Why Get A Lapband?

[honk 780]

I am a great dieter. I have never been the fat person who would diet for a few days and stop. I did not bother to diet unless I was going all in. And by all in I mean execising 7 days a week, eat only non fat foods; no cakes, Cookies. And I could loose weight lots of it. I lost over a hundred pounds at 12, 18, and 30. My problem was that after a year or two I would get tired. Tired of the constant exerciese, tired of depriving my self (at least I saw it as deprivation) of all foods that were enjoyable. If I did eat a piece of cake I would feel guilty. Eventually I would say to myself I will just have a candy bar today; but that would turn into a candy bar everyday. Bad food choices would become a habit and then all was lost. I was an all or nothing dieter. I also really saw it as a diet not as a way of life. In the end the weight always came back with a vengence.

For some of us the band is the end of the line. Is my weight killing me? When I had a stroke at 39 the doctors could'nt say for sure my weight was the cause but they coud'nt rule it out ( I had also been on a perscription NSAID which I believe was involved).

If your doctor does not require sessions with psychologist that specializes in eating disorders presurgery find one. This was very important to helping me understand why I was overeating and identifying what foods triggered me to over eat. YOU MUST change your relationship with food. If you do not do that you will not be successful with the band. You can cheat the band. You can eat "around" it. The band will never stop you from eating liquid calories, or anything that liquifies or becomes mushies in your mouth: Candy, Cookies, sweet childrens Cereal, crackers, ice cream. Even with the band you have to choose NOT to eat these things.

Once you have restriction the band helps me stop eating sooner than I normally would have. For me I feel satisfied vs "full". I ask myself do I really need to keep eating? If the answer is no I stop. Before I would have kept eating until I felt overly full. You know 3 in the afternoon at work when the leftover meeting cookies get put out at the coffee center? Well the band you can walk by and not have the desire to eat one. Preband I would have automatically eaten whatever was available.

Bandster Hell. Until you get restriction this will be will power diet. I wish more doctors were more upfront about this. Reading this site presurgery I thought I would get restriction after one fill. Uhhh No. It took me 6 months of fills. That's not a knock on the band, just my reality. What kept me going was this was the last time I had to loose the weight. Also while I am a pretty strict dieter; I try to see all foods as having a particular role. I don't keep candy, cake, bread, crackers in my house. If I am at a birthday party however (once every 3-4 months) I can have a small piece of cake. Veggies you eat everyday, treats are something I eat on occation.

[blanham04 38]

Thank you all for your responses. I wanted to share a little about myself and why your feedback actually means a lot to me. I have been big my whole life and have lost substantial amounts of weight 3 times, even getting down to 165 and being 5'10, I thought I was doing well. But I could never keep it off, eventually my eating would go back to the way it was and what I call the hunger monster would return. I finally gave up and have ballooned up to 400 lbs. I am ashamed to even admit it and won't tell my wife how much I weigh. I've been working hard recently and lost a few lbs but not much. This lap band is my last chance to live a normal life and not be fat. I am so excited about the possibilities, but also really scared. Scared about the surgery(I've never had surgery before), scared that it won't work, ect. I have actually been trying to follow what I think I will eat once I am banded with a few cheats here and there but overall doing fairly well. I feel a lot better since I now focus on Protein and avoid carbs. I just wonder that since I haven't had the will power to keep the weight off before, why will it be different this time with the band? And how will my will power combined with the band keep me from eating what I'm not supposed to eat? From reading your comments above, it sounds like it will, but I guess I won't know what the band feels like until I have it. I have been seeing the psychologist my lapband doctor reccomended because I wanted to work on why I ate they way I did. It has helped some, and I think it will be more helpful when I am banded so I don't go crazy! I have been lurking around this website for almost a year reading people's stories and this if my first major post so I appreciate the feedback. I really do want to thank you all for these comments because I can relate to them!

[difa 114]

I think you'll do just fine. I'm 5'10" and weight 265. I'll be getting banded in early June. This was after researching for the past year and watching my wife who got banded in October 2011. I'm wanting to get down 100+lbs. I'm looking forward to the transformation.

[blanham04 38]

Thank you for all the support, I just found out I am approved and my surgery is scheduled for May 10th. Very Scared and excited at the same time!

[Jackie's girl 32]

I am not on a "diet". I can eat anything i ate before surgery, only difference is portion. I eat less than half of what i used to, and its because the band stops me from gorging and stuffing my face. I know if i eat to much i will have the worst pain, and will possibly throw up, and i HATE throwing up. It is a tool, that if used properly will work perfectly. Love my band and am so glad i got it!

This is my reason for the band. I have always been successful at losing weight, but can't keep it off becasue I get off treack and over eat. The band will be that little extra reminder that I can't stuff or I will be sick...not willing to do that! Just an extra tool to help me stay on track when otherwise I would overeat.

[Tomander 614]

Hi

I love my band.

I can eat just about ANYTHING but my doctor says no carbonated beverages at all.

Many people go into the journey saying... I'll never be able to eat this or that ever again.

I still eat bread and Pasta.. oatmeal... and I still go out for dinner.... the band is for life... carbs are a part of your lfie.

The only foods I avoid are rice and apple skins.

The band is so unique from person to person. Do NOT be afraid to try different foods BUT take tiny bites and chew your food and make sure you swallow what you have in your mouth before you take your next bite.

I have NEVER choked or been sick with the band... rice and apple skins have felt VERY strange going down so I avoid them but ALL other foods are fine.

I still plan my meals for the week. I cook on Sunday for the week and freeze my lunch and dinners for the coming week with the exception of Friday when I go out for dinner with friends...I retired so I"m home most of the time... now I'm not perfect.... If I get an invite to go out for lunch on a Tuesday I go. Just because I'm banded I haven't stopped living.

I still get weighed in every month with my family doctor. This keeps me on track and motivated.

I also host a monthly coffee group for fellow bandsters or people looking into the procedure.

I also talk to 3 phone buddies that I met here every month... I'm in Canada but I call the US... I have free long distance.

For me support from fellow bandsters played a huge part in my success.

My only regret about the band is that I didn't get it done sooner.

Take it one day at time.

Tom, Toronto

Banded July 6 06

Wt. Loss: 156 lbs

Started with a 54" waist now 33"