Gerhowzel

Thank you so much. That helps give me some perspective. I think with the modifications to my cravings/hunger, I will be successful at changing negative eating behaviors.

I get “hungry” …if I haven’t ate for more than 2 hours. But I don’t get cravings. That’s the big difference for me from before Surgery. I live with 2 other people, so there is food in the house that would normally be a craving for me pre-surgery, and I don’t even think about it and haven’t touched it.

There is physical hunger, and there is mind hunger - food fantasies. Because most of us got to WLS as a result of our mental relationships with food, the mind hunger is usually much more of an issue that genuinely being hungry. A huge part of this journey for me, and likely most people having surgery, is being able to distinguish between the two. I experience emptiness ("I'm hungry!"), then have to ask myself how long it's been since I ate or drank anything. This is when it is crucial to have high Protein foods that fit into my diet on hand. Because I have been a compulsive eater, a food addict most of my life, I'm trying to approach this whole thing almost as a science.
Someone also mentioned reflux and i agree, it can also mimic hunger pangs. Drink something, Water or some of a Protein Shake. It helps coat and fill your pouch so you feel physically fuller. It also buys your mind some time to separate real hunger from food fantasies.
Learn from the experience, be grateful if you didn't hurt yourself and move on. You just had surgery. I was an emotional roller coaster after mine. Get support from professionals if you're struggling with food addiction. Addictions don't go away just because you've had surgery. Take care of your body, and your mind. You're not alone.

I had my lap band out in 2009. I was just miserable with it, constant reflux issues. Felt immediately better having had it removed. It was probably one of the easiest surgeries I've ever had and I had no complications.
I was a little terrified that I'd gain all my weight back but noticed that my portion sizes were still small. I kept up my general lap band-like practices and my weight held steady UNTIL life handed me a big bag of stress and change. As a result, I started stress eating. Over the course of a year and a half, I gained all of my weight back. Fortunately, those pounds didn't bring too many extra friends to the party. Long story short, I had the sleeve in 2017 and am happy with that decision.
Moral of the story: there IS life after the lap band. If you stay the course and do not return to bad habits, you'll keep your weight off. Best of luck to you!

John 10:10
King James Version (KJV)
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
My band helps me to have life and have it more abundantly. How can that not be God's will for my life?
My joy, confidence, health and beauty had been stolen, killed and destroyed. With the help of God and my band that is all being restored.

I chose a limited group of other believers before the surgery because I wasn't asking their for their opinions, but for their support so I chose people that I could count on. After the surgery, I have told people as the need came. My confidence in the people I told before hand was validated by their unswerving support, and I have been pleasantly surprised by those I have told afterwards as well. Additionally I found out that two others in Church had also been banded.
Scripture (Romans 14:20-22) from the lesson this morning is extremely appropriate for the subject:
So then let us lpursue what makes for peace and for mmutual upbuilding.
20 nDo not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. oEverything is indeed clean, but pit is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 qIt is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. rBlessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.

John 10:10
King James Version (KJV)
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
My band helps me to have life and have it more abundantly. How can that not be God's will for my life?
My joy, confidence, health and beauty had been stolen, killed and destroyed. With the help of God and my band that is all being restored.

You wrote this almost 1yr to the day of me reading this and it's really something I needed to hear. I've been struggling with this for 6mths now and I believe God just used you to confirm what I already knew.
Thank you for being faithful to God's word! God Bless!

Praise God! I struggled with deciding on getting a band because I thought it was my own will wanting an easy way out. After some serious prayer and talk with my life together group, I realized that God brought the idea of the band to me to give me support to be the woman he created me to be!!! He blessed me financially (I was self pay) and I need to remember to glorify Him in all of my food and exercise choices. I also need to remember that all of my sins are wiped away each day including my need to stuff my soul with food to be happy. Christ's love is enough! I am perfect in His eyes and am worthy of living a healthy life. Praise God for all that he has given me! He is so good!

Do you know, I got there quite a few years back now and wear mostly whatever I like to wear - although we all have some limitations and some things that just dont suit us. What is really really good though is not having to shop in fat stores. I still appreciate the freedom of being able to shop anywhere - particularly my one or two favourite designers and being able to go on holidays and fossick around in resort towns and stuff like that.
I'm not even taking my old bikinis to Thailand in a few weeks - can buy nice new ones there! I never could have dreamed of doing that with anything, let alone bikinis.
For me anyway, this was one of the BEST things bout weigh loss - I wasnt on medication, nor did I have any real comorbidities. But not being able to buy nice clothes was a truly dreadful dilemma!

I am a 37 yr old woman and just had surgery 7 days ago. Would love to correspond with someone going through the same process! I have lots of questions and want to be as successful as possible! Thanks

Welcome, welcome, welcome! Congratulations on taking control of your life and your health.
I had gone through the pre-op proceedures and was ready for surgery and my husband lost his job. I had to wait an additional year. Like you I thought I was soooo ready. A couple of days before surgery I started getting apprehensive.
Its normal to be nervous. Its a huge step and you will have alot of changes, but they will be good changes. I think I was afraid of failure and people being judgemental if I wasn't successful. You know the consequences if you don't lose the weight and you know you haven't been able to do it on your own. This could potentially save your life. Do it for you, because you deserve it!
You can do this!

Welcome, welcome, welcome! Congratulations on taking control of your life and your health.
I had gone through the pre-op proceedures and was ready for surgery and my husband lost his job. I had to wait an additional year. Like you I thought I was soooo ready. A couple of days before surgery I started getting apprehensive.
Its normal to be nervous. Its a huge step and you will have alot of changes, but they will be good changes. I think I was afraid of failure and people being judgemental if I wasn't successful. You know the consequences if you don't lose the weight and you know you haven't been able to do it on your own. This could potentially save your life. Do it for you, because you deserve it!
You can do this!

I go to support group every week and although I am a new bandster, I'm one of the smallest and at 41, youngest, people there. I do feel judged in the group, which is too bad. I continue to go though, as I have learned so much from them. I figure if I am ever questioned, I will remind them of their own words. Nearly all of them have said repeatedly that their only regret with getting the band was not getting it sooner. I am thankful that I was able to start when and where I did... My only regret is not getting it four years ago when I first considered it.

Hello I am very new to this site as I had surgery yesterday, banded that is! I want to lose 80 pounds. I feel good about my choice...and super excited to start this journey

You are not going to influence other individual's opinions; so don't allow yourself to be "irked" about it. It's just a waste of your time and energy.
There have been spirited discussions on this forum in the past with some members feeling that they could "not relate" to forum participants who began their weight loss journey weighing "only 200 something pounds", and actually referred to people weighing in the 200-250 pound range as "skinny", when the member had begun their journey at over 300 pounds.
I assured her that anyone who was "5 ft something" and weighed 200 plus pounds was definitely not "skinny", and that the individual's reasons and needs to loose weight were different for everyone. No one should be judged about the WLS surgery based on their size; there are too many mitigating reasons which are not common knowledge to judge others.
I don't judge others, and expect the same courtesy in return...

I heard many of the same things. My weight is well proportioned. When I'd tell people how much I weighed, many would be shocked.
I'd say, so I should continue to gain until I am in full blown diabetes and heart disease? I don't deserve treatment because I just barely qualify? You don't walk on my knees, hips, and feet every day.
If I only had one blocked artery in my heart, rather than four, do I not deserve to have it treated? Or do I have the heart attack? My appendix was only a little infected, so I should have waited until it burst? Our society is still biased.
I thank them for their concern and say that surgery might not have been the right decision for them, but after all my research, with my medical history, and on the advice of my primary care doctor and my surgeon, whom I trust and respect, I have decided to proceed. (Using the medical team's name usually shuts them up, as they are not doctors!)
Now, 4.5 years and 75 lbs later most people agree that I made the right decision for me. It might not be right for everyone. I don't tell anyone that they should run out and get surgery. If asked about my experience I gladly talk about it, but I don't encourage anyone to have surgery. I tell them to research and make the most informed decision they can.
I had to learn to shut those conversations down in a polite way. It's sort of a debate-team type of thing. But it really isn't open for discussion. When you say it in a matter of fact way that I have done my research, my doctors agree, and it is the right decision for me, maybe not for you, but thank you--then change the subject...there really is no reply for it.

I can relate to this a bit. My BMI is only at 38 and I don't have any other comorbidities so some people that I've mentioned surgery too will say that I'm obviously too small for it. But I have a really supportive family and the Dr's are working to get me approved so I as long as I have that support and my mind is made up, I don't worry about it!

I just got banded on August 9, 2012 and I couldn't be happier. I have been dealing with my weight my whole entire life, and I am only 24. I have 60-70 lbs to lose. I hold my weight pretty proportionally too.
When making the decision to get the lapband, I got a whole lot of "you are too skinny to get the lapband", or "you should just be happy with yourself the way you are", or "you should just diet/exercise, surgery is too drastic", yet, when someone who is 300 lbs says that they are going to get WLS, people are always so supportive of them. It's like telling that 300 lbs person that they can have the lapband, but only until they get to 190 lbs... And then they are going to have to take it out because they wont need it for the last 60 lbs they need to lose. Ya know?
I don't really worry about it anymore, because I've made my decision and I am happy with it, but it still irks me.

i going through true results too on 12/14.. Dr Hollis

Well girls, yesterday I went to Tampa to get my pre-ops done I am being banded on 12/14 at 10:30! Labs, EKG, and chest x-ray done. Still on Protein Shakes, Water, crystal light, Jello, and broth! Only 6 days to go! On Dec 14, my new life begins!
Congrats to all December gals!

Anyone else getting banded in December? If so lets keep in touch until our day.

I can't believe that I'm cooking Christmas dinner eleven days after surgery. The good news is that I have lost eight pounds on the pre-op diet and I will have to buy new jeans for our big party on the 22nd. Its worth it.

I'm down to 10 days. Today is my dads 91st BD. I am so blessed. I just turned 50 this year & I'm finally taking charge. Congrats to everyone who are banded. I will soon be on the post bandwagon with you all!