Can A True Addict Succeed With The Lap Band?

[Cazzy 725]

Indeed !

[54Shirley 105]

if you can close up a bag of potato chips without finishing them all, or have some ice cream and leave the rest of it in the freezer, you're not a food addict. I

Here is another good point, but I believe it's not true to everyone.

In my eyes if you eat that bag of chips until your good and stuffed, "some people call this satisfied."

then because you can't put the bag down until you reach that stage, that could be a true addict.

If you can take a couple of chips just to munch on, and then walk away, and continue on, then you don't have a problem with it

I'm not a Dr., nor a Shrink ! It's like drinking if you can't put the bottle down, and walk away, then you have a problem.

food is the same way. You have Trigger Foods that can set you off ! Mine is Potato chips.

I have learned to stay away from them completley. If I give in, and have a couple, somewhere down the line I will try to B.S. myself into thinking that it's O.K. to have a handful, and I don't want to put the bag down then. I wont eat the whole thing!

Just like the statement above....... but I could eat till satisified, and that could be a whole lot, and that will pack on the POUNDS for me.

That's another reason that we eat slow, so that the brain can process that we even ate !

So if I were to eat Chips, I know I have hit the bottom of the Barrell. It's time to get it together again.

Can anyone relate to trigger foods ? Or that certain food that if you eat it, then you know you are at your lowest point.

[Jachut 487]

Eating till you're satisfied is an interesting point, I've been focussing on this with a psychologist I'm seeing for post cancer issues - having my band unfilled, losing so much weight (and liking being ultra ultra skinny) and having trouble getting good restriction back has really messed with my head. Just like some people quip without thinking "Oh, I'm a food addict", I would probably say "I'm a binge eater".

Yet, I might get a huge desire for sugar, and begin eating and eat what I consider to be WAY too much of that food (a packet of Cookies for example). However, in reality it might be seven or eight Cookies - nowhere near what really constitutes a "binge". I've never eaten from the garbage can, never eaten one food after another in an hours long episode, I have a specific desire and I indulge it. And once I'm satisfied - which unfortunately only comes after 700 or 800 calories have been ingested - that desire simply switches off and I dont think about food again till I'm hungry.

That's not a binge eater and that's not a food addict - although I sure do have a real problem with cookies. They're a trigger food and I absolutely cannot and never have been able to eat one or two. I can feel like a Big Mac once or twice a year and have it, enjoy it and not think about it again for another six months. Its just sugar - cookies, muffins, cakes etc.

There's a definite pay off, I can literally feel sugar hit my bloodstream and soothe me. In analysing it with my psycyhologist, it is absolutely definitely triggered by tiredness and general daily stress. It has been worsened by the anxiety and depression I've battled with from time to time this year and improved out of sight by starting hormone replacement therapy. It also tends to happen because I exercise to a point where I need a balanced 2000 calorie a day diet, but have a lapband and dont eat that much. You can prevent hunger, but you cant fool your body with a band, it finds ways to get what it "thinks" it needs. My body often cries out for energy in the form of another little sugar "binge". I've learned the mental association, since that need could be fulfilled with chicken and carrots. Its in my head, not my body.

So that's a trigger food situation - a food that has a physical effect on your body that you like, a food you turn to when your body is in a particular physical state, a food that you've learned to associate with feeling a certain way and so turn to in particular situations. I dont think that's quite the same as alcoholism or drug addiction although its similar, I think there's a bit more of a mental dependence and not a physical one.

[bev712 28]

We need to remember that everything is controlled by the brain. There's nothng that's just "mental" and not "physical." All those billions of brain cells are the physical basis of emotions and memories, too. I'm not a neuroscientist, but I'm pretty sure that addiction of whatever type has to do with a lack of serotonin and/or other neurotransmitters, which is why psychotropic medications are prescribed for addiction. You can be born that way, or develop it by experience, which is stored in brain cells, or through brain injury.

The behavioral stuff is certainly important, though - you can't scarf down a half-gallon of ice cream at night if you don't bring it into the house. I agree that there are definitely trigger foods. Sugar is one of mine, too, and so are nuts. I really think that these cravings are hard-wired into the brain by evolution. When we were hunter-gatherers, our bodies told us to eat high-calorie foods to put on enough weight to get us through the times when food was scarce. Those who didn't do so often didn't survive, so the genes remain with us to encode the development of areas in the brain that tell us "if you find honey in a tree, better eat it all!"

If you're interested in the physical brain basis of emotions, Dr. Daniel Amen, who's on PBS occasionally, has a series of books out that describe the results of SPECT scans of the brain and how different areas of the brain correlate with various psychological diagnoses. Really fascinating, if you're into that kind of stuff.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Nope. But, we are all addicts basically.... The band is a lot of work to achieve success. For me it's an everyday mental struggle.

^^ THIS ^^

This is the truth whether we want to admit it or not. We are ALL some level of food addicts, otherwise we wouldn't be in the position to need bariatric surgery to begin with. We'd have stopped our destructive behavior on our own as soon as we were started to stray into overweight area- let alone obese where most of us here have ended up.

Just like with all addictions, there's levels of addiction. Some people on crack go to rehab, get clean, and never look back or relapse. Others spend decades in and out of rehab, constantly struggling. Still others never kick it and instead it kills them.

This should sound familiar, because if you swap the words "crack" and "rehab" for "food" and "diet", it is also describing US.

In answer to the original question, just like the rest of us, your friend won't be successful with the Lap-Band unless she's committed to a lifestyle change. That said, her psychologist knows her specifics best, and if he says it's not a good idea for her I'd listen to him.

It's a very hard situation. My heart truly goes out to your friend.

[54Shirley 105]

Eating till you're satisfied is an interesting point, I've been focussing on this with a psychologist I'm seeing for post cancer issues - having my band unfilled, losing so much weight (and liking being ultra ultra skinny) and having trouble getting good restriction back has really messed with my head. Just like some people quip without thinking "Oh, I'm a food addict", I would probably say "I'm a binge eater".

Yet, I might get a huge desire for sugar, and begin eating and eat what I consider to be WAY too much of that food (a packet of Cookies for example). However, in reality it might be seven or eight Cookies - nowhere near what really constitutes a "binge". I've never eaten from the garbage can, never eaten one food after another in an hours long episode, I have a specific desire and I indulge it. And once I'm satisfied - which unfortunately only comes after 700 or 800 calories have been ingested - that desire simply switches off and I dont think about food again till I'm hungry.

That's not a binge eater and that's not a food addict - although I sure do have a real problem with cookies. They're a trigger food and I absolutely cannot and never have been able to eat one or two. I can feel like a Big Mac once or twice a year and have it, enjoy it and not think about it again for another six months. Its just sugar - cookies, muffins, cakes etc.

There's a definite pay off, I can literally feel sugar hit my bloodstream and soothe me. In analysing it with my psycyhologist, it is absolutely definitely triggered by tiredness and general daily stress. It has been worsened by the anxiety and depression I've battled with from time to time this year and improved out of sight by starting hormone replacement therapy. It also tends to happen because I exercise to a point where I need a balanced 2000 calorie a day diet, but have a lapband and dont eat that much. You can prevent hunger, but you cant fool your body with a band, it finds ways to get what it "thinks" it needs. My body often cries out for energy in the form of another little sugar "binge". I've learned the mental association, since that need could be fulfilled with chicken and carrots. Its in my head, not my body.

So that's a trigger food situation - a food that has a physical effect on your body that you like, a food you turn to when your body is in a particular physical state, a food that you've learned to associate with feeling a certain way and so turn to in particular situations. I dont think that's quite the same as alcoholism or drug addiction although its similar, I think there's a bit more of a mental dependence and not a physical one.

Jachut: I f I read between the lines, with all the calories that you burn, being tired, and using sugar for Energey.

Your putting Fuel in the Tank. There is nothing wrong with that. We all do that different ways. I prefer Protein with a little carb. to put gas in my tank. The carb. is actually a kicker for the Protein, and it works! So that's my stratigey for a lift.

When it was my Sons it was called a sugar high... but you are busting your butt working out, so that's a different story.

Being satisfied with Snacks or comfort food is kind of tricky, because it's at a different level for everyone, so how does anyone know where to stop ? I'm no shrink, but maybe you can ask your, and see if you get a answer Just a thought....

I think that when you find a comfort food, or a trigger food. That if you are going to tempt yourself, you have to be able to be in control of your feelings for the food, so that you can walk away, after having a little bit "will say chips" If you melt for the food, and can't let go, then that's a problem.

So to me, the best thing to do is leave it alone, and you won't find yourself giving in to the food.

That's how it works for me. I am not speaking for everyone, I can speak for myself though, and a few other people that I know

that have the same problem.

A lady that I knew had RNY Surgery, She lost weight, but then went back to old habbits, "they are hard to break" she died of Kidney Failure, at almost 500LBS..

There are people out there that have a problem with this, and they need to learn to deal with this, or it can kill them.

We all know this though ! This is nothing new!

I still believe that a Food addiction somewhere with a lot of us is there, or we wouldn't be here.

My story was on Water retention ! Do something or you'll die. Well I did do something, and I'm still here "Amen" But There are certain foods that if I pick up, I can't put down, just like a alchaolic. So I choose to do without, and I dropped weight.

I intend to take this one day at a time, Consistency is the key, You know that..

With that in mind I think there's help for one's self. If not, and I'm wrong, then you'll all know one day if I just fade away, that the food addict can't be helped.

Sorry, but I needed to vent.........

[54Shirley 105]

We need to remember that everything is controlled by the brain. There's nothng that's just "mental" and not "physical." All those billions of brain cells are the physical basis of emotions and memories, too. I'm not a neuroscientist, but I'm pretty sure that addiction of whatever type has to do with a lack of serotonin and/or other neurotransmitters, which is why psychotropic medications are prescribed for addiction. You can be born that way, or develop it by experience, which is stored in brain cells, or through brain injury.

The behavioral stuff is certainly important, though - you can't scarf down a half-gallon of ice cream at night if you don't bring it into the house. I agree that there are definitely trigger foods. Sugar is one of mine, too, and so are nuts. I really think that these cravings are hard-wired into the brain by evolution. When we were hunter-gatherers, our bodies told us to eat high-calorie foods to put on enough weight to get us through the times when food was scarce. Those who didn't do so often didn't survive, so the genes remain with us to encode the development of areas in the brain that tell us "if you find honey in a tree, better eat it all!"

If you're interested in the physical brain basis of emotions, Dr. Daniel Amen, who's on PBS occasionally, has a series of books out that describe the results of SPECT scans of the brain and how different areas of the brain correlate with various psychological diagnoses. Really fascinating, if you're into that kind of stuff.

I would be fasinated by it.

[bev712 28]

It's Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, by Daniel G. Amen, MD. Amazon has it in both book and Kindle formats. He has others, but this one's the most basic, and it has photos of the brain scans. SPECT scans measure the amount of metabolic activity in the brain. You can see the difference between the normal brain and, for example, the brain of someone with clinical depression, in the brain structure called the deep limbic system, if I remember correctly. I learned that my anxiety disorder is due to a serotonin deficiency in the cingulate gyrus, which is why the SSRI's are helpful. It makes sense, since I've had this all my life, that I was born with it. Did I overeat as a child because chocolate or Peanut Butter somehow raised my serotonin levels, so I learned to treat my anxiety by eating too much of those things, and now I overeat everything? I don't know, but I do know that as of next Wednesday that lifestyle will be OVER!

[Humming Bird 275]

Addiction, volume eating, carb lovers, whatever, it still brings my mind back to the fact that we need food to stay alive.

We don't need crack, so if a crack addict kicked the addiction, they could still "live" without it.

My experience with the band has been a good one and I will always believe it is all (or mostly) about restriction.

I am no longer able to eat a stack or bag of Cookies. I can no longer eat a bag of chips. I can no longer eat a burger and fries. My band is tight enough to stop me. No matter how much my addiction, or bad habits, or brain tell me I want large amounts of junk, I physically can not eat it.

I could set myself up for failure by telling my Dr. I'm too tight and getting some fill taken out. This is what I think of when we see those posts about people wanting an unfill to go on vacation. They are setting themselves up for failure. Is it the food addiction taking over? Maybe.

[54Shirley 105]

Your last Paragraph may be on to something...

[sassyfrass 24]

I am definitely not going into this, thinking the band will be a 'FIX ALL' for me, but I do look forward to it being a good tool in addition to my eating lesser portions in order to lose weight and get healthier. I wouldn't necessarily say I am a food addict although there are times when I'm so down and out about what "seems" like a food addiction to me. There are times when I have certain trigger foods, that it's very hard to stop so I end up eating 2,3 or 4 servings of somthing before I MAKE myself close the bag, or quit grabbing that item. I do know my trigger foods, for the most part, but I also KNOW that I won't go through life avoiding those items forever, either. I just have to be better about portions. I have found that for the most part, if I separate items out in individual portion sizes, I do better. I DO NOT do well at at buffets even when I try to eat mostly healthy. Even just getting little bits of the things I want to eat; it ends up being a plate solid full of TOO much food. If the band will help me NOT do that to myself because I won't physically be able to do it.....then I will be happy. And probably wouldn't even want to pay for a buffet. I could just order off the menu, only. ( AND take joy in taking half of the meal home with me). :0)

I agree with some of the posters above; it's definitely a mental thing. I know I'm an emotional eater so I just have to find other things to take the place of food.

May God bless you all on your journey.

[Ladybug28 73]

I beleive anyone with a weight problem could be defined as an addict of food. Most of us don't know when to quit, well we do, but we choose to keep eating because it tastes good, it's comforting, or for whatever reason. Like with any diet you have to make your mind up that becoming healthy and losing weight is your top priority and you're going to stick to it. The lapband is another tool to help us in that journey. I'm not yet banded, but March is coming fast and I'm excited to get going! I'm determined to be a success this time! Prayer, Prayer, Prayer and lots of determination!!

[Polished Pig 20]

How can you tell if your an addict or an over eater? I eat all the time.....hungry or not. I eat 10 minutes after I finish a meal. I eat huge meals, I eat inbetween meals, I eat lots of sweets...lots of sweets.

I mean aren't we all addicted to food? I've been debating getting the band for years now and I still have so many questions. Band slips, bands eroding and now trying to figure out what kind of eater I am.....CONFUSING!

[54Shirley 105]

That's where the band comes in handy for me. It supresses the hormone that drives you up the wall with head hunger.

That makes it doable. You just have to do other things instead of thinking about food all day long.

Thats how this works for me, and,,, it's working.

I will never go back to that habit, as long as I'm banded.

Hope this helps.

[Polished Pig 20]

I just worry that if I can't stop eating now....how am I going to stop after surgery?

My problem is I don't hurt for a long time when I'm over eating....but I do stop when it hurts...is that what its like with the band?

I've heard people talk about eating around the band...what does this mean and how can I avoid it?