gross. My first one I didn't feel. My 2nd onwards (I'm at 7 so far in the 10 months since I've had my band...) feels... blech. Like someone has a needle stuck in a rubber thing under your skin. BLECH! But so great and quick and worth it - those itty bitty fills make all the difference as you creep slowly and beautifully towards the green zone.

Then?

Goodbye weight!

I don't feel anything with the fills. Less than a flu shot. No topical numbing stuff. No big deal, for me anyway