so i'm new here and i wanted to introduce myself and say hello to everyone.
i have only looked around this forum maybe a couple of times but this last time i read some posts and more and more it has me motivated to make a change in my life.
if there is a thread where it can answer or guide me with all my questions and what not, please direct me there.
anyways....here is my story:
well i'm a 30 year old man and i have been dealing with problem with weight for as far back as i can remember. as a younger kid i was always involved in sports (swimming, soccer & tennis) and have done well in all of them. i do have another brother and 2 sisters that were never involved in sports like i was and of course none of them had weight problems (my luck!). i swam and played soccer til i was about 17 and haven't really played much tennis at all for about 3 or years. luckily while in highschool and college i did a fair bit of lifting so really i don't look my weight. people always guess about 50 to 70lbs off. even this last trip to the doctor (allergy related visit), i got on the scale the scale couldn't weigh me since it only went up to 350 and apparently i had broken that mark. she looked at me and was like...i would of never guessed that. you look good. i guess it would be attributed to my large muscle and bone structure from lifting and having an large back and of course...dressing well.
anyways, that's just a quick summary. i have always been a heavier than average person but i don't feel any control. i don't feel i eat horribly but maybe i do. obviously since i've gained all this weight and i'm not very happy with the way i look. i want to get back into sports, i want to feel healthier and i want to really learn how to eat right. my gf of over 2 years has been helpful. she has helped me with portion size and now whenever we go out to eat, instead of each ordering an entree, we just simply split one and mainly drink only Water. the food we eat, i'll admit is not always healthy but from what i've been told, most of the reason people tend to gain is because of portion size and lack of exercise. as for the exercise part, i just on a treadmill maybe once a week since the motivation isn't there. since the weather is warming up, i plan to get out more and be out there with our dog.
sorry if this is getting long but i have so much i want to know and i know in order for me to get help, i need to share some information.
so here are my questions:
1. what are the different procedures (details) and which is the latest and most successful (safest aswell)?
2. what types of insurance cover any of these procedures or insurance companies that would assist with this process?
3. i hear alot of good about lap-band. i have read that this is a quick procedure and that people haven't experience much pain if any during this surgery, is this true?
4. what will i be able to eat? and drink? i have heard no alcohol, popcorn and don't remember what else. i guess also, what won't i be able to eat? from right after the surgery til well past your surgery date.
5. i hope this doesn't sound crazy but i went to a seminar once and they told people they couldn't drink through straws anymore since you tend to consume fluids too fast this way, any truth to this?
6. i keep reading these measurements of .3 or .25, things like that, what do these mean? are people talking about the adjustments of the lap-band? if so, does this mean you'd go back in for surgery?
well i hope i haven't bored too many people here.
i am really interested on your feedback and i figured who better to ask then the people who have been through these procedures and know first hand of things i can expect if i were to follow through and make this life change.
thanks for reading and i hope to hear from many of you.
take care,
vic
