joeydm

I AM A 40 YR OLD MALE. I have been over weight since the 6th grade.  Puberty I guess it all started to change.  I was thin as a small child. The one year the weight started to pack on. So I've been over weight for 30 yrs.  I have tried all the diets. Atkins/weight watchers/ nutrisystem/ jenny craig...you get the idea. I never had a problem losing weight.  I just cannot maintain the new weight. I get my taste buds back and the weight slowly but surely comes right back and more.  In 2002 I was down to 280 from 365. Looked great. But Sure enough I get false confidence and think I can eat this today..its only today. And today leads to tomorrow and so on. SO I feel Like I wasted my 20's and 30's. I will not waste my 40's !!  I made the decision a few years ago to look at gastric bypass. But I was finding too many people are having bad side affects and they are gaining their weight back within the first 5 years.  I Have a friend at work how had the banding done and she is doing great on it. Its been almost 3 years for her now. She has put a few pounds back but the great thing about the band is that its adjustable. The doctor can tighten it up to make you like day one of surgery. So the weight can come back off.  It's a mechanical controlled diet and that s what I liked so much. The program has a long term better maintenance of weight loss over the gastric bypass. Yes, the banding is slower progress than the full gastric but you lose at a healthier pace and the long term weight loss is possible.  I had my surgery on June 2,2010. I am so looking forward to a healthier life, a more active life a happier life. Today starts my new life.