Lost 118 lbs with sleeve. Gained 50. Thinking about lapband.

[jessiejess]

I keep trying to lose and its not working. Thoughts? Lapbands are adjustable. I have to get this weight off forever!

[Alynn]

Maybe you should speak with your doc about a reset?????? Don't know much about it.

Wishing you well!

A

[Christie13]

I have heard a lot of complaints about the lap band. Usually if the sleeve does not work the next step is the bypass.

[Stacey03]

Hi Jessie, I remember your post from a couple of months ago. I'm sorry that you're still having a struggle. Have you seen a therapist about this? I think you would totally benefit before going on to any other surgery. It's a really good thing to look after the head too (for all of us) x

[southernmom]

My friend had the lap band and it didn't work. Her doctor said that she had learned how to "eat around" it, so it was ineffective. She also inquired about getting the sleeve, and her doctor told her that she wouldn't recommend it because it probably wouldn't work due to her food addiction. I don't know your situation, and why you've gained weight back with the sleeve, but I would go talk to a dietician or therapist before trying another surgery.

[sraebaer]

My surgeon doesn't even do the Lapland anymore. I assume he has seen too many complications. It was a choice when I had surgery over 4 years ago.

I did something nuts and it is working for me. I joined Weight Watchers. I like the people (basically from my neighborhood), the accountability of public weigh ins, and the meetings (therapy for me). It's only a mile from my house. The food program is exactly how we should be eating. Foods like eggs, fish, chicken, veggies, fruits, and beans are "free" so they are encouraging protein first. I attend for free as I was a lifetime member way back when. Everything is tracked on my phone. Just an idea!

Exercise is another idea If you're not doing that. Winter is tough, but doable. I got back to the gym (which I don't like very much) when it really got cold. I still hike in the woods, but have those things that attach to the bottom of my boots for ice, and also use my hiking sticks. I'm klutzy and known for falls!

You can do this! You stomach hasn't changed, you have just changed how you are eating.

[jerzeygirl]

Many bariatric surgeons don't use the lapband any longer and at our center, we're getting more and more revisions from band to sleeve. I agree that you would benefit from some behavioral health and perhaps going "back to basics" might give you a jump-start to losing. Good luck!

[Gvn71]

I'll second (and third) the above comments. My surgeon also no longer offers lapband surgery. In his words, it just isn't effective and only results in more complications and more expense for patients.

I am still in the honeymoon phase (my one year surgiversery is fast approaching), but, I firmly believe that you have to work your sleeve, or better yet, make your sleeve work for you. Some people can likely lose weight, and then eat whatever they want, but most will have to make a lifelong adjustment to their eating habits to maintain their optimal/desired weight. Exercise also can play a huge part. I work out daily and as a result, I need more calories to maintain my current weight. If I stick to the 1500 calories a day plan with my exercise routine, I drop below my warning weight of 185 rather quickly. Finding the right combination of carbs, protein, and fat is a daily challenge for me. I am also cursed with a sweet tooth, and crave the sweet stuff regularly.

Try to get back on track? Do you keep a food diary? I find that my daily food diary keeps me honest and makes me slow down and look at what I am eating. As much as I carry around a water bottle (or 2), I also always have healthy snacks with me so I won't be tempted to buy that package of cashews or peanuts at the convenience store when I'm hungry.

The other thing I do daily that helps me know where I am and if I'm headed in the wrong direction is I weigh myself daily. Every morning right after getting up, I step on the scale to see where I'm at. I have an emergency, stop doing what your doing number. If I see that number things get real, really quick. I saw it once, this past Thanksgiving, and I worked hard, both dietary and exercise for the week after to get rid of the extra pounds that had somehow found me. I did not make the same mistakes at Christmas, but who knows how the next holiday feast will go....

Hope this helps, and keep trying! It isn't easy, I stress about my weight everyday and am terrified of where I'll be in 1, 2, or even 5 years. I desperately don't ever want to end up back where I was (I'm having too much fun now!).

[Alynn]

Do you attend a support group, I have found it helpful.

[Dutchie]

But what is the reason you are gaining?
I think that is the most important question.
Based on the answer, you can start to think about ways to help with the problem.
If the answer is "slipping back into eating non-nutricious foods again", than another operation will not fix that.
You can also eat around a lapband (do they still perform these terrible operations in the US?), or a gastric bypass.
You can eat around anything actually...

[jessiejess]

I'm not gaining anymore. I'm just not losing either. I cut out all alcohol but we order takeout way too much. I can only eat a few bites and always protein first. I need to get back to the gym. That's what I'm not doing that I did hard core before. I've got an elliptical in my den and a fridge stocked with healthy foods so I'm making progress. Now to see if the scale will move down again. I hate this battle.

[Ann2]

Jessie, I hope you learn to love this battle. Loving it and loving yourself can lead you to the life you want.

Love,

Ann

[Pheeel21]

A lot of great comments here. The big hospitals near me no longer perform lap band surgery. I am less than 4 months out so I am no where an expert. For me when I have a stall in my loss it is always my fluid intake. Try to monitor or increase your fluids. You can do this!

[Secrettolife]

I gained all the weight i lost from the sleeve about 4-5 years post op. A lot of stress with my job and I had stopped exercising. I’ve recently started a new eating program that puts you in fat burn (ketosis) and have lost 50 pounds in 5 months. Find what works for you, such as weight watchers or other eating programs and get back on track. I definitely don’t recommend another surgery.

[Aussie Girl]

DON"T CONSIDER A LAPBAND !!

I had one 10 years ago, I lost a bit of post surgery weight but nothing really after that, then recommenced the yoyo dieting struggle while beating myself up about failing again. Here are the three main reasons why lapbands don't work:

1. Good whole foods will block your pouch, which then you will need to throw up (not great socially), then you will wait to eat more because you were not satisfied.
2. Due to point 1, they create bad 'drinking your calories' habits and increase your dependancy on slider foods (which are all usually high cal) as they are the easiest to eat and to satisfy.
3. In the last few years I also learned that if I drank while I ate it 'washed' the food down which enabled me to eat almost normally ie getting around the band was too easy.

My eating habits changed for the worse, I craved more sugar than before. I expected the lapband to be like the sleeve ie still able to eat good foods but just not a lot - boy was I wrong!

So I strongly recommend you don't consider a band, even if your surgeon would do it? Likely you could be considered for a bypass, if not then these folks on here have awesome advice on how to kick-start a stall/gain, better than paying for a young skinny nutritionist I reckon !!