So here's the million dollar question

[ElfiePoo 109]

(after reading the 'pissed' thread and a quite a few other threads)...

If I'm still going to have to diet...and still going to be hungry while doing so...what is the point of getting the lap band??

I *assumed* based on the research I've done for the past several years that the lap band would create a smaller 'stomach' allowing me to eat less and have a feeling of fullness and without the hunger that I get now when I eat less.

Did I get it wrong?

.

[Humming Bird 275]

The band is working for me exactly the way you assume.

I eat much less and I feel full and the weight is coming off. After "Banster Hell", it has been pretty good.

[jillsart 0]

I feel like the 50 times I started WW and the 1,000,000 other diets that I have tried and failed at were training for my lapband. I know how to eat right and what to do to lose weight, I just needed that final tool...the one that would put me over the edge. I still have to eat right and exercise, but now it isn't taking every ounce of my willpower to get through another day. I just eat what I should eat and that's good until my next meal. I truly feel like my lapband has not only made me lose more weight than in the previous 35 years I have been on a diet, but I am beginning to think I am a better person in general. Needless to say, after I reached reasonable restriction with my lapband, I love it unconditionally.

[LisaMc 1]

I feel like the 50 times I started WW and the 1,000,000 other diets that I have tried and failed at were training for my LAP-BAND®. I know how to eat right and what to do to lose weight, I just needed that final tool...the one that would put me over the edge. I still have to eat right and exercise, but now it isn't taking every ounce of my willpower to get through another day. I just eat what I should eat and that's good until my next meal. I truly feel like my LAP-BAND® has not only made me lose more weight than in the previous 35 years I have been on a diet, but I am beginning to think I am a better person in general. Needless to say, after I reached reasonable restriction with my LAP-BAND®, I love it unconditionally.

You are my hero! The way you described your life now is exactly what I am hoping for. It is exactly the reason why I chose the band over other treatments. I NEVER thought of the band as a cure all. I just want it to do something. I want to know that I have a band, that it is in there, and it is doing what it is supposed to do (i.e. help me feel full sooner than I would have without it.) That is not happening now.

What is "bandster hell" anyway. I need to know because I think I might be in it! LOL

[Enchanted 2]

When the band is filled to the proper level, you will feel satisfied much sooner than you would without the band. (You will also not be hungry for a longer period of time.)

Bandster Hell is that time between surgery and when the band is filled to the proper level. Getting to the "Sweet Spot" can take awhile and multiple fills. Patience and dedication is needed during this phase of things.

As to the Band being only a tool - it definitely is. You are in complete control of what you put into your mouth. If you start drinking chocolate shakes instead of Protein shakes - you're going to have trouble.

[Jachut 487]

Well, you cant even really have any other type of WLS and not have to "diet".

Sad to say, you simply cant eat nothing but crap, no matter how small your stomach is and be healthy. With bypass and DS you have to watch the sugar/fat combo anyway you you can feel very ill, with the sleeve you can have issues with lactose, with ALL of them you can slip in way too many calories if you choose slider foods.

And if you want to lose weight without putting any effort into exercise and waste away all your muscle and look like an empty gaunt bag of skin at the end of it, then I guess that's a choice you can make.

With ALL weight loss surgery, its a tool, nothing more. Weight loss may be automatic to some extent with all of them, but your health and long term well being, not to mention your looks, take a bit more effort than that.

The lapband maybe requires a little more user effort, but I'd argue that banded patients by and large look pretty healthy and good after their weight loss too. Its slower, you lose less muscle, they dont tend to have that awful scrawny look like they're wasting away from a disease rather than just getting healthier. Which is worth the extra work, I think.

[ElfiePoo 109]

Ok thanks...my surgery is coming up soon and perhaps I'm just getting scared.

I agree that the band is just a tool which means we still have to make good decisions about what to put in our mouths. For the most part, I already put 'good' things in my mouth. I just put too much of them and too many of them are carbs.

I realize that I carb overload because I'm looking for that 'full' feeling that I don't otherwise get. I'm looking forward to a smaller stomach that doesn't need the 'padding' to feel full...and the loss of that drugged feeling I get from carb overload.

.

[carbgrl 0]

I've lost weight before; over 40 lbs. each time. Reaching my goal several times. I'm hoping the band will help me keep it off this time.

I don't doubt that it will because there are several foods I can't tolerate. I guess, it's like getting my mouth wired shut. people just can't see it. : )

Good luck.

[Melinco 1]

(after reading the 'pissed' thread and a quite a few other threads)...

If I'm still going to have to diet...and still going to be hungry while doing so...what is the point of getting the LAP-BAND®??

I *assumed* based on the research I've done for the past several years that the LAP-BAND® would create a smaller 'stomach' allowing me to eat less and have a feeling of fullness and without the hunger that I get now when I eat less.

Did I get it wrong?

.

I haven't been banded yet, but the way my surgeon described it is head hunger. Sometimes it takes a while for the head hunger to go away and for us to register actual hunger. So instead of listening to our heads, we have to learn to listen to our stomachs.

[LisaMc 1]

I haven't been banded yet, but the way my surgeon described it is head hunger. Sometimes it takes a while for the head hunger to go away and for us to register actual hunger. So instead of listening to our heads, we have to learn to listen to our stomachs.

Yes, that is exactly the way surgeons describe it....head hunger. I am here to tell you that it is NOT head hunger. Try going 4 weeks with barely enough nutrition to keep you alive with ZERO restriction from the band. (In fact, you can't even tell you have a band at all) Then tell me that the throbbing headache, the inability to stay asleep at night because of the SEVERE hunger, the times your stomach is growling so loud that you can't even sit through a church service, the irritability that just won't get any better isn't because you are STARVING. Believe me, I never had experienced true, ongoing severe hunger before. It is NOT pleasant.

This was what I was asked to do. You might try this yourself while you are still pre-op because there probably will be very little difference once you are banded. See if you can do it because you are going to have to do it post op. Okay, try to stay around 600-700 calories with 40 carbs or so. You must drink at least 2 Protein drinks. Those will run about 450-500 calories for the 2. So you now have about 100 calories to play with...maybe some chicken broth....maybe some 10 calorie sugar fee Jello....or maybe a 15 calorie sugar free popsicle. At the end of the day, are you hungry? If you are, maybe it is just head hunger.

I may sound like a real downer, but I swear I wish someone would have set me straight when I was still pre-op. I hope I would have listened. This has been one of the hardest things I have ever done.

Once again....IT IS NOT HEAD HUNGER!

[HD Gloria 0]

I assumed the same thing as you, found the same information - but now - 1-1/2 years after my surgery, the advise is 'eat better'. DUH! then why have the surgery!

[happy2lose 0]

Honestly, what is described above only lasted a short time for me. Once you have restriction you will require much less food, thus you will lose weight without starving.

The period of starving as described above is referred to as "Bandster Hell". It has a name because it is a common experience.

Be patient people, the band really does work.

[Enchanted 2]

Since having the band, I have had very few days when I'm STARVING. Nearly all of those were around six weeks after surgery - when the swelling was down, but the band wasn't filled enough for even a little restriction.

My doc always said that if you're starving and have to have something...have another shake. The shakes I'm on are around 115-125 calories each.

Experiences vary. We're all going to have our own stories to tell. Mostly, though, we have all had positive outcomes.

[tracy226 0]

I know it hasnt been very long for me yet but I was banded 3.5 weeks ago, I havent had a fill yet of course and I have yet to fill hunger. Im doing great! Ive lost 23 pounds. At first I guess I had restriction from the swelling from the surgery but Im still not getting hungry going on 4 weeks. In fact I have a hard time getting my 64 oz's of Fluid and 70 grams of Protein in. By the time I eat what Im soposed to in order to stay healthy (protein and water) I have a hard time eating anything else. The Water fills me up and the protein is very filling too. I am doing the Unjury shakes with super skim milk and cream Soups (tomato and cream of chicken) with the milk all of which have protein. I also drink the bullets to get my protein. I have the sugar free pudding, fudge cycles, pop cycles or Jello and I eat apple sauce and bananas (baby food stage 1) for my Snacks. Notice I said OR you cant eat slider foods all day long and lose weight. Ive now moved on to cream of wheat, oatmill, soft cooked veggies ect. But as some of you pointed out the band is just a tool and research explains that. Even with bypass, you may lose it fast, (along with malabsorbtion and hanging skin) food may make you sick right now, but if you slowly eat more and more, eat like you do now, you will streach your stomach back out and regain the weight. No matter what weight loss method we choose we have to change our eating habits! So far I love my band!!

[JoJo1 0]

The secret is Protien Protien Protien.... You will be fine. I have had restriction and I am only 3 1/2 weeks out. The secret is protien and small portions. You stop when the food doesn't taste good. That is the best I can describe. With any of life's endeavors, there are people who don't do it very well. Those people don't do anything well. You can decide to do this well. I hope you can dismiss the negative posts here and decide to do this well. Have a great journey!!