Considering getting lapband and doing a little research.

Question: What happens with the band once you reach your goal weight? Does it come out? Does it get deflated all the way? Or just a little loose?

Thanks.

In general, nothing.

Your body adapts to the calories you feed it. Meaning if you lose all your weight on 800 calories a day and you limit yourself to that for several YEARS as you do with a band, you're never going to be able to eat a lot more than that without gaining weight. Ever again. That's why we need our bands in there working for us.

Some people have to unfill a bit, occasinally someone has to totally unfil. I'm just glad I lost all my weight on a high calorie level - about 1500 since I can get away with eating about that now, up to about 1800 without gaining weight. but I need a band to keep me restricted to that amount - I'm tall, I'm VERY active (run an hour a day, do weights etc and am just all round busy) and naturally, my appetite directs me to eat over 2000 calories a day. For some reason, although the charts say I should be eating 2300 to 2500 a day and my appetite tells me that's what it wants, my body cant handle it and I have to stay well under 2000. so I need my band and I dont plan on unfilling or removing it.

I need a band AND a good mix of hard cardio and strength training to maintain this weight. Its just the way it is. Its probably why I got fat in the first place since i never considered I ate much differently from other people.

Its not as bad as it sounds because that's exactly the way dieting works. You eat that little, if by some miracle you stick to it for a year or more, you arent ever going to be able to go back to anything like your previous calorie intake. That's why diets dont work. The hunger would have worn me down by now. But with my band 1800 calories a day feels like a LOT. Certainly not deprivation.

Thanks Jachut. You get full when you eat, but what do you do about the appetite? How do you fight it?

Its not that bad - its more that I did have a small unfill about five months ago (hormones, ugh) and with just .2ml out of my band, my appetite skyrocketed! I have the fill back now. With my band I find that the small meals I am able to eat dont sustain me for more than about 3 hours, I eat five small meals a day these days rather than 3 larger ones, that's all. I really do exercise very hard though.

Its not like I'm starving all the time, but I do get "normal hungry" meaning if I havent eaten for a couple of hours, my tummy starts to rumble and I feel hungry. So I eat!

Many people are luckier than me and just dont feel hunger after being banded - I never had really out of control hunger pre banding but I certainly cant identify with having to remind myself to eat!

In a normal day I might have a small bowl of Cereal for Breakfast (somethign wholegrain), a piece of fruit and a couple of nuts mid morning, a tuna sandwich or some dinner leftovers or similar for lunch (cant eat a WHOLE sandwich!, about 1/2 to 2/3), maybe something a little naughty mid afternoon like a cookie or two but more often somethign healthy like a hardboiled egg and a piece of fruit and then just a small amount of whatever my family is eating for dinner - I try to include lots of veges here. I can enjoy a glass of wine and perhaps a nice coffee most days too and keep my weight steady. Going out for dinner, going on holidays or big days like Christmas dont make me gain weight like I used to since I cant overindulge on those days although I can certainly enjoy them!

I find it easy to live a completely normal lifestyle. There is always sometihng on any menu that I can eat, I do lots of exercise, but it doesnt take over my life - generally an hour a day and i stay thin and fit. Best thing I ever did.

Anyone else have any input?

How are things once you reach your goal weight? Do you "ease" up on things? Whether it be what you eat or whatever...and still maintain your goal weight?

Thanks.

I have 14.5 more pounds to lose to reach goal. One thing I've noticed is that my body is slowing down for me. I'm having to actually put a little effort into losing now whereas before it pretty much came off on its own.

Considering the dramatically slower rate that I am losing at now, I'm guessing that when I reach goal, I'll pretty much stop losing by default. I don't know how long it'll take me to get there, but I'm determined to get there eventually.

My aftercare surgeon told me that when I hit my goal weight, I may have a little tiny bit taken out so that I don't continue to lose, but as Jachut said, mainly nothing happens. I am nearing the end of my weight loss journey, so every pound is taking FOREVER to come off. So, I figure one day, the weight loss will completely peter out and I will just be where I am...

To add to all the above.

I love that I can forget about being fat, figuring out what to wear, what to eat, how to deal with uncomfortable social situations.

I spent a bomb, happily I might add, on a new wardrobe and lastly. I feel beautiful again. Lots to look forward to. Life is beautiful.

Thanks for the comments.

Whats the long term outlook for the band itself? Does it have a life expectancy? Its not going to start breaking down years down the road is it? Is there any info on that kinda thing out tthere? I know lapband hasnt been around that long, but Im sure the question has been asked.

Anyone else have any input?

How are things once you reach your goal weight? Do you "ease" up on things? Whether it be what you eat or whatever...and still maintain your goal weight?

Thanks.

You can ease up but you just have to keep yourself in check. Your scale can tell you when you can ease up and when you have to tighten down. When you reach your maintenance weight, make choices that allow you to live a normal life but not exceed more than 5 or so pounds from where you want to be. You can self adjust natually if you are diligent and careful.

However, you need to be careful that certain unhealthy foods do not become a normal part of your diet. You shouldn't restrict yourself from the occasional indulgence . . . but make sure that occasional is just that, occasional.

Whats the long term outlook for the band itself? Does it have a life expectancy? Its not going to start breaking down years down the road is it? Is there any info on that kinda thing out tthere? I know lapband hasnt been around that long, but Im sure the question has been asked.

no idea.

i have a healthy paranoia that it may not last forever - but have my fingers crossed i've learned something this past year about portion control / nutrition / exercise.

i've been up a few lbs lately & that's because i have not put the hours in at the gym that i had been doing - while attending too many holiday parties. i've made it a point to never buy another size up in clothing, and since i gave away all previous sizes - i kinda put my heels to the fire.

so back in the gym this wk, make my trainer earn his pay ..LOL & maybe get a fill today; it's a constant of checking yourself.

You know, you really cant ever completely ease up but you can allow things in like a nightly glass of wine. My weight loss simply petered out, it got slower and slower till I was just maintaining. But I keep the calories down, the food choices good, if I have a big day I pull back the next, I stop myself having too many of anything - too many glasses of wine, too many chips etc.

I never gave up everything while I was losing though so it may be differnet for someone else. Over the last 3 years this has come to be normal for me, this way of eating, to someone just starting out their journey, they would probably consider I live my life on a diet. But that's what you have to get your head around, you can NEVER just eat what you want when you want and expect to stay thin and healthy.

As for exercise, well I just keep working harder and harder, becuase I have other goals besides weight loss from my exercise, I work REALLY hard five days a week - maybe an hour long full body circuit, a 10km slower run or 40 minutes of really tough interval running.

But it kind of grows on you throughout your journey - I know that sounds scary but my body copes with it now.

The information in my surgery pack said that in all likelihood some years down the road the band will fail - probably the balloon will give way at some point in time, like 15 or 20 years. There simply isnt the long term data and the newer bands that they're doing now, three years down the track have been improved with this in mind. But I think you'd be unrealistic to expect that you'll never have another surgery related to your banding.

Edited December 15, 200817 yr by Jachut

Thanks for the info Jachut.

Sorry I don't want to hijack the thread, but I simply have to say Jacqui has perhaps the best responses around here!

She is a true inspiration!

Fatman, I loooove your name and couldn't help smiling at the thought of Chris Farley in Tommy Boy!

I haven't had any fill taken out and because I will always be a food addict, the issue of gaining and losing is still a work in progress. I got to goal, then decided I could include ice cream as a regular treat and of course I gained a few lbs back.

The band makes it a heck of a lot easier though, because instead of gaining more and more, I can get myself back on track and lose the few lbs again, until I think I "deserve" some treat that I know I don't need.

I would also add that I normally go to the gym 6 days a week. Exercise is a part of my life that I really enjoy now. It improves my mood dramatically.

I think where you find successful long term bandsters who have maintained, you will ALWAYS find a dedicated exerciser.