NSV + Anniversary

Just wanted to mark the occasion... and hopefully give some other discouraged lurker like me some hope. Today is 2 years to the day I had the band placed.  After  v minimal results despite overwhelming effort and adherence to "the rules"  - I just gave up.  Not that I gave up by eating badly - I never did eat crap. One thing the band did give me was volume control which I was thankful for, I had gotten in to some skewed habits with portion size. 
 
So; gave up until last year- after a 11 week WW  plan- so strictly adhered to, my friend lost 20 something... I lost 5, I somehow gathered myself with her help to present myself to a dr (internist), who also cares for band patients and has taken me on as a patient.   
Since then I have lost almost 40 lb.  Certainly not a lot, and nothing that reflects how little I am eating, but it is something and I am grateful for that. But my NSV is that I haven't completely lost my mind in the past 2 years with this experience that didn't reflect all the weight loss I was expecting and that I read about constantly on this board and others. 
 
The worst thing hasn't been not losing the weight...that has been hard and disapointing, absolutely. But the worst has been been the ideology and the absolute refusal of people to consider that their own experience/biology/chemistry/hormones etc is not everyone elses.  When I could screw up the motivation and risk trying to ask for help, I was astounded at the reasons people had for my failure... "don't eat junk food"  REALLY?  "count the calories you are eating daily" REALLY?  "don't drink sugary drinks"  REALLY?   "if you aren't losing weight, then you are eating too much" REALLY?  I have been on less than 1000 for months.  And I can't even begin to address the absolute fallacy of the numbers/math  of calories in and calories out. 
And then there was the statement from a forum moderator who I was pleading with for reasons and explanations (another board) who told me that no one comes out of a concentration camp fat... wow.

So- the good news is that the internist has been able to explain why I can eat next to nothing, work out, have a band that takes care of volume control, and still be struggling MIGHTILY to lose weight.  And once the band was obviously failing in what it was advertised to do...that explanation is all I ever wanted or needed.  If I don't understand something, I really don't do very well.  

So, at this 2 yr anniversary... I am in a better place than I have been since the initial wt loss stalled almost 1 1/2 ago.  I have some hope that while my weight coming off isn't going to be representitive of what I hear and see in others, but it is what it is and I haven't given up.  And -despite overwhelming provocation and cause... I didn't lose my mind with anger, frustration, despair, hopelessness and THAT is a huge NSV.  
Julia.  

Sounds like you have had quite the struggle. Every person IS different. You are absolutely right. I am insulin resistant and have a hard time losing weight as well. Keep plugging away. congrats on your success so far. You know how hard you worked for it, that is all that matters.

Thank you!  I so appreciate your comments.  I have some results now and that alone inspires me to keep going and work harder. It may not be much, but I am healthier, lighter (a little), more active and feeling more confident and in control of my destiny.
 
When one is in the middle of being absolutely devestated it is hard to research, to reach out for help or support.  It is fairly recently in this journey that I have realized  that I am NOT the only one who has had less than expected results. I don't blame the band for that, it is doing what it is supposed to do.  But that doesn't change the other things that are in effect that make it not enough to realize the results that were expected and that money/effort/physical risk were undertaken to achieve. 

I hope that other people who are contemplating this procedure go in to it like i did... committed, confident in it's ability to be used as a tool, positive about the changes that are likely to happen.  Likely.  But just spend a little time and effort and thinking about how you will be, how you will react;  IF it doesn't happen that way.  Then you will not be so flattened and overwhelmed if YOU turn out to be one of the few.  And will be able to take steps quicker than i did to figure out the puzzle. 

And most importantly, be resillient enough to not take platitudes and cliches as truth. Keep searching until you find someone who actually is willing to find out what is wrong.  It is worth it.
J.

Hi Julia,

Thank you for sharing your story -- I'm sure you've encouraged lots of people with it.

Persoanlly I really think there is a LOT of truth to faster/slower metabolism thing. It's a sad fact that some of us just have slower metabolisms. While it is still possible to lose weight is it so much more challenging!   You've done a great job -- and kuddos to you for not giving up!

Trixie