Why couldn't YOU lose weight without the lap band?

[amberakamom 13]

Just looking for some insight. I am so skeptical about getting banded. I HATE being indecisive about something!

[stateofzen 46]

I've always been able to lose weight just fine. Calorie restriction + exercise did it for me.

My problem is that I can't keep it off long term, and just add more back by the time I'm done gaining again. I decided about 8 years ago that I was tired of the yo yo crap and I was done dieting, period. I was just going to accept myself as a fat woman and live with it, and I did that pretty well for the most part.

But then I heard about the lap-band and it seemed like the answer to my problem. I got the lap-band to help me feel more full while losing, yes, but more, I got it to help me maintain my weight loss once I get down to my goal. I seriously did not see the point of working that hard to lose, only to gain again, but the lap-band seems to be the answer to that "keeping it off" problem.

Now every time I get on the scale and see a loss, I KNOW I'm losing that pound FOREVER.

Edited October 15, 2010 by stateofzen
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[amberakamom 13]

Oooo that's a good point. Look at it more as a tool for maintaining! I lost 65 pounds a few years ago, then quit smoking and gained it all back. UGH

I've always been able to lose weight just fine. Calorie restriction + exercise did it for me.

My problem is that I can't keep it off long term, and just add more back by the time I'm done gaining again. I decided about 8 years ago that I was tired of the yo yo crap and I was done dieting, period. I was just going to accept myself as a fat woman and live with it, and I did that pretty well for the most part.

But then I heard about the lap-band® and it seemed like the answer to my problem. I got the lap-band® to help me feel more full while losing, yes, but more, I got it to help me maintain my weight loss once I get down to my goal. I seriously did not see the point of working that hard to lose, only to gain again, but the lap-band® seems to be the answer to that "keeping it off" problem.

Now every time I get on the scale and see a loss, I KNOW I'm losing that pound FOREVER.

[BetsyB 9]

I could--and I did. Many times. For me, the real obstacle was metabolism shot by crazy diets my mother had me on starting in early elementary school (when I was not overweight). My body gains weight if I take in more than 1100-1200 calories/day.

So, to lose (or maintain when I'm at goal), I need 800-900 calories. And many, many times, I ate 800-900 calories to lose weight, and was successful.

Only, that's not sustainable, long-term. Very real hunger was a real impediment.

For me, the band is a great solution, because it takes that hunger out of the equation.

[Amanda1982 142]

For me it's not that I cant, but what I will be using it for is a toll to help me. Whenever I lost weight in the past I used a tool. Weight Watcher, LA weight loss ect... but when I couldnt afford them anymore I gained it right back. The band for me is a long term tool that will help me get down to a healthy weight.

[btrieger 21]

I can and did and am doing. I am losing the weight. The lapband is just a tool I use to keep me in check.

It slaps me on the wrist when I overdo it. Sometimes it feels more like a sledge hammer than a slap but it does the trick.

I lost 95 pounds between my initial consultation and surgery using an even stronger tool, a positive, can-do attitude.

[Phranp 46]

My story is about the same: I can lose it ... again and again, just couldn't keep it off. But with my tool (i.e., lapband), when I lose my drive to "eat right" I can get back on track quickly because I have restriction.

It is good that you are doing your research. Please keep reading so that you know and understand what the labpand does. It is a "tool" that helps us, we still have to do the work. But you will hear from me, and many others that it is well worth it.

Good luck!

~F

[LeighaMason 19]

Before I was banded I had a very large stomach and it took a large amount of food to fill it. I would eat a huge plate of food, three times a day, I was always HUNGRY!. Then I had lap band and a reasonable amount of food makes me not hungry and I stay full for a few hours. It has been a complete relief from the HUNGRY MONSTER that had been on my back.

[Dave_NW 92]

As others have said, losing the weight wasn't the problem. It was staying at a lower weight after the diet ended.

I went on South Beach Diet several years ago and lost 30 pounds in sixty days. I was ecstatic. I was never hungry, and I actually got tired of all that chewing - it seemed I was eating ALL the time. But then I had dental surgery, and had to go off the diet. And guess what? In no time at all I gained back every pound, and thirty more on top of it. The next time I tried South Beach, I did the same things I had done before, but I didn't lose more than a few pounds. It was as if my body had caught onto the tricks I was pulling on it. The yo-yo games continued, until I finally stopped trying.

I'm seeing the band as a method that requires me to be more focused on what I'm putting into my body. Volume, calories, frequency, and eating speed will all bring down my weight, just as a matter of balanced mathematics. I'm a computer tech by trade, and balanced mathematics is something I can live with.

Good luck in your decision!

Dave

Edited October 15, 2010 by Dave_NW

[Sabrinaaa 0]

This is what it is like for me:

I have 8.5cc in my band and still have not gotten to my sweet spot, but it has helped reduce hunger and feel "satisfied" earlier. I dont ever eat until full, because thats what the rules are with the band, but I am satisfied and can get up from the table without thinking of food!

What you'll have to do even with the band:

1) still have to restrain from junk food (which is a battle for me)

2) still have to restrict calories

3) still have to eat Protein and green carbs

4) still have to exercise

[alilbittyna 0]

Since having my kids and a hysterectomy I just continued to gain weight. Yes, much of my doing, but also a hormonal thing as well. I have tried every diet out there, Weight watchers, south beach, body for life, slim fast, nutrasystem, slenderlife (like LA weightloss). I would lose 20 lbs and gain 30, lose 20 gain 25. I finally ballooned up to 255 and had severe problems with hips, knees and ankles. I was tired of playing games, so when I discussed my concerns with my doc he suggested the band and said I was a prime candidate for one. I have no regrets other than not looking into this sooner!

[emjay 8]

Count me in the samt boat as the others. I've lost several hundred pounds over the years only to gain in back and then some. As long as I stayed focused and didn't stray from whatever diet I was on - I was fine. But that isn't realistic long term. Let's face it - when you're on the Atkins diet - there's not a potato chip or potato to be had.....ever. I finally realized that eliminating foods that I liked from my diet just made me want them that much more after a while and eventually I would give in. I would allow myself 5 lbs, then think 10 isn't so bad, then the desperation starts, but you're already on the train back to where you were and feel powerless to stop.

The lap band has changed my mindset. If I gain a few lbs, this time I KNOW I can get them off. Many of the foods I couldn't stay away from don't appeal much to me anymore....some do but I'm able to limit them to occasional splurgings.

The band has definitely changed the way I eat...which I feel is healthier anyhow given that your supposed to eat slowly, but it has made me concentrate on what I'm eating, what is the nutritional and caloric value, and how much. No mindless eating in front of the TV anymore, very little if any fast food, and I plan Snacks or keep something handy on days when my schedule is crazy to avoid grabbing something unhealthy or too fattening.

Can I say for sure I will never gain the weight back? No. I am only hoping that given this different approach I have now vs. all the other attempts will stick and be a way of life forever. I felt it was my best shot.

[Mariasha 3]

I think the answer is that when your not starving hungry all day it is actually possible to focus on making good food choices and eating healthy things.

Sure, I lost weight before with out the band. But there's only so long you can walk around feeling famished before you start eating like your old self and it all comes back on.

Now that I rarely feel true hunger anymore I actually enjoy eating healthier and trying new foods.

I think its one of those things that you can't fully understand until you had. I read hundreds of posts here and spoke to tens of people in real life describing not being hungry anymore. Although I understood this idea in theory, I didn't really understand what it meant till after my surgery.

After my surgery I realized that feeling satiated was a feeling I had never experienced in my life.

[amberakamom 13]

Very helpful you guys! Thank you!

[notateechanow 7]

I agree with everything that was previously said---the most successful banded people are those who have had success losing weight in the past, but who struggle with keeping it off. The Lap Band will not lose the weight for you---it's not like gastric bypass that forces your body to function differently. Many people are not successful with the band, and it is absolutely possible to "eat around" the band and to gain weight. I had nearly all of my fill taken out a few months ago after having tolerance issues. (This isn't all that common, so no worries!) I've gained about 10 pounds. However, pre-banded life would have been a great deal more. I have been able to keep it in check and with regular visits back to my surgeon, intend to return to my previous weight and even lose a few more pounds. The Lap Band won't lose weight for you. You must make life changes. However, the life it has given me far outweighs any type of "buyers remorse" that I may have encountered along the way. Any frustrations I've had have been somewhat temporary. When I encounter those, it's time to return to my surgeon, nutritionist, or find support on here.

I wish you the best in making a decision that fits with your lifestyle.