I've got to ask this ...

[Marmite_crumpet 0]

New here and banding booked for 31st Jan in Chichester UK. I've been reading and reading these forums and they are fantastically informative. But something keeps hitting me and I have just got to ask about it:

Over and over I am impressed and awed by everyone's success stories, whether at goal or well on the way. I keep reading that you are all watching carefully that you don't eat high calorie food that would render your bands useless as they are foods that would slip through easily - chocolate, crisps (chips), ice cream etc. I also read that you are disciplined in your exercise routines or, at the minimum, make sure you are active in some way during the day.

Here is my question (and I ask it with the greatest respect): How is the gastric band making you do those things that you didn't do before you had it fitted? The band restricts the amount you eat, but it is still possible to gain weight if you eat high calorie soft foods. The band does not make you exercise. So why is it that you are now able to discipline yourselves to avoid those high calorie foods, whilst making sure you incorporate exercise into your lives?

As I said, I am in for a band in 3 weeks. I have done all the things you guys have - the diets, the pills the whatever - and I am now at my heaviest. I am turning to WLS as a last resort and not feeling too proud of that. But, if I had the willpower, self-control and discipline displayed by the majority of the posters to these fora, I wouldn't be having the band!

What is it about having the band that means you have these new-found strengths? Of course I am making an assumption that the strengths are new to you all, as why else would you have resorted to WLS, if you had the willpower, self-control and discipline to do it without surgery?

I really hope my post doesn't come across as rude or impertinent. That is truly not my intention. I have nothing but respect and admiration for everyone on these forums. But I am going through a crisis of my own as I feel a failure for having to resort to WLS and I don't want to get to the stage after surgery of thinking "I could have done all this without the band as all I am doing is exercising self control and discipline"!

I would really love to have your thoughts on this please.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I'm not counting calories or eating differently (as in diet foods, "low cal" stuff, etc), and am slowly losing. What I am NOT doing is snacking, and WHY I'm not is because now, with my (moderate, not at "The spot" yet) restriction, I get satisfied faster and stay that way longer. I used to get really hungry and would graze. Now I'm satiated and it's easier not to snack or eat junk.

Without the band, I was hungry, and dealing with that, PLUS the grazing/snack habit, was very hard.

Finally, I personally have successfully dieted about a billion times (LOL) but by about 45 pounds lost, I'd get so BORED and tired of weighing and counting and obsessing over every bite, I'd go off the deep end. Honestly, for me, diets mean full blown food obsession (can I have that? WHEN can I have that? What can I eat? will It hurt me? is it salty? will I be up on weigh in day? if I eat this extra serving will I gain weight for the week? Is this too much? Is this ENOUGH?...you get the drift)

I don't do that now. Slowly, slowly, food is becoming less and less important to me. Choosing healthy is easier. Eating less is no problem because I don't get hungry as often, and I stay "full" (not stuffed, but ...un-hungry) for longer.

Edited January 9, 2009 by RestlessMonkey

[als74 1]

For me, I have always enjoyed eating, and I eat way too much. I like high Protein diets, but I always fell off the wagon by increasing the amount I was eating. I would be so hungry on my way home from work I couldn't wait- so I would stop for fast food.

That being said, if I can only eat a certain amount, and I want to keep my Protein high and carbs, fat, and cals low, I will not waste it on junk food.< /p>

Also, surgery is pretty intense. When someone goes through that much trouble to lose weight, they might have a tendency to try harder. I know I will work much harder. I hate surgery, I hate pain, and I am hoping that will add to my motivation and willpower. Plus, I am truely ready.

I hope this was somewhat helpful. Good luck on your journey!!!

[Jaymie72 0]

I think it's a great question! I am not sure that I have the best answer but I will give you my opinion. Once you start seeing the weight come off it just gets easier to keep the momentum up. I am pretty restricted at this point and really cannot eat a lot at one setting and am still losing. Now I still snack on Cookies and ice cream and such but a lot less often. When you are cutting back on your other foods you will still loose weight. I wish I could have done this without the surgery but I think it does something to your brain too. It like reminds you that you have this awesome tool and to use it. I am not sure if this even makes sense but I hope it gives you some answers! Good luck with your band, you will so love it!!

[Marmite_crumpet 0]

Thank you RestlessMonkey. I think that is the kind of thing I wanted to hear.

I suppose I was getting the impression that the band doesn't do that much in the way of directly affecting weight loss. I have a theory that the fact that someone has gone through the surgery - usually paid for it themselves, has a large effect on their resolve to lose weight this time.

Is that the case do you think? Or does the band have that much of a physical effect that, with or without the right mindset, weight would be lost?

Gawd, I do overthink things I know! But this is how I process things - obsessively - and I have to explore every question in my mind to reassure myself I am doing the right thing.

[Marmite_crumpet 0]

I think it's a great question! I am not sure that I have the best answer but I will give you my opinion. Once you start seeing the weight come off it just gets easier to keep the momentum up. I am pretty restricted at this point and really cannot eat a lot at one setting and am still losing. Now I still snack on Cookies and ice cream and such but a lot less often. When you are cutting back on your other foods you will still loose weight. I wish I could have done this without the surgery but I think it does something to your brain too. It like reminds you that you have this awesome tool and to use it. I am not sure if this even makes sense but I hope it gives you some answers! Good luck with your band, you will so love it!!

Thanks Jaymie, that was very reassuring. Congrats on your progress and success too!

[Marmite_crumpet 0]

For me, I have always enjoyed eating, and I eat way too much. I like high Protein diets, but I always fell off the wagon by increasing the amount I was eating. I would be so hungry on my way home from work I couldn't wait- so I would stop for fast food.

That being said, if I can only eat a certain amount, and I want to keep my Protein high and carbs, fat, and cals low, I will not waste it on junk food.< /p>

Also, surgery is pretty intense. When someone goes through that much trouble to lose weight, they might have a tendency to try harder. I know I will work much harder. I hate surgery, I hate pain, and I am hoping that will add to my motivation and willpower. Plus, I am truely ready.

I hope this was somewhat helpful. Good luck on your journey!!!

Am i correct in concluding that you are yet to be banded als74? Just sounds that way from some of the things you said is all

[SunnyRachel 7]

First, congratulations! I hope you have a successful surgery and a smooth recovery!!

I think your question makes a lot of sense. It's a great one to ask, and I'm sure you will get lots of different answers.

In my personal experience, I can say that that kind of discipline was easily found, but not easily kept. I could lose weight for a little bit, but then give up quickly and fall back into old habits. That's how I failed... not being able to stick to any plan.

For me, the band has been an attitude adjustment. I have only had it for a short while now, only two months, but it has eliminated most of my desire for high calorie foods. Sure, my favorite foods still all sound good, but I look at them now and it is a lot easier to turn them down than it was before. Throughout the day, I don't feel deprived or hungry at all. In fact, what I always thought was hunger was just a mental illusion.

Nobody really knows what the band will change for you until it's actually in place. Most of the time you won't feel different at all... but then pretty quickly I bet you will soon discover the difference it makes for you.

I hope this was helpful. I wish you all the best!!

[Donna113 2]

Thank you I suppose I was getting the impression that the band doesn't do that much in the way of directly affecting weight loss. I have a theory that the fact that someone has gone through the surgery - usually paid for it themselves, has a large effect on their resolve to lose weight this time.

Is that the case do you think? Or does the band have that much of a physical effect that, with or without the right mindset, weight would be lost?

The band, when at the proper fill level, does A LOT as far as the ability to take in solid foods (not so much for liquids). Also, being at the point of taking such a drastic step as surgery does something to one's pysche. Finally, the band is always there and always reminding you to chew slowly and choose wisely. Once people start seeing results I think it motivates them that much more to do even more. Weight loss, exercise and improving the body becomes a new kind of obsession, helping to muffle the food obsession.

[als74 1]

Am i correct in concluding that you are yet to be banded als74? Just sounds that way from some of the things you said is all

I got banded December 22.

[amylynns 802]

Great question!! My dad asked me almost the same thing. When I started my liquid diet and of course started losing weight he said, " Why don't you just keep doing that?" Well..you can't really live on a liqud diet, LOL.

I don't know if you're like this, but I was SO SO sick of ALWAYS thinking about food!! What am I doing to have next....constantly feeling guilty about what I was eating...kinda like "restless monkey" was saying. Being obsessed with the whole diet scenerio.

And honestly----JUST TODAY, it dawned on me! I'm NOT thinking about food. I have to sometimes make myself eat because I'm FINALLY eating to live---not living to eat. My mind is not consumed with eating and food.< /p>

And I couldn't be more excited!!

This was by far, the best decision I've made for myself!!

[gingerbug 3]

I did not have a problem choosing healthy foods, I had a problem eating massive quantities of these foods. We all know a calorie is a calorie and if you are getting too many calories you get fat even if those calories come from chicken breasts instead of cheetos. That being said, even though I actually like healthy foods, my inability to reign in my appetite resulted in emotional eating. I felt like shit cause I could not lose weight and when I tried to limit my calories I was hungry and miserable. The lap band takes away the hunger, making me feel more in control and less likely to make bad choices. Now, if I want a milky way bar I get one but I dont get one because I want to feel better, I have one to treat myself a couple of times a month. I feel normal now, whatever that is. I feel how I always wanted to feel when I was wanting to change my lifestyle but couldn't. I hope this all makes sense!

[AAA022414 13]

Thank you RestlessMonkey. I think that is the kind of thing I wanted to hear.

I suppose I was getting the impression that the band doesn't do that much in the way of directly affecting weight loss. I have a theory that the fact that someone has gone through the surgery - usually paid for it themselves, has a large effect on their resolve to lose weight this time.

Is that the case do you think? Or does the band have that much of a physical effect that, with or without the right mindset, weight would be lost?

Gawd, I do overthink things I know! But this is how I process things - obsessively - and I have to explore every question in my mind to reassure myself I am doing the right thing.

This is exactly how i feel about it! I use it as a tool, not an end all, be all. I also see it as a huge investment that I made and I would be stupid to mess it up. I put myself through major surgery and all the stuff that goes with that and I would just feel really disapointed in myself if I let that all go to waste.

I've always been an active person, and with the band I made a promise to myself to actually live the active life. I am a gym junkie! and from that I have learned how to eat. If you dont fuel your body with the right foods than you're not going to make it through a workout. I eat anything I want, however I have to make sure that 98% is going to keep me healthy.

I've never ate alot of food, I just never paid any attention to nutritional value and over indulged in sweet stuff. I really do believe that 95% of my weightloss is due to the fact that I exercise and eat the things that help me make it through my workouts. my band isn't tight and I make the choice daily weather or not to eat the slider foods or not!

good luck with your band!

[CynthiaMcC 0]

Great questions. I wondered the same thing. What I have found is this ... 1). I generally ate healthy food pre-band, but way too much, now even if I want to eat a lot, I can't. Strangely some of the items I miss eating are things like raw vegetables, I do not tolerate them very well. 2). I felt like I hit bottom when I got surgery, I was at my highest weight and had failed at every other weight loss method, when I made this decision I knew it was my final chance. That gives you a sense of purpose. 3). Even when I eat bad things, the amount is limited, for example I've had one milkshake in the past year, I did not even finish it. 4). As someone mentioned earlier, once you start losing you get some momentum. About 4 months after surgery, I fell down the stairs and was on crutches. The recovery put me behind on the exercise, but in the past, I likely would have gained everything. Even w/o exercise I continued to lose so when I was able to exercise again, I was motivated.

Good luck to you.

[FrogStar24 0]

I ask myself that sometimes.

I think there's something to be said for making a commitment like this. Now that I've spent the money, went through a surgery, had to recover from it... how am I not going to follow through.

It's easier to make some sort of tangible commitment - like paying for something - than it is for me to make a promise to myself.

Also, I felt this was kind of a last resort. Not to be too dramatic. Same as you, other stuff didn't work, didn't make me exercise, didn't make me do anything else I didn't want to do. However... My biggest problem with weight gain was Portion Control. That's why I opted for a band instead of a bypass even. In this case, the band is helping me. I know that I can't take that last bite when I'm full, because I could get sick. I hate hate hate feeling that sick, so I know I won't push it.

Again, the rest of the stuff falls into place because you're doing this for you - no one's going to lose weight for you, make you exercise, make you eat right. If you're committed to getting the band, then you have to commit to all the "rules" it comes with. It's not always easy, but neither were any of the other diets I tried!