i'm not coming down on any1...i personally think that if u have lost 5 pounds or 125 pounds...u should b proud of urself...and b happy that u r losing...but when people arent losing they want to start blaming the surgeon...the surgeon is there to perform surgery and give u fills when needed...what else do u want him to do??????? they dont lose the weight 4 u...they dont watch what u eat...make u exercise or read u bedtime stories...i expected my surgeon to put this band on me safely...give me fills when i didnt feel restriction and make sure i was losing healthy...i didnt expect anything more from a doctor...u have to take responsibility for ur part in this journey...if ur not losing change ur eating or exercise habits...and be TRUTHFUL with urself as to y ur not losing...my friend who had the bypass is always boo--whooing about not losing the weight she thought she would while snacking on jack in the box at 10p.m....uuummmm hello????????? is that the surgeons fault???????????

Where I do see where your coming from but at the same time these people can be refferring to the fills not being a tad bit agressive I am only basing this on my own experience, I did not have restriction 7 months into my band life and so I wasn't losing but as soon as I got to my sweet spot I was well on my way So I think that is where the blaming the surgeon comes from when one is so desperate it si possible to blame anyone!!!!

I look at your stats and I say GO GIRL! You have done a great job I am slowly getting there and am very proud of myself even if i am not the model queen yet..the compliments are rolling in and everyone's sucess is what keeps me going, knowing I will some day be right there with you all....

in ur case...yeah i would b real upset with a surgeon leaving me without restriction 4 7 months!!!!!!! but there r others walking around snacking on cookies and ice cream...crying that their not losing weight and putting blame on the suregeon????????

Yea I see what you are saying and I will be the first to admit it I fall into that catagory if I want a cookie I am going to eat it, if not I will gorge so basically I am not completely obedient but I am on schedule 2lbs a week that is all that is expected..

But I now know the reasons him not being so agressive, he wanted me to transistion slowly now I understand but before I sure wasnt' I was impatient, I think we all would be. It's not a race it's getting there and slow and steady wins the race...every since I saw that saying I live by it.

I completely agree and on some levels I want to blame the company's who make the bands. In the last year or so ads are all over the place and I think people are running out and say "ok banded me - I want to go to Paris with husband" ( That woman just rubs me the wrong way - What she couldnt go to Paris before??). But these people dont stop to read the literature, do the research, etc etc. Did I know what to expect going in, not 100% but I knew that I wouldnt drop lbs overnight. Did I know that I was going to have to make changes in me - YES!

i've noticied that too!!!!!!!!! billboards everywhere "do u need to lose 50 pounds...get the lap band"....like its a car or a purse....aaaaaa its not that easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I totally agree with you, I see people talking about eating pizza and chips and jelly beans but then why haven't I lost any weight? I have been struggling this week because for some reason I didn't lose anything this week, I haven't cheated and I didn't gain, I have been good with my diet. BUT i had some weird nausea and dizzyness on Wed so I didn't work out, and I didn't work out as much as I could or should have. But no matter what it's my doings. I start food this weekend and boy I am so nervous. Not because I don't think my stomach can handle it but more so I don't want to make the wrong food choices. I have been given a tool, that which if I use correctly will be the answer to all my prayers. IF I abuse it it's only going to be a waste of time and money.

2fly-you are lucky I have been banded since Oct 29th 08 and I still don't have restriction. I have been gaining and losing the same 3 freaking pounds for the last 7 weeks. That is with another fill. I have 5.5 cc in my 10cc band. I am going for my 4th fill in May and I pray that I can feel restriction then. I have no time to do anything for myself because I have 2 children under the age of 3. By the time I get my children to bed I am exhausted and can't do anything. I have lost some since my surgery but I have done it all by myself. The band is not restricting me at all. I am not blaming anyone. I have eaten pretty good and I do get up and do something when I can. I try to do something for at least 20 minutes 3 times a week. Hopefully I can feel some restriction soon!

my 4th fill...was the fill that did the trick!!!!!!!!!! i didnt understand what restriction felt like until my 4th fill....i havent had a fill for 3 months now!!!!!!!!! i hope this fill hits ur sweet spot!!!!!!!!!!!

I sure hope so too! I have been trying to restrict myself since the begining. I would love to tell other people that don't have the band and don't have to worry about weight loss that the band is not the thing that makes you lose weight in the begining....it is you and only you. It is your choices that you make and I am sure that as soon as you get to that sweet spot you can start reducing your caloric intake and amount of food that you eat. How many pounds have you lost since your 4th fill 2-fly?

i'm honestly not sure...i'm a weird 1...i dont keep track of how many cc's are in my band or my fill dates...lol...i'm just losing a whole lot and feel that i'm doing something right....lol....i go to the dr. on the 29th...i will ask...i havent updated my ticker...but i'm at 175

Way to go I hope that you meet your goal!

i'm 15 pounds away....although i change it every other week...lol

not everyone gets restriction with their first set of fills, i myself needed 8; 6 months down the road before i had a clue that a band was in me.

i was strict on my diet / worked out like crazy & had only lost 30lbs by that time. many of us who have/had dieted in the past know that discouragement in the scale reverts many back to bad behaviours - so i can see where some might blame their dr.

i also think that the relationship w/your dr goes beyond the surgery - i'm 18 months out and still have regular appts. i think there is a better correlation of those who meet regularly with their surgical support system & checkups than those who don't & expect the band to work w/out wanting to change poor habits / lifestyle.

hi, this is a very interesting thread. I have only been fitted for 2 weeks, however my Nurse has told me I will have 2 fills in the next few months and will lose 5.5 stones before spring next year. This was very uplifting to me, and I believe her.

My first fill is scheduled for 3 weeks time and my second for 7 weeks time. She has a great reputation for getting peoples fills spot on, and I really believe we will work it out together. I have lost 25 lbs including both pre and post op. I am on liquids only but I make sure they are suitable nutritionally.

I know all of the work is down to me, the band will only help, not do it for me. I am 100% commited to the whole thing, I expect to struggle at times. I will succeed!

Chubby

ps she advised me not to weigh myself between visits to see her

From my own personal experience, and those who have been following my lapband drama on these boards know, I will tell you what I expect from a surgeon. First, he should be a bariatric surgeon exclusively. Not a general surgeon who does bandings & fills and bypasses almost on the side. Second, he should be experienced. Third, he should be knowledgable about the complexities of obesity. One size does not fit all. Fourth, he should be willing to listen to your questions and if he doesn't know the answers, say so and then find out. Fifth, he should stay current by attending bariatric conferences and symposiums and bring that knowledge back to his practice. Sixth, he (or designate) should be accessible after hours for those problems and concerns that can't wait until normal business hours.

For many of these reasons, I just changed doctors this week. So, sometimes, it isn't the patient, it is the surgeon.

Now, as to how the band is promoted. It is promoted as allowing you to only eat a small amount of food that will satisfy you for several hours. Healthy foods, of course. Nowhere does it say the band should cause pain, heartburn, reflux, hiatal hernias. I know that's not what I signed up for. For those who reach their sweet spot without suffering any of these problems - great. They are among the lucky ones. But read these boards, for many, many bandsters - it is not working this way, despite their best efforts.