So, this is what I think I've gotten so far-

LapBand is not a sure thing & you still have to work at it (Eat right/move)

Lapband eventually makes you full faster.

If you over eat you'll get sick.

Can anyone fil me in on anything else?

If you exercise & eat right will you lose faster?

yes-you've got the right idea. the band simply makes the "fillable" part of your stomach smaller. you'll have to change some of your habits. choose to eat Proteins first, vegetables and fruits next (and if you're like most, you won't have room for the breads and sugars). my nutritionist told me i'd be on a "modified atkins" with the band, but i sure don't have to work at it. i just eat the small amount of food i need in the order they told me and there's no hard choices about whether to eat bread and sugar--because there's no room for them.

Yes, if you let the band govern the amount you eat (and if you eat "the good stuff" in the first place) and you go out and play (oh, "exercise" if you insist :crying:) then you will have better results. People who continue to eat "junk" and lay on the couch see poor results. if you expect the band to be the "magic elixir" don't waste your money or effort going any further. if you expect it to be a tool to help you stay on track, then, by all means, proceed.

just in case it helps you relate, i was successful on a weight watchers plan - as long as i was paying attention. but, life happens, you know? as soon as i stopped paying attention every moment to my WW Plan, i regained the weight. with the band, i can't "lose attention." (no more "diet A.D.D.".) it keeps me aware and that is what i needed. i lost 46 while i was preparing to get the band (i was on atkins) and 41 since banding feb 08. i follow the banding rules, eat my protien first (at least 80% of the time :smile:) eat fruit and veggies, and play tennis 2-3 times a week for 1.5 hrs/time. i feel good, my skin is shrinking long with the fat and my doctor/PA/nutritionist/office staff are VERY pleased with me. I am very pleased with me. that's what i pray for all of the people who have made this choice.

don't forget to ask your "trusted advisors" (you know, mom, God, Best friend) for pros-cons so you can research them. that way, you'll be able to have the support you'll need for this life change.

as always, take what you like of this and leave the rest.

It can take several fills to get to the right level of restriction.

AHOOGE- thanks so much for all the great input!

heidib, welcome to LBT. It seems you've been doing your research. Thanks for joining and we hope to hear more from you.

Hi Heidib! I've had the band since January and the hardest part for me to explain to my friends and family is that it's not so much that i feel "full", it's just that I'm not hungry any more (which is probabily what "full" really feels like, but over eating is how I got into this mess). Eating slower and chewing well takes time and I often get tired of eating and just stop. I've never felt the "full" feeling like I used to when I ate as much in a meal as I do now in a day. I follow all of the rules (like chewing) and have never gotten anything stuck (thank goodness). I do notice that when I am very strict on the working out I lose more. Other than that, the only thing I wish I knew going in was that the pre-op and post-op liquid diet gets old fast, and losing weight with the band takes time. I actually gained weight right after the surgery and have FINALLY come to realize that the body has reasons for what it does and in my case, it loves to hold on to Water. Oh -and the other thing that helps me explain the band to friends/family is that I feel like it just helps keep me full longer. If I don't drink while I eat (and push the food down), I can go several hours without even thinking about food. New lifestyle completely. Wouldn't change it for the world. GOOD LUCK!