Okay so I have been considering this for a few years, but my HUGE question is this.... If I can't stick to a diet long term then how will I be able to stick to this? Any insight on how this helps in that area?

I can only speak for me but maybe it'll apply to you.

When I was dieting, I was always hungry and felt deprived. Eventually I'd reach a point of "screw this" and go on a crazy eating spree. Now, with my Lap Band, I'm rarely hungry and am satisfied on very little food. I don't feel deprived at all because I still eat what I love, just in moderation.

Can you stick to it? Only you can answer that. If you get the Lap Band, you will have to change your eating habits to healthy ones for a lifetime. It does take commitment and work. For me, this is simply a lifestyle rather than a diet. It's not a temporary change but a lifetime one.

Best wishes.

Okay so I have been considering this for a few years' date=' but my HUGE question is this.... If I can't stick to a diet long term then how will I be able to stick to this? Any insight on how this helps in that area?[/quote']

I am also pre band and I think we all have the same fear. I know I have true everything short of having my jaw wired shut! This is a last resort for me as I know it is for many others. We have or are all walking the same road. Some have a bumpier ride than others, but we all have the same goal- to be healthier and maybe live longer without all the excess weight weighing us down!

The only thing you can do it believe in yourself and not let the band fail you, or you fail the band! You will be a team working towards the same goal

I have faith you can do this!

Look! You have already made it past the first hurtle asking a question to a wonderfully supportive forum!

I believe the band will enable you to stay on a healthier path.. I have more control and feel like I can keep my weight off.. I had been on every diet known to man.. from WW to HCG to Nutrisystem.. The only one I did not do was Sensa but was considering it.. I finally decided on the Band.. that was 9 mos ago.. I have lost almost 55 lbs and I cannot tell you how empowering the band has been.. Is it easy? no, it is not but easier than being starved and then like Missy says you just get tired of being deprived all the time.. I now pretty much eat what I want but less of it. and I have a better attitude about food.. I don't have to eat the whole pie or cake or 1/2 gallon of ice cream.. I rarely even taste any of those things.. I could never maintain any of my losses before but have not gained even 1 lb since getting banded... Good Luck on whatever decision you make...

any WLS success is based mostly on the patient...if the patient adheres to changing what and how much they eat, exercise and stop making excuses and takes ownership of the situation, then yes it can and it does and it will work..

I believe those people who opt for the lapband and think all they have to do is have the surgery are destined to fail. The surgery alone is no guarantee of success. However if you are truly ready to make a change in your life, it is a great tool that will greatly help you along the way. It will help curb your appetite so you eat less, but it will not eliminate cravings you may have for bad foods just because you like the taste. The band will not stop you from eating a gallon of ice cream in one sitting, but it will ease your feeling of hunger for 4 to 5 hours. It has worked for me because it has forced me to eat smaller portions and to eat much slower. Good luck with your decision.

My experience....I have had a lot of fills...have yet to get to the green zone. I still feel hungry and can eat too much. But I keep plugging away, log my food on MFP and stick with it...why is it different this time with the band as opposed to without,..? Because I see a light at the end of the tunnel...I know eventually the band will kick in fully and I will have the extra help to making staying the course easier. Also, I, as most bandsters, have gone through a lot to actually get the band..I don't want to waste those blood, sweat and tears to slide back into the old me. You have to WORK with the band, it is not going to do it for you, but it does make it easier. And this from someone NOT in the green zone, but still down 46 lbs.