iluvronniejr

Hi all, I am new and I have been reading through some of your posts. I am looking into lapband, I have been approved for the loan and have talked with the people who arrange for the surgery to be set up. All I have to do is give a $500 deposit and set the date.. BUT here are my concerns. I know that losing weight will be good for me, but I am reading all the posts about the post op diet. I have even read that you can't drink while you eat or immediately after you eat. I keep thinking that if I could make myself do these things without the lapband I would already be losing weight. Ok in my mind here is what I am prepared for 1) Get surgery 2) week 1 -4 liquid diet only 3) week 4-6 soft foods only 4) weeks 7 - forever eat only about 1/2 cup food, and can't drink liquids with meal period 5) for 36 months only consume 800 calories a day 6) then after 36 months never more then 1200 calories a day. What I want: I am ok with the first 3 steps, but after that I want my life to be normal. I want to set down and eat solid foods, but much less of it, and drink with my meals. I want to eat less but not count every calorie.. I don't need my life more complicated. How do you guys do it? Please let me know all this will weigh into my decision. Thanks Bridget

Thank you for that Donna, that is what I wanted and expected out of the lapband.. now 2 questions 1) do you drink with meals and 2) do you EVER consume soft drinks? I know you can't drink them like you used to but do you ever drink them? Bridget:)

Really thank you for the honest comment. I can handle people being honest with me. Things you say I might not like, but in the end I know there true and truth is always welcome in my court. Believe me I hear what you are saying. And I keep thinking ok.. food, death.. food, HBP, food death.. I know my risks, that is why I am here looking into this, I don't have any of the symptoms that come with being overweight, but I know if 5 years look out I know they will come. I just worry if I spend $1,000's getting it and can't do it because mentally I still want the food, then what. And maybe I should seek a psychologist if that has honestly never crossed anyone's mind. I maybe different. Everyone else seems to be going into this thinking this is my new life and I will do whatever it takes, I am going into it thinking, bye to my old life and feeling a loss for the foods I will never be able to eat even in small portions... I would think it's a mental thing as well, and that is where I fear I would fail because if I had that kind of mental control Jenny craig, weight watchers etc would work. I really am scared, and the fact I am a going to hospital in Mexico where I feel I won't have adequate follow up care scares me too. I can't fly to mexico every 2 weeks for support. But I am a self pay and with 4 kids, I can't afford 40,000 for this surgery and my insurance won't consider lap band, only RnY gastric bypass and I can't get my head around the fact that rearranging my insides is any more healthy then being fat in the long run. Please feel free to hit me with all the tough love you have. I do need it, but at the same time if anyone else feared what I fear let me know. If you worried about the foods you couldn't have and the mental aspect of getting past the eating, tell me how you conquered that or infact if the lapband helped you conquer it.

I still just don't know what to do and the more I learn the more I become worried, I can't do this. I recently learned I can't ever ever drink soft drinks again. Nothing cabonated.. Also learned no steak , no turkey as often it is not tolerated. So I am learning that it's not the amount that is restricted, it is everything basically. You see I had it in my mind when I started considering lapband that it would just make my stomach smaller and I would get by on much smaller portions. I was really ok with that. But learning all the other has put me saying Ok if I could quit drinking soft drinks, stop eating steak, never eat turkey , eat little to no sugar.. well heck if I could do that I could lose weight. You see I feel my weight loss obstacle is more mental, I don't eat because I am hungry, I eat because I WANT TO.. so the lapband isn't going to help me not want mentally to eat. So weighing it out and thinking maybe not for me.. Still considering, but just not impressed. I was really thinking about why I want this surgery and the #1 reason is due to the fact that my father died at 53 with HBP and diabetes. It scares me because I don't want to die at 53.. but I am so honest when I say it's not an appearance thing. Sure it would be nice to be skinny, but my husband is so supportive .. he says I am anna nicole when she was heavy only voluptious, not fat. And I see the same thing in my mirror.. so I am not motivated by appearance and only health, and that is probably making me less "motivated" .....Just so confused. Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. Blessings to all of you Bridget