New Here...Scared...and Questions!

[Sun Godess 21]

Hello All,

I have been cruising on here for a few years periodically, but today I finally got up the nerve to post. I love this community and have found so much valuable information, positivity, and insight into having a lap band. I have secretly been thinking about having the lap band for about 3 years, but the thought was very scary and seemed extreme to me. Well this January, after no weight loss success, I decided to get a consultation and begin the process. If they use a previous weigh in, I may get surgery in late June.

Considering all of this, I am getting very scared of the unknown and actually doing it. I know I am NOT good at loosing weight! I have never lost a significant amount of weight on my own, except for 2 times, which I did the low carb, drastically starving for a few weeks and lost about 15 lbs. but didn't keep it off. That was years ago. Now I am married with 2 kids, work, and just cannot concentrate and stick to something. I have tried weight watchers many times, but loose focus after a couple weeks, and find that I do well all day some days, but then am hungry at the end, and blow it! I have no health issues, but want to be a healthier me, live long, get back to myself, and FINALLY be successful at losing weight.

I have had so many questions and fears and as the reality gets closer, I am feeling confused if I should go through with it, although I know I absolutely need help other than appetite suppressants that make you feel crazy. I really need something to help me stick to a diet without giving up and starving. I cook, we eat Protein and veggies and a starch every evening. I do eat lots of healthy foods, love Protein and love vegetables, but am honestly a junk food eater and love chocolate!

If anyone could give de honest real feedback on these questions I would be SOOOO very appreciative!

My doctor tried hard to talk me into the sleeve and said he thought I would lose about 50 lbs( I'm 258 lbs).

1. Are you satisfied with your lap band? Are you happy you chose the band over vsg?

2. I'm afraid of the unkown. Do you feel normal...like just living and being your normal self and don't know it's there?

3. Do you get used to eating little portions? Do you feel deprived?

4. I work on a team, and we eat lunch together and chat daily at work. I don't want to tell anyone at work. I'm afraid I won't be able to do this

without them and or me having eating issues in front of them? Do you think I will be able to? What are your experiences?

5. I've heard many people say "oh, the band is only 25% of the help...It's really me." I'm hoping the band is A LOT of help, not a magic wand,

a GREAT help...more than 25% else wise, what's the point! What is your opinion/experience? How much help is the band for you?

6. I need appetite suppression... Does the band actually do that? What exactly does the band do you for you? n How would you describe it?

7. Looking back, do you think you could have lost your weight without the band?

8. I hear a lot about eating slow and small bites...I am very afraid of this! I don't want to be a spectacle in front of others or feel weirded out and

miserable having to eat with baby spoons and pea size bites. I want to eat normal. How is this for you?

9. Any personal testimonies, advice or warnings? Please share and

[lisacaron 5,075]

@@Sun Godess let me first say welcome, and thank you for posting and sharing your questions. There are many out there who are right where you are and I am sure have many of the same questions.

You will find lots of support here and even more stories and advice. If you keep in mind that for every person there is an opinion and not all of them are going to align with each other then you are that far ahead. Every journey is subjective to the person experiencing it. For example my husband and I are both banded and were banded 3 days apart, so we have our bands from the same time, and went through the pre- and post op together. That said we are very different in our approach to food, our issues with food, and our weight loss. None of it bad...just different.

So here are my answers to your questions

1. Are you satisfied with your lap band? Are you happy you chose the band over vsg?

I am very happy I chose the band over VSG. I may have had more success with VSG in the early stages and with the lapband my weight loss is much slower and steadier, however I chose the lapband to accommodate my life style. I am not able to "adjust" any other WLS tool as I am with the lapband. I do not do so on a whim but for things like surgery, and sickness etc. with the lapband I am afforded that option and I like that.

The lapband requires much more follow up and maintenance than the other WLS tools and I also like the fact that it keeps me accountable as well as my Dr. accountable to my health and well being.

2. I'm afraid of the unkown. Do you feel normal...like just living and being your normal self and don't know it's there?

I am not afraid of the unknown. I am very in tune with my body and with my lapband Dr. to understand how it works and how it will work best for me. I live my life normally and I rarely think about my "band" I do not feel it inside though the port is accessible and can be felt under the skin it doesn't bother me at all. I eat and live my life fully as a banded patient.

3. Do you get used to eating little portions? Do you feel deprived?

I never feel deprived. I eat the portions I am hungry for. I allow my hunger to dictate how much I am going to eat. There are days I am very hungry and require a little more than on other days when I am hardly hungry at all. So portions can fluctuate for me though they are much smaller than any thing I ate before surgery. If I am still hungry for something after I have had a good portion I will wait it out and ask myself if it's truly hunger or something else. It's usually something else.

4. I work on a team, and we eat lunch together and chat daily at work. I don't want to tell anyone at work. I'm afraid I won't be able to do this without them and or me having eating issues in front of them? Do you think I will be able to? What are your experiences?

This is a tricky one. Your eating habits pre op and post op are going to change. You are going to be on liquid diets for a bit and you are also going to be eating foods that maybe different from what they are sitting down to eat. Sandwiches are probably going to be off your menu for a while (I don't eat bread at all in any form) Salads are something you will return to but not right away or all the time (not a bad thing since there isn't much Protein there and you can find lots of extra calories there also)

I still eat with my co-workers and I go out to dinner with friends and events and parties. I chose to let everyone know about my surgery and they never question me about my choice of food. My eating habits are the same as they were before, though I will eat much slower now, I will chew much better, I take much smaller bites, and I rarely finish an entire meal on my own.

If I am out with friends or my husband we will often share a meal or I have a nice lunch of left overs the next day to bring to work:)

5. I've heard many people say "oh, the band is only 25% of the help...It's really me." I'm hoping the band is A LOT of help, not a magic wand.

No WLS is a magic wand. With the band your weight loss is going to be slow and steady. You are not going to lose 100 pounds over night. The more you work at it the more you will lose and the more success you will have with it.

Other WLS will have a large amount of weight loss up front and then begin to taper off either way you have to work the tool to be successful.

a GREAT help...more than 25% else wise, what's the point! What is your opinion/experience? How much help is the band for you?

The band is a great help and an excellent tool when it is being used just like any other tool. If you don't take it out of the tool box then you are not working it just having it doesn't allow it to do it's job, you have to work it. You can make the band work for you 100% it shows up ever single day, it just needs you to show up for it as well. All WLS is the same. None of them affect our minds..WE have to put them to use.

I love my band, when I want to have an emotional day of pigging out and just eating my face off because I am having a rough time (this is my personal issue...stress eating and emotional eating.) the band is there to remind me that I shouldn't be doing this to myself and when I push anyway it's there to smack me in the head and often stops me right in my tracks.

6. I need appetite suppression... Does the band actually do that? What exactly does the band do you for you? n How would you describe it?

The band is all about appetite suppression. Many think that the band provides "restriction" this is not what the band is designed for. A properly adjusted band should allow you to eat and drink in proper proportion so you are satisfied at least 4 hours between meals. This is again provided you are following the proper direction and eating the proper foods. Foods that are soft and high calorie are going to slip right past the band without triggering the nerves that send satisfied signals to the brain. This in turn will cause you to eat more and usually those soft foods are high in calories and sugar. Things like ice cream and fried foods are things to watch out for.

When I have a "meal" it consists of a solid dense Protein. Chewing and eating allow me to feel full and the need to have additional food is not there. I am not hungry. Even when faced with the option of having more food, or sweets etc. I simply do not want it. As you go through the journey of learning to work with and live with your band you learn to eat mindfully and choose the right foods to hold you over. Though I will admit if you are like me, this is a big challenge. I often find myself wanting something...just because. However if I do try to have something just because...I am only able to eat a bite or two and I no longer want it and am turned off by it. This is what the band does for me.

7. Looking back, do you think you could have lost your weight without the band?

I have lost weight many many times without surgery. I have lost it and found it again and again and usually when I would find it, it would bring along a few friends with it.

I would lose 40 pounds only to gain 50. I would start exercise programs only to find myself ravenous and eating more and more and not losing an ounce.

I have not for one second since I have been banded regretted my decision. Even when I had a few complications, such as a dilation, and had to have the Fluid removed from the band, or after surgery having one of the incisions become infected. The band has helped me to lose the weight in a healthy way, I have been able to keep off the all the weight I have lost and continue to keep losing.

8. I hear a lot about eating slow and small bites...I am very afraid of this! I don't want to be a spectacle in front of others or feel weirded out and miserable having to eat with baby spoons and pea size bites. I want to eat normal. How is this for you?

I eat totally normally. Actually eating slowly and taking normal bites is how we should be eating all the time. Shoveling food into our mouths swallowing before we even had a chance to taste the food is not the normal way to eat.

I don't obsess about cutting my pieces and no one at a party or out at dinner or events even notices. In fact they notice more the faster and more you eat I think.

Even when my husband and I share a meal, no one even raises an eye brow. We were at an event just yesterday where we shared Eggplant rollatini. There were 4 huge rolls on the plate along with the Pasta side dish (neither of us ate that.) We shared some Calamari prior and shared the dinner. Even the waiter brought out extra plates for us and no one raised an eyebrow.

9. Any personal testimonies, advice or warnings? Please share and

I am not specifically a lapband advocate but I am a WLS advocate who is banded!! I will tell anyone who asks me that if you are not healthy and you are experiencing co-morbidity due to your weight that looking into WLS is a positive thing to do for yourself. Having surgery has changed my life in many positive ways, and I feel healthy and more alive now than I had in years simply because I am not dragging all the extra weight around with me. I am not at goal, I am working my way there gradually. Eating what I like, making healthy choices, taking the time incorporate the changes and make them a part of my every day life. This is what I wanted and the way I wanted for it to be.

Yes of course we all want a magic wand, and turn back the clock to when I was 16 and do it all over again...but that is not reality so the best thing I could aim for is working to be healthier and happier me. I didn't get to be morbidly obese overnight and I didn't want to find myself on the other side of that over night either. I wanted a healthy gradual weight loss emphasis on the healthy part of it since my health was not so great and I couldn't walk without feeling that heart attack was imminent.

My best advice to you is to continue to research. Go out and meet Dr.'s not just one but a few. Ask them their opinions. If they tell you the sleeve or the bypass are better...ask them why they feel that way pick their brains and then of course share the results with all of us!!

Research the other surgeries, there may be a reason why your Dr. recommends one over the others, and don't take anything off the table and don't do anything unless you are 100% sure and you have a Dr. who fully supports you.

After care and follow up are very important no matter your WLS in my opinion this KEY. Having a good working relationship with your Dr. before, during and most importantly after surgery.

I wish you all the best, and keep us updated on your progress and decision!!

[KateP 359]

1. Are you satisfied with your lap band? Are you happy you chose the band over vsg?

100% satisfied, but vsg was not an option in 2006 so it wasn't a choice as such.

2. I'm afraid of the unkown. Do you feel normal...like just living and being your normal self and don't know it's there?

Totally normal. Don't know it's there.

3. Do you get used to eating little portions? Do you feel deprived?

Yes. No.

4. I work on a team, and we eat lunch together and chat daily at work. I don't want to tell anyone at work. I'm afraid I won't be able to do this

without them and or me having eating issues in front of them? Do you think I will be able to? What are your experiences?

I told very few. But you have to find a reason for being on liquids for the post-op stages. I said it as a medically supervised diet. True!

5. I've heard many people say "oh, the band is only 25% of the help...It's really me." I'm hoping the band is A LOT of help, not a magic wand,

a GREAT help...more than 25% else wise, what's the point! What is your opinion/experience? How much help is the band for you?

ALL the band does is dim hunger. You can always eat round it by eating soft foods or by grazing.

6. I need appetite suppression... Does the band actually do that? What exactly does the band do you for you? n How would you describe it?

As we eat, the narrowing caused by the band makes the oesophageal walls move more - this tells the brain we have eaten maybe three times as much as we have. Our brain thinks we are full. If I am busy, it doesn't occur to me to eat, if I am bored, it does. I haven't felt stomach rumbling hunger for nine years.

7. Looking back, do you think you could have lost your weight without the band?

Possibly, but not as much and never have kept it off,

8. I hear a lot about eating slow and small bites...I am very afraid of this! I don't want to be a spectacle in front of others or feel weirded out and

miserable having to eat with baby spoons and pea size bites. I want to eat normal. How is this for you?

You will learn. No-one I eat with would guess I am banded

9. Any personal testimonies, advice or warnings?

There is quite a high complication rate further down the line. Studies vary and figures cover a wide range. But some studies show re-operation rates (slips, leaks, removals) as high as 30% or more. Some doctors no longer implant bands because of this. I am not in the US but am told that the mayo Clinic is a major centre and no longer does bands.

Please share and

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

1. Are you satisfied with your lap band? Are you happy with the band?

Yes because it gave me mobility back. I was so large i had trouble walking and wiping my butt. hub had to put socks on me when i wore them and its on and on...

so yes, i am very happy..

2. Do you feel normal...like just living and being your normal self and don't know it's there?

Totally normal. Don't know it's there except when i go over my food size and then she lets me know quickly, hey, i am here remember.

3. Do you get used to eating little portions? Do you feel deprived?

yes i am fine with smaller portions as the band helps me eat less as i was a volume eater. deprived is what dieters feel, i do not diet.

4. I work on a team, and we eat lunch together and chat daily at work. I don't want to tell anyone at work. I'm afraid I won't be able to do this

without them and or me having eating issues in front of them? Do you think I will be able to? What are your experiences?

i eat like everyone else, one bite at a time. dont over think it.

5. I've heard many people say "oh, the band is only 25% of the help...It's really me." I'm hoping the band is A LOT of help, not a magic wand,

a GREAT help...more than 25% else wise, what's the point! What is your opinion/experience? How much help is the band for you?

ALL the band does for me and this is my opinion only, to help me eat less. i have to choose what to eat and to exercise or not. You can always eat round it by eating soft foods or by grazing aka snacking (which is my fave thing)

6. I need appetite suppression... Does the band actually do that? What exactly does the band do you for you? n How would you describe it?

your doctor is the best one to answer those as i can only speak for me. as i stated, it helps me eat less.

7. Looking back, do you think you could have lost your weight without the band?

sure. i did it for my entire adult life. dieted (starved) and when i started eating again guess what happened?? became a yo yo

8. I hear a lot about eating slow and small bites...I am very afraid of this! I don't want to be a spectacle in front of others or feel weirded out and

miserable having to eat with baby spoons and pea size bites. I want to eat normal. How is this for you?

baby food and baby spoons are for babies. we are adults. we need to act like one...eat small bites (cut/prepare the food) and use a fork/spoon. stop over thinking it. i eat perfectly normal.

9. Any personal testimonies, advice or warnings?

any WLS can work and any WLS can not work. any WLS can have issues or none at all..everyone is different and will have different results. larger BMI can lose faster at the beginning (was in my case) BUT we still have to chose what we eat. 3500 calories is a pound ate or drank no matter what WLS one has..and if you take in more calories than you burn off, you will gain...no matter what WLS anyone has

advice is take these questions to your doctor

they are the one you need to get in the habit of asking for help/advice and DEF listen to what they say and then do it...no two people with whatever surgeries are the same.

all the best

[gowalking 10,790]

Great questions @@Sun Godess. These were the questions I had when I started the process and got closer and closer to surgery. Rather than answer your questions one by one, all I can say is that I've been where you are...and am living a great life again now that all the excess weight is gone. I am so very happy with my decision and I'm sure you will be as well.

[gin765 49]

All great questions... I share all your same concerns! Thank you for posting and to all the experienced folks who have and will answer.

The unknown worries me a lot too, but I've decided it worries me more to know exactly where I'm headed without a lap band. My mother and our relatives are living proof. As a "low BMI" candidate of +/-35 BMI, I've always been the lightest female in my family by an easy 100 - 150 lbs. I have struggled to stay under 300 lbs for the past 10 - 15 years. I came way too close for comfort with the birth of my two children, now 4 and 5 1/2. My mother was well over 430 lbs when she had a gastric bypass 14 years ago. They didn't really know how heavy she was, because that's as high as the scale would register. I firmly believe the procedure saved her life. When I'm dieting, I maintain my weight, and when I'm not, it steadily increases. If know if I don't act on a lap band now, I will become my mother. For me, I feel like a more "radical" bariatric surgery as inevitable, plus knee replacements, hip replacements, etc. As if a lap band isn't radical enough!

Based on my research, if I was not a low BMI candidate, I would probably go with a sleeve. However, I am currently comfortable with the slower, steady weight loss of a lap band I also have a job / family that requires shorter recovery.

I am pushing towards an August / September surgery date. Fingers crossed. I'm ready to BE BOLD and take charge of my future! Best of success to you too.

[kwcrnp 63]

As someone who is 6.5 weeks out from being banded I feel I can add some info to the early stages with some of your concerns. All great questions by the way!

1. Yes, so far its been nothing but positive, 16 lbs down since surgery

2. Yes I feel very normal. No one would know I had it. I eat fairly similar (no fillers like bread, and only occasional small serving of pasta)

3. Yes, it often amazes me how little I need to eat and feel satisfied. I do not have hunger like when I did WW in the past

4. I also work with a team. I chose to tell them AFTER I had surgery and only those that Im close with and eat with. They are very supportive. To everyone else I'm "on a diet"

5. too soon to truthfully answer this at this point.

6. for me it does suppress my appetite. I started with 2.5 cc fill at surgery, got an additional 1cc yesterday and I typically only eat 1000 cal a day (sometimes less, sometime more) Never would I have been able to eat so little and NOT feel like I'm starving...I don't feel like I'm starving

7. I lost 110 in 2004 on Atkins, I kept it off for for .5 yrs then it started to creep up.Fortunately I only gained 65 of it back but it was a HUGE struggle

8. I was very worried about this too...I got appitizer forks and spoons. I used them at first but honestly I have no problem at this point with regular silverware. I have found I enjoy my food better now that I chew it! I actually taste it!!

9. My advice is research and then be honest with yourself. I had many talks with myself, was honest with myself, confronted my issues. I have not been perfect, I eaten a candy bar here and there but only 2-3 in almost 7 weeks vs one a day! you have to look at what your issues are and come up with a plan to deal with it.

I wish you the best! I love my decision at this point and feel it has already improved my life!

[pink dahlia 2,513]

You ask good questions !! Smart of you to do your research well and be comfortable with whatever you choose. I don't know about others on this forum, but my life is pretty normal with work, home, family things etc. I eat "normal " foods, just in smaller quantities, like protien, fruits and veggies. I eat lunch with co workers all the time and even those that dont know Im banded wouldn't notice anything different about my meals other than they're smaller sized. ( and I eat a little slower.) You know what else is smaller ? My whole body !!!!! And I have lots more energy ! And Im happier looking in the mirror!! EVERYBODYS life changed when they had WLS. For most of us , it changed for the better. Its been a win win from the very beginning. I dont have a single negative thing to say except I wish Id done it sooner. That is all. Good luck !!!

[AlericK 0]

@sungodess i know exactly how you are feeling. being scared of the unknown. ive also tried weight watchers and lost 5lbs first month then it came right back. ive had so many failed attempt's so even though i know that getting the surgery is a good idea it still scares me to no end. i think my biggest fear is getting that dizzy/lightheaded feeling you get when you dont eat much. soo from now till my date imma try and not let my nerves get to me

[emilybee 4]

Hi Guys,

I am new here too. I haven't had sergery yet, just doing some research on it all, seams pretty scary but i have to do something. I'm thinking about mini lap band and that seams right for me, thank you for answering some questions i had for post Op really helps!

[Sun Godess 21]

Hello All,

I first must say I apologize for no response. It was a crazy busy time! Your responses were so helpful, and I had to reread them all today! You guys really helped me get insight into the reality and life after band. I initially wanted to have it done in June, but the surgeon stopped doing lap bands, so I had to switch to another one in the group, which required a resubmission to insurance, and after all that....I got scared again. I let my fear have me drop the ball and just sit on my approval until early November. I will be getting my lap band in tow days, on December 17th! Yes, I am nervous, but excited to at the chance to FINALLY be successful at losing weight and live my BEST life! So....Here goes! I am doing my best on this preop, and it it NOT fun! I am hoping that after my appetite will be gone, and make the 4 day Clear liquids, and days 5-14 full liquids a bit easier to cope with!!!

I can't really eat anything, won't be able to eat anything, and I am trying to keep up my energy, and a keep Christmas and Chistmas morning Breakfast "normal" for my kids! I know it will pay off, because I want to be around for them living a long life. My husband is very supportive and that is a big help.

Wish me luck and more importantly say a prayer!!! Again thanks for answering my laundry list of questions, you have helped more than you know!

[Glennda 1]

I am having surgery on Feb. 11 and have a lot of the same questions, so thank you for your post. I am excited and nervous but am ready to make changes in my life. To all of those who replied with your experiences-thank you!!