I had some what of a flash of insight tonight. It was sparked by a thread called Magic Pill.... http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14566

It occurs to me that in fact, the band is taking the easy way to weight loss.

I mean, I can't even begin to count the number of people who've lost 50, 75, 100, 150, even 200 pounds with the band. For the first time ever for so many people, they have success. Not only have they lost the weight, but they have kept it off. They have success. For many, it is the first time they have kept the weight off.

So, what's so wrong about taking the easy way? Why does it make it better if it's a struggle than if it is easy to lose weight. Is the weight loss less valuable, less worthy of celibration than if every ounce is a struggle like mine?

Why do we get so defensive about this? Why must we holler and shout whenever someone says WLS is taking the easy way? Is it because it is less noble than folks who do this withought the extra tools and support that WLS provide?

How many people do we have that have lost weight with the band, but never could seem to lose without it? I know tha6t we have many people that have lost and gained weight over and over without the tool.

Has it been harder for people to lose weight with the band, than without? It is my understanding that it is easier for most folks to lose with than without. Our friends who've had the RNY or some other GB lose even faster than we do. Doesn't that make it at some level easier?

Do we feel on some level that it isn't "honest" weightloss, or do we perceive that the the general attitude of the public? I mean, after all, we all see the magazines in the check-out isle that So-and-So lost 100 pounds WITHOUT drugs or WLS.

I would like to explore these with you. Why do we get so defensive about our WLS? Why do we get so defensive about not taking "the easy way" out?

Of course, what the hell do I know. I can't even manage to lose a full 30 pounds.

I'd like to sit on whoever says WLS is the easy way out, and ask them do i fell any lighter. 7 months after surgery I'm stressing about gaining and losing weight, eating and exercise.....The easy way out of what....my butt:think

I love my band and I'm glad I did it but it is not easy. Easy is sitting around eating what I want and poof the weight is gone and my body is perfect not sagging where the fat once filled it out.:faint:

East is sitting around eating what I want and poof the weight is gone and my body is perfect not sagging where the fat once filled it out.

No, that's not easy, that's not even realistic. Although we do have some bandsters who've lost weight that way.

Of course there is hard for for many of us. I'm talking about "relatively" easy, if that makes it more tollerable for some.

Yes mam technically it does make it easier.

I had an interesting conversation with the fitness director at the gym I work at today. I work out quite a bit, more than the average joe for sure. I'm at the gym 5 days a week at least, sometimes more. Last week I did 7.5 hours of t-shirt soaking cardio, and 3 hours of weight training. I think my average calorie intake a day last week was around 1300 calories. I gained 2lbs....actually I gained 6lbs, but 4lbs came off over the weekend so I'm guessing it was Water weight.

Anyway I was talking to the fitness director and telling her this. She said, well maybe you aren't eating enough. Okay, maybe. I really want to get my metabolic rate checked soon. Get this...she eats around 1800-2000 calories a day, and runs 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. She didn't mention if she did any weight training. So lets review, she eats 500-700 calories MORE a day than me, and did 2 hours of cardio versis my 7.5. She weighs maybe 110 soaking wet?

The lapband is not the easy way out, because as you can see above I am working it hard. I try to stick mainly to protiens, I don't drink any calories except the occasional protien shake. Overall I'm eating healthier than I have ever eaten in my entire life. I'm a bit on the frustrated side right now because of the weight gain. I had someone say something today that implied that this was the easy way and it kinda of bugged me...mainly because I don't think this is the EASY way.

dragonwillow, the trainer was probably right. are you going to up your calories?

Exactly right, Dana2! The band is a medical tool - like the procedures you mentioned and just basic medications! We as "bandies" have no need to drop our heads in shame!! (Didn't we do enough of that when we were at our heaviest?) We have a duty to ourselves, as human beings, to take care of this vehicle that we (our minds and souls) travel around in!! If that means taking an antiobiotic, or putting on make up, or having the band procedure it is my RIGHT to do the best I can for me and the rest of the world can go hang!! It is no one else's business!!

We all know our feeling and reasons for having the surgery to begin with. (Think about them for just a moment......) Now, are you sorry that you had the surgery???? The only way other people can make us feel bad is if we let them do it!!!! Do not let people, even those with "the best intentions," make you feel unworthy of feeling good about yourself and your accomplishments! It doesn't matter if you have lost 20 lbs and have 100 to go, or lost 100 and have 20 to go -- improving YOUR life took, and takes, daily effort and work!!

Be proud of what you have accomplished; what you are accomplishing; and who you are!!!! No matter what your size, you have the right to be happy with yourself and feel good!!!! Do not give anyone the power to take that away from you!!!!

God bless us each and everyone!!!!!

Terri

I need to put my 2 cents in here. I don't care if this is the easy way or the hard way or the sorta easy sorta hard way. I had a heart attack 3 years ago. I have a wife and 2 children and I want to spend many more years with them. I have been on a million diet plans I have walked/ran thousands of miles and I have lifted more weights than most could imagine. I know that obese people spend for more time trying to get healthy then most non obese people. I know that there are many factors that come in to play that have made me obese and I know that the reasons people are obese are very unique to the individual.

I want to live for many more years and I was willing to let someone cut me open and wrap a band around my stomach so I would have a better chance of survival. If anyone tells you this is the easy way you tell them for me that they can kis my Big Fat (Soon to be less so) ass

I get fired up about it because I resent like hell being judged by other people (who are usually bloody hypocrites anyway.)

Or to do a cycling class at 260lbs.

I know what you mean about gym-rats. The teacher of my spin class gave me grief about only doing 15 minutes of the class & then moving on to a treadmill. At least I was moving! And then I found out that the bikes were only rated for up to 250 pounds, lol. I'm lucky mine didn't collapse under me! :eek:

Hi Vine,

The easy way out is to stay fat and keep eating crap. LOL The lapband made it somewhat easier to lose the weight, but keeping it off is the hardest thing I have had to do so far and I fight this battle everyday. I am sitting here eating ham blocks instead of the pop tart I really wanted. The lapband really is a tool only. You get what you put into it and it did help me get a jumpstart on the weight loss, but the band didnt take my butt to the gym for two years, nor did it make my food choices. I dont care what anyone thinks about how I got there.

Babs in TX

No one wants to be a "cheater" - we all want to be known for our "fair play."

Next time someone tells you WLS is cheating, say it would only be cheating if the game were fair and we all started at the same place.

:eek:

WOW,. this is an interesting thread. Thanks so much, Vinequeen for posting it - sure giving me a lot to think about - here is my 2 cents.

Easy, hmmm - was the decision to have the band easy after trying virtually every diet known to man from WW to Jenny Craig to pills to Nutrisystems to LA Weightloss to going it alone, etc, etc... after being overweight my entire life (I weighted 29 lbs at 9 months old) and morbidily obese the last 20 years? YOU BET! I will use whatever I can to help get and keep the weight off.

After reading all the recent posts I can see that I have been very fortunate in my family, friends and support system. No one has ever said to me that I am taking the easy way out (of course, I probably would have slapped them silly, esp after spending a night in agony with severe chest pains because a small piece of bread was stuck in my chest (and believe me it will be a LONG time before I try bread again and it was toasted!!) I have never had this much success losing weight and even with all the side effects (PB's, sliming, frothing, etc) I LOVE my band and if it is considered easy, I will take it!!!

It is funny because after going thru the tests for the surgery, it was discovered that part of my problem is that my stomach emptys extremely fast. People would say only eat until you are full, and quite frankly until I had the band, I never had that overstuffed, OMG I can't eat another bite feeling (and it took me several weeks of PBing to figure out what that actually was - LOL). For the stomach emptying test, I was told to expect to be at the hospital for 4 hours, I was completely done in under 30 minutes - everyone was shocked and it was quite a revalation (sp?) to me.

Anyway, if this is the easy way out, I will take it. I will do anything to have a healthier, happier me who will be around long enough to see my 2 beautiful daughters grown and happy.

Good luck everyone on this incredible journey we are all on.

Julie

And about the people who get the band with only 60 or 80 pounds to lose. I used to think that was rediculous.. until I realized just how much my life would have changed had I been able to have this band when I was 23 and hit 200 the first time.

Thank you, it feels great to have support like that. :clap2:

As far as it really being easy...hmmmm...Maybe when I actually lose a pound I could let you know. :eek:

Someone that I told about the band said to me "Isn't that kind of like cheating?"

HA HA!! :eek:

How did I miss this post a second ago? That's a good one. Cheating like what? TrimSpa? Zantrex? Fiber pills? Phentermine? Mini-thins? Let's see what else have I tried... What have other's tried? hmmmmm..

Anyway, I am not laughing at you, that comment just really struck me. What a giggle. But I agree with you, if it is cheating, good for me. It's a much healthier way for me to cheat than all that speed I took. (I know, sad but true. :frusty: )

Next time someone tells you WLS is cheating, say it would only be cheating if the game were fair and we all started at the same place.

:eek:

Woo! That's awesome!

I"m still looking for why this is such an emotional issue.

Someone posted in another thread that weight loss and easy shouldn't ever go togehter. Why?

Why isn't it okay for weight loss to be easy? Is it that collectively we feel that it should be penence for the sin of gluttony?

Personally, I think that weightloss should be as easy and painless as possible, as permanent as possible.

Of course, all this is wishful thinking on my part.