Something clicked in my brain and I suddenly get it! I need to diet with the lap-band. It doesn't work all by itself. I was banded 8/25/09 and have been hovering at 30 lbs lost, but haven't been seriously dieting or exercising. And today I realized, I am not using this as the tool it was intended. I will diet, and this tool will make me successful where shear will power has failed me in the past. Although I have been reading other's blogs, for some reason it finally really clicked this morning. I am ready to diet, and know I can really stick to it this time!

I'm very glad you realized this......try and get yourself into a daily exercise regimen too! Daily exercise helps to keep my eating on track.

That's awesome! I actually had that exact same revelation a few weeks ago. I only lost a pound or two in the months after I finished my pre-op diet, and was just waiting to achieve restriction. After 7 months, I'm almost at my sweet spot. But it wasn't just that that kept me from losing. For the first time in my life, I was able to eat whatever food I liked and not gain a pound (thanks to my band's forced portion control). It was a liberating feeling, and I spent the fall and holiday season enjoying not thinking, worrying, or obsessing about food and my weight.

At my last fill appointment, though, I had to have an honest discussion about why I wasn't losing weight. I needed a fill, but wasn't given one - my doctor wanted me to address the mental and emotional reasons I've been eating first. After that appointment, something clicked - that I need to take the band seriously and LET IT help me lose weight, not just maintain. I want to get down to goal, and I want to start TTC this summer, and those things just won't happen unless I put some work in myself.

Since then I've been making much better food choices, following the rules, and even exercising a little. I've lost about six pounds! I'll see my doctor on Monday and hopefully get the little bit of a fill I need to get real restriction. :thumbup:

Something clicked describes it exactly. Thank you!

i was so glad to read your post, i too had lapband surgery in august of 09 and have lost about 26 lbs, i have problems with excercise and eat a fraction of what i ate before and am losing very very slowly, but my body recently looks much smaller, even though the scale is not moving much, i relieved someone else out here is going thru what i am goin thru, lap band is definitley not a fast way to lose weight, but i will do better ,good luck

Something clicked in my brain and I suddenly get it! I need to diet with the lap-band®. It doesn't work all by itself.

You're right. The band doesn't work by itself. We still need to follow the guidelines about drinking our Water, making good food choices, avoiding slider foods, etc...but, no, we don't need to diet. We *can* diet if we choose, but we don't *need* to.

I can still have anything I want...just less of it because the band keeps me from eating to excess. I haven't dieted since being banded and I've lost 35 pounds as of last Monday. Now that I have restriction, I'm expecting to lose even more quickly...and without dieting.

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I too just relized this to. I have not hit my sweat spot but I was drinking when eating duh it pushes the food down. I havent been drinkin in the last few days with meals and it clicked. I need to make better food choices. I have been working out.. I love that high you get frome it! Hang in there were all in the same boat!

Diet is a strong word. However, we need to make major adjustments to the way we eat. I now have a little restriction and eating is a bit more of a chore, I must admit. Some might choose to call it a diet but with proper food choices and the portion control the band offers we are sure to be successful!!! Best wishes!

Webster defines "diet" as a chosen plan of eating. We need to reframe this four letter word.

We chose health and success with the help of the lapband.

Obese people have all sorts of emotional connotations attached to the word "diet", so you'll hear many people saying that you don't need to diet with the band. The truth is, if you want to lose quickly, good old-fashioned diet and exercise are the best ways to do it. The difference now is that the band helps to control the Hunger Daemon that rages inside all of us, so that we can actually STICK to the diet week in and week out for the long haul needed to lose all the weight.

Yes, you can lose slowly if you don't consciously diet, provided that you make reasonably sensible food choices. The restricted portions will allow you to eat pretty much anything in moderation and the scales will still slide slowly down. However, if you allow too much junk to creep into those restricted portions, you can stall your progress or even gain weight. The key word there is "IN MODERATION". If you want to lose quickly though, pay attention to what you eat, count your calories, do the exercise and let the band (wonderful invention that it is!) HELP you to achieve success.

I think that one of the best things about the band is it's flexibility. You can control how quickly or slowly you lose. When you get to goal, you can let go of all that focus on "dieting" and live like a "normal" person. That means that, like normal people, you need to keep a general eye on what you eat and try not to overindulge too often, but can get away with treats now and then and not have to worry about binge eating or rollercoaster weight gains and losses.

Good luck!!

Edited February 12, 201016 yr by Fanny Adams

I was banded 8/31/09 and to date have lost 45lbs. Thank you for starting such a great post. It just clicked.

Thanks again.

I am happy that you have figured this out but you shouldn't have had to. Your surgeon should have told you everything that you needed to know.

Each and every bariatric surgeon should be making sure that everyone of their patients understands what will be required of them to make the band work prior to operating on them.

Webster defines "diet" as a chosen plan of eating. We need to reframe this four letter word.

We chose health and success with the help of the LAP-BAND®.

I don't think it's a case of redefining the definition, as choosing the right definition. That's only one definition. Another is: : a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight <going on a diet>.

Yes we all have a diet (style of eating), but the normal weight people I know do not *diet* intending to lose weight.

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The truth is, if you want to lose quickly, good old-fashioned diet and exercise are the best ways to do it.

Yes, you can lose slowly if you don't consciously diet, provided that you make reasonably sensible food choices.

The key word there is "IN MODERATION".

I think that one of the best things about the band is it's flexibility.

That means that, like normal people, you need to keep a general eye on what you eat and try not to overindulge too often, but can get away with treats now and then and not have to worry about binge eating or rollercoaster weight gains and losses.

Loved your post and you made some great point! I'm one of those who doesn't care that I'm only losing about 2 pounds per week. I just want to eat like a normal person and never have to diet again.

I've had 20 years of watching good examples (since marrying my husband) in my husband's family. Not one is overweight. Not one works out. They just live active lifestyles and don't sit on their butts in front of the tv and they make good food choices and don't worry about the goodies they eat because they live by the motto of 'all things in moderation.'

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Each and every bariatric surgeon should be making sure that everyone of their patients understands what will be required of them to make the band work prior to operating on them.

I agree--but have observed that there's an awful lot of "selective hearing" among the soon-to-be-banded. (ETA: I don't mean this as a slam to the OP; we all do this. We can't possibly absorb ALL of the information we're given, and even with a long insurance-mandated wait, some of it just doesn't always get internalized right away.)

My surgeon does an awesome job related to patient education, and it continues post-op. But there are still a handful of his patients for whom the "click' hasn't occurred.

You can lead a horse to Water, and all....

Edited February 12, 201016 yr by BetsyB

Hi everyone,

I agree with "it clicked",:crying: my surgeon and allllll the people involved with my banding preached that this is only a tool. Hee hee, I tihnk I had selective hearing also. I knew I had to eat better and make better choices,,BUT sometimes, here and there, I conveniently FORGOT:blink: those rules. I havent gained any of my lost weight back but im not losing either. SO at my last Doc visit and my 4th fill my DOc blasted :cursing:me and blasted me good:blushing:. She said I need to start working the band, not wait for my sweet spot to work it for me. I go back in the first week of March for another fill and im worried she wont give it to me unless I lose some weight so guess what? "CLICK" :tt2:im working it, no weight loss but my pants are looser in 3 weeks,,,somethings happening:biggrin:. Eating better and working out YAY!!!!! Finally getting into a routine.

I wont say I went through bandster hell, bacause I was perfectly content being able to eat what I was eating and NOT gain any weight,,,but now Im working and liking the results.:scared2: