Why Does It Not Work

[jetsy62 0]

I am being banded on 9/23. I have so many people telling me not to do it that it just won't work. I know it does not work for some people but there must be reasons why. Does anyone out there know what causes failure? There are so many success stories on here and I want to do everything in my power to make sure I am a success story. I think I also might be worrying because when it comes to health issues, I always seem to be on the losing side of things. I had a heart condition and when they tested me for it they said only 2% of the people that get tested have it. I was in the 2%. I got pregnant with my daughter using birth control. I guess I was that 1% or 2% also. She was a twin, I lost one but thank God carried her. So now with all this negativity around me, I am thinking maybe this will be another thinkg that will go wrong. So ... tell me the top things to do to make sure this works. Thanks to you all in advance.

[rodriguezequal 3]

I guess some people going into this thinking that it's going to be all the band...that it will do all the work. The band is just a tool to help you lose and maintain weight. If they don't go in for fills when they need them then they may not be getting enough restriction or they maybe be breaking the rulse, like drinking while or right after they eat, taking in too many liquid calories, or just not changing their eating habits or not excersising...It's different for everyone...if you want this and you've researched it and find that it will be right for you than go for it...

[newimage 2]

Don't let all the past experiences dampen the dicision to have the band. I agree with rodriguezequal in that you need to do your research and understand that the band is just a "tool".

You will need to do your part. If you want it to work for you, then you have to work at it. Only you can make the decision to have the band or not. Good Luck!

[Hollie519 1]

Oh sweetie, I feel your pain. I had a few people tell me not to have the surgery as well. My family was supportive but many of my friends were not. A lot of my friends didn't want me to have the surgery for fear of complications. I don't believe lap band was big enough a year ago for many people to disagree with the process itself. Lap Band is a tool. It's not a miracle. If you can put in the work, it'll do the rest. You sound pretty determined for this to work out for you.

You need to stop focusing on the negative and look toward the positive. It's very sad you lost a child but you did get one right. I mean that has to be positive. Twins are expensive! Being a more positive person is something I am trying to hard to work on. Negative is always something that people focus on. I have found that although i am thin, I did not consider myself happy. I kept belittling my weightloss and saying but look what I still have to lose. Honestly, its just a more stressful and depressing way to live. i'm reading this book called A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and it has helped me a lot and I just finished the 4th chapter.

If you have the will, than having this surgery could be the positive change that you need to help make yourself a more positive person all around.

Good luck! Let me know what you decide.

[kaytiebugs 0]

Try not to listen to people saying "I know someone who had that... they're just as big as they have ever been". What those people may not know is that a) that person was banded years and years ago with a bad band; :crying: that person may have let there pouch get bigger; c) they might graze all day.....

There are a zillion reasons why bands 'don't work'.... 99% of them have nothing to do with the band and everything to do with the person who has it.

[fujika 0]

:thumbup:It's working for me and my mom! We've changed our eating habits, following the bandster rules (for the most part). I don't eat sugar free things, (splenda gives me a ragin' headache!!). So I eat regular stuff, just not a lot of it! I make sure I'm getting enough Protein in, sometimes I have to add unflavored Protein Powder to things, just to get enough. I take my multi Vitamin and try and drink enough Water. And of course, CHEW, CHEW, CHEW AND CHEW SOME MORE!! I've also started exercising, not a lot, just enough. Everything falls into place if I keep moving forward, it doesn't happen by itself.

Just a side note, my daughter is also a twin, her twin died at about 12 weeks gestation. She's 8 now, healthy and beautiful!

It will work, if you do:)

[jetsy62 0]

Oh, I am having the surgery! That is not in question. I have researched this for two years debating between bypass, band or nothing so I am not going into this lightly. I just want ... heck I don't know what I want. I have a relative that had this done about 1.5 years ago and she is bigger now than she was before. Of course, she swears she did everything the doctor said. Well, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck. I know she is lying, mostly to herself if she believes that. I guess I want to know what pitfalls to watch for. I actually have a list I read every morning. So far I have follow the doctors pre-op diet to shrink the liver, the fills vary for everyone so be patient til he finds my correct fill amount, chewing my food is critical when I get to that point, no drinking 1/2 hour before or after meals, no straws. I just was looking for pointers, pitfalls, highlights, whatever you want to call them. Anyone want to add to my list?

[Gone4Now 4]

So ... tell me the top things to do to make sure this works. Thanks to you all in advance.

Congrats on getting banded! For me it's been life changing and I love my band.

#10 - Make sure your doctor is a good surgeon AND has a good bedside manner. Ask yourself if you're comfy calling him/his nurse once a month or more. I am on a first name basis w/my nurse because I need a lot of hand holding. Will you be embarassed if you gain and need a fill? A lot of people gain because they need a fill but don't want to go to the doctor. GO. Be friends...be pals. The relationship w/the doctor doesn't stop right after surgery. A lot of people get banded far away and don't get that chance to be friendly w/the surgical staff. If that's the case, then find a good fill center close to you, or make plans to get to one often enough to keep up with fills (if you need them.)

#9 - Read everything the doctor gives you. Listen to what he says, and ask any questions you may have, even if they sound dumb to you. If you've followed number 10, it won't matter. :crying:

#8 - Don’t eat pizza after surgery. Realize that the steps you take right after surgery are to help you heal from surgery. Even though you will be hungry and you will be able to eat a lot. Drink the fluids, and follow your doc’s/nutritionist’s pre-op instructions to the letter.

#7 – Don’t be too loose that you can eat a lot.

#6 – Don’t be too tight that you’re sliming up your own spit.

#5 - If you’re throwing up, you’re eating too much.

#4 - Eat your Protein first, and stop when you’re full, even if you haven’t finished that 4th ounce.

#3 – Once you get “comfy” with the band, DON’T EAT SLIDER FOODS. That’s been my mistake and I’ve been bouncing for 3 months. (Slider foods are the soft things like ice cream and Cookies. They will go down easy. You still have to eat healthy.)

#2 – Eat less (with the help of the band) and exercise more.

#1 –Make sure you are mentally prepared to eat like a normal person. food is not for comfort – it is for sustenance.

J It really is that simple, but it’s taken me forever to get to #1…and I keep shying away from it, then coming back to it! It will happen, and you’ll get there.

Good luck! J

Oh, and the mostest #1 rule is stick with lapbandtalk.com – It’s been a saving grace for me, since I’m the only one in my circle who’s been banded.

[HeatherO 7]

There are successes and failures with everything, however the successes seem to outweigh the failures.

I do see some common themes with people who are not finding success as follows:

* Failure to think of the band as a tool that must be worked with eating healthy, appropriate bandster foods coupled with moderate exercise. The band helps to prevent overeating and helps keep hunger levels in check, the rest is up to you. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. This needs to be understood and accepted before banding.

* Failure to deal with emotional eating issues that caused overeating to begin with. We all have reasons why we ended up obese, these reasons don't dissapear with banding, sometimes they come to light more visably then ever before because the food crutch is taken away.

* People that have a tendency to graze throughout the day rather than overeating during meal times have more difficulty with this option.

* Sometimes people start "cheating" by not following their post-banding diets and doctors orders from the beginning. If you can not follow through in the very beginning stages, you can set yourself up for failure later or damage the band. Banding should be taken seriously from day one.

* Ice cream . . . chips . . . slider foods, etc. will go right through the band. If you can not change your diet to focus on healthy Proteins and veggies and find that these other items are a staple of your diet, you will not be successful. These things should be avoided because sometimes eating is difficult post banding, but not with these items. It is too easy to sabotage yourself with these items, so you must go in with both eyes wide open to the risks.

These are all difficult things to deal with, but definitely can be overcome with understanding and personal work taken to overcome them.

[Jachut 487]

Most of the time, when the band doesnt work, its user error.

There's lots of people who plainly expect the band to do it all and dont make changes to their diet or their exercise. They work out how to get the calories in around the band. There are some people who naturally get better restriction easier with the band, but there are plenty that could work the band better to make the most of the way it works for them. And the band doesnt make anyone exercise, plenty of people dont do that.

There's also people who are working hard but not losing, or really believe the band isnt working. Again, a lot of those people could sort out their issues, they have a bad fill for example, too much, then too little, have a lot of trouble getting it right and give up in disgust. I think doctors should take a little blame there too. But I can think of quite a few here over the years that have been through that, thrown their hands up in disgust and simply given up, when it CAN be worked out eventually.

Then there's probably the miniscule percentage for whom it just truly wont work because their problems lie elsewhere.

You have a choice in how you manage your band!

[firefish 0]

I am so glad someone asked this question! To be honest I didn't hear of even one bad experience w/ the band until I came to this site! I have no doubt the band works...As I struggled through liquids and mushies I just looked at my Mom and sister. My sister (4th year w/ band -175lbs) and my mother (2nd year -80lbs) both successful and I am now starting my FINAL path to success. From my first consultation I had already done my research and made my decision before even going in for my appt. I immediately bonded with my Surgeon and his staff, most of them have been banded as well! I totally agree you need to find a surgeon/staff that you connect with. I have lost 80lbs twice (prior to the band) in the last five years and gained it all back both times. The band is just a tool to help me succeed and maintain without the hunger! And you will succeed if you are determined...I know that I will succeed because I truly believe I will. I didn't pay all this money and go through surgery to fail myself! This site was hard for me at first, I signed up 2 weeks post op. I read some horror stories of people losing hair/teeth, having band slippage, no restriction, not losing or even gaining etc.. etc.. And I thought oh my god what did I do to myself! But I quickly realized these are people (though I empathize and wish them well on this journey) who are not taking responsibility for themselves. If you don't like your surgeon find a new one, hair/teeth issues take a Vitamin and eat better! The only advice I would have is to truly believe this is going to work for you and take care of yourself and LISTEN to your body. I have never been so in tune with what my body needs and when in my entire life! Good Luck on your journey!

[mnn2501 0]

My wife has lost 60# and I have lost 50# since being banded in late March and early April (10 days apart).

Having said that, the band is only a tool.

The band is not magic, it will make you cut down on the amount you eat, but we can choose to eat healthy or eat candy bars and chips. We can choose to workout or not.

Again the band is a tool, nothing more.

[mimi 22 0]

I like you, hem and hawed for a long time before I made the decision to get banded. I was banded 8/27/08 and home the next day. Yes, you will only get a tiny bit of broth and juice in the hospital, but after having it, I wasn't hungry. I now am beginning the "mushy" phase and have not been hungry yet. I am sooo... glad I had the procedure, I'm feeling great, and have a happier outlook on my life. If you are undecided, then don't do it. You will know when the time is right and I think you will be happier for it. God Bless You----

[IndioGirl55 32]

It's not the band that doesn't work - it's some people don't do the work that goes along with being banded..

The band is only a little piece of plastic - it doesn't make your food choices - it doesn't exercise.

You have to go into this knowing that this is truly a lifetime lifestyle change in your eating habits and your physical activity level.

[NanaRenan 0]

Lots of good advice here. That's my advice -- keep coming back here and taking the positive and leaving the negative.

I can't agree more that part about the band being a tool. I tell non-banders "It won't keep me from falling off the wagon, it just keeps the wagon from going off and leaving me in the dust."

Our own human nature will lead us to 'cheat' from time to time. Anyone who says they NEVER cheat is a liar or in need of psychiatric meds.

And sometimes, it's not us so much as life happening to us. Vacations, weddings, holidays, etc.....the opportunity to overdo it abounds. Most people, on a diet, can't take getting derailed very often before they give up, blow off the diet and regain all they lost and a little extra. That's exactly how most of us got to BE 75, 100, 150 lbs overweight.

Okay -- a year out with my band. Sure I have the occasional candy bar or ice cream cone. And I know it's not GOOD for me. BUT, I also know that I'm not going to follow it up with a burger and fries for lunch, Enchilada platter with Beans and rice for dinner and a full on Farmer's Breakfast tomorrow morning. With the band, I will always get back on track and quickly.