Everytime I go on this lap band forum I feel that I read another post of yet another person that is not happy with their results. There are a lot of people that are not losing and there are a lot of people that are gaining. Some people are only losing very little. People say that this is a tool and that you need to watch you diet and exercise. If we could watch are diet and exercise consistantly, then I think we would not need the lap band. I had the impression that the band would totally prevent us from overeating, which in turn will make us lose weight. I am so worried I hope I have made the right choice. My surgery is in a week in a half. Wish me luck.

It's great that you are realizing that the band is a tool and not a magic wand. I noticed much the same. I think you may be focusing too much on the negatives. For every failure, there is a success.

Having the stories of the failures as well as the successes all in one place is great. You can list out the things the failures have done and you should not do; the things that the successes have done and you should do; Then look at your list and decide whether you can do this and if the band is right for you.

I am yet to be banded and this is the process I have been going through for more than a year in making my decision.

Good luck, but you are starting with a huge misconception. The lapband only helps when you follow the rules and do your part.

Everytime I go on this LAP-BAND® forum I feel that I read another post of yet another person that is not happy with their results. There are a lot of people that are not losing and there are a lot of people that are gaining. Some people are only losing very little. People say that this is a tool and that you need to watch you diet and exercise. If we could watch are diet and exercise consistantly, then I think we would not need the LAP-BAND®. I had the impression that the band would totally prevent us from overeating, which in turn will make us lose weight. I am so worried I hope I have made the right choice. My surgery is in a week in a half. Wish me luck.

I understand your worry because I had the same second thoughts as you did...I will tell you that everyone is different and how they lose weight. It IS a tool and only a tool to keep you honest and it can keep you from eating too much once you have your fills and get your own eating habits down. Don't try to beat the band or get around the band (not saying anyone on here is doing this) and you should be fine. Personally, I am only 2 weeks post-op and I feel absolutey great and just all around normal. I keep track of my food intake at http://dailyplate.com. You made this choice for a reason and have come this far...only you know whether it is truly right for you. I know I made the right choice because I spent this morning in my closet trying to see what I can wear again...and I was happy as hell to find out that I have about 8 more shirts to wear and 10 more that I am not far away from getting into again. Everytime I look in the mirror, I see the person I use to be coming back each day. It is truly exciting to see the lbs. come off just from eating according to my diet plan...and I haven't even starting working out yet!! My doctor told me that the misconception most people get is that the band is a Magic tool the does the work for you, when in reality it is just there to help remind you that you may be eating too much. I hope this makes you feel a little better about your choice and keep your eyes on your goals!

Everytime I go on this LAP-BAND® forum I feel that I read another post of yet another person that is not happy with their results. There are a lot of people that are not losing and there are a lot of people that are gaining. Some people are only losing very little. People say that this is a tool and that you need to watch you diet and exercise. If we could watch are diet and exercise consistantly, then I think we would not need the LAP-BAND®. I had the impression that the band would totally prevent us from overeating, which in turn will make us lose weight. I am so worried I hope I have made the right choice. My surgery is in a week in a half. Wish me luck.

I can only tell you from my own personal experience.

The band has been working very well for me and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I wish I would have done it sooner. I am very happy with my weightloss results so far. The band does prevent me from overeating. I do not count calories, but I also do not live on candy bars, icecream, Cookies or alcohol. To tell you the truth, I put very little effort in. It has not been a hardship and does not control every minute of my life.

The only negative for me has been thinning hair. I think I am more at risk for this than some others may be because my hair is naturally baby fine, thin and straight. At almost my 7 month mark, I think the thinning is slowing down.

Good luck to you with the surgery, the weightloss, and a better future! :biggrin:

My experience has been wonderul. It all depends on your expections and your eating habits pre-band. If you have a sweet tooth and love to snack, and don't have much self-discipline, the lapband is not your answer. You will be able to eat right around it. M&Ms, chips and ice cream go down just fine. If your problem is portion control and you don't see yourself as a sugar freak or snacker, you'll do great. I eat about 1/4 of what I used to at meals. I stay full in between so I don't ever really need a snack to get me through. I'm 65 pounds down and KNOW I could have never down this without the band. I still have about 40 to go but know I will get there. I'm only losing about 3-4 pounds each month now and that's just fine with me. I feel so much better and just recently was able to say good-bye to the large lady sections in the stores. I LOVE the selections available now. And I hit 199! Haven't seen that weight for 13 years. That was cool! So be honest with yourself and really look at your eating habits. If you are determined, the band is a huge help.

There is a lady that I play cards with that had lap band before I did. She tried to discourage me from getting mine because she said it didn't work. However, because when we play cards together and the game usually lasts 6 - 10 hours, I have seen her eating habits. She eats at least every hour, even though its just a little bit at a time, it all adds up. The lap band does its job of keeping her from eating alot at once but she defeats it by eating too many times.

I think you have to decide what type of eater you are to see if it will work. I have had good success so far, 31 lbs in a little over 3 months. I was the type who ate (mostly) healthy food but too much at a time. I had no portion control and I was hungry all the time (even after I had just ate) but I didn't really snack. Just 3 LARGE meals.

You have to make a personal decision based on the information that you can find. Decide if you think you can work with it. I couldn't be happier that I did it.

I believe that the lapband works best for those people who have had some good success dieting before, but just weren't able to keep it off because they were truly too hungry on the amount they had to eat to lose weight.

I have been on so many diets before and I feel like the rules I have to follow for the band are very much like being on another 'diet' except for two very important things... (1) I am not required to be hungry to lose weight and (2) I do not have to measure or weigh my food to ensure that I am eating a proper portion size.

The two things that the band takes care of very well (once adjusted properly) are portion control and hunger. Other than that, you have to follow the 'rules' just like you would on any 'diet'.

Like you I read many negative posts before my surgery. I finally decided to focus on the positives and didn't read any negative posts or posts in the 'Complications' forum! I know that might sound like sticking my head in the sand but now that I have my band I know that it was the best decision for me and I am going to do whatever I can to look after it and help it to help me by making good food choices, - with a few treats thrown in too!

It is not magic, - but being thinner is!

Ok here's the deal... The band will only restrict solid foods so it is possible to eat around it and not lose. If sweets are your downfall this will be difficult because most sweets will slide through no matter how tight your band is, same goes for chips, popcorn, crackers. These turn to liquid and the band cannot hold liquids. I don't count calories and I exercise 4 days a week. I love my band but I have to do my part and make the propper food choices.

I get so tired of lots of people saying how the LAP-BAND® is a diet. Well, not for me. Like Hummingbird, I don't count anything and I exercise moderately. I eat chocolate and ice cream occasionally. At Christmas, I even gained five pounds. The huge thing is that the band is adjustable. I went to see my doctor, got another fill, and lost that same 5 lbs in a week. With restriction, it takes little effort to eat like a normal person. I am happy with one piece of chocolate. I don't need to eat the whole bag because I'm hungry, or simply because it's there. For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm in control, not my hunger. The true test of my band will be if I've kept my weight off 5 years from now. That's why I wanted the band. I never want the food to be in control again.

I have no doubts that I could eat around the band by living on soda or milkshakes. The difference is that with the band I don't want to. It doesn't feel like a diet to me, I feel the band has given me a "normal" person's sensations of hunger and fullness and that is certainly something I was missing.

Cindy

Cindy, Great weightloss!! WOW!

Like many of the posts here... it is how you look at it...

Do you know that I do not want to look at posts of how everything has failed or how someone got their band removed. Once in a while, like here... I try to give a positive nudge forward.....

I never once thought that the band would MAKE me lose weight... it would HELP me lose weight...

I set my expectation low....the only reason I wanted the band was to keep the hunger pangs away.... I can stay away from the sliders... maybe once in a while cheat for sanity sake.... but what I wanted is to get fuller faster so that my HUGE plate of spagetti.. could be a SMALL plate of spagetti....

I am still eating the spagetti (or I will when I am allowed).. now, it will be less.....I am changing the way I eat... not what I eat...

I take small bites... I eat slower... I chew the food... I don't drink with the meal....

Now... these are all things I should have been doing before, but that insatiable hunger is what made me pile on the spagetti.... now, I find myself looking for something with Protein and substance to fill the pouch.. i.e. creamy Peanut Butter, scrambled eggs....

I am thinking about my choices now because I have time to think about with the smaller pouch....

When I wake up in the morning and I actually FEEL a pound gone.. it is at that very moment that I realize (no pun intended on the REALIZE band:):thumbup: that I made the right decision....

This is lifelong... this is behavior changes....everyones behavior is different and response to change in behavior is different.

What I do know... the mind is a powerful thing...when you are feeling down.. don't look at the "how much the band sucks" threads... look at the "wow, I can't believe how much better my life is" threads...

Condition your mind.. the body WILL follow.......

Hang in there....

If we could watch are diet and exercise consistantly, then I think we would not need the LAP-BAND®. I had the impression that the band would totally prevent us from overeating, which in turn will make us lose weight.

Bell,

Once you have restriction, the band will prevent overeating, which in turn will help us lose weight.

The band won't make us go in and get our fills (and push reluctant doctors who want to take months or years to get to restriction...or use it as a carrot/stick reward for weight loss). That's up to us...and until we get restriction, we're doing it on our own. I agree there are a lot of unhappy people here who are not losing or even gaining, but if you read their posts carefully, you'll find they don't have restriction and they're in the same boat they were before getting their band.

The band won't make good food choices. That's up to us. The band won't stop us from eating slider foods or junk or sweets...which all tend to be sliders.

As someone has already said, I believe those successful with the band are those whose obesity is mainly a result of overeating because they were always hungry. Those who eat for emotional reasons or who eat excessive amounts of junk and sweets are going to find it much much harder.

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