I was banded over a year ago. I've had illnesses, a move, a complete unfill and various good excuses but ultimately if I'm honest I have chosen to gradually cheat here and there, eat around my band and never started an exercise routine.

I was hoping to maybe find a buddy who is also struggling. We can hold each other accountable and get back on track.

Have you lost anything since your banding? I am for some reason struggling all of a sudden myself. I have been banded for over 2 years and have always had kind of a hard time staying continuously devoted. I have recently had lapses in exercise and I have figured out how to eat around the band. This last week I have gained back 5lbs. I don't know what is wrong with me, I get close to goal and I just backslide. I would love to help if I can. I know that I need a giant kick in the butt right now. I have tons of plans with family and friends within the next couple of months and I feel like, for some reason, I am trying to sabotage myself. I guess old habits die hard.

I was losing slowly but steady for the first year and the Dr was OK with it because I had a few minor complications along the way. I have 200lbs to lose, was down 40lbs to 307 at my lowest.

In July I had to have an unfill because I had swelling and couldn't swallow my saliva. (I don't ever want to relive that experience.) The time between the unfill and the refills to get my restriction back up I gained nearly 20lbs.

My Dr is no longer OK with my progress and neither am I. I have fallen into bad habits and need to get back on track. I was doing so good after surgery, but now I'm way off track.

The biggest thing is exercise. I hurt all the time anyway-- knots in my shoulders and headaches. Any exercise makes me hurt more. I need to just do it anyway and be happy with 5 min on the treadmill to start.

You are so close to goal. That must be hard. Being so close and not slipping into old habits must be a whole new problem, or the same old one revisited. The band truly is just a tool, huh?

So, what kinds of things helped you lose as much as you have and stay on track?

Unfortunately, within the last month, I have slipped into a lot of my old bad habits. I actually have never been consistent with anything. I will exercise faithfully, and then for a week I will stop everything completely, even eating right. Like right now I have gained about 5lbs back again. I am having a hard time getting back on track. I hope that I can get myself together before it turns from 5 to 10 to 20. I guess that is why it has taken so long for me to lose my weight, inconsistancy. I also hurt alot during exercise, but what I had to do is start taking naproxen. Most doctors say that were are not suppose to take it with the band, but I am not able to function without it. So my doctor has me split the pill in half and take prilosac with it. This also helps with my migraines. Without it I have horrible neck, shoulder, head, and knee issues. I had knee surgery last year and it swells and hurts without my meds. Tylenol just doesn't do anything for me. And I also use to get at least one horrible migraine a month, which I no longer have to deal with.

I also hurt alot during exercise, but what I had to do is start taking naproxen. Most doctors say that were are not suppose to take it with the band, but I am not able to function without it. So my doctor has me split the pill in half and take prilosac with it. This also helps with my migraines. Without it I have horrible neck, shoulder, head, and knee issues. I had knee surgery last year and it swells and hurts without my meds. Tylenol just doesn't do anything for me. And I also use to get at least one horrible migraine a month, which I no longer have to deal with.

Really? Why are we not supposed to take naproxin? My main Dr and surgeon said it was OK, but I'd love to hear what you've heard. I practically live on it and have for years. On bad days I take two every 4 hours. On a regular day I take two in the morning to prevent pain and two before bed. I use a pill crusher and gulp them down with Water. It tastes awful and irritates my stomach for a few minutes but it passes pretty quickly. I wish they made it in liquid.

We are not suppose to take any NSAID's (NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammitory Drugs) because they are hard on the stomach and they don't want them to cause damage to the small pouch. That's why I take an acid reducer with it.

I need a buddy desperately! I was banded on 2/4/08 and have not had very good success at all. Basically, I learned how to eat around the band right off and that's where I am today -- almost a year out and only 25 lbs. lost. Ugh.

I am sick of being a failure. I want to be a success. I'm really good at being consistent with exercise if motivated. It's the ice cream that does me in. I can eat a gallon at a sitting. It's sick, sick, sick. I was self pay -- you'd think that would have motivated me -- but noooooo.

Anyway, does anyone here want to be my weight loss buddy? I am a very positive person in general and this is the only thing I've really ever failed at. I'm a little like Oprah in that way, I guess. I'm 55 years old and I have two kids (well, both are almost adults now), and I live in MA. Let's do this together. Together we can!

b.

I'll take a buddy any buddy:cry_smile: wahhhhhhhhhhhhh ! I was banded in june of 2005. Lost 54 lbs the first yr. nothing the 2nd yr and I have gained 37 lbs the third yr. ( I got in a car crash and got broken and could not exersie) But Im getting better now and need a buddy to help me get back on track.

I signed up for th V-Day challenge. I 'm going for 20lbs. but it would be nice to have someone to report to. What say you?":confused:

I am here with you all. Surgery in October 2007 at 300#, lost about 60#, had to have an unfill, fell off the wagon, and now here I am gained almost 30# back. UGH. Got my elliptical for Christmas and ready to start a detox to get all this crap out of my body and start over. New year new start!

Count me in! I'm not going to be a very good buddy as far as offering any success stories or advice; however, I am a great listener and can relate to all of your troubles with the band. Banded May 2007, only weight loss was that during pre-op, NOT A STICKIN' POUND SINCE SURGERY! I have NO drive, NO motivation, and NO willpower, and I don't know why. I want to lose the weight, I want to feel good, I want others to notice and comment on my success. I am tired of the frustration and depression. I often feel like such a failure because even WLS hasn't helped me lose weight - how sad is that? I know the band is only a tool - and you have to work with it to be successful. I'm not an idiot - I get it; however, I just don't make it work. If anyone is giving "kicks in the butt", sign me up, too. I'm here - let's get going.

Stephanie

I'll take a buddy any buddy:cry_smile: wahhhhhhhhhhhhh ! I was banded in june of 2005. Lost 54 lbs the first yr. nothing the 2nd yr and I have gained 37 lbs the third yr. ( I got in a car crash and got broken and could not exersie) But Im getting better now and need a buddy to help me get back on track.

I signed up for th V-Day challenge. I 'm going for 20lbs. but it would be nice to have someone to report to. What say you?":confused:

Okay -- you're on! I'm really good at motivation in terms of exercise but I need help with the bingeing behavior (ie: ice-cream!), and eating in general. I want to lose weight and I'm sick of sabotaging myself. What kind of challenge did you join? How do I join it too? If we're going to be buddies, then we're in this together!

bonnie

Well, you lost 60 lbs. which is better than the three of us here have done. So, you need to be our leader for now. Please tell us HOW you lost your initial 60 pounds. We don't need to know how you gained 30 lbs. back -- we're all too familiar with that story. Tell us how you lost. We need to have a plan.

In the meantime, I'm thinking that we should all have a goal for this week. I think our first goal should be that we all agree that we will weigh ourselves every single Sunday morning. Not before -- not after. I'm not a scale addict, but I have been in the past. I think for us all to get on track, we need to use the scale as a tool, but not as an addiction or not as a measure of our success or failure. Hence, once-a-week and that's it. And, we get honest. We report how we've done to one another. Our second goal for this week: exercise. Everyone has to have a plan and post their exercise plan for the week, right here -- in print. And we're all accountable to one another.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it! Together we can do this. :tongue2:

bonnie

I am here with you all. Surgery in October 2007 at 300#, lost about 60#, had to have an unfill, fell off the wagon, and now here I am gained almost 30# back. UGH. Got my elliptical for Christmas and ready to start a detox to get all this crap out of my body and start over. New year new start!

I'm a great listener too -- but I'm not a very good follower, evidently. If I could follow advice and/or if I were detail oriented (I'm a disorganized artist-type), I'd have lost lots of weight by now. We're all here for a reason and that reason is that we're not at losing weight. It doesn't mean we're bad people -- it just means that we care more about food than we do about our health. What can I say -- it's the truth.

I too don't know why I sabotage myself, except it's easier to give in to my cravings than to fight them. That's it. I'm not willing to make that mind-set change in the moment -- it's easier when my brain says "ice-cream," for me to say "Okay -- ice-cream," and then, binge on it. I'm like Scarlett O'Hara -- "tomorrow is another day." Except it's not. It's the same old, same old, same old day. And I've had it. I didn't go through surgery to be a failure. I have to learn how to change my mind from "ice-cream," to "it's not worth it." And I can't seem to make that shift, or rather, until now, I haven't wanted to make that shift. But, either we all make the shift or we fail. We have a choice here and it's up to us. No one is going to do it for us.

I talk a good game but like you, I'm a failure with healthy eating That's why I need a mentor and some weight loss buddies. We need to check in with one another every single day and write every single day -- writing to one another gives us strength. So, another goal, is that we all have to write in to one another every single day. Deal?

:tongue2:

Count me in! I'm not going to be a very good buddy as far as offering any success stories or advice; however, I am a great listener and can relate to all of your troubles with the band. Banded May 2007, only weight loss was that during pre-op, NOT A STICKIN' POUND SINCE SURGERY! I have NO drive, NO motivation, and NO willpower, and I don't know why. I want to lose the weight, I want to feel good, I want others to notice and comment on my success. I am tired of the frustration and depression. I often feel like such a failure because even WLS hasn't helped me lose weight - how sad is that? I know the band is only a tool - and you have to work with it to be successful. I'm not an idiot - I get it; however, I just don't make it work. If anyone is giving "kicks in the butt", sign me up, too. I'm here - let's get going.

Stephanie