A Realistic Lap Band Success Story, And Some Suggestions!

[NYC Girl 14]

I am very glad I had the Lap Band Surgery in September 2011.

My weight loss has been slow and, but in the final analysis, I am 55lbs lighter than I was a year ago! In what universe would I NOT BE HAPPY to loose 55 lbs in a year. I read so many forum posts where people are literally expecting so much that they are unhappy with significant weight loss, but it has slowed down, or they are no longer loosing 4 pounds a week like in the first weeks after surgery. The nasty secret about loosing weight is that once you loose a sizable amount of weight (whether you think it is good or not), your body adjusts, your calorie requirements just maintain your new weight go down, perhaps your metabolism slows down, and you need to to consume still fewer calories to loose weight.

Also, it is very important to realize (and truly internalize) that the band is just a tool. You still need to learn how to eat less, not snack excessively, and learn to find other things to do when you have the urge to eat. As the psychologist at my Bariatric center says, most of the time we aren't really hungry, we just want to eat. And we live in a very toxic food environment, where high calorie, low nutrition food are around us all the time.

The band has made it easier to not eat Snacks (hot dogs, donuts, croissants, pretzels), that I see and therefore want to eat during the day. I've pretty much been able to cut out between meal Snacks during the day, but still struggle at night. I seem to still want to eat after dinner while I'm watching TV or working at the computer.

So I've devised some strategies to resist that urge to eat after dinner. I guess I'm successful about 2/3 of the time, and the rest I just let go. I don't beat myself up, call myself a failure, or think about it. To me that is self defeating and makes me feel bad about myself !!!! I keep a wide variety of nutritious foods such as greek yogurt, hummus, etc so if I do eat an evening snack it is not the end of the world. I'm just thankful to realize that before my band, I couldn't even resist unecessary eating 100% of the time. To me 33% of the time that is tremendous progress!

To summarize, the band is only a tool. T0 be successful in the long run (and that's what I'm interested in!), you need to figure out your triggers, and how to deal with them. The band will not do that for you. Naturally, your weight loss slows once you've lost a significant amount of weight, and your body gets used to the band.

I consider myself a real (and continuing success) ! I have more to go, but i'll do it slowly, without making myself crazy, which only made me eat more.

Also, the bariatric psychologist at my center has been a real help in my journey. I began to see her when I realized I did not have a healthy relationship with food (soothed me when upset or anxious, or even when I felt bad about myself). She tells me that in times of stress (like the holidays, family illness, etc), just staying even is a big victory. If your center has a psychologist, I highly recommend you utilize them. I really think she has been the difference in my success, not just the band.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Thank you for sharing your story! You speak very wise words, I hope others read this and learn from your experience.

Awesome job on the weight loss, too!

Best wishes!

[NYC Girl 14]

Thanks, you too! Just remember this when your weight loss slows, and it will. Our bodies just can't maintain these fast weight losses for ever. You have done great, you are out of the "Obese" BMI range! That's great! Look forward, not backward. One of my new mottos!

[ktsped 42]

What a great story! I am so glad that I got to hear your success...I am on day 4 and am having a very hard time....any suggestions would be welcomed!

[NYC Girl 14]

Tell yourself you are doing something good for yourself, it may be a long journey but it will be worth it.

Most importantly, don't set yourself up for failure by your unrealistic expectations. The band will help you, but it won't do everything.

Celebrate what is good, and what you accomplish. Let go of your perceived "failures". Don't let them become an excuse, but don't let them get in your way, either!

Don't measure all of your success by the scale. My center tells me that on any given day, you can be up because you ate something salty the day before. When I was first banded, I weighed myself everyday, but I have stopped doing that. I became too obsessive, and my whole day was colored by "today i lost, yah, today I gained, boo!" You are looking for trends, not the day to day changes.

Best of Luck!

Most important, be kind and forgiving to yourself. Don't know any perfect people in this world, and chances are you arent one either

Lisa In NYC

where in NJ are you? I live in Manhattan.

[Kim Whiteman-Enos 0]

awesome story i just posted everything u just said i am disappointed cuz i am not loosing i am at a stand still and i am a aftre dinner nibbler. after posting my blog i feel dumb now that i read what to expect and don't give up i should of read this 1st-- great story and way to go!!

[ktsped 42]

Thanks for your support....I am in North Jersey...Elmwood Park. I need any encouragement you can give me....

[NYC Girl 14]

These are my strategies for after dinner eating. I usually try them in sequence (not always), but remember, they don't always work. Sometimes I snack.

1) when I want to eat after dinner, I first try to distract myself. Take a walk, take a book to Starbucks, get a coffee and hang out for a while.

2) I pour myself a large glass of Water and use one of the single serving crystal light or Fiber sticks to flavor the Water. I sip slowly and see if that will do it.

3) I drink a bottled Protein shake (I use GNC Lean Shakes), perhaps I haven't gotten enough Protein.< /p>

4) If none of these work, I just have a snack -- but a healthy one, some yogurt with jam or fruit, or some home-made hummus, or even a hard boiled egg (I boil these in bulk each week and use for Snacks. I figure I tried, and that's more than I every did before!

Like I said, I consider myself a success if these work most of the time. I remember that prior to my band, I would probably always snack.

You can try these strategies, or even come up with your own. What ever happens, move on!

[NYC Girl 14]

Thanks for your support....I am in North Jersey...Elmwood Park. I need any encouragement you can give me....

Remember, THIS ISN'T EASY, don't expect it to be! If it was so easy, we all wouldn't be in this position! (I had two surgeries in past two years likely due to my obesity) Remember why you are doing it. When I have trouble, I often tell myself: Do you really want to spend more time in the hospital due to avoidable disease!

Also, I'm not a real expert, I'm just beginning to figure our what works for me. You will too.

If you make it into the city, give me a call, perhaps we can get together. I'll send you a personal message with my phone number.

[NYC Girl 14]

awesome story i just posted everything u just said i am disappointed cuz i am not loosing i am at a stand still and i am a aftre dinner nibbler. after posting my blog i feel dumb now that i read what to expect and don't give up i should of read this 1st-- great story and way to go!!

Don't be disappointed, and don't feel dumb. Doesn't help, and often hurts (me at least, I eat when I'm mad at myself). Just move on!

[New2011 1]

Thanks for sharing this. I have lost 73 pounds within the past year and three months. I did really well in the beginnng but lately I have been struggling. Reading your post got me feeling better and more realistic. I have been really stressed the past six months and have been falling back in to my old ways, including punishing myself for making mistakes and feeling defeated. I am going to start being active on this site again and working towards really losing weight again. I have done some healthy things, but not all the things I need to do an had been feeling sorry for myself. Thanks for your post.

[auntielle 42]

One thing that I have found is that I am very easily influenced by triggers like all of the food commercials. I have started closing my eyes or turning away when they appear. Also, when I spend too much time in my head I can get off track. I agree with everything everyone said. We have to identify our triggers, avoid them, distract ourselves and/or substitute positive behaviors.

[superluli 17]

I too expected too much from my band. 5 months post op and 20 pounds less and I don't feel proud, I feel like I am yet again under achieving. People compliment me and I think, I should have done better. I have been at the same weight for 2 months now, I have fills, restriction, I eat less, I am much more active but it isn't working. Today I went to my nutritionist who I have been visiting for over 4 years pre band so he can help me shake things up a bit. The health analysis sheet i got had the best scores I have had since 2008. But it's really hard to be happy when other people are doing so much better and when you should have lost twice as much by now...

[NYC Girl 14]

But it's really hard to be happy when other people are doing so much better and when you should have lost twice as much by now...

I know it's difficult, but stop comparing yourself with other people and you will be much happier, and more successful! Everyone has a different body, chemistry and metabolism and loses (and gains) weight on a different timetable. If you are doing the right things, and your health analysis seems to show you are, then you will be successful in the long term. The key is not to "psych yourself" out on the way so you sabotage your success.. I'm a firm believer that our heads can do much more damage to our efforts that other people.

Think of it this way: If you were losing weight twice as fast as everyone else, would you be upset because "you aren't like everyone else"? Of course not, you would just say your body is different, and your weight loss rate is different. Give yourself the same respect in the opposite scenario!

Just my 2 cents!

Lisa in a rainy, blustery New York City

[abs6angels 36]

I think ( well i know) my problem is, I'm just not following all the instructions correctly. I will start counting calories (1000/day..300/meal and one 100 snack cause i get really hungry sometimes before bed) and stick to protein- no more snacking between!