Good morning everyone:

I really appreciate this forum, so many "Giving" people here.

Here's my issue - People remind us that "It's only a tool", which says we are basically on our own. A shovel by itself cannot dig a hole, we have to wield the shovel, and that is work. Good I understand that. As with a shovel - our "Work" is magnified by the use of the shovel, (better than a tee spoon). I hope that is what they mean by "tool". I intend to bring my effort to the "Tool", but my effort, to date has not been enough. Am I correct in saying that the band will magnify my effort?

My understanding is that for the period after surgery and until restriction, it will be more "Me" and less "band". After restriction the band will be doing most of the work for me. Is this correct?

Regards

Hal

Good morning everyone:

I really appreciate this forum, so many "Giving" people here.

Here's my issue - People remind us that "It's only a tool", which says we are basically on our own. A shovel by itself cannot dig a hole, we have to wield the shovel, and that is work. Good I understand that. As with a shovel - our "Work" is magnified by the use of the shovel, (better than a tee spoon). I hope that is what they mean by "tool". I intend to bring my effort to the "Tool", but my effort, to date has not been enough. Am I correct in saying that the band will magnify my effort?

My understanding is that for the period after surgery and until restriction, it will be more "Me" and less "band". After restriction the band will be doing most of the work for me. Is this correct?

Regards

Hal

I wouldn't say that after restriction that it will be mostly the band that does most of the work. You still need to make the right food choices, eat slowly and know when to stop. It might be a little easier but it's still just a tool that you have to use correctly. What it will help with is keeping you satisfied longer after meals as long as the foods you eat aren't slider foods and you wait the appropriate amount of time after eating before you drink something. You still have to be mindful of all the band rules.

Good luck!

It sounds to me as though your expectations are realistic. At first, you will rely more on willpower and planning and determination than you'd probably like. But even then, the band does limit stomach capacity.

Once you add in the element of slow pouch emptying (restriction), then the band really, really does work nicely. You still have to make good choices, but the band guides that. It becomes light years easier. Removing insatiable hunger makes it easier to make choices that provide your body with what it needs.

Yes, it's a tool. But it's a darn good one!

It will always be you...the band is a helper. I like to think of it as safety net under a trapeze, it will help catch you by you still have to make the leap and let go of the past to to grab the new life.

Everyday...I still have choices. I choose to eat healthy foods that will fill me up and keep my body going. I choose to get on the treadmill and get my exercise. Before the band...I was the pasta queen. I ate pasta several times a week and I'd eat several helpings. Since the band...I do not even like the taste of pasta. I don't miss it at all. That blows my mind. The band for me has been life changing in that it really does make it easier to choose the right foods. I've past up so much junk since I was banded and I could have never done that before the band. I know I can only eat a little bit per meal...so I eat my protein and veggies...then I'm satisfied. After that I don't even think of food until hunger hits again. Before the band...I would constantly think what I could eat that day. I was eating myself to death. Now, I eat just enough to live. Food is no longer in control. The band has given me better control, and I couldn't be happier. There are a few times I've have something sweet. Chocolate for me is a must during PMS. But I only have a tiny bit. I get the dark chocolate and just getting a few tastes now satisfies me. I don't have to eat a King sized candy bar to fill I've had a dessert.

Its a very very very good tool once you reach proper restriction. I am eating three small meals per day (no snacks) and have no hunger in between. Trust me that staying on any weightloss program is a whole heck of a lot easier when you take real physical hunger out of the equation.

I understand where you're coming from because I was also scared by the 'its only a tool' comments. I've done lots of diets before and worked very very hard on those diets and had very slow weightloss and very quick regain. My weightloss w/the band feels almost effortless now compared to how hard dieting was before. I say 'almost' because there are still some rules to follow and I do exercise as well. But, its also easier to do your part when you are seeing consistent results.

One of the nutritionists from my surgeon's office I think summed it up very well. She said that the band takes care of two things very well... portion control and hunger. The rest is up to you. BUT, the fact that it takes care of portion control and hunger is HUGE!

So, as advice to anyone getting banded, I would just say follow the rules, be patient, and don't compare your weightloss to others. The weight WILL come off and stay off.

Actually, I found the opposite. After surgery it was all band - I had fabulous restriction for about 12 weeks, didnt ever think about food, wasnt tempted to stray and didnt find the post op liquid to mushies regime in any way hard, I just lost so easily. After about that time, I got fills, and it worked, I still found the first year pretty darn good. Over time since then its become more and more me and less and less band. But its easier to work with things when you're not feeling fat and hopeless!

I think I could probably benefit from a fill now, havent had one in about 18 months, but really, I'm not gaining so why?

I d say that the" Lap Band is a tool" is pretty spot on. There are no magic bullets here or anywhere,to MAKE you lose weight. You must be fully committed to making the right choices along with the assistance from your new best friends you and your belt. The lap band is not for everyone its not always easy and sometimes it can be pretty messy. So if you are not in for the marathon,it would be best just pass on the idea.

"Only a tool" scared me too, but the replies here have been reassuring. Thanks!

Hello All,

Let me just add my two cents. The band certainly does limit the volume you are able to eat BUT.... if you are a grazer like me then things are a little different. I rarely ate huge volumes of food... I just ate all the time! The band does help but it's still all 'me'. My choices aren't always the best and ice cream just slides on through! I love Pasta and bread. The band really limits me to one piece of bread and a very small amount of pasta. If anyone had defeated or managed the 'grazing', I would love to hear about it!

Cheers,

Cheryl

As Adagray said, the band really helps with portion control and hunger. No more hunger pangs an no more gorging. It's also helped me not gain back what I've lost because it's a weight loss program I can't quit (without having the band removed.)

The band doesn't help me control grazing, cravings, eating the right foods, getting exercize, and drinking 64 oz. I have to rely on willpower for those things just as before.

The band contributes by limiting portions and reducing hunger and I contribute by:

• keeping all temptations out of the house and resisting them when away from home
  
• having only meals of lean Protein (70 gr/day) w/small amts of veges & fruit, no sugar or white flour
  
• eating no more than 1,000 calories & tracking with MyFitnessPal.com
  
• drinking my Water
  
• walking on a treadmill a half hour/day
  
• getting my fills to get to the sweet spot ASAP
  

My band fights half the battle and I fight the other half -- and together, we're winning! :bored:

Yup a great tool. I still have to work with it... Eat right ... Not cheat it. Best thing I have ever done for myself.

My kids left some fries on the plate and i started eating them without thinking . Ate 4 of them and got that feeling . Got up and threw them out. Usetobee :bored: I'd eat em all. Thats what it does for me.

Hello All,

Let me just add my two cents. The band certainly does limit the volume you are able to eat BUT.... if you are a grazer like me then things are a little different. I rarely ate huge volumes of food... I just ate all the time! The band does help but it's still all 'me'. My choices aren't always the best and ice cream just slides on through! I love Pasta and bread. The band really limits me to one piece of bread and a very small amount of pasta. If anyone had defeated or managed the 'grazing', I would love to hear about it!

Cheers,

Cheryl

This is so me! If left to my own devices, I would spend my days in an orgy of carbicide, lol. I just downed carby sugary foods, small bits at a time, but a hundred times a day.

I have ALWAYS lost weight well when I make a 3 meals a day rule. My mind needs that "out" so my absolute and only rule to weight loss is 3 meals a day. Those meals can be absolutely whatever I fancy. Funnily enough, you dont often choose cake for lunch, you choose healthier foods for meals than for Snacks, so that cuts out a lot of the crap and even though I might decide to have something unhealthy for lunch, I feel no guilt as long as I've kept to my 3 meals.

Over time, the need to eat rubbish has subsided as I've lost the fear I'll never eat it again. Now 90% of my meals are healthy but not obsessive which just causes me anxiety that I havent had x grams of this and y grams of that. I dont think about the nutrition side, just eat a wide variety of all foods.

That's how I've beaten grazing. Its still my natural inclination and yes, I do fall back into it, but a strict 3 meals a day policy works well for me. Its simple to remember, follow and to get back on the wagon when you fall off.

I was a bad popcorn grazer , but popcorn does not agree with my band . I can only eat a small bowl if i chew it real good. I was so hungry on my pre-op liquid only diet that i was planning on going to home town buffet and eating all day , I said to myself "If I'm going to be this hungry forget it , I'll get a sleep apnea machine and some bigger pants and not live a long life". After the band i'm not so hungry anymore unless i have lunch after 1 . Instead of buffet ,I went to the store and bought some fish and veges. You know it's really up to you.

Hal, I hear ya. I got my band on April 22, and I think I had a lot of the same fears, which for me boiled down to: "What if I do this--which I consider to be a fairly dramatic and drastic choice, and which I know will change the way I eat--and it doesn't work for me?" I am now in the phase between surgery and my first fill and here's what I am finding. I did WeightWatchers before, and I find that during this "pre-fill" time I do have enough restriction to do the essential WW thing again, but it is actually a lot easier than when I did it pre-band. Not effortless--eating cake all day and still losing would be my definition of "effortless weightloss"! But it is a lot easier because although I do get hungry if I wait 5 or more hours between meals, I find that I fill up on much less food than before the surgery. My goal is NOT to gain weight before I get my first fill in 2 weeks, and to keep strengthening the good habits I'll need.

The thing that helps me is thinking that "This is my LAST time to diet. The band (yep, tool) will help me to maintain, which is what I need."

Hope this helps. Best of luck to you!