I'm scheduled to have Lap-Band surgery August 11. I'm very excited but nervous too. After trying every diet on earth, and failing at all of them, I'm hoping this will help me. I need to lose about 60-70 lbs. But there's that little voice saying, "Why do you think this is going to work when nothing else has?"

I'm an emotional eater. I don't have to be hungry to eat. I'll eat when I'm anxious, depressed, stressed, happy, you name it! I would like to know if after getting the Lap-Band, if any of you experienced a decrease in the emotional eating. I hear that you're not hungry but like I said I don't have to be hungry to want to eat. Does the Lap-Band help you to not want food as much?

Hope to get some good responses. Thank you.

SarahinTyler

It helped me. Everytime I think eating when I shouldn't, I think about having the band and that I don't want to fail at this and I get over the urge. Maybe not typical, but it works for me.

Indirectly, but indirectly only.

If it's not already part of your program I would *strongly* recommend that you seek counseling, esp. from someone who specializes in emotional/eating disorders.

It helps but you still can have "head hunger". An example is that you've just eaten and because you can't have more due to the band you still want it. It happens to me all the time. That is the tough part. Good luck.

It absolutely does not help with emotional eating. I've been to counseling since having the lap band to deal with emotional eating. It has drastically affected my weight loss over the past year.

Well, it helps because it physically restricts what you eat. You litterally cannot eat more than the fill will allow.

But it does nothing for the underlying issues.

Comments below

I'm scheduled to have Lap-Band surgery August 11. I'm very excited but nervous too. After trying every diet on earth, and failing at all of them, I'm hoping this will help me. I need to lose about 60-70 lbs. But there's that little voice saying, "Why do you think this is going to work when nothing else has?"

Well, as others have noted, it doesn't help with all of that. And it depends on what you emotionally eat. If your thing is potato chips and crackers and cheese, it'll help more than if your thing is ice cream or chocolates.

I'm an emotional eater. I don't have to be hungry to eat. I'll eat when I'm anxious, depressed, stressed, happy, you name it! I would like to know if after getting the Lap-Band, if any of you experienced a decrease in the emotional eating. I hear that you're not hungry but like I said I don't have to be hungry to want to eat. Does the Lap-Band help you to not want food as much?

I think we're all emotional eaters to some degree. We eat HALT, when we're Horny, Angry, Lonely, or Tired....or other emotions. Also includes Happy, and many others. Anyway, almost ALL of us could, or already have, benefit from some counseling from someone who KNOWS weight loss issues and experienced dealing with them.

Hope to get some good responses. Thank you.

You may not LIKE some of them...but it will take a LOT of work on your part. Learning all over what to eat and not eat, keeping all crap food out of your house, getting help from professionals when needed, being sure to get fills as needed. and COMMITING to doing the right things. Yeah, it is a bitch sometimes....but so is being fat. You can do it. As a friend says, I don't think you're special enough to fail.....but there are also no absolute guarantees on ANYTHING in life as far as I know.

dan

SarahinTyler

I had my surgery in May. I'm about your height/weight and my goal is the same. I really had to figure out what it was that made me an emotional eater, but I have found that the band helps a GREAT deal.

I do agree that it depends on what foods you turned to, but I think even if it's ice creams and chocolates (things that are more simple to eat) that you will still lose, but perhaps at a slower rate. Personally, my cravings have stopped and I've got more energy than I've had in a long time so when I'm bored and want to eat I just find something else to do.

I will tell you not to get discouraged if you find yourself eating more than you think you should be able to - call your doc and get a fill!! I think I've finally found my "lucky spot" (2.3 cc) and you will find yours. Good luck!

Me too - its helped me enormously.

I guess it depends what you mean by emotional eating, I'm talking head hunger, boredom eating, I hate my fat bum eating. I dont thing you need "issues" to eat inappropriately.

Its worked for me threefold - number one, I'm so often definitely unhungry. I just dont have an appetite like I used to so the urge plain doesnt hit me, I just dont get peckish like I did. Number two, when I do decided to eat I cant eat a lot - no more binges of the size I used to have, they're very modest now. And number three, I feel so darn great about myself these days that I dont want to do that to myself.

Nevertheless I have days and even weeks where I eat less well, and fit in quite a few between meal Snacks of things I shouldnt really be eating. Well actually, I dont view it like that, more things I shouldnt eat so often. Because I no longer gain and lose weight on a day to day basis and I dont pig out for a week and gain 2 kilos, all the guilt associated with a little treat has just evaporated, I can have it and then just not think about it, not judge myself for having it.

Its like being freed, honestly.

But I think a lot of it depends on whether you are prepared to embrace your new lifestyle. I think there's an awful lot of people out there who havent done that, who rely on the band alot, I dont quite know how to say it but you have to change from the minute you make the decision to be banded, have a go out and get em attitude, actively make the positive changes.

Hello SarahinTyler,

My husband and I are still in the preparation stages, but I am hoping that once I lose some of the weight, I will have more energy to get off the couch and do something. For me, I am always tired so I sit around and watch TV, read, surf the web. I am hoping the band makes it so I feel satisfied and think of other things besides what the next thing I am going to eat is gonna be...

Good luck!

Diane in Chicago

I have found that the band does not help with emotional eating. I can still pig out on ice cream when I'm sad, lonely, frustrated, stressed, etc.

It does help with eating less in general, though, and that makes me feel better about myself, and the weight I have lost has boosted my motivation, and I have fewer nights where I feel the need to emotionally eat. So, whoever said it helps indirectly, I second that.

I think yes, for me it made me realize how much and when I was doing it. Do not go into this thinking it's a cure all...... It's a tool, a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful tool that if used correctley works!!! It's nice to see more & more people with less than the marked 100 lbs to loose getting this wonderful invention. Good luck to you!!!

In my opinion, the gastric band doesn't help with emotional eating. It may change WHAT you eat when you're feeling whatever it is you're trying to push down.

I think the lap band takes a full-on commitment just like any other diet you've ever tried. The difference is this - when you fall off of THIS diet it can hurt physically which will stop you in your tracks. Even if you manage to avoid pain with your emotional food choices, the quantity of your binge is seriously reduced. However, if you graze on bad choices you will not lose weight with a lap band.

Reduction in hunger helps when you make a conscious decision to pass on the potato chips (or whatever horrible calorie-fest you're considering) - you may still WANT them, but the ability to justify eating them is eliminated when you must acknowledge you're not hungry for them. Which leads you back to allowing yourself to eat even if you're not hungry. This is a pretty loaded bullet you'll need to overcome.

Having said all that, I'm an emotional eater, and I too eat when I'm not hungry. I went through a couple of weeks of feeling depressed and allowing myself to eat what I wanted - and I gained weight. I've worked my way through that and am now back on track with my weightloss and food choices. But it's something I have to consciously decide every single day.

This is a tough decision and I hope you're getting some help and support. Good luck to you whatever you decide.

Hi, I had the lap band done Dec. 2004...I lost 24 pounds over the first year and have put back on 12 of that now....I've had so many fills and unfills, this is what it feels like when you eat something..have you ever swallowed a big piece of ice or anything and it went down really slow and hurt...well thats the way it feels everytime I eat...people look at me and say whats wrong! are you ok....because I'm sure I'm making a terrible face...I try not to because I told no one of the operation except my best friend.....It doesn't help you with the beinges and the cravings.....you will still eat when you are hurt, happy or anything else you do now...everyone is going to hate me for this but I have to say I personally wish I'd gone to a theripist for eating disorders and saved my money or at least spent it on that instead... I decided in 2 days to do this, someone had cancelled and the doctors office told me to make up my mind right away or I wouldn't be able to do it for months...So like another great diet plan I jumped in with two feet and all my savings...I'm still fat, I still have all the issues I had before, only difference I have a piece of plastic wrapped around inside my body and rubbing around my stomach!. The long effects of this is not known...please think very hard and long about what you are about to do......your head needs fixing not your belly......good luck and god bless....Gail

You have lots of responses here, and they accurately reflect the individual journey that is the bandster journey. There are so many variables, and only you know the answers to some of the questions.

For me, I think it has helped with the emotional eating, most of the time. The band has reduced the feeling of hunger...and I am satisfied with less food. I also want to avoid pain, so I have to eat less. Now, since I can't turn to my old pal food when I need some comfort, and I have already given up smoking and drinking, I have had to seriously deal with other ways to cope with stress. That will be an inside job, and yours to do.

Overall, I say yes, it does help with emotional eating, IF you are willing to get in there, roll up your sleeves and do the heavy lifting.

Lol...you will over eat and it wont be pleasant that is what detours you from emotionally eating. Plus once you start losing weight you feel better about yourself and not want to stomp on your success...at least that is what happened with me. Everyone has set backs though....but hey at least your taking a step to finally REALLY do something about it!