HeatherinCA

Well, it's expensive! They don't want to shell out 10k for surgery if people can't stick to the diet. Not to mention the success rate of the band is fairly low.. so the risk for them is really big. I had an insurance that was doing that a few years ago, and they actually denied me. (I had already lost weight on my own, and I had no co-morbidies). Besides they pretty much only wanted to do bypass, because that is more of a sure bet for them. If you can't stick to a diet for 6 months.. you won't succeed with the band. The band is essentially a diet for the rest of your life!! It just helps control your hunger. Knowing what I know now, I think the 6 month diet would be a good process to have. I still struggle with food everyday, and making good choices. Besides, what's wrong with losing weight before you get the band? Wouldn't it feel good to lose 30lbs then be rewarded with surgery to help with the rest?

Good luck!! I know it's hard, but you can get back on track, just try to disconnect food from your emotions. Remember it won't really make you feel better!

1. Protein Shakes, get premixed ones, the power is nasty. Also some Isopure (GNC).. it's fruit flavored to counteract all the chocolate flavor 2. Heating pad! 3. Make sure you picked up your liquid prescribed pain meds.. cause you are in serious pain for a few days. 4. Chewable vitamins. 5. WATER 6. Soup, you are on liquids for the first week or two. I liked butternut squash and tomato.

The band is an aid in helping your hunger, in return you should eat less.. but that's it. With the sleeve it does more work for you, physically limits your food intake.. but it's also major surgery and they are cutting out your insides. I would say you need to physically understand what the lapband will do you for, and see if you can live with that.

I've never been stuck or thrown up. I'm over 5 months out, and I don't eat super carefully... I think every body reacts differently, or maybe where the band is placed? I have no idea. But I honestly don't think anything would make me stuck. My band is 5.5ccs full.

You aren't looking for restriction, you are looking for hunger control. Give it a a little time, your hunger should die off, which will help cravings. http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html <~ read The band will always be about will power. It won't stop you from eating. I still cheat, it's hard, it's the mental side of things.. we have to train ourselves to be satisfied with less, and healthier food. For me, I feel uncomfortable if I eat too much, that could be what happened. A Jack in the Box taco is 194 calories... not so bad. though the bacon and cheddar potato wedges have 649 calories and 42 grams of fat! for me it helps looking up this info before I go eat out, then I know it's bad and I won't crave it anymore.

It gets less annoying but it never really goes away. I can still burp on command and if I overeat it's so bad!!

All the doctors are like that. Unfortunately this is elective surgery and they want money. I haven't talked to my doctor since my fill 2 months ago, nor have they checked up on me haha. http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html this is the most helpful article I ever read. Explains how it works, and what you need to do to succeed.

The post-op diet sucks, no way around it. But it's only a few weeks, you'll live. I personally don't recall being starving, it's more I just hate Protein shakes, and you just want to chew something! But again it's only like a week or two of liquid, and you feel so crappy from surgery, you don't really want to eat. Then you get mushies, once i was on that I fel tmuch better. Then in the long run the whole point of the band is to control your hunger.. so after you get fills your hunger goes away, so you can eat less, and not be hungry all the time... or you are more likely to resist eating if you aren't hungry.

Well yea if it's instead of a meal, then it's fine. But I just can't imagine that would satisfy you very long IMO.

Ehh.. smoothies are liquid calories though... I get plenty of Protein from food alone. But, I guess everyone figures out what works for them. But I wouldn't recommend that as advice. Also fills are different for everybody... My first fill was 5.5ccs. I can't have 8 fills lol My fill killed my hunger, so.. success. I'm not looking for restriction. Wow that is the best thing I've ever read about the band! I wish doctors would explain it like that. That is how I am working with my band, and always what I believed went on. You should make a post exclusively wit this article.

Same, I had an impromptu vacation this weekend, and I didn't eat well, and I drank, definitely didn't help my diet. Me too I'm at 50 LOL.. and I started being lazy agh. I got back on track today, refusing myself to not eat anything I'm not aloud to eat!

Yep mine falls out too! It's annoying, but luckily I have a lot of hair.

You only have shakes twice a day? 7 weeks out? I know every doctor is different, but I was told to stop the shakes as soon as I could eat enough hard Protein. Shakes are just liquid calories, not going to fill you up or fill your pouch up.

1. It's total BS that you will be satisfied with 1/2 a hamburger patty. It's just not true. In the long run you eat about 4oz Protein, and 1/2 or so cup of veggies/side. Part of it is mental... I mean mentally I'd never be satisfied with that little food. 2. You aren't gonna lose weight eating hamburgers and chicken wings and french fries (I know you know that).. You have to count your calories, make it 1200 and portion your meals out accordingly. You can eat MORE food if you chose healthier options. 3. You are still healing, when you start back on solids your body is readjusting, everything should even out soon. 4. The band doesn't do much at all, it's a piece of plastic! it helps control your hunger after you get fills (it presses on a nerve and the hunger hormone isn't released, so you can eat less and not be hungry). It won't stop you from putting food in your mouth, or from eating the bad things. I wish it did haha, but it doesn't! Just follow the diet.

How is your hunger level? what are you eating? It's not supposed to stop you from eating. It's supposed to control your hunger... some people can eat a lot (I sure can), some people can't, some people have their band so tight they can't get any food down... I know it's hard, it's a struggle, and it takes willpower. The fills change as your body does. If you lose weight it gets looser. Maybe start over.. do some liquids and mushies to get back on track? I know it sucks without insurance, but since you have to live with it, maybe try seeing if it can work for you again?

Yikes 2 weeks!? I was on liquids for less than 24 hours after my fill. But yea, I can see it as a jumpstart... but that isn't healthy weight loss though.

Yea, I can't imagine how you can get in all the protein and stuff if you can barely eat ya know?

I've never felt like that either. The band works differently for everyone. I've never been one of those people that is satisfied with like 3 bites of food, no food gets stuck... after my fill, my hunger has died off. But i can still eat a pretty good amount, not as much as before, but certainly more than 3 or 4 bites. Things will change when you get filled. But you may never be full of a tiny amount of food... a lot of the things I believe about the band turned out to not be true for me after I had surgery. I still am on a constant diet, I watch what I eat. The band does far less work that I thought it did. It makes me less hungry, so it makes my job of eating less easier. But yes, still requires willpower.

Yea that is true Molly, i think everyone works with it differently, or is looking for the band to do something differently.Also I think some people just have problems with PBing and vomiting, it may not even be their band is too tight. Some people have their bands full and can eat whatever they want.

Have you talked to the psychologist? I feel like you need to deal with the mental problems of overeating.. because something is isn't right if you have been making yourself sick for almost a year!!

I was ok by day 5... I think it depends on you, and how you deal with pain,.. for me, day 4 and 5 I was out, I did things, went to the mall, got my hair done. I just wasn't 100% because I wasn't eating anything. But, if you need to push it, push it. Mine was moved a few times... I know how important it is to get a new job!! But, I think you'd feel better if you have it. It's hard to get lots of time off of a new job. Probably better to do it now.

Going 4 to 5 hours without any hunger. I can still eat anything I want, but I'm never hungry, so it's up to me to make good choices. Everyone thinks of it as something different... I honestly don't believe in a "sweet spot" you are only going to lose weight if you follow your diet and exercise, there won't be a point when this piece of plastic makes you lose weight, it's a piece of plastic!!!. The band will just help you from being hungry all the time like you would be pre-banding if you were eating 1200 calories. Some people it takes a number of fills to not be hungry anymore. For me, my first fill did it, a few weeks later BAM, no more hunger. But, just because I'm never hungry, and my band is in a good place, doesn't mean I didn't eat a boatload of crap last week, and didn't lose any weight. It's my fault. I don't think "oh I need another fill because I didn't lose" it's my own fault I didn't lose. I need to work on the mental side of things.

Yea you don't need a fill then, it would just make it tighter, you will throw up more... talk to your doctor.