Maybe the reason some people on this site say that the band is just a tool... you need self control.... is because whenever you tell someone you had weight loss surgery they automatically say something like OH YOU TOOK THE EAY WAY OUT... The bottom line is that if you have proper restriction then the band does make you lose weight because you CAN'T eat. I mean, I still want to wolf down a pie of pizza when my kids stress me out or eat like a pig when my friend took me out for my birthday and I still wanted to get buzzed when I went to the bar with co-workers but the fact is BECAUSE of this band I COULDN'T. Does anyone agree with what I am saying?

No, not really. I wish it were easier. I have restriction, but I still have to make choices. Of course the band helps A LOT so that I can't pig out on pizza or fast food. We all have different metabolism, etc. so some of us have to work harder than others. I honestly feel that I am one that has to work harder by exercising a lot, etc.

I still have to have self control. If I ate sweets and candy I would gain, so making a wise choice is important.

Hi...I don't agree either. Good choices are very important for weight loss with the band and good health in general. If you read on a lot of the threads you will hear people complaining about staying the same and even gaining weight. There are other reasons that could be happening, but a lot of times when you look at what they are eating and drinking it's not a whole lot in quantity, but it's real high calorie.

I do agree. The band keeps me from binging, even when I want to. By no means, have I turned into a brand new person, I still eat sweets I shouldn't have all the time, but the quantities are much much smaller than pre-band.. they satisfy me a lot quicker.. and some items I can't eat. Yay band.

some days I can eat anything in sight -- I have 8 cc in so my doc will not put any more in - he would like to take some out but I said NO WAY

some times like after the 2nd or 3rd bowl of Cereal I need to say what the heck am I doing to myself.

So tehre are days I can eat anything you put in front of me and boy do I need will power on those days

But than I do have days that I feel fine all day and I am never really hungry

I still feel like ytou need strong willpower to loose the weight I think it is just a tool I know someone that has the band and has 8 cc in it and has lost nothing because of no will power

Maybe the reason some people on this site say that the band is just a tool... you need self control.... is because whenever you tell someone you had weight loss surgery they automatically say something like OH YOU TOOK THE EAY WAY OUT... The bottom line is that if you have proper restriction then the band does make you lose weight because you CAN'T eat. I mean, I still want to wolf down a pie of pizza when my kids stress me out or eat like a pig when my friend took me out for my birthday and I still wanted to get buzzed when I went to the bar with co-workers but the fact is BECAUSE of this band I COULDN'T. Does anyone agree with what I am saying?

even when i had optimal restriction and could not eat more than 1/2 a piece of grilled chicken i could still suck down the (insert bad food choice here)... i find chocolate and not so good choices just slide right thru the band.

so yeah, i still say its a tool to help me lose...

When I can eat nothing else chocolate will always go down easy

It is hard at times but we hav eto have will power and eat the right foods

I think ANY amt of icecream would just slide down.

You absolutely still need to have self control. I've lost over 100 lbs in just over 6 mos, only had one fill and exercise every day. Cardio 7 days and lift 4. I know I could eat more if I wanted to, but I know that if I do, all the work I've done will be for nothing.

It takes work, in diet, exercise and the amount we do in both areas.

As for people that want to say I took the "easy way out", just let them come to the gym with me for one weeks worth of workouts. Not too many "normal" people could do my workouts for one week. I even had my PA last month tell me she couldn't run 3.5 miles straight like I do 3 times a week now.

you are doing great ceredad

I am 9 months out and am down 85-90 lbs and my PA told me that tehy normally only see 50 lbs for the first year

I was like i am hitting one hundred by my 1 year date

SO you are way past me and they said I was going a little to fast.

Keep up teh great work

This is no easy way out

I agree with you saying that a "normal" person has no idea how hard we still work on losing weight

I think it is very individual. I have not had one single day, since being banded, that I could not eat whatever I wanted if I chose to. I get full, but if I want I can push it to eat more than I should. And I can eat bread, Pasta, anything that people get "stuck", goes down fine for me. My "restriction" is fine because when I eat the proper amount of food, it keeps me full for 3-4 hours. So it's really my choice, each and every time I eat.

Some--a lot--of people use the band for restriction: they get adjusted as tight as possible without actually being closed off, so they are forced to stop eating quickly. But I am afraid if I did that, I would endanger my stomach in the long run, and end up having to have my band removed, which would be a tragedy. So I get by with as little fill as possible, as long as I'm still losing weight.

It hasn't been the "easy way" for me (or for most people I talk to) but it IS easier than without the band. There's no shame in that. I needed help, that's why I had surgery. The band helps, and it's up to me to make it work. That's how I see it.

I wish what you were saying about it being easy were true for me. For me 17 months out, its still a lot about making the right choices. If I ate chocolate, chips, ice cream and other snacky foods for a week, I am CERTAIN I would gain. I have great restriction right now, but those things just go down a treat even now, so to speak. My band IS only a tool and I unfortunately have learned how I could manipulate it, if I wanted to sabotage myself and my weight loss for some idiodic reason (I'd be a FOOL to want to do that though!).

Sure the band is a tool and it keeps portions smaller. Unfortunately, the bad foods go down like their is no band. I could easily eat a huge tub of popcorn at the movies. I have no problem with chips, candy, Cookies, etc.

I choose not to eat any of that stuff. I choose chicken breast and chew it until it's liquid in my mouth.

Yes, I have heard ppl say comments about wls being the easy way out. But, I have to disagree. When I laid on the operating table, hooked up to all sorts of machines, breathing tube down my throat and cut on.......THAT DEFINITELY WASN'T AN EASY WAY OUT!!!!!

Oreo, gkeyt, shesmiles, Denise and bles-you all said exactly what I have been thinking, and saying. This is no easy way out. I could eat anything I want. I, too, am able to eat bread, Pasta, chocolate. I simply choose to not get an adjustment to make it so I can't. People, including bandsters, need to live. Why make it so I can't live just so I can lose more weight? My PA has told me several times that, by eating approx 1.5 cups of food at most meals, am eating more than she would let most bandsters eat. However, because I work out 11 times a week, she says I need more food to fuel my body.

So, there are basically 2 ways to use the band and lose weight. 1) you get your band restricted to the point where you can eat only a little bit of food and exercise a little. Or, 2) you leave the band a little looser so you can eat foods you enjoy (but in moderation) and exercise more. I choose the 2nd option. I just make the right choices on food (most of the time :thumbup:)