I have noticed several stages with the lapband-the stages tend to vary from person to person, but this is what I have come up with so far:

• Stage 1 - excitement!! You can't wai tto get through all your appoinments and make this life changing committment!
• Stage 2- doubt, right before surgery you begin to second guess yourself and wonder if you are really making the right decision and wondering why you can't do this on your own
• Stage 3- Amazed that you actually went through the surgery hoping it was the right decision and worried about healing and eating the right foods
• Stage 4- it's been a few weeks and you haven't lost that much. You are wondering if you are going to be one of the ones who struggle even with the band. You might feel frustrated at the slow weight loss and only hope that a a fill will help.
• Stage 5 - you got your fill!! At this stage you either feel some restriction and are very hopeful (at least for the first few days) or feel nothing and are wondering when the heck the band is going to start to do something-anything-you are hungry!
• Stage 6 - You cheated with some food that you know darn well that you shouldn't have eaten! You may be feeling low at this point and a little disappointed in the band and in yourself. You can't wait until your next fill! You may also be hard on yourself thinking that you had surgery and still are having problems losing the weight!
• Stage 7- I haven't gotten to this stage yet but I sure hope it brings me a little closer to the "Promised Bandland" Some good weight loss would be welcomed!

Please feel free to add some stages!!

I am amazed at how little info you get from the doctors prior to surgery. With the band you really need to know that the weight won't come off quickly (for most bandsters) and it will take several months to get into the zone. The trick is to stay motivated and committed to the process. For every bad choice you make you need to think about how you could have handled it better and plan for the future so it doesn't happen again. Once you reach stages 4-6 you need to ask yourself a few questions such as:

• Am I drinking enough Water? How much water did I drink today? Is there a better way I can prepare for my water intake?
• Am I waiting 30-45 minutes to drink liquids after I eat?
• Am I planning meals? Are these meals high in Protein? Am I eating my protein first?
• How am I doing with my vitamins-am I taking them every day?
• Am I trying to do a little exercise?

Every morning that you wake up take a few moments to recommitt yourself to this process-it can work and others have had the same roadblocks and have gone through the same struggles and self-doubt-but the secret is to not et your fears take over. You really are so much stronger than you know!! The fact that you even had this surgery is a huge indicator of your commitment. Keep positive thoughts in your life as you journey to the Promised Bandland!!

This is very well said!

I couldn't have said it better! That is exactly what I went through lol. I am on the same boat as you with the next stage. Weight loss has been gradual

and good for me so far and I am so thankful. Hope yours has been too

Looks like you have a good handle on the Whole Idea!

I like how you've organized the concepts....except re: "Stage 6 - You cheated with some food that you know darn well that you shouldn't have eaten!"

Except for the early restrictions postOp, Bandster Life is not like any other 'diet world'....

Bandsters can and do eat nearly any imaginable kind of food. More important, it's the amount we eat, and the reason we we eat that is far more important than 'what' we eat....although the 'twinkies-ice cream-cookies' theme of course must be rationally moderated.

Stages of Banding, by Jessie Ahroni, RN, PhD.

Discovering the Band

Wondering if this is for me

Investigation

Doing serious research

Joining a support group

Getting hopeful

Finding a doctor

Shock at the price

Deciding to do it

Making the arrangements

Wondering if you made the right decision

Getting nervous

Going ahead with it

Waking up and wondering what the hell you did to yourself.

Post-op discomfort

Month of liquids- not being able to strictly adhere

Wondering if you've been scammed again

Seeing a little success

Getting your first fill

Changing your eating habits

Seeing more success

Getting second fill

Really losing

Seriously changing your eating habits

Being totally euphoric about your weight loss

Changing your thinking about eating

Wanting to tell every fat person you meet about the band

Realizing you really can't eat

Worrying about nutrition

Learning to eat healthy and wise

Finding other ways to meet your emotional needs

Realizing it takes a long time to lose 100lbs

Trudging along

My clothes are too big

Buying new clothes

Oops, I bought too much too soon...now these are too big

Buying more clothes

Getting near goal

Enjoying all the compliments

Feeling successful

Getting aggressive

Not taking crap from anybody

Realizing you can be assertive without steam rolling everybody

Finding balance

Wondering what comes next

There are other stages and everybody does not go through them in the same order or even go through all the stages.

Some people might have stages to add....and there is some looping back and forth. But these are common stages that Bandsters go through.

I would add stage where you greive over the loss of food as your comfort, entertainment, distraction....etc. And find other ways of coping and enjoying yourself. I think this is a stage that really has to come before you are able to recognize your sweet spot but can come almost anywhere on the list. I think I am in your final stage, it isn't completely smooth sailing but I have enough restriction and am loosing 2 lbs a week. I have gone a week without getting stuck or being overly full, my goal right now is to stop when satisfied and to take as long as it takes to eat, no rushing. Exercise is now something I crave so I hope it lasts for the rest of my life. I also see that there is at least one more phase, maintenance. I have no real clue about that one other than I will have to again change my relationship with food a bit.

I have noticed several stages with the lapband-the stages tend to vary from person to person, but this is what I have come up with so far:

• Stage 1 - excitement!! You can't wai tto get through all your appoinments and make this life changing committment!
• Stage 2- doubt, right before surgery you begin to second guess yourself and wonder if you are really making the right decision and wondering why you can't do this on your own
• Stage 3- Amazed that you actually went through the surgery hoping it was the right decision and worried about healing and eating the right foods
• Stage 4- it's been a few weeks and you haven't lost that much. You are wondering if you are going to be one of the ones who struggle even with the band. You might feel frustrated at the slow weight loss and only hope that a a fill will help.
• Stage 5 - you got your fill!! At this stage you either feel some restriction and are very hopeful (at least for the first few days) or feel nothing and are wondering when the heck the band is going to start to do something-anything-you are hungry!
• Stage 6 - You cheated with some food that you know darn well that you shouldn't have eaten! You may be feeling low at this point and a little disappointed in the band and in yourself. You can't wait until your next fill! You may also be hard on yourself thinking that you had surgery and still are having problems losing the weight!
• Stage 7- I haven't gotten to this stage yet but I sure hope it brings me a little closer to the "Promised Bandland" Some good weight loss would be welcomed!

Please feel free to add some stages!!

I am amazed at how little info you get from the doctors prior to surgery. With the band you really need to know that the weight won't come off quickly (for most bandsters) and it will take several months to get into the zone. The trick is to stay motivated and committed to the process. For every bad choice you make you need to think about how you could have handled it better and plan for the future so it doesn't happen again. Once you reach stages 4-6 you need to ask yourself a few questions such as:

• Am I drinking enough Water? How much water did I drink today? Is there a better way I can prepare for my water intake?
• Am I waiting 30-45 minutes to drink liquids after I eat?
• Am I planning meals? Are these meals high in Protein? Am I eating my protein first?
• How am I doing with my vitamins-am I taking them every day?
• Am I trying to do a little exercise?

Every morning that you wake up take a few moments to recommitt yourself to this process-it can work and others have had the same roadblocks and have gone through the same struggles and self-doubt-but the secret is to not et your fears take over. You really are so much stronger than you know!! The fact that you even had this surgery is a huge indicator of your commitment. Keep positive thoughts in your life as you journey to the Promised Bandland!!

Very insightful. Thank you so much. Continued good luck and good thoughts!

Melissa - thanks for sharing that info! I can't wait to get to "Being totally euphoric about your weight loss."

I think the most important thing to realize is that this IS a process and ike Jack said "This is not ike any other diet."

Stages of Banding, by Jessie Ahroni, RN, PhD.

Discovering the Band

Wondering if this is for me

Investigation

Doing serious research

Joining a support group

Getting hopeful

Finding a doctor

Shock at the price

Deciding to do it

Making the arrangements

Wondering if you made the right decision

Getting nervous

Going ahead with it

Waking up and wondering what the hell you did to yourself.

Post-op discomfort

Month of liquids- not being able to strictly adhere

Wondering if you've been scammed again

Seeing a little success

Getting your first fill

Changing your eating habits

Seeing more success

Getting second fill

Really losing

Seriously changing your eating habits

Being totally euphoric about your weight loss

Changing your thinking about eating

Wanting to tell every fat person you meet about the band

Realizing you really can't eat

Worrying about nutrition

Learning to eat healthy and wise

Finding other ways to meet your emotional needs

Realizing it takes a long time to lose 100lbs

Trudging along

My clothes are too big

Buying new clothes

Oops, I bought too much too soon...now these are too big

Buying more clothes

Getting near goal

Enjoying all the compliments

Feeling successful

Getting aggressive

Not taking crap from anybody

Realizing you can be assertive without steam rolling everybody

Finding balance

Wondering what comes next

There are other stages and everybody does not go through them in the same order or even go through all the stages.

Some people might have stages to add....and there is some looping back and forth. But these are common stages that Bandsters go through.

Great list! Even found myself chuckling in parts cause I so identified! Thanks! And super congrats on your AMAZING success! I haven't looked for it, but hope there is a section of success stories and what life is like after reaching goal==you should make an entry in that one!

I must be really weird. I haven't had any periods of doubt or nervousness, except for being overly cautious about eating certain things. I did do a lot of research before I made this decision. I guess I knew for a long time that I would probably need some kind of WLS, so I had prepared myself a while ago...

This is a really interesting post though, I loved reading your list.

I didn't have the doubt and neverous stuff, early research and just plain sttuborn about what I want to get done. For me some of the stuff came really early like "aggressive". Great info here.

I have noticed several stages with the lapband-the stages tend to vary from person to person, but this is what I have come up with so far:

• Stage 1 - excitement!! You can't wai tto get through all your appoinments and make this life changing committment!
• Stage 2- doubt, right before surgery you begin to second guess yourself and wonder if you are really making the right decision and wondering why you can't do this on your own
• Stage 3- Amazed that you actually went through the surgery hoping it was the right decision and worried about healing and eating the right foods
• Stage 4- it's been a few weeks and you haven't lost that much. You are wondering if you are going to be one of the ones who struggle even with the band. You might feel frustrated at the slow weight loss and only hope that a a fill will help.
• Stage 5 - you got your fill!! At this stage you either feel some restriction and are very hopeful (at least for the first few days) or feel nothing and are wondering when the heck the band is going to start to do something-anything-you are hungry!
• Stage 6 - You cheated with some food that you know darn well that you shouldn't have eaten! You may be feeling low at this point and a little disappointed in the band and in yourself. You can't wait until your next fill! You may also be hard on yourself thinking that you had surgery and still are having problems losing the weight!
• Stage 7- I haven't gotten to this stage yet but I sure hope it brings me a little closer to the "Promised Bandland" Some good weight loss would be welcomed!

Please feel free to add some stages!!

I am amazed at how little info you get from the doctors prior to surgery. With the band you really need to know that the weight won't come off quickly (for most bandsters) and it will take several months to get into the zone. The trick is to stay motivated and committed to the process. For every bad choice you make you need to think about how you could have handled it better and plan for the future so it doesn't happen again. Once you reach stages 4-6 you need to ask yourself a few questions such as:

• Am I drinking enough Water? How much water did I drink today? Is there a better way I can prepare for my water intake?
• Am I waiting 30-45 minutes to drink liquids after I eat?
• Am I planning meals? Are these meals high in Protein? Am I eating my protein first?
• How am I doing with my vitamins-am I taking them every day?
• Am I trying to do a little exercise?

Every morning that you wake up take a few moments to recommitt yourself to this process-it can work and others have had the same roadblocks and have gone through the same struggles and self-doubt-but the secret is to not et your fears take over. You really are so much stronger than you know!! The fact that you even had this surgery is a huge indicator of your commitment. Keep positive thoughts in your life as you journey to the Promised Bandland!!

Love your post, so true. Even though I tried to research as much as I could, I felt a little deserted once I was banded. You summed it up well. I was banded May 11, dropped about 15 pounds or so rather quickly - water, I guess - got my first fill mid-June. Had my first episode of the sliming etc only yesterday. Don't want to do that again. I feel like I stil l eat too much, so I need to make a very conscious effort to eat slower, chew better and really be aware of what I'm eating. I slacked off proteins too. I was hoping to be down another 10 before I go back to the doctor...Hmmm...I wonder if I can still do that.

I had a stage when I was in the mushy phase and back to work, which is packed with office provided Snacks, that I actually was hit face first with the reality that I'm addicted to food. I had this stage for about a week where I cried over realizing the addiction and trying to train myself on the difference between real hunger and head hunger. I still deal with the "OMG that smells/looks great, I must have it" feelings. I wrote a letter to the office snacks telling them we had to break up. The letter was pretty vulgar (e.g. - F U office Cheetos for giving me back fat, hahah). I seriously did that and then threw the letter away, and I now stay away from the office goodies. Another thing I did was imagine all of the dirty birdies in this world who don't wash their hands after the restroom, and that their hot mess gets on the snack packaging when they rummage through the snack basket Awesome diversion technique.

I think this stage is the hardest when realized when you're still on mushies and would give anything to bite into something and chew - not just gum at food.

Great list and discussion starter OP!!

ROFLMAO @ isit5yet! I need to do that to Apple Pie & Ice Cream!

This is so true! I am still grieving after almost a year.

I would add stage where you greive over the loss of food as your comfort, entertainment, distraction....etc. And find other ways of coping and enjoying yourself. I think this is a stage that really has to come before you are able to recognize your sweet spot but can come almost anywhere on the list. I think I am in your final stage, it isn't completely smooth sailing but I have enough restriction and am loosing 2 lbs a week. I have gone a week without getting stuck or being overly full, my goal right now is to stop when satisfied and to take as long as it takes to eat, no rushing. Exercise is now something I crave so I hope it lasts for the rest of my life. I also see that there is at least one more phase, maintenance. I have no real clue about that one other than I will have to again change my relationship with food a bit.