Lifestyle after 2 years

[Herb 0]

My Dr wants me to have lap band to cure my diabetes which is great, however I am concerned about the long term effects of the lap band. How does your body change and adapt to the smaller stomach cavity. What problems do people with 2 or 3 years history have to say about their lifestyle. Are they still losing weight after 1 year? I hear you must avoid drinking a lot of diet soda and possibly Water.< /p>

[cwm812 11]

Herb,

What info do you want? I've had my band for nearly three years. My life is pretty much the same except I'm much thinner and eat really small amounts. I can eat all foods, but I do avoid soda and beer because they make me feel a little queasy. You do need to eat slowly and chew well, but I can't say that it effects my life very much. Eating out was a bit of a challenge in the beginning. I have learned to order an appetizer (or something small) and steer clear of the bread. I can eat bread, but if I go near the bread basket, I won't have room for my meal. Much of these types of changes vary from person to person, so my experience may not be relevant. I keep my band pretty loose, so I am able to eat everything and rarely get stuck.

As far as weight loss, I am still losing, but very slowly. I got to my original goal weight at about 2 years 4 months, then I lowered my goal by 5 lbs and hit that a couple of months later. I still am losing about a lb a month, but I'm not really trying. I'm mostly trying to figure out how to maintain and if I want to lose more.

If there's something specific you wondering about, let me know.

Cindy

[Keia 4]

Thanks, Cindy. That's really encouraging. I'm only two months out. Eating out is my biggest challenge. But, I see there's a light at the end if the tunnel.

[DivaStyleCoach 89]

My Dr wants me to have lap band to cure my diabetes which is great, however I am concerned about the long term effects of the lap band. How does your body change and adapt to the smaller stomach cavity. What problems do people with 2 or 3 years history have to say about their lifestyle. Are they still losing weight after 1 year? I hear you must avoid drinking a lot of diet soda and possibly Water.

Good morning Herb,

I am two years out with my lap band, and was formerly on two oral medications plus Lantus insulin for my Type II diabetes. I was banded in November 2008 - I did not come off of the medication right away, but by the time I reached my 1 year bandiversary, I was med-free. Now I control my diabetes with eating right and exercising and I am SO much happier because of it.

You'll find that what you can and can't eat is very individual - some people can have bread, others cannot (I'm one that cannot eat bread very much at all). I Water down sodas because the carbonation gives me problems. I drink a LOT of water - but then, I've always been a big water drinker. I have had no problems at all with my band - and I think it's because I followed my doctor's orders pretty much to a T - I started walking soon after surgery, kept up with a regular exercise program, followed the pre and post-surgery eating plans strictly, and I don't try to push things when I'm eating.

Don't let yourself get too hungry between meals - that makes it easier to avoid taking too big a bite the first time around and getting stuck. Certain foods will give you trouble for a while and then you'll be okay. Flexibility is key to living a successfully banded life. Let me know if you have other questions or if I can help further.