knickerbocker

Most people find their sweat spot between 6 and 8 cc. I have 6cc in my band and I had surgery on October 29th and I am doing just fine - starting to get some good restriction.

Weight loss is a given with either band if you do what you are supposed to do. I feel that I will lose a comparable amount of weight with either band. So it is the smaller things that make the difference to me.

While I don't agree with how the other poster made his/her point, I think they have a valid point. I agree with providing information, but you seem to be very aggressive in your distaste for the realize band and just hang out in this forum saying everything you can against it. Sometimes I think you work for Lap-Band. You made a choice and I am making the opposite choice. Your so called evidence comes from one source - it reality, there needs to be more studies done to come to a clear conclusion. I think both bands offer advantages and it all depends on what a patient is looking for. Maybe you should just town down your comments.

Yeah, I have the temp code as well and I have gone through what I can. I am looking forward to really diving into some the features more.

For those that don't know, there is a seperate forum for us Smashing pumpkins!

For those people who have had it done, how helpful have you found the website?

Well, he stated that his aggressive fill is 2.5, which in my mind is not all that aggressive. I think it is a relative term. I also clarified with him and he does place the lap band in empty.

After talking it over with my doctor, I have decided to stick with the realize band. roackband - you seem to pretty much hate the realize band which is your decision, but I feel more comfortable with it. My doctor implants both empty and is able to fill the realize more aggressively and sooner than the AP. So that is what I am going to do.

I once drank 5 optifasts a day for 4 months and that was it. I lost a lot of weight, but gained most of it back. that is why I am having the surgery. The first week is hard, but after that is is easy. Just remind yourself why you are doing it.

I have told my wife, her parents, my parents. That is it. I am not telling anyone at work - I am actually using vacation time for the surgery so I don't even have to say I am having surgery. I feel this is private to me and is my choice - I don't need to tell people about it.

October 29th for me. It is cool they have these month forums for us that are getting banded around the same time.

Well, I don't have surgery until October 29th, so I am going to give my doctor a call and see what the story is and I may switch the lap-band. I like the idea of having restriction at the start.

I would consider that if the LAP band is filled at surgery, then you would see more weight loss with the LAP, but I did ask my doctor is both bands go in empty and he said yes. I am not saying that the study you found on the internet is false - I am just saying it is one study. I have touched both bands and I liked the realize better.

One study may suggest that - but I asked my doctor and he said he sees his patients having the same loss with the realize and the LAP band. I don't personally think the band brand has an impact of weight loss. From what I have read, the average loss with a LAP band is 40% of excess body weight. The 62% number is just too high to be realistic - that is higher than the average RNY number.

That is complete baloney.

Well, I cannot speak from a pre-op diet standpoint as I am just entering the process of getting banded. But eight years ago, I did an Optifast diet for six months - 4 months of which I only drank optifast. The first two or three days are really tough - you will feel hunger like you have not felt before. But it gets better. I suggest mixing the vanilla shakes (the dry mix kind) with different flavored drinks like no calorie orange soda or sugar free Kool-aid. Add some ice and it makes a more filling shake.