Hello,

I’m brand new to this forum so forgive me if I post in the wrong place or anything.

I got Lapband back in 2013, and due to some recent issues with the band and less-than-stellar results in general, I am looking into having a revision to the sleeve. Long story short, my band no longer holds fluid, so it’s essentially just a foreign object sitting in my body and providing no real use.
However, I have some concerns when it comes to potentially switching to the sleeve...
In all brutal honesty, I was/am guilty of “eating through” the band. At times, I would drink too much liquid during meals thus negating the point of the band (disclaimer: this is not what caused the band to no longer hold fluid).
Even though the band and sleeve are very different surgeries, I worry my bad habit will cause me to fail with the sleeve. Anyone gone through this and have advice?

unfortunately you can eat around any of the surgeries. With sleeve and bypass, the restriction keeps you from eating a ton at any one sitting, but you can easily graze all day and put on weight. For example, before I had bypass, I could eat half a large pizza at one sitting. Now, almost six years out from bypass, I still can't eat more than one or two pieces - at one sitting. But I could have 1-2 pieces at 5:00 pm, another 1-2 pieces at 6:30 pm, and another 1-2 pieces at 8:00 pm. So...I could still eat half a pizza in one day. That's the kind of thing you have to watch.

a lot of WLS patients work with therapists on these kinds of issues - so that might be something to consider if you find yourself slipping...

Thank you, catwoman7!

I appreciate your response! I find I usually graze all day if I’m bored. I’ve realized this and due to that, and some other factors in my life, I’m actually in the process of striving to occupy myself more when I’m not at work so that I don’t become so bored that I graze or anything else. Typically, I am one of those who will eat a large portion in one sitting but each day can be different.

I would definitely look for some help from a Therapist. Some of what you are describing could be Binge Eating Disorder if your symptoms align. I was diagnosed and am receiving help for this from a Therapist. The mental head games with food is a constant battle but is definitely treatable if we seek out the help that is needed. I also was grazing, boredom and emotionally eating pretty much daily before I started a treatment plan. I also had the issue of never having hunger or fullness queues from my stomach so I never knew when I ate too much other than being on the verge of throwing up. Seeking treatment has helped in my life tremendously. Welcome to the forums, I have only been here a short while before I had surgery.

@Hello_Pumpkin I agree with catwoman7 and mswillis5 have said, so I won't re-state their points. BUT, as I have the unique advantage of having been banded first then later converted to the sleeve, I feel that I have some valuable experience.

I can't say that my sleeve "failed me." I had a slip that went unnoticed for several years. I couldn't tolerate fills and I had TERRIBLE reflux, but I still lost a significant amount of weight and managed to keep it off. When the reflux became intolerable, my surgeon said the only option was to take it out. He offered to sleeve me then, but I chose not to. Fast forward a few years and a lot of grief later, I was sleeved and don't regret it one single bit.

Regarding drinking while eating. While banded, I rarely attempted drinking with meals. On those occasions where I attempted, there were really no consequences. No pain. No PBs. Nothing. After having trained myself with the band, I still rarely attempt to drink while eating. BUT, I find that every time I try, it's very uncomfortable. Even today, facing 3 years out from surgery, I do not like how drinking with eating feels. It's not painful per se, but sort of an uncomfortable pressure or fullness that I'd like to avoid.

I will reiterate what catwoman7 said about eating around the sleeve. Her example about the pizza is spot on. You can also get a lot of calories by eating slider foods. This is similar to lapband. There are some foods that you can simply eat a lot more of and negate the restrictive benefits of the sleeve. Liquids, ice creams, etc are obvious, but for me, popcorn is a huge slider food. I seem to be able to eat entirely too much of that. So, I choose SkinnyPop and portion out my popcorn so I'm not eating mindless handfuls from the bag. It's all about developing good habits and strategies.

@mswillis5 I have dabbled with the idea of seeing a therapist. Years ago I used to see a therapist for other things going on in my life and she helped me tremendously. I think it could be beneficial to have someone disconnected from my everyday that I can bounce things like that off of.

@S@ssen@ch Thank you for sharing your experience! After reading your comment, I think I really need to practice eating without drinking so much. Since the band will no longer hold fluid, it sometimes feels like a moot point at times. However, it’s a habit I need to create again to better my chances of success if I’m able to get the revision.

I appreciate everyone’s input!