Need some serious advice from some1 with lap band

PoshTaush
PoshTaush Posts: 1,247
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok... FIRST OFF>.. I know I will have to defend even posting this. So... May I please say that if you are going to "down me" for even talking about this topic, please don't comment.

Second, I am looking for someone who may have had some experience with this procedure. I am slowly researching it for myself, but I am not set in stone one way or another...... whether I should or shouldn't consider it. I am in the curious and learning phase.



I am needing all advice. Personal stories....is it hard to adjust to?? Were you scared? Is it the best thing you think you could have done??

Please feel free to private message me if you feel that posting here is too public. I will not share your stories.

Please give all the advice you can...as my husband and I are currently researching it, I need to know a personal view.

Replies

  • Ahzuri
    Ahzuri Posts: 272 Member
    I have no personal experience with it but I think you need to have a BMI above a certain point for them to do it, something like 40 I think.
  • fcrisswell
    fcrisswell Posts: 234 Member
    I had gastrc bypass...not familiar with lapband but you can check out www.obesityhelp.com. They have several different weightloss surgery forums and info.
  • Waynes_World
    Waynes_World Posts: 333
    I had the lap band surgery done 6 months ago and it was one of the best things I have done. I have lost over 100 pounds since my surgery.. I was nervous at first but it isnt to bad .. The fills are pretty much pain free other then a needle poke. You have to work at it to lose weight like everything else.

    Feel free to ask me any other concerns or questions

    Have a great day
  • Lisamarie1226
    Lisamarie1226 Posts: 335 Member
    Girl!

    You know me, you know my story. You can read my profile again if it will help.

    Best decision of my life. it IS a TOOL.... It is to HELP you with your portions. it does NOT take away cravings nor does it take away the need for exercise. YOU still have to be accountable and follow doctor's orders & guidelines. There ARE rules to follow. it is NOT the easy way out.

    Send me a message if you want/need more specific info.
  • kerri76
    kerri76 Posts: 45 Member
    Best decision I ever made. It is a tool and is not magic. I have lost 73lbs in the one year that I have had the band. I still have to count my calories and exercise but the band has helped a LOT! You can friend me, if you would like.
  • DESIREE1210
    DESIREE1210 Posts: 177 Member
    Something I personally don't get and I looked into this as well. If you have to watch what you eat, calories, exercise etc. then why put yourself thru the surgery?
    I thought this and then i decided I dont want surgery to lower my appetite, that comes a few weeks after dieting alone. I decided to watch my calories and exercise as if I had the lap band and ya know what? The weight is coming off. In 8 months I'm down 65#'s.
    I don't condemn anyone who does it, its a personal choice.
    I do know 3 people that had it done. One was very successful, she exercised 3 hrs a day but like I said if she exercised 3 hrs a day without it, she would have lost weight.
    The other two were not successful, they ate the wrong foods and they finally stopped getting their fills and they are bigger than they ever have been.
    Good luck to you.
  • katya143
    katya143 Posts: 313 Member
    Best desicion in my life! As you already know, It's a tool! a tool that helped me lose 100 pounds in a year... I never went into surgery prior to this, so I freaked out and almost ran out of the hospitol with IV's in my arm... Now i look back and would do it all over again if I "GOD FORBID" had to! good luck!
  • 33KIKI
    33KIKI Posts: 304
    :flowerforyou: Hello I too am a bander and well I agree with most on here - A TOOL and it still falls back on you to make the mental change and physical changes to your lifestyle.

    I had mine 10-09 and lost 70 but gained back 5....so I am really working to not only maintain but lose more. Now I went from 26-28W to a 14-16 and well I know I am healthier and stronger but I still have my moments when I think ..should I have done another form of surgery...vertical sleeve or gastro...many ?'s linger. My husband and I decided on the band that in the future if we wanted more kids the band could be released and I wouldn't have to worry about what is going in..a stress free pregancy..but on that same note we aren't thinking of adding to our family anymore..unless we win that lotto.

    It's a hard decision for anyone and it really is up to you to make the commitment to change...if you don't do that then you use the tool to it's fullest extent.

    Hope that helps :heart:
  • 6Janelle13
    6Janelle13 Posts: 353 Member
    Surgery is a personal choice, but if you have questions make an appointment to get more information. If you are thinking of getting the surgery consider if there are other avenues you haven't explored such as a nutritionist, personal trainer and so forth. You may need these two to be successful even with the lapband so perhaps start there.
    The good news is that they recently altered the requirements for surgery, which also means more insurances are starting to cover it.
  • jasonweinberg
    jasonweinberg Posts: 270
    you need to make a prior commitment to working hard at it, eating right, exercising and really putting your all into it to make it succeed, but making the decision to have the lap-band procedure was deifinitely one of the best decisions i have ever made. i have had no complications whatsover, my dr.'s have been awesome and i am probably as healthy as i have ever been in my life.
  • waguchan
    waguchan Posts: 450 Member
    I was banded on June 23, 2008. I'm very happy I did. But it was a tough decision. Make sure to send a friend invite to me and the other bandsters on MFP. We are a growing, supportive community.
  • frogmama
    frogmama Posts: 404 Member
    I was banded in June 2009. I am hoping to reach my goal by my 2 year anniversary. I have .9 pounds to go and I think I can do it! I have lost 72 pounds so far. My BMI was not over 40, but with pre diabetes, my insurance company approved the surgery. I only lost about 13 pounds in the first 6 months after surgery. After that, I realized I was not being successful because I was a grazer. At that point, I joined MFP and lost another 20 pounds in the next 6 months. I hit a plateau and though I was exercizing, it was only 2 times a week. Last August, I gave myself a pep talk and got back on track. I go to the gym anywhere between 5-7 days a week, depending on my schedule. Gradually the weight has been coming off, and I have lost a total of 72 pounds, and wear a size 8. I never thought I would see single digit sizes again. I could not have done this without surgery. I am now satisfied with much smaller portions. I had been on weight watchers before, lost 55 pounds and then gained it back. I tried sticking with that program, but I just could not lose again. The band has proven to be the tool that I needed to lose my excess weight.
    Good luck with whatever decision you make.
  • MsScorpio67
    MsScorpio67 Posts: 91 Member
    Trying to figure out whether to have WLS is a big decision. I had lap band surgery June 5, 2008. To date I have lost 102lbs. I still have 38lbs to lose. Do I regret it? Yes. I regret not doing it sooner. And like everyone else said, you do have to work at it. It's a tool. The tool helps with hunger. In a conversation with my doctor on whether I should have Lap Band or RNY, she made two points to me. If I ever felt that my hunger was getting to large I could always have a fill. It's like insurance. And if your have problems with portion size the Lap Band is better suited to you. Believe me there are draw backs to not following the lap band rules. But all in all, I would fight to keep my band. I wish somebody would talk about taking my lap band, lololol.

    Please feel free to add me if you want to chatt more about it or for just support.
  • misscristie
    misscristie Posts: 643 Member
    I was banded a little over a year ago. I would do it again. Like Ms Scorpio said, my only regret is not doing it sooner.

    It really is a tool though. If you don't eat right and exercise, you won't be successful. My issue was that I was a perpetual overeater. i could eat and eat eat and never feel full. When I think about how much food I could consume in one sitting prior to my surgery I want to puke. Now I eat a normal amount of food. It's up to me whether I choose to do that with healthy food or crap. If I choose healthy 90% of the time, I'll continue to lose.
  • Bgriff1974
    Bgriff1974 Posts: 12 Member
    I had lap-band last month.. I have lost 40 some odd pounds and I am loving it.. I am in Banster hell right now because I need a fill.. I have not lost weight in over a week.. but im still pounding thru it.. I honestly think it was the best decision of my life but Definately study up.. Be prepared to give up a lot of foods that you love.. Bread, NEVER AGAIN. popcorn peanuts for me..

    Its different for everyone however you have to learn to CHEW CHEW CHEW>. that is consistant for everyone..

    Feel free to hit me up if you wanna chat about it..

    Im still learning as I am going.. But I dont regret it at all.
  • SayLiLIG
    SayLiLIG Posts: 197 Member
    I was banded July 27th of last year, and I have only lost about 20 pounds since I got it. BUT I will be the example of the BAD bandster.

    What your supposed to do:
    -Do NOT drink 15 minutes prior to eating, or 30 - 45 minutes after eating.
    -Don't eat bread. You'll regret it.
    -Limit your sweets. They go right through.
    -Stop when your full!!

    What Lisa did:
    -I drink before, during, and after.
    -I eat bread. Not as much as I used to though.. Why?? Because when I eat bread I "cough up" any bread, and anything that went with it. I decided today was my final cough up session because of stupid bread. So I'm changing it all up tomorrow.
    -I was never a huge chocolate person.. Until after surgery. It was a go to comfort food, that wouldnt mess with me. WRONG.
    -OBVIOUSLY I'm not going to get full when I'm supposed to when I drink before, during, and after. I can eat a full meal. Granted, It is no where near the amount of food I ate before... But still, Its more than I should be able to eat.

    If your willing to change the habit of drinking with every meal... And you aren't a huge bread fan, or you can easily give it up.
    I would definitely recommend it if you qualify. It is only a tool to help you with your success, as all the others above said. I'm 23, so I'm stubborn, and I didnt do what I was supposed too. Now, I'm slowly breaking my habits. Starting with cutting off bread, and I'm working on not drinking while eating. Sweets aren't an issue for me anymore either. Its hard, but I know from seeing others that it is so worth it in the end.
  • jasonweinberg
    jasonweinberg Posts: 270
    bread is hit or miss for me. when i was in the really low cal portion of my program i went completely of bread for a really long time. just didn't want to invest any calories in bread as much as enjoy it (and it can be nutritious asw ell if you are making the right choices). now that i am back on bread my band reacts differently to different breads. really soft and chewy bread is definitely challenging. wraps can be challenging too. toasting bread is pretty much always the way to go. the thing is, even if the bread is bothering me a little, i know it right away and basically i just slow down and chew more and usually i am fine. it does keep me from eating too much bread though, and that is good. the only other thing that has bothered me with my band are dry meats if i don't chew well enough. i thought sepeaating liquids would be harder than it was but i practiced prior to surgery. i will "wet my whistle" while eating but don't really drink while eating...
  • azalea30
    azalea30 Posts: 19
    hi i found your topic - I have had lapband and it was one of the best things I have ever done. however you personally have had some problems lately because i have lost about 35kg to date now and its not loosing weight again and I have gained. if you do get this I would recommence planning everything in well advance which is what I should have done. its something that you need to monitor and see your goals which make you more motivated - this is only a operation to help you portion control however you can over eat it and it wont work and you will have to get it taken out. you need to set goals like a 12 month planner and go from there monitor with photos videos so you can see the results your self. i regret not doing this becasue I have had up and downs and over eaten and had it adjusted a few times. it may not seem like abig deal to some people but i tink its one of the best things to do and t help you. im on your friend list message nything you want to know about it anything. x
  • PoshTaush
    PoshTaush Posts: 1,247
    I just wanted to thank everyone sincerely for being brave enough to share your stories with me and to encourage me. I am still researching and thinking. You are all amazing for being able to make such an important decision to take control of your lives! Thank you!!
  • bandedme
    bandedme Posts: 6
    I love my band. Best choice I ever made. It takes work but I would recommend it if your really ready to change.

    www.bandedme.blogspot.com
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