January Bandsters???

[enterprise01 0]

Audree, despite my jealousy, you give me hope that someday I'll be doing as well as you. Since you were banded about 2 weeks before me, your progress is a good benchmark for how I should be doing. Keep up the inspirational posts.

[BabyGotBack 0]

Audree -- You should never feel bad for doing good! I love to see how well you are doing. It really keeps me pumped up to keep on track because I see that it CAN BE DONE! Plus, I love your pep talks Never leave us!

Maria

, okay!!!

[BabyGotBack 0]

Audree, despite my jealousy, you give me hope that someday I'll be doing as well as you. Since you were banded about 2 weeks before me, your progress is a good benchmark for how I should be doing. Keep up the inspirational posts.

We will all be skinny before we know it!!

[BabyGotBack 0]

I was just thinking, let's make a pledge to each other, to help one another. To pick one another up when we are down. If one falls down, that we would go back and pick them up.

I think also that the hardest thing to do, is to tell someone in love, that they are messing up. But, I for one, have needed someone to tell me and I have had to choose not to get offended and be mature enough to accept constructive critisism. That has not come easy for me. It actually took years of certain trials in my life to get there.

But, it is different if it comes from someone that you know truely has your best interest at heart and cares.

I know one day, I may need someone to help get me back on track, help me to stay focused, keep my vision before me of my bikini clad body running on the beach , and run this race with all my might, with all my strength, to win the prize!

I know sometimes I do certain things, like exercising just because I am accountable to you guys.

Maybe we can let each other know what our daily/weekly goals are, and keep each other accountable to those goals.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results!!!!

It is insanity to eat more than our body needs and expect to lose weight. Or expect tone skin instead of flabby skin when we don't exercise.

We know what we need to do, so why don't we do it?

Why do we sabotage ourselves? Our success??

What if our life depended on us losing weight? Would we do it then?

Being overweight contributes to so many health problems, cancer, diabeties. I for one, didn't want to wait till I got some bad news to be motivated to lose. And I hope to never get news like that , since I am busting my butt now.

Who wants to be accountable too?

[sunnysea 1]

Pam, If you read alot of the posts here on Lapbandtalk you will see how well alot of people have done with being banded. I will be getting banded the end of Feb. and after looking at the before and after pictures and doing my homework on the Lapband I am more sure than ever that this is the way to help my hunger. I realize that the weight can come off slow but if you have patiance and get your fills when needed it will help not only take the excess weight off but also keep it off. When talking to my Dr. today he said that I could have a treat once in awhile, say like a dish of ice cream but not everyday. I read on this website all the time people that have had this done and they are 2 weeks postop and eating what ever they want. They either don't know any better or they just don't care. I would guess that these people would not do well on their weight loss. And then some are just not able to lose as fast because of meds., heridity, etc... I don't know how I will lose but I will use this tool to help me, I'm sure there will be times when it won't be fast enough, I will have to remember where I have been and don't want to go back. By the way I have never heard anywear the 25% loss, I have seen more like 50% to 70% quoted. But as you see on this website it can be much greater. Sunnysea

[BabyGotBack 0]

Quote"Today I attended a consultation at my Doctor's office and was told that only 45 to 50% of people who have the Lap-Band done lose any weight. The nurse practioner said that their specific patients have had a 50% success rate. These figures seem very discouraging to me. :phanvan

When I questioned him as to why only 50% lose weight he said that people cheat/cannot overcome the emotional or mental obstacles they need to overcome to change their lifestyle. He went on to state that he thinks the figure is 50% because some patients who have BMI's in the 50-60 range have elected to have the Lap-Band and have not been successful, which he feels skews the results. We briefly discussed my health and eating patterns and he feels that since my weight is based more on the quantity of food I eat vs. eating foods which in the future would be cheating foods (ice cream, shakes, etc.) that I would be an "ideal candidate." I find it hard to believe that all of these people cheat after going to the expense/physical demands pre- and post-op to cheat that dramatically. He even stated that they have a patient who has only lost 5 pounds in a year. I asked him specifically what he would do if someone was not losing any weight and was not cheating. He said that he would not tighten the band - that he relies on a more conservative approach and leaves the band more open to "make more of the brunt of it rest on the patient's shoulders.""

Answers to this post:

"Well, first of all when your surgeon says "50% success rate", how is that meant?

a) 50% of the people who have the surgery meet the medical criteria for success.

100% of his patients lost 50% of their excess weight, or numbers that bring in the same average.

c) Judging by some criteria he has assigned, some combination of a or b?

It's very easy to not lose weight with the band if you're not focused on losing weight. And it's very easy to not focus on losing weight, and use the band as an excuse for that.

Think of all the things that make it easy to bypass the band, and you'll see where those numbers might be coming from. E.g. people who never get a fill because they're afraid that would mean they have to give up foods. Or people who use cognitive distortions to get out of good eating habits. Or people who go underfilled and try to "wing it", but then never go after the fill to take off where their willpower left.

Pople of ALL BMIs have elected to have the lapband and not been successful, so why would he attribute it to those in the 50 - 60 range? - sounds like he's kind of pulling his numbers from nowhere.

"I have always heard that the 50% success rate was that patients loose on average 50% of there body fat, not that only 50% loose any weight. I would question your doctor. There is a percantage of people who don't loose. That goes with any WLS. It is a tool and not a cure. Remember too that the 50% (and I honestly beleive that percentage is higher than that if my memory serves) counst those that don't loose and weighs down the average loss."

"Well, what he says is probably true to some degree, where there's a large emotional or compulsive eating type of behaviour, I guess the lap band still slows you down but you have more work to do than somebody who's really only a volume eater.

I was pretty much a volume eater and the band has worked brilliantly for me. But I do have to use significant willpower and self control to mainly eat good healthy foods and stay away from junk. I mean, who isnt prey to the convenience of take away and junk foods in today's society? Its the lifestyle we live and that takes some overcoming."

"It seems that most of the studies focus on the first 12 to 18 months of being banded. If you haven't reached your goal by 18 months, you're probably considered a failure for the purposes of the study. If you have a higher BMI, it will take longer to get to goal, so I can see why the doctor would say that people with higher BMIs skew the stats if they are only looking at 12-18 months post banding. Statistics can be very misleading, and it's important to understand the criteria on which the data was collected before you put any credence into those numbers."

"I always took the studied EWL % to be everyone's EWL added together, then divided by the number of people.

Example;

Jane has 99% EWL

Dick has 45% EWL

Mary has 76% EWL

Frank has 25% EWL

99 + 45 + 76 + 25 = 245 / 4 = 61.25 % average EWL

So while some do really, really well (Jane's 99%) the lower numbers in the study bring the average down."

Hope this helps!!

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[Tulip 0]

Audree – don’t ever, ever feel guilty for making the great progress that you have made. You are the one dedicated to follow the bandster rules and are the one working hard to achieve your goals. I love to read every one of your posts for the inspiration and encouragement that you offer to everyone here.

I pledge along with you to help one another along this journey with our bands, whatever their names may be.

Pam, I don’t know that I could honestly answer all of your questions just yet since I haven’t even had a fill yet. Most of the January bandsters are either newly banded or they were banded earlier in January and are waiting until the first fill, like me. At this point I don’t have much restriction and am limiting my portions by choice. I do get hungry again within a couple hours, but I hope that with fills that situation will chance. I think I do know what restriction felt because of how I felt right after surgery. I was able to feel completely full with very little food. I did not feel deprived. I do not view banding as one MORE diet. I view this as a long term tool to help me stop gorging on food and eating way too big of portions at a time. That alone will help contribute to my weight loss. As I have begun to lose weight, I feel better and WANT to get out and walk, exercise and move a lot more than before. I am motivated to make this work. Audree gave an excellent answer to your questions, but wanted to add that we really don’t have the sweet spot restriction yet ourselves.

<O:p</O:p

My doctor said the average excess weight loss for lap band after 5 years was 50%. He said he could not predict on an individual basis, but that was the average in the latest study. He showed examples of many with 100% excess weight loss, and some with 20% excess weight loss.

<O:p</O:p

In just over 4 weeks I have lost 21.5 pounds since banding. I feel that I have followed my doctor's instruction and am trying to stay on track. I do want this to work and am motivated. I am happy I had this surgery and would do it again in a heart beat.

<O:p</O:p

Terry

<O:p</O:p

<O:p</O:p

[Success in lapband 0]

Audrey and Sunny, Thank you for persuing my concerns, I was at such a low today after the Nurse practioner did her speech. I just started typing and having a melt down, then after posting I read that Audrey was having a bad day with PMS and I felt so selfish.

So what I should have done is read read read and reviewed everything everybody writes about and remind myself of all these real life successes I read about and review the 100# club and the pictures of all the success stories.

I also can hopefully believe that I am afraid to fail (again) and I am on the 2nd day of pre op shakes and am letting food control my emotions.

The reason I want the lapband is to feel full and after I read back to babygotback postings and lots other (which I should have read prior to posting) I would have read that she is not been hungry and also has not had a fill yet. And as I have read other posts after the sweet spot is hit, people actually forget to eat all the time. I guess I did not realize how much of an emotional wreck I am when I am hungry.

I swear typically I am a pretty put together person!

Thank you! I feel like hugging you guys! It was HUGE what you did for me!

If you ever get down, call on me! I will put things in perspective for you, I will research the answer for you even though it is right in front of you.

I am on this website at least 3-4 hours each day consistently, I just had a meltdown.

[Success in lapband 0]

I am feeling so much better right now, can we just do a group hug? I am positive that if I will not "starving" I will be one of the ones that make that stastic of goal weight.

[Success in lapband 0]

Audrey, YOU are a major anchor here, don't stop posting your successes because I talk about you to my friends and family all the time.

[rms78645 0]

Hang in there. It will pass. I promise. I felt the same way, like I was in a fog. It will get better. Around the 2 week mark the fog lifted. I still am not 100% but I am 44 years old. Try to drink and try to get your Protein in. I was really weepy and an emotinal basketcase. Thought I would never feel like me again. It passes!

Hey Sunshine2, Yes - I bought it and read it over the holidays - I thought it was fabulous!

Today is another not so good day, still feel 'very sluggish' for 2nd day in a row. I am not hungry and definately not thirsty - so today will be a huge struggle for me. I have everything ready for me to eat and drink - but I hate forcing it all. Thank goodness for my protein bullets...I can get all my protein in just 6 oz. of liquids! Still not the best way...but I'm not feeling it at all. Don't know if its just mental, or if I'm physically not hungry.

Read BGB post that she ate three eggs! I think I would die at that point - I can't even eat 1/2 cup of Soup now, w/o putting it down and being 'done'. This part has to get better for me, or I won't be healthy.

Still Debbie Downer today, sorry folks!

[rms78645 0]

Audree,

You are the anchor here. Keep posting!

[TracyV 0]

and pam, let me apologize for my snarky comments...I just feel I spent alot of money and put a lot of research into my decision, and yes, I am feeling grumpy and hungry, so I turn to these posts for inspiration, (thankyou audree) and when I read depressing statistics, I second guess myself and wonder what the hell I am dong> so sorry, again, and good luck with your journey..BTW, I am on my way to work wearing a pair of slacks that havent fit me since before christmas! and they look fabulous, LOL...

[juno610 1]

I am feeling so much better right now, can we just do a group hug?

Yay! Group hug!

(((((((Group)))))))

[shues138 35]

Hey everyone!

Just checking in, sorry I didn't post as often, I'm so busy with school and now work, that I just go home and go to bed after the end of the day!

I went to my surgeon's for my follow up and everything looks good and I lost 20 pounds since my surgery! Now I'm on a puree diet for 2 weeks, soft foods for another 2 weeks and then back to solids. I go in for a fill on March 14th.

I can't believe I'm doing this! I never thought I'd lose weight. I can start exercising too, my school has a gym i might sign up for that since it's only 40 bucks for a semester. I'm glad to hear everyone is doing okay, we are all a support to each other!

Keep up the good work everyone!