Lap Band and Food Addiction

[chubbyenough]

I hope no one thinks I'm being naive or downright dumb for asking this, but I have a question:

I realize that having a gastric band won't "cure" my food addictions, but will it help manage the issue by not allowing me to binge? I am an emotional eater and a binger. I know that the band does nothing for me psychologically (ie won't solve the issues that make me binge in the first place) but would it help control my binging in a physiological sense? Will I become ill if I try to binge after a band is placed?

There's a medicine sometimes prescribed to alcholics called Antabuse. When the drug is taken and alcohol is consumed, the person becomes severely physically ill. Does a lap band work in the same way in that if too much food is eaten, the person will become physically ill?

Thanks!

[momonamission]

Sadly enough your band does nothing for head hunger. It is a battle most of us continue to fight on a daily basis. I think it is important to set yourself up for sucess. This forum is part of that for me. And being aware of every bite I put in my mouth. I think when you start to see the results and of course your not as physically hungery it gets easier. You can cheat the band. Our mission is not too. It's not the easy way out but it is a hugh tool to assist you along the way. I would not have made it this far without it. I know a thinner me is coming out instead of hoping a thinner me comes out.

[Kittycat]

Hi there, the band is only a tool to reduce the amount of food you consume. However, you can still make bad food choices and eat around the band.

If you are truly ready to make this committment, it might be wise to actively work on the food addiction too. I am a chronic snacker, and still today have trouble not eating in the evening. I am not hungry, I just eat because it's a habit. I need to find something else to do to distract me from eating.

If you follow the guidelines, protein, veggies, grains, fruit and have a treat once in awhile, you will be successful!!

Good Luck!!

[nothereanymore]

The truth is it does help, but its not the cure-all. For many of us our food additions are mainly bad habits we've built over the years to cover our emotions. You can't eat as much unless you really work at it and nibble all day. Most of us don't have the time or energy for that. Also when you get the band you're on liquids for 21 days - its step one in breaking the cycle of eating for your emotions and its generally a difficult time for us. Banstar hell as its known. My two year anniversary with the band is 10/6, I don’t think of food in the same way. I enjoy eating but just smaller amounts, I use exercise and deal directly with my emotions and don’t use food anymore. I’ve broken the emotional eating habits and the truth is it took a while. But it’s a great freedom, almost as good as being a thin healthy person.

It’s a great tool, I personally am very thankful for it – its changed my life for the better. But it’s a tool you have to use and work at all the time – it can’t do the job on its own unless you’ve made a commitment to make it work.

Best,

Lisa

[julieburns]

The others are right. What I have found as a binger and emotional eater since being banded that when I do "binge" it's a much lower calorie binge with "healthy" snack at 100 calories each. Yes I am still guilty of the behavior but that is getting better as time goes on. I work EVERY DAY to try and not binge especially in the late nights. It is a habit but also related to stress levels. So my answer is yes it does help because once you are banded you should be committed to this new way of thinking about your eating habits. Foods like ice cream, cookies and candy can be consumed in large quantities as they go right through the band so in this respect it doesn't help too much. You don't get violently ill like using Anabuse. Most often when I PB or slime it's from healthy "hard" foods that I just ate too fast and didn't chew well enough. When you get good restriction however which I don't have yet you do get full faster and stay full longer on smaller amount of these good "hard"foods. Ice cream will still slip right through from my understanding. This is one I have to conquer and it is getting better. I now buy no ice cream other than weight watchers or other 100 calorie bars and allow myself only 1 when I need my "fix". It is progress and I feel good about that.

[simego]

I hope no one thinks I'm being naive or downright dumb for asking this, but I have a question:

I realize that having a gastric band won't "cure" my food addictions, but will it help manage the issue by not allowing me to binge? I am an emotional eater and a binger. I know that the band does nothing for me psychologically (ie won't solve the issues that make me binge in the first place) but would it help control my binging in a physiological sense? Will I become ill if I try to binge after a band is placed?

There's a medicine sometimes prescribed to alcholics called Antabuse. When the drug is taken and alcohol is consumed, the person becomes severely physically ill. Does a lap band work in the same way in that if too much food is eaten, the person will become physically ill?

Thanks!

I literally had to re-read the name to be sure that (somehow) this wasn't an old posting of mine that was misplaced. I had the same questions. I was banded mid July, so it's only been two months, but for me, the band has been extremely helpful with the head hunger. I felt exactly as you do, I know it's a tool and it's a physical implant and not for the brain. And this is only my experience, but eating has being much less appealing to me. That fact has helped the addiction part. I compare it to a meth addiction. I was literally: where's the needle, just shoot me up, when it came to food, especially sweets. After the band, food is not nearly so pleasant. I would say people don't talk about that part of it so much (maybe it's just taken for granted?) but eating is so much more of an ordeal. It is not pure pleasure. You don't even realize it before you get the band, but even though you eat for emotional reasons, actually, eating is really fun physically. Well, after the band, it's not really that much fun to eat. (sorry, but it's true.) Not to scare you. For me at least, it was totally worth it to give up an addiction that felt out of control. But eating is now 1000% slower, chewing a lot, don't have as much etc. etc. Pain with certain food makes eating that food just not interesting. But in exchange, the addiction feeling is much, much less. For example, last night, we were at a picnic, and I ate a tiny brownie. Like three bites. Not only did I not want more, after I ate it, I realized I didn't even want it in the first place. The band didn't stop me physically, and I'm very, very far from perfect. But the head hunger is quite a bit less. It's like this thing that only felt great before (eating) is now this thing that doesn't feel so good (eating.) For me it's been worth it, but it is an adjustment in that (cliche) your relationship with food will change.