Newbie here: you regret Lap Band? Thinking about getting it....

I love my band!  I would do it again in a minute!  I am coming up on 6 months from my surgery date and it is a learning process.  I had to have 6 months of documented diet counseling before my insurance would approve my surgery so I began to practice the banded life during that time.  I believe this helped me a great deal and once I was banded it was not so much of shock to my life.

Everyone is different so understand everyone has an opinion!    Good luck with your decision.

I love my band and the health that I have obtained with the help of the band and exercise.

I've been banded 25 months, and have lost 195 lbs.

I have very little problems with the band.  I do still have to watch the types and amounts of food that I eat.

My ONLY regret is that I didn't do this sooner before my obesity lead to cancer.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my band!  It has been the single best decision I have ever made for myself. Now I wont lie,  somedays we (my band and I) go at it, we have had some major disagreements, but they are usually my fault. 

When I went in for surgery I could eat half (or more) of a large pizza in 15 minutes, that urge doesn't just go away when you wake up from surgery. I also spent a lot of time eating fast food in my car driving somewhere and that habit has been hard to break.  But I could not fight those urges and break my bad habits on my own, and god knows I tried. 

But at 37, I realized that I had been putting my whole life on hold until I was a healthier person.  I had spent the majority of my life on a diet or cheating on a diet.  As soon as I accepted that I needed help and went for my consultation, I have never looked back and I would do again in a heartbeat.  I have a trainer, I go to the gym four days a week and I'm learning what portion control really is. It is not easy and it is not magic, but it works for me. 

Good luck with whatever you decide!

I LOVE MY BAND!  Fortunately, my band and I have a solid relationship.  I am 29 lbs UNDER my goal weight and have maintained this weight for about 15 months now.  So thankful to have my band!

I almont to my bandaversary and i love my band!!  I have lots a decent amount weight and I am happy with it and am excited to continue. Yes it is work, you will have to make healthy choices, you will have to exercise and you will have to watch your portions and pay attention to wat you eat and follow some rules! As hard as its been i would never turn back. I feel so much better about myself. I couldnt be here without my band! If I could give my band a kiss... i totally would!!

I wouldn't wish the band on my worst enemy! It's done very little for me, 20 lbs in three years I could have done on my own. I was never able to get restriction right, it was either too tight or too loose. I finally had it emptied because it kept tightening up over time. Some people have done very well but many others have the same issue I did. In talking with the surgeon who emptied me she said they are finding that about 20% of people don't do well with the band. So I guess you can take your chances with the band or look at the VSG instead, which is what this surgeon said she tries to get people to get instead of the band, they prefer not to do them anymore.

I am very happy with my band, down 68 lbs...my brother who was banded two years ago, is also very happy with his...down over 125 lbs.  Both of us have resolved most of our co-morbidities.  I have another friend who has a band (since 2005) and she lost about 75 lbs and has kept all but 10 lbs off for the entire time.  She recently had her second fill and is losing again.

~Please tell me your personal thoughts and experiences. Do you love it, or regret it?~

Ok here goes..........Worst mistake I could have possibly made! In about 1 1/2 yrs. I have had 16 fills. Still no restriction. Restriction. You know................that thing that is suppose to make us fill up faster and stay full longer. You know...............THE REASON WE GET THE BAND! Not there!!! Complete waste of time and money!!!

I would not recommend the band to my worst enemy.

Do yourself a favor. Visit the revision forum and see how many ppl are revising FROM the band! If the band was that great all those ppl wouldn't want to put theirselves through the pain and EXPENSE of yet another WLS now would they?!

Also..............post this same question on the DS, RNY and VSG forum. There are plenty of FORMER bandsters on all of those sites that can tell you what the band is REALLY like!

Good luck!