Hey guys and gals...I am 4 short days away from my procedure...I am excited...but cautious....did you ever wonder if you would be successful with the lap band??...did you ever feel that you may fail at this too??....did you have a hard time "staying on plan...PRE-OP?"....

I am feeling all of these....it seems as "loosers" we have tried every diet and "lifestyle change" out there...at least I have.....

Please tell me this is relatively normal...and that I CAN be successful!!!....

Thanks All!!

Aileen:confused:

Aileen, You need to read the book I'm reading right now. Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Gastric Band: Everything You Need to Know Before and After Surgery to Lose Weight Successfully by Dr. Robert Sewell and Linda Rohrbouh. He goes into this "failure" syndorme right off the bat. You and I have failed soooo many times trying to get this weight off that we feel like failures. He really targets how to use the band as a weight loss tool for life. I read half of it today. Couldn't put it down. Testimonials are throughout the book too. Very inspiring to read, especially since you're feeling how you are. I feel the same way and have cheated on the preop diet too. I did quit smoking cigs though...five days now...after 35 years. My surgeon requires it!!! Go figure???? Best of luck to ya. Keep your chin up and stand strong!!!

Yes, I did and do worry about it. I am only a few days post op. A friend of mine did fail with the band (I'm not sure of her specifics) and ended up having a RNY, so it can happen and that's why we need to stick to the plan. But yeah I had a terrible time sticking to the pre-op diet.

I think we all went through that "what the h*ll am I doing" phase right before surgery. It is a scary thing but I am sure that you have given this a lot of thought and have done a lot of research as we all did. You have to go into it with a positive "can do" attitude. The band is a tool and it is a good tool if you do what the doctor tells you and do your part...this isn't the easy way out it is still a lot of work. I am almost 2 months post op and can eat just about anything I did before surgery just a whole lot less....Good kuck to you!!!

BTW - I cheated more than once during the pre-op diet and the day before had a big old cheeseburger!!

I think we all went through that "what the h*ll am I doing" phase right before surgery. It is a scary thing but I am sure that you have given this a lot of thought and have done a lot of research as we all did. You have to go into it with a positive "can do" attitude. The band is a tool and it is a good tool if you do what the doctor tells you and do your part...this isn't the easy way out it is still a lot of work. I am almost 2 months post op and can eat just about anything I did before surgery just a whole lot less....Good kuck to you!!!

BTW - I cheated more than once during the pre-op diet and the day before had a big old cheeseburger!!

LOL. I had to laugh because I have my surgery on Tuesday and I'm doing the pre-op diet...however the Atkins one and have had my slip ups....like 3 chocolate chip Cookies that were sitting on the table at work. I so wanted them...and had been good this whole time....with just meat. Ugggh. LOL.

Thank you ladies for the replies!...Good to know I'm not the only one feeling this way!....Guess I need to try and turn my head around to some positive thinking!!!....3 more days~!!...YAY!!

You're welcome...and btw you are normal to have these feelings. Good luck!

Hey guys and gals...I am 4 short days away from my procedure...I am excited...but cautious....did you ever wonder if you would be successful with the LAP-BAND®??...did you ever feel that you may fail at this too??....did you have a hard time "staying on plan...PRE-OP?"....

I am feeling all of these....it seems as "loosers" we have tried every diet and "lifestyle change" out there...at least I have.....

Please tell me this is relatively normal...and that I CAN be successful!!!....

Thanks All!!

Aileen:confused:

Will I be successful with the Lap Band? Only one day at a time will tell. But I am working alot harder with this then I did with all of the other 'looser' diets that I was on. However this isn't a diet. This is a lifestyle change. Thus far it is working for me and I am happy with my results even if it is only 3 weeks in. Will I fail? I have been a 'failure' for way to long when it comes to weightloss so I refuse to let food take me over anymore.

The PR-OP DIET SUCKS!! LOL that's all I can say about that. I did stay on it but I did cheat and have 2 peices of cheese and a peice of ham while I was on it. I just couldn't go with that food anymore.

All that said, all of the questions that are going on in your head right now are normal. The Lap Band is a tool to help you with your journey. It's not easy and does take will power, however it's alot easier to stay on track with the Lap Band because 1> It's impossible to eat as much as you did before. 2> It will help you to keep the weight off.

There is also another book out Weight Loss surgery for dummies. Also another good book.

I think that until you have the band in, you wonder if you will be successful. TRUST ME once the band is in, you have to work hard to gain weight.

Aileen, You need to read the book I'm reading right now. Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Gastric Band: Everything You Need to Know Before and After Surgery to Lose Weight Successfully by Dr. Robert Sewell and Linda Rohrbouh.

thanks for the recommendation. i just downloaded it to my kindle.

Hi there

Yes, it's the most normal feeling in the world when you are about to be banded. We are all sitting here on this site because we are at the end of our tether, we have tried the "normal" way 100000 times and ended up fatter for it. This is because our chemistry is so messed up for whatever reason - genetics, yo-yo dieting, bad eating, whatever.. but the end of the day -there is no diet & exercising and normal way back from this - well there is for 2% of people, but this is our one shot at life and I was sure as hell not letting those odds let me from living my life to the fullest.

Give it a shot, I am so relieved that I had it done, no, I am not skinny yet, but I am down 19kg (40lb) and finally feel some hope in my life! !!! :wink2:

I absolutely had those fears before hand. But now I'm just over a year out . . and only 10 pounds from goal!

I want to second the recommendation for Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Gastric Band. That was the best of the books I read pre-op, and I still open it every now and then. The best advice I took from it was to write out a post-op plan for success, which I found to be really useful (I posted my plan on my blog a few months ago, as well as my pro/con list about doing the surgery and how I felt about the "cons" post-op).

Other pre-op advice that I want to share is to take your measurements right away! And, take a bunch of "before" pictures -- you will want them later.

I just put up a comparison of photos from 11/15/08 and 11/15/09 on my blog. . unfortunately, I cropped the heck out of the 2008 one back then. I wish I had more full length ones for comparison purposes!

Best wishes,

Catherine

This post is right on point for me. I had to have my gallbladder out pre-surgery, and had my follow-up appointment today and inquired about my insurance approval. They said they would check into and let me know. Later this afternoon I had a voicemail that I was approved and to call back to make my FINAL appointment where we would go over my results, which I already know, and to schedule my surgery. EEK!

I haven't called back. And I am excited and scared to death.

I fear that I will have it done and miss the social aspects of eating. food is my one constant, its there no matter what and taking that away scares me to death. I do not want to be this fearful over losing food. That is crazy.

I am also afraid that I will just revert to my old ways and this too will be one more failure.

I am just scared, scared, scared.

I am gonna try to find that book and keep looking around on this site.

Good luck to you!

This post is right on point for me. I had to have my gallbladder out pre-surgery, and had my follow-up appointment today and inquired about my insurance approval. They said they would check into and let me know. Later this afternoon I had a voicemail that I was approved and to call back to make my FINAL appointment where we would go over my results, which I already know, and to schedule my surgery. EEK!

I haven't called back. And I am excited and scared to death.

I fear that I will have it done and miss the social aspects of eating. food is my one constant, its there no matter what and taking that away scares me to death. I do not want to be this fearful over losing food. That is crazy.

I am also afraid that I will just revert to my old ways and this too will be one more failure.

I am just scared, scared, scared.

I am gonna try to find that book and keep looking around on this site.

Good luck to you!

Get this. You don't have to give up food. This is a lifestyle change. NOT a life change. You can still eat foods that you enjoy. You will just not be able to eat as much as you have before. Enjoy but in moderation.

Everyone has these fears. That's why for so many years I let food take over my life. I finally decided to take over food.

If you were not nervous or afraid I would say there was something wrong with you.

I do wish you luck in your journey. Make the decision for yourself and not for others. Remember there are always 2 sides to a story. And there are always good and bad to a story as well. Ultimately you are the one that creates what goes into that story.

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I have decided to do the band and my surgery date is 12/21/09. I am beginning to get excited but like Neener I feel the 'what if' anxiety and I just pray that the band will the the tool that i have needed all this time. I just feel i can not control my eating and hope the band will help me with this. I have enjoyed everyone's posts and i hope to keep in touch with you all. :redface:

thank you all so much for you enlightening responses....I will always love food...I just need to revise my thought process....use is for fuel and not my "fix all"....you all had very impressive advice...and I will take it to heart!!!

Aileen

Surgery 11-18-09