Hi,

I am brand new...never posted before. I have done a lot of reading here however.... I am going to my lap band class this Thursday.

I have read some posts where people say you eat the same things long-term...only smaller quantities. I have heard other people say NO bread or Pasta...is this forever? Some times I get worried about doing this surgery because I'm afraid of being able to handle these restrictions.

Are the restrictions of no bread or pasta or soda forever?? Never a sandwich again? What about pizza? Will it be ok in very small quantites in the future (I know the begining will be resrtictive). I know being fat is because of bad eating habits...I am having a hard time thinking about saying goodbye to those 100% forever.

For those of you who've been baded for some time...what has been your experience?<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

I have my band for 2yrs and 5mths and I still eat everything I used to, just is smaller portions, and evidently I try to make the correct food choices - that's where will power comes in and we all know how sometimes it's hard to stay on the right track...

nevertheless, I can eat without any problem bread, Pasta, chicken breast, etc. Nothing ever got stuck (fortunately!), never had a PB, no slime, nothing, it all goes through smoothly.

The band is just a tool to remind you that you have to control the quantity of food you eat in every meal. The quality of that food you eat is something else, it has to be you and your head to make the good choices and eventually, you'll get to know new types of food which are much better for you and your health. Bread and pasta are OK if they're in a small portion, but they're not OK if you stuff them with tons of cheese, butter, bacon, or similar...

Keep reading posts here at LBT, do lots of research, go to your class, the more information you get on the matter, the better.

best of luck

niki

hi kitty,

your question is a very VALID question. it doesnt mean you arent ready for the band....we all have thoughts like this...

something "wasabubblebutt" said in her inital reply has been very true for me.

with the band....many foods i never thought i could give up...i've lost total interest in . i never thought this would happen.

the day before i was banded i went around target saying goodbye to my "peeps" "twizzlers" etc.

i dont really think about them.

what i've found....before the band....my eating was not only emotional (which i always blamed myself for it). there was actual physical hunger way beyond other people i know. the band has helped to control that.

the only thing i'm sorry about with the band is that i didnt do it earlier...

good luck

joanne

Hello Kitty - like others said, it kind of varies what you can do with bread, Pasta and soda.

For me, first year, no way on any of that. Second year, I've gotten a bit smarter and more used to the band. I can eat *some* pasta, very occasionally. I can eat *tiny* bites of bread....rarely. Soda still a no go. It hurts.

But here's what you have to know, having the band *changes EVERYTHING* about the way you see food. When I went to see my dr's nutritionist and she told me to eat 800 calories, I stared her in the eye and said "how do you expect a 300 pound woman to eat 800 calories!?!?!" I also never thought I could get by on half a cup of food.

But now, with the band, I look at big plates of food and wonder "gad, how did I EVER eat that much??!?!?"

It changes your perspective.

Ok, here's the brutal honesty...I miss sandwiches. I *long* to eat a sandwich. I cannot. : shrug : Ok, sometimes I get grumpy about that, but I just go on. It's ok, it really is.

But you need to know...if you are going to get a band, you have to be commmited. You have to *work* the band. It takes total participation...make sure you contemplate all of that before deciding on this surgery.

I eat them, just not as much as I did.

I dont do any special diet, I eat what I always ate, just in smaller quanities. I ate pretty well for a fat person though, not a huge junk food eater, no really BAD habits other than overconsuming to give up.

How are you doing now

G'Day Kitty,

I'm an Aussie (best country in the world - but I'm biased:)), and I've had my band in for 7 years. The gastroenterologist who put in my band now is the head of the New York University Obesity Clinic (can't quite think of his title) and his name is George Fielding.

Ignore the person who said that you may not be ready for banding just because you've got concerns about living a normal life. I was terrified when I got mine done because the procedure was brand new and VERY costly.

That said, I'm fit, healthy, have been pregnant and given birth all with the band in place and eat whatever I wish. I losen the band at Christmas (I know you guys have more celebrations than us...thanksgiving being one of them) and then get it tightened again in the new year.

This is not a cop out - I'm just living my life. I've managed to keep my banding a secret from all those I don't feel need to know and am down to 60kg (we don't do pounds here - I think it's about 100? pounds). I was 100 kg and chose to take the weight off slowly - two years.

Funnily enough, I just had my band tightened today, so I'm glad that I can let you know that...

1. You'll be FINE.

2. Recovery hurts like ... for two weeks but is soooo worth it.

3. You can eat whatever you like - just less of it.

4. This is a new day.

Best of luck to you Kitty - keep us posted, we're all with you.

Cheers

Cath :whoo:

hey,

dont be too discouraged about the no bread or pasta thing. My dad was banded 2 yrs ago and he has lost over 150lbs.He says its not that you cant eat bread and pasta its the starch in those kinds of foods that is the real killer. If you choose a really nutty high grain bread or pasta then you should be ok. the reason people say no bread is because white bread tends to clump up and not want to go through the band causing you to up chuck it..

plus take in mind that you will find things that you just cant eat, but in a while you wont even want too because of how it makes you feal after.

Hi where are you from in ky? I am in benton/murray w. Ky area.

You have done a fab job!!!! I am having my surgery on thur. And these messages have helped me so much. Thanks for your in put. I get worried and afraid it won't work, but it is my last hope. I have about 95lbs to lose.

Hello kitty,

i am pam and i am having my surgery this thur!! Yikes!! I know!! I am not that excited about surgery and like you, i have had my doubts, but reading these posts gives me new confidence. I have failed so many times in the past, but it is my last hope. We need to keep in touch w' people who have had successes and that will encourage us. Keep in touch. I will let you know how i am doing. Pam

I had the same fears before surgery, but I knew this was something I needed to do, and if I could lose weight and get healthy again, it would be worth the sacrifice.

As it has turned out though, I can eat everything so far, but since I finally got full restriction last week, I have to take smaller bites and chew a lot more carefully. This morning I had waffles and had to eat carefully, but they caused no problems and boy, were they good. I can also eat Pasta. I haven't tried bread since I got restriction, but I do usually have lunchmeat in a low-carb wrap for lunch and I haven't had any problems with that.

Everybody is different.... I may find I have trouble with bread once I try it. Also, some people like their band tighter than others, and that can affect what you can and can't eat. I read about people that can only eat 1/4 cup of food, and that level of restriction is what works for them. I prefer to be able to eat sort of "normally", but healthy foods at smaller portions than I used to eat before the band. For dinner tonight I had a 6 oz. piece of salmon and half a cup of green Beans (I couldn't quite clean my plate). I try to get 1200 calories a day in, but often it's more like 1100. The point being, I'm not over-eating. My hope with the band is to eat everything, but in moderation. The amazing thing is that since being banded, I haven't wanted the fatty or greasy or unhealthy food. It's almost like the band went around my head!

If I ever really wanted to eat anything in the world and as much of it as I wanted, I could get an unfill. I hope I never want to do that though.

You can do this, and chances are that once you get past the recovery period, you'll find it isn't all as dramatic as we imagined before surgery.... we can still live our lives pretty "normally" with some modifications.

Hello everyone my name is Dee, Iam new Iam planning to have the lab-band in January, Inow Iam ready for it, i have been over weight for over 18 years, and I have health problems due to my weight, I just want to make sure that Iam taking the right step vs the Gastric ByPass, did you think of that, or did you go for the lap-band. Just a few weeks ago my friend from Texas called me to advise me that, her friend had the lap band done and 2 weeks later she passed away, and they told her hisband that it had been the lapband some thing had gone wrong, so now I think is this for me, I have read up on the consquinces and I know that death is included, Can you give me some advise as too how you feel. I need this from someone that has had the lap-band. Thanks:tt2:

Everyone is different and can tolerate different foods. I was naive when I had the surgery because from what they tell you the only food you can't eat is bread and a few other things. I have never tried bread. I don't miss it at all.

However, I seem not to be able to eat all those other foods that people don't talk about, like lettuce, ground beef, tomatoes. . . (gosh lots of other thins that I can't think of right now).

Also (others may correct me on this) the tighter that you get the more problems that you have. Once you get to your goal weight and you unfill some to maintain your weight, you may be able to tolerate more. Because I can tolerate a lot before my last .5 cc's that I can't tolerate now.

Hello Dee:

For over a year, I researched the Lap Band vs gastric banding. I reviewed medical research papers and really seriously considered both procedures. In this regards, I selected the Band, because it is less evasive and weight loss is slower.

There is risk associated to any surgery, especially one which involves general anesthesia. Plus, most clients that select WLS are not in the best possible health to begin with. According to literature, less than 1% of WLS surgery results in death.

It really is a personal desicion whether or not to have the surgery. But for me I came to terms with it by accepting the fact that one day I am going to die.

I don't know when, but I know I will die, because that is the nature of life. However, I want to do everything possible to ensure I live as long as possible, so I want to work on my health and well being. Thus, I was banded on 11/11/08.

It is not easy. There is a lot of hard work involved. But I do not regret my choice at all. Thus far, I am very happy with my decision.

Good luck with your decision.

Every person is different. I can eat a small amount of pasta if I am careful and I never eat more than about 1/2 cup cooked. I can eat a bit of untoasted bread - a couple of nibbles. But there are times when those foods just do not go down right. I can not eat ground beef as in a hamburger. Sausage is sometimes a problem. You will just have to see what your body will tolerate.

I am new to this so bear with me but I was banded on march 31,09 and was wondering if any of you had massive brusing and swelling after being banded and how long this lasts?