Has Anyone Found Lap Band Happiness?

I am very happy with my band the weight loss I achieve with the help of my band. 2 + years out and so far everything is gravy. Only you and your doctor know whats best for you.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE my band.  There are those for whom the band works and for those the band fails them.  I am VERY lucky to be a band success.  I'm more than3 years out went from a BMI of over 52 to a "normal" BMI of under 24.  The band has given me the opportunity to live a life I never knew I could have.  The band is very hard work.  You have to work with it and closely work with your surgeon in order for this TOOL to help you.  Look into your surgeons aftercare program.  And honestly, I went into wanting WLS wanting the bypass (the sleeve was not available in NJ at the time), and after talking to my surgeon, we finally decided on the band as he suggested in the first place.  He said that he knew I would be very successful with the band... to think that I doubted him!

Good luck to you and keep us informed!
Take care!
Jan

I am extremely happy with my band life.  My band has done everything that I expected it to do. 
I am coming up to 2 years and so far so good.  I wish I had done it 10 years earlier


1.  I cannot large quantities of food

2.  I cannot eat fast ( pre band  I inhaled all of my food and then when looking for more)

3.  What we save on eating out I get to go buy some new clothes. 

4.  I look like a normal person

5.  I can shop in a normal size section of the department store.

6.  I can always find cheap bras that fit in Ross & TJ Max

 I have always thought of my band as just a tool to help me diet. I have never thought of it as a magical weapon that will do all the work for me.

The band does not make me get up and get on the treadmill or go to the gym.

The band does not make me choose Turkey Meatballs instead of a bag of Cheetos

I am very happy with my band.

I wanted something just to remind me that I dont need to eat like a pig all the time and that is exactly what the band is doing for me.

In fact I have went without a single fill in my band 8 months out and just skipped my July appt , because I have it so set in my mind that I can sit down and eat three healthy meals, some snacks and I dont need to stuff my face .

Me personally and this my experience. I didn't get the band so I couldn't eat this food or that food. Those food will always be in my life, around me and I wanted to learn how to eat them foods in moderation, how often to eat them foods, and when to eat them foods.  The band is teaching me that .  That is what I wanted to learn how to eat my favorite foods not to give them up because I needed to lose weight.

I still eat my pizza but instead of eating half of a pizza I eat my slice and half and I'm very satisfied with that .  

I have lost a little over 60 pounds and almost 35 inches in 7 months.

Could it be faster if I got a fill maybe, but you know what I'm learning so much right now and that is what I wanted was to learn from this surgery :o)  I think if we dont learn something from our surgery then the surgery is a waste because the band is a tool only . It dont make me eat healthy, it dont make me do 5 hrs of Zumba a week , it dont stop me from over eating,  it dont stop me from sitting down and eating a bag of chips or a pint of ice cream ,its me and me alone that is doing them things and learning .

I am learning the tools on how to eat healthy, to exercise and  that is just as important as wanting to lose the weight because you wont be successful in losing the weight and keeping it off if you dont learn the basics first imo .

And because of the band I am smoke free for 9 months this month that would have never happened either if I hadnt gotten the band . That to me is worth it right there also :o)

I'm 2.5 years post op and love my band.  It's been a great tool for me and has allowed me to lose 115 lbs.

Best~
Lisa O.

I have had some ups and downs with my band.  There were times I cursed the day I decided to have band surgery.  I can tell you that for me it has all come out wonderfully in the end.  I still have 50 lbs to lose (I keep lowering my goal weight as I lose more weight).  I have lost 150 lbs so far and I feel better than ever.  I am no longer on any medicine (except for migraines) and I no longer shop in the plus size department!!!  BUT...I watch what I eat and exercise 9 hours a week.  So for me my band helps but I do all the hard work.

I love your posts. They are very realistic. I like that you don't allow your band to take all the credit! Because it really takes will power with the band. As bandsters we can cheat..easy. But those of us who choose not to and actually use this as a tool rather than rely on it to do all the work...Well that's why we are successful!

So really...I'm just trying to say you're an inspiration!

In January I got the lap band combined with gastric plication. The two proceedures together work well together. But I can tell a big part of my success is from having the lap band. I went for my 4th fill last week. After each fill I can tell a difference. Since this last fill I feel that I am right where I need to be.

There are ways to beat the band even though it gives you restriction. Eating the wrong, high calorie, high fat foods is possible without any side effects. The band is not a cure for obesity. It is a tool to aid in weight loss. I work with a dietician every other week. With the surgery, eating right and exercising (mostly swimming right now) I have lost 74 lbs since early January.

Just a quick question, b/c your the only one I know that has a VSG with band. When this procedure is performed together do they use a larger bougie than when they do just the VSG???

Maria, Airhead has the sleeve plication not the gastrectomy.  I was supossed to get that surgery in December and bailed out on the surgical table before they put me down.