Ok everyone over a year out join in on this one. I don't want to hear just from "band bashers". This has worked very well for some of you at this point, so I want to know how this worked for EVERYONE:

1. How long did it take you to reach restriction/sweet spot?
2. Did you have to have any unfills after that?
3. If you have restriction/sweet spot, is it the way it was advertised to be?
4. How long can you stay full after a meal?
5. If you never reached restriction, how long have you had your band?
6. Does the band prevent you from eating "healthy dense protein"?
7. Would you say that your band has worked in the way the manufacturers advertise it to work?
8. If you knew then what you know now, would you have chosen the band?

 1.Never
2 always filled ,unfilled through my whole three years never reached over 5.5 in my band (10 cc band) 
3,NO
4 .2 Hours  
5.  3 years 
6 YES
7.Hell NO so called tool sucked 
8 Seriously I wouldnt tell my worse enemy to get the band ..Junk 

 1. How long did it take you to reach restriction/sweet spot?  about a year- didn't last 2. Did you have to have any unfills after that? yes
3. If you have restriction/sweet spot, is it the way it was advertised to be? no
4. How long can you stay full after a meal? 1-2 hours
5. If you never reached restriction, how long have you had your band? 5 years
6. Does the band prevent you from eating "healthy dense protein"? Yes and fruit and veggies
7. Would you say that your band has worked in the way the manufacturers advertise it to work? no
8. If you knew then what you know now, would you have chosen the band?  Absolutely not, I am kicking myself for not listening to my surgeon when he told me that the rny would be a better surgery for me.  I chose the band because of the fast recovery and relatively low risk of the procedure.   

1. How long did it take you to reach restriction/sweet spot? I was at a good spot fill wise when I slipped my band which was the day I hit my goal which was 10 months post op
2. Did you have to have any unfills after that? Yes Too many to count.
3. If you have restriction/sweet spot, is it the way it was advertised to be? Kind of. I could eat comfortably just about what ever i wanted ( Expcet bread rice and pasta ) but it didnt last long before I slipped)
4. How long can you stay full after a meal? 3-4 hours
5. If you never reached restriction, how long have you had your band?
6. Does the band prevent you from eating "healthy dense protein"? yes
7. Would you say that your band has worked in the way the manufacturers advertise it to work? At first yes. Now now . Long term no
8. If you knew then what you know now, would you have chosen the band?HE## NO 

1. i never really got to sweet spot couple of times i think i did but my band slipped and after that downhill Ithere i lost 30 pounds but after band slippage second surgery gained it all back
2 so many unfills i cant even count either
3.never hit the sweet spot i dont really know this answer
4.3 to 4 hours
5.never reached restriction and i have band for 4 agonizing years
6.yes it does i cant eat lots of veggies and lots of fruits really hard to eat and meat of course
7.not it has not worked that way i got reflux right away really bad at first yes at the 6 month mark no
8. i would have never wasted my hard earned money on this went right to RNY would not recommend anyone to get it

Ok everyone over a year out join in on this one. I don't want to hear just from "band bashers". This has worked very well for some of you at this point, so I want to know how this worked for EVERYONE:

1. How long did it take you to reach restriction/sweet spot? 15 months for restriction, 18 for perfect restriction.
2. Did you have to have any unfills after that? once before restriction...had too much restriction.  I had .5 ccs removed.  was fine after that.
3. If you have restriction/sweet spot, is it the way it was advertised to be?  it's a little too tight in the morning, perfect in at lunch and gradually gets loser as the day goes a long.  So no. 
4. How long can you stay full after a meal? about 2-4 hours depending what I eat.
5. If you never reached restriction, how long have you had your band?
6. Does the band prevent you from eating "healthy dense protein"? no I can eat whatever I want...just no as much as I want.
7. Would you say that your band has worked in the way the manufacturers advertise it to work? pretty much.  As far as fills go yes.  I have had no problems.
8. If you knew then what you know now, would you have chosen the band?  Honestly it depends on my mood.  Sometimes no, Somtimes yes.  It has been a long road and I have had to work hard for my weight loss.  So I am grateful that i have lost weight and I don't want to seem like I am not grateful for losing 150 lbs but I can't help thinking it might have been easier with another surgery.  So I always tell newbies...be ready to work hard.

1. How long did it take you to reach restriction/sweet spot? 
I have had restriction from day 1.  I seem to think I can eat a lot when PM****s , but my band never lets me - except for chocolate.  That seems to go down so well.


2. Did you have to have any unfills after that?

  I have had 7 fills 1 small unfill.  At fill #5 I bullied the doc into giving me the fill.  4 weeks later I had to go back with cap in hand and have him take the whole .4cc out.  7 weeks later I went back and got the .4 cc put back in and so far so good.

3. If you have restriction/sweet spot, is it the way it was advertised to be?
  Yes.  I educated myself before and after  the surgery.  I fully understand that the lap band is only able to restrict dense food.  You can eat soft crap all day and you are never going feel full for long or restriction.

4. How long can you stay full after a meal?
  All depends on what I eat.  Dense protein is usually 4 + hours. Snacks like yogurt, nuts, fruit etc.  2 - 2:30 hours.  The trick to this is to eat a string cheese 1st so it blocks the opening and then put the softer stuff on top.  This keeps me fuller a lot longer.

5. If you never reached restriction, how long have you had your band?

6. Does the band prevent you from eating "healthy dense protein"? 

  Beef - only because I like my beef cooked like it could be a sole of a shoe.  My hubby likes his meat still mooing on the plate.  I can usually get a couple of bites down before it gets uncomfortable.  I have never been a big red meat eater so this is no problem for me.  Bread. "Thank god"  I was a huge bread (fresh bread) eater before the surgery.  Now I look at it lovingly and I can feel the pain.  I can eat a 1/4 slice of toasted bread now

7. Would you say that your band has worked in the way the manufacturers advertise it to work?
  Yes, cannot complain at all.  I wanted a diet tool to help me get this weight off and to help me maintain the loss.  I just could not do it on my own anymore and the band has been a great partner

8. If you knew then what you know now, would you have chosen the band?
  Yes would do it again in a heart beat.  Every time I walk out of my local support group I thank my lucky stars that I have the band.

1)Never
2)1
3)don't have
4)LMAO  maybe 1/2 hour
5)forever!!2007
6)NO
7)Hell no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8)  no but in all fairness my dr tried to get me to have another surgery!  and I did do my homework!!  and chose the bs lies!!!

 
1)  Never happened

2)  I had a gazillion fills and unfills. 

3)  N/A

4)  Until I puked

5)  I had it for 18 months before I was seriously ill and needed it removed

6)  Yes, it did

7)  Absolutely not

8)  Never, not in 1,000,000 years  Total waste of money/self pay

1. My band was always too tight, even unfilled.
2. I had a dozen fills and unfills in an attempt to change how the band was affecting my diaphragm, to no avail.
3. Nothing was as it was advertised in my case.
4. I wasn't able to eat solid foods... liquids only for me.
5. I had the band a couple of years before I nearly died and had it removed.
6. The band prevented me from eating anything but protein shakes, soup (watery) and ice cream.
7. No, the band caused much damage and if it were a car, it would be  Yugo... and off the market.
8. No No No No No. Never. I'd choose death over having the band again, it was that painful.