The Lap Band didn't work for me... How many times do we hear this? The fact is the Lap Band DOESN't "work" for anybody... YOU work for YOU... Getting banded and just expecting to drop all of your excess fat is like buying a lawn mower; parking it in the driveway; pulling up a lawn chair; and then complaining that the grass is tall...

Fact is if you aren't getting the desired result then have the equipment fine tuned and try a different strategy. If the equipment is functional then you are the key to achieving success...

Brad

Absolutely. I like this. Well said.

I couldn't agree with you more!!!

It's work and we have to do the work. Way too many people go into this surgery expecting the band to be a magic fix for fat. It's not, it's a tool, and like any tool it's only useful when used correctly.

cheryl and miss took words out of my mouth

if you really truly/want it to work, then do what you have to (no excuses) and if you dont, then well, you will remain where you are.

SO true! I think that so many people get the band, and think that it will solve their problem; we see these posts all the time.

Since being banded, I've worked as hard or harder than historical dieting. The difference is, I can comfortably eat much less, and stay satisfied for much longer. THAT is the key. Can I eat around the band, sure. Do I mentally and emotionally want more food, absolutely! But making the decision to have WLS is a huge step, and I have no intention of eating through it on a regular basis.

Honestly, when I hear "the band didn't work for me", I wonder WTF people were thinking going into it.

Frankly, the band can be a pain in the ass but it can still be an effective pain in the ass kind like a personal trainer. When I see someone that's already bitching about how hard things are before they are even banded I start to worry. The band is not a miracle cure. If you're not willing to work your butt off then get another surgery. I think too many people get lapband surgery because they think the other surgeries are 'too invasive' or they don't want their stomach cut up. I'm sorry, but lapband surgery is still surgery and ask someone that's had a bad slip how non-invasive their surgery ended up being. Choosing lapband because it scares you less is not a great reason to get banded. A great reason to get banded is to be able to have control over how much weight you lose and to realize that it is an effective tool that with your help can get your weight down. It can't do it on its own though. There are many ways to defeat the band by not getting fills, living on cereal and milkshakes, and many other ways. Don't get the band if you want to sit at home all day, eat pizza (just in smaller portions YAY), and shed all those pounds without an effort. That's not what the lapband is and you're going to be disappointed.

If you're not willing to work your butt off then get another surgery.

People who fail with the band (I believe), will ultimately fail with the other surgeries as well. With the band, our work starts as soon as we open our eyes from surgery. With the bypass, there is the 12-18 month honeymoon period, where weight melts off due malabsorption (and a dramatic drop in caloric intake). When the honeymoon period is over, then the work has to begin. If someone isn't "of mind" to do the work they ultimately have to do with ALL surgeries, then there isn't one out there that will have long term success.

When I chose the band, I knew well and good that I would have to hit the ground running. My thinking was that if I'm going to have to ultimately kick in with my "want power" (thanks CG), then why would I rearrange my innards? No matter how you slice & dice it, there are no free rides when it comes to losing weight.

I totally agree but over-promises from the bariatric medical industry can be partially blamed.imo

I don't recall much advice or guidance on how difficult this could be and the glossy videos and seminars certainly make it look like a cake-walk?

I think I went into this thinking the weight would fall off and I'd feel satisfied with less food from the git-go. Fortunately I'm not afraid of hard work so I'm one of the lucky ones?

Brad's post should be tattooed on every new patient wannabe?

Well said Brad, along with everyone else. Just gives me more motivation Pre surgery to really think about how my actions can affect me. Really helps!!!

"I totally agree but over-promises from the bariatric medical industry can be partially blamed.imo I don't recall much advice or guidance on how difficult this could be and the glossy videos and seminars certainly make it look like a cake-walk?"

....So true! Marketing medicine for the buck... Frankly, I'm appalled at the lack of true information and strategic aftercare... That's one of the keys why the success rate is not higher. People have to do their own research from people who have been successful and take matters into their own hands...

"I totally agree but over-promises from the bariatric medical industry can be partially blamed.imo I don't recall much advice or guidance on how difficult this could be and the glossy videos and seminars certainly make it look like a cake-walk?"

....So true! Marketing medicine for the buck... Frankly, I'm appalled at the lack of true information and strategic aftercare... That's one of the keys why the success rate is not higher. People have to do their own research from people who have been successful and take matters into their own hands...

Amen!

People who fail with the band (I believe), will ultimately fail with the other surgeries as well. With the band, our work starts as soon as we open our eyes from surgery. With the bypass, there is the 12-18 month honeymoon period, where weight melts off due malabsorption (and a dramatic drop in caloric intake). When the honeymoon period is over, then the work has to begin. If someone isn't "of mind" to do the work they ultimately have to do with ALL surgeries, then there isn't one out there that will have long term success.

When I chose the band, I knew well and good that I would have to hit the ground running. My thinking was that if I'm going to have to ultimately kick in with my "want power" (thanks CG), then why would I rearrange my innards? No matter how you slice & dice it, there are no free rides when it comes to losing weight.

I don't know about that. I've seen people get bypass and lose weight even though they eat like crap constantly. The main reason I didn't get bypass though is because they have no control over how much weigh they lose to a large extent. I know people that have gotten it and only lost 7lbs and others who have gotten it and almost look like skeletons. That kind of wide swing in results scared me away from it. But I can name a couple of people I personally know that have lost over 300lbs with bypass, have kept it off, and eat mt. dew and sausage biscuits all day long. It's not pretty but it's worked. Sure, I'm not going to all them healthy, but they did lose the weight with zero to no effort thanks to bypass.

I like the idea that the band is a personal trainer. I've been more cognizant of what goes into my mouth, how much I'm exercising and how I'm feeling in the past 2 months since being banded than I ever was when dieting. I am not in the green zone yet so it really is harder work then I was expecting. But, I just have to keep doing my part if I want to see the results...I know that.

Aftercare is HUGE. If I didn't have this forum I'd be floating out there with hardly any answers. I really agree with the idea that lack of aftercare is a big part of the failure rate.

"I totally agree but over-promises from the bariatric medical industry can be partially blamed.imo I don't recall much advice or guidance on how difficult this could be and the glossy videos and seminars certainly make it look like a cake-walk?"

....So true! Marketing medicine for the buck... Frankly, I'm appalled at the lack of true information and strategic aftercare... That's one of the keys why the success rate is not higher. People have to do their own research from people who have been successful and take matters into their own hands...

This is actually a major pet peeve of mine. I agree that doctors don't always paint a true picture of life with the band but I also firmly believe it's our responsibility to educate ourselves. I mean, I see thread after thread of people on here totally clueless. Obviously, they have internet access and know how to search because they found these forums. So why in the world would they not use the powers of Google and research the band BEFORE the surgery?

People will spend months researching a car before buying one. They'll even research the best computer or the best smart phone. Yet they don't spend time researching a surgery?

I always say- ignorance isn't bliss and most of the time you can't blame that ignorance on anyone but yourself. People need to take responsibility for their own life and their own choices.

It's interesting that you bring this up. I was looking online last night, actually searching for people who complained about the band. I want to get all of the information possible. About 90% of the discussions were people who were expecting a miracle, something for nothing. When I have told people my decision, their first thought is "Oh you are going to get so thin, and you won't have to do anything!". My response is, really?? IF that was the case, everyone would be covered for weight loss surgery and physicians would be BEGGING their overweight co-morbid patients to have this surgery. I'm always shocked at my patients and their attitude about medicine in general. Some people expect to do nothing and have things like weight loss surgery, and medications do the work for them. When I educate my patients that they have to change their lifestyle on top of taking their hypertension medication, I get a lot of interesting responses. I can't tell you how much I love this site, I wish anyone on a path to weight loss would come on here and see the positive outreach, and the support for people to adopt a healthier lifestyle!

My surgeon really pushed the fact that I would literally have to work my ass off with the band. And I did! He states that most bandsters only lose 50% of their excess weight. It is a slow process and most don't have the patience for it and want immediate results.

You must work you ass off, eat less, and eat right. It is your tool and only you can work it.

I am happy to say that I love that I have the band, I have worked, and will continue to work to maintain my loss as I was able to lose 100% of my excess weight. It can be done!

It really helps to have everyone on these forums to share their experiences and learn from each other.