HELLO MY NAME IS CARLOS AND I GOT BANDED ON JANUARY 4TH 2011.I THOUGHT THE LAP BAND WOULD WORK INSTANTLY AND REMOVE THE POUNDS IMMEDIATELY BOY WAS I WRONG. I STARTED OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT TO BEGIN WITH. I NEVER FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH THE PRE-OP DIET INSTEAD I ATE UNTILL THE LAST DAY AS MUCH AS I COULD CAUSE I KNEW I WOULDNT BE ABLE TO EAT FOR A WHILE THAT WAS STRIKE ON. THEN AFTER GETTING THE BAND I ATE SOUP 3DAYS AFTER THE PROCEDURE I COULDNT TAKE THE HUNGER PAINS THAT WAS STRIKE TWO. THEN I WENT FOR MY FIRST FILL AND GOT 2CC'S INTO THE BAND AND FELT MINOR RESTRICTION BUT CONTINUED TO EAT AND EXPECTED TO LOSE WEIGHT.I LOST WEIGHT BUT NOT LIKE I THOUGHT I WOULD.I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE THE PEOPLE ON THE BILLBOARD BY THE 2ND MONTH WHAT WAS I THINKING I KEPT GOING IN FOR FILL AFTER FILL I AM AT 7CC'S MY BAND HOLDS 14 SO I AM AT HALF. I STARTED OFF AT 296 POUNDS AND HIT A ROUGH SPOT AT 265 AND COULDNT LOSE WEIGHT AND COULDNT FIGURE OUT WHY BUT ITS BECAUSE I DIDNT WANT TO SEE WHY. I WAS EATING EVERYTHING THAT I WAS EATING BEFORE THE LAP BAND AND I DIDNT EXERCISE AT ALL I EXPECTED THE LAP BAND TO DO ALL THE WORK. SO INSTEAD OF GOING IN FOR ANOTHER FILL I STARTED WORKING OUT AND RUNNING AND ATE HEALTHY LIKE I WAS SUPPOSED TO I AM STILL AT 7CC'S AND DOWN TO 241 POUNDS. I HAVE LOST A TOTAL OF 55 POUNDS IN 5 AND A HALF MONTHS I GO TO THE GYM EVERY DAY AND HERES THE KICKER MY JOB PAYS FOR MY 24 HOUR FITTNESS MEMBERSHIP. I WAS WRONG TO THINK THAT THE LAP BAND WOULD DO ALL THE WORK IT WASNT TILL I DIDNT SEE PROGRESS THAT I REALIZED THAT IT WAS JUST A TOOL IT TAKES A LOT OF HARD WORK AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS TO LOSE THE WEIGHT. IM NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND SAY THAT I HAVE NEVER GAVE IN TO TEMPTATION CAUSE I HAVE BUT I HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT I HAVE A GOAL TO ACCOMPLISH. FOR THOSE WHO ARE THINKING OF GETTING THE LAP BAND I HOPE THIS STORY HELPS ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS AND FOR THOSE THAT ALREADY HAVE THE LAP BAND MAY THIS HELP MOTIVATE YOU IF YOU ARE STRUGGLEING

Thank you so much for sharing. I put a post just yesterday titled "I made the call..". I had an epiphany 3 days ago and your forum is the very thing I learned. I was turned off to the lap band be cause of 3 ppl. But now I see the problem is there approach. I meant another who has lost an ennormous amount of weight and when her and I were talking, she said, "8 knew what I needed to do to lose weight, but I needed this TOOL to help me" WOW! TOOL! It all hit me. So I made the phone call. My BMI is 45 and I am sure was never below 40 in the past 5 years. I have BCBS, so I feel like they will approve me. I am anxious and excited. I am glad it all worked for you and thank you again for sharing this info. You have saved many os us from some heart ache and frustration.

I'm a little scared that you were able to get the surgery and fills done while having the completely wrong idea about how the band works. My surgeon made me take a test! No lie! Glad you're on the right track now

Rachel..."Knowing Facts" vs "Gettng It" are 2 different things...I am totally understanding what Carlos is saying.....my light bulb moment was very recently and I am a successful bandster x 2!!!!!

Keep on going Carlos, you are going to be a success!!!

Mimi

I'm a little scared that you were able to get the surgery and fills done while having the completely wrong idea about how the band works. My surgeon made me take a test! No lie! Glad you're on the right track now

scared why? anyone can lie. politicians do it all the time. they tell us what we want to hear same thing with a surgeon he asked me why i wanted to go with the lap band and my answer was that i wanted to be healthier and avoid diabetis. but in reality i wanted the lap band to lose weight with out going to the gym and not diet. see your way of thinking that your doing the right thing and i was doing the wrong thing i would never judge anyone for their reasons or motives i had an awakening but it was my awakening not yours or anyone elses it lit a fire under my butt and it worked for me. please remember that surgeons do this procedure for money not because they want to fight obeseity if a surgeon where to deny everyone he felt was being dishonest he would not be in business

My response was in no way directed towards you- it was directed towards your surgeon, and from your post, it sounded like he (?) did your surgery with no real education about what you were getting yourself into! It scares me and makes me sad, all these patients out there with a band around their stomachs who just haven't been prepared for what comes next. Again, I don't hold the patients responsible for that, I hold the surgeons responsible.

Ooooooo-kay then! Have a great evening!

again i dont see how u can blame the surgeon when i told him every thing he wanted to hear how is he is a surgeon not a judge of character u have it all wrong patients need to take accountibility for their actions i know for a fact that at one point or another you have twisted words to your convinience and get what you wanted you. its sounds to me that your confusing your values with everyone elses

Well first off CONGRATS on being banded and also on ur 'lightbulb moment'. Now to my PERSONAL OPINION. I do think you were well miss informed when you did get the band as many others would agree. I myself haven't been banded yet but I'm lloking foward to it because I've been struggling with losing and keeping this weight off. You sir sat in your surgeon's face and lie just to get an 'easy fix' was very wrong and you are part of the reason why people like me and Rachel and many others have to jump through hoops. Don't sit here and have a name like " god give me strength" but yet you jump on people for stating their opinions. That's all I'm saying

God give ME strength as I cannot understand the purpose of this post as you seem to not want to hear what others are offering to you