Has anyone ever heard we banders only have a window of opportuniity to lose weight. If this is true, how long is it? and why can't we continue to lose? It doesn't make sense to me. Help me understand or have I been misinformed?

I have never heard of that. I know people who may loose quickly initially, but continue to loose for a year or two more slowly. It's not just about the band, it's about our behaviors too:)

Hi I have had my band for nearly 5 yrs and i am stll loosing good luck Jacqueline

My friend is in her third year and says that she still loses every now and again. She thought it had stopped but it hasn't apparently.

Hi I have had my band for nearly 5 yrs and i am stll loosing good luck Jacqueline

That's good to know.

Never heard of that. Exercise and eating habits are what cause you to lose weight. It is as simple as how many calories you burn versus how many calories you eat. Period.

At 4 years out, I've recently really recommitted and started up boot camp and circuit training as well as my regular running. I've certainly lost the last pounds.

Everyone loses faster and easier in the first year but its not true that there's a window. You can lose whenever you're motivated to make the necessary effort.

BUT -in my boot camp we were weighed first session of the series. Others have lost way more weight than me. I no longer really have an "excess" to lose, I just like to be skinny, lol, and I certainly dont drop 2 or 3 lb in a week even with mammoth levels of exercise. I'd be glad to lose 2lb in a month these days.

But again - I have a BMI of 21 so that's hardly a problem!

That tends to be more the case with gastric bypass. Part of the reason bypass is so successful is that they reduce the size of your intestines which causes malapsorption of food. Over time the boday adjust to it and since their pouch becomes larger through the ability to eat more they tend to lose less after the first 12 to 18 months though they tend to be close to their goal by then. The same is not true for the band. I think as long as you keep it in adjustment you can lose weight indefintely.

Greg

That tends to be more the case with gastric bypass. Part of the reason bypass is so successful is that they reduce the size of your intestines which causes malapsorption of food. Over time the boday adjust to it and since their pouch becomes larger through the ability to eat more they tend to lose less after the first 12 to 18 months though they tend to be close to their goal by then. The same is not true for the band. I think as long as you keep it in adjustment you can lose weight indefintely.

Greg

Ditto this. If you noticed, all three of the seminars I went to (different hospitals) showed the same chart ofWL rates for RNY vs LB with 3 years out...the RNY'ers lose it the first year and the LBers continue into year 3 and they end up at about the same loss. I always wondered what that chart would look like 5 or 10 years out.

I was wondering about the time/amount of weight loss too. I understand that you need to put more work into it than some of the other surgeries, but have been very confused by some people losing all of their weight, and then other sites saying you're lucky if you can lose 30-40% overall, and then keep it off. I think that some of the info. I read was a few years old and didn't take in to account the improvements that have been made, not sure, it's a little unnerving at times. For me it's not lack of effort, it's seeing some results for my effort, and then some lasting results. It seems to me that you should be able to reach a reasonable healthy weight with the band and then maintain it.

I was reassured by other people's posts, so i hope I'm on the right track!!!:thumbup: Thanks!