I realize that I'm very new to this and only getting my band tomorrow, but on a recent post, the poster expressed serious anger at her DR. because she hasn't lost (in fact, gained).

In all the seminars I attended, the dietition stress that this is a tool no different from a scale or measuring spoons. If you continue to eat the wrong things you will not be successful.

Since, I am having the surgery tomorrow, I guess I'm looking for reassurance that the majority of you do have a consistent weight loss. I know it's slow going but if it keeps going down, then I'm ok with that.

Michele,

The band IS a tool. One that comes with rules to be followed. Yes. When you follow the rules you will lose the weight you want to lose.

At the beginning you may struggle simply because the band needs time to heal in place before they start filling it. During that time you will still be hungry. Some people even gain a few pounds when they go back on mushy foods and solids after surgery. So it's largely up to you to make yourself follow the rules until you get enough fills to stop being hungry between meals. It's different for everyone, in that some get a fill and immediately stop being hungry. For me, it was more of a gradual realization that I wasn't getting hungry. I've had 3 fills and I go for my 4th this afternoon.

It is a bit of a struggle in the beginning, but after a couple of months it gets easier, and for me, at 4 months out, it's getting VERY easy.

I wish you the very best of luck.

I agree with June. I am also 4 months out, down 37.5 . If you make wise choices you will lose weight. Good luck!!!!

I'm 10 months out and actually find it very easy to lose. I have a 4cc band so it didnt take long to get to my sweet spot, but have lost consistently since surgery. If you follow the suggested plan it will work for you. Good luck!!

It is very normal to have doubts and fears this close to surgery. My biggest fear was going through surgery and still failing at losing weight.

The band absolutely is just a tool, you will get out of it what you put in. You have to follow the rules, make good food choices, not eat in between meals and keep active. You also have to deal with any emotional eating and cravings on your own.

In turn the band will allow you to feel satisfied on smaller portions and stay satisfied until your next meal. It is so much easier to deal with the healthy eating part when you are not constantly hungry.

Having the band, eating only healthy carbs and eating solid fresh unprocessed nutritional food has allowed me to have consistent weight loss...no regrets.

wow..i have a VG 10 cc band & i have 6.5 cc in the band and still dont feel restriction..i am eating slow and i am not drinking while eating..any suggestions??? :confused: Lost 18 lbs since 1.28.09

18 lbs in 3 months is more than i've lost in 2 years.

Thank you for all your support everyone.

wow..i have a VG 10 cc band & i have 6.5 cc in the band and still dont feel restriction..i am eating slow and i am not drinking while eating..any suggestions??? :confused: Lost 18 lbs since 1.28.09

What do you mean when you say you don't feel restriction? Are you tummy rumbling hungry between meals? Are you eating a lot? Because you seem to be losing at a fantastic rate; are you doing that on willpower?

My stomach isnt rumbling but i dont feel the food sitting there..let me explain this..when i was originally banded the surgeon tightened me up so much that i used to feel the food sit there or back up..once i get up and move around it would feel like the food dropped..I now have a new surgeon because he is inn with the insurance and he is closer to where I live..I am now adjusted to 6.5cc and dont feel what I felt in the past with the previous surgeon..I am sticking to the diet..I am not cheating..I am tempted but since my new provider advised me that I could be diabetic within 5-10 years..that was my calling to stop and stick to this..I have a 2 year old daughter that is my inspiration to get this damn weight off..I am fed up..I feel disgusting because I let myself get this heavy...

I can't speak to what you feel with the band because as I said, I GET BANDED TOMORROW!! But, your last sentence choked me up because I can't belive I've let myself get to the point where I have to get banded. All my life I've struggled to control my weight (the only one in a skinny family). But, 5 lbs turned to 10 and 10 to 50 in no time at all. I'm so terrified that this will be "just another diet I can't stick to."

I think you're doing great.

This is what perfect restriction feels like for me......I can eat a cup or sometimes a cup and a half at meal time and feel full (but not stuffed). I make good food choices (most of the time). I don't think about food inbetween because I don't notice hunger til 4-5 hrs after my last meal. I might have a "taste" of something yummy, but am satisfied with just the taste and find it easy to not take the 2nd taste.

I am at goal, but want to lose 10 more if possible.

I can't speak to what you feel with the band because as I said, I GET BANDED TOMORROW!! But, your last sentence choked me up because I can't belive I've let myself get to the point where I have to get banded. All my life I've struggled to control my weight (the only one in a skinny family). But, 5 lbs turned to 10 and 10 to 50 in no time at all. I'm so terrified that this will be "just another diet I can't stick to."

I think you're doing great.

Best of luck to you. I understand your concerns, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised how easy it will be to control the amount of food you are able to eat. I was a volume eater and the band cooled those jets pretty well!

My stomach isnt rumbling but i dont feel the food sitting there..let me explain this..when i was originally banded the surgeon tightened me up so much that i used to feel the food sit there or back up..once i get up and move around it would feel like the food dropped..I now have a new surgeon because he is inn with the insurance and he is closer to where I live..I am now adjusted to 6.5cc and dont feel what I felt in the past with the previous surgeon..I am sticking to the diet..I am not cheating..I am tempted but since my new provider advised me that I could be diabetic within 5-10 years..that was my calling to stop and stick to this..I have a 2 year old daughter that is my inspiration to get this damn weight off..I am fed up..I feel disgusting because I let myself get this heavy...

That backed up feeling is really not what you should be looking for when determining restriction. The backed up feeling, feeling stuck, PB'ing etc. are only signals that you didn't eat properly, ate too much or are too tight.

You should 1.) be satisfied on a small amount of food, the amount is individual but for me it is 3/4-1 cup. By satisfied, you are no longer hungry and feel comfortable 2.) You should stay satisfied (stomach not growling) for several hours, for me at least four. 3.) Be losing weight.

Temptations and cravings are difficult. Sorting out hunger, cravings, "too full" and satisfied feelings are also difficult. But these are things we have to deal with because the band won't help there. But with the band keeping us from being hungry it does make it easier for us to deal with this other stuff. It took me a few months to relearn all this stuff. But I learned what triggered cravings, I discovered that exercising helped curb my appetite, I learned that sometimes when I thought I needed food I was just dehydrated.

Don't feel disgusted with yourself, you are not alone in the weight battle... you have come a long way and are doing what it takes to get on the healthy track. You really are doing great!

I know you havent been banded yet..i was just advising of my personal concerns..

I honestly feel like I should have gotten gastric bypass surgery.but then i know ppl that have died because of complications from it..

WE all make choices..sometimes good sometimes bad..

good luck everyone..Thank you Jodi for that information..It was very helpful!

Edited March 12, 200917 yr by olivia_99

I wholeheartedly feel that ANY banded individual who follows the rules and guidelines given to them by their doctor will have a successful loss with the lapband. Of course the person who needs to lose an extreme amount of weight will lose faster then the individual who needs to lose 50 pounds, but a loss is a loss. Even in the starting stages where restriction has not yet kicked in if you measure out your food and count calories you still should be able to see somewhat of a loss, especially if you are combining exercise with that. I think the problem arises when folks are eating slider foods, and saying to them selves well i only ate a cup of food, well lets face it a cup of ben n jerrys or a cup of creamy soup is not going to give you the same results as a cup of green beans or a cup of salad. In the end its all about quantity and quailty of choices.

KelinTX...your so true...I think loss is good..whether its 1 lb a week or even 3..its fabulous to lose and not gain..especially in this critical/health conscious world we live in