New to this and have tons of questions

Hi, I am new to OH and am considering Lap-Band.  I have no many questions I do not know where to begin!  lol 

Welcom!

Well the best way is to spend a few days looking through threads. Look at what people say, how long they have been banded. Remember people often post st times of emotion so may seem more ecstatic or more panicky than they might be on another day.

Many of your Qs will be answered. Then come back and ask specific things you don't understand!

Kate

thinking about lap band, however I  have noticed many posts imply that  people are still trying to diet.  I was under the impression that lapband was a way of making weight loss effortless..(.with-in reason) Is that not the case? I really do not want to spend money on this , if I have to attend weigh****chers as well. I have 50lbs that I want to lose. Can anyone give general percentages as to the success rates of lap-band? Does the amount of weight that a   person has to lose affect   his or her   success rates? I noticed one member had posted  a 5lb weight loss after having lapband surgery in 2008....Is this common?
thanks

Whatever the adverts tell us, no weight loss is effortless! It is just a bit easier. Whichever surgery you choose, for the rest of your life, you will have to make choices. This applies to ALL weight loss surgery.

Statistics for loss with the band are lower than for other surgeries. This is because while many of us are very successful, it is perfectly possible to eat round the band and we have no malabsorption to speed loss. If we eat ice cream we don't lose weight!

There is no point in having surgery if you do not decide to make a life style change, and only you can do that!

Kate

thanks Kate

Hello!

Read through all the posts - go back at least 6 months. Read the good and the bad so you are fully informed for your decision.

I would go to PubMed and research some of the studies as well.

Also, and this is very big one, ensure that you investigate ALL forms of WLS in your research. There are 4 most common - the band, RNY (gastric bypass), VSG (vertical sleeve gastrectomy) and DS (Duodenal Switch).

My main regret with my band is that I wasn't fully educated when I got it. I got it thinking it was less invasive than the other surgeries but in retrospect I don't think that's true. So make the decision on which type of surgery will do what you need. Do you struggle with overeating? The band might be the thing. But check what you overeat. If it's sweets such as ice cream, cookies, etc the band may not be for you as no matter how much restriction you have, junk food slides right down. You may not be able to get in a half a piece of lettuce, but an Oreo will never be a problem.

There wasn't as much data when I had my band as there is now. Read it ALL and then make your decision. While the band has the lowest success rate of the surgeries, it does quite well for some people. It didn't work for me, but that by no means says it won't work for you. It just wasn't the right surgery for me.

Best of luck in your journey!

thanks. I am a bit of a junk food eater, however I struggle  with SAD related issues, so I have recently purchased a SAD light, and I am hopeful this will help curb those cravings. I have a skewed view of portion control, since I rarely ever diet, so I probably would see change in my weight, if I followed the Canada food guide portion recommendations.  I'm guessing that I could probably benefit from this type of surgery. I appreciate  your reply.