When the honey moon is over

I used to be a very regular poster here on the lapband forums. I was extremely positive about my band and so very grateful for the success I had. I never was a fast loser, and I never lost without a lot of hard work but I definitely had no regrets about my band and was super supportive of anyone considering it at the time. However the honey moon is over and my education on the lapband really only truly began at around 2 years post op (no I am not saying I was uneducated about the band and potential side effects  I just mean living with a lapband teaches you a lot over time).  Someone suggested that maybe it would be nice to see old posts from formerly "happy bandsters" just to demonstrate that we are not a bunch of lapband "haters". I think for me the reason this type of thread is productive is to show that some of us have turned "negative" for a reason (negative is in quotes merely because I don't personally feel like one of those negative types but I know I will be called one anyways merely because I have seen what the long term can turn into with a band). My goal here is to show that there is probably good reason some bandsters are no longer thrilled with their band and that during the mental anguish of regaining and feeling like a failure and sustaining a lot of embarrassment as well as struggles to try to revise we may want to save others who are pre-op the same suffering if possible. Here are some of my former posts where I sang the praises of a lapband (suffice it to say I no longer feel the same way about lapband as a life long fix).

One Year Post- Op (My overall happiest with the lab-band...I was more then thrilled and at the heart of the honeymoon stage)

3/18/2010: This is why I initially chose the band:

1. I was great at dieting, but constantly lead by my hunger. I just wanted to stop over eating because I was hungry all the time.

2. I enjoy food. WAAAAAY too much. Once I get eating if it was too good, I had a hard time stopping. I just wanted portion control.


Things I didn't really grasp going into it:

1. I still have to die****ch what goes in my mouth even though the portions are waaay smaller.

2. Breads, pastas, rice, tortillas, and more are permanately out of my life. These were some of my favorite foods

3, I am embarrassed to admit it but a friend of mine had the surgery before me and she still ate badly, just smaller portions and was losing so I thought "heck I can do that easy" (by the way, she later had a slipped band, had it replaced and has been stalled for 15 months, so she wasnt the best example for me).

4. Fast food (which was a major % of my diet before out of convenience) is no longer plausible and is not enojoyable because most of it is really difficult to eat.

Why I would do it all over again knowing what I do now:

1. The old habits that I mentioned above (fast food, over eating, white carbs, etc) had to be removed from my life. I just didn't have the will power to do it. My band forced me to get rid of them.

2. Since my surgery I learned about the ds. I'll admit I have day dreamed periodically about malabsorption that would allow me to eat fattier, but I am extremely happy to know that for the most part I am doing this one my own and that my anatomy is still intact. Thats not a put down on other procedures, it is just a personal preference.
 

4/11/10:  Just over 1 year post-op near my lowest weight achieved (never reached goal)

I would absolutely do it again even though my average has only been 1.3lbs per week and I was sometimes disappointed that it wasn't coming faster. The pace I have lost has always been linked to my direct effort. If I don’t try I don’t lose. Don't panic, just do your homework. If you want something to make dieting easier, to not be so led by your hunger, and to keep you full longer this may be for you. Likewise if you need something that instead is going to keep you losing when you are eating fattening foods, and the weight will come off quicker, but you dont mind upping your vitamin intake or a more intensive surgery ds or sleeve may be a better fit. Best of luck!!

2/10/2011: Nearly 2 Years Post Op (Ulcer on the band line but still singing its praises)

So I had to have my band completely unfilled yesterday (due to a possible ulcer). It’s the first time it’s been empty in nearly two years. First of all I can tell you I discovered almost immediately I have been living with my band way too tight for a long time and only now realize it, but  I can't tell you how awesome it is to feel "normal" again. I don't think I know if I could have experienced "normal" again with another procedure. Plus I get the opportunity to start again. I LOVE it! I just joined WW's yesterday so I have so much drive to eat well and exercise while I am unfilled but I have even more drive to stick to my band rules when I start fills again. Wish me luck that I don’t gain during this process :)

I have plenty of reasons I love my band, this is just one.

Hi Sarah!! Glad to see you. I hope this unfill helps. I've recently developed a hiatal hernia. So had most of my fluid out. Good luck and post more often. Did you hear that Jean has to have a revision to the sleeve, this month, I believe? She had developed esophagus problems. Anyway, good luck with WW I know it really helps a lot of people. You could join our Mothers Day weight loss challenge, too, if you want!!!

 My honey moon is over too.  Gee it was nice while it lasted LOL

So far I've not any complications, that I am aware of, but my weight loss has not only stalled but I have regained 10 lbs.  I know why, despite good restriction I have been eating things I shouldn't..chocolate, ice cream etc.  Not tremendous amounts but enough to make a loss turn into a stall turn into a gain.  Frankly it sucks, but I know why.  And I know I need to get my head back in the game and do what I'm supposed to.  On top of that I somehow managed to trigger some achilles tendonitis which is doing a number on my walking regime.  

Grrr

Still my band does restrict the quantity and I know everyone has a honeymoon phase no matter what surgery you've had.  Mine is over. le sigh...........

I have had Achille's tendon problems for two years now. Make sure you take care of it! I did the plasma shots and it healed one. Then had the band to help me get rid of some weight (a lot) to also help.

I think that truly one of the hardest things about the band is learning how to understand the signals our bodies send us when we are too tight. Humans are adapatable, and when something creeps up on you gradually you just keep adapating to it. It's only after something happens that makes you get some of the fill taken out that you can suddenly realize, "oh my god, I can drink water now and it feels so good!"
It can just be hard to know what we're doing wrong until is finally just slaps us in the face. I know I'm guilty of it. I now have a mild esophageal dilation because I was keeping my band too tight. I wouldn't have said I was keeping it to tight at the time, but yes, I did need to drink liquids somehwat slowly, and yes I was having a bit of reflux, and yes I was getting stuck awfully easily...*sigh*

I was banded almost 5 years ago. I have had cmplications and some of that was my own doing-slider foods, not chewing well... on and on...I developed acid reflux because I didn't understand satisfied vs full. I have had 2 port replacements one becasue it developed a leak and I believe that was a manufactures fault, the other because my port detached (cuz I was doing CRUNCHES, heavy duty). When I really got on the Bandwagon and lost 13 pounds in a month I got to get my gallbaldder removed. That was 3/2011.

And now....if I follow the rules, log my food and calories, weigh and measure and exercise I'm doing good. I'm loosing slowly and steadily but it takes HARD work. I don't regret the band because it is a good tool for me- I look at as kind of like my safety net. I make less mistakes now. I can actually sayd MY BAND REALLY HELPS!

Recently, I had a scare that I might need another port replacement. I'm still not 100% sure it is working fine but, I WANT TO KEEP MY BAND!
K

ShellQueen,

I think that is where alot of bandsters get into trouble IMO.  They keep getting fills and fills thinking they are going to get this full feeling like we had before we got the band (when we stuffed our guts basically lol) and its not suppose to be that way .  I hear this alot in support group or they get fills to where they are down to eating 1 cup of food per day.  Thinking the less you eat the faster you will lose . That is true for a certain amount of time but then your body will just stop losing all together .

A friend of mine was like that and in turn it cost her . Her band had to be removed .  She didn't learn the feeling of being satisfied to being full.

I never get full when I do the program right., I'm not hungry but I'm not stuffed if that makes sense.  The couple times I stuffed myself I was miserable for hours .  Our stomachs cant handle that no more if you pay attention to the signs .

I would much rather have a looser band and have some self control then I would taking the chance of having a to tight of a band.  That is why I havent had a fill yet.  A fill would put me right up to that point and its not worth crossing that line.

Steeler fan, great post. It is sooo true there is such a big difference to that feeling satisfied or enough rather than full. It is so important to learn your soft stops- the body signals you get that say- I've had enough. A big part of the Band is relearning so many things.
K

This was a great post to read. It's been ages since I dare darken this board because I just have such a "negative" feeling about my band. The one thing the band does not do is cure emotional stress eating. I've had a lot of stress over the past year or two and gained back at least 20# of what it took me FOUR YEARS to lose and have NEVER reached my goal weight. I am just a terrible eater with no will power when I am under stress. It's my own fault. I dont exercise regularly or when I do get on a good kick with it all it only lasts a short time and then the stress slaps me down again.

I just feel like I should have gotten to my goal by the 1 year mark and then just tried to maintain. That was the plan. Never happened. I wonder often now if it is to late. Have I worn the band out? Does it really work at all anymore? I mean I feel it... but I can eat (have figured out how to eat rather) many things I should not be able to. I'm afraid to have my band tightened again until I've at least gotten what I have gained back off. I tend to get reflux if I go any tighter than I am now and for now it's comfortable and I dont get reflux unless I do something stupid like eat before going to bed... if I mess up and do that I take a pill to prevent it. Anyway...Yes, as I mentioned above I have fallen into the nasty trap of eating around the band.

I just dont know how to start fresh anymore. I have no motivation and I need to get it back... quick... summer is coming and none of my clothes fit from last year. It just makes me so mad that I'm still fighting the same battles with my weight that I did pre-band. I wouldn't go back to not having one because at least with it, I KNOW that eventually I can tweak my eating back into the right direction and start to lose again. But yes, the honeymoon is over here... has been for years. :(

... Oh yes.. and please dont look at whatever ticker is on the bottom of this post... its all lies at this point... I wish I had only that much to go... I WAS ALMOST THERE AND HAVE BLOWN IT! Looking at that makes me SO angry with myself. I really feel like a band failure.

Have you tried using Dexatrim Max long enough to get you over the hump ?