Hi everybody,

this is my frist time on this site and im so glad i found it (by mistake) but i found it:)this is my problem i had the lapbad surgery done may 15,2003 by dr. Bessler at ny presbyterian hospital. I went to all my appt. iv'e had like three ajustments and still not losing that much weight i joined the gym in the begining i lost 60lbs. after that nothing it's like the lapband is not working anymore. i told my doctor that im even eating more than i should all they do is give me the ajustment and that's not working. I NEED:help::help::help::help: sometime i think getting the lapband was just a waste of time.:confused::confused: do anyone have any suggestions im open to anyone that can help or give me some idea of what im doing wrong.Im still 230 and when i stated i was 264 and only 5'2" thank you for listening.

Hi everybody,

this is my frist time on this site and im so glad i found it (by mistake) but i found it:)this is my problem i had the lapbad surgery done may 15,2003 by dr. Bessler at ny presbyterian hospital. I went to all my appt. iv'e had like three ajustments and still not losing that much weight i joined the gym in the begining i lost 60lbs. after that nothing it's like the lapband is not working anymore. i told my doctor that im even eating more than i should all they do is give me the ajustment and that's not working. I NEED:help::help::help::help: sometime i think getting the lapband was just a waste of time.:confused::confused: do anyone have any suggestions im open to anyone that can help or give me some idea of what im doing wrong.Im still 230 and when i stated i was 264 and only 5'2" thank you for listening.

Hi Sinsin and WECLOME- imho this is the BEST site for banders-

Ok you have lost 30 lbs in 4 months - that's 10 lbs a month. Which is a good average - What are you eating - How much are you eating??? Are you getting all your Protein in a day. Are you eating correctly - are you still going to the gym? Are you writting down everything you eat. What does your doctor say?? Have you had your metabolism tested.. The band is only a tool to help you lose weight you still have to do most of the work by changing your eating habits and that's the hardest part.

We are here to help & support - this is a great place

when was your band put in did you say 2003?

sinsin~sorry to hear about your situation. I am fairly new to being banded. It seems like you need a fill. I hope others respond to your thread. Wishing you well and thinking about you....keep us posted and thanks for sharing

It's not a waste of time to lose 60 pounds! Since the average loss is 50

% of the pounds you need to lose, are you somewhere close to that? If so, then to lose more is to do better than average..... Also some peoiple get up to 7 fills before they feel that "sweet spot" of restriction, so more fills really might be necessary. You'll also want a fluoroscope done so you can make sure your pouch isn't stretched.

What I do at plateaus is to go back to basics. I keep a calorie/protein/fat/carb log for 3 days and see where I might have cheated. I check my bites, my chewing, my eating without distraction slowly, etc. and see where I'm messing up. If I'm not messing up more than occasionally and I'm getting my exercise, then I figure it's time for a fill any time I can eat more than I should.

when was your band put in did you say 2003?

Oh I missed that all together - thought it was 07....

4 yrs - I just might think it's what you are eating.... but won't know till you respond...

It could also be an issue with the band. If no proper follow up was done after the three fills, and no regular testing was done, there could be an erosion, or slippage.

But it is just as likely to be a lifestyle issue too.

Hi Sin,

Have you ever felt restriction? Sounds like you just need to keep going back for fills till you do.

Have you had your fills with fluro? Seems like a waste to have the band and not use it to it's full potential.

After you tell your doctor you don't have any restriction, doesn't he suggest another fill?

We have to stand up for our own health care today more than ever. No one is going to spoon feed you. It's just not their problem. So, make an appointment for a fill under fluro and at least you'll be able to see how things are moving through there.

Good luck.

Jewel

Time for a fill................... I've had 4 agressive fills in just 4 months and now that I'm at my sweet spot.. I want it to stick with me!

Also... I would think your doc would be better at explaining your band long term.. but if he/she's not................. then you need to be proactive and start learning how to USE it!

Don't be so down on yourself. You need a fill if you can eat more than 1/4-1/2 cup of food. Don't worry if it take you several fills to reach that level. You are normal. Just keep going back for me. Don't be shy.

Maybe there is a leak in your band, so you are not able to get restriction?

Hi, I have the same problem. i had the operation in February this year and have lost about 4 kg in the six months - most of them in the six weeks just before and just after the operation. did you ever find any solutions to your (our) problem?

Emerald, my questions are as follow:

1. What size band?

2. How much fill in that band?

3. When was your last fill?

It could be that you need a fill. If you haven't had one in a while or if you stopped at a point where you thought you had good restriction, that restriction may not have held for the long term.

Beyond that, what are you eating? I eat 3 oz of Protein (about the size of a deck of cards) -- grilled, broiled, roasted, baked -- vegetables and sometimes a serving of whole grain carbs. Are you getting 60 or more grams of protein per day? Protein makes you feel full longer which can curb the desire to snack.

Are you drinking at least 64 oz of Water a day? Hydration is crucial.

JOURNAL your food. I suggest you write down what you eat and what time .... you may see that you are really eating too many calories per day but you may also see a pattern to your eating. By that, I mean that you may find you are eating too much at a particular meal or are snacking at a particular time of day and that can help you change your habits. If you find yourself snacking while you are preparing dinner, then perhaps you need to eat a bit of low fat cheese when you get home so that you are a little protein in your tummy and then are not feeling so hungry and therefore tempted to eat/graze as you cook.

I've been quite successful with this this but from mid-June until last week, I was losing about a pound a week. I have had to work hard to keep eating right (and I've slipped some) but it is starting to pick up again. It should for you as well.

Don't be so down on yourself. You need a fill if you can eat more than 1/4-1/2 cup of food. Don't worry if it take you several fills to reach that level. You are normal. Just keep going back for me. Don't be shy.

1/4 to 1/2 cup seems way to little. My doctor told me between a cup & a cup and a half.

Your story reminds me of my good friend who had been banded for 4 months, and although she had lost weight (5kg) she was working hard on her diet and exercise all the time. She had 6 fills in this time which was suppossed to equal 7.5ml in a 10ml band. She kept saying she felt no restriction which just made no sense to us (her support friends). 2 weeks ago she had a barrium swollow and CT which showed the band sitting anterior to the stomach. Somehow, although her surgeon had been happy with the band placement at the time of insertion and with her barrium swollow post theatre, it would appear that the band has never been around the stomach at all. No wonder she was feeling like this proceedure was more work than she thought. Anyway, now she is rebooked for November and her weight loss journey will really kick in. I just thought I would share this story to show sometimes the unthinkable could be the answer your band is not working for you and with you.

Edited September 22, 200916 yr by Jus73