I don't understand!!!

[adagray 1]

For the OP, what the band takes care of very well (once properly filled) is Portion Control and hunger. I think for anyone who has seriously tried dieting and found these to be their main problems, the band can be just the tool they need to help them succeed. But, it is a partnership. The band does those two things and you have to do the rest (follow the rules, basically).

2lbs a week would not be fast enough for me to justify weight loss surgery. Period.

For Awkward Customer, I understand the desire to lose weight faster, but I don't know any means of getting there faster and keeping it off. If I did, I would've done it already. Even the band does not guarantee two pounds per week. Two pounds per week translates to 104 pounds in one year. Do you think you could do that w/regular diet and exercise (without the help of WLS)? If so, I say go for it!

Its a rough road, though. Depending on what study you look at, only 2-5% of people who lose weight w/just diet and exercise (after being obese) are able to keep it off. WLS increases that to around 60%. Yes, the odds suck either way, but I'd sure rather have my odds be 60% than 2-5%. Plus, I already know I am not part of the 2-5% because I have already taken off large amounts of weight and put it back on.

And, what it takes to 'justify' WLS I think also has a lot to do w/where you are w/how you feel about your weight and the status of your health in other ways as well. I had a lot of health issues (high bp, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, prediabetes, etc.) and was very genuinely SCARED of all of that. I had already seen what all these obesity related health issues did to my mother (insulin dependent type 2 diabetes) and I knew I was heading there. She got lapband 2 years ago and the resulting 100+ weightloss (which she has also been able to keep off) helped w/her health issues tremendously (no more insulin shots for one thing). Yeah, and she lost ONLY a MEASLY TWO POUNDS per week!

Honestly, when I hear people complain on here about how slow the weightloss is w/the band it kinda bugs me a bit. I mean what do they think they could do that would be faster??? And, if they know a faster way, then why don't they do that. I did WW for 2.5 years and only lost 50 pounds. That's less than a half pound per week and I was hungry all the time!!! And, it all came back plus more in less than one year. So, when people complain about weightloss w/the band being too slow even though their ticker shows 1-2+ per week, it makes me feel like maybe they haven't even tried just plain dieting before or they aren't clearly remembering what its like to diet the old fashioned way and all the hunger that goes w/that.

So, the band is not a magic wand, but in my opinion its the easiest damn diet I've ever been on! (if you even want to call it a diet)

[HeatherR 0]

I love my band and I have lost a total of 184 lbs so far.

WOW!!!! AMAZING! You rock!:confused:

[thinneranniesoon 0]

I love my band, I am 8 months 9 days post op, and down 66 lbs as of Saturday. I am now 199 lbs down from 265,

I did have a slow down for November and December, but I attribute that to not having a fill since October and 2 cruises and alot of vacation time. In the mean time, I still have not have a fill since October, but I have gone back to basics, upped my Protein intake and eat 2 full meals a day, as well as 2 or 3 high prtein Snacks and 3 or 4 Protein Drinks. Heck Christmas day I was squeezing into a 16 stretch jeans with a body shaper on, yesterday I wore a non stretchy pair of 12's without the body shaper. in the mean time 9 months ago I was squeezing into a 22/24.

The band is not for everyone, however if you are going to get it, you have to be prepared to work it, it will not do all the work for you.

[BetsyB 9]

2lbs a week would not be fast enough for me to justify weight loss surgery. Period. It is not "safer" than a faster weight loss. I want 3-4lbs a week at least.

Not sure why the vehemence, particularly in this thread, but while I agree with you re: safety of faster loss (particularly when you have a lot to lose), you really may need to adjust your expectations.

You may WANT to see a particular number each week. This surgery may not be geared to provide what you want, week after week. If you're preop, you may want to reconsider banding.

Additionally, while I think that a faster than 2-pound-a-week rate is probably safe for most who are in the position to require bariatric surgery of any kind, your list of risks of rapid loss is far from complete. (For example, rapid loss can precipitate gall bladder disease which at best is inconvenient, necessitating another surgery.) And your nonchalance about serious health risks such as malnutrition is worrisome enough that, if you're preop, expressing them to a surgeon or psych responsible for clearing you might just cost you approval for surgery (ANY bariatric surgery--not just banding. Respecting the very real risk of malnutrition is necessary as you head in to any weight loss procedure.)

[Marine mom 3]

The need for instant gratification is what got most of us to this place in the first place.

It would be nice to have a magic wand, but there aren't any.

My band is helping me everyday to limit my portions. Being new, it is also helping retrain my mind and behaviors.

[BetsyB 9]

The need for instant gratification is what got most of us to this place in the first place.

It would be nice to have a magic wand, but there aren't any.

My band is helping me everyday to limit my portions. Being new, it is also helping retrain my mind and behaviors.

I have to say: I am actually finding the mind/behavior retraining to be really gratifying. It's somehow reassuring to me that I'm...I don't know, trainable LOL

[Humming Bird 275]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The band is the closest thing to a magic wand that I have found !

I lost 70 lbs in under 7 months with very little effort on my part. I have hit a small plataeu this week and may have to resort to exercise! OMG! It is also understandable that weightloss will slow as I get closer to goal.

If someone has a great deal of weight to take off, it is not unrealistic to think 4 lbs a week will drop off. There are some bansters on this very site that are proof of that.

"Tool" , "magic wand", call it whatever PC term you want, I think it's great!

Edited February 19, 2010 by Humming Bird

[DizzyLizzy 21]

There seems to be more frustration for those of us who are self paid just simply because we had to pay for it. Nobody wants to pay $10,000+ for something that doesn't work. So, I understand Akward Customer's post, BUT...the band just doesn't work like that. I am a little over 8 weeks out and have lost 21lbs since surgery so that's just a little over 2lbs a week. Some people have lost 4-5 lbs a week, some nothing at all. I really wish I could lose 4-5 lbs a week and I think initially even though I was told over and over again it would be about 2lbs a week, I still expected more. But, now I see that it varies from week to week. I will lose nothing for a couple of weeks, then lose 6 in one week. Everybody’s different, and even my body reacts different on different days. But, I will consider this worth it at this point because before I was losing 3-4lbs a MONTH and that was only on the good months….took me 2 ½ years to lose 80lbs on my own just to gain 30 back in a matter of months. At least with the band, I’m pretty confident that I won’t gain anything that I’ve lost back!

[Marine mom 3]

I have to say: I am actually finding the mind/behavior retraining to be really gratifying. It's somehow reassuring to me that I'm...I don't know, trainable LOL

lol, I agree!

[Marine mom 3]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The band is the closest thing to a magic wand that I have found !

I lost 70 lbs in under 7 months with very little effort on my part. I have hit a small plataeu this week and may have to resort to exercise! OMG! It is aslo understandable that weightloss will slow as I get closer to goal.

If someone has a great deal of weight to take off, it is not unrealistic to think 4 lbs a week will drop off. There are some bansters on this very site that are proof of that.

"Tool" , "magic wand", call it whatever PC term you want, I think it's great!

All evidence says that this is NOT the norm, however. It is like a lottery ticket. Some people get lucky. If you assume you are going to be one of those people, chances are you will be wrong.

[Awkward customer 5]

Well, let's wait and see how much I lose first. I could lose 40 lbs in 3 months with Weightwatchers when I could be bothered to stick to it, and my main problem has always been overeating. I could buy food and put it in the cupboard, thinking "I'll have one packet of crisps (potato chips) out of that 6-pack per day", and then find myself having all six packets in one go in the form of crisp sandwiches. Or I would stick to a diet all day, and then suddenly in the evening decide to order a half-pound cheeseburger, a portion of chips (french fries) and a kebab. I think the band will be great for someone who likes to eat in bulk.

Obviously, the exact amount you lose depends on what you are eating, and also how much exercise you do. The band does not come with a babysitting service in tow. The people here who are convinced I will lose just 1-2 lbs a week may be right, but if I want to do better than that, it is all up to me to make it happen too.

Another thing is the 3 meals a day advice. I often used to skip Breakfast and lunch and just eat one meal a day at 7pm or 8pm. I know people advise against that. But I found that when I started the day by eating breakfast, I would then progress on to lunch and then eat just as much as I would have at 7pm or 8pm later on in the day. But Portion Control may help me have three non-excessive meals a day.

I agree with people that if you are losing 1-2lbs regularly, then it is coming off, and that is something to Celebrate, especially if it is coming off for the long term.

[Awkward customer 5]

I am male and my doctor told me men do better on the band. Why should that be? Because they often don't have to prepare food for others?

[btrieger 21]

I am male and my doctor told me men do better on the band. Why should that be? Because they often don't have to prepare food for others?

No, it's because we have a lot more muscle mass than women; aren't as prone to be addicted to sweets and generally get more exercise.

If you aren't happy with how fast you are losing then you have to do something about it. Exercise more and eat less calories.

Calories in / calories out.

I am down 87 pounds in 5 months as of yesterday and I am still a week and a half away from being banded.

I can honestly tell you that in the past 5 months, I have not been dieting and I have not gone to bed hungry. I simply cut my portions by 25%; eat 3 meals a day and limit my Snacks to 160 cal or less.

I have figured out that I am not normal though. I have been on an Optifast, Protein Shake only, pre-op diet for 12 days now and have not been hungry either. I think I've trained my brain to look forward to the weight I'm losing and not how I am doing it.

I have been using a Bodybugg and am convinced that it has helped just as much as the band will. I can read the side of a package and know how how many calories I am consuming but the Bodybugg tells me how many I am burning.

[Humming Bird 275]

Men do drop weight faster than women. If you do a search with the question "do men lose weight faster than women?" , you will get all the facts about muscle mass, hormones, the differences in the male/female .......

[Awkward customer 5]

No, it's because we have a lot more muscle mass than women; aren't as prone to be addicted to sweets and generally get more exercise.

If you aren't happy with how fast you are losing then you have to do something about it. Exercise more and eat less calories.

Calories in / calories out.

I am down 87 pounds in 5 months as of yesterday and I am still a week and a half away from being banded.

I can honestly tell you that in the past 5 months, I have not been dieting and I have not gone to bed hungry. I simply cut my portions by 25%; eat 3 meals a day and limit my Snacks to 160 cal or less.

I have figured out that I am not normal though. I have been on an Optifast, Protein Shake only, pre-op diet for 12 days now and have not been hungry either. I think I've trained my brain to look forward to the weight I'm losing and not how I am doing it.

I have been using a Bodybugg and am convinced that it has helped just as much as the band will. I can read the side of a package and know how how many calories I am consuming but the Bodybugg tells me how many I am burning.

You are doing brilliantly. I am sure you will be a great success on the band too. I wish you every success with it!