Realize or Lapband?

I'm talking to the surgeon this week, which band should I ask for and why?

Each surgeon usually prefers one band over the other.  It will be his/her choice which they will do for you.  There are a  few differences, but they are minimal.
Best of luck,
Heather

My surgeon refused to express a preference. (He kept describing it as the difference between a Ford and a Toyota -- one might have a different grill than the other or different tires, but they both have steering wheels and they will get you to where you want to go.)

Ultimately, he left the decision up to me, and I had a lot of trouble deciding. I read a lot of different stuff, and just got disgusted with it all. Each product basically says "We're better than the other one" or they'd compare apples and oranges as if they were the same.

I finally talked to a coworker who had considered the surgery several years ago and had read a lot about it, and his very reasoned approach made me decide on the Realize. But it could have gone either way.

Well I will say.....I have the realize band...I am about 6 mths 2 weeks post op and I am only 59 lbs down. I have a 11 cc band I'm at 6.5 ccs and my doctors office told me they would not fill me anymore....but it was the P.A that had told me that. My mother has the lap band and she is about 3 yrs post op and has lost well over 150 lbs. The differences that I have noticed is the lap band patients lose more......BUT they vomit alot! I have yet to have anything come back up.....sometimes I wish that I did have the lap band instead of the realize..... but I wasn't given a choice and honestly didnt know that was getting the realize. So with that being said.....I do believe you lose more and faster with lap band....but you will vomit. With my realize band.....there is nothing that I can NOT eat.

IMHO there isn’t much of a difference between bands. Most research shows both brands have the same affect and/or effect. While I am partial to Realize (because of its vast history), the Lap band can do the same job. Always remember, it not the TOOL (band) that’s important but the PERSON. You need to follow your Doctor/Nutritionists guidelines.  

 

Remember, the amount of weight lost is affected by many factors. Everyone loses weight at different rates. It has to do with age, gender, one’s weight, exercise, etc.. A 10 pound lost to one person could be as affected as a 40 pound lost to another. Think of it this way: If a 400-pound person loses 40 pounds; a 300-pound person loses 30 pounds, a 200-pound person loses 20 pounds, and a 100-pound person loses 10 pounds – the 400-pound person didn’t necessarily lose more weight than the others. All three lost 10% of their body weight. 

 

Many folks are hung up on the number. It’s not the number of pounds that someone loses in a specified period of time that is important. It’s how you feel. Don’t forget, if you are toning up muscle – your weight loss may seem to have slowed (or stopped), when in fact you are replacing fat with muscle. Muscle is heavier then fat. Someone weighting 200 pounds with a body fat percentage of 25 is carrying around 50 pounds of extra fat. That same person weighting 200 pounds with 10 percent body fat would be carrying 20 pounds of fat. So it’s not the number that is important.

 

Nowhere does any of the literate state you will lose x amount of weight in x days. Think LONG TERM. If it takes you 2 – 3 -5 years to lose all the weight, WHO CARES!!! How long did it take you to put all those pounds on? Try to remind yourself that even if I lost only 1 pound per week, in year’s time I’d be 52 pounds lighter. Many doctors believe the slower you lose weight, the better chance you have of keeping it off. 

 

Remember, this isn’t a race. “Slow and steady wins the race".  We are a generation of instantaneous results, however remember we didn’t put all the weight on at once, it took years. So don’t you think losing it would take just as long? This isn't one of those miracle instantaneous weight loss programs. We all know types of programs always fail. This is a way of life

 

Also there are other “scales" you can use to monitor your success: your constant hunger reduction (eliminated); reduced clothing size; increase energy; re-familiarizing yourself to body-parts unseen for years (errr… toes) ; “common" activity becoming easier (walking, climbing steps), just feeling good about yourself; sleeping better (reduced snoring); the mirror; better medical exam results (lower cholesterol and/or blood pressure); etc.

 

Now a pet peeve .. DROP THE WORD ONLY !! I get very upset to read, or hear, “I’ve lost only X pounds". Why use the word ONLY !?!?!?! Be proud of those pounds you lost!!! This is a major accomplishment!! How many times were you NOT able to lose that amount of weight???? Or when you did, you gained it back?? If you lost weight, and haven’t gained it back, then aren’t you really winning?!?!?

 

Be proud of your lost. No matter how small it may seem. Remember, it’s better to lose not a pound than to GAIN an ounce.

 

So starting today – let’s officially start a movement to ban the word ONLY, and take pride in your lost

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