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I'm a 41 year old guy from Indianapolis, IN who has been struggling with his weight for over 15 years. I wasn't happy with how much I weighed when I got married in '95 and over the years since then I have gained another 90 pounds. I've worked in radio and related industries my entire career, and do some announcing and hosting in the Indianapolis area. It's easy to hide behind the microphone when you are overweight, but I also host a pageant in the area, and I'm embarassed every time I go to get fitted for my tux. It gets larger every year. I am married with two fantastic sons. The oldest will be 11 soon, and the youngest just turned 7. I once lost 42 pounds in just 16 weeks on weight watchers, but couldn't keep it off for a variety of reasons - mostly my enourmous appetite. Even when I was eating exactly the right foods, I was eating them in huge portions. It worked for a while, but was impossible to maintain. I just had my initial consultation with the surgeon yesterday, and I'm going for my psych evaluation on Monday. I have everthing I think I need for approval by the insurance company, so I'm crossing my fingers over the next few weeks. I'm starting at around 320 lbs (give or take a pair of heavy socks, pants, etc) I have a large frame, and while the "charts" say my ideal weight is 180 pounds, I would be very happy to get down to a muscular 200 lbs. (my doctor agrees). I'll post more when I'm thinking about it, or as situations arise along the journey. Thanks for reading.

Hi all, I'm from Indianapolis, Indiana. I'm a 41 year old male, who has been overweight for about 15 years. My BMI is now 40, but it's been 35 or more for at least 5 or 6 years. I've tried weightwatcher (several times) and many other weight loss plans, but my biggest enemy was always my appetite. Even when eating the perfect low cal, high Fiber, low fat foods through Weight Watchers, I was still eating a huge amount at each meal. Sure I lost weight (42 pounds over 16 weeks at one time) but I couldn't sustain it with my appetite. I'm now the heaviest I've ever been, 6-1 and 318 pounds. At my yearly physical a couple of weeks ago, I told the doctor my weight was my biggest concern. He mentioned bariatric surgery as an option. I cringed, not because I don't believe it's a legitimate option for some - but because I just didn't picture myself at that stage yet. He pointed out that 5 years ago, we were having a similar conversation about my weight - and I weighed 265 at that time. He said... you've been trying... and are actually 50 pounds heavier. I don't think it's a cop out... I think to be realistic, you're not going to lose this weight on your own. I have high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and have had surgeries on my left knee and ankle - certainly because of my weight. So here I am - gathering all the information I think I need to take to my consultation next week. I think I'm ahead of the game - gathering receipts from weight watchers, the YMCA membership, and providing plenty of details about other diets and efforts. I already have a letter of reccomendation from my Primary Care Physician. I have great coverage through my employer through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. If it's approved, it will be covered at 100%. Any advice you can give me would be appreciated. Should I write a "why I think I deserve Lap Band surgery" essay? Should I have more than the Dr. Letter, the receipts, and the details of other efforts? I need to collect the results of my sleep study, and then I have everythign that the bariatric center told me to bring. Has anyone else dealt with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois? Assuming I'm as on top of it as I think I am, how long should I expect to wait before approval. I've heard it isn't quick, but I'll be disappointed if it's more than 6 weeks to 2 months. I've read some accounts that mentioned 4 months. I hope it's not that long. I want to stop feeling hungry all the time. I want to be able to food back into it's proper place in my life - just something I eat a small amount of 3 times a day to give me nutrients and energy - not something I shovel in to fill the huge "hunger void" inside me. Thaks for reading through this long and rambling introduction post. I look forward to sharing this journey with you all over the next year plus and beyond. Kevin