HELP! Contemplating lapband and have questions

[Firecallie 2]

I'm scheduled for a consultation next week but had a few questions.

1. Does the lapband slow down your metabolism. I've read that it holds food for longer...

2. What can I expect to be able to eat after the surgery? Will I forever be eating Soup and what not or will I be able to eat normally again?

3. What is the best thing about the Lap Band?

4. What is the worst?

5. What do you wish you would have known before getting into this?

Anything else you might have to say would be very helpful...Thanks

Jini

[vinesqueen 2]

Hello Jini, welcome to LBT.

I do not think it slows down your metabolism. I have not heard that. I think in some cases that it actaully can help speed up the metabolic rate for some people. I think this is why and how we see so many of our Rabbits, or those who lose quickly. These people are not losing like folks who have had the RNY or other malabsorption proceedures. It if slowed down the metaboic rate, then I would expect that there would be a "window" to lose, such as we see with some of the other procedures available.

Yes, the pouch does hold on to the food, but this is a good thing. It keeps us feeling satisified for longer. For some of us, it might be the first time we've ever felt comfortably full, as opposed to stuffed and can't move.

Some people can eat absolutely everthing they could eat before banding, including bread and sandwiches. Somepeople find that suddenly they cannot eat some foods like potatoes or bread or chicken or something else. I don't know that there is any way to figure out what life will be like for you after banding. For example, I can eat bread, but I seem to not be able to handle toast. My husand can't eat bread, but can eat toast. He can eat chicken, but I have to be very careful, and I can eat ground beef, but he can't.

In fact, you want to avoid eating Soup, since these can be considered "soft foods" and not hard protien. If you find yourself eating lots of Soups, you might want to ask your self if your fill is too tight or if you are "eating around the band"

The best thing about my band is that I'm not dead, and that was looking like a real possibility.

The worst thing about my band? hmmm. It's fickle. Sometimes, some days you are not able to eat what you could the day before. Some days you have restriction where you were not expecting it.

Some people have a very difficult time with theri band because they can no longer engage in emotional eating. You sort of have to face issues you were able to avoid either because you were litterally stuffing your feelings down with food, or losing weight faces you to look at some of the issues that caused you to gain weight in the first place.

I wish I had known I would be a Turtle, a slow loser. We hear so many wonderful stories of folks who have lost 100 pounds in their first year, or who lose 50 pounds in their first few months of being banded. But we don't hear too much about the Turtles, those who lose at a slower, more deliberate pace if you will. Oh, I knew that some poeple lost slowly, but I never thought I would be one of them. I was going to be the uber compliant bandster, the one who did everything according to the rules. Well, I was uber compliant, I was one who did everything according to the rules, and yet I'm still a turtle.

Does this answer your questions?

[Firecallie 2]

Yes! This is good information and good to know. Thank you!

[Firecallie 2]

Question: Why can't you drink Water with meals? Why can you not snack throughout the day? I thought that it was better to eat more small meals.

[the best me 6]

Question: Why can't you drink Water with meals? Why can you not snack throughout the day? I thought that it was better to eat more small meals.

Vines had great answers, so I second all of that!

Think of a funnel, pour yougurt into it, and watch it drip through slowly. Then pour some Water or milk into the funnel, and see the yogurt melt and begin to pour through and empty the funnel. Same with the band. When you drink too soon after eating, the liquid washes the food on through and you get hungry again sooner.

Keep in mind that post-surgery is the healing period and you are supposed to have liquids that go on through. This way your stomach doesn't have to churn and move where the band is, and you heal. Once the healing stage is through, you begin eating more solid foods and some of the food is supposed to stay up top and keep you feeling satisfied for longer.

I snack. I usually do a scrambled egg w/ cheese for Breakfast. Sometimes I'll add a 1/2 slice of whole wheat toast, and if I remember before eating, I'll down an 8oz glass of 1 % or skim milk. I'll have lunch, whatever, then around 4pm I'll get a snack. If I'm smart, I'll have about 3-4 ounces of grilled chicken breast (good protien, stays with me a bit longer), but sometimes some port wine cheese on about 5 Triscuits will do. Then dinner, whatever.

To me, compared to what I used to eat, that's 3 small meals and an afternoon snack. But you can do whatever works. All these diets you have no doubt been on over the years are actually do-able with the band. Weight Watchers says to have a WW frozen entree for lunch. Pre-band? Yeah right. How about 2 of those AND a sandwich! Now, I can eat that way.

Good luck! Welcome to LBT!

[Firecallie 2]

Thanks Kathy, that makes sense.

[Firecallie 2]

Another one...how do you avoid telling people about the surgery when they see you eating only liquids, or mushy or whatever?

[the best me 6]

Just tell them you are trying a new diet that starts with liquids to cleanse your colon...once you say colon cleanse they quit asking or say you had gall bladder surgery/removal and your doc recommends lliquids for a while just to go easy on your digestive system. ??? I may be the wrong one to ask though, because I'm a big blabber mouth and I don't care who knows. Heck, they sure know I'm fat. I haven't been hiding THAT very well over the years!

Do a search (top blue bar, search button) and look for "my secret band" or "secret" and see what comes up. Lots of folks are under the radar, so you are not alone.

[La_madam 20]

1. Does the lapband slow down your metabolism. I've read that it holds food for longer...

Havent heard that one before

2. What can I expect to be able to eat after the surgery? Will I forever be eating Soup and what not or will I be able to eat normally again?

You will be able to eat almost allthe foods you eat now but in smaller quantities.Breads, rice and pastas ,may become difficult as your band gets tighter

3. What is the best thing about the Lap Band?

It reduces the ammount of food you eat

4. What is the worst?

The PB's

5. What do you wish you would have known before getting into this?

I researched it for so long, nothing was a suprise to me.

Anything else you might have to say would be very helpful...Thanks

The most important thing I Can say is to have patience, the weight loss is not like the bypass, it can be slow, there will be plateaus, it will not happen overnight. It has taken me 18 months to lose 100 lbs,I had a several month long plateau.

[Bensmum1109 0]

1. Does the lapband slow down your metabolism. I've read that it holds food for longer...

I believe it actually speeds up your metabolism, since you really need to eat small meals at least three times a day. My metabolism was wrecked because I often skipped Breakfast and lunch, and pigged out all night!!

2. What can I expect to be able to eat after the surgery? Will I forever be eating Soup and what not or will I be able to eat normally again?

Some people do have problems with certain foods, but within 3-4 weeks you should be able to eat almost anything. Just very small portions. And to make the band most effective, you need to eat in a certain order, Protein first, then veggies, and then starches, fats, carbs, or sweets. That way, you only have room for a bite or two of the bad stuff :-) I am three and a half weeks out and I am eating scrambled eggs, Beans, and minced meat in addtion to my Protein shakes.

3. What is the best thing about the Lap Band?

I have not only lost weight, but this process has really made me want to adapt healthier eating habits. I'm getting my life back.

4. What is the worst?

Haven't found anything yet. Get back to me after my first PB :-(

5. What do you wish you would have known before getting into this?

Nothing. I did a ton of research! And what I didn't know I can easily look up on these boards!! That's why I love LBT!

[ReneBean 3]

Try this thread, too:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=10035&highlight=closet

I am not yet banded - but I will be. There are so many things about this surgery that are superior to the other options - not the least of which is the completely reversible nature of the thing. Unlike the By-pass, if you react badly to the band, you can have to removed - and viola! Your body returns to it's natural state.

I also like the control factor. With By-pass, you eat what you can eat for the "window" of weightloss and you lose weight - really fast, but you don't have time to learn the hard stuff before the "window" closes. After a lifetime of bad habits, 18 mos is not enough time to learn the tough lessons.

If, like me, you have lost and gained and lost and gained and you are sick and tired of that old cycle, then the Band is the best way to go. Long after the "window" closes on the by-pass patients, the band will still be there, working for you. Keeping you from going insane when you slip or hit a plateau, helping you to retain your losses until you are ready to start working with it again.

Can you tell?? I'm sold.

:]

[HunnyBun 2]

Just in case you do not know what a PB is, it is a 'productive burp' which means that the food you eat will not go down. It's not like vomiting because there is no throwup acid taste, and it's only the amount you just ate, which shouldn't be a lot if you have the band. PB's aren't so bad if you compare them to time you spent a night hugging the toilet because of a drunken night or a bad case of stomach flu.

[lovecats85 2]

Hey Jini! Welcome to LBT! I've only had my band 9 days but I'm loving it so far and I'll try to put my 2 cents in:

1. Does the lapband slow down your metabolism. I've read that it holds food for longer... I read that if you eat over 1k calories per day it won't slow your metablolism down (and while this is hard the 1st few week when you are healing) most bandsters seems to eat 1k-1.5k per day

2. What can I expect to be able to eat after the surgery? Will I forever be eating Soup and what not or will I be able to eat normally again? I was on one week of iquid, now I'm on 2 weeks of mush, but after that my doc says eat normally!

3. What is the best thing about the Lap Band? I've lost 15 pounds in 9 days - that has never happened before. And the non-scale victories are great oo - for example - I realized tonight when counting my calorie intake that it's so much easier to keep track of because now I eat a "serving size" - like tonight I had 2 tbsp of crap dip and low and behold that was a serving - pre-band I don't think there's anything I could have only eaten 2 tbsp's of!!! That is a mental non-scale victory!

4. What is the worst? so far just the initial pain of recovery but it was just a few days and now I'm pretty much back to normal

5. What do you wish you would have known before getting into this? I've been on here and researching everywhere for over a year so I felt like I knew most everything - do your research b/c this IS a lifestyle change - not a diet you can go on and off of - your band is for life!

Good luck! We'll always be here for you at LBT!

[Time to love me 0]

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=10035

Jini, I'm not sure if this link will work once I post this message to you, so I will bump the thread to the first page, just in case.

We seemed to have a lot of response from this thread. I know that it helped me a great deal. When I started this thread, I had so many mixed emotions and the responses were from both closet and open bandsters.

Good luck, I'm sure with all the support here, you will get all your answers.

[Firecallie 2]

Thanks, it does work and i'll spend some time reading through it. Sounds like it will be helpful.