If there were things you would find helpful during your Lap Band Journey, to make your life easier what would it be and why?

It could be anything! A specific meal outline, a LapBand friendly gym, ANYTHING!! Lets Hear it!

Watch a real lapband surgery on YouTube; there is no blood involved and it shows you WHY you need to follow the post op eating instructions!

I freeze 3 oz servings of chicken that can be quickly thawed out for dinner. You can also find frozen fish in 3-4 oz servings. At costco you can by a case of Pacific Organic sweet red pepper/tomato Soup great for post fill eating; and Premier Ready to Drink Protein shakes. Mrs Dash (non salt) flavorings are great added to soup (heating reconstitutes the garlic and onion). Stock has a lot more flavor than broth; and forget the low salt version; Clear liquids are bad enough without trying to go low salt!

liquid Tylenol if you aren't going to be on narcotics.

Vitamin Shoppe has good prices on whey Isolate Protein much cheaper than GNC!

Hamilton Beech individual Blender is a must for presurgery liquid diet and post fills for making Protein Shakes.

Swimming in my opinion is the best exercise for an overweight person. No joint trauma and you can exercise longer than you would on a cardio machine when you are first starting out. Waterproof MP3 players available on Amazon; best invention ever!

If there were things you would find helpful during your Lap Band Journey, to make your life easier what would it be and why?

It could be anything! A specific meal outline, a LapBand friendly gym, ANYTHING!! Lets Hear it!

For me, it would be knowing that feeling full, does not happen in the stomach area anymore. I started a topic about this today because it's interesting that we have to learn new ways to know when to stop eating, after being banded. I wasn't told that the full feeling would be in my chest. It makes sense, but I found myself asking random people if that meant you were full. The answer was "yes".

The other thing that may have been helpful for me was NOT to get banded right before Thanksgiving. I thought it was a good idea to have the surgery right before the holidays so that I would lose during that time for once. Looking back, I think that put extra stress on myself that didn't have to be there. It's hard enough to learn and stick to the rules during "normal" times, much less during the most food abundant time of the year. I don't regret it at all, but it did make it harder.

Honk and Hokiemama made some very good points. I would like to add that if you can learn why you (as an individual) eat/overeat, be it constant physical hunger or emotional head hunger, you can figure out how the band can work for your particular situation. Many people on this forum talk about being physically hungry constantly, while others (myself included) do not feel hungry but eat over emotions (any emotion). It is important to know the difference so that you can work your band to your best advantage. Knowledge is truly power with the band.

All the best to you on your journey.

~Fran

Honk and Hokiemama made some very good points. I would like to add that if you can learn why you (as an individual) eat/overeat, be it constant physical hunger or emotional head hunger, you can figure out how the band can work for your particular situation. Many people on this forum talk about being physically hungry constantly, while others (myself included) do not feel hungry but eat over emotions (any emotion). It is important to know the difference so that you can work your band to your best advantage. Knowledge is truly power with the band.

All the best to you on your journey.

~Fran

SO TRUE, Fran. I read a post recently that being full shouldn't be a PHYSICAL feeling. It is much more emotional. I am an emotional eater and a lot of the time just ate as a habit or to have something to do. Those are the things to learn about and work on. Most of us have had or still have a love/hate relationship with food. It's a lot to work through.

I really agree about finding out what pushes you towards eating. I was taking with female family members once and we agreed that our male relatives are alcoholics go for alcohol; but when we are upset we don't look for alcohol we say "What can I eat". I like Cereal esp. lucky charms and count chocula; odd huh? I can't buy them; for me they are like beer for an alcoholic. I can't stop. Ice cream means nothing for me. I've hosted family birthday parties and ended up with a freezer full of ice cream. My mother came 2 much later and said "Is this from 2 months ago? Yeh, just does'nt grab me.

Planning is also important. Be prepared. Will you be out shopping and need to delay having lunch? Keep a Ready to Drink Protein shake in your car. That way you can have a high protein, low cal snack and not be ravenously hungry when you get home.

There are some good journeys on youtube I watched some the other day!

I wish there was a standard for everyone that was the same.

Also I feel like I was banded, the it's just like ::waves:: go lose weight now... like I feel like I want more support! Feels too easy.

I would have liked a more regimented food plan the first 6 months or so. Too open ended for me when they said"High Protein, but balanced meals". Not enough structure. I have made my own structures and can stick to them when motivated. That's the other part---ways to stay motivated. I am at a standstill now and have a feeling I will get an unfill next visit due to reflux issues. How do I keep going with the "Rah-Rah" attitude I had in the beginning of this journey?

I guess that is why I come on here.

I would have liked a more regimented food plan the first 6 months or so. Too open ended for me when they said"High Protein, but balanced meals". Not enough structure. I have made my own structures and can stick to them when motivated. That's the other part---ways to stay motivated. I am at a standstill now and have a feeling I will get an unfill next visit due to reflux issues. How do I keep going with the "Rah-Rah" attitude I had in the beginning of this journey?

I guess that is why I come on here.

I also would have liked a more structured food plan. I would not have my surgery in December if I had it to do again. The holidays put pressure on me but it also put alot of pressure on family and friends that were trying to be there for me. Also I am reluctant to get out of my small apartment and get moving because it is so cold outside.

The BEST idea I have gotten from this site was to sleep in a recliner for a few days until I could lie flat in my bed.

That saved me. I also wish my surgeon's office had more support groups.

Or at least a sample of a menu. I'm always concerned if i'm eating too much or not enough.

I agree about the sample menus and more nutritional guidelines. I have any appointment for my first fill next week and will also be meeting with the NUT. Now that I am on regular food, I have a HUGE list of questions for her!

I agree with all the others about emotional eating. The band does not stop that. The best thing I think I did during my journey (I was banded in Sept. of 09) was to invest $50.00 in cookbooks. My favorite is "Eating Well after Weight Loss Surgery". I remember being able to move from Clear liquids to Soups the week after my surgery. I made the chicken Artichoke Soup from the above cook book and I still fondly think about it as one of my best meals ever. I adore soups but HATE them from a can or bottle. They are high in sodium and low in flavor (for me) and I always make all my own soups. So, that was such a treat for me. Also, in this book, they have flavorful recipes that are just as good pureed. The authors break it down in terms of how much you should eat based on what surgery you had. 15 months later and I still use these recipes. Another good thing I did was join this forum and also search around on the internet for information.

Lastly, I am a visual learner and I still like books. (you know, the old fashioned kind with words on paper) I just purchased Bandwagon--Strategies for Success with the Adjustable Gastric Band by Jean McMillan. I pull this book out for motivation when I need it. One of the most important thing the author wrote, which I repeat to myself daily, is "obesity is a chronic disease for which no cure currently exist. Weight loss surgery is a very effective treatmen tfor the symptoms of obesity but it does not guarantee recurrence of the disease itself. If your body fat exceed 25% for men or 30% for women, obestiy is your incurable disease. If you dont' take ownership of it, you will never take control of it, whether or not you have weight loss surgery".

So, my personal journey is accepting there is NO cure for this disease I have. I am a food addict, I eat when I am upset, I eat when I stressed. The band makes that more difficult but does NOT prevent me from doing that. Only I can do that, which sometimes I have the wherewithall to ignore, but sometimes I don't. I avoid beating myself up for slips because that was my entire existance before banding-eat, beat myself up, feel bad, stress, then eat again. So, if I chose to eat something I take responsibility and acknowledge it for what it was and move on and eat healthy again. I can't live in a bubble and I can force perfection on myself. That won't happen.

What has really rocked my world was reading the above quote and acknowledging the truth of it. I have a disease which has no cure. I was one of the fortunate ones that was given a tool in which to deal with the symptom of this disease (excess fat) but the true "treatment" lies in my head. Hard thing to deal with.

However, I am on this journey and will not ever let this gift (my band) I have been given slip through my fingers. So many people in the world want and need this surgery and by some miracle, I was given the opportunity to have it paid by my insurance. It if a life saver since I started at 309 pounds as was probably aiming for a heart attack. (my father had his first at 50 and I am 9 years away from that) I am down 95 pounds and although I sometimes think if I had bypass I would have lost that weight in 6 months instead of 15, I am on my way to my goal. I have 28 more pounds to go. My confidence is up and my health is better. My brain on the other hand, is harder to deal with, but I continue to try to "rewire" myself. But remember, there is no cure....my mantra!!!

Thank you for this! You are so right on it being a disease, and we need to realize how to cope and be successful.

I have found it helpful to not be so strict with myself. I realize I won't be one of those lap banders who has lost 100 lbs in 6 months, but I can still lose weight and enjoy eating good tasting things during my journey. I don't deprive myself of things I want, I just learn to enjoy them in moderation.

And as much as I don't enjoy exercise at all, it really has helped me to continue to lose weight and make me feel so much better.

Lastly, I am a visual learner and I still like books. (you know, the old fashioned kind with words on paper) I just purchased Bandwagon--Strategies for Success with the Adjustable Gastric Band by Jean McMillan. I pull this book out for motivation when I need it. One of the most important thing the author wrote, which I repeat to myself daily, is "obesity is a chronic disease for which no cure currently exist. Weight loss surgery is a very effective treatmen tfor the symptoms of obesity but it does not guarantee recurrence of the disease itself. If your body fat exceed 25% for men or 30% for women, obestiy is your incurable disease. If you dont' take ownership of it, you will never take control of it, whether or not you have weight loss surgery".

So, my personal journey is accepting there is NO cure for this disease I have. I am a food addict, I eat when I am upset, I eat when I stressed. The band makes that more difficult but does NOT prevent me from doing that. Only I can do that, which sometimes I have the wherewithall to ignore, but sometimes I don't. I avoid beating myself up for slips because that was my entire existance before banding-eat, beat myself up, feel bad, stress, then eat again. So, if I chose to eat something I take responsibility and acknowledge it for what it was and move on and eat healthy again. I can't live in a bubble and I can force perfection on myself. That won't happen.

What has really rocked my world was reading the above quote and acknowledging the truth of it. I have a disease which has no cure. I was one of the fortunate ones that was given a tool in which to deal with the symptom of this disease (excess fat) but the true "treatment" lies in my head. Hard thing to deal with.

However, I am on this journey and will not ever let this gift (my band) I have been given slip through my fingers. So many people in the world want and need this surgery and by some miracle, I was given the opportunity to have it paid by my insurance. It if a life saver since I started at 309 pounds as was probably aiming for a heart attack. (my father had his first at 50 and I am 9 years away from that) I am down 95 pounds and although I sometimes think if I had bypass I would have lost that weight in 6 months instead of 15, I am on my way to my goal. I have 28 more pounds to go. My confidence is up and my health is better. My brain on the other hand, is harder to deal with, but I continue to try to "rewire" myself. But remember, there is no cure....my mantra!!!

"So, my personal journey is accepting there is NO cure for this disease I have. I am a food addict, I eat when I am upset, I eat when I stressed. The band makes that more difficult but does NOT prevent me from doing that. Only I can do that, which sometimes I have the wherewithall to ignore, but sometimes I don't. I avoid beating myself up for slips because that was my entire existance before banding-eat, beat myself up, feel bad, stress, then eat again. So, if I chose to eat something I take responsibility and acknowledge it for what it was and move on and eat healthy again. I can't live in a bubble and I can force perfection on myself. That won't happen."

I have never heard it so well put or succinct. Thank you. I totally agree.

~fran

If all medications came in liquid or solutab! That would be really helpful in this journey.

I wish there was one universal lap band regiment that ALL surgeons and nutritionists used. It seems like each of our surgeons and nutritionists require different calorie, fat, and carb intakes. Some allow soups, some don't. Some allow red meat, some don't. It makes it hard to know what is right and what is wrong.