I keep reading everyone's stories on here and how they've lost so much weight and the band is working great for them. I feel like such a failure. I paid all this money for the band, and have only lost 35 lbs in 9 months. Why can't I do as well as everyone else?! I'm about ready to just give up!:tt1:

Good luck everyone with your future weight loss!

hey whoa girls don't give up yet. you need restriction, and then you need to learn how to eat with restriction. there is a huge difference. if you are throwing up after a fill, ask yourself if you are eating tiny, and i mean pencil eraser size, bites of food and chewing to liquid. are you swallowing large amounts of Water and it is coming back up? well then take sips. have food in small quantities with you all day. i realized that i was at work 8 hours a day, take enough good food with me to keep me from looking for the bad when i got hungry. i had surgery 3/5/08, and finally have perfect restriction as of 3/3/09. i get full eating soup, now that is a big switcheroonie. so try it, meet the band half way and you will see your success. G2S

So you have only lost 30 pounds in a year? Have you talked to your doctor? Have you had a flouroscopy?

yes wannabe, isn't that great??? I notice you are on the same timeline as well, good for you. My doctor cares about my health, and takes pride in his work. he does not encourage large fills because it takes time to adjust eating habits with each step of restriction. i did not go into this thinking i would take off 60+ pounds that took 20+ years to gain. i have taken it off the smart way, slow and steady. we all make our choices, i am glad i made mine good choices. G2S

I got my band 5-5-08. Just like you I struggled and lost around 35 lbs. In Febuary I had a fill that changed everything for me. I lost 16 lbs in one month. I understand it now. Its working. It took 9 months to get there. You will too!

yes wannabe, isn't that great??? I notice you are on the same timeline as well, good for you. My doctor cares about my health, and takes pride in his work. he does not encourage large fills because it takes time to adjust eating habits with each step of restriction. i did not go into this thinking i would take off 60+ pounds that took 20+ years to gain. i have taken it off the smart way, slow and steady. we all make our choices, i am glad i made mine good choices. G2S

Same time line? I have lost 20 pounds in 4 months I would not call us in the same time line. Most doctors that don't want to fill you right away are normally the ones that want to drain your money with fills.

Most doctors that don't want to fill you right away are normally the ones that want to drain your money with fills.

Maybe your doc is that way. Mine is going by the research that says aggressive fills can cause esophageal spasms and a host of other problems. Sounds like you're just unhappy, period...sorry it hasn't worked out for you the way you thought it would.

tHANKS FOR YOUR MESSAGE, I WAS SO HAPPY TO READ YOUR NOTE ABOUT THE PERFECT FILL. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN THERE YET. I WAS BANDED ON 5/14/08 AND HAVE LOST APPROXIMATELY 30 POUNDS. I KEEP HOPING FOR A FIX SOON. I EAT SO LITTLE AND IT SEEMS SO

STRANGE THAT I HAVE NOT LOST ANYMORE THAN THAT

AT THIS POINT. BUT I NOW HAVE RENEWED HOPE. I GO BACK TO THE SURGEONS OFFICE EVERY 6 WEEKS FOR A CHECK UP JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S DOING OKAY. I HAD TO HAVE SOME OF THE FLUID TAKEN OUT JUST LAST MONTH BECAUSE I HAVING HAVING REALLY BAD HEARTBURN AND THROWING UP WAY TO MUCH. BUT IT'S MUCH BETTER NOW. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.

I am right there with you guys!! I've only lost 30lbs since Oct 22nd. Sometimes I feel like "why did I even do this if this is all I'm going to lose":confused:. BUT then I remember that I would have lost the 30lbs then put them right back on. I see that I'm in a slump and not losing but I'm also not putting it back on either. I've had four fills and after each fill I'm good. I feel good restriction for about 2 weeks and then after that I feel less restriction and hungry until my next fill. I'm fustrated with myself as this is a constant struggle:blushing:. I think I'm going to join weight watchers as I need some support and motivation. I'm still exercising and trying to stay on track but this weight just doesn't want to come off. Hang in there everybody!!!!!

you have done great 35 pounds that you would not have lost. do you keep track of what you eat (I don't but should, as my weight loss has stopped).

do you excersie?

I went away for 10 days and am now back on the program. I even started drinking again. I will never go back to what I was.

I am right there with you guys!! I've only lost 30lbs since Oct 22nd. Sometimes I feel like "why did I even do this if this is all I'm going to lose":confused:. BUT then I remember that I would have lost the 30lbs then put them right back on. I see that I'm in a slump and not losing but I'm also not putting it back on either. I've had four fills and after each fill I'm good. I feel good restriction for about 2 weeks and then after that I feel less restriction and hungry until my next fill. I'm fustrated with myself as this is a constant struggle:blushing:. I think I'm going to join weight watchers as I need some support and motivation. I'm still exercising and trying to stay on track but this weight just doesn't want to come off. Hang in there everybody!!!!!

Hi there, I was banded by Dr Pehrsson as well! He's been great so far, very supportive.

Okay, okay. Everyone please take a deep breathe!!! If my story can give you just one ounce of hope, then it will be worth it! I have read each and every one of your posts and I can't tell you how I remember feeling the way all of you are feeling right now. I was banded THREE YEARS AGO!!!!! It was such a slow process, I would cry all the time wondering why I put myself through it. My last adjustment was July 2008, it was "The perfect fill" you heard about, earlier. The weight melted off it was unreal!!!

All my life I did things that I thought might bring me just a little bit of happiness. For me, the problem was that my head wasn't right, I had entirely to much stress in my life, constant problems with depression and anxiety. Please realize that all of this affected my success with the band. Once I took control of those issues, I was able to commit 100% of myself into my goal of getting rid of the weight once and for all!

It's certainly not easy, and I will admit to you that there are times when I can't even hold down liquids. It changes daily, but just like I am hearing from all of you, remind yourselves all the time that you didn't go through the surgery for nothing! You will get there, I promise you as I am living proof!

Just remember with all of the other diets all of us tried prior to doing the band, the slower you lose the weight, the longer you will keep it off.

Good luck to all of you, please don't give up. Continue to lean on each other as we are the best support group!

Average rate of loss is 10% of your total body weight at the six month mark. Most of you are on target.

I have had moments of struggling too since being banded. It was in my case completely due to my own poor choices.

Are you drinking alcohol?

Tracking what you eat?

Cutting out refined foods?

Exercising?

If you can't honestly answer the above questions as they ought to be answered, then you have some work to do still.

There ARE, however, people for whom the band is not effective. Everyone who feels discouraged by lack of loss needs to be talking to their surgeon.

You know most of the world does not understand obesity! We have spent a large part of our life feeling ashamed because we have weight issues. Society thinks that we are lazy slobs and we carry the guilt of that! We are not! Stand tall and be proud of who you are. It's difficult but you can do it! I think that we all have a lot of emotional issues to overcome. Embrace yourself for what you have done! If your doctor is not understanding find a new one! If you are filled correctly you will not eat as much food! Instead of being a "wanna lose" become a "gonna lose!" You go girls! :thumbup:

:party:We can all help each other!

If you only lost 35 lbs in 9 months, you are definitely not doing soemthing right. This isnt a miracle cure, nothing is.

That is not true. The normal amount that you should lose with the band is 1-2 pounds per week. 9 months = 36 weeks. So you are on the low end of normal. Don't get discouraged. Just keep on keepin on. In two years at this rate, you will have lost 104 pounds! What do you think your weight would be in two years without the surgery? I am not losing weight as fast as I would like to either, but I am losing. I have to be very careful not to compare myself to others. Plus, I have read what some of the other ppl are doing... exercising 1, 2 or 3 hours a day. Eating only liquids mon-fri... :thumbup: That is not how I want the band to work for me. I am eating similar to the way I always have, but less, and finding healthier things to eat. I never feel like I am being deprived, and I feel so much better now that I am 29 pounds lighter than I did before. Like any weight loss, this is a life style change. Make sure you are exercising. I walk about 30-40 minutes a day. I take my dog out. It isn't something I dread. I am building my stamina and my dog is absolutely ecstatic! And you might need a fill. Getting the band to the right place is the hardest thing about this tool. Good luck to you.