If I knew then What I know Now!!!

[1hotchocolate 0]

Hello You banded folks...I just wanted to ask you guys a question... What would you do differently if you knew what you knew now about the band? It can be anything...ie.. eating, drinking, exercising...ANYTHING...Im being banded next month and would like some imput.... Thank you in advance.:biggrin:

[cgailsmith 0]

Hello You banded folks...I just wanted to ask you guys a question... What would you do differently if you knew what you knew now about the band? It can be anything...ie.. eating, drinking, exercising...ANYTHING...Im being banded next month and would like some imput.... Thank you in advance.:biggrin:

1. Don't worry about losing weight after the first surgery pounds fall off. It usually takes three months and several fills after surgery for the physician to fill the band enough such that it gives you really great restriction. Many people lose 20 lbs right after surgery, and put back on 5 or 10 lbs before the band has been filled enough. Those pounds will definately come off again.

2. Stay away from alcoholic beverages, they are enjoyable and a source of comfort, but it will significantly slow your weight gain.

3. I can no longer enjoy a beer. The carbonation is such that it prevents me from eating anything on my plate.

4. Don't view the lap band as the magic band. You still have to help it work by changing some bad habits. Here are my bad habits: alcoholic beverages, popcorn and eating while watching the television. The lap band does not prohibit my intake of either alcohol or popcorn (for that matter, anything that is crispy and crunchy I can still consume in large quantities). Therefore, I must keep the beverages and popcorn out of my house. The lap band does not prevent me from watching television. in summary, if you had bad behaviors before the lap band, you will have bad behaviors after the lap band.

5. The lap band does work!! Even if you are a horrible cheater like me. While my weight loss is not as fast as I want, I have pretty much done everything to cheat it, but I have still lost weight, and am not gaining it.

Want to know anymore?

[KartMan 58]

I wish I knew (and am still fooled by it) that the scale doesn’t always move the way you think it will. Some days I am flat or even have a slight gain after a day in which I was good with food. I kick myself all day and wonder why I am such a failure. Then other days I might get a double sized drop on the scale for no good reason either. From my experience, (although I am too stupid to realize it daily) the scale goes down steadily. Although I am an admitted scalaholic, the real evidence for me is in my clothes. I have to keep buying new belts and reaching further back in my closet for those old “skinny” clothes.

[vonhelzing 3]

The one thing I wish I knew was to bring anti-gas medicine to the sugery center. I suggest Phazime (sp?) It worked much better that the gas x strips.

I am also a scaleaholic but slow and steady is the way to go. Listen to your clothes not the scale.

[KartMan 58]

It’s also nice to hear it from other people. Everyone around me is commenting on how obvious the weight loss is. My favorite was from my fiancé, she noticed that my rib cage is starting to curve while lying in bed. Before, I was sort of barrel chested or spherical if that makes sense. Now she says that while I am lying on my side she can see a definite arch to my mid section (yes men can be vain about these things too ).

[1hotchocolate 0]

Thank you guys for the imput....Yes I will take heed to all you have said... Thanks alot.

[marie715 0]

I wish I knew then that the lap band can be very unscientific and fickle. Sometimes what goes down easily one day will refuse to go down and stay down the next day. The lap band will keep you on your guard all the time. It never lets up. And it is for that very reason that I love my band! Good luck to you.

[amberd910 0]

-You will have swelling in your stomach after surgery. Even though you will be down some weight I was not able to fit into jeans for about 1 month after surgery because my stomach was swollen.

-You probably will be constipated and very gassy after surgery for a few days. You wont having much intake of water/liquids/etc and your incisions will be sore so it will be hard to push out your gas. Plan on walking to help with this.

[KartMan 58]

Before you go into surgery they give you a Hepron shot in your abdomen and it hurts a little more than you might expect. But worse than it hurting is that it leaves a nasty bruise that doesn’t go away for like two weeks. Heck, this thing looked worse than my scars.

Oh, and they shave your belly while you are on the table, well they do that to us guys anyway not sure about you ladies. I don’t really have much hair on my belly, but they hacked it off anyway. Tummy itched for a few days while it grew back.

[childcareresources 5]

I had my surgery on Monday.They put air around your stomach not in your intestines.Gas-x is for your intestines.It takes at least 7 days for your body to absorb the air you have in your body.Walking and a heating pad on your shoulder really helps.

When your bowels start to work you might need gas-x.You can have alot of gas due to your intestines starting to work again.

[childcareresources 5]

I bought a six inch ace bandage and my husband had an old knee bandage with an ice pack holder in it.They were my best friend ,holding the ice bag and keeping my fat from jiggling as I walked after surgery.I think it should be a given for all patients.My surgeon didn't offer me anything but, the standard paper ice bag.

[zuly98 0]

My doctor gave me a support belt for my stomach after surgery. have to wear it for 2 weeks. it helps a lot. and the gas x helped me along with walking. I didn't have any bruising thank goodness.

[Delivered 0]

I wish I had done the pre-op diet....most people lose a significant amount of weight during that time.

I wish I had waited to have my surgery in January and not right before Thanksgiving and Christmas on Nov. 20th. I think I would have been more focused on exercise.

Although my weight loss has been slower than I thought it would have been, I have NO regrets.

Someone earlier said it best...and I agree....I have cheated my band and still I have lost weight.

What would have happened had I followed all the rules?

[hsj 0]

WOW! That is a heavy question..... My advise would be, get out and get your groceries that are recommended. Try preop the different Protein Shakes. They will soon be your best friend (even though you may grow to dislike that friend). Find some real good Soups for your liquid phase. Know that you may almost "mourn" the loss of what some of us would call the "real Foods" while you are in the midst of the clear and full liquid stages. You will never be so happen to egg slald when you graduate to soft foods. My Surgeon when I was one week post op asked me if I had the "Melt down yet". I knew exactly what he was talking about as I had that meltdown the day prior to that appt. THe "wht is the hell did I do" realization that you made it through the surgery. He was surprised it took me a week to have it??! Even with the best of preparation and counseling and teaching and time, know that you still may have ups and downs. Emotional and in lbs. BUt realize whata great trade off this will be. It will pull you through those tough times. And know that this site is hear to help you.... Good Luck. And when is your surgery date? Heather

[COSkinnyGirl 0]

I agree with cgail in that it is not a magic bullet. It's funny because I heard that statement a million times before I had surgery and I said it outloud so many times, both to myself and to the handlful of people I told I was having the surgery. That being said, I still thought it was. Now don't misunderstand me... I am so glad I did it and I would do again in a NY minute, but I didn't follow the rules in the beginning. As a matter of fact, it's just over a year since my surgery and I am only now starting to follow the rules. But I also still lost weight. Maybe not as quickly as I would have had I followed the rules from day 1. However, I guess I really had to find it out for myself. A year later, my mind is finally starting to catch up with my stomach. The surgery doesn't change that part. Just because you can no longer physically eat a whole pizza doesn't mean you still don't want to and might even try to... Anyway, I am down almost 60lbs and thrilled so again, it's totally worth it in the end. Just be preparted for the fact that your mind likely won't change right away and it's hard to get used to that.

In addition, I also had to filled multiple times before I had great restriction. I am 6ccs (10cc band) now and have been for a bit. I am not ready to be filled again. I think this might be my sweet spot. It's coming off slow, but it's coming off...