I went to a support group today and sat next to someone who was a previous lap bander. It was removed due to some problems she was having. She is now considering the sleeve. She said she was hungry all the time with the band. Has anyone else had this problem. I am suppose to have band surgery in December and now I am worried about being hungry all the time.

Tell me about your band experience.

No I am not hungry all the time. I eat much smaller portions than before the band and stay satisfied for a lot longer. That isn't to say that if someone put chocolate or cake or something yummy in front of me I wouldn't want some because I probably would. But that is not hunger , that is "head hunger" which is completely different. With the band it is a lot easier to say no - it puts you back in control.

The advantage to the sleeve over the band is that you don't need fills so you feel the benefits almost immediately. With the band you have to go for fills so it can take longer to feel the full benefit.

It is possible however to eat around(cheat) both these types of WLS. Whatever you choose you have to be prepared to put in the work and follow the rules given to you by your Dr. The surgery is not a magic wand it is a tool that you have to utilise correctly to get the maximum benefit.

Good luck on deciding what you think is the solution best suited to you.

I do not feel hunger at all now, but I did and struggled to 'behave' and eat like I was supposed to until the 1st fill. After the 1st fill, I began to feel that subside a bit. I've had 3 fills and will have my 4th this week. I am very close to the best fill level for me - I suspect I'll only need .5cc this time. And hopefully I'll be skating in the green zone. The key is to eat as you are instructed during that period before the fills really kick in and the physical huger is repressed. I worked hard just to keep the lbs off I'd lost the 1st week after the surgery, but with time it got so much better. Keep your appointments for fills - critical to get the maximum benefit from the band.

Too often the failure of the lapband to "work" has more to do with people not following through with appointments, failure to eat as instructed, and failure to recognize it takes time to get this right. Patience is of the essence. Far too often newbie lapbanders are expecting gastric bypass results - ie; quick weight loss. There's nothing quick about it. It is deceiving at 1st because you do loose a lot right after the surgery during the liquid phase, but that is short lived. There is a slowdown for most of us far a couple weeks. (For me it was a complete halt!) But if we eat like we've been instructed to, it starts up again at about 1 - 2 lbs a week - a very respectable and healthy weight loss without loosing any part of your stomach!

There is a CBS story stating that 1 in 50 people undergoing GBS (Gastric Bypass Surgery) die within one month, and the number is greater if the

surgeon is inexperienced. Look up "Weight loss surgery CBS" on Google. No WLS is absolutely foolproof. Lap band surgery has proven to be safer

than any other. One of the problems is that LBS is easier to preform and some surgeons with less than adequate training, are performing it.

One way to protect yourself is to seek out a Center of Excellence. The ACS has a website that names the CoEs in each state, where the proper

education, physical and physiological examination is given each patient, greatly improving their chances of success.

Not generally. I get appropriately hungry - at mealtimes when I havent eaten for hours.

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post. You all helped and I appreciate you. I hope I can do as well as all of you. Thank you again.

I do not have any fills and find that I get hungry less often than before the band. The only time I am really hungry is if it is time for a meal (like 5-6 hours after the last time I ate). Other than that...no hunger here!

Awesome. thank you for the reply and keep up the good work.

I do not have any fills and find that I get hungry less often than before the band. The only time I am really hungry is if it is time for a meal (like 5-6 hours after the last time I ate). Other than that...no hunger here!

Cynthia,

I am quite the opposite, I am very rarely hungry. I can go 2-3 day without eating and not get hungry

Funny you should ask because today I was realy hungry for the first time in a while. I only had yogurt for breakfast and around 3pm I could hear my stomache growling-I was really hungry. I remember thinking that is was weird because I usually don't get hungry.

In the beginning stages (prior to a good fill) you may feel hungry more often and that is completely normal.

Yes, you can eat around the band because ice cream, candy, etc. seem to go down real easy-but if you eat proetins first it will curb the urges.

I saw a teacher I work with and I always thought she had surgery-she had lost a lot of weight-but I noticed that she is putting in back on. That's where having the option of getting a fill is awesome. People who get gastic bypass don't have that option at later stages, That's why I love the band-there is an adjustment option that other surgeries simply don' have.