Hi . I have been reading on this site for two years, but have not posted often. I have typically gotten all of my answers from reading and searching. I am 35 years old. I had my lapband surgery 2 years ago. The first year was great. I lost 40 pounds, and felt great. The second year was the direct opposite. I didn't lose a pound. Instead I went up and down and up and down over and over. I have no excuse for this, except that I was sabotaging my success, most likely to mend a broken heart. (That's a whole other story, not worth telling) So after a year of too tight, too loose, too tight etc. I realized that I have been sitting on the couch eating Haagen Dasz every day instead of cooking healthy food and going to the gym. I'm back to it now, I started a new workout regimen and I feel wonderful. I also joined a weight loss clinic, because I need the accountability. I hate it there, I have to lie about everything because when I try to explain to them that I can't eat eggs anymore, or that 6 oz. of chicken at noon is out of the question, they just think I'm making excuses. So I do the best I can and am using them to have accountability for myself. I guess it's not using them when I'm paying $1000.00 to go there and be tortured three times a week.

The moral of the story is...I need to find some support. I need to stop beating myself up about the lost year. I truly thought that I would be one of the people that loses all of their weight in year one. I overestimated myself, but I'm figuring out that it's ok. I have the band. I've had no complications. I don't break the rules about pop or overeating (except ice cream, which I know can't hurt the band, I wish it did cause then I'd never do it.) I just wanted to post here, and tell my story. The band journey is not an easy one. It's really hard work. I have 50 more pounds to lose, and I'd like to do that over the course of the next year. Does anybody else find that months have passed, and they have screwed up their weight loss? I need a kick in the butt, so if anybody wants to help me out, Here I am.

Thanks for listening...

Ok, first I agree with you why are you wasting your money????

FIND A LOCAL WLS support group to help you. Novel idea there, you are all in the same boat, you don't need to lie and you are all the same! :confused:

You know what you want, get back to the basics and do it!

Step away from the ice cream and find some support! We are here to help you, but ulitmately it is up to you. Let's say from now on, ice cream hurts the band! (New report just for you)

We all have our demons, we all have our issues. Lay them on the table, move on and let's fix it....

(Was that hard enough for ya??)

ts505050,

I will not be banded until the 24th of this month, but I did just finish a medical weight loss program. You did not mention the specifics of your weight loss clinic, but if you see a dietician, explain where you are struggling. Ask for suggestions. I found that to be really helpful.

Good luck.

Hiya! Glad to meet you!

Congrats on your band and congrats on your 40lbs lost........ if you've went up and down but are still at the 40 lb lost .. I count you as a HUGE success! Don't think of it as wasting a year sitting on the couch eating ice cream........... think of it as what it is.. THE PAST! OVER! Kaputt!

The best thing here is that you already have a great tool installed... TIME FOR YOU TO USE IT! Time to visit your doc and adjust your fill level.............. TIME FOR YOU TO START LIVING IN THE PRESENT!

You are sabotoaging yourself........... STOP NOW!

Start working your band and the only thing you will be overestimating is your clothing size!

(and this comes from someone who had a small chocholate shake today)

This is life baby............ time to step up to the plate.

Ok - 1 yr of pitty party is long enough - you know what the problem is so that's half the problem. Pick yourself up by the boot straps and put one foot in front of the other one day at a time and get back on the BAND WAGON.... Don't buy the sinking ice cream - if you don't have it you won't eat it - buy sf popcicles or fudgecicles if you just have to have it. Get a fill - start exercising - you can come here every night for your support.

Good luck we are here for you...

Thank you! I'm on my way...

Dear heart: Your story is not unusual. Think of it as part of the journey rather than a failure. The band is there to help you lose when you do the right things, and to stabilize you when you fall off the wagon. It waits for you to get back on track, and that's a relief for lots of us.

You know, I hadn't thought of this before, but since we can all be such liars to ourselves and other people about our food issues, it may not be helpful to be in a weight loss group where you have to lie. I'm guessing that's part of why you came to this site. So you could be honest. Congrats for doing that.

Maybe the next thing is to begin to get an inventory of where you are. You've done well with that in your original post. Do you eat ice cream at a particular time of day? Is that the time that you might want to substitute exercise? Do sugars set you off on a binge? For me, artifical sweeteners even set me off, so I've had to just get away from sweets of any kind, other than my morning Protein shake. Do you hate to cook and need to have Lean Cuisine sitting around for those meals? I cook once a week....some meats and veges, and then during the week I pile them into a lettuce wrap, or Soup, or a salad, or simple meat and veges...all seasoned differently. And when I get sick of it, I eat out and I have one special thing I order at each restaurant that I know is a good fit. I also have a rule that I eat strictly at home, but whenever I'm out, I order whatever I want and just let the band provide portion control. Keeps life interesting.

If you are lonely, you might want to do womething about that...support groups, a community center...whatever. I guess if you want a fresh start, I'd start with defining the challenges and setting up a very specific set of goals and then only tackling one at a time, forgiving yourself for each transition. We're only human, ya know. And we're in this journey for life, so in the grand scheme of things, "losing" a year to weight maintenance is no biggie, as long as you decide how to move on.

We're with you, my friend.

Dear heart: Your story is not unusual. Think of it as part of the journey rather than a failure. The band is there to help you lose when you do the right things, and to stabilize you when you fall off the wagon. It waits for you to get back on track, and that's a relief for lots of us.

.... We're only human, ya know. And we're in this journey for life, so in the grand scheme of things, "losing" a year to weight maintenance is no biggie, as long as you decide how to move on.

Betsy - I'm with you 100% GREAT POST!

Oh, by the way....I had no restriction until my third fill, then went through a bout of having a stretched pouch, and then GERD. Also had an ice cream fetish. I do well and I lose. I screw up and I stabilize. I guess I'm not a fast learner, but I've learned to love my plateaus and how forgiving my band is...and how patient. My one year anniversary is coming up and I didn't get all my weight off...but I can only live one day at a time...as a super flawed but fairly lovable human being.

(Besides, I'm not great at predicting what my band will do. Just got back from a week in Vegas eating those buffets and at Bobby Flay's...and lost a pound. But when I was sick with Lyupus and eating practically nothing, I didn't lose. I've givien up thinking I have ultimate control over my world.....just doin' what I can.)

My first year was plagued with ups and downs. It took me 6 months and 5 fills to finally get good restriction. I lost about 60 lbs my first year. I still have 40 to go. Its been really hard. Keep the faith. Accountability is a good ideas. Does your doctor have a support group?

Well I would not use the $1000 group, like someone else said Does where you had your surgery have a support group. Anyway I feel for you. I had my band 9/06 probably have only lost around 35 lbs had a lot of stress this past year too, which of course didn't help my body and didn't weigh myself from jan til july, however I know I would have gained this past year at least 20 lbs so even though I am not jumping for joy because I still have about 65 to go I am at least glad I am on the down side not the up side. Good luck

Linda51