Does it work

[chuckvan 0]

I am going to have the surgery in November. I am struggling whether to have Lap Band or gastro bypass.

I would love to here about some results for others on here about their lap band:smile:

[lellow 1,713]

I had lapband surgery and it's definitely worked for me. I'm not saying that bypass or sleeving doesn't work, but I didn't have those surgeries so can only comment on the surgery I have had.

I went from 215lbs to 154lbs in just over 7 months with regular exercise (40mins stationary cycling on a spin bike 3 times a week) and eating well (in that I cut out stuff like sugar, chocolates, cola etc, but still ate a balance of Protein, carbs and veg).

When I got to goal, I had a lower body lift to remove my loose skin, and lost about 7lbs as a result.

Since then, I have continued to slowly lose weight despite not exercising much anymore and eating 'normally' (meaning if I feel like chocolate, I eat it). My band still restricts how much food I eat, I'm very rarely hungry, and I get full fast. And at the moment, it's the band alone that is still seeing me lose weight, albeit very very slowly now. I'm now down to 135lbs.

I don't need or want to lose anymore, so have been trying to eat more and that's a nice change from the last 20 years of my life!

So yes the band works. I lost over 100% of my excess weight with exercise and good food habits (and that was the hardest part), but keeping it off is proving easy so far.

[arichardson 0]

Hi,

I went to a discussion group and I was a little confused. The doctor told us that you reach "satiety" when the food gets down into your intestines. He also told us that with the lap band, your food sits in the pouch for a few hours while it gets soft. From this I concluded that it would be as miserable as being on a diet is now, only with no possibility of cheating!

When your pouch is full, do you feel satisfied?

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Yes. When the pouch is full, you feel satisfied. Please understand that the physiology of gastric bypass and lap band are different so what applies to one doesn't apply to the other. The band is placed around the top of the stomach. The little pouch gets full, the stomach things OK I'M FULL because it's filled "to the top". (but it really isn't....just the pouch is). Then the food trickles on through and you stay full for a long time. Digestion doesn't really occur (or is severely limited) until the food moves through the stoma (hole created by the band) into the lower part of your stomach. For example i can eat a few ounces of a well done rib eye steak and literally be "full" for 6 hours. Although "full" is a misnomer...it's more hungry/not hungry.

And yes you can cheat with the band AND with gastric bypass. Both take a committment, both take work, both are just tools.

[GVD 0]

I had my band surgery on 6/25/09, one month ago, Today is the day I can start on a regular diet, Yeh, when it comes to comparing lap band and gastro bypass I remember my doctor telling me that the lap band is the safer surgery of the two and if you compare going back and getting the fill which you are suppose to be able to do 6 to 7 times a year and which makes the band tighter, it seems as though that would be better because with gastro bypass if your stomach spreads you will be able to get more food in and you are subject to gain weight again, it is a mind over matter kind of thing with both types of surgeries I think, you have to change your way of eating and exercising with both to make either work for you. So far I have lost 20 pounds in one month time wiht the lap band.

[arichardson 0]

Thanks for your answers. I was pretty sure this was the case. My biggest problem is that I eat way too much food at one time because I don't feel satisfied. I also eat too fast. Now my next step is qualifying for insurance. My BMI is just over 135 and I have depression, asthma and high cholesterol. I hope that is going to be enough. Does anyone have sleep apnea? Did you know you had it before you were tested? Are there any symptoms?

Anne

[RestlessMonkey 7]

My BMI is just over 135 and I have depression, asthma and high cholesterol. I

Anne

Would you confirm...a BMI over 135? Not to be judgmental but I was 405 and mine was in the 60's...I'm sure your's isn't 135.

[Headhunter 6]

And yes you can cheat with the band AND with gastric bypass. Both take a committment, both take work, both are just tools.

....and Restless is correct on this issue, too. You can screw up ANY Weight Loss Surgery if you try.

And as far as the original question (Does it Work), I would say NO..."IT" doesn't work. ....YOU work. "IT" allows YOU to makes the choices that will create a state of success or failure. The choices are in YOUR hands, but these tools that we have give us a power that we previously did not possess, or at least not ENOUGH of the power. It's just an "edge", really, but hopefully enough of an edge to bring us to where we want to be.

You really have to look no further than the message above this to know whether it will work. Look at the ticker on Restless' signature. She is ZOOMING downward. It's not been easy for her; it took her a bit of time to find her "sweet spot", but she DID; and now she's making the RIGHT choices using the power of the Band, combined with her own resolve, and it's WORKING.

And it can work for YOU, too. As long as you do YOUR part.

Work the Band, and the Band will work for you. :biggrin:

HH

[greytz 4]

I am only in the beginning of my journey but hypothyroidism and 2 years of oral steriods for a skin condition made it impossible for me to lose weight. I was climbing up the scale and quickly. Since banded on 06-17-09, I have lost 22 lbs. and cannot believe it. I am no longer on oral steroids, thank goodness, but still have hypothyroid and I am doing well for me. I have begun solids and am actually losing more weight than I did on mushies. I am really sticking to the program and working hard though. But oh what a feeling to see the scales move down!

[Headhunter 6]

I am only in the beginning of my journey but hypothyroidism and 2 years of oral steriods for a skin condition made it impossible for me to lose weight. I was climbing up the scale and quickly. Since banded on 06-17-09, I have lost 22 lbs. and cannot believe it. I am no longer on oral steroids, thank goodness, but still have hypothyroid and I am doing well for me. I have begun solids and am actually losing more weight than I did on mushies. I am really sticking to the program and working hard though. But oh what a feeling to see the scales move down!

and good for you, greytz! that's awesome....it's a wonderful feeling! And it's also great that you recognize that there IS work involved. Many people don't; they think the band is going to do all the work. And those people usually fail.

HH

[greytz 4]

Thanks HH. I have read many of your posts and appreciate the fact that you give encouragement to others even though the band did not work for you. Glad you are at your goal and are helping others.