I hope someone can relate to my situation. I was banded on 11/19/08. I did ok on the pre-op diet until Thanksgiving hit. My doctor said only liquids 2 weeks after surgery as well. I ate a few bites of things I like at Thanksgiving. When I went back for a 2 week check-up, I was chastised for eating scrambled eggs 2 days early. (I didn't dare tell what I had at Thanksgiving!) Anyway,I felt beat down and defeated. Then Christmas came. My total weight loss HAD been 28 lbs. I have gained 7 back and am most disgusted. I've only had 1 fill. I am now at 4.8 cc's, but I don't know the size of my band. I am eating way too much and falling into old habits. How do I start over? I was getting so many nice compliments and it felt so good. Why can't I cling to that and say "no" to food? I have 2 close friends who have been banded. One says I am being too hard on myself and one that reminds me of the "rules of the box". I had no idea that this surgery would be such an emotional roller coaster.:biggrin:

Stop kicking yourself! :tt2:

It is not easy for any of us. You are trying to change a life time of bad habits. It takes time to learn new ones. You have two freinds that will help you get back on track. Talk to them and ask for the help you need. Good luck, Barb

Holidays can always be hard and you were new and not fully into your new habits.

The holidays are now over, it is a new year and a new life for you. Dont think about the past, let it go and move on. The more you think about what you DID, the harder it will be to go forward.

New day, good luck

Take it easy on yourself.

What helps me is I keep a little diary... I also allow myself a cheat every now and then. You must get back to basics. When I feel that I am slipping ... I go back to my shakes and making sure I have 60-90grams of Protein a day. When I have enough protein in my body I don't think of the other junk.

You will be fine... take one day at a time.

Do not let your past define your future.

Curves

It's a New Year and you have time to do the right thing, We all slip and fall, eat the wrong things and gain and lose. It's trial and error, you'll learn. Get back up!!!

I've been there believe me! But I dont think it was right of them to beat you down. You may want to try doing the 5 day pouch diet just to get yourself back on track. Its basically 5 days of your post op diet. not bad at all. Heres the link: Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test

good luck. stick with it.

Does anyone know of persons who have failed completely with the lap band? I have had few complications, but I have not lost weight despite the fact that I eat about 40% of what I used to eat, and I eat low-carb and low-fat. I am 2 years and 9 months into my surgery, and my internist asked my surgeon to do a gastric bypass now. I'm not sure if I should press on with the new surgery or hang on for a while...

There are, in fact, large numbers of people who have failed with the Lap band. Of course, you have to define “failed”, and that means different things to different people. MOST people with that Lap Band do not lose all of the weight that they had originally intended.

I am a firm believer in the concept of working with what you have….but….if what you have is NOT working, then perhaps it is time to move on to something that WILL work.

You do need to make sure that you have done everything you could to make the band work. You may have reduced the quantity of your intake, but what about the QUALITY? That does make a huge difference. You didn’t mention anything about your history of fills. I would strongly suggest that you get other opinions from qualified, experienced bariatric professionals. Perhaps you need a new set of “eyes” to observe how you are working the band.

Now, having said all that, I will tell you that if indeed you have reduced your consumption by 40%, and the TYPE of food you are eating is appropriate, then it is entirely possible that you are one of the people that never should have had the Lap Band to begin with. A Gastric Bypass might be the appropriate procedure for you. The Lap Band and GB are meant for different types of people with different eating and metabolic disorders. People think they are interchangeable, and that is not always the case. While there are people who would do well with either, usually one of them is better than the other for YOU.

Keep us posted…..and don’t lose hope; there ARE other options out there!

S.

Thanks, Spartan, for your response. I am filled to 3.1 cc, so I know I'm not eating too much food. (Some have suggested that I don't eat enough, but I don't think that's true, either). I think due to genetics, the lap band probably will not give me the results I need, but I am still working at it. I have done the journaling, consulting with the nutritionist, psychologist, and made efforts to follow instructions carefully, so I'm thinking the RNY may be my next route to visit. I just wanted to put some feelers out to see if I was as "rare" as my surgeon's PA claims I am. (He says 89% of all their patients have been successful at losing a significant amount of weight on the program, so that made me feel like an "odd ball".) Good luck to all in their fight to be fit.

Tom's Girl,

You are not the only person for whom a band has, or may have, failed.

I am sorry you are going through all this.

For me, if my band failed, I'd strongly consider RNY. I've already discussed it with my PCP who always checks my port site whenever I see him. Not that I except it, just as a precaution.

I am going to send you a link via PM to another forum that encompasses different types of WLS. There you will find posts of folk who revised from band to RNY, and also folk who went band to VSG, or RNY then a band over it.

It might give you a broader range of info and exeriences.

Best wishes to feeling better!!