Im pre-op, and still in the deciding stage of which WLS is right for me. So, please excuse the barrage of questions I have- but I need "real" answers, not cookie cutter ones from my compensated surgeon...

Ill start by saying, Im never hungry & I dont each much now. Im lucky if I consume 1000 calories a day. Im a late day eater, a snacker, and a sweet toother- not an overeater. So Im not sure if the band would really benefit me? Im also pretty meticulous about my current diet (no red meat or pork, whole grain only, no packaged food, very limited fast/restaurant food, no soda, no snacky foods, ect). Sooo, I guess Im looking for some advice and answers to a few questions...

1. How often do you vomit?

2. What is sliming?

3. How drastic of a change in diet is it REALLY?

4. Do you HAVE to work out to have results?

5. How often are fills?

6. Based on my current eating- isnt the band basically going to do the same thing (restrict the amount I can eat?)?

7. How do things get stuck, how often and how do you unstick them?

8. If you cant eat carbs, and meats, and veggies and fruits because of the whole stuck issue- WTH do you eat?

9. Do you really have to give up soda, carbs, coffee, caffeine, sweets, ect?

I SWORE to myself I would never "diet" and "deny" ever again because eventually, I cave, and then it all comes back and then some. To me, excluding entire foods/food groups just isnt a realistic way to live the rest of ones life. And I wont do it. I am looking for a surgical TOOL to make it so I DONT have to obsess over food anymore (weigh/portion, count calories/fat, eliminate foods, worry about when to eat and how much and how often and blah blah blah- it really consumes me)- not make the anxiety/obsession worse. I dont want to go through surgery and have it be pointless.

Please help!

Im pre-op, and still in the deciding stage of which WLS is right for me. So, please excuse the barrage of questions I have- but I need "real" answers, not cookie cutter ones from my compensated surgeon...

Ill start by saying, Im never hungry & I dont each much now. Im lucky if I consume 1000 calories a day. Im a late day eater, a snacker, and a sweet toother- not an overeater. So Im not sure if the band would really benefit me? Im also pretty meticulous about my current diet (no red meat or pork, whole grain only, no packaged food, very limited fast/restaurant food, no soda, no snacky foods, ect). Sooo, I guess Im looking for some advice and answers to a few questions...

1. How often do you vomit?

2. What is sliming?

3. How drastic of a change in diet is it REALLY?

4. Do you HAVE to work out to have results?

5. How often are fills?

6. Based on my current eating- isnt the band basically going to do the same thing (restrict the amount I can eat?)?

7. How do things get stuck, how often and how do you unstick them?

8. If you cant eat carbs, and meats, and veggies and fruits because of the whole stuck issue- WTH do you eat?

9. Do you really have to give up soda, carbs, coffee, caffeine, sweets, ect?

I SWORE to myself I would never "diet" and "deny" ever again because eventually, I cave, and then it all comes back and then some. To me, excluding entire foods/food groups just isnt a realistic way to live the rest of ones life. And I wont do it. I am looking for a surgical TOOL to make it so I DONT have to obsess over food anymore (weigh/portion, count calories/fat, eliminate foods, worry about when to eat and how much and how often and blah blah blah- it really consumes me)- not make the anxiety/obsession worse. I dont want to go through surgery and have it be pointless.

Please help!

Hello and welcome,

If you are eating 1000 calories a day and not losing weight, then you need to get your metabolism checked by a doctor.

To take your questions one by one:

1. How often do you vomit?

Rarely

2. What is sliming?

When food gets stuck, the body produces large amounts of thick saliva to help move the food along. If it doesn't go down, this comes up and out the mouth. It is a very slimy consistency.

3. How drastic of a change in diet is it REALLY?

It depends on your previous diet. For me, not so drastic a change in -what- I was eating as -amount- I am eating.

4. Do you HAVE to work out to have results?

To get best results, yes, exercise is necessary. Calories in vs. calories out=weight loss.

5. How often are fills?

I have had 4 fills and one slight unfill in 2 years. My last fill was about 3 months ago.

6. Based on my current eating- isnt the band basically going to do the same thing (restrict the amount I can eat?)?

Not sure I exactly follow the question. The band is purely a restrictive procedure. It aids weight loss by helping you to reduce portions. The difference is that with the help of the band I eat less and am satisfied for longer, thus reducing my snack attacks and food obsessions.

7. How do things get stuck, how often and how do you unstick them?

Things get stuck by eating too fast, taking too big a bite, or not chewing thorougly. A piece of food larger than the opening to the stomach sits over the top of it and won't move. To get them ustuck, sometimes they work their way down. Sometimes they work their way back up. There is a current thread on getting unstuck that is several pages long. Do a search on it.

8. If you cant eat carbs, and meats, and veggies and fruits because of the whole stuck issue- WTH do you eat?

Who said you can eat carbs, meats, veggies, and fruits? That leaves nothing. I eat all of the above. The only foods that give me issue on a regular basis and that I avoid are dry meats like chicken breast and very soft or thick breads like bagels. I often eat salads, Pasta, steak, eggs, potatoes.

9. Do you really have to give up soda, carbs, coffee, caffeine, sweets, ect?

My doctor has no issue with me having coffee. I have an occaissional diet soda--sometimes it gives me the burps, sometimes not. I love chocolate. I do allow it as a rare treat, but have to be very careful not to over do it.

If you have no control over your sweet tooth, or you are a true grazer, the band might not be the best choice for you.

I chose it because I would still be able to eat relatively normally. I did not want to get sick if I eat something with a high sugar or fat content as can happen with the dumping sydrome of gastric bypass.

For some, that is a very powerful tool in the WSL arsenal and a big reason for chosing bypass. You might want to explore that.

Best wishes to you in your journey.

Denise

Thanks for the reply- it was helpful.

What an underwhelming feeling of support though. I know it isnt typical for a post to have this many reads and only one reply. Guess Im not welcome here.

Some people may not be responding because cocoabean answered your questions really well.

You don't really vomit with the band. For me, it's really like a burp that brings the food back up if I eat too much. If someone is truely vomiting, there is probably something going on that's not normal.

I have not really had to give up many food, except bread and french fries.

Working out does help the weight go away a lot faster. But you don't have to become an exercise fanatic. I just walk about 30 minutes each day.

As far as sweets go, the band isn't going to stop the cravings. I still have them and it is a struggle sometimes to avoid sweets. But I think that is true with any type of weight loss surgery. You still have to have will power.

I guess since there are thousands of people here that have had the surgery, I was hoping to get a variety of replies with different outcomes so I can effectively weigh the pros and cons for myself before going under the knife. Her answers were wonderful and thorough- but, they are only one point of view... Im still gathering info and trying to make a decision and Id like to hear the good, the bad and the ugly before I do.

I understand. I can tell you, that for me, it was the best decision I ever made for myself.

I'll say that I'm browsing through and reading many threads, as my surgery is on Thursday. I've been reading this website for a week or so now, learning everything I can from others' questions and stories. Perhaps that's why your thread has a low response count? I agree, the first person answered really well - at least, from what I know!