If you are required to eat perfect, exercise, calorie count ect... Why get the band? If you have the discipline to count calories, eat correct foods and exercise than shouldn't you be able to do this on your own? I do not want to this if I am going to find ol mister will power the same way I would if I just had to do it on my own. Help me understand!

Thank you.

Well, I certainly don't eat perfectly everyday. I'd risk it and say that almost none of us are 100% every day. The band is like a governor on a school bus.....the bus can't go over a certain speed. With the band, if you eat too much, you will know it. And it only takes a time or two experiencing that discomfort to learn your limits. If I eat too much, and I have a couple of times, wow...

I DON'T count calories. Yes, I have a rough idea of what calories are in different foods, but are most of us (as habitual dieters) aware of that? I think so. I have learned to judge by eye what I can eat. 3 oz of Protein is about the size of a deck of cards. Carbs....I use the diabetic guideline of 15 net grams = a carb serving. That's a slice of bread, 17 Kelloggs Special K Crackers (my fave right now), etc. Vegetables? I just eat what I can comfortably.

The band should let you have a normal life. You can't eat sweet stuff every day, but I've never passed up a piece of birthday cake. The band gives you a sense of control which leads to MODERATION.

And, I will tell you that based on previous weight loss attempts, I hit a spot recently where if I were on my own on this journey, I'd be completely off the diet wagon right now and regaining the weight I've lost. BUT I'M NOT! And the band is why that's the truth.

Yes, you need to incorporate some exercise into your lifestyle but that would be true if you were dieting on your own, if you had gastric bypass...or, really, if you elected to just remain the size you are now.

The band is a tool which will make the patient feel full after eating much smaller portions. This will help the patient to lose weight and maintain the loss. If you fill the pouch created by the band with high calorie fatty or sugary foods, you will probably not lose weight. But if you are committed to eating high protein, low carb, low fat foods, the band will greatly help you eat LESS of it and enhance weight loss.

Thank you for that reply, I guess I understand how the commitment is different and does not allow you to easily just stop dieting and induldge yourself. I am going to be talking with my Dr. on Monday for the first time about this so I am in the very begining stages. Do not even know if myinsurance company would consider t.

I am not getting banded just to lose weight. I am getting banded because I am sick of putting the weight I lose back on.

I know I can lose 100 pounds but I also know that I revert back to my old ways of ordering 3 pizzas at a time so I can eat 2 for dinner and 1 for Breakfast.

I am not getting banded just to lose weight. I am getting banded because I am sick of putting the weight I lose back on.

I know I can lose 100 pounds but I also know that I revert back to my old ways of ordering 3 pizzas at a time so I can eat 2 for dinner and 1 for breakfast.

Very true Falling back in old ways would happen with me two. Good point.

I am doing it because I never am able to feel full. I can diet and lose the weight, but eventually, I revert to my old ways. I have never in all my life been thin (with the exception of high school where drugs played a huge part in my life) and I have never truly felt 'full'. Having the band will help me to continually change my lifestyle to one that is healthier. Dieting seems to miss that... because once you stop the diet, in comes the food.

The best thing about the band is that it forces you to be on the straight & narrow most of the time. A few important differences are that, with the band:

You get full quickly, so you don't have the issue with feeling hungry that you have when you diet normally;

You can't really ever overeat once you are at good restriction;

You have to think about your food choices and plan your meals a bit more, which for me, usually leads me to make better decisions.

I am about 7 pounds from goal right now. If I hadn't had the band for the past 14 months, I know that I would not have been able to do this well. I have been able to eat less without feeling deprived and to go out with friends often, without blowing my "diet."

It's a great tool, and if used correctly, it works like a charm. You don't have to be perfect with it, but if you follow the rules most of the time, you are bound to get to goal.

I hope that helps! Feel free to check out my blog if you want more info on what banded life is like!

Catherine