Greetings. I am seriously considering having the Lapband surgery. I'm going to pour through the forums here as part of that activity. I've read a lot so far, and you all have a great resource here.

I'm a 52 yo male, 5'11", 290 lbs. Retired consulting engineer, turned personal chef. Live in South Jersey.

I'll post when I can and will certainly let you all know what I decide to do.

Best wishes.

Jack

Hi Jack and welcome to LBT

You will find by reading here that we all have a little bit different experience with the band. Some people work very hard with counting calories, exercising, and all the other things that go along with weightloss. Some people never count calories or exercise and the weight falls off effortlessly. Some people can no longer eat steak or bread. Some people can eat everything, but smaller portions. If you go with the band, you will not know which one of these types you will be until you are already banded. You have to be willing to be any of them for the band to work properly and the weight to come off. You are male and don't have 200 pounds to take off, so that is in your favor.

I would think that being a chef will help you a great deal if you have a lapband fitted. Think of all those great recipes you can invent for your different stages of recovery .

And you can share those wonderful recipes with us!!

I worked in the food industry for a while, years ago. gained a lot of weight. It's tough!

Seems like I was picking and tasting food all day. Sometimes a little more than tasting.

It's called "Grazing"

Lap Band surgery and "Grazing" go together like Water and oil!

Grazing is the lap-band patients worse nightmare. You will read stories about how one can cheat, or work around the band. Well, there it is!

When your band is adjusted and working properly, it controls your "Portion Control", that is, there is just so much food you can consume at the same sitting, fills your pouch. Overdo it and pay the consequences.

But there is nothing to stop you from grazing 8-12 hrs a day!

If you are a grazer, like I was working in a kitchen, you will have a problem.

Succesful bandsters have 3 maybe 4, very small well balanced meals a day, and that's it. Many still rely on Protein shakes as Meal Replacements. I do at least once a day.

Fortunatley I am not around food all day.

Well, I found out yesterday that the CIGNA insurance I have does not cover anything bariatric-related regardless of why it may be prescribed and/or performed. So getting banded would have to be completely out of pocket...and that's not in the budget. I was really beginning to hope that this was a tool I could take advantage of. :/