Doc says, "It won't work unless you make a lifestyle change"

[Kelgirl68 0]

No judging here shiny - none of us are perfect in our journey!

[Sweet_pea_2 0]

Not judging you, just wondering if there was a particular reason for indulging. You have done an amazing job and you should be proud. I'm proud for you. Hope I do as well.

Janet

[Ceradad 10]

It won't be because the lap band did it for me. It will be because I want this bad enough to do everything that I can do to make it work for me like it's supposed to.

Couldn't have said it better. I do 11 workouts a week. Yup, 11, 7 cardio and 4 weightlifting via circuit training with free weights. As I like to put it now, this is a triangle. You have to have the lapband, diet and exercise. If any of that is missing for us, we don't lose weight like we should.

One of my officers that has had the lb about 2 yrs longer than me only talks about his diet. Never mentions anything about exercise to me. He was proud of the fact that he lost 30 lbs. his first yr. Hasn't lost much more since. I'm not putting down slow losers. Most people are working the program the way they should. It's just the people that don't do everything necessary to make this work.

[MamaJava 1]

I don't see an occasional brownie or muffin as a bad thing. There's nothing wrong with indulging ones self if you know you can afford it and if you know you can handle it. We are human and we can still enjoy treats just like regular folks who don't have bands around their stomachs.

Also, some people are on solid foods earlier than others after surgery. I had to wait 6 weeks, and I know plenty of folks who only had to wait 2 weeks at the most. So...there isn't always a bad thing about someone eating a brownie or muffin "so soon" after surgery.

[Ceradad 10]

I read all these threads from people who say you should have self control etc. and I read about alll these people who are not sticking to the post op diet and feel terrible. The facts are that until you have restriction, 5 fills in 2 months for me, you will eat like you did before after you blew your latest diet. I beat myself up because I ate everything less than a week after surgery. Now I wish I could eat, well not really. Other than a little Soup maybe some cottage cheese I can't eat much with-out getting stuck. Not that I am complaining. Just be patient and push for your fills, Remember if you are to tight you can always go back and get a slight unfill. All this banter will not mean a thing once you are filled and the band is working as it should. TRUST ME you won't be able to eat sweets or pizza or a hamburger....

I just don't see where having that type of restriction is living. I've had one fill at my 6 mo checkup and have lost over 100 lbs. I do not have the restriction that alot of you speak of, but I know when to stop eating. I can eat almost anything w/o pb'ing or sliming (never had either and happy about it). I just got done with lunch, little over 1 c of food 1 1/2 hrs ago and I still feel stuffed.

Eating sweets will not kill you or ruin your lb journey. As long as you don't binge on them and know that 1 or 2 small pieces of chocolate are all you need to satisfy your craving. And, as long as you don't do this all day every day.:biggrin:

[MacMadame 81]

I just got done with lunch, little over 1 c of food 1 1/2 hrs ago and I still feel stuffed.

God, that sounds like heaven. I'm not banded yet and right now I'm eating my second dinner. :thumbup: They were both small dinners and one was earlier than usual (and one later), but still... It really frustrates me that it takes 4 meals and a few Snacks every day to feel full.

I agree that some people need lifestyle changes to make their band work. But some of us already eat fairly healthily and really just need something to kill the hunger and help us with Portion Control when our brain goes nuts and screams that we're going to die without more food.< /p>

[TerriDoodle 6]

God, that sounds like heaven. I'm not banded yet and right now I'm eating my second dinner. :thumbup: They were both small dinners and one was earlier than usual (and one later), but still... It really frustrates me that it takes 4 meals and a few Snacks every day to feel full.

I agree that some people need lifestyle changes to make their band work. But some of us already eat fairly healthily and really just need something to kill the hunger and help us with Portion Control when our brain goes nuts and screams that we're going to die without more food.

I remember having these exact same thoughts and is basically what I told my doctor when he was considering me for the band. I was "only" 215#, but doing nothing but gaining since menopause...so the future was pretty clear!

I also remember having those same gung-ho thoughts about how I'm going to be a new person and exercise every day and follow the bandster rules to a "T" and I'm never going to fail...blah blah blah. I was gung-ho to the max....for about 7 months...I was even known as the 'gym nazi'. Then I hit a couple of stumbling blocks and life happened and I've been coasting ever since. The beauty of the band is that even though I'm not doing so well in the food and exercise department I've still lost a tad bit of weight....rather than gaining....and my doctor is thrilled with my progress.

My doctor is also one who doesn't prescribe a strict diet...tells us to enjoy the foods we've always enjoyed, just less of them....and try to get 60gm of Protein in every day.

My point is to all of you is to realize that this is a long journey and you will have periods when you are a LB poster kid and times when you're just human and it's all OK. Beating yourself up for being a fat failure is a tape loop we all need to get rid of....its dangerous! Recognize that there will be ups AND downs and try to have a support system (like LBT) in place to help you thru the rough spots. In the end you'll be fine. Be gentle with yourself and don't expect major behavior changes overnight. The band doesn't work on your head. Those changes are best done in little baby steps over a long period of time until they become the 'norm' for you.

[Ellisa 6]

I remember having these exact same thoughts and is basically what I told my doctor when he was considering me for the band. I was "only" 215#, but doing nothing but gaining since menopause...so the future was pretty clear!

I also remember having those same gung-ho thoughts about how I'm going to be a new person and exercise every day and follow the bandster rules to a "T" and I'm never going to fail...blah blah blah. I was gung-ho to the max....for about 7 months...I was even known as the 'gym nazi'. Then I hit a couple of stumbling blocks and life happened and I've been coasting ever since. The beauty of the band is that even though I'm not doing so well in the food and exercise department I've still lost a tad bit of weight....rather than gaining....and my doctor is thrilled with my progress.

My doctor is also one who doesn't prescribe a strict diet...tells us to enjoy the foods we've always enjoyed, just less of them....and try to get 60gm of Protein in every day.

My point is to all of you is to realize that this is a long journey and you will have periods when you are a LB poster kid and times when you're just human and it's all OK. Beating yourself up for being a fat failure is a tape loop we all need to get rid of....its dangerous! Recognize that there will be ups AND downs and try to have a support system (like LBT) in place to help you thru the rough spots. In the end you'll be fine. Be gentle with yourself and don't expect major behavior changes overnight. The band doesn't work on your head. Those changes are best done in little baby steps over a long period of time until they become the 'norm' for you.

You are sooooo right.

Balance is the key. Everyone is different. I think it's great to come here and see all the various ways people let the band work for them and how to improve.

I'm not going to put this out here to say this will work for anyone else, but it has worked for one person; who is what? Lucky? My DH has lost 140+ lbs. over 2 years. He sips some liquids with his meals, he doesn't have an exercise program, (although he is much more active now) and most of our meals have always been meats and vegetables and some starchy foods and the occasional dessert. Pre band the portions were WAY out of the norm. Now he still eats all of those things, but Protein and veggies first, then a taste of starchy, still the occasional dessert; but now it's a bite or two, not 1/4 pan of brownies. I've watched him become progressively more health conscious with his food choices. He doesn't go to the gym and work out for an hour, but he works up a sweat shoveling snow, or raking the gravel back on the driveway, or in the summer other yard work or walking the dog, that runs free anyway and doesn't need to be walked. But he knows he's raising his activity level and that's the right direction. This works for HIM.

Everyone has to keep tweaking and moving a head. As Terry said, life sometimes happens and we can't get to the gym or follow our plan all the time. Figure out what works for you. And let others know what works for you. Someone else out here might be like you and it might work for them.

Please don't think I'm saying if your pre band diet was mostly starchy foods and sweets, just cutting back is going to work for you to lose weight and be healthy. I'm not. I don't know if you can lose weight that way, but you surely won't be getting what you need to be healthy.

But there MIGHT be room for SOME people to still eat the foods they love in EXTREME moderation. If you are a person that can't touch those foods without setting yourself up for failure then by all means don't touch them. But we can't assume that everyone is like that.

There are a variety of reasons that people become obese.

But the point is, because we all eat for different reasons and different ways, we all have to find out how to fix our personal issues. (And that goes for exercise.)

Some can jump in and do everything all at once and perhaps never fall down... but most have to find what works for them in the long term and they can realistically improve upon and stick with.

[Ceradad 10]

My point is to all of you is to realize that this is a long journey and you will have periods when you are a LB poster kid and times when you're just human and it's all OK. Beating yourself up for being a fat failure is a tape loop we all need to get rid of....its dangerous! Recognize that there will be ups AND downs and try to have a support system (like LBT) in place to help you thru the rough spots. In the end you'll be fine. Be gentle with yourself and don't expect major behavior changes overnight. The band doesn't work on your head. Those changes are best done in little baby steps over a long period of time until they become the 'norm' for you.

Great post Terry! No wonder your a mod. I couldn't have said any of that any better if I had tried. The bold part is exactly what people need to realize. If they did that, this would be a much more enjoyable ride.

[GayleTX 1]

Do I have a thought? Yes, I do. Don't do it. You have raw stitches in your stomach. solid food is going to rub on them, press them, irritate them, loosen them.....all kinds of things that will cause you to wish you hadn't eaten that food. It may not hurt when you eat the food, it may not cause you a problem for months.....but anything that weakens the stitches or pulls the band loose is something you are going to regret maybe even a year or two later when the band slips and you have to have it replaced.

[JaxBandster 11]

I was banded 1/3/08 and am completely stalled with my weight loss. I am finding myself falling back into old habits, eating chocolate, etc. I hate that I still CAN do that. I thought the band would make it so I couldn't eat everything, but I have not yet felt full and I am soooo hungry. I lost about 33 pounds so far, because I was so strict with the rules in the beginning, but as I get more leeway, I am doing poorly. I am thinking of moving up to solid foods 2 weeks early so I will feel full. Any thoughts?

It's been over two months and you aren't on regular food yet????????????? Holy smoke!!!! I was able to eat real food after three weeks! I usually don't advise going against doctor's advice but two months is just silly. Eat some real food especially Protein. It will help with the hunger.

[kacee 3]

By lifestyle change, your doctor does not mean "DIET". Lord knows, a diet is no lifestyle change for US! I just watched an extremely interesting show on TLC---Paul McKenna's "I Can Make You Thin" and this guy is DEAD ON right. He has four master rules...and this is where the lifestyle change comes in. We are used to stuffing our faces, eating in front of TV's, walking around and grazing, and eating FAST FAST FAST. Here are his four main rules....

1. When you are hungry EAT (if you deprive yourself you will just "snap" down the line and binge...this will stop that). You will no longer DIET.

2. Eat what you WANT and what you LIKE. You don't have to live on rabbit food to lose weight. Slender healthy people eat chocolate, hamburgers, french fries, macaroni and cheese....but the big difference is they do it consciously and in moderation. If you deprive yourself of the foods you love, you will become obsessive about it and then guess what....you'll "snap" and binge.

3. Eat CONSCIOUSLY. Eat at a table with NO distractions. NO TV EATING. Cut your food, pick up a piece, but it in your mouth, PUT DOWN YOUR UTENSILS, chew your food 20 times and savor the flavor. Try eating an entire meal blindfolded. Feel the food going into your stomach. Stop when you are nearly full. You'd be surprised to find you probably have food left on your plate (we eat with our eyes, not our stomachs).

4. If you begin to THINK that you might be getting full, STOP EATING. (If you get hungry in 20 minutes you can go back and eat some more).

These are absolutely what we lapbanders should live by. As the saying goes...there are no BAD foods, only BAD portions. This is a fascinating show and next week they are talking about emotional eating and how to curb it. Check it out (Sunday nights 8:00 and 11:00 pm CENTRAL time).

Edited March 17, 2008 by kacee

[TerriDoodle 6]

....

As the saying goes...there are no BAD foods, only BAD portions.

You're kidding, right? I can think of a hundred bad foods right off the top of my head and unfortunately many of us LIVED on those bad foods.

Don't forget that because our portions are so small, we absolutely have to make healthy choices....with an occasional treat.

[Ellisa 6]

Kacee,

Thanks for posting. Sometimes we can lose balance one way or the other. Each of us know where we fell before banding and what we need to do now. But it's so easy to go overboard one way or the other.

I'm a firm believer that guilt regarding food needs to be abolished somehow. I haven't figured out how to do that. Anyone else?

DH and I have always eaten a more healthy diet with occasional treats (for us treats could be things like lasagna), we were basically low carbers (protein, veggies, berries, nuts, whole grains) anyway. Unfortunately with low carb alone, "basically" doesnt get it. We have many lbs of "basically" to prove it. LOL With the band, we eat the way we ate before but our portions are much smaller of everything, "basically" works now.

So knowing my issue wasn't so much food choices as Portion Control, I haven't been able to shake the guilty feeling because I feel full (therefore in my mind I over ate). And because that full feeling lasts so long I imagine I must have REALLY over eaten. I know that's riduculous, but it's (the guilt) there just the same.

Everyone gained weight for different reasons, emotional eaters, junk food junkies, and so forth all have their own brand of guilt. And I can fall into more than one category given differen circumstances.

A little while ago had 3/4 C of S/F Tomato basil Soup. I'm feeling stuffed. And a little panic just ran though me. I had to stop and say... whoa, since I've only had 300 calories including Breakfast, a protien snack, and the Soup.

What different journeys we all have. Keeps it interesting. But I love seeing what works for others and pondering different information, some of which might help me.

[sdeckhoff 0]

Dearest forum friends, I need your help with figuring the lapband out in my head. I had my first appointment with the surgeon yesterday and it didn't go as well as I had hoped. (I've done everything I need to due to get insurance approval). Here's what happened. We were talking about the band, and he said, "I don't mean to be blunt but I've seen it too often. If you're not willing to change your lifestyle, the band won't work for you." Now, I fully understand that the lapband is just a tool, but my concern is that I've TRIED - I mean REALLY TRIED to change my lifestyle before I decided to get the band, and was unsuccessful. Sometimes at night, I cry because I haven't felt "good" in a very long time, and I know changing my lifestlye is one way to feel better. Question is, I'm afraid that after I get the band, I WON'T be able to change my lifestyle - that it will be just as hard as it is now to change it. Maybe I'm not ready for it yet (even though I was sure that I was). Can any of you shed some light on this for me?

I just got my band and my bmi was only 32 - which is certainly obese however, most normal folks would diet and exercise to get the weight off. Well.....I'm not real disciplined and I love to eat. Here is how I decided and now I know it was the right decision. The band makes you adhear to the new lifestyle. I haven't been hungry since I got it and....for me...that's a miracle. I eat when I'm happy, sad, etc.....It will make you conform until you ultimately have made the changes and it's no big deal. Don't let what he said stop you. Get the band - and follow directions. I will work! I lost 10 lbs in the first 3 days.