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

Why is it that when I was eating my fried foods - Philly Cheesesteak and a basket of fries - I ate EVERYTHING and had room for more, but now that I am back on track, eating healthy, I feel the restriction????

It's almost as if the band loosens when you are cheating - helps you CHEAT!!!!!!!!!!!

I've finally hit the 50lb loss. I am SOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Glad to be back on track despite the HORRENDOUS Thursday and Friday!!!!:sad_smile:

How are you doing, Fellow strugglers?????

Hi Fellow Strugglers,

I have just joined the December Excercise Challenge. As part of our recommittment to our bands, I think it is essential that we work out!!!

Here is my December Workout Goal:

a) Do Tae Kwondo 3 times a week

:sad_smile: Do spin class at gym, 2 times a week.

My other Band Goals for December remain the same, as:

a) Eat up to 1500 calories a day

:tongue: Write down everything I eat on Fitday

c) Measure out everything I eat (I need to buy a food scale)

d) Drink at least 8 glasses of H20 daily

FELLOW STRUGGLERS - I met my FIRST excercise GOAL - I woke up this morning and went to the gym for a 1hour SPIN class - WOW - I can't believe it and I am shaking with excitement. 1 hour down, 14 to go!!!!!!!1

Where are all my fellow STRUGGLERS???? How are you doing??? What are your Goals for December???? :biggrin:

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.:angry_smile:

I am thrilled to know there are others like me, who failed their band. I am now committed to measuring everyhting and sumitting to the band principals of allowing my band to talk to me instead of me overtalking it! I will measure up!

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.

Webkat - WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME - We can definitely do it!! I'm sorry to hear that you had an emergency unfill and I truly do hope you are OK now. How is your appetite? Are you getting any restriction from the band??

Those are great goals I particularly love the tracking of everything you eat. I am using www.fitday.com and I LOOOOVE it.

The working out everyday - what does workout mean to you? does it mean going to the gym? If so - wow that is so lofty!! Or if it means do something active everyday like shovel snow from the driveway and vacuum in addition to some serious activity, I think this is an AWESOME GOAL.

Posting everyday on this - I can tell you that this has helped me be accountable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I even had to confess to my activity last week Thursday and Friday - It was bad and I gained two lbs. But because I came back here, confessed and recommitted, it is now 4 days later and I lost the 2lbs I gained and then so far, I have lost an additional 1. So please, do spill your guts out here daily, regardless of the good or poor food decisions.

I am excited for you WebKat and I am confident you will be successful. We will be successful!!!!!!!!!!!! now get working on those goals!!! :w00t: :thumbup:

I am thrilled to know there are others like me, who failed their band. I am now committed to measuring everyhting and sumitting to the band principals of allowing my band to talk to me instead of me overtalking it! I will measure up!

GISELE - I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GLAD You found us. Misery loves company and I am confident that we can all turn from Misery to ULTIMATE SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WELCOME!!!!!!!

I think you are on the right track with measuring everything and using your band as a tool. Out of curiosity, when were you banded and what has your progress looked like? Do you have restriction at all?

I think that in addition to making the right decisions on the quality and quantity of the food, we need the band to HELP US, with that quantity restrictions.

Hi Fellow Strugglers,

I'm bursting with PRIDE so I have to tell!! I actually worked out again today after work - I wasnt sure I could do it since I was SO TIRED and I just wanted to eat and sleep - but I ate, and an hour later, forced myself to go for Tae Kwondo - 1 hour. Now I am so glad I DID!!! Wuhuuuuuuuuu

What are your successes so far, this week, fellow strugglers????

WIERD QUESTION - Has anyone else noticed how long their food is lasting???? I cooked 1 of rice (1 cup uncooked) and I only eat a quarter cup per meal - usually just at dinner, and the cooked quantity is NOT going down - I may have to toss it and learn to cook 1/2 a cup each time!!!!!!!!!!!

Before the band - 1 cup uncooked rice would last me one or TWO meals - I am NOT exaggerating!!!!

Webkat - WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME - How is your appetite? Are you getting any restriction from the band??

Those are great goals I particularly love the tracking of everything you eat. I am using www.fitday.com and I LOOOOVE it.

The working out everyday - what does workout mean to you?

Posting everyday...

I am excited for you WebKat and I am confident you will be successful. We will be successful!!!!!!!!!!!! now get working on those goals!!! :whistle: :tt1:

Thank you!

I have probably a normal appetite. I don't have quite enough restriction yet-- close but not quite. I am going in for another fill next week.

I have a fitday account too. It's been so long since I logged in that they have made a lot of changes to it. LOL

Working out every day to me is the goal of getting on the treadmill for 5 minutes (to start). I have pain before I ever get on it. So, it's a real struggle just to talk myself into doing that much. The most important thing I want to accomplish is to create the habit. I was at work for 10 hours today, plus a commute, but I WILL go down and get on the treadmill as soon as I'm done with this post.

I know from experience that posting and being held accountable by my fellow bandsters here helps me A LOT. For example I probably would have skipped my work out because it's been a rough day. But writing about it here makes me say "Hey, I can go put in just 5 min and get it over with".

I thought I was doing good on my food today but when I logged my foods I found out some horrible news. The very delicious 20 oz butter rum eggnog latte that was packed with 24 grams of Protein was also packed with a whopping 849 calories and 47 grams of fat!!!! Holy crap!!! :tt1: I had no idea it was that bad. That's why journaling every bite is so good for me. I won't do that again.

WIERD QUESTION - Has anyone else noticed how long their food is lasting???? I cooked 1 of rice (1 cup uncooked) and I only eat a quarter cup per meal - usually just at dinner, and the cooked quantity is NOT going down - I may have to toss it and learn to cook 1/2 a cup each time!!!!!!!!!!!

Before the band - 1 cup uncooked rice would last me one or TWO meals - I am NOT exaggerating!!!!

I'm right there with you. 1 cup uncooked rice was 2 meals tops for me. Now if I eat rice I get too stuffed and can't eat much my meat. When I eat the right foods, with no liquids, small portions can last for a long time. Even liquids last longer than they used to. Yeah for the band!:whistle:

Hi Fellow Strugglers,

I'm bursting with PRIDE so I have to tell!! I actually worked out again today after work - I wasnt sure I could do it since I was SO TIRED and I just wanted to eat and sleep - but I ate, and an hour later, forced myself to go for Tae Kwondo - 1 hour. Now I am so glad I DID!!! Wuhuuuuuuuuu

What are your successes so far, this week, fellow strugglers????

Good job!!! Congratulations!:tt1:

Thanks for inviting me to take part in your thread - I am definitely a "poster child" for lap band failure. I have not given the band a fair chance - I have admitted that all along; however, I do feel like I have made enough changes that I should have seen SOME weight loss. For those of you that don't know my sob story, I had my surgery in May of 2007, and am the same weight now as I was the day of surgery. Yes, I know, it's an accomplishment that I haven't gained, and without the band, I'm sure I would've; however, I am very disappointed, depressed, disgusted, etc. that I haven't seen any weight loss. And, I do worry about what others think, and maybe I shouldn't, but I do. I wanted to be proud of myself and have others be proud of me as well, but that hasn't happened. I have a 4cc band, and have had 6 fills at the clinic where my surgeon is employed, although I haven't seen him since the day after surgery -- might I add that I had never seen him prior to surgery either. (My surgeon went off on medical leave with a brain tumor a couple of weeks before my insurance approval - so I agreed to have one of his partners do the surgery, not realizing that I wouldn't get to meet him before he did the surgery.) So, this didn't make a very good impression on me, and then not seeing him since surgery (almost 2 years) hasn't set well either. Finally, this week I went to see a new doctor that is much closer to my home. He used to do gastric bypass surgeries, but has quit doing them because of the riskiness. He is a general surgeon, but does lap-band fills. I liked him; however, after meeting him, I am questioning more things than I did before. First, the bariatric clinic would only give me 1/4 to 1/2 cc fills at a time. When I went to see the new doctor on Monday, I had 3 or 3.25 cc in my 4 cc band. He gave me a fill that consisted of 1.5 cc! I was in total shock. He said that he gives fills until he meets some resistance from the band, and then he backs off a little. So, I am assuming that my band is at its max or close to it. I left the office feeling very sure that this was going to give me the fresh start I have been longing for. It didn't take me long to realize that i now have NO restriction. I mean NONE, I can eat just like I could before the surgery. Since the band has been part of my life, one thing I always noticed was that it definitely controlled my portions - I could eat very minimal portions; however, I didn't always choose healthy foods. The new doctor did ask if I have had an upper GI since the band placement, and I haven't, other than the 1 they give you before you can be discharged from the hospital the day following surgery. He said we may have to do that to be sure it's in the right place. I called his office yesterday to report the loss of restriction, and I'm still waiting for a call back. Does anyone know what could've happened to cause the complete loss of restriction that I feel? It has me concerned, and instead of being excited about the fresh start, I feel like I've taken yet another step backwards! Arghhh! Thanks for taking the time to read this lengthy post - I'm really frustrated. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

skhopp:hang in there. Hopefully you will be able to get the upper gi to check on your band. You should have some kind of restriction by now. Keep up the good work, because you are doing well if you have no restriction and have not gained anything!

Thank you!

I have a fitday account too. It's been so long since I logged in that they have made a lot of changes to it. LOL

Better get going on this webkat!!! :bored: Did you record what you ate today???

Working out every day to me is the goal of getting on the treadmill for 5 minutes (to start). I have pain before I ever get on it. So, it's a real struggle just to talk myself into doing that much. The most important thing I want to accomplish is to create the habit. I was at work for 10 hours today, plus a commute, but I WILL go down and get on the treadmill as soon as I'm done with this post.

I think this is a GREAT GOAL - Soooo - Did you make it on the treadmill yesterday and today??? Spill the Beans, webkat!!!!!!!

I thought I was doing good on my food today but when I logged my foods I found out some horrible news. The very delicious 20 oz butter rum eggnog latte that was packed with 24 grams of Protein was also packed with a whopping 849 calories and 47 grams of fat!!!! Holy crap!!! I had no idea it was that bad. That's why journaling every bite is so good for me. I won't do that again.

oooh No - I truly just cracked up over this. 849 calories?? in that lil drink???? it is amazing how they load up on calories to make "food" taste good. I'm a little afraid of eating out nowadays because it can ruin my WHOLE day - in fact it has in the past - just last week - but it all turns around as "OK" if you get back on track right away. Did you record the latte on fitday?? LOL -

I had a trainer once who told me that it takes 2 days for "fat" to stick on you - that is, two days of bad eating - that if you have a good week and one bad day and back to good eating for another week, it should fall off right away - I wonder if he was right!!!

I'm right there with you. 1 cup uncooked rice was 2 meals tops for me. Now if I eat rice I get too stuffed and can't eat much my meat. When I eat the right foods, with no liquids, small portions can last for a long time. Even liquids last longer than they used to. Yeah for the band!:eek:

I'm so glad you are here - we can do it webkat!!! Your motivations seem to be in the right place!!!!!!!!!