16 Things I’ve learned after having the lap band weight loss surgery done 13 years ago! What life is like after weight loss surgery long term.

Hi! My name is Elizabeth and welcome to my cozy spot on the inter webs! I had the lap band weight loss surgery in June 2010 when I was just 25 years old!

Here are my before photos and what the lap band actually looks like!

If you’d like to learn more here is my original article where I shared a part of my story!

So cut to I was 25, over 300 pounds, a single mom to two boys under 5 and I was…miserable. I feel like I was the worst of the worst, self hating and self loathing. I even despised myself, hated my reflection, horrible negative self talk, binge eater, emotional eater, etc.

So I had the surgery after losing 20 lbs pre-op. Then the first 18 months I was able to SLOWLY lose about 30 lbs. It did NOT happen quickly for me! I was diligent with exercise, began running, trained for a half marathon but my food was always a mess. I made poor choices, still was an emotional eater, I’d binge and throw up often, etc. It took me until 2016 to really begin to face my inner demons that lead to my eating issues.

It took years of cutting out bad habits like smoking cigarettes, cutting out soda and cutting out sugary energy drinks! And then eventually cutting out sweet tea, is what it took to lose 130 lbs total after 10 years! I was able to maintain that weight loss for 18 months. The photos below of are that time, at my lowest. The photos below are from 2019 and 2020. Previously, my regular pattern had been to lose 15-20 lbs every two years or so. I’d spend a long time at a new lower weight before I’d move beyond it. I’m not sure if that was physical or just all mental for me. But I will note that since 2016, all my efforts to lose weight have centered around food, I rarely ever made fitness a priority as well.

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Here is where I am today! A 38 year old mom with 7 kids in our blended family, ranging from 7 to 23. We have our first grand baby on the way! I always told myself my long term health goals were to be a FIT AND HEALTHY GRAMA and now here it is, time to be a grama! So in the summer of 2023 I really started making my internal health and overall fitness my MAIN concern!

Although I have the lap band and I can’t eat huge amounts of food on most days, can’t drink soda or eat bread…I can still consume too many calories. I can also choose to be inactive because I have a desk job and without effort, I only get about 1200 steps in per day!

These days I’m doing yoga, circuit training and a 2 mile walk EVERY day! I do allow myself a rest day when I’m tired or if I’m sick, but if I PLAN to commit to it every day, I’ve found it much easier to have consistency!

I’ve lost 14 lbs and over 24″ off of my entire body! I’ve gone down a pant size and improved my overall fitness and stamina by A LOT! These days actual fitness is THE goal! I started a new line of multi vitamins and now I aim to get 100+ grams of protein per day to properly feed my body and help build muscle!

Now that I’ve explained who I am, how I got here and how I know what I know…let’s jump into it!

17 Things I’ve learned after having the lap band weight loss surgery done 13 years ago!

1. You Throw up a lot! Whether this is only the first year or two for you or you struggle with it more long term like I have, odds are you’re going to throw up more than you ever have in your life combined! With a lap band, you will throw up if you eat too fast, don’t chew food well enough, try to drink after eating (too soon), or you’re having a random “tight band day” and something you can usually eat slowly now you can’t! For me I threw up a lot the first 4 years strictly due to being too stubborn to follow all the rules. Then I tried to be better about the rules but would still have issues randomly due to weather or random tightness of the band. At this point, I can tell if food is stuck and will go down or if it’s going to HAVE to come back up. Sadly, I’d consider myself an expert thrower-upper. Which leads to my next point.

2. A weight loss surgery could potentially ruin your teeth! Due to all that throwing up and not being fully aware of how BAD that is for your teeth, I was told 10 years post op that I had the teeth of a “crack head” by a Dentist. He wasn’t being rude but rather explaining how sever the damage was to my teeth. I had also gone this entire time without health insurance or dental insurance so I hadn’t had regular check ups so by the time I made it in, I needed 3 years worth of restoration work, 4 teeth pulled, 3 root canals and countless cavities! Had I simply just brushed my teeth after throwing up each time, the damage could have been so much less.

3. You can’t drink or eat fast! Get used to doing everything slow and being what my kids lovingly call “a sloth eater”, haha! If you try to drink more than an ounce or two of water at a time, you will feel it hang up in your throat and take it’s precious time to go down. That feels weird so I try not to do it. If I eat too fast, I will eat 4 bites and be stuck and unable to eat anything else.

So I have to be especially careful of this when we go out to eat at restaurants because I don’t want to just sit there and play with my food for 20 minutes while the rest of my family eats, while I’m stuck on food. Some days I just do really well and others I find myself rushing and I have to be intentional and mindful about slowing down so I don’t choke, gag, get stuck or have to throw up.

4. You learn what eating DRY is and you’ll probably hate it forever. It means that when you plan to eat you have to consciously STOP drinking 20-30 minutes before, do not drink while you eat and do not drink for 30 minutes AFTER to you finish eating. So your 15-20 minutes of eating turns into an hour long, no drinking, dry mouth “event”…multiple times a day. Most of the time it doesn’t bother me as I’ve grown used to this but if I have a particularly salty meal, it drives me insane. My husband is one who actually drinks a ton WHILE eating and he says he would never be able to do it, just because of that one rule. And the thing is if you break that rule and eat a few bites then try a drink of water…oh Lord!

Prepare yourself for what feels like a huge clump of goal about mid esophagus and then intense pressure as this liquid is trying to move past food that is still slowly sitting there because the band prevents it from just slipping right down into the stomach. It is intensively painful and most often will result in the food and liquid being pushed full force back UP your esophagus and you damn near projectile vomiting. I’ve been mindless numerous times over 13 years and just completely forgot this rule and man is this unpleasant!

5. You can only drink very small amounts of liquids for forever. Some say you can’t or shouldn’t use a straw either but I’ve pretty much always broken this rule because I have no issue with it. If I am working out outside or working in my garden and I attempt to guzzle a glass of water, my esophagus will spasm and the LIQUID can literally get hung up in my throat. Because the thing is, it has to pool and “filter” through that lap-band, too. Yes, it is liquid but if you put 10-15 ounces in your esophagus, just keep in mind it will hit a slight delay at the band and have to funnel through basically.

When your esophagus is full it hurts because it isn’t intended to hold food or liquid. So instead you’ll find yourself sipping 1-2 ounces all throughout the day and if you’re shooting to get 90-100 ounces of water per day, you can see how that quickly adds up to an all day long event you have to be mindful of everyday…for the rest of your life! Or else you’ll be dehydrated and dehydrated bodies don’t shed fat, lose weight or build muscle properly because they’re in survival mode.

6. Weight loss isn’t guaranteed. Almost all types of weight loss surgeries you can sabotage yourself and your results by “cheating” and breaking rules. These rules are put into place to help increase your odds of being successful and when all or most aren’t followed, you could not only not lose weight but you can gain weight as well. For a lap band patient, we have things known as slider foods and these are foods like chips, pasta and ice cream that just slide right through the band no matter how tight it is so the band cannot help to restrict how many of these we eat. So when it comes to any known slider food, we still have to use 100% self control.

7. You will need to be on supplements the rest of your life! For lap band patients they tell us to avoid pills at all costs and so we are encouraged to be on a liquid multi-vitamin for the rest of our lives. I personally am able to take pills as long as they aren’t giant so I take a handful of daily supplements as well as a full spectrum powder that I dissolve in water and take daily. I combine this with fiber so I can get some added fiber each day and the brands I use are below. The powder vitamin I use is formulated for lap band patients but anybody can use it, you can get it here on Amazon!

8. You will fight the hydration battle daily for the rest of your life! Due to the limited amount we’re able to drink at once, if you are hoping to be healthy and feel good and especially trying to actively lose weight, then your hydration level will matter to you. So when it does matter to you, you will constantly by finding ways to sneak in more water, ways to encourage and remind yourself to stick to it, etc.

I personally have found this method of using 3 different canisters that each hold 30 oz. When I finish the first one I have a little mini party for myself internally and go fill up my 2nd one. Glancing over on my desk to see which cup is on my desk tells me if I’m on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd round of 30 oz. Honestly, even with as much thought as I put into it everyday, 13 years post op, I still find myself regularly consuming 30-50 oz of water per day! It is something I’m always striving to improve because I know my body needs the water.

9. Weight loss COULD be very slow. There are a lot of people who either share their journey on blogs, YouTube or social media or just that you end up seeing online or in ads who seem to have a weight loss surgery and are down 50-80 lbs in 3-6 months and they’re just breaking all the records and excelling. Just know that those people likely make up maybe 20% of weight loss patients. And their results are based on multiple factors, including what type of surgery they had, are they malnourished, are they exercising, etc. So one of the first hurdles you’ll have to overcome is how to NOT compare yourself to others. Follow the rules, learn to listen to your body, conquer the inner demons and slowly but surely you’ll get there.

10. Mental work or therapy will likely be required. Speaking of those inner demons, this is a really important part. Back when I had my surgery in 2010 my health insurance did pay for it and so I was required to do a pre-op psychological evaluation and post-op therapy. I’m really thankful for this now because that therapy post-op taught me a lot about myself, I had a lot of realizations about myself and each break-through I’m really thankful for. These moments really did change my life and pivot me onto my next leg of success on this journey. The most important thing you will have to accept is that saying “I’m just fat because I like (love) food” is an external excuse, it is NEVER the REASON anyone is over weight.

We all have our own reasons, some of the may be the same. But the point is that you will HAVE to find your reason, what motivated you to eat, what encourages you to eat, how do you feel when you eat, why do you not want to be healthy, why do you not choose to be active, etc. You’ll have to dive deep either on your own or with a therapist on these issues or else every step you try to make in weight loss will feel like you’re dragging a 200 lbs body behind you…free yourself of the mental baggage and discover your WHY. Why did you eat so much?

11. People will judge you. It doesn’t really matter where you live, how your family is or how open of an area you think you live in, people WILL judge you for having a weight loss surgery. It doesn’t mean that everybody is hating on you and even if they were, that really shouldn’t be your concern. My point here is only to point out there you will be faced with a large percentage of people who do not understand your path and your choices and will likely tell you about it. You need only be prepared for this by being prepared to stand up for yourself and honor your choices.

12. You may never eat bread again. This is one that my sister tells me would be a deal breaker for her. Now technically, I CAN eat bread. However, if I do eat bread, I may get 3-4 bites in, it gets stuck in my throat, I’m in pain or throwing up and I can’t eat anything else and nothing has reached my stomach so I’m also starving while in pain and it’s just…not fun. So because of this, about 8 years ago I actually gave up bread 90% of the time. I have had maybe 3 bites of pancakes in the last 5 years, because I do miss those. If I order a burger somewhere I’ll do half bun or no bun, if I order Subway I’ll do have bun or no bun. I also really miss biscuits and gravy!

13. You may not be able to eat certain types of meat anymore. Now this one is very person specific and I’m not sure what causes it other than a picky band or stomach. I haven’t been able to eat steak since I was banded. On most days, I can’t eat shredded pork or pork ribs and I’d have to say those I miss the most. I can do shredded chicken or any kind of ground meat but even shredded chicken I have to make sure to chew very carefully. This is another reason why we have to be on supplements the rest of our lives and also protein supplements like shakes and powders. Because the weight loss surgery makes us less likely to be able to tolerate some sources of high protein.

14. Potential Medical Issues. Each weight loss surgery comes with risks and I can only speak to the lap-band but one thing I want to mention that people don’t often talk about are the teeth damage, potentially leading to bulimic type traits and malnutrition. Just because someone is skinny or lost weight, does not mean they’re healthy. So let’s stop this idea of worshiping body types and rather be transparent and praise people’s actual entire efforts to be healthy and fit, even if they aren’t a size2 or 8.

More known and discussed issues are lap bands slipping, which means they slide up the stomach to be where they aren’t supposed to be. Your port can also come undone and have to be re-stitched. Some people can end up with inflammation and complete obstruction and have to have an emergency surgery to remove or repair the lap-band. All important issues to make yourself aware of!

15. The cost of repair or reversal. This is just something to be aware of, if you have a medical issue and need your band repaired or fixed, it’s close to the same price and usually NOT covered on insurance (these days, 2023). Right now the going rate is anywhere between $8,000 and $12,000 to have it removed or repaired.

16. Eating well and staying active will still always have to be a life long dedication to maximize health. Having any weight loss surgery is not a quick fix nor is it any fix at all. It is merely an additional tool to help you overcome the mental struggles that got you to where you are now. So whether you’re at pre-op day 60, post-op day 100 or 13 years out like me, you still have to make the conscious effort every single day to get up and choose YOU! Get up and choose to prioritize your health, make good choices, find more movement, be more active, take those vitamins, eat more greens, etc. It doesn’t mean your life has to be completely different but honestly, a lot of times our lives do end up looking completely different AND we’re a ton happier!

So just keep in mind, surgery or not, going from morbidly obese to healthy and fit is a life long daily choice we each have to make. Keep it interesting by trying new hobbies or exercises when something gets old! You could do yoga for 3 months then switch it up with a dance class or kick boxing or maybe even do a swimming class. The key is movement and continually trying new foods and recipes so you don’t get bored or stuck in a meal planning rut that leads to binging. Just remember this isn’t a temporary diet to get through and be done with…this is just the rest of your life!

And it could be the BEST part of your life!!!

It could be the best thing you ever do for yourself!

If you’d like the full back story on who I am check out my original article where I shared a part of my story!

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xoxo,

Elizabeth Richey

About the Author: Elizabeth Richey, living and thriving in rural Arkansas, Aquarian and iced coffee enthusiast. When she’s not writing, gardening, playing with her chocolate lab Maple or sharing videos on YouTube (Elizabeth’s Many Adventures) you can find her enjoying time with her family or traveling somewhere new! Most of the time she’s dreaming of being kicked back in her hammock in her cottage garden listening to the birds sing.