I have 1 more nutrition visit and then I wait for approval. During my 6 month nutritional meetings I cannot control what I eat. I don't know if I feel like this is my last chance or what!!! Did anyone else really struggle with their eating before getting approved? Once you get the band does your desire for sweets really decrease?? I really hope so, or I'm in trouble!!

I am still waiting for approval also. I finished all of my nutrition visits and other paperwork stuff. My packet got sent to the insurance company about a week ago and the lady at my surgeons office said it should be 4-5 weeks until I hear anything. I can relate so much to what you are saying though. For the past few months I feel like any ounce of control I had before deciding on the surgery is gone now. I am having a really difficult with this. I just want to eat fast food and sweets and everything. I am trying to figure out why also. I am thinking that it might be the "last chance" feeling, but even when I think about how much time I have to eat these things before the surgery it doesn't help. I would love any info about whether these cravings subside a little or anything. Has anyone who has had the band been through this too? I think it will be a little different once the band is in and the real journey has started Kristin. At least I am really hoping too. Thanks for the post!

I'm with you both on the cravings. I am on my pre op diet and 7 days away from surgery waiting for approval. My insurance company needed on more thing, but have not said approved yet. My anxiety is causing me to want to eat really bad at times. If I could of just had the approval by now it would of made a world of difference on this pre op diet. I think anxiety causes me to want to eat and I can't, so I am sure that is what you are both feeling. Not to mention the last meal urge lol. I had several last meals before pre op diet and I stopped that because I had can gain weight very fast and knew my pre op was coming. Good luck to you both and may we all get that approval soon.

Well I am with a dr. that only requieres a 2 weeks liquid diet before the surgery, in the meantime I am doing what I call the "Farewell Tour" of my favorite places... and even doing that I've lost 5 lbs!!! Incredible! Good lucl to you all!

I am still pending but I can say for certain that you should NOT expect the band to eliminate any of your cravings. You will still have cravings. You will still be hungry. You will still be able to overeat if you really want to.

I hope someone has explained to you that the band will not be a magic cure for obesity. You still have to make a mental change and it will have to be a sincere and SUCCESSFUL effort. The band can fail almost as easily as a normal diet. The difference is that the band will give you a physical slap if you mess up - at least for a while until you stretch the upper portion of our stomach out enough to consume more.

Many folks that I have met and read about say that they can only eat a small fraction of what they used to without throwing up. I am talking about half a taco instead of three. I also talked to a man whose wife was banded five years ago and she weighs more now than before because the only thing she "could keep down" was ice cream. So that is what she eats daily. Ice cream is the epitome of bad food.

Don't waste your money or your insurance company's if you are not willing to change your habits significantly. You will only disappoint yourself.

Good luck to you, whatever you choose to do.

Best.

-Al

I have 1 more nutrition visit and then I wait for approval. During my 6 month nutritional meetings I cannot control what I eat. I don't know if I feel like this is my last chance or what!!! Did anyone else really struggle with their eating before getting approved? Once you get the band does your desire for sweets really decrease?? I really hope so, or I'm in trouble!!

Getting the band does not mean you have to give up you favorite foods forever so get that out of your head! The band is about portion control and most of us can eat pretty much normal foods. But for me if I start eating a bunch of carbs I quit losing so I stay away from them. Also protein keeps me full longer and that's the whole point. Am I not going to tell you i will never eat a cookie again no. I have had two cookies since my surgery. The difference is I'm not that hungry most of the time. So when I do feel the urge I ask am I really hungry or "head hungry". If my body is not hungry then i don't eat. But on special occasions I may have a taste of a favorite and be happy with that. Yes once you have restriction it does help with cravings because your not hungry. But as my surgeon told me I can 1/2 a cookie my day away and weigh 300 lbs it's up to me. So I hope this has been helpful and good luck on your journey!

AL-

I am already feeling some hesitation in responding to your comment, but I feel that there should be some clarification on a few things. So obviously if we are waiting for approval then we have seen our surgeons, done psych evals, etc. Those seem to be the most basic requirements for everyone that I have spoken with. With that said, we (or at least I) know that the lap band is not a magic wand that waves the fat away. Honestly, if it was I wouldn't have thought about and researched it for over 2 years before making a decision. Secondly, I feel like there will always be cravings and head hunger and all the triggers that caused the weight gain everyday. But you know what I have really found from all of the people on here is that the lap band is a tool to help you so that you are not running into battle without a weapon. While the throwing up and being uncomfortable may not seem to be a good reason for you to avoid cravings, it is for me. When I do have unbearable cravings I will vent here, just like we are now. Thank you for your input and response, but I guess I didn't appreciate the negativity you brought with it.

hello..

So i have been banded for 6 months. I LOVE MY BAND!

Does it stop my cravings NOPPPPE I had icecream today eek. NOT GOOD. Can i have as much, yeah do i choose to nope. I have about 1/2 a cup instead of 2 cups.. lol.. You become more aware.. you actually realize what you are eating. Depression eating, still attacks you..

chips can you eat them YUP.. easier then tuna!!! Tortillas.. nope not so much.. seafood is easy.. Cake um.. i havent tried.. Candy of course its easy. Here is the catch though you do get a bit of a sugar high easily.. cause it sits in the pouch for a few and goes into your blood.. i have had quite a bit of sugar highs, not fun.

One thing i CAN say is if you struggled before, be ready to struggle after. But not as easily. Just try to keep no sliders in your house and you will be fine. Because if you eat too much it WILL NOT stay down. Also something does change, these boards kaiser richmond particular has gotten me soo far. Get a close knit of people and stick together.. This is better as a team then a single player believe me.

Exercise is also a big key but i know you know that:D

Congratulations on your journey, it is by far worth it. Like i said i love my band!

I have 1 more nutrition visit and then I wait for approval. During my 6 month nutritional meetings I cannot control what I eat. I don't know if I feel like this is my last chance or what!!! Did anyone else really struggle with their eating before getting approved? Once you get the band does your desire for sweets really decrease?? I really hope so, or I'm in trouble!!

I just finished my weight loss visits and info was submitted to insurance on Monday. The last six months - I have not dieted one bit and did gain 5 pounds. It is a mind set for me. I told myself after the surgery, no more of this junk food and I will eat no more junk food. In my own mind - the rest of my life will be adjusted to behaving like a "normal" person when it comes to food so I lived it up (so to speak) the last 6 months.

AL-

I am already feeling some hesitation in responding to your comment, but I feel that there should be some clarification on a few things. So obviously if we are waiting for approval then we have seen our surgeons, done psych evals, etc. Those seem to be the most basic requirements for everyone that I have spoken with. With that said, we (or at least I) know that the LAP-BAND® is not a magic wand that waves the fat away. Honestly, if it was I wouldn't have thought about and researched it for over 2 years before making a decision. Secondly, I feel like there will always be cravings and head hunger and all the triggers that caused the weight gain everyday. But you know what I have really found from all of the people on here is that the LAP-BAND® is a tool to help you so that you are not running into battle without a weapon. While the throwing up and being uncomfortable may not seem to be a good reason for you to avoid cravings, it is for me. When I do have unbearable cravings I will vent here, just like we are now. Thank you for your input and response, but I guess I didn't appreciate the negativity you brought with it.

Kamie,

I totally disagree with your post. This is a forum for comments, and Al's comment was his own. Honestly, I agree with him. Sometimes hearing the truth can come across as negative, it depends on who is reading it.

What I would add to the OP is that he/she DEFINITELY needs to control her eating, PERIOD! I am not going to be "Sally so Sweet" and tell him/her what she may want to hear (don't know if she/he wants honesty or not). I'm not going to pat her on the back and say.."there, there, it's ok, keep eating how you want, it's your last chance...etc." and I don't think that's what the OP is searching for.

MY take on the question is the "why?" factor. There are many theories as to "why" a pre-banded person may get the "last supper" syndrome. The answer is not "why" it's "STOP!"

We can talk and wonder why all day long, there is no need. If you are going to get any type of WLS you need to be prepared for a new lifestyle. If, as you say, everyone has gone through exams, psych evals, etc. to this point, then what the HECK are you doing binge eating? Obviously the psych & nutrition evals are not "working" for the OP and others.

I say quit wondering "why" and just STOP, not rocket science. There is no amount of nutrition or psych evals that will make this journey successful; it starts and ends with the patient. If you, the OP or anyone else has TRULY done research and fulfilled all the necessary requirements to get the surgery, then this should NOT be happening.

Don't mean to sound harsh or insensitive, but this is the truth. The sooner you realize what you're doing is NOT GOOD, the sooner you can CORRECT it and make a change. I have no idea why anyone would want to sabotage their weight loss journey by eating uncontrollably before surgery. I can understand the reasoning somewhat, but reasoning and seeking the "why" makes no difference. What does, is doing what you're suppose to!

Thanks everyone for you comments! It puts things back in to perspective. I guess I was looking for someone else that could relate to how I was feeling, and I found a few people that do. As most of you know, going through the banding process is scary. Its a scary reality for me to think that maybe one day I might be a "normal" size. When my banding day comes, of course I'll take it serious and will be extremely motivated, but life as I know it will change and that's scary. So for now I'm enjoying myself a little more then I did before. All I was looking for was someone else to relate to and share a little of my guilt.

Kristin-

Thats all I was here for also... just some friendly relation to know that I am not alone because feeling like I was the only one feeling this way is what got me to the point of needing weight loss surgery. So yes I hope we do better, but don't punish yourself with guilt in the meantime because you are not alone out there.

Colorado-

If it was all about simply being able to stop then why did you need the band? It sounds to me like you are strong enough to do it all on your own. Go you. I have tried to "STOP" eating about a million times in my life thats why I am lucky there is a tool. You can disagree all you want, but sometimes people just need to know they are not alone, thats why they offer support groups etc. All the more power to you if you don't need that connection but support is what I need right now. Not anyone telling me to continue eating badly, which by the way no one on this post has said to anyone, but support in building relationships. Thats all. Congrats on all your success though.

Ok...my turn!

Until you have the surgery you don't know what is going to happen. EVERYONE is different. If you can't control your eating now you won't control your eating after. I don't care how tight your band is, this is still a will power thing. You can get high calorie high fat foods in your stomach through the band if you want to. It still goes down to the basics that we all know and have heard one million times... Eat right and exercise. Period.

You still have to chose good foods so you get proper nutrition and you still have to exercise to burn calories. I would start both now before you get banded and you will be so much ahead of the game.

Stop doing the "last meal" thing. You can eat whatever you want afterwords. It might not be as much but you can still eat it... So end that mind game now.

The one part of of the band process that I think is missing or being focused on by most of the bariatric doc's or centers is the psychological part. There needs to be more counseling with the process. They do your evaluation to say your are ok to have the surgery and then send you on your merry way. You can BS your way through that process. We are all over weight for a reason, nobody wants to be this way. food is an addiction just like drugs. Counceling needs to be more a part of this journey and included in your program cost.

With all the books and blogs and forums that I read, I thought I had this thing figured out and was ready to go for surgery. WRONG!!!! Again...until you get the band you have know clue how you are going to respond. What is nice about people sharing their experiences is you find out that you are not the only one going through things as they come up in YOUR journey and that is what helpful.

I have three people in my house that had the band done within a week of each other. It floors me how different this experience is for all of us.

Now for the happy part... I LOVE MY BAND. I would do it again in a second and so would my family. My husband says he should have researched bypass a little more because he wanted the weight loss to be faster. He was told it wouldn't be as fast and he knew that. But just yesterday after his third fill he did take responsibility for his own actions and admits he could be trying harder and eating better... BUT the band has kept him from eating like he used to and has lost 40 pounds in the last three months. It has kept all three of us from eating as much as we used to. Not to mention the soda and beer that we were consuming is now gone. Would I want to have lost more then 30 pounds in three months??? Of course I would and many people do lose more then that, but when was the last time I lost 30 pounds in three months without feeling like I was dieting??? That would be NEVER...

The more fills I get the easier it gets but the first 90 days has been a struggle and a learning experience... This is just me. Others hit the floor running and are losing 100+ pounds in less then a year... That is fricken awesome!

So...go for it. Be honest with yourself, just know in your heart that it can be slow and steady with bumps in the road and a learning experience that is challenging but rewarding or you may be one of the superstars that buzz throught the process at record pace are are posting all your successful tips... Either way in the long run it works. Enjoy your journey!

Ok...I'm done now! :smile:

If it was all about simply being able to stop then why did you need the band? It sounds to me like you are strong enough to do it all on your own.

Agree completely. Nobody denies that self-control and a change in life style habits will be necessary to lose weight. The lap band is not a miracle cure...it's a 'tool'. It's still up to us to make the right choices.

As for making those choices prior to the lap band...despite losing 70 pounds on Atkins 6 years ago and keeping it off, I know unequivocally that, at this point in time, if my doctor required me to be successful at dieting before the lap band, I would be unable to do it. If I could, I wouldn't need the lap band and would just do it on my own.

I am feeling the poignancy of the original post. I'm in a somewhat self-imposed wait period myself-- self pay, but since my band isn't a life/ death emergency, I'm waiting until I can put as much money as possible into 2010 flexible spending account and save on the taxes!!

Anyhow: I was originally going to be banded on 9/28/09 and went through 7 days of a liquid diet before I was forced to cancel my surgery b/c I had a horrid infection in my finger (ugh. still healing, but finally moving in the right direction.)

SOOOO: I was able to lop off about 5 pounds (Water, I am sure) in the 7 days I did the liquids-- and then as soon as I had to cancel the surgery-- I've 'given up' dieting for now. It is demoralizing and a waste of my energy-- but I also don't want to put on 20 pounds before surgery!!!

I know I'm rambling all about me-- but my plan, b/c I am so far from surgery (date is TBA but will be early January)-- I will re-boot my healthiest eating planning in mid December after we return from a fun vacation in Jamaica. In the meantime, I'm in a weird holding pattern that I know is probably bad, but as someone just said: If I could do this alone and without the band as a tool-- guess what? I'd be thin by now.

** ETA: I just want to say that I totally understand and agree with the behavioral changes and am willing to make them. I am just being realistic that with 3 months to go (FOR ME) it is going to be a little hard for me to be on some 'hard core' diet before my surgery. And by 'a little hard' I mean ridiculously challenging. I am saving most of that mental energy for the big run up to surgery in December and the long term follow up of eating right with my band.

Cannot wait to get my tool installed!! Life changes here I come...

Edited October 4, 200916 yr by imwiththebandnyc

Kristin-

Thats all I was here for also... just some friendly relation to know that I am not alone because feeling like I was the only one feeling this way is what got me to the point of needing weight loss surgery. So yes I hope we do better, but don't punish yourself with guilt in the meantime because you are not alone out there.

Colorado-

If it was all about simply being able to stop then why did you need the band? It sounds to me like you are strong enough to do it all on your own. Go you. I have tried to "STOP" eating about a million times in my life thats why I am lucky there is a tool. You can disagree all you want, but sometimes people just need to know they are not alone, thats why they offer support groups etc. All the more power to you if you don't need that connection but support is what I need right now. Not anyone telling me to continue eating badly, which by the way no one on this post has said to anyone, but support in building relationships. Thats all. Congrats on all your success though.

OK, so let me see if I understand the "logic" in your response. Because I actually LISTENED to the psychologist and doctors and endless preparation for this surgery, I never needed it in the first place because I'm strong??...uh...ok.

This may be quite a shock for you, but BEFORE DURING and AFTER surgery, patients are REQUIRED to UNDERSTAND the ENTIRE process of WLS. That includes the HARD WORK it will take, BEFORE, DURING and AFTER the surgery.

I find it laughable that because I did what "I'm supposed to do" that I didn't need the surgery. Seriously, get a grip. You are entitled to your opinion, but don't EVER presume that you know what my weight loss journey IS or COULD be! That is so ridiculous I can just stare at your words with stunned disbelief.

I got news for you and everyone else, YOU CAN STILL FAIL with the band. YOU CAN STILL EAT and GAIN with the band. You can STILL EAT JUNK food with the band. It is UP TO THE PATIENT to STOP eating JUNK and make HEALTHIER choices. YOU are the ONLY ONE that can PUT JUNK FOOD DOWN, not the band, not the psychologist, YOU!!

I respectfully TOTALLY disagree with your post. The OP doesn't need support, she needs honest advice, which is what I've given. STOP eating and get "back on the wagon."