At the moment I have got bad eating habits and like to eat until I am full. For people who have a gastric band done, do they get full more quickly and consequently have less cravings for junk food. I saw a horizon programme for obesity, and it was said for patients, following bariatric surgery, that they asked whether the surgeon had operated on their stomach or their brain! I took this to mean that they no longer craved the bad foods..... but is this only for certain types of bariatric surgery?

At the moment, I am 5'4/5'5 and weigh 14.5 stones. How much weight could I realistically expect to lose? Does everyone, who has gastric band, lose at least some amount of weight?

Thanks, N.

The band definitely helps you feel satisfied with a lot less food and stay full longer. However, cravings are in your head, not your stomach. Very often people have carb and/or sugar addictions to contend with and those cravings don't go away just because you have the band. It's a conscious effort to ask yourself "am I head hungry or physically hungry?", If the answer is head hungry- don't eat. If the answer is physically hungry- eat. But to say the band makes you no longer crave bad foods is untrue. The band is a tool, not a magic pill. Even with the band, you still have to make good food choices for a lifetime and battle food addiction demons if you them.

Now, I will say I no longer crave sweets the way I used to, but that's not because of the band but rather because I have drastically changed my eating habits. I guess you could say I've weened myself off sugary Snacks and got it out of my system. Plus, when I do have the occasional treat now, I feel like crap. Tired, sluggish, just blah, I stick to healthy foods because I just feel so much better when I eat them.

As far as weight loss, there is no expected amount and we all lose different amounts. How much you lose is dependent completely on you and the food choices you make. If you are serious about losing weight, make good food choices, and restrict portions you will lose. If you get the band and continue to eat unhealthy but just smaller portions, you won't lose and may even gain. How much you lose depends 100% you.

Unfortunately the band does not stop your cravings for the "bad stuff", however it does help with hunger which in turn stops a great deal of the head hunger. As for how much you can lose with the band....how much do YOU want to lose. I have seen people on this forum lose upwards of 250lbs!!!!! The statistics say you will lose 40 - 60% of your excess weight. That is just an average. Basically that average takes the people who lose 100% of their excess and those who don't do well with the band and average them together...averages are very misleading! For me, today is my one year bandiversay! I've lost 105lbs, 1 pound shy of my goal weight. I couldn't be happier!

Mis73-

Great advice! I really enjoy reading your posts, you are very insightful and helpful to us newbies.

You cannot physically FEEL the band. You do know its there when you eat too fast, eat certain foods, drink while you eat, or get full. You do get full much faster when you are at your 'green zone'. Personally, I cannot eat breads with my band, they will make me VERY sick. So, I have realized that the breads just are not worth it and I stick to the better foods. In return, because I have cut the carbs so much, I dont crave them nearly as much anymore either. I have had my band for 6 months, and I have lost 50lbs now. I was getting discouraged at first because I didnt lose as fast as other people that I have seen on the boards, but it does work. There is no magic number as to how much or how fast you will lose. That will be up to you. You can choose to eat/drink the foods that go through the band way too easily that are high in calories, or you can choose to stick with the proteins and foods that will help you stay full longer. The choice you make will directly affect the end result you achieve. The band is only a TOOL....it does not force you to lose the weight, you still have to use the tool correctly to be successful.

The only time I have ever felt the band is when something gets stuck. It takes a while to adjust to eating smaller bites and chewing your food until its mush. I think weightloss is different for everyone. Some lose fast, some slow. I lost very slow the first few months and now my weightloss has picked up. Its hard to be patient, but, very important. Like the others have said, its a tool, and how you use it will determine your success. Head hunger can drive you crazy, especially if you are a stress eater, like me. But, you can manage that too. Even if you fall off the wagon, jump right back on.

You may be able to feel your port but the band itself you won't feel unless you take too big of a bite and something gets stuck. I notice now when I eat too fast I get the hiccups and that is my sign to slow down and chew smaller. If I ignore the hiccups 9 out of 10 times a stuck episode occurs.

Thank you to everyone who posted. I found it really helpful! Cheers, N.