New to the board... Thinking of Lap Band

Welcome to the Locker Room! I had Lapband installed January 30th this year. I lost nearly 30# on the pre-op diet, and an additional 65 #'s post op. All total, I am approaching 100#'s of loss in just 5 months. With that being said, my loss is not the norm for a bander. I am fortunate enough to be experiencing a loss more similar to that of RNY. It is not by accident though. I joined a health club last October and work out no less than three times per week, 1 1/2 to 2 hours per work out. I have become so anal about my diet that those who knew me well pre-banding want to know what I did with the REAL Semperfidad, and where I hid the body. Bottom line, it doesn't really matter which surgery you pick (Rny in one of its many forms, DS [Duodenal Switch] Banding, etc...) they are all only tools, and like any tool will only function correctly when used correctly. The emphasis is still on you. Any WLS can be eaten around (Cheated on) and banding is the easiest to cheat! If you have problems with a sweet tooth, then banding would be a poor choice. I could pop all the M&M's I want on any given day (The banding will let them right on through) and wash them down with a large chocolate shake and continue to gain weight post WLS. In this case DS or RNY are both better choices. If you have problems with volume (1/2 chicken, large FF, and a 42oz coke a normal lunch) then Banding can be effective. I can eat pretty much the same things I enjoyed pre-WLS, but it takes forever to eat them. Yesterday for lunch I had a bowl of potato soup with garlic and butter (About 1 1/2 cups) and 10 LF crackers. I had to take very small bites, chew it to oblivion, and take a long pause between bites as this type of meal passes through the band very slowly. I spent about 35 minutes eating, then quit. I had finished a little over half of my soup and crackers, but was quite satisfied. It just takes forever to eat a meal, and I get tired of the meal, and the meal gets cold making it less appetizing. I applaud you for admitting you need help (Most of us have been a Yo-Yo in the past, pre-surgery) to keep the weight off. Good luck on your decision, and we will all be here to share in your success, encourage your progress, and plant a boot if needed when you start whining about stuff instead of meeting your challenge head on and tackling it! I am looking forward to watching you successfully defeat the obesity demon for the last time! I am very pationate about the success that I have enjoyed, and those of my fellow brothers on this board. These are just my humble opinions, and I am not a weight loss expert, your milage may vary. Hopefully there is at least one or two nuggets in this long winded post that will help, if not... I tried.