New & WANT TO KNOW THE GOOD & BAD

[Dori50 0]

Hi all, I'm new to this board and interested in all advice. I have a surgeon, am in the ins. approval process still need to take off at least 100 lbs....already took off 65 in the last couple of years with diet & exercise,,,,,and it's REAL hard just keeping off the 65, let alone taking anymore off....who's got some words of wisdom for me?

[losingjusme 12]

hi Dori,

welcome to LBT.

the good, the band is a great tool to help you lose the weight ...

the 'bad', the band is just that a tool... you still have to do the work...

watch what you eat, exercise, etc ..

the good FAR outweighs the bad. its the best thing i've done for myself (ok, 2nd best now that i've had plastic surgery)...

read here, there's tons of info here.

best of luck to you!

[MerryHearted 20]

Congratulations on 65 lbs lost and maintaining -- that's great!

I love having a band, and it's really helped me. It gave me hope - and still does - of having a normal, healthy life.

The bad news is that while having the band does help tremendously with satiety and Portion Control, it doesn't help with food choices or head issues (emotional, stress, boredom eating). So there's still lots of work to do in those areas for those of us who have those issues. And for a lot of us, having to deal with those issues didn't come up for a long time. I did great on my bandster-style eating for a good year and a half before I really started to struggle.

Now I'm back on track, but working hard on the head issues and making good food choices.

I don't know if that helps or not. I don't regret getting my band for a second; it's a wonderful tool!

[Dori50 0]

thanks, you folks are going yo be mu lifelline....and inspirations

[Dori50 0]

the grazing is what scares the daylights out of me and the not being able to drink Water with meals. I love water and drinks LOTS with each meal...how will I ever change that habit?

[jen01 0]

I really need some help with the lap band. I had it done on March 12th. I am really struggling that I have done the right thing. Now I have developed a rash all over. I have terrible gas cramps and my body twitches all over. Can anyone help with my problems? Maybe easing my mind.

[amsderb 1]

Yea, ditto to that..I am trying to not drink while eating now but it is so opposite from normal diet behavior...so I am trying but not banded yet...also, since I am supposed to loose before and have doing well with the 6 small meal model...2 being Protein @15 grams and under 10 carbs...I am worried about just 3 meals a day???

Congrats on the 65 pounds...keep it up!

[hopeinapril 1]

Dori50 - not drinking with meals is tough, but you can change that habit. I am being banded in about 10 days and that is one of the things I have been working on for a few weeks. I'd start by cutting down on the amount you drink at meals. Maybe use a smaller glass. Then allow yourself to drink as much as you want about 1/2 hour after you eat. It becomes much easier!!!

Jen01 - come over to the thread under support groups, March 2008. It is a very active thread and many folks there have already been banded and are very supportive! You are doing something for you and your health!!

[proudmaryrn 0]

Hi. I had my band on March 5th. I took Gas-X strips. They told me to start taking them in the recovery room. I did that and I have had no gas pains. I got up and walked around some pretty frequently. The worst pain I had was at the port site (burning,searing pain), but after about 5 days and some good pain meds, it stopped.Try moving around more, drinking fluids and taking some gas meds.If you are constipated (I was), take some Metamucil-type pills. They worked for me. The TED hose drove me crazy! Good luck & this will all work out for you. You are just having a little rough patch! proudmaryRN

[amsderb 1]

Thanks for the tips....I bought my gas x strips the other day...I am ready!!!Good luck..keep us informed on your progress!

Edited March 18, 2008 by amsderb
spelling

[ickapoi 0]

I really need some help with the lap band. I had it done on March 12th. I am really struggling that I have done the right thing. Now I have developed a rash all over. I have terrible gas cramps and my body twitches all over. Can anyone help with my problems? Maybe easing my mind.

I had my band done the same day. I felt the same way. I wondered if I was doing the right thing, too. Anyway, I hope that someone replied to you sooner and that you're doing better. The rash sounds like an allergic reaction. Now that it's 7 days post-op, how are you?

Aside from the pain, my brain was still on overdrive and craving everything. It's not easy to turn those thoughts off. I imagined not being hungry immediately post surgery. It took a couple of days to convince my brain - it was frustrating!

Take care,

Lisa

[amsderb 1]

Jen01...I agree with ickapoi...perhaps you had a reaction to the pain meds or even the anastesia sp?...Did you call your Doc? If you still have the rash please do....

YES you made the right decision...it will just take some time....I'll keep you in my thoughts!

[VegasGrace 1]

Sure, I can help you with that.

I've been there and done that. I can tell you everything you need to know about this...but remember it's coming from my experience. I'll answer your questions if you ever need to know something.

The good is:

The lapband system works. It's a simple system, not rocket science.

The bad: hahaha, are you sure you want to know?

It hurts. yeppers, you have to have it surgically implanted. You have to have your innards tinkered with. A few days and all will be well.

Then you will experience times of absolute hunger...shaking and everything. This is when your body is dying, yes, literally dying. Cells are being broken down. But this is what you want, right? Fat cells to shrink. But the body doesn't like it when you try to kill it, and that's what it thinks you are doing.

Of coures, dieters w/o the band can experience that...so that's nothing new.

Good luck!

[TracyinKS 7]

The good: FREEDOM FROM CONSTANT HUNGER (ie flopping around on the floor like a fish out of Water kind of hunger)

The bad: Mourning the loss of being physically able to sink your teeth into a plate full of ANYTHING (related to my stress eating)

The UGLY: spitting up that plate full of whatever when you've ate it anyway even though your not hungry anymore

The Good: LOSING 81 lbs in the first year... going from a size 24 jean to a comfy size 12 (and even able to button a couple 10's)

The Bad: realizing that icecream goes right through the band and that even though a small satisfies a large will work

The UGLY: forgeting you are banded and taking a big bite of doughy bread and then feeling the flaming golfball from hell feeling of it getting stuck and then waiting for it to dislodge and come back up.. oh and the lovely bodily function of "sliming" to help it all along................

The GOOD: REALIZING that you no longer concern yourself with "getting your moneys worth" at the buffet place... (look around and take note of the skinny people eating.. they are NOT gorging themselves on 5 plates of food)

The bad: Noticing how much your family REALLY eats at the buffet place!

The ugly: The need for a Tummy Tuck after your belly has deflated into a wrinkly mess!

The band is not magic........... you MUST Have a plan..... (even if it is just eat whatever you want just less...plan)

GOOD LUCK!

[juliegeraci 7]

Hi Dori, the only words of wisdom I can offer you is you have to be very patient with the lapband. Sometimes it takes several months to reach optimal fill level for restriction. You also need to make sure you slow down your eating and the bite size. When you are really tight you do PB often too so you have to get use to that. I am probably a bit too tight right now. My doctor says that if you PB more than once every 2 weeks then you are considered tight. Congtats on getting banded soon. Julie