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I've read that quite a few of you have really struggled with loosing weight with the lap band. Many of you have not been able to get the the "sweet spot" even after the bands are completely filled. :cry I'm not banded yet, but am worried that I will have the same poor experiences. Any suggestions to help me prepare for success?

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I've read that quite a few of you have really struggled with loosing weight with the lap band. Many of you have not been able to get the the "sweet spot" even after the bands are completely filled. :cry I'm not banded yet, but am worried that I will have the same poor experiences. Any suggestions to help me prepare for success?

Yes, think positive, dont focus too much on the negative threads and just keep telling yourself that YOU are going to make this work. I also struggle with finding what I would consider my sweetspot, but until I find it Im going to keep making good choices and quit eating things just because I can.

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I also worried before having it done....then I saw I poll where it asked "would you do it again"....something like 92% said yes....that was enough for me!

Just do the research and make sure this is the right thing for you! No one but you knows that! Also.....you've probably heard it over and over but this is not the cure-all.....just an awesome tool that you can work with if you know its just a tool!

Good luck!

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it has taken me a few months to get to my sweet spot (not sure if I am there now) but I have still lost weight by changing my lifestyle.

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For every one complication/failure post you'll see out here, there are probably 10 successes. We tend to magnify the failures in our heads though. Though I did not hit my "sweet spot" until 3.5 months after surgery I was still losing consistently all that time. It just got a little easier when the full restriction set in (once you learn how to work with i!). People always find it easy to whine and moan about stuff, but I agree...most of those folks, if asked if they would do it again, would say yes.

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Also remember that when people ARE doing well, they are less likely to come to the site and share it. When we struggle and are feeling it's a hard time, we come for support! You WILL see success stories here, of course, but I have noticed that lots of people check in when they are not doing so hot...I know that is true for me! DO IT! You will NOT regret it!!! Follow the rules set by your doc, exercise, and you will do GREAT!!!

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When I woke up the day after surgery I thought, "What the hell did I do to myself? How is this thing suppose to help me lose weight? I want a do over!" I was in pain from the surgery and my life was about to change...for the better. I just didn't know it yet. I spent every minute on this site looking for support and virtual hugs. Fast forward three months later I am hoping to give the hugs and support now. I feel great, and the weight loss is only a small part of my overall success. I am so glad I had this opportunity to get this surgery-it has changed my life. I believe in myself more than I ever did before. I am so glad that I didn't get a "do-over".

Don't let the rants and the venting run you off into the ditch. This is a safe place for people to come when they are experiencing difficult times. If I run into a wall with my band this is the first place that I come to.

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I have no regrets I had not lost a pound in over three years and I am down 31 pounds since surgery Nov 9th.

How could I regret that...LOL It is not as fast as I might want, but in reality that is awesome weight loss.

I just have to stay focused and do the band rules and don't let anything sway me from my long term goal, to eat healthy and too take food out of control and put myself back in the driver seat for once!!!

It will not be something you regret I firmly believe that.

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I've read that quite a few of you have really struggled with loosing weight with the lap band. Many of you have not been able to get the the "sweet spot" even after the bands are completely filled. :cry I'm not banded yet, but am worried that I will have the same poor experiences. Any suggestions to help me prepare for success?

Subscribe to the before/after pics thread. There are people constantly putting their pics up there to motivate others.

:rofl:

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Dont think your band should do all the work for you. Be prepared to get off your butt and work off some of those calories and make muscle out of the body you have destroyed for years.

Also be prepared to make wise food choices, just because you can eat a tub of icing or bowl of mashed potatoes with a pound of butter doesnt mean you should. Eat solid Protein every day and save the bad foods for rare occasions.

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I haven't found the "sweet spot" yet... I was banded over 8 months ago. HOWEVER, I've lost 75 pounds. Yes, it was HARD work. I probably could have lost some weight without the band. BUT, the difference is, I'm not putting it back on, and I'm not giving up. I can usually lose weight (30 pounds usually) and then I put back on about 50. It's not as much of a struggle for me now (it was very, very hard in the beginning) I don't think I could have gotten this far without it. It DOES take work. It's not a magic pill... people who know I've had the surgery think it does all the work for me.... which is soooo not true. If you think you are going to have this, and it will do the work for you... don't bother. You will not lose weight. If you think you are going to make better choices and have this as a tool to help... then it will. Good luck!

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Positive thoughts positive thoughts positive thoughts.

also realizing that this is a journey... there are going to be set backs and there are going to be victories..... it is a process.... don't expect over night results..... one day at a time! Good luck!

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    • Doughgurl

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      · 1 reply
      1. Phil Penn

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    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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