Skywalker

I'm sure we've all had our fair share of struggles and hindrances before we finally had enough and decided on weight loss surgery. Here were my apparent shortcomings, after all was said and done: South Beach Diet--unfortunately wasn't a good fit. I would shed some pounds, and lose my appetite, which was really good. I'd forget all day to eat, and I loved that. The bad part is, I would forget to eat so much (since I could only basically have cheese, meat, eggs) that I'd start to get light headed and dizzy. Also, it seemed to wreak havoc on my emotions; I would become discouraged, cry easily, get angry at stuff I could normally let go, etc. Weight Watchers--I was most successful at this, but in the end just had difficulty controlling portion sizes and with hunger. Nothing was restricted, but I would run out of points too soon and had an overall hard time planning out my life, logging everything, and sticking to it. Lots of weeks when I would stick to it, there would be minimal or no weight loss, and that's when I got discouraged and would want to throw in the towel. Since I did tend to run out of points, if I blew through my weekly flex points, I would end up "borrowing" points from the next day (I don't know if anyone else has done that), and then go through the next day kind of tired and hungry before I'd lose willpower and have a meal. Phentermine--I had a (not very good) doctor put me on this. I won't deny it had weight loss potential, but the way it made my heart race made me highly uncomfortable. I got off it relatively quickly. Feel free to share your stories, I'd love to hear them and why they didn't work/led to WLS.

I see a common theme of diets failing because of (1) hunger (2) inconvenience and (3) cost, about in that order. Do you guys feel full/satiated with the band? Like you are going out like you used to, but not feeling deprived?

I used to think surgery was a lazy person's alternative, but I no longer feel that way. After many ups and downs--the most recent struggle being Weight Watchers--I have carefully weighed the options and scheduled a date for Lap Band surgery. I have explored the pros and cons, talked to people in person who have had the procedure done, and decided at this point in my life that I'm going to take the chance and have this done. No amount of hard core dieting and exercise on Weight Watchers would get my weight to budge permanently. I started Weight Watchers in early 2012 and after about 1.75 years, I had lost 30 lbs. Not bad, but not spectacular. I had one difficult semester recently where I ate a moderate amount of food (still turning down a lot of things), and didn't log my points as closely, and I gained it all back. I have been struggling with my weight, in some form or another, since I was 14, and I'm just tired now. I have sleep apnea, I'm fatigued a lot, my cholesterol has been elevated for a while (high LDL's and triclycerides and low HDL's), and I have been hypothyroid (treated with medication) for several years. My BMI is about 38.8. Not to mention the fact that this extra weight just makes me feel horrible in my own skin--I have a suspicion that it's keeping me from getting a job, and I don't have that many more employable years to start a career, as I'm in my late 30's. Insurance won't be paying for this, so I've secured an out of pocket loan for the procedure. I've booked it for April, because if it works like it's supposed to, at about 10 lbs per month, I should actually be able to wear some decent T shirts by summer and not still be hiding behind sweaters. I've weighed the risks and the benefits. So can anyone give me advice or share their story? I hope I'm making the right decision.

Interesting, although I guess from the body' point of view it would make sense, as it's sensing it's close to it's destination and wants to stay at that ideal weight. Do you happen to have a link to that study? I'd like to read it. Sorry about the lack of weight loss, that would discourage me too. From what I see in the pictures you look really great. I could suggest Curves for Women--I had done that awhile back when I was within 10 lbs of goal on Weight Watchers. I know when I stuck with it it seemed to help and have fat burning exercises tailored for female fitness.

I totally know what you are saying. I'm only 36 and already have: sleep apnea, hypothyroid, high cholesterol, acne, coughing. It's a safe bet to say that the extra weight is tearing me up. It wasn't that long ago--5 years--that I was really in pretty good shape at 180 or so, but a bunch of things have happened and now I'm almost 100 lbs heavier than my goal weigh--somewhere I thought I'd never be. I have the urge to get my act together quickly, or I fear all these problems (like cholesterol, sleep apnea, back pain, etc.) will work together to cause even more major problems. I was thinking about it the other week, and came to the conclusion that I've effectively been 9 months pregnant for the last several years or so. How have any of us felt towards the end of our pregnancies? Tired? Bloated? Moody? Backpain? Just wanting it to be over? Voluminous breasts that are putting pressure on our back? That is the constant state for a person who is around 250 or heavier--just like being pregnant all the time.

Thanks for the tip about my fitness pal. That's really awesome. I didn't know that.

I'd really like to know--since you guys have had the lap band, are you able to eat hummus or sushi? How about salads (like the Applebees Green Goddess Wedge Salad:https://www.applebees.com/menu/appetizers/sides/green-goddess-wedge)? Those are three things I love, and relatively healthy too, but I don't know how they would go down with the band. From what I'm reading, the band is kind of a wall to carbohydrates, which I guess is a good thing if you're looking to lose weight.

Banderella, I understand the risks, and thank you for sharing. I'm weighing these against the potential costs (of not having surgery and remaining obese) in my decision. Again, thanks for sharing and I hope things go better for you.

I don't know if this will help the topical symptoms, but I use the tongue scraper (available at any Walgreens or Walmart: http://images.wisegeek.com/tongue-scraper.jpg), and am always implementing that with my daily tooth brushing ritual. It makes my mouth feel 100% fresher, I love those things. About the thrush, maybe this would work--get any flavor of Listerine, and hold it in your mouth for several minutes. This might be uncomfortable because of the burn and you might have the urge to spit it out, but hold on if you can. When the burn has settled down after several minutes and you just feel a warmth, spit it out. I had an impacted salivary gland (looked like a pimple under the tongue) and I tried that and it seemed to calm it down and sterilize the mouth.

You weighed 190? That seems like a good weight (all things considered). Do you mean 290?

I noticed that you mentioned hypothyroidism (I have this as well)....does anyone know the answer to this question--does hypothyroidism cause obesity, or does obesity cause hypothyroidism? I had thought this was something I'd have to live with the rest of my life, but my friend (a nurse who had the lap band done) said I might be able to get off both my thyroid meds and my cholesterol meds when this was all done.

Like they mentioned, the before and after pictures (I have one of me at my best, and me at my worst) sometimes are good motivators in either direction. Also, maybe join a Weight Watchers group? When I went to WW, they were great, very supportive and friendly, and had a lot of good ideas. The only reason I'm not going now is because of my constant appetite (so I would just be reminded every week how it's not working). But for a motivational/support group, and to watch your numbers and stay on track, it's great.

Wow. It does sound like you've tried just about everything. Only a couple suggestions I can think of: a. Check with a doctor to make sure there's not some stray testosterone or thyroid issue that is undiagnosed or holding you back b. Implement green tea (or green tea pills) and chromium c. Make sure you're changing your exercises up. Back when I was in shape, I used to get on the bike five days a week, until a trainer reminded me to shake it up so my muscles didn't get used to that. After that, I alternated between the bike, the treadmill, and the stairmaster, and rested two days a week (but never consecutive) Best of luck, I'm sure even with 6 extra lbs you still look pretty great!

Awesome! I was in the thrift store the other day--I figured that I should grab some things to hold me through until April, since I basically rotate between two pairs of pants and three hoodies (it's pathetic). I remembered why shopping is my mortal enemy--it was so difficult to find pants or shirts that worked. I thought some male long t shirts would do the trick, but nope--I could not find a single one (even in 2X) that fit me comfortably. I did manage to find one pair of stretch capris that fit, but at that point it felt like a miracle. Between the way I look in T shirts now and sweating it out in hoodies, I think I may have to stick with hoodies until the summer hits. I can't wait until the day I can go back to a place like a thrift store or Target, and actually be able to select from a decent variety of stylish clothes.

I know the feeling, that's what pushed me in this direction too. I am 36 but may as well be in my 50's or 60's or something. I remember back in 2007 when my weight had started to creep up, my friend (who was 45) and I were taking a class together, and they had us do an assignment called "What's your real age?" It asked us a battery of questions, including (1) whether we wore our seatbelt (2) whether we smoked (3) what our weight was, etc. Even though I am responsible about seatbelts, helmets, medication, no smoking, etc, I still ended up in the same "real age" category as her--45. And I was only 29 at the time. I felt that was so discouraging. I made a promise to myself then that I would lose the weight as soon as school was over (ha ha), but that was the first in a long line of lies I told myself. I'm going ahead with the surgery because I'm tired of lying to myself.

Great links, and that sounds like a brilliant idea! Just brilliant. A long time ago I used to donate plasma (I think they gave us $25 per donation or something) that went to benefit burn victims. I remember it was in high demand. I worked in a hospital once and the person training me told me that they could "grow" skin, but that it was difficult and there was a shortage of it. Therefore, when a burn victim had burns all over their body, they would try to use the "grown" skin for the facial areas--where most people see--and use the less attractive netting for the other areas on the body. Perhaps there are even some hospitals or patients that would be willing to pay for the cost of one person's skin removal so they could use it. It's really a great idea--fixing cosmetic issues for two people at once.

When someone starts sliming and can't even pass saliva, do they have to make themselves throw up to alleviate the problem?

Glad for you MacDaddy, and that is very encouraging. I hope soon not to have hunger pains as well.

I understand what you are saying. I was in the military when I got pregnant with my daughter, and I kept in good shape during my pregnancy. Shortly after my pregnancy, I decided to get serious again with exercise and join Weight Watchers for the first time. I only had about 30 lbs total to lose, so with diligent logging this actually came off without too much difficulty in about 6 months. And then....no problem for several years. Enter 2007. I got involved in a tough school program and the weight started to creep up and up. I was probably about 195 by 2008. In 2009 three really horrible things happened simultaneously in my life and my weight blew out of control by about 2010. At that point, I would say I was easily 250, and it started to get downright embarrassing--the bolt holding the bedframe together bent, the toilet I sat on cracked, I grabbed the handle in the bathtub that was built into the wall to life myself up and tore it out of the wall. All really humiliating, "I've hit rock bottom" crap. The second time I had gained all this weight in 2010, up to about 100 lbs from my ideal weight, was a world different than the first time. Not only were circumstances different the first time, but I found this so hard to vault. It is as if I'd dug myself a hole so deep I couldn't crawl out of it. That's when I finally looked to LB surgery.

I am glad this is going so well for you. I hope it's relatively smooth sailing for me as well. I guess Lap Band really is minimally invasive, as the pain level must depend on the type of surgery. My husband just had hernia repair (through his belly button), was out the same day, and said he didn't even need to take his pain medications. Aside from not lifting heavy things for a few weeks, he was fine. My dad, on the other hand, had open heart surgery for a heart attack (the type where they had to saw open his chest and peel back the ribs). He described the after pain as "torture". I can only imagine.

Congratulations. How totally exciting. I'm excited but also a little nervous, and I'm sure it will get super real when mine comes up. I plan to follow his instructions really closely as well because I don't want any complications. So when you say no carbs, not even fruit? Are you basically on a liquid South Beach diet?

Not keeping track of everything to a tee must be wonderful. When I decided recently to go ahead with the Lap Band, a switch had flipped in my head--after spending approximately 6 years on Weight Watchers with minimal results, I realized I didn't want to be writing down everything I was eating or drinking for the rest of my life just to stay on track. It was like a homework assignment or class that never, ever ended. Anyway, this was one of those bells that went off and made me look in the direction of Lap Band.

Here's my dirty little secret. I would try to send out Christmas cards every year, but statistically speaking, I was only "OK" with about 2% of them--the other 98% I thought I looked obviously obese or just like crap. I found one good family shot in the batch two Christmases ago with all four of us, but I still looked chunky in the face/neck, although the black jeans and oversized sweater (mostly) hid the rest. I zoomed in on Photoshop and with the help of a few tutorials photoshopped/shaded out my double chin. I wasn't stunning, but I was OK enough with the picture now to print and mass distribute as our Christmas card. I'm hoping in the future not to have to resort to odd angles and Photoshop techniques just to hide myself. ~ Amateur photographer

Kind of my personal motto right now, both on Weight Watchers and for Lap Band: Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Wow that's ridiculous. It's like they want to you gain weight so you can start losing it. Sorry.