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COMPULSIVE OVEREATER - did the band work for you?


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I am not sure I am a compulsive eater, but I did use food for comfort and I am a chronic snacker, especially in the evenings.

The band is not a magic wand that will make that go away. The band is designed to reduce the amount of food you eat, but in order to lose weight, you need to follow the guidelines and eat protein, veggies, grains and fruit, in that order. Not to say that you can never have the foods you love in moderation or for a treat, but when you are striving to lose weight, I keep the treats to a minimum.

If you have compulsive eating issues, counselling may be available to help you overcome this or to distract yourself from eating by doing something else, like exercise, a walk or a bottle of water.

I made the decision to do this and was fully committed to change my lifestyle. I do have a treat once in awhile, but try to stay on track 99% of the time.

If you have any quesions at all, we are all here for you!!

Good Luck!

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I am not sure I am a compulsive eater, but I did use food for comfort and I am a chronic snacker, especially in the evenings.

The band is not a magic wand that will make that go away. The band is designed to reduce the amount of food you eat, but in order to lose weight, you need to follow the guidelines and eat protein, veggies, grains and fruit, in that order. Not to say that you can never have the foods you love in moderation or for a treat, but when you are striving to lose weight, I keep the treats to a minimum.

If you have compulsive eating issues, counselling may be available to help you overcome this or to distract yourself from eating by doing something else, like exercise, a walk or a bottle of water.

I made the decision to do this and was fully committed to change my lifestyle. I do have a treat once in awhile, but try to stay on track 99% of the time.

If you have any quesions at all, we are all here for you!!

Good Luck!

AMEN to following the guide lines. Like any tool, it works if you use it right. It is a great tool.

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Shasha -

I am an overeater. I was banded at the end of March, as Kittykat says it is not a magic band. I went through over a year of counseling before I got banded. I had to find out what triggered my binges. I can not stress the importants of seeking out help for the addiction before the band.

I still once in awhile want to overeat, tonight has been a toughy for me. But as time goes by the overeating has subsided. I have it under control for the most part.

It is very easy to eat around the band if you want to, and then the band is not doing the work you wanted it to. Eating around means drinking while eating, this washes the food right through, eating high calorie easy foods, milk shakes, puddings, ice cream and the such.

This is a life long commitment to get better, loose weight and not let food control you. But, you can now control food.

Best of luck

Bobbi

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The band is not a Magic Bullet and without all the rules for "band use" it would not work. You have to be committed to following the instructions or else it will be a failure. I still have a tough time in the evening times where I want to eat and eat...not out of hunger, but more from habit and for emotional reasons. These are times I have to be extra careful and come here to read the posts or keep my mind, hands and mouth occupied so that I don't eat around the band. There isn't a day that goes by when it isn't a struggle, but I have committed to the band and changing my lifestyle. Even when I regress and go back to old habits, I quickly get back on the band-wagon!

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Thank you everyone for your responses.

Can I just ask then....has it been easier for you since the band to stop grazing. Would you have been able to stick to the eating plan you have now before the op?

Sorry about all the questions...

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Yes, I am a compulsive overeater. I think about food every minute of the day. I go to bed thinking about what I will eat when I get up. I wake up and think about what I am going to eat. It drives me crazy that food is in every thought.

That being said...........if nothing else, this banding has helped me stop thinking about food 24/7. Even if I didn't lose any weight, just having this food business out of my head every waking moment has made me feel great. Of course, I still think about food, but it isn't 24/7 anymore. And, it's funny, but my junk food craving has gone away too.

This has been a very long haul for me and the weight loss is very slow. I have learned that some people are like that. For some, the weight flys off and for others it takes longer, like me. I follow the rules and do the right thing, but my body just wants to hang onto my fat. But, I have accepted that and just have to be satisfied that it will come off eventually.

So, go for it! For me, it was my last hope and I am so glad I had it done!

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Thank you everyone for your responses.

Can I just ask then....has it been easier for you since the band to stop grazing. Would you have been able to stick to the eating plan you have now before the op?

Sorry about all the questions...

Hi Shasha, with the band, the days of grazing are gone. You have 3 meals per day and a snack inbetween if needed. No more eating all day long, as I used to do. I have been able to adapt in a very short time and you can do it too!!!

Best of Luck with your decision!

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Hi Shasha,

I'm only 8 days out from surgery but in my short experience the band is a godsend!!!! This is truly the first time I haven't thought of food oractically 24 hours a day!! Yes, there are guidelines and rules...so you DO have to make the decision you will cooperate and follow thru on that decision. I lost about 67 pounds Before Banding and it was SO difficult!!! I was hungry ALL the time and had given up alcohol, bread, rice, potatoes, red meat, candy, snacks, etc.. I guess what I am saying is, no matter how you lose weight there will be changes to be made and rules to follow. From what I can tell, the band helps make your commitment to getting healthy more attainable LONG TERM. I saw somewhere that patients with gastric bands keep off their weight much better than average dieters. Hope this helps, you have to make the decision that is best for you.

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I was banded June 4th, 08. It has not been an easy road for me. Yes I am addicted to food and still am after my surgery. I am an emotional, binge eater. With that said the band has helped though. During he liquid post-op phase I did lose weight but that has been it. After liquids and before my first fill I followed the "rules" fairly well but as I found I had no restriction then it was just back to the same old shear willpower as before I had been banded and on a diet plan. After having been "deprived" for 3 weeks I made some poor choices but for the most part I did OK. I didn't lose any more weight though as I was not able to stick to the plan 100%. Old habits die hard. Now after my first fill on 7/17 I had immediate restriction, so much I worried I was overfilled. I stuck it out and now after 2 weeks I feel like I have good restriction and can eat 4-6 bites of food, chew well and I don't PB. The problem is I don't stay full for more than a few hours and then I want to graze. This is not the answer to my deep seated problems with food. Yes counseling might help perhaps but that' not a possibility for me at this time. I have faith that in the long run this band will change my life and I just keep plugging away at it day by day. I try not to beat myself up when I slip and just move on. I may not lose my weight in record time but I WILL lose my weight. Much of the responsibility though is not on the band but on my choices and that's the most difficult part of this. I am not wanting this to sound negative as that is not my tone at all when I type this but just a "real"answer from my heart to someone considering this and wonders what to expect. It's been hard work every single day and for me I still obsess over what I am eating, going to eat, have eaten etc. I pray for some day this will become more of a habit and these cravings will go away as well as the obsession. Sorry this is so long.

Best of luck to you in your decision.

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I was banded June 4th, 08. It has not been an easy road for me. Yes I am addicted to food and still am after my surgery. I am an emotional, binge eater. With that said the band has helped though. During he liquid post-op phase I did lose weight but that has been it. After liquids and before my first fill I followed the "rules" fairly well but as I found I had no restriction then it was just back to the same old shear willpower as before I had been banded and on a diet plan. After having been "deprived" for 3 weeks I made some poor choices but for the most part I did OK. I didn't lose any more weight though as I was not able to stick to the plan 100%. Old habits die hard. Now after my first fill on 7/17 I had immediate restriction, so much I worried I was overfilled. I stuck it out and now after 2 weeks I feel like I have good restriction and can eat 4-6 bites of food, chew well and I don't PB. The problem is I don't stay full for more than a few hours and then I want to graze. This is not the answer to my deep seated problems with food. Yes counseling might help perhaps but that' not a possibility for me at this time. I have faith that in the long run this band will change my life and I just keep plugging away at it day by day. I try not to beat myself up when I slip and just move on. I may not lose my weight in record time but I WILL lose my weight. Much of the responsibility though is not on the band but on my choices and that's the most difficult part of this. I am not wanting this to sound negative as that is not my tone at all when I type this but just a "real"answer from my heart to someone considering this and wonders what to expect. It's been hard work every single day and for me I still obsess over what I am eating, going to eat, have eaten etc. I pray for some day this will become more of a habit and these cravings will go away as well as the obsession. Sorry this is so long.

Best of luck to you in your decision.

I totally agree with what you are saying. I have no idea if mine is a complusion or what. I eat and then if my son doesnt finish his meal, in my mind, I feel like I need to help him. Especially if it is something good. So I have attempted to make his meals smaller so he can eat the whole thing without my assistance. He is a very picky eater and I have this thing about wasting food. Everyone is right, we can not consider the band a fix all for our issues. I am hoping that with the band it will help me to understand what I need to do and have a tool to use to do what I need to do, to be healthy. I think that counseling is an excellent idea for those who can afford it. I think there is always a reason why we do things like this. I just haven't figured it out yet. I have to let go of the fact that food is going to get wasted, that is just the way it is.

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Thanks again everyone.

I totally get that this is not a quick fix and that you need to work hard at it. Thing is, I feel I am working hard 'on my weight' at the moment with little reward - lose a couple of kilos then put them back on each time I get sick or have to deal with major issues - so it is not the hard work I am scared of. I have started on a cognitive therapy workbook and that is helping a little and might also help later and I am going to try working on managing my stress. I just don't want to go through this and have it fail.

Glad to hear that it is mostly working out well for everyone :-)

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Sasha,

I still "think" about food a lot, but I do experience "full" sensation and am able to leave food on my plate for the first time in my life. I has taken 3 fills so far to get to this point. I am also an emotional eater and still struggle with that. I guess I don't plan my life around what my next meal is anymore....this is all good and helps. I used to be able to constantly eat from morning until I went to bed and now I eat a small plate (dessert size) and that is enough until the next meal. I never experienced "normal" meals and I guess this is what normal looks like now. Last night I had a cheeseburger....regular patty size with a slice of cheese and a blob of Mayo, no bun and was "full" after eating 3/4 of it. Pretty amazing stuff! Prior to the band my "normal" was 2 large cheeseburgers with the works on a huge deli bun plus fries and maybe some cole slaw and a large diet coke. So if you think you have a positive attitude that you can do the trial and error work, the band might just be the thing for you. I know it wouldn't work on my husband as he cannot commit to no soda's and stopping when he is full. It is all on your attitude and if you are willing to make the changes necessary in your life. Otherwise you will just cheat yourself. If you have any other questions, you will always get an honest answer from me and others here on this forum...no sugar coating it!

Donna

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this is quite the loaded question i think..... Like any addiction, they are not easy to break. The band does no take the FEELING that compulsive or binge eating gives you. For the first few months I was constantly struggling not to eat. The pre op and post op diets are no walk in the park because you cant just eat if you are bored or had a bad day...but really, what kind of life is that? Food should not control your life, you should be able to control the food that you eat.

Getting the lap band was the best decision Ive ever made. I am much more confident, I am happy, I feel pretty..the list goes on. But it was not easy to get here, however being proud and happy with yourself is a better high the a bunch of food ever gave me!

Best of luck!

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You definately need to think about this. I have to say that I don't think about food the same way. I am working hard at it and it is much much easier because I am not constatly hungry. I am happier and heathier. It is not the easier way at all. You have to work at it!! There are tricks I have learned in the process and it has worked for me. I still have a ways to go, but I would do it all over again. I still love food, but I love myself more.

Good luck to you,

Shannon

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I am a compulsive overeater - no doubt about that. I will say that the band has helped a lot, but I have not yet had a fill (at almost 3 months postop) so I am reallllllyyyy struggling right now and currently not losing any weight. I am in fact gaining some, then losing, then gaining, losing, etc. I can eat anything I want, as much as I want. Regardless of how much restriction the band provides, it doesn't change the fact that I obsess over food, like many of the other individuals who come to this forum. The band can definitely help you control your intake amount, but like everyone else has said, is up to you to figure out the underlying issue which is causing the obesessive-compulsive behaviors surrounding food. I recommend the Emotional Eating Toolbox by Melissa McCreery, Ph.D. I purchased it and it is excellent.

I wish you all the best in your journey and I hope that you make a decision that is best for yourself. :D

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