23-- is lapband right for me?

[brandnewquiet 0]

Hi,

I've had some trouble finding other young people doing lap-band. I'm only 23, but I have been overweight almost my entire life without a lot of success losing weight. I'm worried about doing the procedure because I know lap-band is something that stays in your body forever, and I have a long life (hopefully) ahead of me, and also haven't had children yet. Does anyone have any advice for someone in my age group or where i could find more information on if this would be right for someone like me?

Thanks!

Amy

[NurseShay 24]

Hi Amy! There's actually a thread in the specific age group 'banders in their 20's' can be found. I'm 25 & was banded 10days ago. I too have been overweight (obese) for well over 10-15yrs soo pretty much my lifetime! I don't have children either yet. But with the band the key is that its reversible & adjustable unlike gastric bypass for instance. When/if you became pregnant they would simply adjust your band and empty the saline from it and you'd be able to eat normally with no problem. The band does not have to be removed unless for some reason it causes a problem such as it slipped, eroded or was leaking. These complications are the exceptions not the rule. Even if/when you reach your ideal weight & don't desire to lose any more you leave the band in place you can have flluid taken out again to lose some of the restriction but feel confident that you still won't be subject to overeating & thus regain your weight. The band is definitely not a quick fix & still requires a lifestyle change to better eating habits & increase in activity level to see the results you'd desire. I think its best for someone our age because it doesn't tamper with the anatomy of our digestive system so it won't pose as many complications nor will it hender our future of reproduction. It really requires & helps change your relationship with food- for me so far its enabled me to see the difference in my head hunger & actual hunger. Its also showed me my distortion with portions I never in my life thought a cup of soft food (cottage cheese or refried beans) would be too filling! Understanding the disease helps you stick to a plan & me always psyching myself out before that ' id never get full off so little food at jenny craig or in a lean cuisene meal' was part of why they never worked for me. Now I realize I truly do recognize that I eat when I'm not even hungry. The band helped me see that. At our age its the perfect time to re-train our bodies & mindset related to food & health for that long life we have ahead of us! =) And the other reason its good for our age group is that if for whatever reason it didn't work for you, you'd always be able to take it off & choose a diff wls option. Everyone is different & in my opinion this option requires still a lot of self control & will power and if you read through the forum you'll see the results really vary. But I started simply by changing the kinds of foods I ate before I started preop diet- I lost 15lbs, in my 1 week pre op liquid diet I lost 5 more lbs and in one week post op I've lost 5 more lbs. I hope to continue the pattern. I may not... it may go slower eventually or I may hit a plateau or get lazy about excercising. But for once in my life even if I don't lose as much as I want... for once I know that the pounds I do lose will not come back as long as I have this tool inside me curbing my appetite. A lot of the older banders (no offense) speak of gaining most of their excess weight after having kids & a time they remember not being fat, the things they did & wore. In our case we've never experienced that! I only dream about being average size because I really don't remember a time that I was. So why wait until middle age to start living?! You deserve those same experiences, confidence & happiness that most people in their 20s get. That's what makes it worthwhile for me at 25!

Best of luck!

~Shay

Edited April 24, 2010 by Sashay02

[Nean4488 1]

I am 22 and I am getting banded 5/17. I have been overweight my whole life and nothing seems to work for me neither. Always remember that it is reversable if that is what you want but its a great tool you can use to keep the weight off for the rest of your life. And its ok to have kids with the band!!

I cant put any insight into what its like living with the band because I am not banded yet, but I know this is what I want and I want to live the rest of my 20's happy!

[Mykel 0]

Hey i just made this account , just wanted to say im 3 days post op and im 25, so im not too far into it but just wanted to tell you what i thought about it.... yes ill miss being able to eat anything i want but that few minutes of happiness compared to if this lapband works, i wont be afraid to go hang out in public, ill be able to go to any store and find somethin i like and that ill fit in. i can go to basketball games and not worry about if anyone next to me is gonna be pissed because i need the ROOM lol..... im ready to get rid of the sadness and i may be speaking too early because its only been 3 days but i can see the future of a Slim guy on his 26th birthday HAPPY to be 26 and not SAD im still alive and not seeing anything good coming from life........... sorry got on a ramble but thats what i had in my mind thinking of wether its worth it or not:thumbup:

[Startingoverat50 3]

Just to give you an opinion from the other side. I am 51 years old and was banded last May. I finally feel like I have the secret to losing and maintaining my weight. I wish I had this option when I was your age. Do it now when you are so young.

[hmeade 0]

Hey everyone, I am 21 years old and I am getting the lap band done in Nov or Dec of this year and I am super excited about it. I have been overweight nearly all my life and I have been having alot of back problems recently but my main question was, I am worried that I will have excess skin when I finally do lose all my weight, but me only being 21 will it shrink back up? If their is anyone relatively close to my age who has already been through this that could give me some advise I would really appreciate it. Thanx! Holly

[alyssa250 0]

hmeade, I'm 21 and was just banded on the 12th. My doctor said that because of my age the skin should take about a year but ultimately (mostly) should conform back into place around the body. I was worried about the same thing, I'm doing this for the health benefits but also not looking for plastic surgery in the process.

[hmeade 0]

hmeade, I'm 21 and was just banded on the 12th. My doctor said that because of my age the skin should take about a year but ultimately (mostly) should conform back into place around the body. I was worried about the same thing, I'm doing this for the health benefits but also not looking for plastic surgery in the process.

Thank you so much for the input alyssa!:w00t: