Well i went to the info meeting and was a little disapointed. The really push bypass which I d not want. And they are telling us that you can only lose about 40-60% of the weight you need to lose doing the lap band. I am so confused. I am going to try to go through with it still. I am doing weight watchers to try to lose as much weight as i can prior to. It is all in the insurance companies hands now.

Its normal to be confused. The good thing is you came here. You'll learn alot..read posts, read the blogs..ive seen 99% state that the best thing they did was get banded.

wait til you go to the education class, once you get your approval. I did my research here and on You-tube..(theres videos)..mine was not leaning towards one or the other. you dnot get cut with the band, thats why i would do the band..my thoughts..you'll hear alot of people here and there but the best thing to do is talk to your person who ran the info meeting..dicuss your doubts... i love this forum especially because they have a forum on what i ate today and you can get ideas from ppl...dont give up sweetie!!!

kat

Also important to remember that statistics are just that. They are not reflective of individual's success but an average. MOST people only lose that percentage of their excess weight....not everyone. My doctor said his patients ranged in weight loss from 28 lbs to over 200 lbs and that it really depends on the commitment level of the patient above all else -- even with bypass. Good luck!

Yup, an average is just an average. I know 2 people who have had a band for 1-2 years, 1 has gained 15 pounds, one has gained 30 pounds....I know 3 others who have lost more than 100 pounds each (and are within 25 pounds of a "normal" weight). Everyone is different and I see a lot of people going in to this thinking they will just magically lose weight without working for it and when the weight doesn't just fall off they give up. The 2 that haven't lost weight don't exercise and have every excuse in the book for why they eat the way they do....I feel bad for them, but there's nothing anyone can do until they are ready to be proactive about their health and do the work they need to in order to get where they want to be....

Losing weight isn't easy, but the band certainly helps. For those of us who could eat and eat and eat and never get full the band is almost like a little bit of magic....Okay so it's actually aversion therapy, if you eat too much you get pain/nausea/etc and you hate that feeling so you stop eating too much...but it works. And throw in healthier foods instead of junk (which is easier when you're not hungry all the time) and a bit of exercise and there ya go!

Good luck with everything, I know it's hard but it is so worth it!

My doc pushed bypass too and they are always full of statistics on how lapbanders do not lose as much as bypass. Read the posts here, you can see how well it works. I go to a support group where 90% of the people are bypass and 4 of us are banded. The bypass people are always worried because they have strange aches and pains, have to get iron through an iv, and stretch out their stomaches. The banders are happy as clams, I'm the newest one and have lost 64 lbs, they have all lost over 100. Think about those statistics! Oh yeah, the gastric costs much more than the band and think of all those follow up visits for their complications - just a thought.

What everyone else said plus:

You have to take supplements for the rest of your life with bypass.

Bypass is not reversible.

The fatality rate, although small is more than times greater with bypass.

You can always have bypass later if the band doesn't work for you.

Good luck and remember the final decision is yours, not some doctor.

Please find a doc that favors the band over the bypass...it makes a world of difference!

I 2ND WHAT XAVIER SAID