What are the top three things that have made you successful with the Lap Band?...

[KarynA 0]

You guys rock. Thank you SO much for the thoughtful answers. It really helps. I'll keep all of them in mind.

[Jaffa 5]

32 ounces of Water 15-30 minutes before eating.

3 meals a day

1 snack....usually an apple in the afternoon

A balance of Protein grams to carbs/sugar grams, and at least 70 grams of Protein

consistent fills every 3 weeks until almost reaching goal, now only every 5 weeks or so.

[Libbyjane1976 1]

Determination, exercise and no more fast food!

[Teryn 0]

Wow, that's pretty intense follow up.

1. My band helps control my GERD, so I am not eating thousands of calories worth bread and crackers to reduce the symptoms.

2. If I overeat, I feel like my abdomen is being shoved into my chest.

3. I don't feel deprived and can still eat pretty much whatever I want, just in smaller portions. I don't touch bread, Pasta or rice and lettuce isn't working well either. I have learned to like Yoplus yogurt. Before, I couldn't stand yogurt.

I would say exercise, but due to a series of health problems (unrelated to the band), I haven't been able to start yet.

Also, having someone, whether it be a friend or group (LAP-BAND®, not bypass patients) or provider who can listen to your problems, questions and fears is really necessary.

Yea, that's more than three.

I also can't exercise because of other health problems. Have you been able to lose weight without exercising?

[chocolate_snaps 3]

1. Exercise

2. Sheer will

3. Adjustments

[paracelsus51 0]

Yes, I am losing 1.4lbs per week on average. I also have no fill at all. I should note, that I do walk a lot. I do cheat on occasion, which allows me to stay sane, but I mostly try to get enough Protein and take my supplements.

I am going to try a light workout this weekend and see how well I do with that. It's only been two weeks since my ovarian cyst surgery, so I have to take it slowly to keep from messing myself up. I haven't been able to do a serious workout in a year now.

[STLMom2006 0]

1)When I don't drink with or after meals I see a loss that week.

2)Not eating after dinner is over, no matter how hungry I think I am.

3)Blogging. Being able to put my feelings out there and get support means so much to me. (my blog link is in my sig)

[tonya66 13]

1) Exercise

2) Staying on top of my fills

3) Following the rules (like Protein first, no drinking with meal, etc)

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

My Number 1 is definitely having a really good support system. That being my husband, my family, LapBandTalk, a very supportive Surgeon and his staff and friends. Without this I would never succeed. I’m only halfway there and all these people keep me focused on the right things.

Number 2 is my own willpower. This will never work if you aren’t planning to put in to it 110%. You have to still do all the right things. Eating right, making sure you are properly restricted, getting your workout routines in, keeping a positive outlook and most importantly staying on track during those plateau periods.

Number 3 is being supportive of others. This really helps to keep me in perspective. How can I support someone else when I’m not even doing the right things?

Best wishes to you. Remember all the reasons you chose to try surgery to help you lose weight. Also remember too that all it is IS help. It’s not going to do it all for you. As long as your working your band, your band will WORK FOR YOU!

J

[health4life 0]

Determination to succeed, Portion Control and exercise! I LOVE my band!

[notateechanow 7]

1) Support--I initially never disclosed my surgery to my family or friends, but that made my surgeon's support group and this website so much more important in my life.

2) Giving myself a break--we've all dieted. We weren't successful. We need to realize that one minor indiscretion does not ruin the entire day/week/year. The scale didn't always demonstrate how hard I worked. I kept measurements to track my success. This isn't a sprint--it's a lifetime of changes we need to make. Realize that we aren't perfect. We will make bad choices. (I wouldn't have been so heavy if I had self control!) The band is simply a tool to allow us to control portions when we're ready. It won't do the work FOR you, but it can help when you use it as intended.

3) Creating a routine---get into the habit of drinking your Water, eating Protein first, and into working out. Routines become your new habits and will eventually replace your old habits.

AND I'm adding #4) Counseling--clearly I couldn't eat away my issues any longer. I needed someone to help me work through whatever latent issues I had. I have a degree in counseling and couldn't figure out what those issues were on my own. I needed someone outside of my life who would not judge me to listen to my frustrations, heartaches, and disappointments. In the end....this is the one thing that I truly believe made me most successful.

Good luck! I look forward to celebrating your successes with you!!:smile:

[Band_Groupie 3]

1) Not being on another 'diet' (I've lost weight much faster on diets...been there, done that for 20 years...I never feel deprived).

2) Being really 'aware' going through this journey (ie. I could eat more, but I don't need to. I could get more fills and be so tight that I can't eat certain things, but I don't need to- I can still eat anything, just small amounts).

3) Support...my blog and my friends that support me here on my blog have been invaluable.

[sadie11 2]

In the first year after the band, I lost 40 pounds just because I couldn't eat as much. It just came off.

Then I spent the next 9 months eating sugar and carbs and anything i wanted because I was mad I couldn't eat the way I used to. So I acted like a 2 year old and had a 9 month tantrum sort of. I didn't gain more than 3 pounds even though I ate a lot of chocolate. Love that band! But I still exercised during this time. I have always loved exercising.

Now I am back but going to Metabolic REsearch Center and determined to lose the rest of my weight.

So Now I: 1.exercise to burn up at least 400 calories a day, 2.Eat lots of Protein and drink Protein drinks when I want to cheat, 3. eat very little carbs. Maybe 1000 cals a day max.

Metabolic Research Center has really helped with my weight loss.Their Protein Drink is awesome- I love it. I figured out that I need a formal program or I just screw around and go up one pound, down one pound then back up. No progress.

Sadie- good luck on your journey

Edited December 3, 2009 by sadie11

[jfc193 718]

1. Don't drink a half hour before or after you finish eating

2. Chew Chew Chew

3. Put your eating utensil down after every bite.

4. Eat your Protein first.

6. Limit carbs

7. exercise.

[samanthazzz 0]

WILLPOWER.....Everything depends on your willpower. Once you start making excuses it never stops.

NO BREAD/PASTA/RICE.....I may have a little in Soup (rare), but have never eaten a plate of Pasta, a piece of bread or rice by itself.

AVOIDING NEGATIVE PEOPLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.....They mess with your head and try and bring you down. Success with the band is mental too.