Lap-Band, the easy way out.

[ninner 0]

I know everyone says Lap-Band is not the easy way out. My opinion may change seeing that I'm only a month out but right now, this is easy. I work out a lot like I did before the band "a little harder since I see results". The main reason I say it's easy, I eat until I'm full and then I stop, that simple. I don't remember ever being full before the band, I'd eat so much I wanted to hurl but I did not feel full like I do now. Heck it may all be in my head but if it is I'll take it. Hopefully I won’t look back at this post in a month and wonder what the he!! was I thinking.

Ninner,

Edited January 5, 2009 by ninner
I can't spell.

[rodriguezequal 3]

I've been banded for like 4 months or something and I don't think for one second that this was the easy way out. If it was the easy way out I could eat whatever I wanted and do nothing and the weight would melt off and never come back...I don't think it's the easy way out, but everyone is different...Good luck and way to go!!!

[heartfire 4]

Congrats on being banded!

I'm so glad everything is going so well for you! That's fantastic!

In some ways I would have to agree with you, in others, not so much! LOL!!

When I have good restriction, I don't think about food as much and unless something just sounds really good, could care little about what I eat. But when I lose restriction, as I am now, it gets harder. I start thinking more about food, eating when I shouldn't and eating more junk.

I've never been a good loser so even with the band it's coming off slowly and that's sometimes hard. But it IS coming off!!

I'm completely amazed, even with little to no restriction right now, at how little I'm actually eating!!

Anyway, I could go on.

I really do hope that you DON'T look back at your post and wonder what you were thinking. Though you may have "those" days, I'm hoping they're few and far between!!!

Best wishes!!

[rcruz 0]

Why is it easier for the MAN??? LOL!!!!

Congrats and good luck!!!

[Jodi_620 37]

I guess in a way it is easier but it is not always easy. It certainly is easier than doing it without the band. But for those of us with food addictions, we still have to struggle with head hunger emotional eating and keeping ourselves from grazing in-between meals or eating slider foods.

[BandedCG 0]

I guess in a way it is easier but it is not always easy. It certainly is easier than doing it without the band. But for those of us with food addictions, we still have to struggle with head hunger emotional eating and keeping ourselves from grazing in-between meals or eating slider foods.

I think Jodi hit the nail on the head! I totally agree with that statement.

[neverB4 2]

"EASY?" Yes, it was for the first 80lbs. I mean, for me it was easy to eat only 1/2cup each meal...but now? NOT!!! Gained 6lbs last 2wks due to "easy" unwise choices. Now, will it be EASY for me to get back on track for these last 35 lbs? Only God can allow me to!

[georgebals 0]

Without the band, only 5% of the morbidly obese are successful on a weight loss diet. The liquid phase, after my band was installed, was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. My spine fusion surgery 3/17/06 & learning to walk again, now that was easy. I have not lived a sheltered life. The easy way out is funny. The best day of my life was losing my morbid obese handle. It was easy carrying around an extra 140 pounds every second, minute, hour, day, week, month , year & decade. I took the easy way out 1/15/08. Lost #140, no fills yet. Easy Realize,:wink_smile::thumbup::thumbup: Hasta Pronto, George

[Jachut 487]

I found it pretty darn easy for the first year, I must say. The weight literally fell off. Yes, i worked it. I took up running, I ate healthy, but it wasnt hard.

It still isnt really, but it takes more work than it did. My appetite returned towards the end of the second year, I have way more head hunger, I have to work not to eat between meals, a lot of the old urges and habits are back with me. I can control them now though, not so much because of the band but because when you actually GET results, you're motivated to continue a behaviour, however hard.

I've passed the point of exercising for weight loss (which is a tenuous thing you have to really try to continue) to becoming a "runner". I have no fear whatsoever that I will fall off that wagon, stop exercising, stop running. It is simply part of me, its what I do. So in that respect, its "easy". But boy did I work hard to get to this point.

It takes work, but that's the point of the band, to make what is hard a kind of hard the average person can DO.

In a way, it is the "easy way out". There's no denying that to lose 100lb and keep it off without a band would be quite a bit harder. But its SENSIBLE to take the path or least resistance. The only reason I take offense when people suggest it was the easy way out is becuase they're intimating they're somehow morally superior for not stooping that low. Whereas I think I've got more brains in my little finger than some fool who thinks THIS time will be different to the other gazillion times she's dieted.

Its not the easy way out - for many people, not all, but many, its the LOGICAL way out.

[ninner 0]

I went through 20 years of starving to lose 40 lbs only to gain back 60, god knows how many times. I'm not one who craves large amounts of junk food and it's now impossible for me to sit down and eat a side of ribs or 2 dozen tamales. By the way I had a major "for me anyway" NSV, well it did involve a scale so anyway? We had our annual YMCA meltdown weigh in today I GOT TO WEIGH IN ON THE REGULAR SCALE WITH EVERYONE ELSE!!! Now I'm psyched. For the last 5 years I've had to use the packing scale in the warehouse with the other fat people. Down side is I'm entering a weight loss competition having just lost 43 lbs in 5 weeks but what the heck it's better than the alternative.

Edited January 5, 2009 by ninner

[ninner 0]

Why is it easier for the MAN??? LOL!!!!

Congrats and good luck!!!

Because at my current workout regiment the trainer says I should eat 3500 calories a day to lose 1 lb a week. I'm stuffed at 1500. I will enjoy while it lasts. I started couch to 5k last week and its awesome. I guess one good thing about being fat and lazy in high school, I did'nt wreck my knees playing football like most of my friends.

[HeatherO 7]

It is not easy in that you still must make conscious choices about eating healthy and exercise is a necessity.

It is definitely easier in that I am no longer a slave to the demons of hunger.

I would have to say it is both. Jody_620 said it so well :0)

[lucyavery 0]

Congrats on being banded!

I'm so glad everything is going so well for you! That's fantastic!

In some ways I would have to agree with you, in others, not so much! LOL!!

When I have good restriction, I don't think about food as much and unless something just sounds really good, could care little about what I eat. But when I lose restriction, as I am now, it gets harder. I start thinking more about food, eating when I shouldn't and eating more junk.

I've never been a good loser so even with the band it's coming off slowly and that's sometimes hard. But it IS coming off!!

I'm completely amazed, even with little to no restriction right now, at how little I'm actually eating!!

Anyway, I could go on.

I really do hope that you DON'T look back at your post and wonder what you were thinking. Though you may have "those" days, I'm hoping they're few and far between!!!

Best wishes!!

Coming off slow! Girl you are rocking! Keep up the good work.

[aubrie 6]

Sounds like you worked out before being banded. You had a semi healthy lifestyle to begin with. You just ate to much. For many bandsters, they are exercising for the first time in their lives. It's hard to get into that mindset if you've never done it before. Others have issues with head hunger, emotional issues, determining portions, craving carbs, living with getting stuck and PBing. You're lucky it's been easy for you. I haven't had a real hard time either, but I do have bad days. Everyone is different and deals with it in their own unique way. That's why we need to support all those that are having difficulties. It sure helps to have a sympathetic ear.

[bethm 0]

It's not the easy way out for me. I lost 31 pounds from Dec 1 to Dec 22nd (preop to mushy phase) then stopped. I walk. I don't drink with food. I was eating 500-700 calories a day.

I'm always hungry. I have no restriction. I moved my calories up to about 900-1000 a day now. I am a newbie but I'm following the food choices my nutrionist recommended (bland and unexciting for sure). It's by willpower alone. I'm proud of myself for what I'm doing but I did expect the band to be a more useful tool. Right now it's not doing anything. (I hope/expect it to change with fills!)

So my opinion is this is definitely not the easy way out.