Thinking of LBS - help...

[flipper72 36]

I think I posted this in the wrong forum before..sorry, i'm new

Hi everyone - I'm very new here and haven't even talked to my doctor yet about possible surgery. I have an appt tomorrow. however, I am wondering about the strictness of the diet that is involved. I've tried every diet out there and since deciding to get healthy in 2010, I've lost and gained back nearly 100lbs. I know that I eat of out boredom or emotional eating. I am certian the lap band surgery isn't going to fix that...Is the LBS going to prevent me from that kind of eating because it won't fit? I know there is no true short cuts to weight loss, but I feel like I've been so unsuccessful in the past, how is LBS going to change that? Any advice would be great!

thank you!

[lisacaron 5,075]

Hi flipper,

LBS is not going to fix your emotional eating or mindless eating for you. To quote another, the band goes around your stomach not your head.

That said, LBS does help you to stay in control of the portion size that you consume to a degree, though that is not the true goal of LBS. It will help with the feelings of uncontrolled hunger, and offer a feeling of fullness faster then you might have them now.

The band is a tool that you must master. Just like a carpenter or a plumber can call themselves that from day one, but to be a true master of their craft they must master all the tools that they employee in their service.

You can be banded and never truly master your band. If you want to be successful and lose and keep that weight off for good then you must make that commitment to mastering the use of this tool.

It is not an impossible feat, there is a pre-op and post-op diet that require strict adherence. They consist of mainly liquid diets, and soft mushy foods building up to a regular diet of Protein and vegetables.

Take some time and research what the band is all about and see if you are able to make the full commitment that is required of patients under going this surgery.

Best of luck to you on your journey.

[mrsto 2,925]

The band isn't designed to stop you from eating. It's a tool to help you stay satisfied on small portions, for longer periods of time.

I would venture to say that all of us here were in the same boat as you; many failed diets. I too, have had over a 100 pound swing in my weight; lost and gained the same weight so many times, I've lost count. I had the band with plication, which has been a Godsend for me. I've lost 53 pounds since mid-March, and at my age, never thought I'd see this kind of weight loss again.

In a nutshell, the pre and post op diets will be the most difficult time. Depending on your doctor's protocol, you may have to be on liquids for a period of time before surgery, and for a period of time after. Then, you slowly progress to soft/mushy foods, then to various solid foods, etc. When you start eating again (after liquids), you have to take very small bites, and chew everything VERY well. Eating at a slow pace, allows you to feel the signals the band sends.....that you've had enough. In time, you will ultimately be able to eat whatever you want, just in smaller doses. But it's still important to choose high Protein foods, and eat clean and healthy MOST of the time. That doesn't mean you'll never have a piece of cake ever again. But when you do, your portions will be smaller.

I think the most important thing to realize, before you go into WLS, is that the band goes around our stomach, not our brain. The compulsion to eat when bored, depressed, happy, sad.....any of it, does not go away. It's hard work, but it's so worth it! If I eat a bit past the band signal, I'm miserable......don't feel well. Also, since I have the plication, my stomach capacity is also limited. In case your not familiar with it, it's where they fold the stomach in on itself & make two rows of non-dissolvable stitches. Then they place the band on top. Essentially, what this does, is make the stomach the size & shape of the sleeve, without cutting, removing, rewiring, etc. Like the band, it is reversible. I do not have a reference point as to what the band would be like without the plication. I just know that I'm SO HAPPY that the weight is coming off, and I feel great! But it's certainly a lifestyle change, and you have to be ready for that. Aside from the diet adjustments, you will have to incorporate regular exercise as well. I walk through the hills about 5 days a week, and that has been perfect for where I'm at.

Anyway, I hope some of this helps. Please feel free it message me if you'd like anymore info. You will get a lot of good response on this site, from the seasoned veterans who post on a regular basis.

I wish you all the best

[GoingforGoal 1,734]

Ditto the previous posters. But I would strongly encourage the band for us emotional/stress eaters. I too stress ate. But let me share the difference before and after the band:

Before: I get stressed, I eat..and eat..and eat..and gain 5, 10, 15+ lbs at a time until the stress subsides.

After: When I was banded I had suffered a severe car accident. Resulted in 3 disc herniations, sciatica, immobility and intensive rehab for 8 months. Stress and diet do NOT go together for me. I simply can't do both. But with the band, I am not able to eat huge portions. So typically I would eat a whopping amount of Cookies etc I could only have 2 with the band. Or I would eat a few bites of a normal meal (normal meaning something you give no care to how many g of fat, cals etc are in it you eat it for taste alone). I ate like that for 8 months and gained ZERO pounds. See the difference.

The band has helped in several ways specific to emotional eating:

1) It prevents excessive consumption

2) it helps with weight maintenance (because youre only kidding yourself if you think you should lose whilst eating like crap)

3) having the band has given me alot of time to work with my food choices, eating habits AND learning diversions to stress eating. It has given me a sense of focus which is very hard to do when you don't have any tools to help with self control.

[flipper72 36]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. It's great advice. I do understand that emotional eating can't be fixed with WLS, the idea that I will only be able to eat so much is what attracted me to this procedure. I have never heard of plication....very interesting. I've ruled out any kind of bypass because I don't want to have something so drastic and irreversible. I've also heard some horror stories.

I will be going to the doctors tomorrow to talk with my doctor and may have more questions. lots more..haha!

thanks again!

xo

[2muchfun 8,928]

Also posted on your previous topic:

I agree with the previous posters but I'd like to add that if you follow the eating rules/guidelines, you won't be as hungry after meals which helps me to avoid snacking on bad foods. But it won't stop you from drinking 2 liters of soda a day or a lb of M&Ms, it can only diminish these impulses.

Something that motivated me was just the fact I lost so much weight, and I'm confident it won't come back, is this, feeling healthy, feeling thinner, fitting in my clothes and moving with much more ease. They replaced that empty space where only food would satisfy before.

One never knows until one tries. As another poster once said, "Sometimes to get where you want to go, you have to do what you are afraid to do. You must be brave and push forward. Miracles occur when you give as much attention and energy to your dreams as you do to your fears"