Lapband 1 year no loss

 I was banded about 14 months ago and still haven't lost but a few pounds. I am filled to a 7.25 on a band that is a 10, and I still can eat. I'm sure its not the band its that I have an eating disorder. I dint eat right, don't chew right, eat too fast and get busy and don't eat until I'm hungry. I know your all going to say that go back to what the doctor told you originally but if I could do what he told me I wouldn't have been this way to begin with. I do feel that I am getting stuck sometimes and that feeling is terrible, so I just drink a 1/2 cup of liquid and it pushes it down. I have never gotten full on a cup of food, I can eat 3-4 pieces of pizza and then I feel full but not like I am going to pop. I am not sure what to do, get this removed? I feel I have no self control and that's why I got this to begin with, thinking it would be the cure. I want it to work, but so far its like every diet I have ever tried, I quit and the weight comes back. Any one try OA?
Thanks-

 In my strictly non-medical opinion, it sounds like you're not filled enough. The fact that you can eat "3-4 pieces of pizza" astounds me. While that IS an issue of self-control, as are the other issues you mentioned, the band really should be helping you with portion control.

My first suggestion is to check with your surgeon and ask about more fill.

My second is to meet with a nutritionist to see what his/her suggestions to you might be.

My third is that you are well aware of what your issues are, and you just need to find your focus. I'm the first to admit that I don't "eat mindfully" - most people DON'T, because we've got too much going on in your lives. But being aware of what you eat, when you eat, and why your eat can make a big difference.

Keep a log of everything you eat (and be honest), then show that to your doc and nut to see what they think.

I'm really sorry you're going through such a difficult time.  Have you had your surgeon check your band and port?  You may have stretched your pouch if you've continually over-eaten for 14 months.  You also may need more than 7.25 in your band.  Some people require more to get restriction.

However, no matter how tight your band is, there are ways to cheat it, so you are correct to look toward addressing your addiction along with working with your surgeon to get the band working for you.  At the very least, make sure you rule out any possible problems.

I would highly recommend OA and private therapy if you have insurance.  I work with a therapist who specializes in food addition and it's helped a lot.  I've also done OA in my past and it's a great program if you are willing to submit fully to the 12 steps.  Kath Keb here on OH does OA and has been super successful.  I'm sure she'd be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the program.

Whatever you do, don't give up.  If it turns out the band isn't the tool for you, check out other surgery options, but don't give up.

I'm praying that you find what works for you soon.

Best~
Lisa O.

I'm sorry you are struggling with food addiction like a lot of us.  I know when I first started researching the band and other WLS I thought it may be the magic thing I needed.  I soon found out that it was NOT magic and that I had to do most of the work still, with the band anyway.
You seem to know what you are doing wrong and to just say that "Oh well, I have an addiction" and bru**** off is not the answer.   Alcoholics have an addiction also but they have to let go of their old behaviors.  Granted they don't have to put their addiction in themselves 3+ times a daylike we do but still.....We need to change our behaviors too.  You need some strong support and OA would probably help you a lot.   I was part of it for many years back, quite awhile ago.  Do you have any lapband support groups?   I sincerely hope you can get a handle on it cause speaking for myself, I know I am miserable when my food is out of control.   I feel so down on myself. 

Maybe a fill will help but you have to be willing to put some of the food down also.   It is said so often here that "Just because you CAN eat it doesn't mean you SHOULD!"  I am only eating 1/3 C of protein and 1/4 C veggie or fruit.  Can I eat more???  You bet!!!

Lyn

Amen!! it's not magic it's work .. my band is tool it's not the end all be all it's just a helper.. I am the end all be all .. ..

My heart goes out to you! I am 15 mos. out with no luck with the band.

How many fills have you had? I have had 15 and still no luck. You might try a few more fills and if that doesn't work ...........time to think REVISION!

You do need to do what you can to work WITH the band though.And beleive me...........I KNOW how hard it is! If you dont have restriction/sweet spot it's just like trying to not overeat b4 we got the band!

Good luck and keep us updated!

i would check to see if you have a leak, 3-4 pieces of pizza astounds me.
don't get me wrong - i eat pizza, but 1 small thin crust slice w/a few bites of salad is about as much as i can ever eat in one sitting.

re- self control, that's got to come from within.   how you get there is quite individual - OA couldn't hurt.

I got into OA before I had my band.

I knew that the band would not stop me from eating the foods that made me obese in the first place, and that I needed a program to help me identify those foods, and find the willingness to stop eating them.

I used OA on line (www.oa.org and www.therecoverygroup.org) to begin working the steps.
I identified a list of foods that I would abstain from eating --- and I got abstinent on April 1, 2009.

On the oa site, you can find 'face to face' meetings in your area, or you can attend meetings on line.

As far as your band goes --- to be honest with you, until you are ready and willing to use it correctly, and stop overeating, I think you may need to get it unfilled.

Eating to much, too quick and then 'pushing food down' with fluids is a quick trip to a slippage or an erosion ---- please consider seeing your doctor and being brutally honest about your behaviors --- get advice and support -- and an unfill until you are ready to work with the band.

Hi there!  You came to the right place, we all struggle with food issues here. As much as we would like it to be, surgery is not a cure for obesity. Even if we all become skinny Minnie's, we still have "obese minds" and need to focus diligently on our weight and health.

It sounds to me like your band isn't adjusted tight enough. I have a 14 cc band and needed to be pretty close to that to notice my band was in there helping me with this.  I don't know about other banded folks, but there is absolutely NO way I could drink a 1/2 cup of water right after eating, especially if something felt a little stuck. It would come right back out --almost immediately because there simply would be no more room. Also, the 3 pieces of pizza thing. Even if they are smallish pieces, I'm pretty sure even on one of my "looser" days I could not eat that.

Obviously, we should not rely on the band to force us to eat less, because that can lead to problems but we should be able to rely on it to help us maintain satiety for a good 3+ hours after a smaller meal (think 1 piece of pizza). When we are not ravenously hungry it is much easier to exercise self control -- eat slower, make better choices, etc.

When your band is adjusted well, you will essentially be forced to chew very thoroughly and wait a moment in between bites.  For me, somehow this makes me feel much more in control of my eating and that is a really powerful tool. Before, it felt like the food was controlling me.

Best of luck to you!

Trixie

First off you really seriously need to be checked under fluoro, your pouch could be dilated, you could have a small slip giving you more ability to eat and less restriction, or your esophagus could be dilated. It's really important that you look into this for your health.

Also, I'm going to throw this out there in case you are similar to me. I have OCD and it only comes out in food issues. I'm really lucky to have a surgeon that doesn't just walk away after he's done with surgery, he's in it for the long haul. He has me taking Effexor. I don't take it all the time but when my life is really stressful the food issues rear their fugly heads. ;o) I'm very lucky in the sense that it can take many weeks for this drug to work but I can tell the difference in about a week.

Do you obsess over food? Do you eat your breakfast wondering what you'll have for lunch? Do you eat lunch thinking about what you'll have for dinner? Do you order from a restaurant according to portion size? If any of this applies to you, you might find meds beneficial.

But please, go get checked out under fluoro.