The Band as a Tool

[MelissaNY 16]

Here you go

Will send body shots soon but you can tell a lot from the face.

wow !!! great job !!! good for you =)

[hopetolose 192]

You look awsome! But u need to smile! u just lost 30 lbs! Smile

I agree also how the mindset has changed. even when I was going thru bad two weeks, I didnt indulge in the white stuff that much. but now that I got my last fill, I cant even touch the stuff anyway

congrats to you thee-o!

[brenda62 47]

Great post! I hope it is well read, there are so many people out in the band world that this would help. This is the way the band has been for me also, you feel so much better when you eat right. Keep up the great work!

[LapBandBobbi 8]

Great pics and great comments! Keep up the good work!

[LVGirl 4]

Today is my 2 month anniversary of getting my surgery. Since then I have lost almost 30 lbs, a couple of inches and also gained a lot of "You look great" comments. I decided on not getting a fill on my 6 week visit but I am going to see my surgeon next week to see where we are at.

The band has been great for me, but I don't think in the ways many people would think. Has it cut my appetite? Sure it has. That is what it is meant for. But a lot of other things changed for me after I got my band! Myself as a person, changed first and foremost. I think what the band has done for me more than anything is change my thinking. I gave up things that I don't really have to with the lap band. I can't really say why either, but I know I needed a change. I know I needed this to be more than just "well I can eat less but still eat crap". I needed to change my head and it is funny how a piece of plastic around my stomach can change that.

I have given up what a friend of mine calls the "white devils". Sugar, Rice, Potatoes and bread. This was not something I was planning on doing. It was something that kind of happened naturally after I healed from surgery. I am not sure what triggered this but I am glad it happened. I also started working out. A LOT. At least 4 days a week. It has now become somewhat of a addiction. I feel like I need to get my "sweat on" and if I don't I feel like I let myself down. I also started counting calories and that has helped a lot. Again not something you have to do with the lap band and not something I was planning on but it just happened.

Restriction is great, but the real deal for the lap band in my case has been the change in my head. The lap band is my daily reminder to do right, to stay on the difficult path and to move in positive directions. It came upon at the right time of my life where I was truly ready for change. I don't think the band would have worked for me if my head wasn't ready to make this all possible. The band is a tool. It doesn't do the work for you. It can't change your habits if you don't want them to change. It can't stop you from eating that cookie if you can't stop yourself. I guess those of us who have had the lap band use it differently. I just know it didn't just affect my hunger and I for one, am very happy about it.

AMEN!!! You look great, btw

[sandy1 1]

WOW great post. Thanks you are an inspiration!! Congratulations on your weight loss and on your exercise level.

[Thee-O 15]

Thank you for all the love and support. The people on this forum have been great and always supportive. It means a lot.

[klariade 7]

All so true. I also notice my mindset beginning to change after I was banded. I was (and still am to some degree) a serious carb-aholic. After I was banded, I didn't miss the bread and Pasta anymore. I still have it sometimes, but it's not worth the extra calories (and possibility of getting majorly stuck) most of the time. I found the by not being able to eat as much, I was forced to deal with my emotions in other ways. It helped me grow emotionally as a person while physically I was shrinking.

[sweetpea61956 6]

looking Good!!!!

Here you go

Will send body shots soon but you can tell a lot from the face.

[sweetpea61956 6]

here is mindset change...on Father's day, I took my husband to Joe's Crabshack..they have what they call "steam pots" here is what is in an example... 2 whole lobsters, 1 pound of clams, shrimp and smoked sausage, red potatoes and corn on the cob....anyway in the past we each had one and so did his 15 yr old...well this time, I had grilled mahi mahi and didn't eat all of it...and as I watched them eat...I was in awe...thinking..gessh how can they eat all that? Almost made me sick watching...

Congrats your changes and you weight loss