I was banded on July 30th and I initially lost 15 pounds but I have lost any since then. As a matter of fact I've gained back 5 of those pounds. I had my 4th adjustment last week and still nothing. I read on this site a lot about the things that people say that they can't eat and about how they have to take tiny bites and chew, chew, chew. That has never been the case with me. I can eat as much as any "normal person" and no matter how large the bites or what the food is it goes down perfectly fine. Last night I had a piece of roast beef and some new potatoes. I barely even chewed that meat and I had no problem. I guess my question is why is this not working for me? Everybody keeps saying you have to exercise and you have to eat right. If I could do that I wouldn't have ever had any reason to get the band. I got banded so that I could slowly train myself to do these things and have the band act as a tool to assist me by limited the amount of food intake at any given time and helping me stay full. I haven't experienced any of this at all. Now I feel 100x's more like a failure because even with weight loss surgery I still can't make it work.

There's something wrong with your band. Thats the bottom line. It kills me how everyone is always saying just exercise more/eat less. You would not need the band if you could do that. You should loss weight if the band if working properly. You may loss slower than someone who runs 2 miles per day and once you get closer to your goal weight exercise will certainly help, but you should be losing more and it's not your fault. Something is wrong with the band. Where were you banded?

Hi Chic,

Just want to lend my support. I have had 1 fill (yesterday) and am still very hungry. I'm hoping that I feel restriction very soon and hope you do as well. You hang in there and I agree what's the point of going through all of this if the band wasn't going to help us not want to eat so much! Do you know the size of your band and how much has been put in? Perhaps you got the 14cc? I got the 10 cc and I think it makes a difference.

If there is not a leak in your band, it sounds like the doctor needs to get more aggresive with the fills. Maybe he can even do it under x-ray and try to get you closer to restriction. GOOD LUCK!!

Hope you are feeling better about things soon! Are you seeing a therapist? If not, might help to have a neutral party to talk about why you are eating and deal with some of those issues as well. It really helped get my head in the right place for the surgery.

I just have to chime in and clear something up.. if you were told that the band limits the amount of food you can eat, well thats not exactly true. Gastric bypass limits the amount of food because your little pouch can only hold so much and if you over eat you will throw it up.

The band can in a sense work like this.. but only when you are to your 'sweet spot' (the place where you eat the correct amount and you feel full and are losing 1-2 lbs per week) even then however you can still over eat.. there is something called eating around the band.. you can eat constantly or graze or drink liquid calories and still take in too many calories.. its amazing how fast those little buggers add up.

with the band you still have to eat very small portions. count calories and in a sense diet.. now this is hard in the beginning because you will still feel hungry at times until you get the proper tightness.. the tightening of the band is actually more to make you feel full and make you feel full longer.. it does not actually limit the amount you can eat as a general rule.. (however for some people it can)

I was banded 5 days before you and believe me I know right where you are. I lost 18 lbs quickly in the beginning and for the last month and a half its been like pulling teeth to get the scale to move at all. I even gained a lb back before my first fill. we have to remember however that this is a marathon and not a sprint. I know it gets exciting when the lbs fly off in the beginning and you feel like "yes" I am getting free! my advice.. and this is what I am doing for myself.. get on www.livestrong.com and set your self up with a diary, calorie counter, and exercise log. its all free on there and its easy to use. this will keep you accountable. 2nd look up progress pics on this site and look at the amazing results of those who kept going and didnt give in.. it will make you want it more.. and lastly.. inspire yourself.. set some realistic goals and go for it!! I bought 2 pairs of jeans 2 more sizes down. and set a goal for christmas.. do what ever it takes to keep going..

and lastly.. try to remember that people on this site are trying to help one another.. banded or not. :sad_smile:

I agree that we shouldn't be on the attack. To me it seems there is something wrong with her band and if she is not feeling any restriction after four fills then there is a problem. It's easy to tell someone to make better food choices and exercise more (I think I've heard that for years). This was an expensive tool that we all expect to give us at least some kind of restriction as to the amount of food we can eat. If it's not working then we question what is going on.

Hello Chic. Stop being depressed. Everyone loses differently on the band. Nobody can tell you how many fills it will take for you to have restriction. I am on fill #5 and now have restriction. I had a little after my 4th fill, but not much. It might take you fill#8 to have it. Just be patient and hang in there. I am praying your next fill will give you restriction.

the only thing I can add is that there may be nothing wrong with the band.. because everyone is different.. and some people may take 2 fills and some may take 8.. it depends on the size of your band and the aggressiveness of the doctor who fills it.. some docs go really slow and try to creep up on the sweet spot so that you dont expierence over fill.. other docs are agressive and go for it! it depends on how much you get each fill and so on.. so its hard to say that if you are not there at 4 fills that something could be wrong..

I dont know if you get fills with flouroscopy.. but I cant imagine how they do them without it!! when I get my fills I am standing right in front of the flouroscopy machine and they can see how fast or slow the barium moves through. without that they are just guessing.. and I think thats why they may be less aggressive. some docs also go slow so it give you time to work on your eating habits. I know sometimes they fear if the person hasnt resolved those habits that if they fill a person tight and then they binge eat they can hurt themselves.. I dont know.. all I know is every doc and every person is different..

bottom line.. hang in there!! you'll get there!!