will lapband save me from myself?

[sweetsue 1]

Hi All,

I've been lurking and finding so much valuable information on this website. Gee, how did we ever manage before the internet?

So let me introduce myself... I'm a fairly healthy 44 yo w/a bmi 39. I have about 75 lbs to lose. I'm going to self-pay and will get banded by Dr Ortiz in Mexico and he will fix my hiatal hernia too. I am currently looking for a doctor in Connecticut who would be willing to provide me with after-care & fills. I hope to have the procedure done late September 2006 in Tijuana. I've decided to keep this a complete secret from everybody, but my husband. My family will think I'm nuts to go to MX for this and just worry and give me all sorts of grief if they knew.

I just hope I will adopt better eating habits after getting the band. I'm fat - so of course I have bad habits. I eat when I'm not hungry. I'll even eat when I'm full. I especially love sweets. I've even eaten frosting right out of the can to get that sugar fix.

The hardest thing for me to understand is the banded feeling, and given all our life-long bad habits - how will this work? If I over-eat will the food come back up? Will cheese-cake still go down smoothly? Frosting? I understand I will need to adopt a some self-discipline if I want to see steady weightloss. But I've been a life-long failure as far as will-power and diets go.

Hopefully some of you will share your wisdom with me. This is a really awesome website and you are all such wonderful people. So glad to meet all of you!

Thanks & sincere regards, Susan

[edieparks 2]

Susan,

I was just banded in July 06 , I am down 19lbs. For myself feeling smaller from 247 , has felt better than pigging out. I feel like if I cant eat 2 big bowls of banana pudding I would rather not eat b pudding at all. Its like it wasnt just the taste , it was the gorging. You will find other things to satify that sweet tooth, I promise. I wont mention them now because next to a can of frosting they wont sound good.

I ate candy, Cookies and ice cream daily. I'm hoping those our my foods that wont stay down ever. lol

edie (sweet tooth) parks

[shackdog 1]

Nope, only you can save you from yourself, its called willpower and we all have it, in some it was just burried deeper than others.

[GeezerSue 7]

Generally speaking, things that melt at room (or body) temperature will go down faster/easier than things that don't.

So, cheesecake will take a little longer than, say, ice cream. Really, though, the band is not very helpful with these things. It was meant to help with the second turkey drumstick, the third slice of meatloaf and the fourth piece of chicken.

If you do not have a way to address this particular facet of your eating you COULD be in for a challenge. The band works BEST at making you unable to eat large quantities of solid food. If you "switch" to lobster bisque and Peanut Butter cup ice cream...you may not see the kind of progress you are hoping for.

The band COULD BE just what you are looking for...OR you COULD BE someone who will feel a need to "eat around the band."

Talk to yourself...listen to your answers..and good luck!

[GeezerSue 7]

Nope, only you can save you from yourself, its called willpower and we all have it, in some it was just burried deeper than others.

Shackdog, it COULD be "willpower," but it just as easily could be a dopamine irregularity. A Parkinson's drug turned otherwise non-compulsive, non-gambling people into compulsive gamblers. It is also involved in all of the excess behaviors.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/parkinsons-disease/BN00043

I'm betting that we will learn that dopamine plays a FAR bigger role in any compulsive behavior than we imagine...which also explains why compulsive eaters become compulsive drinkers, or compulsive shoppers or compulsive sex-mongers (seemed like the right word for male or female) or compulsive anything-ers.

Also due to the fact that a good number of MO people are very much in contro in many other areas of their ives...I think that it's something FAR bigger than willpower.

[Jachut 487]

The way its worked for me it's like something was broken in my head. I never realised till I got my band that I'd never felt full before. Oh sure I stopped when I "thought" I'd had enough but I've never ever known this regular and dependable feeling of satiety. I was either utterly stuffed or hungry.

So for me its worked well. I didnt have huge emotional eating issues other than the fact that I just liked eating. So yep, I still get the head hunger that everyone suffers from and I still give into it sometimes too. But when you've lost a lot of weight, the joy you feel in beating your problem begins to outweigh the desire to do things that are bad for your body. I still eat when I'm bored, I still sometimes buy chocolate to eat when watching a movie, I like to go out and eat, but I've learned to fit that into a healthy lifestyle. It doesnt have to be black and white, you dont ahve to live on a program for the rest of your life, its all a matter of balance and the band has helped me enormously to achieve that.

And I think introducing a lot of exercise only helps that picture, it really stabilises your appetite and changes the way you see yourself. I'm more interested in eating to boost my running performance now than anything else.

[mbprn 0]

Susan I can really relate. I've geen banded for 3 wks. I am still fighting the head hunger vs real hunger thing. Even though I haven't had a fill yet I have noticed some things-I, too, am a sweetaholic. I lovvve cake and icing (sad to say once I bought an entire birthday cake when it was no one's birthday-at least at my house) Now though I am starting to realize how much I was actually eating. I look at a whole plate of food or burger and fries and I realize there is no way I could eat that now. Don't get me wrong I still want to-this was a huge epiphany for me. My stomach is full but I still want to keep stuffing things in my mouth (I guess this explains the whole why I'm fat thing) So I really have to sit there and have a conversation with myself and say "your stomach is full-you are trying to feed something else"

I have one comment about willpower-God help me I love Dr Phil (now his weight loss books didn't work for me -probably because I didn't follow the program but I digress...)I like what he has to day about will power:

Don't rely on willpower -- it simply doesn't work. Willpower is driven by emotions, which can be fickle. Emotions landed you into a weight problem, but they won't get you out of it. Instead, program yourself for success and stick to the program.

For me the band is my "tool"(I'm sick of that word by the way) to help me stick with the program. It's the help I need.

As an aside -I also heard someone say that everybody has issues of some kind-but fat people wear theirs on the outside where everyone can see them and judge them.

[NatesMommy 0]

I was banded on july 21st and I have not had my first fill yet. i was a little worried that i was still eating too much. until I watched my family eat dinner last night. we had el pollo loco and i had a small chicken breast and a small side of cole slaw. and as i was half way done with my one piece of chicken I watched my family get up for seconds then 3rds. not only was I satisfied with my meal but i was happy that I didnt feel that I needed all that food. So I guess were headed in the right direction.

[Stephanie MG 0]

You will still WANT to eat!!!!!!!!! You HAVE to have will power and not eat. I have never PB'd but I have been very strict and ive lost 40 pounds in 7 weeks!!!!!!!!

ITS STILL HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but....u can do it if you really want to I am!!! Im feeling sooo much better, hardly any sugar in my life, very tiny meals.

its worth it to me

good luck!!

[health1st 1]

Isn't this board great!!!

When I was where you are now, pre-banding, I did a little experiment to see what it might feel like to eat like a banded person. I ate a few smaller meals, slowly, chewing and chewing, like I was banded. I also tired it when I ate out with my husband. It was a very interesting experiement. The "feelings' that came up were overwhelming. Like I was going to be cheated, someone was going to eat all the food and I wouldnt get any, I was tense, and anxious.

Being banded didn't help with those "feelings", I had to deal with them. The band did keep me from being hungry. BUT I still have to be conscious of what I chose to eat and how I eat it.

BUT what the experiement did show was that the chewing, chewing, chewing small bites did fill me up faster, and being conscious of what I was eating really helped even pre-banding. It also showed me how crazy I and unconcious I had become regarding food. I went back to eating what I wanted but I kept practicing the chewing and it came in handy after I was banded.

Just a thought.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

A Lap-Band will not save anyone.

A Lap-Band is a tool.

Will buying a toolbox full of automotive tools, save you money on car repairs? Not unless you know how to use tools.

Having a tool is the first step.

Learning how to use the tool is the second and more important step.

Many people who get bariatric surgery are disappointed with the results because they expect the surgery to act as a magic carpet and fly them to skinny-land. Sorry. If you want to be a pilot, you must learn to fly a plane.

Bariactric surgery is not magic. Even a magician spends many hours (if not months or years) learning his craft. If anyone wants to be successful after bariactric surgery, they must follow the eating regiment prescribed by their surgeon or his nutritionist. Drinking is also important. One has to learn when to drink and when to avoid drinking. Proper choice of foods after surgery, after fills and at other times must be adhered to. Exercise is just as important as food regulation.

I am not writing this to scare anyone. Many have been successful with their weight loss and many have not. Follow the rules. Don't be a pest, but insist on concise answers from your surgeon (or his nutritionist).

[mbprn 0]

Stephanie- congratulations on your weight loss -you're doing great. I posted on this thread for encouragement and it's great to see other's doing well.

Health1st-I am so totally there with you. I can tell the band is really making me more aware of how much I am eating and made me also realize how much food I actually consumed pre-band.

I am not/was not looking for a magic carpet nor do I want to be a pilot or mechanic-I am a registered nurse and a heavy person for most of my life. I know (as most overweight person) about every diet, I know carb counts, high fat, low fat, I've eaten cabbage and grapefruit, I've taken phen-fen, I have read extensive medical studies on thyroid conditions, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, cushings disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia etc, etc... I can even build a pyramid out of different types of food. None of these worked for me and evidently many others because we wouldn't all be banded if it were just a matter of will power and listening to a doctor or nutritionist.

All of this is a process and not a single event.I researched this surgery for a year before I committed to it. As I stated above I know the band is a tool-I don't think anyone on this thread stated they expected miracles-they really just wanted some kind words from those who have been there.

I'm still very early in this process and dealing with alot of emotions I hadn't thought were there (naive me).To hear that I'm not alone in these feelings is priceless to me.

Tiredoldman-just curious -when you were first banded did you go through any grieving? Did you ever have times when you didn't loose as expected and felt down? I see that you were banded 4 years ago-are you at goal yet? Would you do it again?

Thanks for all of your input.

[CCBSTX 0]

Well, I was/am like you. I loved my big meals and loved my sweets even more. Yes, even frosting from a can!

I no longer have seconds. My firsts are quite small. Yes, I crave sweets, but not as large of scale as before. The first 6 months post-op I was very good at exercising and keeping the crap away from my mouth and house. Now, I've loosened up and seem to be craving it.

For me, it will be a lifelong battle of choices!

Shawn

[PhotoNut 7]

Tired Old Man - Very very well put! Bravo!

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

I am not/was not looking for a magic carpet nor do I want to be a pilot or mechanic-I am a registered nurse and a heavy person for most of my life. I know (as most overweight person) about every diet, I know carb counts, high fat, low fat, I've eaten cabbage and grapefruit, I've taken phen-fen, I have read extensive medical studies on thyroid conditions, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, cushings disease, diabetes, fibromyalgia etc, etc... I can even build a pyramid out of different types of food. None of these worked for me and evidently many others because we wouldn't all be banded if it were just a matter of will power and listening to a doctor or nutritionist.

So true, but the Band does help.

Tiredoldman-just curious -when you were first banded did you go through any grieving? Did you ever have times when you didn't loose as expected and felt down? I see that you were banded 4 years ago-are you at goal yet? Would you do it again?

Thanks for all of your input.

I would do it again, even though all my family members think the Lap-Band has been a failure. Losing 95 pounds when you want to lose 150 is like the old half-full/half-empty debate.

I still love to eat. food has been my companion (though not my friend) ever since I was a child. I used to be skinny (my nick-name in high-school) until I hurt my leg playing football in college, then my calorie output dropped, but my calorie input rose. Result: 80 pound weight gain in 8 months.

Since the Lap-Band surgery, I have grieved like I lost a friend, but it was only a companion, no make that an acquaintance. Sometimes when I got stuck at a weight and just could not lose, it was because I wasn't eating enough and my (prehistoric) thermostat drove my metabolism to protect me from starving. Instead of cutting back, I ate a little more including fat. I did not eat huge amounts of fat, but I stopped avoiding fat.

Someday, I hope to start losing again. I seem to be in a stuck situation again, but I seem to keep injuring myself every time I start back to the gym. My body doesn't respond to training the way it used to.

Hope my rant helped.