Hey allll,

scheduled for surgery in less than two weeks!!! oct 11 to be exact. I was so excited when i read all of these success storys, but i reciently came across some posts that said they actually gained weight after surgery!! I am soooo freaked that this will happen to me.... and as crazy as it sounds... i wont be able to get it back off!!!:omg: Can someone offer me words of wisdom so i dont completely loose it?

Thanks!!

Lauren

wow. i cant imagine gaining weight. ive lost over 100lbs. i think you would have to really abuse yourself and your band to gain weight... eating candy and milk shakes will defeat the whole purpose....... i hope you will relax, anyone who puts in the effort loses the weight. just make sure you follow the rules........ good luck. time flys and next thing you know you are looking at yourself in some store window and saying , damn i look hot....... you will do fine if you take your time and use the band the way you are supposed to.....

Hi Lauren! I am also scheduled for October 11th. I've been having the same fears. Now I'm just wondering how I'm going to handle all of my sugar cravings. Will they go away? I am going to try to replace my overeating binges with things that will help me like exercise etc., but I'm still afraid that I'll have uncontrollable urges to eat and I won't be able to. I'm also worried about the surgery of course. I think it's true that if we use the band as the tool it's intended for, we will lose the weight. Good luck! We'll have to keep each other posted as to how we're doing!

Sarah:)

Hi Sarah and Lauren!!

I am also scheduled to be banded on the 11th! AH! I know the feeling Lauren... I'm so scared of F'ing this thing up! I don't have any words of wisdom for ya. But I can definitely offer you solice in knowing you're not alone in this!!! Have ya'll started your pre-op diets? I start tomorrow... Can't wait... (dripping in sarcasm!) Although, it seems really real now. Like I'm preparing my body for this life changing event that happens in 12 DAYS!!!!! It's actually happening...

Anywho, if ya need someone to chat it up withm drop me a line. I'm not much older than you, Lauren, so maybe we can help each other out!

Think of it this way. After surgery, for some people, there is no difference and they can eat pretty much what they want...until they get enough fill(s) to feel restriction. Then they start living as bandsters. For a very few, there is some weight gain during that time, known as "bandster hell". Then with restriction later, the fun begins.....

Remember too that people who talk on this site are often looking for support for difficult times, so it appears that there are more problems with the lap band than therereally are. People who aren't haveing prolbems are less likely to post...they're just out living life.

Believe me....I had cravings, binge eating, and grazing problems...and all the usual failed diets. For the first time in my life, with the band, I am losing and comfortable. When I screw up, I just stop losing..until I get back on the program. The band waits for me to get it together. I can live with that....

Hi Girls!

We ALL had these same fears....and 100 other ones to go along with 'em! Yet here we are....most of us quite successful and very happy with our bands, our new bodies and our future!!

Breathe, relax, get educated and be VERY grateful that you have this opportunity. The lap band is a wonderful tool and in 6 months you're going to be saying the same thing to newbies on this board!

Hey allll,

scheduled for surgery in less than two weeks!!! oct 11 to be exact. I was so excited when i read all of these success storys, but i reciently came across some posts that said they actually gained weight after surgery!! I am soooo freaked that this will happen to me.... and as crazy as it sounds... i wont be able to get it back off!!!:omg: Can someone offer me words of wisdom so i dont completely loose it?

Thanks!!

Lauren

This is a tool and yes there are times you might gain weight (if you eat the wrong foods) but as all the diet gurus say, pick yourself up and start again. The great thing about the band is that no matter what you eat, you won't be able to eat as much as before you were banded.

With things like sugar cravings, I have been told that sometimes foods that you loved prior to banding no longer hold the same temptation after banding - you just loose the taste for it. I hope that is true:D

Good luck for your banding this month and keep in touch.

I haven't ever gained weight with the band, but I've hit plateaus. And I still have a sugar addiction. These days it is triggered by 2 things.... If I don't eat enough calories I'll want to supplement with something easy like ice cream. So I make sure to eat my meals! The other is that artificial sweeteners set off my craving...I'm OK if I eat a sugar free popsicle, but if I also have something else, like a Crystal Light, that's too much for me. Also makes me gassy!

Hi there:

I was banded on Sep 14th. I have lost 24 pounds and over 12 inches in the two weeks following surgery. Keep positive!!!! Things will go OK for you. I was scared too but the everything went GREAT.

I wish you well on the 11th.

This has happened to me. I put off my fill too long (3 months) and actually started to gain a little back. If you watch your fills you should do fine. You will find out what works for you, I needed one about every 6 to 8 weeks in the first year (surgery date 5/30/06), but dropped the ball about 8 months after my lap band surgery. Please don't stress over this, everyone is different. I am back on track and losing a little every month. This is the best thing I've ever done for myself, my feet and ankles don't swell any more. I feel better. I can tie my shoes, anytime and anyplace (which I couldn't do before). My blood pressure is now normal, all of the time. Please don't lose heart, this is a good thing, the best thing you can do for yourself. Please let me know how you are doing after your surgery and contact me if you want to talk.

Thanks guys, that makes me feel a heck of alot better. And its awsome to know i have two people going with me on the same day!! where are you guys going? BetsyAnn, thanks a ton for sharing your expierence with being a previous binge eater... that is exactly my problem now, but i was too scared to admit it online! nice to know im not alone again!!! BTW- did the band help you with getting your binges under control?

THANkS all!!!

I used to drink Pepsi all the time, but now I can't drink any kind of carbonated beverage and I don't miss it at all.

Your body changes when you have this procedure.

It's a good idea to have some type of Protein around all the time. I can feel myself droop some afternoons, then I eat a little piece of cheese (1 oz.) and that helps.

You will find other things that work for you too. Refried Beans are a good source of protein and they go down easily after the first couple of weeks. Don't buy any big cans tho, cause a little bit will fill you up.

It's an adventure!

Hi,

My name is Stefanie and I am scheduled to be banded on Oct 8th. I think I am excited about the future outcome, but nervous about the present. I am on my pre-op diet and I and having a problem with the protein it has a nasty taste and It's lumpy and suggestions?

I've been banded for almost 3 months...I haven't gained weight...the opposite has been true. I've lost 55lbs without a fill...and have my first fill on Oct. 11th.

I think we all are afraid before surgery...but the band is the most amazing thing I have ever done for myself. I love it and can't wait to get that fill and lose even more weight.

Best of luck!

Rain

Lauren: My binging is still there occasionally, but it's so different!

Most of the time I eat my 3 meals, sometimes a light snack or 2, and tons of Water. Occasionally I graze throughout the day and then get myself back on track...but now my grazing probably doesn't add 100 calories to my day!

A binge now for me only happens with ice cream. Nothing else will slide down well enough. When I am eating my meals, I look at a normal plate of food...sometimes my eyes are still bigger than my stomach...and I'll eat maybe a fourth to a third of it and I am just plain full. What a novel experience for me. At first, my head played games and was sure I needed more...that I couldn't possibly be satisfied. But there's just no more room! And really no more urge. My eyes and head have caught up to the FACT that I just am not interested in more food! Now it didn't happen for me until I had enough fills to reach my sweet spot, but once that happened, I was amazed how everything just fell into place!

Welcome to the new people. Stay positive . If you follow your doctors advice you will do fine. I have lost 30 pounds in two months and i feel great. I do not eat any junk food because the band curbs my appetite enough so that i can make good choices. Donna