sadie11

Hello Ladies: The Lap Band journey has been an interesting one for both of us. I would say the Lap Band was an important step in recognizing our food addictions. We both lost about 40 pounds fairly quickly. And then stalled- we both got our bands tightened a lot. Then I realized I could hardly eat ANY normal food but sugar went down just fine. Same with my partner. We were still addicted to sugar. I read Eating Less by Gillian Riley (Amazon.com is the only place to find it) and faced my need for food to control my emotions. It is a book unlike ANY you have ever read about eating and diets. I still read it constantly- it has so much truth in it. We are still 40 pounds down but both had our bands loosened considerably. I can eat most anything except bread and some meats and can say the band does help me maintain my weight loss. We are both working on our compulsive eating and both going to Weight Watchers three years after getting the band. We are both eating much better but still have some lapses of overeating. I am eating so much better than I was pre-band and am much healthier than ever in my life. I have worked through most of my junk food issues and rarely eat badly now. So the band was a necessary step for both of us but not necessarily the complete answer for us. I simply cannot eat the extremely limited unhealthy menus that many LapBanders eat to lose 100 pounds in the first year. It feels very negative to me and a problem I have (in life) is the tendency to deprive myself of good things that I love. The LapBand is very punitive in essence but can teach you a lot about yourself and your motivations. The enjoyment of healthy food is something I will not give up for the rest of my life. I am trying to learn to eat GOOD healthy food in limited quantities. I am at peace (95% of the time) about food for the first time in my life and I have been dieting for 50 years!!! I feel good about my eating for the first time. So we have made good progress but like my wife's therapist said "You have a chronic health problem you will have to deal with for the rest of your life" and I believe this is true. The whole concept of "diet" is that it is temporary. It is not. Learn to eat for life. I hope this helps somebody and I still believe I would not have peace in my life about eating without going through the LapBand surgery. Your journey may vary from mine but I wish you love and peace. Sadie

Hi all; I am so happy! :rolleyes2: My partner of 10 years and I are both getting banded. Me first on March 3- on clear liquids- yuk. And she on March 10. Both by Tom Brown in Denver. We are so good together when we are working on a goal. She is the best! We need to get healthy and are suffering from food addictions. Our next goal is to get this food and weight thing under control. More later. Best and love to you all; Sadie

Hello all; It's been a long time since I have posted here. I got a band three years ago and had a lot of restriction. However, I had most of the fill removed early this year so I could eat almost normally again. Still can't eat too much bread. I can eat a full meal now however. Why? you might ask. I realized that I was still addicted to food. I was eating the wrong foods- sliders- and my diet was worse than it has ever been. Eating good food was very difficult for me. I realized what a severe problem I had with addiction and the band could not help me there. I still was using food for comfort- I still had constant cravings and I still was constantly thinking about what i was going to eat, when I was going to eat, why was I eating so badly.... etc. So I had 80% of my fill taken out to see how I would do with eating after 3 years of being restricted. And actually I did pretty well- I think the band made me realize how disordered my eating was and made me face some hard truths about myself. Also fortunately I read "Eating Less" by Gillian Riley (on Amazon) and it all hit home for me. I have been practicing her techniques and I am much better. I am on a regular diet now and losing weight slowly but still losing- I have 40- 50 pounds to go. I am writing this in case anyone else needs to hear about my journey. I sincerely believe that I would not have come to this place without having had the band surgery- it was necessary for me to face myself. a bit extreme but it worked. I feel comfortable with food for the first time in my life and have lost 95% of the anxiety I had about it. I do not have cravings (yet anyway!) and eat like a regular person. I am still in shock about it but happy. My point is that you can get to a comfortable place many ways and if you are struggling with the band like I was maybe it will be just a step in the journey. it's been 5 months and I am feeling more confident that this change is permanent. "Eating Less" is all about changing your brain and it's automatic reaction to food stimuli. It may help some of you. I think it has been revoluntionary for me. Best of luck to all of you- I know how hard it is.... Sadie

There are lots of folks who have used Dr K but an alternative is Dr Brown also in Denver. He is great and his nurses are wonderful. He charges $9,900 and free fills for 6 months (I think). He operates at the same place as Dr K. and has done 1000 lap bands. The nurses go to your surgery also so they really know where your port is and how you did in surgery- very helpful. I have had great service from them and they are very aggessive with fills. No .02 cc's here. I have great restriction after 2 fills. I called two weeks after the first fill and asked for more and they booked me right in. My partner also got banded by Dr. Brown and has had the same great experience. Just my 2 cents! Love and success on your journey! Sadie

Geenen Roth never worked for me either- I read her years ago and it was a radical idea back then. Gillian Riley teachs you to re-train your brain to not automatically respond food cues. Stimulus -response to food is really strong with me and she helped me decrease that response and consider my goals first and then whether I wanted that food. Radical! I am a retired psychologist and always thought all the diets were missing some criticall element --otherwise everyone would be successful right? The element is re-training your brain. and it works for me. Good luck to all- I hope this helps you a bit. And I got tired of not being able to eat oranges and fruits too! Sadie

Yay! :thumbup:Glad I helped you- the band will help you but some of us need to get to the basic issue too. I belisve my basic issue is food addiction- not just too large portions or eating too frequently-- real addiction. Riley's book gives you easy strategies to change your brain's response to food. She is better than Geneen Roth's strategy- Oprah should read this book. It has worked like a charm for me and my partner (also banded at the same time as me) - we are both much better with food and can use the band more effectively now. And I have been dieting for 50 years!! First time that I am comfortable with food and eating- a miracle! Good luck- let me know how it goes. Sadie

Oops- it was 2 years ago - I guess it felt like 3! lol People are reading this post but not commenting-- hmmm interesting good luck to all! Sadie

Read "Eating Less" by gillian riley (Amazon) and see my post on this board on why I had my fill removed. You probably are addicted to food and need help with that. Riley's plan worked for me. A $7 book may change your life like it did for me. Just my humble opinion. Sadie

Hi all; I got a Body Bugg to measure calories expended during the day and for my workouts. Yikes! what a learning experience! I always told people that it was hard to impossible for me to lose weight on more than about 1200 cals. WW always said I wasn't writing my food down right or measuring or something. I think they did not believe that I worked out as much as I do. Anyway, wearing my Body Bugg showed me that on a day that I walk 4 miles I maybe burned 1800 cals. My friend who is the same size as me and walks with me burned 2600 cals!! Yikes what a difference. Especially over a weeks time. Yeesh... no wonder it is so hard for me. Now I learned I have to be meticulous with calories and I will probably not lose weight unless I exercise every day. Not sure why my metabolism is so slow but at least I know now that I wasn't crazy (or lazy) all these years. I am going to start weight lifting and try to build some more muscle even though I have always worked out-- I love to walk for exercise so it hasn't been a problem during my life. I can see it was a good thing that I did like exercising or I would have been 400 lbs instead of 257.... Live and learn I guess... i thought this might be helpful to others who are slow losers... Good luck on your journey... Sadie

Hi all; I got a Body Bugg to measure calories expended during the day and for my workouts. Yikes! what a learning experience! I always told people that it was hard to impossible for me to lose weight on more than about 1200 cals. WW always said I wasn't writing my food down right or measuring or something. I think they did not believe that I worked out as much as I do. Anyway, wearing my Body Bugg showed me that on a day that I walk 4 miles I maybe burned 1800 cals. My friend who is the same size as me and walks with me burned 2600 cals!! Yikes what a difference. Especially over a weeks time. Yeesh... no wonder it is so hard for me. Now I learned I have to be meticulous with calories and I will probably not lose weight unless I exercise every day. Not sure why my metabolism is so slow but at least I know now that I wasn't crazy (or lazy) all these years. I am going to start weight lifting and try to build some more muscle even though I have always worked out-- I love to walk for exercise so it hasn't been a problem during my life. I can see it was a good thing that I did like exercising or I would have been 400 lbs instead of 257.... Live and learn I guess... i thought this might be helpful to others who are slow losers... Good luck on your journey... Sadie

Hi again- I forgot to say on my other thread that a big reason I bought the Bodybugg was that I saw how the Biggest Loser TV show uses it. The contestants wear a Body Bugg and work out until the Bugg shows a certain number of calories burned per day. I saw Bob tell one man that he had a long way to go to get to 3800 cals burned. If you figure that a man uses 2500 cals per day and exercises to 3800- he will be 1300 cals down every day. THAT's how they get those big weight losses every week. Excercising enough to burn 3800 cals is about 6 to 8 hours of exercising for me and that's what they do on that show. I think it is unfair that they do not tell you what the contestants go through to lose 5 to 15 pounds a week. Makes the rest of us dieters look like we just don't work hard. The Bodybugg does tell you how many cals you are using and it has been extremely helpful to me- see my other thread on this board. Sadie

Good for you! Wonderful story! I am 1 and 1/2 years since my band and it has been a real learning experience. I am down 52 pounds and still losing. I have never been able to maintain my weight loss either until the band. I lost 40 pounds then maintained for 9 months and now am losing again. I too have been successful in every area of my life except losing weight. The band was what I needed to be successful with weight loss. Gald I did it... Folks getting the band should not fall into the "I must lose all my weight in 1 year" trap. It takes a lot of getting used to- let it work and do the emotional work you need to do to be re-aquainted with normal eating. Sometimes that takes so time- be nice to yourself... Thanks for posting your success- I think I will be at my goal in 3 years too... or maybe 4 years.. who cares? I am happy and getting there and feeling great... And I am finally in regular sizes- yay- no more XX's for me... Sadie

In the first year after the band, I lost 40 pounds just because I couldn't eat as much. It just came off. Then I spent the next 9 months eating sugar and carbs and anything i wanted because I was mad I couldn't eat the way I used to. So I acted like a 2 year old and had a 9 month tantrum sort of. I didn't gain more than 3 pounds even though I ate a lot of chocolate. Love that band! But I still exercised during this time. I have always loved exercising. Now I am back but going to Metabolic REsearch Center and determined to lose the rest of my weight. So Now I: 1.exercise to burn up at least 400 calories a day, 2.Eat lots of Protein and drink Protein drinks when I want to cheat, 3. eat very little carbs. Maybe 1000 cals a day max. Metabolic Research Center has really helped with my weight loss.Their Protein Drink is awesome- I love it. I figured out that I need a formal program or I just screw around and go up one pound, down one pound then back up. No progress. Sadie- good luck on your journey

I was a huge Diet Coke person before banding. Now I hate the taste- tastes like chemicals to me (which it is!) But I love carbonation too and now I drink Diet Orange from Sunkist. It has less carbonation than the Coke products. I only have 1 soda a day or less now. It has not affected my band. Carbonation can be very painful after the band so go slowly with what you drink. I had to wait a month or so because it HURT to drink carbonated stuff. Maybe you won't like Coke after banding and you can find something else. You will find you give up old favorite foods/drink because you just don't like them anymore or they HURT- very motivating. Sadie

This is a timely topic for me. We go to Maine every year and a lobster was a treat for me along with shrimp. This year however, I just could not tolerate the taste of lobster or shrimp. Having to chew it throughly really made it disgusting in texture. I was disappointed to say the least. But I don't really care about food that much anymore so it's fine. I really loved Applebee's steak tips however and eating it in really small pieces (like the size of 2 peas) worked well for me. Other steak is hard unless you cut it up really small. The Applebee's steak tips worked because they have a good sauce with it. Lobster did not work even cut up small with butter. I have given up bread for the most part since my banding in March 2008 and haven't missed it. I realized that being overly attached/attracted to certain foods is what got me wicked fat in the first place. Now it is just food to me and just fuel- not entertainment anymore. I am so much more balanced now that I can't overly focus on what I am eating. I just eat like normal people now. My health and happiness is more important. I am a very picky eater now! Who would have thought I'd get to be that? Just my humble opinion- love and success on your journey! Sadie

hello all; I have had my band since March 2008 and I am amazed at the change in me as far as food is concerned. I realize that I truly was addicted to food and that I could have been on diets forever and they would not have solved the problem I have. Ever. I have had a total change in how I view and eat food. I lost 40 pounds the six months, then maintained that weight loss for a year (I have never done THAT before!) and now I am on a diet to lose another 35 or so. After that we'll see... Being able to maintain my weight for a year is astounding to me seeing how I really ate what ever I wanted. I see that is the main benefit of the band to me. I would like to say that maybe some people shouldn't try to lose all their weight the first year. Maybe it might be preferable for some folks to get used to the band and losing 50 pounds, rest a bit then start the next phase. Don't be discouraged if you cannot keep up with some of the folks who can lose a lot the first year- go at your own pace. I love my band but it really takes a total re-orientation with food and a lot of attitude adjustment to be comfortable. That's my 2 cents- hope it encourages the slow losers like me out there. Love and success on your journey- and as they say, your mileage may vary Sadie

So over it---You are so right about the sissys, hypos, and the impatient. you said it best. In March, I was beating myself up over not getting closer to goal in the year after banding. Impatience.... Lately I have been just cruising with my band- not stressing- not really caring much about food and it has been wonderful. I realized I will take the time it takes and that's it. I'm thrilled for all those who can get the weight off quick but I guess it's not going to be me. Cruising feels wonderful and not caring much about food for the last few weeks is a very new feeling. I think this is how normal people are! I feel at peace about food (for once!) and am losing weight naturally. I still have to be sure to get in my exercise every day because my family has Type 2 diabetes but the exercise feels great and natural. So there you go- even after a year, you can discover new things about yourself and where you can go with the band. It's not easy but it's worth the trip. Love and success on your journey everyone Sadie

Hello from Boulder- glad to find this thread for Colorado- I was off the program for a while and now back with a vengence. Lots of exercise, lots of protein- no junk food. Seems to be working but I am losing slowly. Of course I am not 30 any more either- yuk yuk. i'll be lurking. Love and good luck to everyone on their journey! Sadie

I missed feeling full and went through a time of eating ice cream, junk food, "sliders" so I could feel that fullness in my stomach. I did not lose weight doing this.... Now I am adjusted to the feeling of being not hungry. RM described it well. You'll hardly ever feel like you did after Thanksgiving as she says. But Feeling that way is how we all got this way! Yuk yuk Just cruise for a while- let yourself adjust to a new feeling. Control your anxiety with exercise or hobbies instead of food- this works for me. Good luck on your journey and it is a journey! Sadie

The people who post here especially in the "General Discussion" are having problems - that's why they post. Go to the age group discussions and post there. The vast majority of us are happy we got it and it is a huge relief to not gain back all the weight I am losing even if I cheat. I ate what I wanted and I mean ice cream, candy all I wanted for 6 months after my initial weight loss and gained only a few pounds. Now I'm ready to get back to work and it's only taken a couple of weeks to lose the few pounds I gained. Before it would take me months to lose what I had gained. And I'm sick of ice cream and candy and sugar stuff now- yea! I guess immersion therapy works. So the band is not perfect but it's probably your only chance. And you can have it loosened if you get sick or get old. Gee who's gonna get old? Me! and you! that's why I am glad I got my band. My partner and I have had no problems at all- you probably won't either but you still have to diet and you won't be able to scarf down a big old hamburger. Be more scared of diabetes , heart attack, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high colesterol, early death, and a life of being the fattest person in the room. That's how I see it. Harsh but it works for me.

There are continual posts here about how the lap band is not working, I'm not losing weight, etc. The real war is psychological. I posted this on another thread: You have to say goodbye to sweets, Cookies, ice cream, chips in order to lose weight even with the band. My partner and I both found that we went through a grieving period over not being able to eat like everyone else. Now that I am through that grieving (I think) I am finding I don't seem to care much about food at all and don't crave sweets much anymore. I re-joined Weight Watchers because weighing in every week really helps me be accountable and I am losing again. I am enjoying exercise and eating Protein. So a lot of this is psychological (and I'm a psychologist!) and it was hard for me to really and truly give up my best friend and comfort- food-- and realize what poor friend food really is for me. Talk about toxic friends - yeesh! Look inward and stop expecting the band to fix you. Much of it is inside you and your life experience. Food was my refuge. FYI-The band has really helped me keep off the weight I lost initially- 40 lbs- and I very grateful for that. The band does save me from gaining weight back quickly. It gives me a chance to get ahold of myself and get back on track. And that is very valuable to me. Food has been our refuge from bitter and painful storms. Getting a lap band does not erase that pain. Food was a wonderful way to cope with abuse, neglect and pain for all of us. It helped us. To lose weight you have to take the risk and give up that comfort. If you are still in a painful situation, giving up that comfort will be difficult if not impossible and you will not lose or you will gain it back. My childhood will never be good- ever! The neglect will always be there. I cannot fix it with food. Food was a wonderful available coping strategy when I was 7 years old- better than acting out or aggression or simply giving up. It is a bad coping strategy now that I am 59. In fact it will kill me. I am learning to cope with emotional discomfort, anxiety and distress. Sugar actually does make all those things feel better - the studies prove it. But it is my struggle. The band really helps me when I have a weak moment and go ahead and try to comfort myself with food. Before the band, I would gain all or almost all of the weight back and have to start all over again. Over the past 8 months, I have been eating anything I wanted and not gained any weight back- (okay just a little). It was a freeing experience and I guess I needed to go through the process to realize that food/sugar doesn't make me feel better. I feel more ready to give it up now. The band has saved me from all the horrible negative feelings I would get when I gained back that hard earned weight loss. I am feeling strong now and not interested in sugar or junk these days. Who knows how long it will last? I don't care because I have the chance keeping my weight loss while I work it out. Look folks, getting 100 pounds overweight is a lot. It will take some time to work out your issues. Be kind to yourself and take it easy. Several posters have lost all their weight in a year- that will not be me. I have serious issues to confront and it will take time. I got 100 lbs overweight for very good reasons. Be kind and take your time. The band will help but you have to do the work inside and out. This is my experience- yours may be different but I thought maybe some of you might find this helpful. Love and success on your journey. sadie

Air- great re-framing- I AM eating more like everyone else. Ha - good point. Sadie

Start eating protein first every meal. It will cut your cravings for sugar quite a bit. Then go to a therapist for more help with head hunger. Sadie

Okay - I'll amend it to "you have to say goodbye to sweets most of the time". I have a hard time stopping once I start so it's easier to abstain almost all of the time. I MUST have it all the time. And it is never enough. See my signature. You missed the point of my post however. Nothing changes if nothing changes (inside). Sadie

You have to say goodbye to sweets, Cookies, ice cream, chips in order to lose weight even with the band. My partner and I both found that we went through a grieving period over not being able to eat like everyone else. Now that I am through that grieving (I think) I am finding I don't seem to care much about food at all and don't crave sweets much anymore. I re-joined Weight Watchers because weighing in every week really helps me be accountable and I am losing again. I am enjoying exercise and eating Protein. So a lot of this is psychological (and I'm a psychologist!) and it was hard for me to really and truly give up my best friend and comfort- food-- and realize what poor friend food really is for me. Talk about toxic friends - yeesh! Look inward and stop expecting the band to fix you. Much of it is inside you and your life experience. Food was my refuge. FYI-The band has really helped me keep off the weight I lost initially- 40 lbs- and I very grateful for that. The band does save me from gaining weight back quickly. It gives me a chance to get ahold of myself and get back on track. And that is very valuable to me. good luck on your journey. sadie