i am a binge eater,is the lapband right for me?

[briannalm 0]

i will try my best to describe my situation,i have struggled with binging and hoarding food all my life(i will be 25 next month)I recently went to a therapist to get help as i thought i just had an emotional attachment and problem with eating,but she diagnosed me with acctually having a compulsive overeating dissorder,and by the informative comment by my doctor i have been looking into the possibility of getting the lapband done,i am currently at 234 lbs and i am 5 foot 6 inchs,has anybody else who recieved the lapband proceedure started out with a binge eating disorder,has it helped you,and what if anything could you reccommend?:wink:

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Hopefully someone with a similar condition will answer your post; I don't have your issues (Lord knows I've got them, LOL, just not yours! :wink:

but I wanted to say you can still "binge" even with good restriction, if you choose to binge on foods like "slider" foods that go through the pouch easily. You won't be binging on steak. pizza, or chicken breast, but you could binge on candy, shakes, chips, Cookies and so on. So essentially NO the band won't physically stop a binge if you are determined to overeat.

That doesn't mean, though, that you'd necessarily be unsuccessful...with a therapist etc it might work for you. Have you asked a good reliable bariatric surgeon for input? S/he should also be able to guide you; possibly a different bariatric surgery (or the band, or none!) is right for you.

Whatever...good luck. I think you are smart and courageous to try to get your disorder under control and I wish you all the best!

[micsan92 0]

Hello, fellow binge eater. So you want to know if you'd be able to still binge eat. The answer is yes!! I hate to admit it. I had the lap-band surgery Dec 2009. I've lost 62 lbs. I was doing really great until i had some issue in my life like my job getting bought out by another company and hating it... having to moving...having to give up my cat.... so on and so forth which brings me back to being a binge eater. I just got done eating a whole thing of Haagen-Dazs icecream and 3 pieces of pizza. I recommend lots of counsling. I actually have an appointment tomorrow..... But please don't not have the surgery..... like i said i lost 60 plus lbs i just fell off the wagon. You know that it's all in your head if you truley are a binge eater. We need to find the core issue to completely stop. I hope i figure it out and i also hope you do to. if you ever need to chat please feel free. Take care

[KarissaLynn 0]

I am also a binge eater and am looking into the lap band. I'm already in counselling, but that isn't doing much good on its own. I am really hoping that I will be able to have the surgery (and soon!). Let me know how yours works out and good luck

[soocalchic 1,087]

I am too a binge eater.. wow I have never told anyone before. feels kind of weird admitting to it. I am also in the process of being banded not sure if I am going to go through with it though. I am going through the approval motions so I'm still interested.. I guess..

[briannalm 0]

yes i am also in councinling right now,i just went to a therapist for the first time 3 weeks ago and this past week,what i thought my problems with food all my life were from habits instilled in me from childhood is actually a medical eating disorder,it has shaken my world this week,i am in the thought now that the lapband may be my best way,as i will be forced in the beginnig to find ways other than food to ease my emotional spikes that i fill with food in other ways ,and hopefully,forcefully those methods will stick,i am afraid at this point i am just under weight for qualifications which is sadening me and making me think about ALOT of things right now,one of the necessary steps is a sleep study,which i requested even before my dr reccommended the lap band as i have sleep problems my whole life,i am anxious to see those results and go from there

[Nanna509 1]

I too am a binge eater. Especially when I'm stressed, which with my job is quite often. I went to counseling about 5 years ago and it seemed to be helping but then my ins. would no longer pay and I didn't have $75 a week to go to a shrink. So, 30 lbs later....I've tried reading "self help" books about this but they always say "find something else to occupy your mind". Well if I could do that I would have stopped this a long time ago. I go for my consultation Monday. The binge eating is what worries me the most. I'm terrified of going through this and gaining the weight back. Especially since I will be self pay!

I think I've worked through a lot of the "core issue" now it's just a matter of breaking the habit of depending on food. It's good to know I'm not the only one with this issue. There's no one in my family or friends that would understand what a struggle this is! Sorry for the long post.

[L12 13]

I've never been officially diagnosed as a binger, but I'm pretty sure that's what I was/am. I still occasionally fantasize about HUGE plates of food, big mouthfuls, loaded buffets, and snatching food to keep for later; the emotional drive to do that is still there for me after banding.

However, I really only got good restriction recently, and am pretty tight; I have experienced that even a bite or two of extra food is excruciating (even with soft foods), so I think binging might kill me right now! I went on a cruise last week, and my fantasies kicked in gazing at so many people loading their plates and stuffing their faces, but the fear of the gawdawful pain prevented me from overeating. I'm not sure if it works this way for everyone, but it has been GREAT for me.

BTW, I thought I would add: I haven't been an angel about my diet, and have found that I can eat a small amount of chips, some ice cream (maybe a cup after dinner?), some cheesecake (half a piece after a small dinner) and similar soft foods (I DID go on a cruise, after all!). But not huge amounts, nothing compared to what I could pack away before. Definitely no bread or pizza right now. Everyone is different, but for me right now, there is NO WAY I could remotely binge without being in very severe pain.

Edited June 21, 2009 by L12

[TopTier 0]

Wow, ladies, my heart goes out to you.

I'm wondering if you do the binge eating, do you also engage in the throwing it back up?

I only ask because it seems to me that part would be the more dangerous part for you if you are considering the lap band.

[Iris_L 0]

Wow, ladies, my heart goes out to you.

I'm wondering if you do the binge eating, do you also engage in the throwing it back up?

I only ask because it seems to me that part would be the more dangerous part for you if you are considering the lap band.

ughhhh...Ladies seek the counsel of your surgeon, bariatric nurse, dietician and psychologist (if applicable)

Their experience and advice hopefully will help you. Bingeing is an illness for many on top of obesity and therefore your situation should not be taken lightly. Good luck

[briannalm 0]

i do not purge at all,i hoard food and eat in secrecy,large amounts of foods,mostly deserts,but no,no throwing up!

[Iris_L 0]

i do not purge at all,i hoard food and eat in secrecy,large amounts of foods,mostly deserts,but no,no throwing up!

I read an earlier post above and I think you hit the nail on the head when you went to the psychologist and tapped into the real issue at hand. Just as the lapband is a tool to weight loss, our eating habits must change. I truly hope your psych an nutritionist can assist you. I also know it is a one day at a time process so do your best and stay connected to those who can help...Good Luck and best wishes.

[akida 0]

I just love the taste of food... and I eat for all the wrong reasons... But, I am getting to the point that I am feeling my knees and just don't want to even face myself in a full length mirror, so the taste of things is less important these days...

I can very much relate to the binge eating. I have done it all of my life. I am going to try the band and hope that I will use this as an opportunity to have a normal relationship with food.< /p>

[karook54 0]

I've never been officially diagnosed as a binger, but I'm pretty sure that's what I was/am. I still occasionally fantasize about HUGE plates of food, big mouthfuls, loaded buffets, and snatching food to keep for later; the emotional drive to do that is still there for me after banding.:w00t:

However, I really only got good restriction recently, and am pretty tight; I have experienced that even a bite or two of extra food is excruciating (even with soft foods), so I think binging might kill me right now! I went on a cruise last week, and my fantasies kicked in gazing at so many people loading their plates and stuffing their faces, but the fear of the gawdawful pain prevented me from overeating. I'm not sure if it works this way for everyone, but it has been GREAT for me.:biggrin:

BTW, I thought I would add: I haven't been an angel about my diet, and have found that I can eat a small amount of chips, some ice cream (maybe a cup after dinner?), some cheesecake (half a piece after a small dinner) and similar soft foods (I DID go on a cruise, after all!). But not huge amounts, nothing compared to what I could pack away before. Definitely no bread or pizza right now. Everyone is different, but for me right now, there is NO WAY I could remotely binge without being in very severe pain.

I could not agree with you more. I used to eat and eat and eat before my band therefore packing on the pounds but since having the band and experiencing the pain that comes from one too many bites, it completely changes your outlook on overeating. In my case it is impossible. I can eat around half to 3/4ths of a cup and I feel so full but if I try to force in one more bite, OMG!! the pain. It makes me alot more alert of my eating habits including what I put in my mouth as well as how much. Each person is different but I truly love my band because it keeps me in check with everything I put in my mouth and the fear of the pain,pbing,etc. helps me make good choices.

[KarissaLynn 0]

That is exactly what I'm hoping for...I know that I binge eat for many reasons and that I haven't been able to stop myself for long. But this way, I'm hoping to be physically stopped from binging since emotionally, I can't stop :blushing: