my fitness pal vs lap band

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  • missraye33
    missraye33 Posts: 5 Member
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    I really hate that phrase "If I can do it you can." I AM NOT YOU! You don't know my story, my struggles, none of that...I just wish people would quit using themselves as the barometer for weight loss. You did it-great. You did it your way...let me do it my way. /end rant
  • TheSlorax
    TheSlorax Posts: 2,401 Member
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    If you do go through with the lap band, MFP is going to be a great asset to help you succeed. Everyone here who talks about people gaining weight, etc. only know people who did not create new habits geared for success. WLS can be a great TOOL, but it's just that, a tool not a cure. I personally feel that lap bands have too many complications for me to justify getting one, but I also know they can work very well for people who actually change their habits. If you are a compulsive binge eater, having your appetite physically curbed can be a wonderful thing. But, if you don't change your lifestyle you'll become another failure statistic, sorry to be blunt but it's true. You'll still have to find a system for eating healthy and exercising that works for you, and if that's MFP, great!

    And no, WLS is not a "workaround." If you put in the work and the effort, you lose weight and keep it off. If you keep eating cheeseburgers and drinking milkshakes, you either don't lose or you put it all back on. This is proven fact.
  • TheSlorax
    TheSlorax Posts: 2,401 Member
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    I really hate that phrase "If I can do it you can." I AM NOT YOU! You don't know my story, my struggles, none of that...I just wish people would quit using themselves as the barometer for weight loss. You did it-great. You did it your way...let me do it my way. /end rant

    Thank you. That is all.
  • Lmns218
    Lmns218 Posts: 155
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    My friend's cousin had gotten the lap band surgery, lost a good amount of weight....had a baby, and gained it all back....last year, she underwent gastric bypass....had a whole heap of complications behind it....only to really lose the same amount she did I feel had she just exercised and ate better anyway. She still doesn't like herself very much...and I don't think that she moves.


    One of my motivations for staying on MFP is because my doctor was threatening me with gastric bypass....funny because I entertained getting it about 8-10 years ago!!!! But at this age, I am scared. Even if you do get lap band...you would still have to change up your eating habits and exercise. But ultimately, you have to do what is best for you and there is never a quick fix I am learning.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    You have to change your life either way. One is free and one is not.
  • milesvictors
    milesvictors Posts: 83 Member
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    I really hate that phrase "If I can do it you can." I AM NOT YOU! You don't know my story, my struggles, none of that...I just wish people would quit using themselves as the barometer for weight loss. You did it-great. You did it your way...let me do it my way. /end rant

    Calm down! All I was saying is that I was in a very bad place health wise (like many here), I went through a large amount of struggle to lose weight (like many here) and that through perseverance, hard work, and determination I am proving to myself that I can succeed (like many here). It takes gumption and gusto to do big things. I would hope that most here will develop that and be able to accomplish their goals.
  • TheSlorax
    TheSlorax Posts: 2,401 Member
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    I admit, I don't quite get why people get the lap band. Why not just gastric bypass? It seems less annoying/likely to mess up.

    much more invasive - not done as much anymore

    This is false... gastric bypass is considered the "gold standard" of weight loss surgery and is performed more than any other procedure. Actually the lap band is quickly becoming less common in favor of vertical sleeve gastrectomy, which does not require re-routing of the intestines and has FAR less complications than the lap band.
  • thekyleo
    thekyleo Posts: 632 Member
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    I really hate that phrase "If I can do it you can." I AM NOT YOU! You don't know my story, my struggles, none of that...I just wish people would quit using themselves as the barometer for weight loss. You did it-great. You did it your way...let me do it my way. /end rant

    so why are you on here then? alot of people are doing it "this way"
  • bbbgamer
    bbbgamer Posts: 582 Member
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    You will also wear some sequential compression stockings on your legs. These stockings have little air activated pumps which pump up like a roller. You will probably wear these stockings after surgery while you are resting. These stockings work in two ways. The first is obvious— they keep the blood from pooling too much. However, they really work by a more complicated mechanism, one that keeps the blood a bit thin.

    these "stockings" are sleeves that are hooked to a SCD machine that will usually hang from the patients bed. it moves the blood, it doesn't thin the blood.
  • Brandyle1975
    Brandyle1975 Posts: 7
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    I would assume you have researched all the WLS options and that between you and your doctor, Lap Band is what you both decided was best. I had gastric bypass in Jan 2013 and use MFP to log my foods to make sure I am getting the necessary protein and water I need daily. WLS is simply another tool to help you in losing weight. You have to make lots of changes in your life to adjust to using this tool, BUT it is possible to work around it and regain. I talked to lots of people in my search for info on WLS. I wanted to know the good, bad, and ugly so I was prepared.
  • bbbgamer
    bbbgamer Posts: 582 Member
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    I'm 36 have know about mfp for awhile but never really got into it much, I'm scheduled to have lap band soon but my sister
    has started using this app and really loves it, now I'm second guessing is this going to be like all other diet/ phases
    or should I procede with the surgery

    the people here are so friendly, makes you want to jump right in, doesn't it?
  • TheSlorax
    TheSlorax Posts: 2,401 Member
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    I really hate that phrase "If I can do it you can." I AM NOT YOU! You don't know my story, my struggles, none of that...I just wish people would quit using themselves as the barometer for weight loss. You did it-great. You did it your way...let me do it my way. /end rant

    so why are you on here then? alot of people are doing it "this way"

    What I gathered from this is that a lot of people on MFP tend to think that their diet and nutrition plan is the only one that works. In this case, someone told OP not to go through with her surgery because they were able to lose weight without it. That's great and I'm happy for them, but I'm pretty sure a medical doctor with specific knowledge of OP's conditions and medical history is better qualified to offer advice than someone on a dieting website offering purely anecdotal evidence. But, that's just me.

    edit: Also, I know that everyone is just excited and passionate about finding a diet that really works for them. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I just like to appreciate that everyone has a different method that may or may not be for me, which is an attitude that is not commonly found on MFP from what I have seen. To each his own though.
  • tlsegar
    tlsegar Posts: 185 Member
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    I had lap band two years ago this month. And I have used MFP even before I had the surgery and continue to do so consistently today. I don't have any complaints about the lap band. I went into the surgery knowing the risks and the challenges. I personally was not comfortable with the idea of cutting out a large portion of my stomach and I liked that the band is reversible. My ultimate goal is to get to a place where I feel I don't need it anymore and have it removed. I use my band as a tool but I don't rely solely on the band. Honestly, I purposely keep it looser so that I force myself to develop sustainable healthy habits. Small steps that I can stick with that eventually become a lifestyle. I'm not where I want to be as far as reaching my goal, but I don't blame that on anyone but myself. I'm still learning and tweaking things along the way. But the band has definitely helped me to stay motivated. I didn't go through surgery only to end up right back where I started. That's a constant reminder to me that failure and relapse is not an option. I might be standing still, but I'm never going back.

    You have to decide what is right for you. Evaluate your options and figure out what you're comfortable with. But more importantly be honest with yourself and realize that no surgery is a magic pill and your long term success is entirely dependent on how much work you're willing to put into this.
  • karlalband
    karlalband Posts: 196 Member
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    I have the Lap-Band, I'm not sorry I have it either it was a choice I made because of my health. It helped me as a tool. I wish I would of found MFP before the Lap-Band and maybe I might of not had the surgery. But the both of them MFP & LB and my brain are working well together now. Try MFP first. Good luck!
  • missraye33
    missraye33 Posts: 5 Member
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    I really hate that phrase "If I can do it you can." I AM NOT YOU! You don't know my story, my struggles, none of that...I just wish people would quit using themselves as the barometer for weight loss. You did it-great. You did it your way...let me do it my way. /end rant

    so why are you on here then? alot of people are doing it "this way"

    What I gathered from this is that a lot of people on MFP tend to think that their diet and nutrition plan is the only one that works. In this case, someone told OP not to go through with her surgery because they were able to lose weight without it. That's great and I'm happy for them, but I'm pretty sure a medical doctor with specific knowledge of OP's conditions and medical history is better qualified to offer advice than someone on a dieting website offering purely anecdotal evidence. But, that's just me.

    edit: Also, I know that everyone is just excited and passionate about finding a diet that really works for them. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I just like to appreciate that everyone has a different method that may or may not be for me, which is an attitude that is not commonly found on MFP from what I have seen. To each his own though.

    Thank you, Hayley. :)
  • attybell
    attybell Posts: 81 Member
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    just wanted to say thanks for the honestly
  • DragonSquatter
    DragonSquatter Posts: 957 Member
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    I probably should loose around 90lbs , I'm tall and carry my weight really well but that doesn't change the fact that I'm still in need of some intervention.. After reading all the success stories I cant help but to think maybe I can do this .. really has me thinking

    Why not try it for 6 months and see how it goes without the surgery? You're going to have to change your eating and exercise habits anyway, so see how you do on your own with MFP. Focus on your weekly nutrition and fitness goals, be consistent, be patient, and I bet you'll find that you're capable of a lot more than you thought!

    BONUS: MFP is 100% free and if you do it right, a lot less risky.
  • attybell
    attybell Posts: 81 Member
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    oh my goodness yes, I have really enjoyed being on here because these people don't know me and are giving their honest opinion
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    You will find plenty of opinions here. Some more valid than others. Of course, mine are the correct ones. :wink: I have a friend and co-author who, when I try to tell him that he is wrong and I am right says of me, "Often wrong but never in doubt." That could describe a lot of us.


    I'm doing TDEE-20%, weighing daily, weighing and logging food, eating very little processed food with my macros set to a zone-ish distribution, avoiding artificial sweeteners and sweet foods for appetite control, only consuming fructose in 1 to 2 servings of whole fruits per day, doing mostly cardio exercise in the form of walking or circuit training with cycling and light weights, and too scared and cheap to consider surgery.

    Each of those things I do has supporters and detractors among MFP members. Each of them may or may not be good for you. You are the one who gets to decide because beyond eating less and exercising more, the rest is detail with more or less science behind it.
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    I admit, I don't quite get why people get the lap band. Why not just gastric bypass? It seems less annoying/likely to mess up.

    much more invasive - not done as much anymore

    This is false... gastric bypass is considered the "gold standard" of weight loss surgery and is performed more than any other procedure. Actually the lap band is quickly becoming less common in favor of vertical sleeve gastrectomy, which does not require re-routing of the intestines and has FAR less complications than the lap band.

    VSG is the surgery I've been waiting for.. RNY seemed too extreme with the intestinal rerouting causing the malabsorption of nutrients and dumping syndrome and lapband had too many complications... for me VSG was "just right" Once I dealt with the fact that it was completely irreversible... which is a scary thought, I realized it was EXACTLY the tool I needed in order to help me stick to a calorie deficit sufficient to lose the majority of my excess weight. I'm sure that RNY or LabBand are the right choice for some patients, like the one lady on here who specifically wanted to use the band for a few years and then have it taken out.. Lapband sounds like the ideal fit for her....Before having ANY treatment, we should all educate ourselves on ALL the options out there to make sure that it's the right one for you.. VSG is newer but it's catching on quick and for good reason.

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