will it work for me?

imalene · December 11, 2005

I'm hoping to have LB by mid January. I've researched like crazy but tonight I'm feeling like a hopeless case.

Here's my concern. I'm so worried that it won't work for me. There I said it. I'm afraid that someone that eats the amounts of food that I eat will (for some reason and I don't know why I think this) will fail the band - not the other way around. I know about the pb, etc. and I'm totally dedicated to taking care of the band and following the rules - but will a person like me (that can eat this much food) be able to work the band-plan???

Here's what I ate today:

1 large cup potato Soup

2 DQ cheeseburgers

1 sm fry

1 DQ blizzard

7 pcs bananna bread with butter

2 lite beers

Dill chips - lots

6 hersheys christmas Cookies

1 large pc cake

(probably more - but just can't remember)

Tonight I'm hating myself for being nothing but a big fat pig.

I'm feeling so depressed - sorry but I've just got to tell someone about my doubts. Please be gentle with me - I'm plain scared that this is my last hope at loosing and MAINTAINg a wgt loss.

NJChick · December 11, 2005

We all think like you, even after getting the band so its normal.

How do you think I got to be as big as I am ????? I can eat an ENORMOUS amount of food, but when you get the band trust me, it will slow down. You can still eat the foods you like just small amounts and thats the beauty of the band

Usually dinner time is my worst time of the day. I sit down mentally thinking I am going to eat 2 plate fulls, but when I sit and chew chew chew my dinner, it winds up to be a cup or just a little over depending on what it is. Its a great feeling, you'll see.

Like my signature says, I'm going thru life Tasting IT instead of Inhaling it

Its a good time to wipe away the tears, get serious and start changing your habbits now. start getting in some veggies and some low cal foods. Try having a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a greasy burger. Your tastes will change trust me.

Start making healthier choices and just do the best you can. Remember no one is perfect but we can't stop trying either. Start drinking lots of Water, its so important with WL.

Hugs and kisses and don't be so hard on yourself. We are all in the same boat

Desi80 · December 11, 2005

there are no guarantees with the band or any weightloss surgery really. Some people with the band take a really long time to get proper restriction and give up before they get the restriction they need. Some bypass patients lose the weight then start gaining it back (my SIL is on of these)

Basically what it comes down to is are YOU ready to make this life changing choice? Are YOU ready to make changes to your life to make the band work for you? Are YOU ready to give up alot of junk food and breads? If your commited to working the band , then yes it will work for you.

Also you have to be ready to face your food demons. There will be food that you just CAN NOT eat anymore. Some of these things maybe your favorite foods..how do you plan on dealing with that? How will do deal with not being able to eat as much as you want. I wil admit that i spent thanksgiving crying alot because i couldn't eat as much as i wanted. But i sucked it up and got over it. Some aren't able to deal with these emotions...thats why the psyc exam before surgery is important, so that can take care of these problems before surgery.

When you meet with the surgeon and his/her team, they will talk to you and if they think the band won't work for you they will tell you. But really you won't know until you try.

theboogansgirl · December 11, 2005

I'm supposed to schedule surgery 'any day now' and have been having the same thoughts...'is this going to work' and 'if it doesn't, what am I going to do?' It's very stressful I'll agree. But then my other side of my brain says 'yes, you CAN do it'. I also eat more from boredom than anything I think. I don't even realize how much I eat because I tend to 'graze' all day long, even while at the office.

Someone once told me that to successfully break a habit cycle you have to "change your playgrounds and your playmates". Think about it, it's true. An alcholoic wouldn't hang out w/ his drinking buddies in the bar. I have to get away from the 'playgrounds' that I love to visit such as McDonalds, Sonic, the ice cream place. I have to surround myself w/ the 'playmates' (friends/family) who will encourage me instead of the ones who are waiting for me to fail.

I've successfully lost as much as 62lbs on my own with posititve attitude. Then I get sucked back into my old eating habits or stressful things and food is always there to comfort me. Then I gain it all back plus some in half the time it took to lose it. I think in this reguard, the band will be a great tool, a source of 'checks and balances' and a constant reminder that I can't resort back to food for comfort.

I am right there with you my friend. And I KNOW we can ALL do it!!!!!!!!!!! There is strength in numbers!!!!!!!!!!

Parvathi · December 11, 2005

We all have that worry when we start looking into this surgery. For me, I had tried so many times, only to fail. I didn't want to fail again .. not for me, not for my family ... I just wanted something to work.

I thought about all the money I'd sunk into other "programs". After a few weeks or months I had always given up. What would make this any different?

Well, this time it is different. I don't know why, but I'm 9 months post op and I haven't given up on my band. It hasn't given up on me. I've had my ups and downs and plateaus and I'm sure I'll have more. Its not the easy way out - I've had to work for this! But the band is a tool that makes it possible. It can work, if you work with it.

Btw, I was a banana bread addict lol - making 2 loaves a week and the hubby and I would eat those in one sitting, with a tub of margarine sitting between us. I haven't touched it since the surgery.

Good luck in your decision.

Bell · December 12, 2005

I am new to this board, but banded for 4 1/2 months. I too worried about being able to stop my over eating. I surprise myself now. I have to drive by at least a dozen fast food places in our small town. I find myself smiling to myself, and saying "Not today!"... DH and I will go out at least once on the weekend to eat, but NO fast food place. We have found that if he orders a meal with quite a bit of food, I share, and that's enough. It takes very little to fill my pouch, and it takes me as long to eat my small portion, as it takes him to eat the rest of the meal.

As everyone has said, It's you working the band, it doesn't work well by it's self.

ladysplenda · December 12, 2005

If you eat till you are full and stop the band might work if you eat till you are misrable it will not.

I have not been banded very long.Before the band I could eat two Dairy Queen hamburgers or 1/2 a large pizza and salad.I do not feel like I could do it now.About a cup of Soup and im full could not and do not want to eat anymore.

Jachut · December 12, 2005

I have to be honest, I was edgy about this procedure and had a thing about if I could stop all my bad habits with the band then I could stop them without it. But I must admit, I never had that many truly bad habits that will be hard to give up. I just overate a little bit every time I ate but I basically got fat on healthy food in the wrong quantities. I dont have a takeway addiction or chocolate or ice cream problem, I just have too big an appetite for my body's energy needs. I was more like yes I've exercised today so I can have two sandwiches instead of one.

I felt that made me a good candidate, but I did a lot of soul searching to come to that conclusion.

Now obviously the band has helped others that were in worse trouble than I was so it works. But you need to take as much time as you need to to feel comfortable with that. Overeating fills a need in us and its very very scary to think of having that coping mechanism taken away. If it takes you 12 months to decide then it does, once I felt comfortable, all my fears literally evaporated. Start the process but wait till you're ready to finalise it.

Its also surprising that once you no longer feel hopeless, the drive to overeat disappears somewhat. I must admit, I had no trouble avoiding pre surgery pigging out, I just didnt want to do it because I wanted to feel that I'd started my new healthier lifestyle from the minute I decided to, not wait 3 months down the track till the actual surgery.

Dody · December 12, 2005

My weight isn't so much from what I eat as the fact I have severe rheumatoid arthritis and can't excercise. I can't even take the dogs for walks. Good thing cats don't need walked. I would love to get out and do more and I'm afraid the surgery won't work for me either. I'm hoping it will help with some of the pain of the arthritis by losing weight, but I have no guarantees. I flying blind on this one too, but I've made up my mind to do it and I'm one of the older ones to be getting banded. That fact scares me too, but I have to do something just like you, so I'm putting my faith in the band that it will help me.

Good luck to you.

vinesqueen · December 12, 2005

Well, there is working and there is working. There are all sorts of different ways to measure success. I haven't lost much according to the scale, but I figure I'm a success.