Hello,
I'm new to this board but I thought I'd chime in with my experiences with the lap-band.
I had surgery in Nov 2002 at 350lbs. I was afraid of gastric bypass surgery but I desperately wanted to lose weight. I'd lost massive amounts of weight previously (100+ lbs) but when I stopped dieting i'd gain it all back. I thought the lap band was the perfect option for me - I didn't want to dump, I just wanted forced portion control.
It's 4.5 years later and overall... it's been a decent experience. I don't regret doing it, but it was not a cure-all. I now weigh 238lbs, so I've lost a little over 100 lbs. I have to diet now to lose weight... haha. I knew this would happen but I had hoped I'd lose more before i started having to diet. I still eat very small portions, but I can eat almost a normal meal if i "graze" and eat over a span of time.
I have found that I drink MUCH more than I did pre-op. The stories about addictions turning to alcohol or other undesirables hit home with me. I wouldn't *quite* say I'm an alcoholic, because some days I don't drink and it doesn't even occur to me to drink, but most days I come home and have 2-3 glasses of wine, alone at home. It's actually a routine. I also have a hard time quitting smoking because cigarettes make such a good replacement for food.
My ultimate diagnosis is:
- I don't regret having the surgery. I was lucky to not have any complications and going from a size 28/30/32 to a size 18/20 is a very nice feeling. I was at a weight where I couldn't walk around or stand for an extended period of time... and i was only in my 20s. In my body, being over 300lbs was very very hard.
- However, if you're overweight due to deep rooted emotional issues, those issues don't go away. I've done a lot of reading about emotional eating, and trust me I'm an emotional eater. I recently had a breakup and I promptly gained 15lbs. I was so distraught and depressed that the weight just PILED on. Sometimes, even though I recognize that I'm emotionally eating, I can't seem to stop it.
- It's true that your WLS is a tool. I think that is especially true with the band. I KNOW I am not using this tool to its full potential. As I mentioned, at this point I have to diet to lose weight, the band alone is not cutting it. And if I eat mostly healthy, try to stick to salads & protein and lay off the ice cream & chips, I will slowly lose weight. If I eat high calorie foods, I can gain weight shockingly quickly.
- I have fears, to this day. I have fears of something happening to my band where I have to have it removed. I have fears of gaining weight. I have fears that my insurance won't cover complications and I'll have to pay them myself.... I have fears now of turning into an alcoholic
Anyway, if you've been considering the lap-band here is a not "rah rah" view of it. Hope it helps and I will see you on these boards!
Jenny
I'm new to this board but I thought I'd chime in with my experiences with the lap-band.
I had surgery in Nov 2002 at 350lbs. I was afraid of gastric bypass surgery but I desperately wanted to lose weight. I'd lost massive amounts of weight previously (100+ lbs) but when I stopped dieting i'd gain it all back. I thought the lap band was the perfect option for me - I didn't want to dump, I just wanted forced portion control.
It's 4.5 years later and overall... it's been a decent experience. I don't regret doing it, but it was not a cure-all. I now weigh 238lbs, so I've lost a little over 100 lbs. I have to diet now to lose weight... haha. I knew this would happen but I had hoped I'd lose more before i started having to diet. I still eat very small portions, but I can eat almost a normal meal if i "graze" and eat over a span of time.
I have found that I drink MUCH more than I did pre-op. The stories about addictions turning to alcohol or other undesirables hit home with me. I wouldn't *quite* say I'm an alcoholic, because some days I don't drink and it doesn't even occur to me to drink, but most days I come home and have 2-3 glasses of wine, alone at home. It's actually a routine. I also have a hard time quitting smoking because cigarettes make such a good replacement for food.
My ultimate diagnosis is:
- I don't regret having the surgery. I was lucky to not have any complications and going from a size 28/30/32 to a size 18/20 is a very nice feeling. I was at a weight where I couldn't walk around or stand for an extended period of time... and i was only in my 20s. In my body, being over 300lbs was very very hard.
- However, if you're overweight due to deep rooted emotional issues, those issues don't go away. I've done a lot of reading about emotional eating, and trust me I'm an emotional eater. I recently had a breakup and I promptly gained 15lbs. I was so distraught and depressed that the weight just PILED on. Sometimes, even though I recognize that I'm emotionally eating, I can't seem to stop it.
- It's true that your WLS is a tool. I think that is especially true with the band. I KNOW I am not using this tool to its full potential. As I mentioned, at this point I have to diet to lose weight, the band alone is not cutting it. And if I eat mostly healthy, try to stick to salads & protein and lay off the ice cream & chips, I will slowly lose weight. If I eat high calorie foods, I can gain weight shockingly quickly.
- I have fears, to this day. I have fears of something happening to my band where I have to have it removed. I have fears of gaining weight. I have fears that my insurance won't cover complications and I'll have to pay them myself.... I have fears now of turning into an alcoholic
Anyway, if you've been considering the lap-band here is a not "rah rah" view of it. Hope it helps and I will see you on these boards!
Jenny
