I don't have any experience with regain but I did have a rocky start.  I didn't lose any significant weight my first year.  I thought I made a big mistake having WLS.  Things changed when I started seeing a new Doctor (regular doctor..not surgeon).  And he helped me with my food choices.  Like he gave me a list of lean protein to eat and good carbs and healthy fats.  He gave me other tips like drinking green tea and no drinking any calories.  He started me on a workout routine that included lots of strength training.  I really buckled down and ate right and worked out every day.  I lost 19 lbs that first month!!!  After that the weight melted off.  I ended up losing 190lbs.  I think for me once the weight started to come off it was easy to make the right food choices and not cheat.  Losing weight and seeing myself fitting into smaller clothes, was all the motivation I needed. 

Now I just eat healthy but I will cheat...not all of the time.  I have this rule, absolutely no junk food during the week.  I will allow myself some "goodies" on the weekend but again I don't go crazy.  I stay active and workout about 3 times a week.  That's all I do to keep the weight off. 

I have tried every once in awhile to lose the 20-30lbs I never lost.  But I never have lost it.  I think if I really really set my mind to it like I did in the beginning I probably could. 

Ok, thanks for the reply! The doctor was really talking it up.  I had never heard of it. 

So, I just left the seminar and had about ruled out the lap-band but he really talked it up with the plication.  This was the first I have heard of it.  I"m not finding much info either.  Has anyone had it done and if so how is it going?

This forum is not very active so you should post this in the revision forum. From what I've seen other people post, they felt better immediately!! 

Hi Kristen,

The problem is that our bodies change daily. We might have inflammation that causes the band to feel tighter sometimes. There's no such thing as the "green zone" since our bodies do not stay the same from day to day. You can't rely on the level of restriction to keep the weight off. You'll still have to stick to a pretty strict diet in order to lose weight. There's no malabsorption with the band, so it's all about what you decide to eat. Is there an in-person support group that you could attend? Sometimes having a group of likeminded people helps a LOT. Do you notice if you have any swelling anywhere on your body? Sticking to a diet of foods that help with inflammation might be something to consider, too. You might find that your band works better for you if you can keep inflammation to a minimum. I don't know if you're on Pinterest, but there is a lot of info there about anti-inflammation diets. Since the dietitian kinda left you high and dry, I think you'll have to serve as your own dietitian. But there's so much information... you'll find something that works for you. Stay positive. 

If you're emotionally eating, you might need to see a counselor who can help you with your feelings. Boy, do I understand the emotional eating component. My husband was diagnosed with cancer last week and it's all I want to do... eat my feelings. At first I had no appetite... but then as I was trying to process everything, it seemed that all I wanted to do is shove food in my face! I get what you are saying about feeling like one big mess. It's difficult to stop emotionally eating... I know what you're saying. It's important to have someone to talk with. 

Good luck to you. I know you can do this. It just requires a lot of patience and a ton of work. (I hate that part!)