Occassionally, I run across a few posts from people like me who have failed their bands. But these posts are usually just a venting opportunity. I have failed my band - I acknowledge it - and it would be great if we could have a group of other "failures" who want to work together to become success stories.

MY STORY

I was banded in March of 2007. At the time I was 299 lbs. I am a 6ft tall lady. Today, I weigh 255, and basically just as big as I was when I got my band. I have got numerous fills and I usually eat through my fiils. I can eat whatever I want. I overeat and I am confident that I have caused my stomach to expand. I snack on candy, I eat the wrong foods - I eat until I am STUFFED. Sometimes when I overeat, I feel sick and gag to relieve the pressure.

I moved to Houston 4 months ago, and last week, I went in for a port-readjustment with Dr Alanis. It went well and I now have a new resolve to make it work. My doctor mentioned to me that about 40% of all bandsters fail. I do not want to be a failure. I have paid too much money to go through this.

MY GOAL FOR DECEMBER

• To write everything I eat down, including calories
  
• To stay within 1500 Calories.
  

What's your story? What's your goal? How can I support you? How can we support each other?

Misery loves company, and company can help us move from failure to success. Please join me by telling me your story, and your GOAL for December. Let's vent - but more importantly, let's talk about strategies to make this work - let's share and support each other - Let's turn this from failure to success.

I REFUSE TO BE A FAILURE

I'm glad there's a support group for strugglers on here.

I haven't been banded yet, but my surgery is scheduled for January 14th. I am SO excited.

Currently I'm 5'4 and 304 lbs. I can't wait to be a healthier weight.

I'll be checking in here more often to help track my progress and give updates.

We can do it! I know we all can:)

-Maggie

Hi Maggie,

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!!! Congratulations on your decision to go with the band. I am pretty sure you wont regret it!!! You are almost a bandster!! Are you on your pre-op diet? what is the doc making you do pre-op??

Yes, please join us and let us know how you are doing. We all can use the continous support and encouragement along the way!! Keep us posted.

My words of wisdom -follow the doctors orders!!!! :thumbup:

Hi! Fellow struggler here. I was banded Aug 07, lost 40 lbs at my best point and gained back 20 lbs after an emergency unfill. I know I have been slacking off, eating through my band and not exercising. I am determined to get back on track.

My goals for December are simple:

1. Track every bite of food I eat.

2. Exercise every day.

3. Post here every day.

Well, it seems simple enough. Now, if I just do it every day for the month of December it will create great habits.:thumbup:

WEBKAT - Where are you??? Have to hold you to your goal of posting here daily. Please let us know how you are doing - good or bad. If it is good, we will celbrate with you. If you have failed the band recently or not met your goals, we will help you pick yourself back up and get back on track. Let us know. Miss your posts!!!

Good morning everyone! I'm so glad that I joined this thread and I think that we ALL are going to be successful in the end!

I got started on my treadmill this weekend. It was small, but it was a start! I ended up going to work Sat morning and then did Christmas shopping Sat afternoon so I didn't get started with the exercise until yesterday. I did 20 min and then took my big exercise ball up and got it aired up to do some ab work. I've mapped out what I want to do each day so my biggest goal this week is to exercise at least 20 min each day. It's going to be tough because I have 2 Christmas party gatherings this week. I guess the good news about it is that I'm still only on soft foods since they removed my saline so that will keep me restricted!

I hope everyone has a GREAT week and let's stay focused and encouraged!!!!:thumbup:

Where's our girl, Bayougirl??? Please check in. Let us know how you are doing!!!

Hi Music, - Good job writing down the good, bad and the ugly. Sometimes its tough to write down the ugly!!!! :thumbup: RAISED sugar-free COCOA MUG TO YA!!! :sad: But no more 2500 CALORIE lunches - tehehe!!!!! :tt2:

I dont like salads at all, so what i try and do is get healthy alternatives at restaurants. For example, I went to Pappadeaux today - food is awesome and all soaked in grease - YUM - so I asked for my tilapia grilled with no oil and a side of grilled Beans. I asked them to skip the sauce - and it tasted...simply delish.... !!!

But, great job writing it down...whoooo whooooooooooop!!!

Hey Tabithan!

Yeah, I'm going to try to write everything down, but I might not mark everything down for tomorrow, lol. I'll take one day of reprieve, for Christmas. Not ot mention, I have a lot of cooking to do tonight *sigh*.

*Crossing my fingers*

How are you today? Are you still feeling a good amount of restriction?

-music

Hey Tabithan!

Yeah, I'm going to try to write everything down, but I might not mark everything down for tomorrow, lol. I'll take one day of reprieve, for Christmas. Not ot mention, I have a lot of cooking to do tonight *sigh*.

*Crossing my fingers*

How are you today? Are you still feeling a good amount of restriction?

-music

Hi MUSIC,

I am really tough on others (but soft of myself so I need others to be tough on me :thumbup:) so I will be tough on you. You gotta track what you eat over christmas. It helps keep you accountable and will make you question the next bite. The good, bad or ugly - gotta track it and christmas is not a good enough excuse, not to track!!!! :sad:

I'm going to track mine as well, even if it comes to 3000 calories (but somone bite me if I get to 3000)

Yes, I am doing well, so far. The biggest change i have noticed with my new fill is not necessarily a big quantity change (- i have started being able to eat a little more since it is about 5 days since.) the biggest change i notice is the satiety for 3-4 hours after i eat. VERY refreshing

Hi MUSIC,

I am really tough on others (but soft of myself so I need others to be tough on me :thumbup:) so I will be tough on you. You gotta track what you eat over christmas. It helps keep you accountable and will make you question the next bite. The good, bad or ugly - gotta track it and christmas is not a good enough excuse, not to track!!!! :sad:

I'm going to track mine as well, even if it comes to 3000 calories (but somone bite me if I get to 3000)

Yes, I am doing well, so far. The biggest change i have noticed with my new fill is not necessarily a big quantity change (- i have started being able to eat a little more since it is about 5 days since.) the biggest change i notice is the satiety for 3-4 hours after i eat. VERY refreshing

Thanks for the tough talk, Tabithan. You're right, I can keep a piece of paper around and log what I eat (even when I'm tasting food to cook). I'll try to make it as accurate as I can.

Wow, satiated for 3-4 hours, I can't remember the last time I felt that way! That sounds great. I am SO looking forward to my first meeting on January 2nd. I really hope I'm able to get a surgery date soon.

Ok, one more question for you. The surgery scars? Are they that bad? I was thinking today about the slits that they make in your stomach. When they heal, can you see the lines in your stomach permanently, or do they fade? And what about the port scar, did yours heal well?

-music

Hi my name is Jeanette & I have failed my Band.

I was banded on April 21, 2008. I have lost 25 pounds.

I have gained and lost the same 5 pounds over & over.

So can I please join your group. I have a notebook to write my foods down & I have an appointment with a nutritionist to help get me on track after the New Year.

Thanks for this Forum.

LOVED,LOVED,LOVED this thread. I feel like I havent ever posted any good news on the site. I have totally failed my band. I had surgery in Oct 2006. The only real weight I have lost was during the resticted diet after surgery. Once I was able to eat again, I never really stopped. I have steadily gained all of the weight I loat back and then some. I weighed 199 the day of surgery (I am barely 5ft 2in.) Today I weigh 203.8 lbs. I have never felt like more of a failure. The weight gain has made me feel horrible. My fibromyalgia pain has increased along with my appetite.

Of course, I have vowed to restart for the new year. I am SOOOOO sick of my weight being my new years resolution for the past 17 years. Enough is enough already!!!!

Today, I am rereading all my lapband stuff, trying to find some encouragement or motivation. This thread has been great. For those of you who weigh and measure your food for each meal, what are your goals with that...1 cup...etc...??????

Thanks for letting me vent......

Dear White06:

I'm so glad to hear from you. Your story is so similar to mine, I would have thought I posted it, except my surgery was May 2007. I too feel like I haven't ever posted good news or any successes on this site. Just always been the devil's advocate.

The only weight loss I've had was the 10 pounds I lost while on the PRE-op diet, and maybe some the 2 weeks following surgery. No weight loss in 19 months.

Until I read your post, I started to think I was the only one out there that has not lost much weight, any weight , or gained weight with the lap-band.

By the way, I LOVE your quote at the end of your post. That is sooo true. At my consultation, they told me the band is only a tool, and that I would have to work with it. I thought "I'll show you guys, this band will do all the work". Guess who showed who?

I have went thru periods of denial ("this isn't my fault - it's the stupid band's"), and several periods where I've given up and figured "why try?".

Well, it's just been recently that I've admitted to myself and others that the lack of weight loss can be attributed to none other than myself. The band controls my portions, from there, I continue to make poor choices in what I do eat and drink, and I don't exercise to speak of ("I don't have the time").

I can't answer your question about measuring food, because of course I don't have the *time* for that, either. But, I would like to know the answer as well.

Please know that you are not alone -- this has been one let down after another. I never dreamed this would lead me to be the most frustrated, depressed, and disgusted that I have ever been. I know losing weight is a life long battle, I guess I just thought the band would make it much easier than it has.

Keep posting - we'll help each other thru this rough, rocky road.

Stephanie

So true, so true......Im tired of being depressed, etc...but I cant seem to find my way out. But...I have told myself all day today, "I'm not giving up on myself just yet" so lets find a way!!!!!

I am becoming a Lap-Band failure. My goal is to not let this happen. I have been on-line looking for support but nothing seemed to be the right place for me. I think I found my place. I was feeling like the only failure out there. I remember going to the local support meetings thinking everyone is succeeding, I will too! Only to find that I am not succeeding like I thought I would be. I know I can do more about using my Lap-band as a tool rather then a "Cure All."

I received the band in Jan '08. It is now Dec '08 and I have lost 40 lbs. I have had 3 fills and with everyone of them I have had to have some taken out. I am not even able to eat 6 oz of yogart after a fill. I haven't had a fill in 4 months and in the last 3 months I have had chronic reflux. No RX is helping either. I have always been a person who has avoiding vomiting at all costs. Now I wish I could, just to relieve the pain. I was told before the surgery that if you have refulx, it resolves after surgery and it did in the first few months but it is worse now then ever.

My surgeon told me I should be able to eat anything just no more the 6 ozs at a meal. I am beginning to question if he is not telling me the whole truth. I need help with a diet plan. I know enough to avoid breads and rice. I try to stay with easily digestable Proteins and veggies. I am finding that I am craving more sugar now. I never ate candy before my surgery. Now I find myslef looking for chocolate. I don't know if my body is looking for an energy source or if subconsciously I know it will "slip through"

The holidays have been killing me. There are a lot of Cookies and chocolate in our office and at home (the kids bring it home). I was asked to make pecan pie for Christmas and I had a tiny slice yesterday and I have been paying for it ever since. I am not digesting it. It is stuck and I keep spitting up a little here and there but I can't throw it up. I am very uncomfortable and depressed about this.

If anyone can take the time to help me with this I would appreciate it. The local support groups are only once a month on an evening that I work so I am not able to attend. Besides, I don't fit in there as everyone seems to be a success story and I am not.

After reading many of the posts on this site, I have decided my first step to to record everything I eat (which will not be much until I can get past the pecan pie),so that I at least know whare to start. Maybe if I post my food intake someone might have some advice for me?!

After reading many of the posts on this site, I have decided my first step to to record everything I eat (which will not be much until I can get past the pecan pie),so that I at least know whare to start. Maybe if I post my food intake someone might have some advice for me?!

Hey JBReal,

I just wanted to send you a hello. I haven't had my surgery yet, but already I've started to subscribe to this thread in the hopes that I can start to learn a little bit more about myself and my eating habits BEFORE I'm on the band.

But, even having not had the surgery, I can completely relate to you. I can only imagine what kind of frustration you must be feeling. I wonder if your doctor might need to do your fill with a barium swallow and under an x-ray? Perhaps you're being over filled or something, but your doctor should help walk you through this. You shouldn't feel alone.

Also, I wonder if, when you're in the support group, you can ask other people if they've had the same issues with the acid reflux. Maybe you'll find that some of them are still struggling just like you, they just don't have the nerve to mention it.

Are you in Boston? or in Massachusetts? I am hoping to find someone to meet with and work on this process together. I can already see, from reading the posts on this site, how helpful it is to have people in your corner.

And I must say, I totally was encouraged to read you saying that you are posting now because you want to avoid failing your band. Already you've lost 40 pounds! It has been at least two years since I've lost a pound at all, so congratulations! I can only imagine what 40 pounds off my ankles would feel like :hurray:...

So, thanks for that post.....It encouraged me....I'm sending you a virtual hug. Hang in there....

-music

Didnt restart like I was supposed to do yesterday, but so far today I havent eaten or drank anything so here we go again. Im gonna go fix me a protein shake, so we'll see how that goes. Keep your fingers crossed, and pray.

Hi Everyone,

Hoping you all had a GREAT christmas. I see that we have many newcomers. Whooowhoooo - I will go ahead and read in some detail and reply to all this PM. Right now, I am at work but wanted to check in.

I went to Dallas for Christmas and it is all a blur. had a great time and ate ALL the wrong foods. Thank goodness for the restriction or I would have eaten a few cows. Then last night I figured, well, I have been doing really badly anyway, so I will have some KFC extra crispy chicken. I dont even know how I ate all that food.

But I am back on track today. The holidays kicked my behind. But as we always say, the goal is not to let the failure continue - to stop it in its tracks.

My goals for this week are:

- Post on LBT Daily

- keep my calorie intake at 1500 calories daily

- drink 64 oz of Water

- Work out ONE DAY this week.

How did you all do with your eating this holiday?? Talk to you all this PM!!!!