Thee-O #1

[Thee-O]

So I have a question. How are you working the band?

After being on the boards for a few months now, I see a lot of differing opinions at how to work with the band. Some of you seem to be all about the restriction. To be able to not eat that much and that is how you are going to lose the weight. My concern with this method is that what happens if the band needs to be removed for a medical reason? What if the restriction just dissipated over time. What would happen then? Because really, the behavior hasn't changed. The habits are still the same.

For some (myself included) the band really helped with habit modification. The lap band was my rock bottom in my food addiction and getting surgery flipped a switch in my head that I need to make better choices in life. Restriction cannot change the way you behave and look at food. Only a good long look in the mirror can do that. Restriction cannot force you into the gym. Only you can do that.

I haven't had fills for this reason. I want to do this on my own. I want to build better habits and if needed I have a adjustable band in me that can help me along the way, but I don't ever want to rely solely on that.

So my question is.... what works for you and why do you think it does?

[NJGirl32]

I really admire you wanting to not rely on the band as your main tool for losing weight, but why couldn't you have done that without having surgery? Was the surgery necessary? I am just curious about it since you haven't had a fill. Do you feel any sort of restriction or is it just an empty band sitting there in case you need it?

I like your post about behavior modification-and it's really a thought provoking question that I have been thinking about recently.

If I am being completely honest I must say that eating is not a pleasurable experience for me anymore. I can't eat much and when I do I need to do some PBing or run the the bathroom several times. Today I was thinking that I am starting to think of eating more as a chore-no joy in it anymore. Is that behavior modification in a strange way? Is my brain reworking it's outlook on food? I don't know-all I know is I use to enjoy going out to eat and eating-now there is so more more thought about what to order, what might happen, chewing, no drinking while eating, taking small bites-so much thinking!! Before I use to eat mindlessly, now it's a VERY mindful experience.
I know if the band comes out I will probably gain it back. I have been on hundreds of diets and gained it all back eventually.
So, I really don't know what the answer is....

[klariade]

You bring up a great point! I always wondered how on Earth people who have had weight loss surgery ended up gaining so much weight back years later. Well, I feel like I'm at a crossroads right now and I could very easily end up one of those people! For me, restriction was something I needed at first to control my appetite. I had to have something drastic done in order to face my food addiction. When I couldn't turn to food anymore (because I physically couldn't eat as much anymore), I was forced to deal with my emotions in different ways and therefore learned to control my food addiction. You are correct, though, that BEHAVIOR is a huge part of weight loss! It's been a little over two years since my surgery, and the old habits have come back hard core. I've found ways to eat around the band and I've stopped listening to my body and gained 10 pounds back. Before I got out of control, I took my butt back to the doctor and had a very very small fill (I think it was something like .2cc's...I don't usually ask anymore and my doctor doesn't offer the info unless I ask). It made a world of difference and put me back in the post-surgery lap band mindset when I was gung-ho and watching what I ate and exercising regularly. I've come to realize that my success with the lap band is more in my head than in my stomach, meaning I have to think about what goes into my stomach. The physical restriction can only do so much. You have to keep your head in check, and when you let your head slip that's when failure happens. I would love to be able to live without a lap band someday, but I have accepted the fact that that might not be possible for me. For now, I have to get my head back in the game and lose those last bastardly 40 pounds! (which would have been 30, had I not reverted back to my old ways. Sigh. Pick up and move on baby.)

[SageTracey]

Great discussion!

How am I working the band? I achieved restriction while still highly motivated so that was easy. I physically couldn't eat more than I actually needed. That has helped me to learn about portion sizes. I've also added exercise to my daily routine so that is another part of my tool kit. It's all showing on the scales andI am very happy.

However, I am now losing restriction and feel that I could easily eat more than band portion sizes. As I am logging my calories and exercise, I am becoming more aware of what I need to eat to fuel this engine called my body to continue with weight loss but not go into starvation mode. And I am seeing my portion sizes starting to creep up unless I am vigilant. (Kitchen scales!)

I know from past experience that I can fall off the wagon and stack all the weight back on but I don't want to do that now that I am banded. So I am working the band and have brought forward my next fill appointment. I want to get restriction again so that I can continue to change my mind set and build long term healthy habits. Staying motivated is hard work, probably unsustainable, but habits are easy (hey, it was bad habits that got me into trouble!), so if I can make good food choices, portion sizes and exercise into habits, with the help of the band, then I will succeed.

[Thee-O]

NJGirl32, on September 28, 2011 - 8:02 PM, said:

I really admire you wanting to not rely on the band as your main tool for losing weight, but why couldn't you have done that without having surgery? Was the surgery necessary? I am just curious about it since you haven't had a fill. Do you feel any sort of restriction or is it just an empty band sitting there in case you need it?

My father asked me recently since I am pretty much doing this the old fashioned way of diet and exercise if I felt I needed the surgery. I do feel I needed it. It was my wake up call. It got so bad for me and my weight that I needed to have surgery. That to me woke my ass up. The surgery was totally needed for me....but really to get my head right.

I love food. Still love food. But I am loving healthier foods now. I gave up bread, potatoes and rice. I work out 4 times a week. I want this to be a life change for me. Not a diet. I need to be able to say that If the band was removed that I could still do this.

Do I feel restriction? Yes. I have had a few stuck episodes if I eat to fast. I don't eat nearly what I used to eat in the past and it helps me stay satisfied for hours which is really what I needed it for. So yes I do feel some restriction.

I know I could be losing faster if I got fills but I am not in a race to lose the weight. I want to do it steady. I have averaged 10 lbs a month. To me that is fine. 5 lbs a month is fine. I just love that the scale keeps moving downward no matter how slowly. I am gaining a lot of muscle from working out so I am sure that is why I plateau a bit. I am not worried. I see the inches falling off and I feel great.

So I will have the band in me for the rest of my life. I have plenty of time for fills....but I needed to get my head right first...

at least that is the way I see it.

[Kimmypoo38]

At first I was extremely excited about the band because it my mind, as long as I didn't eat slider foods, I would loose weight. We since being banded, and coming on this board, I have learned that it takes alot more to get the weight off. This board was a life saver because it totally changed my mindset. I HATED EXERCISE at the beginnning of my journey but soon learned that it would have to become a part of my life. Through changing my behaviors and learning everything about weight loss, I can truely say that behavior modification is key to losing weight. I now exercise faithfully 5 days a week for at least 1-1.5 hours at a time. I don't eat out alot or engulf icecream like I use to. I have had one fill(1.5 cc) and don't have a problem getting anything I eat down. I don't want my band to be so tight that I am sliming and getting stuck. I do plan to get another fill in a couple of days because for the last 2 weeks, all the foods portions that I normally eat are not satifying me. It could be because of the exercise but I can't allow myself to be miserable because Im still hungry after following the rules. Getting a fill was a totally devastating experience for me because in my mind, it said that I was a "failure" at the weightloss. I have changed my mind over the last month because I am working my butt off, eating like I should and still feel hungry. That was a sign that I needed a little help from my band and just behavior modification was not going to get me through. I am 4 months post op and have lost 48lbs. I am so happy with my lifestyle change and people can totally see the change. People who get the band and don't change their lifestyle will eventually fail at the journey. I don't want to be one of those people so I have to keep my mind right and make good decisions. I never thought I would say this but I like to exercise.I don't love it YET but I'm getting there. I love my band and it has truely saved my life!

[steelerfan1]

this is a interesting discussion !

I am like Thee-O and that is how I work my band. I had my surgery on 11/22/10 and I have lost 64 pounds and a little over 30 inch's since then and I have done this without a fill in my band .

I just needed that mental image to let me know that I didn't need to overeat at meal times, that I didn't need to inhale my food down while I ate and that is what the band does for me .

I always ate way to much at meal times. I was never really a snacker or a sweets eater , I just didn't know how to control my portions at meal times. I would sit down and eat six slices of pizza and a large sub and not think about it . Now, I can sit down and eat two slices of pizza and I'm very happy with that . I wanted to learn how to sit down and eat a healthy meal. Proteins, carbs and veggies and be happy with that , knowing I didn't need to go back and eat seconds , thirds or even fourths .

I have really struggled the last several months and have not lost a single pound. I was just about ready to go in for a fill , but when I sat down and thought about it and was very honest with myself it has been my fault that I haven't lost no weight. I got extremely lazy in my exercise, and I am eating foods that I never touched the first six months after my surgery. Getting a fill wont take my butt to the gym, and getting a fill wont stop me from eating the foods that I am eating , that is something I need to change within myself.

And part of me is worried about getting a fill , it wouldn't stop me from getting one but it does make me think twice. A friend of mine relied way to much on fills, my doc calls people like that fillaholics. She abused the fills and she lost her band. She has gained all her weight back because she didn't learn nothing from her band, she didn't learn how to eat healthy, she didn't learn portion control because she relied on the band to do it all for her . I didnt want to do that , I need to know if I lost my band tomorrow I can continue on with my journey of losing weight if that makes any sense . Also , we know there is band problems out there, its not secret and the less I mess with my band ie getting fills, unfills it might save me from having problems in the future.

I do have some restriction, maybe not the best like some of you on here but I'm happy with it. In fact I got reminded just yesterday that I have the band in me. I skipped breakfast I wasn't hungry and by the time lunch came around I was starving. I went to Kroger's got me a deli chicken and ate way to fast and to big of bite and I got stuck. It went down but dang did it hurt and I got reminded that hey you I'm around your stomach you dont need to eat like that lol. Lesson learned .

Right now I'm happy with no fills, I probably could lose weight faster if I went and got one but I didn't put this weight on overnight and dont expect it to come off overnight either.

My doc has always told me he didn't put the band in me to restrict me from my foods, (I still eat everything that I did before surgery), he put the band in me to enjoy my favorite foods but learn how to eat them foods in proper portion control and how often to eat t hem favorite foods .

A vet told me on another site long time ago Moderation not deprivation .I live by that rule 100% . Food will always be part of our lives, I want to learn how to control the food, not to let the food control me

Thanks again for the very intersting discussion. I like to read how others do things

[Thee-O]

Right on Steeler Fan. Glad to see there are others working the band in a similar way. You are inspiring. Keep it up.

[bromo]

I just got the band, but my mindset is similar. I like that it is there and yes, I will get fills if and when I need them. However I want this to be a lifestyle change for me and just having the surgery put me in that mindset where nothing else would. I am trying to follow the program, learning about new foods that I never tried because it was so easy to get a whopper and fries and a large coke. Now I am forced in my mind to a place that requires healthier eating, portion control and better habits while eating my food such as chewing well and smaller bites. I am going to succeed with this for the first time in my life, not at losing weight, but keeping it off and being healthier and I know that it would not happen without the band. It is making me accountable to myself. I do not consider what I am eating to be a diet but a pathway to a better future. One filled with hikes, ballgames with the grands, and just plain fun in doing whatever I want not restricted because of the size of my body or the lack of exercise. And hopefully as my life edges closer to those winter years, I will be able to enjoy life longer. The band is exactly what I needed to do this.

[steelerfan1]

Thank you Thee-O as you are inspiring also . I know several people that has never had fills and have been very successful with their weight loss and it really made me think that just because I got the band dont mean I have to go and get fills . I have been told by several people that I am just wasting my surgery away because I wont get fills . Sometimes I hate saying I dont have fills or when I struggle everybody will say well you need to go get a fill . Getting a fill just wont fix some problems I think it will add to them imo. You just cant run and get a fill all the time we have to take responsibility also in our new lifestyle . A fill dont fix everything . Maybe down the line I will have to get a fill and I will if that time ever comes but right now I am very happy .

Bromo,

Congrats on your surgery Take it one day at a time. You will have bumps along the way. There will be times you just sit down and eat things you shouldn't be eating, there will be times you will eat all day long , and there will be times you will stall in your weight loss . Just dont give up . Like I said earlier I have really struggled the last two months and have not lost a single pound , but I am proud to say that I have not gained a single pound either If I didn't have my band I swear I would be back over 300 pounds again so just having the band and not gaining weight back is a total blessing because I always could lose weight , I never had problems with that , I just couldn't keep it off and now I can even with me struggling

[thsisme]

I agree the above posts. i think that this is an individual journey for each one of us and what works for one may not always work for someone else. I do know that the band for me is a combination of behavior modification and portion control.

Like some of the posters here. I have no fill and am a year and one month out since being banded. I too hate exercise and still hate exercise, but without it...i probably would not have the weight loss experience that I have been fortunate enough to have and my body is far more toned than it would be without it. (based upon previous weight loss and body shape without exercise). i exercise 5 days / week and follow the rules of hydration. I have to keep myself disciplined to meet my exercise goals. Believe me i still try to talk myself out of doing exercise, but do not give in to myself. at this point in time i am finding that i have to increase my resistance levels. My reward is the weight loss / inches lost. I just finished my first 5k and will complete a 1/2 marathon in Oct. a year ago, i could not have done them, nor would i have even thought of doing them.

i am a foodaholic, an emotional eater, if you will. Over the last year, I have and still am learning how to choose the right foods from a menu, how to control my portions during a party or buffet. I am learning to walk away from food at the table. There are tons of tricks to use from having the waiter bag up half of your meal, eating on smaller dishes, to eating before you go to a social event. Being mindful of what i am about to put in my mouth BEFORE i put it there. do i fall off the wagon? You bet I do! The greatest gift that I have learned is to forgive myself, face my fear of potentially being a failure at weight loss and to get right back on that band wagon.

My weight loss has slowed considerably, and i could care less because when i started this process, i had the realistic expectation of losing perhaps 1 pound or less per week. i kept my goals realistic and did my research on what to expect including the ugly side of being banded. However, because of the changes that i have made and continue to make in my life i am a healthier person, i have more energy than I could ever imagine and i am grateful.

I am lucky and I know it, i still do not feel the hunger sensation and have timed my meals out. i do hear my stomach growl if i go past 6 hours of not eating. I have learned what satiation means to me. The feeling of fullness as i once knew it to be is no longer. could i have done this without the band? my answer is no, i could not. hunger was a big eating motivator for me as well as the bad choices in the food that i ate. do i feel deprived, no, i have taught myself to take a few bites of whatever it is that i am craving, put the spoon or fork down and continue on with my life.

i no longer reward myself with food or comfort myself with food. i reward myself with getting up and moving without pain, looking at new pictures of me in wonder (i still am not used to seeing the new me). watching the weekly scale go down or my measurements go down.

I am not a failure, I am banded!

[steelerfan1]

Congrats on the fantastic weight loss Thisisme !! If you dont mind me asking how many calories was you eating a day and how many carbs per day was you eating ?

[carymom]

Thee-O, on September 28, 2011 - 6:04 PM, said:

So I have a question. How are you working the band?

After being on the boards for a few months now, I see a lot of differing opinions at how to work with the band. Some of you seem to be all about the restriction. To be able to not eat that much and that is how you are going to lose the weight. My concern with this method is that what happens if the band needs to be removed for a medical reason? What if the restriction just dissipated over time. What would happen then? Because really, the behavior hasn't changed. The habits are still the same.

For some (myself included) the band really helped with habit modification. The lap band was my rock bottom in my food addiction and getting surgery flipped a switch in my head that I need to make better choices in life. Restriction cannot change the way you behave and look at food. Only a good long look in the mirror can do that. Restriction cannot force you into the gym. Only you can do that.

I haven't had fills for this reason. I want to do this on my own. I want to build better habits and if needed I have a adjustable band in me that can help me along the way, but I don't ever want to rely solely on that.

So my question is.... what works for you and why do you think it does?

[Thee-O]

That is great Thisisme. I think that is the best way to use your band. The fact that you have been so successful without fills is a testament to your willpower and devotion to a change in lifestyle.

[carymom]

Three-0


I admire what you have been able to accomplish. I was banded the first week in June and have not had a fill (because doctors have not felt that I needed on. Have lost 27 lbs at this point.. I try very hard to eat what I am supposed to, and I keep a food diary as you do.


My mindset is, "This is going to work!" I had to save up and pay for my procedure without the help of insurance, so I promised myself that I would make this work. So far it has. I would like to lose another 22 pounds, and have my BMI in the normal range. That is my goal.


Lots of protein drinks to get in the high number of grams of protein that I have been told that I need. STILL not good at eating 5 - 6 meals a day, which I have also been asked to do.



I hope to keep hearing how things are going for you. You seem to have it all together.

[Thee-O]

carymom, on September 29, 2011 - 2:19 PM, said:

Three-0


I admire what you have been able to accomplish. I was banded the first week in June and have not had a fill (because doctors have not felt that I needed on. Have lost 27 lbs at this point.. I try very hard to eat what I am supposed to, and I keep a food diary as you do.


My mindset is, "This is going to work!" I had to save up and pay for my procedure without the help of insurance, so I promised myself that I would make this work. So far it has. I would like to lose another 22 pounds, and have my BMI in the normal range. That is my goal.


Lots of protein drinks to get in the high number of grams of protein that I have been told that I need. STILL not good at eating 5 - 6 meals a day, which I have also been asked to do.



I hope to keep hearing how things are going for you. You seem to have it all together.

Thank you Carymom, I appreciate it.

Keep doing what you are doing. Sounds like you are doing things right. Just get your protein in. Have you started exercising yet? Good luck and keep at it

[Julia_N]

I'm doing both, having restriction and working it. I recently made a commitment to actually follow the rules. I've eliminated between-meal eating, but added a midafternoon snack of either a protein shake or a QuestBar. I eat only protein-rich foods. I don't drink liquids for 30 minutes after eating. I've gotten back into a losing mode. I don't think I could be this disciplined without the band. I do get hungry when it's near time to eat. I've also committed to writing in my blog every day and talk about what I'm doing, the good and the bad. (It's at TheJuliaNelson.blogspot.com if you're interested.) You have to do what works, and when it stops working, you find something else.

[Jess55]

Thee-o, I'm in agreement with you, I'm going with the behavior modification route. I did get one fill, but it was so tiny 0.75cc, that I consider my band to be empty anyways. I've been struggling the last 2 months and am at a plateau, my doc wanted to give me a fill, but I'm still eating the right way, so what the heck is a fill going to do?? I declined it. I don't want to go back now, since I'm still at my plateau and I don't want him to want to give me a fill again. I'm actually thinking of finding a dietitian and see if a few sessions with them can direct me what to do different.

As for why I had the surgery, I was very depressed and needed to do something and I feel the surgery gave me the kick in the #&# to do something. I realized I do not want to never eat bread again, I want to be able to eat everything in moderation. The band does give me restriction if I eat to much, makes me feel bad. I've actually regretted getting the surgery lately. I want to do this with just a lifestyle change and exercise (which I've come to look forward to).

I do need to figure out how to break this plateau though, it is making me so depressed, even more so that now there is no chance of hitting my goal for my sisters wedding. I do think staying at 1200 calories only for the past 8 months killed my metabolism and I'm pissed that I did that. I work out 6 days a week, burning 450-500 or more calories per session.

[Jachut]

Personally, I think its both. We all know its possible to lose weight without a lapband simply with willpower. restriction takes the willpower bit away to some degree, but the behaviour modification sitll have to come from you.

I think however that we must be realistic about what the band is doing - even unfilled. Overtime, nearly everyone will require some fill to keep the weight coming off. And statistically, behaviour modification or not, nearly every single person that loses their band regains their weight over time. It just is.

So I am thankful for my band, I dont abuse it by making it over tight, I work hard on behaviour changes, but I hate to say that even after six years, behaviour modification isnt the whole answer. I had to have my band ufnilled for over six months - I didnt gain but I hung on by the skin of my teeth. I was able to stick to heatlhy foods and not go wild on McDonalds but the portion sizes increased, hunger increased, etc. And my body, that is now used to eating small amounts and running on under 1500 calories, now cannot cope with normal person amounts of foods - the 2000 or so I am *supposed* to be able to eat at my height, weight, level of activity - I cant. I am now forever dependent on my band because I cant afford to eat more than 1500 a day. And that's from someone who practiced behaviour modification - I ran, I did bootcamp (well I still run and do bootcamp), I ate good foods from all food groups and worked hard to shed the dieting mentality, I cut out counting, weighing, measuring and learned to listent o my body. Works well with the band - without the restriction fronm the band, my body tells me it needs more than it does.

I dont mean to be negative, this is a very positive post and everyone is on the right track. But we need these bands and eventually most of us need fills too.

[katwomantexas]

My band journey includes behavior and the use of fills. I am not filled so tight I cant eat. Mine is at 5.2. I need that to curb my hunger because thats why diets never worked for me because I wont go hungry. Now that I am into this since May17th. I have come to learn that I must excercise to get my mind and body on board for this life altering adventure. Today I joined the YMCA. I had been taking classes and was unsure if I should join but I am actually going to the classes enough to make the membership worth while. I love the way my mind and body are changing.
Kat