Blaming the band?????

Oh and of course u completely IGNORE all the articles I have posted about healthy food options and healthy recipes haven't u?!

And u are referring to Cool Whip Light that has 20 calories per serving..............so do u realize how that makes u look making that statement??? Lol.

I had the surgery for the same reason u had it........b/c I fell for the B.S. advertising they do for the Lap Band!

I'm sorry you got offended I know that I am not the only person who has pointed this out to you. I hope that you figure it out soon.

I did say what I meant, that's what this post was for, I couldn't figure out how to get it to post where I wanted it to.

Have a good day.

Jen

So why do u keep writing posts and then deleting them?????????? Say what u mean, and mean what u say!

I agree to some extent. Some people do blame the band for problems of their own making.

Howver, there are some people who never reach restriction. We have one lovely lady on the Band Grads board who has lost very little over quite a few years. She quite simply never got any feeling of restriction or satiety. She is not bitter or accusatory. But in her case, the band does seem not to have given her any help at all.

I think generalisations can be a bit unfair.

Kate

I also agree to some of these points.   I have seen people who do wonderful with the band no matter what they do.  I am intolerate of fills.  As soon as I get (got) one I would swell.  I had mine done in 08 and will be having it removed in '11.   I'm so glad that your band is working for you.  That is wonderful... please post again in 2 or 3 yrs so we can see if you still feel the same way.... I pray you do.   I hope you have a Wonderful day.

If the band fails me than why should I feel bad about that??? My whole point of this post was to express that I dont like it when someone blames the band for no weightloss rather than taking responsibility for what they put in their mouth.

You too have a wonderful day .

Cindy I completely understand how u feel I just can not get my band at a happy medium. It's either too loose or too tight. Complete waste of money for this POS! :-( And what is worse than putting all your hopes, dreams and MONEY into a POS like this? Investing all that in it only to find it doesn't work and them be ATTACKED on the band forum for posting MY band experience!!! OH has some extremely CRUEL bandsters! The thing is though that probabaly most of these bandsters that are having success with their bands now will be experiencing slips/leaks/or port problems in the next yr. or so. Then they won't remember all the CRUEL things they have said to other bandsters that are having problems. Then they will be expecting SUPPORT on this forum!

 I agree.  Sometimes I also think people just expect too much from the band.  They are endlessly searching for that "sweet spot" to "make the band work".

Living with the band is not an exact science.   Even for experienced bandsters, "restriction" can be difficult to define, and even more difficult to determine a balance of "good" restriction.  Some people will talk about seeking the "sweet spot" (of optimal restriction) as if it's the Holy Grail of band life, but in my honest opinion, it's a myth that there's one exact amount of saline that makes for "perfect" restriction.

I think of restriction more as a *zone*, and it can vary from day to day.  Sometimes you're a little tighter, and sometimes you're a little looser, and you have to adapt your eating and behavior to accommodate those fluctuations.  In my honest opinion, the looser the better, and if you are losing weight, even slowly, and even if you are "dieting", then you have "good" restriction, and the band is doing it's job.  If you are not losing weight, then you need to really, really look at your behavior and see if something can be adjusted before running to get a fill.  The best we can hope for with the band is that it will slow down our eating, so that hopefully our brains get the signal that we've eaten, and we have better willpower to put down the fork.  It also helps dim the appetite a bit, but we still have to exercise restraint to keep from grazing and to make better choices.  But if someone is constantly chasing the "sweet spot", they are likely to end up too tight, which is not only dangerous, but can actually hinder weight loss.

The way I look at it, having a band is sort of like taking an appetite suppressant, or going on the current "diet dujour", but the difference is that you don't have to go "off" it at some point.  It's always there, ready to give a bit of aid when you are willing to work with it.  

 I'm damn glad I have this band, because it *helped* me lose over 100 lbs. four years ago.  Did I do the "work"?  Hell yes, I did!  But the band helped.  It also has made it possible for me to maintain my weight, which is something I was never able to do in the past.

Do some people have difficulty with the band for one reason or another?  Of course.  That's a risk we all assume when we opt for any surgery.  But, it helps to have reasonable expectations and appreciation for what your surgery can do for you.

~ I agree.  Sometimes I also think people just expect too much from the band.  They are endlessly searching for that "sweet spot" to "make the band work".~

WHat do u mean expect too much??? Don't u think that ppl just want what has been ADVERTISED that the band does??? Why would that be expecting too much?!

~But, it helps to have reasonable expectations and appreciation for what your surgery can do for you.~

But what your not taking into consideration is that the surgery does NOT do anything for SOME ppl! Your talking about "reasonable expectations", well it is a "reasonable expectation" to expect it to work as advertised!!!

I don't recall ever seeing the words "sweet spot" on any lap band ads, and my surgeon certainly never used that term.  It seems like you are offended by my message, even though I made it clear that it may not apply to everyone. Regardless, from what I've read on this forum, you've lost 100 lbs, and have had the band for a year with no complications.  *YOU* are a lap band success!  

Congrats!