Need Lap Band Success Stories

I have to respond although I am 13 days post op gastric bypass. Whatever you decide it has to be for you. Yes you are going to hear about individuals who had a hard time or it was very emotional. And yes you may be that person also BUT if you don't have the band done, what is your health going to be 3 years from now. Can you lose the weight by yourself without this tool? I have had no complications, actually got out of the hospital the next day after surgery. Just kept walking and using the incentive spirometer to get my oxygen saturation up due to all the anesthesia. In 3 years I don't want to have diabetes, I don't want to have hypertension, and I dont want to have sleep apnea and using a mask to sleep at night. What do you want? I hope this helps, good luck in whatever you do, because let's face it, it is not about all those other people, it is about YOU.:flowerforyou:

i have had the band for about two years. Its not what I thought it would be but it helps i guess. I have about 30 more pounds to go. Dont do it if you dont have determination to loose because you will be disappointed, you still have to diet.

Hi, I've had the band for over a year and I hit my 60 gm of protein and I find my calories are around 1100-1500. I am also doing low carb because I found that after losing 50 pounds in the first 8 months after the surgery I wanted to continue eating like I was before just in smaller quantities. I ended up gaining 12 pounds back . When they say the band is only a tool they are so right. If you want to cheat you can and if you are a sweet eater like I used to be then you will not be as successful as someone who isn't.

I'm on my bike an hour a day, cut out sweets, and I now eat low carb and I've lost those 12 pounds and am back on track.

If I can offer any other information about the surgery I will tell you the day of and the couple of days following the surgery I thought I made a mistake. I was in pain and wasn't happy at all, but give yourself time to heal and work with the band and you'll get to your goal. I like that the weight loss is slower than gastric bypass, it gives you body time to recover from carrying around all that extra weight. I wish you all the best. If you're interested you can friend me, we need all the support we can get.

If you have not had the lap band surgery, I would suggest you avoid it if at all possible.

While lap band surgery is not quite as invasive as some weight loss surgeries, it has it's share of serious complications:

http://bmi.ucsd.edu/weight-loss-surgery/lap-band/Pages/risks.aspx

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forum/70-lap-band-complications

I am 5 years post op
I weighed 160kg's at my highest
I got down to 76kg - my lowest
I regained a significant amount of weight when I was pregnant, I was nearly up to 120
Now I am down to 87 or so kg and have about 21kg to get to my first goal weight (where I am in the healthy weight range)


My thoughts: yes it has helped to lose the initial weight because I was less hungry and I got full more quickly... but I still had to deal with the emotional issues I had with eating, I still had to learn the healthy eating habits and I still had to exercise. There are many who do not succeed with the band because you can cheat the band (by drinking and eating at the same time, or by consuming a lot of high calorie junk food which can pass through the band). It's possible I could have done this without the band, but I guess we'll never know. I think I am at the stage where I could get it removed as it makes no difference to my weight loss progress now because I still have to watch everything I eat and I go to the gym 6 days a week.

Some tips for having the band - count calories, eat slowly and chew a LOT (general rule of thumb is about 20 times), eat whole foods and avoid junk food. People who have complications or do not succeed often seem not to follow these rules, they eat too quickly and food gets stuck or they keep eating junk and they don't lose the weight.

There is a group for lap banders you can join as well for more stories.

Edit* - I forgot to mention health issues. I haven't had major ones but I do think that it has caused me to have acid reflux and possibly IBS. I sort of just deal with it.

If you have not had the lap band surgery, I would suggest you avoid it if at all possible.

While lap band surgery is not quite as invasive as some weight loss surgeries, it has it's share of serious complications:

http://bmi.ucsd.edu/weight-loss-surgery/lap-band/Pages/risks.aspx

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forum/70-lap-band-complications

TO the quoted commenter:
Have YOU had the surgery done?? Why do you feel you have the right to make the suggestion for someone to not get something that can help them be healthy? There are people who truly need the tool of bariatric surgery to help them achieve a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately many do not seek out that help because of judgmental people and assumptions those people make.

To the OP: It IS a tool to use. It is NOT an easy fix. You will have pain after surgery. You WILL have to adjust to a totally different lifestyle. It is possible to be unsuccessful. However, if you do what you are supposed to do, and listen to your body then you will be successful. You have to be willing to put the work and effort in. Small portions. Good protein first, vitamins, exercise. It is a must. Or it won't work. As another person above said, this is a decision that only you can make. YOU are the only one that knows what you are willing to change and stick with. Your body will change, your mindset will change, and your attitude will change.

If you want input from actual Bandsters I highly recommend going to Blogger. Here is the link for a friend's blog. She is a successful Bandster who is currently maintaining. Her blog talks about the ups and downs of being banded and every day life. Plus, she has many many other bandsters' blogs you can access from her page.

http://amandakiska.blogspot.com/2010/02/it-was-perhaps-month-ago-that-i-did.html

Because I have friends that had a lap band, and they had horrible digestive problems ever since!

I have friends and relatives who have had it and they have had great success

Yes some people have success with a lap band. BUT it's a big gamble, because many people do have long term complications and regret having it done.

Here are some lap band forums where you can read about other people's experiences before you make a decision to go through with the surgery

http://womensenews.org/story/medicine/110314/lap-band-complications-could-tie-nations-er?page=0,1

http://unlawflcombatnt.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=medical&action=display&thread=8857

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forum/146-post-operation-lap-band-surgery-questions-answers/

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forum/70-lap-band-complications/

Don't feed the troll! They have been on other forum posts doing the same thing! There is a reason her profile is closed/has no profile pic/no ticker!

this friday I will be 6 months out from my VSG. it was a long decision coming, and before my Dr. and I decided on VSG, I was seriously considering lapband.

One of the ladies who worked for me had a lapband put in, and suffered tremendously with it. I spent several nights in the ER with her, because she kept having issues with food being stuck or immense pain at the port site. She dropped 35-40 lbs in the first three months, then gained most of it back, because it was "easier" to eat the crap than the dietitian recommended diet. She played the band, instead of working with it.

I know myself - and I know my habits. At the first sign of something not going right - I would have started working my band. The VSG has allowed me (as one other poster put it) FREEDOM from worry about food, menu and dieting in general. It has been an amazing tool in my journey to a healthier me.

Whichever you decide, I hope you have peace and confidence that it is right for you. Don't let others dictate what you need or don't need; and surround yourself with accepting and supportive people. MAKE SURE you're in an active support group. Admit when you're having trouble and ask for help from experienced people. Be friends with your Dr and their staff --- they will have a huge impact on the rest of your life, even after the surgery is over.

Best wishes!

I am about 3 months post op!! I love my band!! Onlly 22 pounds off. Its not as fast as gastric bypass, but there is nothing wrong with slow! You have to learn how to eat right and keep your portions small. I also feel that with slow weight loss you don't get as much loose skin! I love my band.. I never throw up, and infrequently get stuck. I learned early on to eat SLOW and SMALL!! I need friends on here! I live in the Alaskan Bush and would love to chat! Kristen

Hi everyone, and especially my new band friends! If you have the band and we haven't friended yet, perhaps you could send me an invite.

I'm three years out with my band. I am 5' 9". At my highest, I was 265 lbs. As of two days ago, on my scale, I was 195. This is a drag, frankly, because I was down to 178 at one point, then back to my usual, annoying plateau (set point?) of 187. I don't freak out at 187 because I've been stuck there before. But then a couple of things happened that brought me back into the 190's.

First, I began exercising more, so yes, there is some muscle mass accumulating. Since I get obsessed with numbers, unfortunately, and my legs actually look bigger (albeit less flabby) when I exercise, I'm not thrilled, nor can I trust that the gain is muscle.

The second thing that contributed to my demise was a trip to Mexico which I had SO been looking forward to but which was cut in more than half because between the band, the altitude and food, I got seriously sick--so much so, that I had the choice to go home or admit myself to the nearest hospital. The pain was unreal--I couldn't even get a sip of water down, I was so inflamed. When I came home, the doc had to remove all the fluid, which put my hunger, morale and motivation on hold. I slipped back into pre-band eating. When I went to the doc's office, it appeared I had gained 19 pounds in a month! This made me crazy, especially because the doc's scale is always about 7 lbs higher than mine (clothing, time I weigh in, etc.).

When I started MFP, I was around 197, my scale. I got down to 189. Now I am back to 195. Some of it might be water retention, so I am going to weigh myself post-period this weekend. But obviously, I can't blame it all on water retention.

Really, the Mexico incident was my only serious issue. Prior to that, I had hair loss the first few months post-surgery and later, I had four or five vomiting episodes because I ate something too fast. When I eat too much, I know it's that I am grazing, which is also called "eating around the band." I've had the most success when I eat healthy food, lots of vegetables, three meals a day plus a protein bar. If I do that, I can keep to about 1500 calories. With exercise, I can go up to 1800, according to MFP. Problem is, I'm gaining, and if exercise and go below 1800 calories with exercise, I'm starving. Doc says not to eat more than two cups of food per meal, but that's not enough sometimes, and yes, I do get some emotional eating during PMS and other times (not as bad as it used to be, and certainly not binging as bad as I used to).

Point is, there might be complications, and you still have to work. I'm demoralized right now because I thought going to Mexico where I could exercise a lot in a higher altitude and the natural food they cook would let me lose the rest of the weight I wanted to. Instead, I gained. I can totally see why people who have the band removed gain all their weight back.

I want to increase the days I work outside the home because I eat less, exercise more and feel better emotionally. Working on getting more work that makes me leave my desk.