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I know of another way to lose weight: walk alot, and cut down portions. Simple, easy, and no weird shots to take which always have side effects. And the ouch factor.
Oh, thank you for posting that bit of wisdom for all us fatties.
Golly gee miss PinkString, can you offer another tidbit to bring world peace and end the suffering of starving children? I DO walk a lot and I do cut down on portions, but to no avail. I also call myself the "Buffet Slayer".
In Oklahoma, the lap band surgery is no longer covered by insurance. I have two friends who are success stories. One just had it done recently and another had it done for him and his wife. All three have lost tons of weight. Okay, maybe not tons.. I would have it done in a heartbeat, but I keep telling myself, I can lose weight, ... I CAN lose weight... (click heels three times) I CAN lose weight!
I know its been a while since anyone has posted on this particular subject but I figure I might as well provide some information. I had the lapband in May 2007, I started out at 261lbs and now I am down to 172 (89lbs!). I would recommend this surgery to almost anyone but put a Strong emphasis on ALMOST. This surgery is only for people who are serious about losing weight and have tried many other things. I say this because it is not exactly easy. It is in fact VERY difficult. It is a complete life syle change. In America our entire social interaction revolves around food, hence so many of us are over weight, but that is what makes this surgery so difficult. You will have good days and bad days. Sometimes your stomach will swell just for the heck of it and you wont be able to eat much that day but then later on that night you will be able to eat a whole hamburger. LOL. It is extremely high maintanence, but completely worth it if you are serious about it. You will throw up a lot but the toilet bowl becomes your best friend! lol. All joking aside, you do throw up a lot until you learn how to eat again. Why I say learn to eat AGAIN, is because you have to literally learn how to eat all over. The time you spend chewing, cutting, mashing, etc is a LOT longer. But yet again, it's worth it. Bottom line is, get the surgery if you are prepared!!! Research the crap out of it. That's what I did. If you can conform to all the things that you research then do it, but realize that the things people say ARE TRUE!!!! In fact, I have found that people will candy coat things. The last thing I will leave with you is not something to scare you with but more or less to give you a glimpse into what it's like. Quite often you will get the sensation that you need to throw up, that sensation feels like someone is slightly choking you and at the same time they are pushing on the center of your chest. Now, it's not completely terrible because it usually wont last too long but it does happen. Take all this into consideration and make your decision for yourselves.
P.s. We all want to be thin, yet sometimes we don't need to be. I was once told that sometimes God will give you a weakness like this only to see how you will deal with what you have been given. God bless and good luck to all!!!!!
I am a 22 year old female.I have the lap band unfortunately..I have been in denial about the band since I've had it,because I would keep telling myself that it will eventually get better.But I have come to my senses and have realized that is NOT going to get any better.I've had it for about a year and a half now.My starting weight was 445 pounds since then I have lost 155 pounds,but the whole experience has been very unpleasant for me.Some days I throw up at least 15 times..and when I wake up in the mornings I want some breakfast,but it won't let me eat.Even drink a cup of coffee I have to wait about two hours before I can eat or drink anything.
My mother helped me get the band surgery and we were both so excited about it and hopeful.She knows that I have been struggling but I don't think she really realizes how bad this is effecting me.I'm physically and emotionally drained.I'm afraid.I'm hoping I can get the switch.
This is just one of those subjects I always read about as I find it fascinating. But anyhoooo...
I was reading about diet stuff the other day and came across this thing called "the five bite diet" which is basically what you get to eat post staple or band...Just to give the basic idea on what the ideal 5 bites size is: a regular snickers bar (doctor used that as an example) I know you are only suppose to have a few teaspoons of food but breaking it down to something like that made it more tangible for me.
I think if I had to get this done I would be in big trouble. I am not quite sure I could do it. 5 bites and thats it!
Well I have filled that one away for keeps as if I ever would need and extreme measure such as this I would do the "five bite diet" with a doctor watching me as would a gastric bypass patient first before getting cut into.
I had lapband....lost 160 lbs in 18 months - it has changed my life. But if your surgeon or an infomercial tells you 'eat like always, just eat less' don't believe them....just ain't so! In order for it to work, you must be committed to changing your whole way of eating. The only people I know who are successful 'losers' are those who chose to eat by the same rules as those who have gastric bypass - 60-100 grams protein/day; less than 40 grams of carbs per day while in losing mode (and that must be GOOD carbs, not the bad ones - eliminate all white foods (starches) such as pasta, rice, potatoes); no sugar; low fat; 60 oz. of water/tea per day; some exercise every day. You cannot drink with your meals or for one hour afterward. You also cannot have any carbonated drinks for the rest of your life.
However, the good news is........with the band you can do it!! I expected to feel deprived and miserable the rest of my life, but that has not been the case at all. By eating high protein foods, you digest food slowly and you don't get hungry like you do with high carb foods - the high carbs cause your blood sugar to shoot up fast and then fall fast - which gives you false hunger pangs.
There are drawbacks to the band....one is that it requires lifetime maintenance....you must be near enough to an aftercare clinic to keep your band well-maintained - that's the only way it can work. If you don't take care of it and keep it in adjustment, the right amount of fill (saline) in the band, it won't work for you....you'll either be hungry all the time or you'll be vomiting all the time. But the good thing about the band is that it will be with you forever and can keep you under control, whereas gastric bypass is effective for only about 2 years - after that you're on your own.
As for Mexico surgeries.....they were doing lapband surgery there 15 years before it was approved in the US. There are many clinics that do a great job - however, the key to the success of the band is the aftercare (the adjustments) and most US doctors will not accept a patient who was banded elsewhere. Big problem unless you can fly to Mexico every time you need a fill (or an unfill).
Has anyone had lap-band surgery? Not gastric by pass. I would like to hear from people who have had this procedure, their experience, suggestion, etc.
Thank you!!
So many people recommend this surgery but I see a bad effect from this.After losing so many eight your skin is going damage.most of the times it looks like baggy skin. http://lapbandsurgerycosts.org/
I just had the lap band 3 weeks ago, and so far ive lost 27lbs I haven't even had my first fill yet, I just need to get use to having this, once I do I am sure the pounds will fall off I am 21 almost 22, and I am now 493 I use to be up to about 520lbs, but I carry my weight very well being active all the time .. I recommend this to anyone if they can get a good experienced doctor .. the recovery time is quick hardly painful at all and I have had great care, I wen't to the weight loss surgical center in Overland Park, KS. and the whole baggy skin thing can happen, but if you do correct excersize and tone your body, and take alot of Vitamin E you won't have so much, and if you do, alot of insurance companies will pay to have it removed due to it being able to cause medical problems, like terrible sores and infections from yeast build up..
Like any invasive procedure, this surgery has multiple risks, including death. Many, if not all, surgeons will require patients to attempt exercise and diet before they will even discuss a lab band. As other have said, a diet change is need once the lap band in placed, and after device is removed, you must maintain these eating habits to avoid gaining the weight all over again.
It seems to me that if someone is committed enough to maintain these healthy habits after getting a lap band, they were probably committed to diet and exercise before the surgery, even if these efforts were futile. There is no medial treatment that will prevent weight loss if you continue to overeat, but diet and exercise will not always be 100% successful in controlling one's weight.
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I DO walk a lot and I do cut down on portions, but to no avail. 
I also call myself the "Buffet Slayer". 
Just relized what a bad spot I'm in..
