:-( 3 years out and Im a Wreck!!!!!!!!!!

i DONT know where to begin. I had Lap Band surgery in April 2008. Ive lost about 60 solid pounds. I dont know if I was ready when I had the surgery. Maybe I used it as a cure and not the tool it is. I am paying for it though. I feel horrible. I know I should have lost more. Im in need of a fill also. i think i have 7 cc in a 10 cc bnd. But sometimes I think something is wrong. When i drink soda or coffee i hear this weird aspirating noise coming from my insides. Did I mention that i eat so much and take huge bites. WTF is my problem???? DOes anyone relate? ANy suggestions? I was thinking I need Overeaters Anonymous...

i would say get back in to see tour Surgeon and NUT asap !!!! You just have to get back on track! Remember the great thing about our bands is that they adjustable so a litle fill may just do the trick :)  Oh....and NO more soda.LOL

Thanks for responding..

First of all you shouldn't be having soda. Nothing carbonated. Coffee is an iffy thing. They say not to............I try to do decaf at home. If I'm out I will have regular tea at time. Just wanted to throw that out there and not appear to be one of the "do as I say, not as I do ppl".

You said you need a fill. As long as you don't have restriction you can eat more and larger bites. Have you ever had restriction??? Some of us have never reached restriction (17 mos. and 16 fills..............no restriction). How many fills have u had? If you have had numerous fills and never reached restriction might be time to consider a revision?

Just remember that the band does NOT work for everyone, and it is nothing for you to be ashamed of if you have given it a fair shot and yours does't work! However if you haven't done what you need to do to work with the band and get fills, then give it a chance to work for you. Maybe it will!

Best of luck to u!

You do know that soda is thought to be harmful to the band, right?  Don't do this to yourself.  The self-sabotage needs to stop!  You're worth more than that! 

See your surgeon. Be honest and ask for help.  You can still do this.  Use everything you've learned these past 3 years and start fresh.  But first things first, you must check to see if your band is still in position, etc.  I get an upper GI every year. 

If you can, I'd highly recommend seeing a therapist that specializes in eating disorders.  It's been really helpful for me.  If you don't have the insurance, OA is a great organization and has helped many here on this forum.

I believe timing IS everything.  Maybe you weren't totally ready, but today may be the day! 

Never give up!
Lisa O.

 I had Lap Band surgery on 09/02/009 & I lost about 85 lbs. & unfortunately, I gained all the weight back gradually. I fell behind on my fills, too. I feel as though I could eat large portions again, but it's my own fault. I totally went back to my old, horrible eating habits. First off, didn't they tell you that you are not supposed  to drink soda?? (It can eventually deteriorate the band). I thought of Overeaters Anonymous, too... I just starting eating right & excercising again & I'm down 21 lbs. (It;s a start).... But it's imperative that we get back to our doctor for a fill....Don't beat yourself up too much, it only makes you eat more!! Good luck.. We can do this!!!

I use OA and WW and my band to focus on emotional, physical and spiritual support in this journey.

www.oa.org and www.therecoverygroup.org are both great resources

I suggest you do a few things
1. call and make an appointment with your surgeon --- find out how much is in your band, and probably get a small fill
2.  get completely honest with yourself about your food choices -- if you need to 'detox' from carbs/sugar/crap -- set a few days to do it -- usually after abut 3 days, the cravings go away
3.  have a long, hard talk with yourself -- and decide if you really want to change --- seriously.  If you are ok where you are --- then come to terms with that.  If you really want to be different, you need to set up a plan to do it.

You can stop eating big bites --- you have TOTAL control over that.
You can stop drinking soda -- it has NO place in your diet.

You can't really control the scale (directly), but you CAN manage and control the foods you eat and the way and time you eat them.

Become determined to take control of the things you can control.

You should not drink soda esp if it's on a regular basis the carboniation is what your hearing like on the insides..

Don't let someone tell you the BAND doesn't work when clearly you admitted to doing some wrong doings on your part. The best part of the band is you can pick yourself up and start over believe me .. I gained 20 pounds and have lost 11 of those 20 but I made changes I made changes to my approach to food. You should not be able to take big bites... its likely you need a fill and it's likely you need to change up what you consume.. back to protein, veggies, fruit and complex carbs if you have room... it's best to keep your meals simple.. protein: lean meats chicken, fish, lean pork etc.. veggies.. green beans etc..

To say we don't have to watch what we eat to help us lose weight (DIET) I know it's scary word LOL but it is what it is we have to eat better for us food and less treats.. and not just because of the band and because we want to lose weight but because it's better for us in the terms of health!!

Good Luck

The great thing about having a band is that you can always start over!  60 lbs lost is nothing to sneeze at!  Now for the advice...

When you say you "feel horrible" is that physically or emotionally?  If you feel horrible physically, what exactly are you feeling?  If it is emotional, is it guilt or dispair or what???

You say you drink soda...you shouldn't be drinking that crap. 

You say you eat too much and take huge bites...who's in charge here??  Should be you.  Have you tried eating per "band rules" to see if you really need a fill or are you looking for a fill to stop you from over-eating?? 

I would contact your bariatric surgeon and your nutritionist and get back on track.  If you feel your eating is emotionally based, then OE or just some good old fashioned counselling might be in order.  You can do this...you have to put yourself first.  Food is not going to fix "what ails you"....

Hugs! Now make those phone calls.

Steph

I had a lap band put in one year ago. I lost 50 pounds and have now gained it all back. My surgeon's  PA told me he'd never seen such a rapid gain and I should go back to the nutritionist before he would consider another fill. My regular doctor said I must be depressed if I put on so much weight so he  put me on antidepressants. I wasn't depressed but they made me calmer. Unfortunately this made me gain more wieght.

Sorry to go on and on about myself but the bottom line is that I do think I should go to OA. 12-step programs teach you personal responsibility, honesty and how to reach out for help. It's a great step for those of us who have tried eveything and kept going back to the same dysfunctional eating.