I am stumped!

[rcruz 0]

This is what I can't understand is if AFTER you get the band and your one lucky one that does not need fills and just knowing you have the band makes you eat right and some how find the strength and WILLPOWER to change your eating habits then why go through the surgery, don't get me wrong I praise those of you that can and are able to lose the weight without fills but I guess I am confused as to what does the surgery do to really make you change just knowing you have the band in place???? I know it's a tool and not a miracle, but I find it hard to eat right after being able to eat anyway I wanted for 38 years what makes one WAKE up and eat right after surgery if it can be done on your own?

[HeatherO 7]

I think the answer to this may be the same for other people with addictions to things like narcotics or alcohol. How many times have you heard someone with a drinking problem say, I can't have just one. Is it not the same for us chronic overeaters? For many of us here, or perhaps even most of us here, food is an addiction.

Some people decide on wls when the either have an epiphany or reach rock bottom. If you come to a point in your life where you are going to risk your life by going under the knife to solve an eating issue, this is frequently a catalyst for change.

For me, banding was my last choice and I never came lightly to this decision. I have been on a dieting, binging, obsessing, emotional roller coaster for too long. It was eating up too much of my life. I am done with that lifestyle, and therefore, I have a band and I control my eating 90% of the time and don't obsess over the 10% where I don't.

Like overcoming any addiction, you have to be ready to commit to a change. The desire to eat unhealthy from time to time will not go away for most of us, but we must take personal responsibility for our choices. Some of us will succeed and some of us will fail, but the important thing is to work hard to overcome those things that have ruled our lives before.

[lessme 0]

I always love to hear from HeatherO, she has such insights. As to your question, my doctor said the placement of the band affects a certain hormone in your stomach (gherlin?) that affect satiation. The signal that tells you have had enough at Thanksgiving dinner and you are satisfied. He said most people without the band have to eat at lot to get that signal and banded people are helped by the high placement of the band. You might want to research this hormone. Stay encouraged!!

[rcruz 0]

I understand and forgive me for repeating it again so why does one need the surgery I guess I ask becasue it's like I have not lost since surgery, my tool to me in NOT working of course you'll say I am in bandster hell until I get more fills but my question is if you can change your life because your tired of being fat already then why go through the surgery the band does help right? I am in bandster hell I guess and gettign depressed thinking I have spent all this money and my tool has not helped me to even help myself at this point.

[egnebs 0]

I guess they had the surgery and then they really got the wakeup call that something needed to be changed drastically

[HeatherO 7]

Now I realize why you are asking this question, because it is the same question I asked myself 1-2 months out where I was starving. (It was also the same question I asked myself dozen's of times over the years before banding when I kept deciding to give it one more shot the old fashioned way)

You are in bandster hell of course and becoming depressed is natural. We have all been there, or will get there in the future. A lot of us have read something about it before we got there, but you don't realllyyy understand it until you have lived it. It is a miserable time where you doubt yourself, doubt your band, doubt everything.

It is true, your band is not really helping you at this phase. I stalled out on weight loss for several weeks at this point. The only way I could get it going again was to cut out processed carbs. I ate only lean meats and vegetables with limited fruit and was able to start moving downwards on the scale again. I did not lose much from a few weeks out from surgery through my first fill.

My first fill brought me down a few pounds quickly. However, what little restriction I felt was gone within a week. I started stalling again and had to really start exercising regularly to keep a downward movement on the scale. I could keep losing, but I was losing super slooowwww. However, as long as I kept losing even a little, I wasn't so depressed.

Then came fill #2. This was a real kick in the pants for me. I was pb'ing everyday for the first week and a half and had decided on an unfill. Then I realized that the problem was me eating too fast & not chewing enough. I also was not going on liquids for a day after a pb to let my stomach rest. I started eating more like a bandster and found this fill gave me great restriction, and I cancelled my appointment for a slight unfill.

I have not had to get another fill since as of yet and I am still losing steadily around 1.5 pounds a week on average. When I was in bandster hell, every day was a supreme struggle. Now, it has become more easy because my tool is working with me. Once you are at the right fill level, you can find success as well as long as you follow bandster rules and eat healthy foods the majority of the time.

You can also lose weight at this stage as well. Low carb worked well for me. I didn't restrict volume so much, only certain types of foods. Exercise also worked for me.

What kinds of foods are you eating? Are you tracking them by calories and Protein? What are you doing for exercise?

Edited August 20, 2008 by HeatherO