I am being banded at the end of Feb and want to use it to the fullest. I was hoping that some of the more experienced bandsters out there would share there secrets to the success that they have had. What have you done to continue on a healthy path that allowed you to lose the most weight. Been reading a lot of negatives lately and want to hear some positives. :wink2:

So Spill you guts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:Dancing_wub:

My secrets are not really secrets, but I will share what I have done to be successful.

#1 - follow my doctors orders

#2 - work out regularly

#3 - stay away from carbs and sugar

Good luck!

What has worked for me is

1. I followed the instructions given to me by the doctor. I did not deviate AT ALL.

2. Ive maintained a restrictive fill level so that i am unable to gorge myself. I can eat but i CAN NOT OVEREAT if im filled properly. As soon as i feel that i am being able to eat more then i normally can i head back in for a fill.

3. I drink a minimum of eight 8oz glasses of Water a day EVERYDAY

4. I follow an exercise program

I would add NOT to drink with meals so that you can truly know when you're full.

1: EXERCISE! A commitment to living healthy is a must.

2: Understanding that the band is a tool and it wont MAKE you lose weight.

Amen to all the above posts. I think what we have in common is:

1) A serious committment to exercise. Find something you like and do it consistently. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate; I mostly walk in a park near home. There is a 2 mile nature trail and I carry peanuts for the squirrels. I try to do a minimum of twice around (approx 4 miles) and when I can 3 and even sometimes 4 times around. Until I have daylight again after work, I do Curves and some Water aerobics.

2) Follow the doctors recommendations. Utitlize the resources. Go to group support. Call your doctor if something doesn't feel right. Come here for more support.

3) Make sure to get your Protein in. We all may approach that slightly differently (different brand preferences for Protein shakes for example) but get protein first, then healthy carbs and fats. Be sure to take your Vitamins, Calcium (citrate not carbonate) and B12.

4) Read nutritional labels. Some people like to low carb, others not. I shoot for the lowest sugar and fat first, ideally little or no saturated fat, then I try for the lowest salt and then lowest carbs. I like Cereal, and that is carbs, so I look for the lowest sugar/salt/fat content, as in plain Cheerios, Joe's O's from Trader Joe, or high protein cereals from Kay's Naturals.

5) Find healthy substitutes for old fattening favorites. I am a reformed pizzaholic (I would work out at Curves, pick up a pizza on the way home, and eat the entire thing 12-15 inches!). I now make a crustless pizza (meal portion microwavable dish, cover bottom with 1/3 to 1/2 jar of Ragu Homemade style pizza sauce, cover that with Hormel Turkey Pepperonis, top with (if you like these) peppers and onions (I keep Birdseye Pepper Stir Fry in the freezer for this) and top with Kraft fat free Mozzarella (or Cheddar). Nuke in microwave for 2 minutes to heat and melt cheese. It may be hard to believe, but that will satisfy my craving for pizza (and I live less than a block from a pizza shop).

6) To repeat what someone else said, the band is a tool. For me it helped me control the amount I ate. What I ate was still up to me. I have a quote hanging over my desk from a book I have that says "The band is not around your lips. It is around your stomach. It cannot keep food out of your mouth. Only you can do that." I stay away from concentrated sweets (occasionally I will have a finger full of that gooey icing from commercial cakes--on special occasions or holidays I may have dessert), pizza, subs, junk food (I buy my Snacks from kaysnaturals.com--protein chips and snacks, and cereals). I eat variations on a chicken caesar salad (romaine--use those green bags from TV to store; grilled chicken breast in olive oil or PAM; cut up hard boiled egg, parmesan cheese, light caesar dressing and fat free croutons--sometimes I substitute julienne cut turkey or ham that I find in Mars supermarkets. You may hear light as opposed to fat free in regard to dressings and mayo and that is because for some reason the fat free ones have more sugar, so they feel a little fat and less sugar is the way to go and fat free mayo doesn't taste like mayo, so I use Kraft Light. I recently compared skim milk to light soymilk and the soymilk has less sugar so I switched to that for smoothies and cereal. I plan to try a switch to Greek nonfat yogurt with some sugar free preserves added for the fruit. Most of the yogurts have a lot of sugar. Some foods you may find don't digest as easily after surgery. I don't eat much bread because of that. Other things I eat but carefully, making sure to chew. In restaurants I tend to stick to an appetizer and salad, or Soup and salad rather than a big entree.

For me it didn't take a lot of fills. My first fill of 3ccs got partially unfilled 24 hours later and several months later I got a slight fill of 1.5ccs, so I maybe have 3ccs or a smidge more. For some people it takes more. Everyone is different. I have gone from 2X to medium tops and small pants (I wear scrubs at work) and in numbered sizes from women's 22 to misses 12. I am broke from buying clothes (I even found a pair of designer jeans at a thrift store--paid $3.49 for Ann Taylor Loft in size 12) but it is a good kind of broke. Think about thrift stores or outlets for transition sizes to save money, or catalog sales with free shipping specials.

If you remember the band is a tool to aid in portion control, and you use it for that, and commit to regular exercise, plus eating healthier and staying away from concentrated sweets, you should do well. Good luck with your journey.

Edited January 20, 200917 yr by PATCHELTON

Being compliant to what the doc wants me to do.

Working my ass off at the gym

very limited junk food

I agree with most of the above.

But I differ a bit with diet, I've always been a carb eater and I've still been successful. But key is, that however you do it, you make a permanent lifestyle change that results in a better diet containing fewer calories.

Exercise is a biggie. Serious exercise!

Flexibility and an ability to realise the band is a tool, people are fallible and that there's no point panicking about falling off the wagon on hitting a plateau. Its the ability to dig in and keep going when these things happen that's important, some people are in a tizz at the slightest disruption to their textbook 2lb per week and let it throw them. You WILL plateau and you MAY be a slow loser. I was a slow loser, so what? My weight is just as gone as anyone else's.

For me my secrets are not really secrets.

1. Exercise, exercise! I think this is my best tool.

2. Realize the band is a TOOL, not a miracle cure.

3. Using the above two, and realizing I am not on a diet, but a LIFETIME change! A change that will lead to good health! My good health.

Just like everyone else has said above, but also make sure you do not beat yourself up because you go slow. This is not a race. It took many years to get this way and many years to drop down. Take it one step/day at a time. Take charge and if you see or feel problems talk to the doctor and others on here about things. We are here to help everyone. Good Luck.

Chris

This is an interesting little article, very true.

http://www.personalbestpersonaltraining.com/health-fitness-truth-blog/

Mr Jachut struggles mightily with the exercise but sedentary all day thing. Its work dictated and personality driven for him, as it is for many, desk jobs are killers but he doesnt like exercise (he didnt even need a lapband for his eating habits, he's a great eater. But due to his chronic lack of activity he needs to eat very very little and he couldnt do it alone) . But it always amazes me how many people say I'm not losing weight but I walk for half an hour a day. Everyone has to start somewhere, but for exercise to really be effective, you have to get serious about it.

And I think one of the biggest challenges with WLS is not to become a skinny fat person. Fast fast weight loss is not good. You're losing muscle. If you ever want that curvy, fit look, you need to take it slower and work on keeping your muscles.

Hi:

I agree with most of what the others said. I'd like to add that this is a committment that you make to yourself. You're committing to taking better care of your body so that your body can feel better to make day-to-day living more comfortable and enjoyable.

I really believe that you have to find an exercise that you truly enjoy. I truly enjoy walking with my MP3 player on and just escaping. However, I LOVE trikking and can't wait for the weather to improve so that I can trikke some more.

Also, find a doctor that you enjoy seeing because you'll be seeing alot of him/her over the first year. You need to feel comfortable with them and they will guide you and participate in your success and your hard times.

Best wishes to you. I love my band.

Sue

Hi,

i am not lap bander but what the knowledge i have about lap band, i want to suggest you that in order to get the best result more weight loss, mentally you have to prepare yourself this means you should have to follow your doctor and all the post-operative diet prescribed by your surgeon.

do exercise regularly. do not eat too much and other food which is prohibited.

ok best of luck, :tongue: take care