Anybody else feel like it's not working for them?

I had the lapband in May and i feel that I'm still hungry alot.  I was on my like 4th fill and finally started feeling full, but that lasted only two weeks.  The only thing that keeps me losing weight is when I run alot but I hurt all the time.  I am eating way less than before so I don't understand why I don't have at least slow loss.  I lost maybe 20 lbs since May.  Aren't the first few months the honeymoon months?  I feel so depressed.  Any tips from real people would be great.  The doctor and the psych doctor say different things.  Man, I regret getting this soooo much. :(

If you have not done so, post this on the LAP-BAND Forum for more responses from those that had the same procedure as you 

With the band there isn't really a "honeymoon" period like there is during the caloric malabsorption period with the RNY, and the band doesn't really do anything to keep you from being hungry between meals (it just helps you feel full quickly when you do eat).

I would suggest posting this on the Lap Band forum where more people with bands will see it and be able to reply.

Lora

Lora, actually the band does stop you feeling hungry between meals and should not make you feel full immediately after eating. I fully accept that for some that is not what happens.  But a well adjusted band allows well chewed food through in less than a minute and so gives no mmediate feeling of fullness. What it does is increase the number of movements required to move the food down the oesophagus. This signals to the brain that more food has been swallowed than is in fact the case. 

I am one of the fortunate ones whose band does exactly what it is supposed to. At a meal, if I ate slowly, I could carry on and on! But if I eat and then walk away, I do not feel hunger for several hours. 

And that is why the band only has a 50% success rate and that is for any weight loss at all. One person "may" lose 100lbs but 10 may only lose 5 lbs total. The band is a very poor weight loss tool even when used correctly. It takes forever to get where it might make you feel full, personally I never did have a full feeling, neither have many other people. I would guess that at least half of people with the band will revise to a different surgery to actually lose weight. What you are experiencing is pretty much life with the band.

We dont have a honeymoon period as with bypass except in so far as our motivation may be higher at first! 

We have no malabsorption so our rate of loss is directly linked to calories eaten. 20lbs since May (maybe 16-17 weeks?) is a slow rate of loss but it is in the correct direction. Have you tried tracking your food to make sure you are not eating more than you think? In my losing stages, I didn't go over 1100-1200 calories a day. 

Are you eating dense protein and crunchy veggies first at every meal? Are you avoiding grazing?

what do you mean by hurting all the time? Your band should not cause pain. If it does it is either too tight or something is wrong. 

I am happy to offer suggestions but need more detail about the "hurt' and your daily food intake.