Cake Walk? No Way!!

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I received my Realize Band (Lap-Band) almost 10 months ago and I have only lost 28 pounds. That means I have only been losing about 2.8 lbs per month.  They say you will lose anywhere from 5 to 8 lbs per month.  I have been bouncing around with 5 lbs. for a few months now and here’s why…

Even though I did all the research, thought I was ready and this sounded pretty easy.  Just choose the right foods and the band will keep you from eating too much.  The weight should just fall off.  NOT A CHANCE!

Here’s the real truth…The daily exercise, water and protein is the key.  Let’s face it, we wouldn’t be overweight, if daily exercise and eating right came easy to us.  But, If you are not willing to really change your lifestyle in a big way, the most the lap-band will do is prevent you from over-eating and slow down any weight gain you are experiencing.

I was gaining about 10 lbs. a year until I put a stop to it and began learning to eat healthier and beginning a walking regime.  I lost 25 lbs. before I had the lap-band (that’s a total of 53 lbs so far!) so I really do feel like I am on the road to getting healthier but my point today is…the everyday grind will rear it’s ugly head and you can find yourself falling back into your old routines.  I know I have.  I live in the desert and I find myself using all the same old excuses to get out of exercise:  summers are just too hot, my asthma acts up, I have no energy in this heat…yada yada yada.  Also, because of the heat, I find, I stay indoors more and do less activity and more munching because cooking heats the house up too much.  Not that all of those aren’t valid in some way.  But these are the same reasons that helped get me where I needed the lap-band to start with…

The same goes with eating habits.  I find now that over-eating is not my problem, that snacking is my personal devil.  The band will force you to eat slower and will stick if you try to eat too much or too fast.  This is its purpose.  I find myself getting around that by eating easier things that go down better like nuts, fruits, cookies, chocolate, etc.  These were my emotional crutches before the band and getting the band has not removed these security blankets.  I am still struggling with the rules and sticking to them day in and day out, every day, all week, month after month.  I don’t see myself making it sometimes….  It gets discouraging.  But will I give up?  NOT A CHANCE!

Here’s why… my weight only goes up and down 1-3 lbs now when I have a down point so it is easier to regain my self-control and get back on the wagon.  So, you ask is the band worth it?  yes, it has helped me control my over-eating, I am more interested in exercise than I was and continue to try harder and come up with ideas for more exercise (without the gym, I’m not a gym person), and it has given me more control over my weight than I’ve ever had.

If you are not ready for the long term commitment of changing your eating habits for good, then you will get slower results which is where I am now.  My advice to anyone considering the lap-band.

1.  Gastric Bypass and the “Sleeve” give faster results and will keep you from eating the sugary foods because of the dumping syndrome that comes with the re-routing of your insides.  Sugar = getting sick and being in the bathroom (my sister had the bypass).  I understand the sleeve isn’t as bad.

2. The lab-band is slower but healthier in the long run (just my opinion after doing my research) because there is no re-routing of your normal systems and adjustable.

3. Exercise is not fun for some of us but ESSENTIAL to be successful with the band.  You will get better results and feel healthier if exercise becomes a part of your daily life.  Just remember, the lap-band won’t make you want to exercise more if you hate it now but you will feel better about it as you lose weight because it will become easier with time.

4. Food changes will be the hardest part for most of us.  The lap-band will control how much you can eat but you are not supposed to wait until the band tells you that you are full.  You are supposed to learn to only eat a small portion of food per meal and find you are satisfied with that and move on with your day only eating 3 meals a day.  I have struggled with this.

5. If you are a snacker… like chocolate like me, chips, cookies, or just eat small meals all day long, the band will not help you with your weight!!  You will continue to be able to eat every couple of hours all day!  The band will not stop this!  YOU will have to learn that the small meal you eat MUST be the right choices, drink lots of water, and stay away from snacks and you will succeed even if it is a slow process…

Remember:  Stay positive!  That’s the key.  And you will continue to return to your reading material and learn something new months after you have the band because it is a learning process.  I am re-thinking this whole thing every few weeks.  Trying new things.  Thinking up new fun ways to get exercise.  Looking for new ways to feed the family that makes the husband happy and I can still enjoy.  Trying to re-motivate myself when I get lazy for a couple weeks….

Good luck with your journey!