Bandsters:

We all know that getting the lapband comes with alot of adjustments with your eating and overall life in general. One of the keys (it appears at least) is to getting through the learning/unconfortable curve phrase of adjusting to life with the band inside you.

As many of you know, my brother went from 429lbs to his current wait of 165lbs. Since my brother thinks these type of discussion is "too deep" (and basically thinks my quesitons are stupid), I have resorted to asking all of you.

The following are my 3 Questions:

1) How long after surgery did you finally settle down and eating with the band became normal? Specifically, no worries of throwing up or getting stuck or worried that you may eat to much ect... ? Yes..I know you can never be 100% worry free in terms of being stuck...but how long did it take for you to settle down eating with the band and where it became second nature?

2) Is there anything you did to improve or quicken your adjustment of living with the band? Obviously, those of us who haven't gotten the band yet, want to hopefully quicken our learning/adjustment curve. Any advice out there?

3) Looking back at your decision with getting the lapband, was there anything that you wish you would have known (or done differently) to quicken your rate of adjustment?

So In Summary

1) How Long ?

2) Anything to Quicken Your Adjustment Period for normalcy?

3) Anything you wish you would have done differently?

Many thanks in advance for your advice as many would benefit greatly from it.

Really? 37 views and all this experience out there and no thoughts. Now this is scaring me that it will never become normal living with the band (OH KNOW !!!! )

elcee and B-52.... This is one for you! As I Newbie myself, is be interested in the answers as well!

Who are you? What are your intentions with the answers given?

I dont mind answering.....

1) How Long ?

I've been banded a little over a year and I would have to say that it's still not normal. I have to be very careful to chew, eat small bites and slow down. This will always be in the font of my mind. I don think that should or would change.

2) Anything to Quicken Your Adjustment Period for normalcy?

Nope...Everyone has to learn on their own and in their own time.

3) Anything you wish you would have done differently?

I wish I would have stayed away from negative posts on this site...its just pointless to compare yourself with another banders success.

I dont mind answering.....

1) How Long ?

I've been banded a little over a year and I would have to say that it's still not normal. I have to be very careful to chew, eat small bites and slow down. This will always be in the font of my mind. I don think that should or would change.

2) Anything to Quicken Your Adjustment Period for normalcy?

Nope...Everyone has to learn on their own and in their own time.

3) Anything you wish you would have done differently?

I wish I would have stayed away from negative posts on this site...its just pointless to compare yourself with another bandsters success.

Thanks for sharing your information. That is interesting that it is still not normal (in terms of eating) after a year. I look at my brother and it seems he doesn't even think when eating now. Although in his defense, he has been living with the band for 6 years now. Maybe it becomes more normal a couple years down the road possibly (???)

It is my desire to live life with the band (when I get it sometime this year) to where its second nature when you eat. I don't have to think or worry every time I eat. However, it seems it could never be normal and maybe this is the way its suppose to be.....you are always thinking about what (and how much) you eat. This is probably one of the biggest reasons people are successful with the band.

Blessings Amanda and Many Thanks For Responding !

elcee and B-52.... This is one for you! As I Newbie myself, is be interested in the answers as well!

The vibe I'm getting so far......is eating with the band will NEVER appear normal where you won't be thinking about what you are putting in your mouth. I mean....when I eat now (not having the surgery yet) I don't even think about what I'm putting in my mouth....I JUST EAT....it appears normal where I don't even think about it.

However...what I'm sensing is you WILL ALWAYS have to think what you are putting in your mouth out of the potential risk of getting stuck...and if your food is going to go through.

Any other thoughts out there?

I get what your saying, unfortunately I think in order to be healthy and thin we MUST think and analyze everything that goes into our mouths.... It's a huge part of this process. If people didn't have to think about it and just eat cause things taste good, the entire world would be overweight! I think the band is designed to give us the discipline and yes, help us think about better good choices:) good luck to you.... I'm just a beginner in this process myself.

I would say I think about what I eat so far as I choose to eat healthy food. For example preband if I was hungry while out shopping I would stop by McD's and get a Quarter pounder with cheese, large fries and a Diet Coke. Now I would choose a Wendy's chili and apple slices. Do I consider that a huge imposition? No. Preband I would stop everyday and get a breakfast sandwhich at McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Honeydew Donuts. Today I have a Chobani Greek Yogurt with add ins. So yes I have to preplan that and bring it with me (Due to commute I eat when I get to work at 8:00). Do I consider it a hassle? No. It also saves me about 5 bucks. I don't really worry about stuck episodes because I only get them when eating cheap white bread and raw carrots. I also only notice not drinking while I eat if I eat out and the food is really salty. I eat pretty low salt when eating at home.

If your doctor does not require sessions with a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders find one! These sessions really really helped me. I had 7 months between first consult and surgery. This gave me a long time to learn new habits. In my opinion thin people have healthier natural eating habits. We need to relearn how to eat. I do think some of it becomes second nature.

I once had lunch with a thin friend who had a bag of oreos. He ate all but one and put it back in his lunch bag. I asked him if he was going to throw away a perfectly good oreo! "No, I'm just no longer hungery. I'll save it for later." How many fat people would have done that? The band helps you make that decision to stop eating because you feel satisfied.

I wish I would have stayed away from negative posts on this site...its just pointless to compare yourself with another banders success.

This is one of the biggest things I am working on. I am doing so good right now with my eating and losing weight since I recommitted. Then I read about bad experiences, and about people who are miserable, hate their band... etc... and I get all depressed and worried that my success will be short lived.

Stay focused on your experience. Everyone is different!!

The band helps you make that decision to stop eating because you feel satisfied.

Or even helps you to think about eating out of fear of getting stuck and creating potential complications with the band. Pre band obviously....this is probably ONE OF THE BIGGEST things for me ....that would cause me to think about what I'm putting in my mouth. Obviously...I don't have the band...but avoiding potential complications if a big part of my thinking (pre-band of course with no experience yet)

So the following seems to be the major concerns which cause you to think what you are putting in your mouth

1) Desire to eat healthy foods and live a more healthy life with the band

2) Fear of being stuck and having complications (over time via many stuck episodes)

3) Feeling of satisfaction causes you to stop and think about not putting more food in your mouth.

P.S. I'm sorry I'm so academic with this...but this is how I think when trying to process the mental side of living with the band.

Small plates and bowls are a godsend and really do help to make you feel like youre eating a full portion.

Tonight i was starving for dinner. I seved up the kids and dh's meal in ordinary noodle bowls. I tought about doing the same for me, thinking id need more. But I didnt, i used my little bowl that holds 3/4 cup - i filled it to the bim as compensation. It was more than enough, but I feel lik i had extra.

I actually always thought about what i ate. I never would hav eaten mcdonalds without major guilt, self loathing and going on another diet. Eating for me was a failure of willpower, not mindless. I ways knew th fat, the calories etc. For m, being nnded has freed me from that somewhat.

I got approved for my loan and I'm scheduled for May 23! I'm so nervous, five weeks feels like forever! I don't meet with the Doc until 17 May. I have a bunch of questions like when should I stop taking my OTC and prescription NSAIDs prior to surgery is it one or two weeks? Any thoughts oh and why do I need a chest X-ray what does being fat have to do with my lungs? I exercise and swim regularly...hmmm inquiring minds?

WOW- so many powerful questions and insights. Marketingdude- I'm not that far out post op, but to answer a couple of questions you put out there for feedback.

1. I don't think that eating with a LB will ever be considered normal. What I have noticed is how quickly those without LB eat, the big bites without regard to chewing 27 times before swallowing, or the size of the bite and I don't think that how we are supposed to eat will ever be considered normal. Consider- how normal is it for adults to order items off kids menus because of portion size? How normal is it to order dinner and take 3/4 home with you? Our eating with the LB will have to become our own normal but the concept of what is normal pre LB and post LB is a journey each person will have to take on their own and find themselves.

2. Adjustment to having the LB is really a personal matter. For me, it is all about having foods readily avialable to me that I can eat and enjoy. Also, having a plan if that item at home isn't possible. Like, what are things that I can have at a resturant that I go to often and having that knowledge so you don't feel like you are condemed to a life of never eating out again or having only what you planned the night before.

3. What I wished I knew before was what all of this talk of "head hungry" really meant. For me, it has meant that when the feeling of hungry hits, which for me post LB has been pretty few and far between, my head thinks, I want this, and that, and that, and then it turns out that after about 4-6 bites I'm totally full and staring at all of this food I put in front of me that before the LB would have already been comsumed. Or ordering a item at a resturant of a cetrain size, and realizing that you probably wouldn't have even finished a small order of that item had you ordered it.

All in all, I think there are 2 things that really come into mind when going through this transiion. One is you have to find your new normal that is hidden within the old normal. Which means, your favorite resturant is still going to be your favorite resturant. For me, I had to order the same thing I did before the LB and then realize, that it was too much food, that it made me feel physically bad after I ate it, and come up with something else there that I know the next time I come, I can focus on having that item instead of focusing on what I can't/shouldn't have. The second thing is that in the beginning, you really have to think about everything that you put into your mouth. I would have never though twice about taking a bite of a sandwhich or bread, but now, It is all different. But it's become normal not to eat bread, it is just a new normal. For me, I need the physicial discomfort that eating the wrong foods or too much creates to teach my brain not to do that anymore. That's the kind of stimulation I need to say, hey dummy, don't do that again. Like a young kid touching a hot stove, they don't do that again once they get burned. I long for the time when I don't have to think about this kind of thing when eating, but I haven't given myself a time table for when that will happen.

Great answer Run! Thank you.