Toughest dilemma in my life...

[mattie7632 24]

Right...how many times now has someone said to me "oh my sisters cousins mother's aunt had the lap band and she gained all her weight back" or so-and-so had it and she lost weight at FIRST....even my own mother. I had to explain to her that yes I could gain any weight I lose back. But my doctor has instructed me to keep up with maintenance, go back for fills, and always monitor. If I don't do this I will fail like your "mothers sisters aunts cousin...."

p.s. I like your ticker....

I think the biggest mistake one makes is thinking the band will help you keep the weight off because it wont. If you resort back to your old eating habits with the band you will gain all your weight back. Im just sayin. The band is not a guarantee that you will maintain your weight loss. Its a constant battle every single day.

[ElfiePoo 109]

I was successful on diets in the past too...losing all the weight only to regain it. At some point the 'hunger' just got to be too much. My surgeon felt I was a good candidate for the band because my reason for overeating was 'hunger' and I had a past history of successfully staying on a diet and losing weight. After being banded for over a year, I understand.

The band works by putting pressure on the vagus nerves which tell the stomach to quit producing ghrelin, the hunger hormone. So when my band is at the right tightness, I can eat my 1200 calorie, low carb (30-60gm) *diet* and be satisfied for about 4 hours after each meal. I don't have that constant ravenous hunger that, in the past, drove me to eat. Oh sure, I still pass by a McDonald's or a restaurant, inhale and think "yum that smells good", but because I don't have hunger driving me, I'm better able to pass by...but it still comes down to my self-control.

We can have all the knowledge in the world about good nutrition, exercise, yada yada...but when you're dealing with atypical hunger due to a defective system that produces ghrelin even when you've just finished a meal...all that knowledge doesn't mean squat when it comes up against a driving hunger that never stops.

To the OP...many of us are successful dieters. Our problem is that we never keep it off long term. Now, depending on *why* that is, the band may or may not help. If it's due to hunger, it most likely will help although there are a few who say it didn't stop their hunger. They seem to be a very rare minority. If it's because you like to eat sweets...or just like to eat...the band won't stop you from doing that. *You* will still have to *choose* to eat the right foods and *choose* to put your fork down. If it's because you're an emotional eater, the band won't stop you from doing that.

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