First of all an introduction. I am Julie, just about made my mind up to get banded but I am a little confused. It seems I have found out all the things a band does not do, it does not mean you don't have to diet, strictly. It does not restrict your eating. It does not stop you wanting foods you should not eat. It does not stop you feeling hungry.

Soooo.. what exactly DOES it do that gives such great results? What is worth it about having the band?

It helps you coast on less food by dimming your hunger.

Watch these videos!! They explain SO much!!! Lap band 8 golden rules

It seems I have found out all the things a band does not do, it does not mean you don't have to diet, strictly. It does not restrict your eating. It does not stop you wanting foods you should not eat. It does not stop you feeling hungry.

I don't have to diet. It does help me feel satisfied with less food and less hungry.

No WLS restricts eating. Some may restrict how much you can eat but there are ways to eat around any WLS.

No WLS can stop the eating demons in your mind. If you insist on eating M&Ms, ice cream, chips/dips you can do so with any WLS.

There is no perfect pill to make us eat less, eat right and think right.

ALL of us have different experiences with this. So rather than telling you that it's a magical thing that works wonders, I'm going to tell you what it DOES do for me. I'm only a few days post-op, but I am already seeing positive changes.

1) I'm learning the difference between being satisfied and over full. The difference is ... being satisfied means that I'm not HUNGRY, but my brain says "You can handle maybe one more sip." 99% of the time, if I take that one more sip, then 3 minutes later my stomach is screaming "You IDIOT! WHY did you do that? Now we want to PUKE!"

2) I'm thinking more about the things I'm putting in my body and making better choices. Sure, I could drink Koolaide, eat Jello, and nibble on thinned out mashed potatoes because I WANT them. However, deciding to drink Propel (same flavor as Koolaide but has Vitamins added), eating the prescribed Protein rich pudding, and sipping on cream of chicken Soup so that I get the right nutrients is a MUCH better choice.

3) I remind myself that I didn't go through the hassle, expense and PAIN of surgery just to screw it up over making the same bad decisions. The lap band is a tool that I wanted and needed .... so I'd better make use of it.

4) I have to remind myself that it IS a tool. Nothing more. It's like ... a jump rope, walking shoes, or weights. When used properly, it works. When ignored .... well .. nothing works when you ignore it.

5) No one said that this was going to be easy. HOLY COW! The Pre-op diet is enough to remind you of that. But I'm less than a week post-op, and I'm reminded of how easy it's NOT with every twist, turn, sip, and (oh dear God help me) burp. This is a LIFESTYLE change. Either you are in it for the long haul, or you are looking for a quick and easy fix. If you want the quick and easy, this is NOT it.

So yeah ... this is what I remind myself of every time I want to complain about any part of it. Also .. I'm doing this for ME. For my health. To feel comfortable in my own skin. Am I worth all that I'm dealing with and the choices I have to make? Hell yeah, I am.

Good luck!

The lapband is strickly a tool that is used to help you achieve your weight lost goals. I find Youtube videos helpful because I get a change to see real life experiences from people who have had the lapband surgery and who are successful and thoses who are unsuccessful and the reason why they are not.

I guess I just want to make certain it isn't going to be just another failed and expensive, not to mention invasive diet. My daughter calmed me a lot today telling me about a documentary she saw on it and how well they did, she is VERY supportive of me having it done. So is my son, so is my husband.

My personal feeling right now is I need rapid weight loss due to health conditions and this seems to promise that.. I think I would be too scared to eat too much! The weight loss when I haven't lost anything significant for ages due to not being able to exercise at this weight would be a huge reward to me. I will NEVER EVER get this weight again.. I don't care what I have to do.

I am attending a seminar next week with my husband and meeting the surgeon on Aug 18. With my insurance and the timeline they say I could be banded in 8 weeks.