Lauren_Dew

I'm almost 13 years out from lap band and going strong! I've had my band since March 2008. I've been maintenance maintaining for the past 12+ years (which included 2 pregnancies and a my fair share of fluctuations along the way).
In the past year i have made some more habit changes that have included a change to a Plant Based diet, that led me to drop another 20ish pounds leaving me at about 120-125lbs at 5'2".
I spent so much of my journey never seeming to have room for veggies and always spending too much time grazing. These days, i eat meals filled with veggies, fruits and grains. I eat healthier meals than ever before and i don't feel the need to graze. I eat Protein first...i just get my protein from plants!!!
I am so overjoyed to have some others to share this with from the perspective of a bariatric patient!

Thank you PollyEster for that response!!! What she said!
And also thank you to Patricia Campana for a great response as well and for recommending Chuck Carroll's podcast! Can't wait to check it out!!

Can't neglect to thank PollyEster for starting this thread with awesome info!!! I'd love to hear more about your own journey!

DeletedMember, i felt the same way!!!
I'm almost 13 years out and absolutely love my band! I've had my band since March 2008. I lost the majority of my weight in the first 6-9 months (from 200lbs down to 140lbs, i'm only 5'2") and managed to stay within a maintenance range for the past 12+ years, which included 2 pregnancies and a my fair share of fluctuations along the way.
In the past year i have made some more habit changes that have included a change to a Plant Based diet, that led me to drop another 20ish pounds leaving me at about 120-125lbs at 5'2". My husband and my father both were dealing with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes (AIC scores of almost 9!!) which lead me to start researching, which led me to DR. GREGER and How Not To Die. it changed my life, and i hope someday it will change theirs.
While my dad has been resistant regarding making this kind of change, i couldn't go back to eating the way i was eating knowing what i now knew about a plant based lifestyle. The changes for me and my husband have been incredible.
I am so overjoyed to have some others to share this with from the perspective of a bariatric patient!
PS...MotoZen, you are TOTALLY setting yourself up for SUCCESS with this positive change! So impressed. Wishing you the best on your journey!

Many of us are successful with banding
. Least invasive and returnable
I’m 12 years in and still living a wls life.
Lots of us left due to such negative and loud feedback from those who did not have luck ( for many reasons)
Some of us stick around....

Congratulations for working towards a plant based diet. I am 5 months post op, and it is absolutely doable! As for Protein, there are so many options. Let me count some ways....broccoli, Beans, legumes, nuts, Peanut Butter, chia seeds, hemp hearts(omega 3), nutritional yeast, tofu, tempeh, setian, viral wheat gluten, most plant based pastas, quinoa, sprouted grains, oats, nut butters...ooh boy! That was a lot 🤣😂 There really is a lot of options out there. I have started to make my own unmeat crumbles. I didn’t learn this way overnight, but I didn’t get this fat overnight neither. My thinking on this WLS for me, is I took a drastic change to lose the weight, and I took a drastic change to keep it off. I comend anyone who is changing there lifestyle after this surgery. My surgery date was 12-12-19, and I have lost 68 lbs. I am living my best life, and I feel the best I have ever felt!  

Plant Protein is just as ‘complete” as animal protein. The idea that plant Proteins are “incomplete”, necessitating some sort of “protein combining”, was based on a 1971 fad diet called “Diet for a Small Planet” by Francis Lappe. “Protein combining” was debunked DECADES ago, yet for some people this myth remains pervasive despite 49 years of medical and scientific nutrition evidence to the contrary.
All of the essential amino acids humans need are structurally identical regardless of the source, so in terms of getting enough protein, it doesn’t matter if amino acids come from animal or plant protein. But protein isn’t consumed in isolation, since all plant and animal foods contain essential nutrients in addition to protein. And the other nutrients that you’re consuming – or not, depending on whether you eat animal or plant protein – is where the serious health implications lie.
Plant protein is packed with fibre, antioxidants, and thousands of protective phytonutrients. Animal protein has absolutely no fibre, antioxidants, or phytonutrients whatsoever. Plant proteins contain no saturated fat and cholesterol. All animal foods (including “lean” meats like chicken, salmon, turkey, etc.) contain saturated fat and cholesterol. We don’t need to consume any saturated fat and cholesterol, since our bodies naturally produce all the cholesterol required for physiologic functions. Eating saturated fat and cholesterol causes atherosclerosis (the accumulation of excess cholesterol in the lining of our vessels) and significantly increases the risk of heart disease, currently the number one cause of death in developed countries. People eating a plant-based diet devoid of animal products have significantly less risk of developing heart disease, and several studies have found that a plant-based diet can even reverse atherosclerosis. Plant protein causes no increase in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Animal proteins cause our bodies to produce higher levels of the hormone IGF-1, which stimulates cell division and growth in both healthy and cancer cells (higher circulating levels of IGF-1 result in increased cancer risk, proliferation, and malignancy.) Plant protein causes no increase in trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). Animal proteins increase circulating levels of TMAO, which injures the lining of blood vessels, creates inflammation, and enables the formation of cholesterol plaques in blood vessels. Plant protein causes no increase in phosphorus or fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23). Animal proteins contain high levels of phosphorus, and when we consume a lot of phosphorus, the body reacts by producing high levels of the hormone FGF23 to normalize phosphorus levels. FGF23 injures the lining of blood vessels, creates inflammation, and enables the formation of cholesterol plaques in blood vessels, and is directly associated with heart attacks, sudden death, and heart failure. Plant protein causes no increase in bone health problems. Animal proteins have higher concentrations of sulfur-containing amino acids, which can induce a subtle state of acidosis when metabolized, causing our bodies use to compensate by leaching Calcium from our bones to help neutralize the increased acidity. Studies have demonstrated that populations with higher dairy consumption, or higher consumption of animal protein in general, have a higher incidence of bone fractures. You probably conducted a lot of research to determine which type of 1 or 2 hour bariatric surgery would allow you a healthier and longer life. Conduct even more research to determine if what you eat every day for the rest of your life after surgery is going to increase your health and longevity, or increase disease and shorten your life. Everything we put in our mouth either increases longevity by decreasing the development of disease and illness, or contributes to premature death by increasing the development of disease and illness.
Dozens upon dozens of peer-reviewed studies confirm that people on plant-based whole food diets (meaning whole minimally processed plant-based foods, and no processed foods) are at significantly lower risk of many diseases including cancers, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity.
So get your protein from plants whenever possible to maintain your weight loss for life and become as healthy as possible. Eating vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, whole grains, and other plant-based sources of protein is a win for your health and the health of the planet.

I see this is an old post and I hope after these years you have figured out that there just was such bad advice and not enough information on being vegan after WLS. First of all being vegan is an ethical choice and we should never be killing animals for our tastes. There is enough scientific evidence that a whole food plant diet is the healthiest option. There is no problem getting enough Protein and our society is obsessed with protein. People are thriving on this lifestyle after WLS and I am one since 2012. If you haven't already check out Dr. Garth Davis. Dr. Neal Barnard at PCRM also has a podcast by Chuck Carroll the weight loss champion who had WLS and is vegan. He is such an inspiration

Holy Cow! I haven't been on Bariatric Pal in couple of years (or more). One of the big reasons I dropped off the online forums is that I had adopted a WFPB diet, and not only was that completely out of line with the mainstream WLS thinking, but I didn't even like to hint about it as I would get extremely negative feedback. Imagine my shock when I logged back in to Bariatirc Pal today to see a vegan forum with a WFPB post. My mind was blown to say the least, LOL.

I'm self-pay and my surgeon is Dr. Garth Davis. He's 100% plant-based himself, and wrote a book about the detrimental effects of animal food consumption and high Protein diets called "Proteinaholic" (mentioned in the resource list above). The dieticians at the clinic are very knowledgeable and completely support a WFPB lifestyle.

Wow, thanks for putting this together! 😀 It is SO helpful, just what I was looking for! 🤩 I'm in a holding pattern with surgery due to covid-19, but have transitioned to a WFPB diet in preparation for a lifetime of health and weight maintenance after surgery. I've already lost 40 lbs since transitioning, and have more energy and feel better than I have in decades. Can't wait to reap all the benefits of WLS combined with this WFPB life!

I am so happy to see some fellow lap banders out there still fighting the good fight and sharing some positive stories.
I've had my band since March 2008. I lost the majority of my weight in the first 6-9 months (from 200lbs down to 140lbs, i'm only 5'2") and managed to stay within a maintenance range for the past 12+ years, which included 2 pregnancies and a my fair share of fluctuations along the way. In the past year i have made some more habit changes that led me to drop another 20ish pounds leaving me at about 120-125lbs at 5'2". I have didn't have a physical adjustment (a fill), to get me there, as i've had good restriction for the last few years, but it was a mental adjustment that got me there for sure!
I can totally relate to the feelings you're having about going back in for an adjustment, and especially to the situation where a lot of the members of my old practice had left. But the thing is, the lap band is ALL ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS! That's how our tool works! Going back in and checking on your band and seeing if you need an adjustment is the best thing you can do for yourself!
And you know what, it will probably take more than one adjustment to get you to the right spot! And that is just fine! That's how it works with the band. In fact, they'll likely do a full check (complete with barium swallow) on how your band is looking and how your restriction is looking and that is a good thing too! We need to take care of our tool.
An adjustment is probably just want you need...but don't forget to make it more than just a fill! Bring back some of the behaviors that led to succeed the first time around! Best of luck and hope to hear an update on how you're doing!

Another quiet and happy bandster here!
I'm almost 13 years out and absolutely love my band! It's hard to see so many people suffering from complications and i worry sometimes that even after 13 great years complication-free, that something could just go wrong! Honestly my biggest worry is that if something went wrong, i would no longer qualify for a revision surgery because i am at goal.
I've had my band since March 2008. I lost the majority of my weight in the first 6-9 months (from 200lbs down to 140lbs, i'm only 5'2") and managed to stay within a maintenance range for the past 12+ years, which included 2 pregnancies and a my fair share of fluctuations along the way. In the past year i have made some more habit changes that led me to drop another 20ish pounds leaving me at about 120-125lbs at 5'2".
It makes me so happy to see some positive bandsters out there sharing their stories as there are definitely still a lot of us on this band journey. Please keep posting and i will try to do the same!