stevew

Hello Everyone. I have spend a good amount of time reading various posts on the forum, so I am really pleased to have found this community. I am a 41 year old male, current weight is 272, and my height is 72.5 inches. I have been heavy all my life, and yo-yo dieted many times. I am very disciplined when I diet, and ultra strict. So I tend to lose weight and then when I go off my diet, all hell breaks lose, and I gain back weight rapidly. Its embarrassing as you may know to be the toast of the office when you lose a lot of weight, and then when you start gianing it back.... My father died at 62 from heart disease, and he was diabetic, and suffered from depression (probably associated with his weight and diabetes). I am so much like my father in every way, so I assume I am not long from becoming a diabetic like he was. I have two daughters age 10 and 12 and I want to be around for them past my 62nd birthday. I am so sick of dieting, I have yo-yo'd my whole adult life, with a high of 308 and a low of 199. I decided to speak with my GP about surgery, and he encouraged it. I went to a seminar and was more convinced that it is the right option for me. My surgeon who is pretty anti-lap band, and pro bypass, says I am a good candidate for the band. But now I am wondering if the bypass is better for me, because I worry about the slippage of the band, the frustration of the fills and the appointments for them, and the possibility that my late night snacking (I am a relaxation eater, I dont really eat a lot during the day, but once the kids go to bed at 9, I hit the cupboard for Snacks until bed. Im not concerned with giving up breads, and pastas, as when I am not hungry it does not bother me to go with out, and I am hoping that will be the case with the band. Anyone have any thoughts that would convince me either way? I feel like the band is less invasive, but then I ask myself why I care about that. My wife thinks I am being foolish getting the surgery. She thinks I can just do it on my own, and says "you're a big guy, so what". She went to the meetings and the appointment with the surgeon with me, and even he said she was rolling her eyes. She is worried I will be grumpy all the time, and depressed (Like I get on a diet). Going out to new restaurants, and making fun foods is a big part of our family life, so it worries her. But she is so negative about the surgery, that it is driving me crazy. Any advice on this would be appreciated as well. Thanks all, I am looking forward to being a part of your community. Steve Connecticut

Hi again everyone. Thank you so much for all the nice responses. Regarding my wifes objections, all of you had some great advice. I think she knows I can do it on my own, as she has seen me lose the weight several times, only to gain it back again. I think her biggest concern is that I will be grumpy and feel like Im on a diet for the rest of my life. I guess what I am expecting and tell me if I am wrong please, is that with the lap band you dont feel hungry all the time like you do when you are on a diet. As I understand it, because of the band, your stomach does not stretch as much and therefore sends the IM FULL signal to your brain, so you lose your appetite after eating less then you do with out the band. Where I am a little confused is this, I love to eat. So when the family gets a pizza on a friday night, im no longer starving after slice 2 or 3, but because I love to eat so much I eat 6 slices and feel gross about 30 minutes later. I know pizza is not the best example because it is doughy and the band diet restricts that, but does the band help (help not eliminate) the desire to overeat? Steve