Research before you have the band...

[ElfiePoo 109]

Please, do your research *before* you get the band. You'll be much more satisfied with your decision and your band and be in a better position to work with your band.

It absolutely amazes me how many people get banded and then are surprised/stunned/disappointed/angry that they are not magically transported to the land of 'skinny' where they are never hungry again.

You may not have had your surgery yet, but read through the posts on the postop lap band board. Not only will you be better informed, but you won't be one of those people who regrets their surgery a week after they've had it.

When you get your band, you will probably notice a lack of hunger for a few days (maybe not) because your stomach is still dealing with the trauma of surgery, but when that swelling goes down...and until your first fill...you will be hungry if you stick to the doctor's diet recommendations. It just is what it is. You'll most likely be hungry until your second or third fill or even longer depending on your doctor's policies regarding fills.

This is not a bypass. You will not magically drop 50 pounds in a matter of weeks without doing anything. Our weight is about calories in/calories out (assuming you have no medical conditions that would affect this such as thyroid issues). You either have to decrease your calories, expend more (through exercise) or a combination of both.

Be informed. Let this decision be something you *do*...not something that just happens to you.

.

[Yvette1026 0]

Couldn't agree more...

[btrieger 21]

This is not a bypass. You will not magically drop 50 pounds in a matter of weeks without doing anything. Our weight is about calories in/calories out (assuming you have no medical conditions that would affect this such as thyroid issues). You either have to decrease your calories, expend more (through exercise) or a combination of both.

Oh my god! Are you trying to tell me that I won't automagically lose weight because I have the band? That I will actually have to watch what I eat and how much?

Of course this is only until I get those magical fills. I have read so much that I will start losing weight after I get fills.

[kagead 0]

If I may add, research your Drs., too. Yes, there are many who will band you in a few short weeks after your first consultation (from what I am reading this seems to happen a bit more for self paid patients than insurance paid ones, but I could definitely be wrong about this.)

While that may seem great in the short term, I am reading more and more posts from people who are scared and completely unprepared for what comes AFTER the surgery.

Stages of recovery, long term diet plan, fill schedule and fill procedures, exercise tips and guides, etc. are critical to making this thing work the way we hope it will and I couldn't imagine trying to navigate all that without the guidance of my Dr. and his team.

If you are comfortable flying on your own, great. If you are an information junkie (like me) make sure your surgeon's program and surgical team will give you all the information you need in a way you can absorb it and use it.

While it may be frustrating to wait 3, 6 or even 8 months for surgery, sometimes that time can be exactly what we need to set us up for success.

kagead

[ElfiePoo 109]

If I may add, research your Drs., too.

I couldn't agree more! I interviewed several doctors before making my choice and I knew which questions to ask because I read through the postop board and found the areas of concern.

My biggest had to do with fills. I wanted a doctor who would see me as a unique individual and work with me...not just follow some arbitrary guideline. As a result, after 3 fills and 8 weeks postop I am at my sweet spot.

Pay attention as well to the staff because that's who you'll deal with for the most part. Also, I've found that if a doctor's staff are grumpy and ill-mannered, chances are the doctor is too because it works it's way down through the ranks.

.

[NouraShuman 0]

Hey Elfiepoo, you hit it on the nose ... but for me I thought I research EVERYTHING, I am due to be banded on 01/07/2010 and yet I feel like I am still confused I did lose the first 64 lbs on my own but starved it off now that i am having this done i was sooo excited and still am but at the same time I am scared that I will fail at it even though I know the eating habits and the excersise that needs to be done to get to my successful spot how does that pass? the feeling of failure, the crying I due on a daily basis? Nothing is easy I know that but as much reading and researching I have done I still feel it is not enough for what is to come . I never was a person to jump right into anything so I hope I prepared as well as i think I have, Can I ask as far as differant foods that you are eating or work outs that your doing that worked for you that I can also try. or actually ANY info that you have I will greatly embrace.... Thank You in advance.

[TinaM 0]

AMEN!!!

I was banded on December 15, 2009. A journey that started 18 months ago with me interviewing people, researching medical journal articles and many consultations with doctors.

When I finally decided on MY doctor there was a 7 month process. Part of that process was several mandated Shared Medical Appointments that included people both pre and post op patients AND the patients are a mixture of banded/bypass.

Those 90 minute sessions are the most valuable thing I could have done pre operatively(and still post -op). Real people talking with the physican with a nutrtionist and therapist in the room.

There were about 15 - 20 patients total and everyone got a turn to speak and be heard.

It gave me a real life look at situations I would encounter and how they will need to be handled differently in the future.

I learned early on that many people considering the band did NOT have realistic expectations about the post op part. Thankfully my medical team does turn those away that aren't ready.

I am thankful for the reserach I did on my own and the extended reserach provided by my 'bandteam'. I enjoy coming on LBT to chat with others but like most you I get very frustrated when someone isn't realistic. It is only a tool folks, that's it, if you don't have the ability to make changes in your life this will not do it for you.

[shadst8 8]

Very true. I spent the last 11mths researching, starting before I even had a seminar. I talked to many bandsters to get insight and to see if it was right for me. Of course, my husband says I obsess, over-plan anyway (every vacation I have a folder of "stuff" I have put together), so it is not in my nature to do anything without becoming familiar.

My regular doctor referred me to my surgeon--what hooked me is that he is banded himself so he knows the struggle of weightloss.

[janellody 3]

While I agree research is important, I don't think months and months of research is always necessary. My insurance doesn't cover this surgery so it is all out of pocket. It took me about a month before I scheduled mine and feel fairly comfortable with the research I have done thus far.

[Chele6378 0]

I am choosing the band over RNY for many reasons but the number one reason is I want to learn to eat less. I have tried to do this before, on my own, without a tool and I have had short term success. I need something to help me long term. I can only starve myself for so long before I start to just eat myself back into morbid obesity.

The lap band is my tool. Here are the things I am hoping the band help me do...

*eat smaller portions without feeling deprived

*eat a meal and be satisfied, not want to snack an hour later

*lose weight faster than just a normal diet

*keep me in check! If I start to feel unrestricted, I can tighten up and get back on track.

*make me accountable

I hope I am going forward with the right mind set. My mom had RNY 7 years ago. She lost over 130 pounds in the first 2 years. Now she's starting to gain weight back and she is beginning to suffer from low Iron requiring infusions.

My reasons for having WLS are so many but the icing on the cake (no pun intended) was being diagnosed with sleep apnea this past year. My father has apnea. He also has insulin dependent type 2 diabetes. He's on coumadin. His blood pressure is out of control. He's 380+ pounds. Smokes even after being diagnosed with COPD and he's not following any kind of diet. I will not follow him down this path!

I wish everyone luck! I wish myself luck! I'm looking forward to my new lige

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

Hey Elfiepoo, you hit it on the nose ... but for me I thought I research EVERYTHING, I am due to be banded on 01/07/2010 and yet I feel like I am still confused I did lose the first 64 lbs on my own but starved it off now that i am having this done i was sooo excited and still am but at the same time I am scared that I will fail at it even though I know the eating habits and the excersise that needs to be done to get to my successful spot how does that pass? the feeling of failure, the crying I due on a daily basis? Nothing is easy I know that but as much reading and researching I have done I still feel it is not enough for what is to come . I never was a person to jump right into anything so I hope I prepared as well as i think I have, Can I ask as far as differant foods that you are eating or work outs that your doing that worked for you that I can also try. or actually ANY info that you have I will greatly embrace.... Thank You in advance.

:thumbup: You'll be fine! It's kinda like parenthood, you can research it forever, but you never REALLY know how you're going to do until you're thrown in head first. I'm glad you've been reading, you know the basics, you know about bandster hell, you know what you need to do, and you'll do great. Just take a deep breath and enjoy tomorrow then wake up the next day knowing it's the first day of the rest of your life. Good luck Thursday! Can't wait to watch you on your journey!

[joliejoe 0]

Hi Everyone over here. :thumbup: . This is Jolie Joe from California. I registered here right now and this is my first post. My current weight over 230 lbs and if i did not done anything then it may possible that i will cross the 300lbs or more. Feeling really bad when imagine that figure. I already feel very shy when going on the beach. can't wear those open swimsuits and feel very low :tt2: SO i found this post here to know all the facts to be prepare my body for the LAP-BAND® surgery. Wish to have a slim body just like i had in my earlier college days :thumbup:

Jolie Joe

[Band_Groupie 3]

The LAP-BAND® is my tool. Here are the things I am hoping the band help me do...

*eat smaller portions without feeling deprived

*eat a meal and be satisfied, not want to snack an hour later

*lose weight faster than just a normal diet

*keep me in check! If I start to feel unrestricted, I can tighten up and get back on track.

*make me accountable

It has done all those things for me, with the exception of 'lose weight faster than just a normal diet'. I think this one gets a lot of people disapointed here. It all depends on how heavy/BMI you are to start, your expectations and your level of effort. I've lost weight MUCH faster on other diets and MUCH faster when I've been more dedicated to exericise (on Atkins I could lose weight VERY fast). Many banders don't lose or even gain until they get some restriction and remember after that the average is 1-2 pounds per week. Having realistic expectations will keep things positive for you as you go along...it's not a race, we're all in this for a lifetime. -BG

PS- I should add that I'll take losing the weight slowly for learning how to eat everything in small amounts and NEVER HAVING TO BE ON ANOTHER DIET!!!

Edited January 6, 2010 by Band_Groupie

[ParrotheadCathy 0]

I think there is one more important thing....please be honest with yourself. Write down what you eat and when for a week or two. LOOK at that journal carefully. Are you a grazer? By that, I mean, do you a little bit almost constantly through the day? That is an extremely hard habit to break and it not consistent with band success. You need to be locked inot meals at fairly regular times. CAN YOU DO THAT?

Are you like a lot of us....have you successfully lost weight more than once but ultimately had a problem keeping it off? That will probably serve you well post-banding. Because I have always tried to adhere to the 3 meals a day schedule and not snack too much what I have discovered is that the band stops me well short of a pig-out. But if I just ate a cookie or two every 45 minutes well that would be another story...and a heck of a lot of unnecessary calories.

So analyze the way you eat. Do some soul-searching....CAN YOU CHANGE the things you will have to change in order to be successful?

This is a fantastic tool for some people but not the right choice for everybody. The research that Elfiepoo talks about should help you decide if it is the right tool for you.

Good luck.

[ellie_4 0]

Thank you so much for this post!! I have been doing my research now for 2 months and I making appointments with 3 different doctors. I want to go in the healthiest I can be to have a better recovery time but I want to make sure this weight stays off by doing it correctly.

I think everything you guys are saying is correct and it is a life changing attitude not just lifestyle!