`hi,new here. i was banded in dec of 2005. started at 308 pds now down to 232 but i lost that much in the first 6 or 7 months, cant seem to loose any more, just fluctuate 5 pds up or down. any one else out there with this same problem. i feel great, but know i need to lose atleast another 50 pds. am 5 ft 8 in. any advice~ seems like if i eat slowly, i can pretty much eat as much as i want. almost as much as i use to. i am filled :ohmy: about 3/4 of the way, but cant eat much red meat, no rice, potatoes, chips, bread, uncooked veggies cant eat alot of fruits, especially bananas etc. so dont think i should get much tighter. unfortunately chocolate still goes down just fine!! lol am picking up my bad habits slowly again, stress eating and snacking at nite. for all you new banders, be careful, those old habits sneak up slowly.

If you can eat as much as you want if you take time, set a time limit on your meals. We all can eat more if we graze slowly throughout the day. Are you exercising? I know you say you can't eat some fruits and vegetables, but experiment with some others and maybe make some healthier choices. Log on to Spark People or Fit Day for a few days and track your calories. You may be consuming more than you think. Congrats on the 70 lbs. lost and best of luck with the final 50 or so!

I was banded 11/26 - lost nothing till February. From Feb to April 1st, I lost 30 lbs and nothing since. I have trouble getting down some foods as well, but I never have been able to give up ice cream and chocolate. I eat the sugar free chocolate - but its still high in fat. I thought this would be so much easier, but I am learning.

Eating around the band slows the process...solid protein is what makes us successful. I have the ice cream problem myself. Moderation is the key I guess.