Am I really at THIS point?

[bigbipper 0]

:frown:Hello All,

I am stunned that I am at the point in my life that I am actually considering voluntary surgery to aid in my weight loss?

How did this happen? Am I really at THIS point? Is this my last option?

I am 35 years old...293 lbs....5'8". Over the past 5 years, I have developed high blood pressure, sleep apnea, GERD, and joint pain.

I am mobile enough to excercise, but lets face it, 95% of weight loss is done in the kitchen. It feels I have tried it all. Green Tea, Atkins, WW, Zone, South Beach, Hoodia, Ephedra....do I continue?

So my latest failure is here....and here I am. Somewhat lost and desperate, if you will. Wondering if this is really the way to success?

Thank you for listening.

[outside*looking*in 0]

All I can say is that your story is similar to most on here. The only regret many of the band patients have is that they did not do it sooner. I did it 4 1/2 months ago at 38 and YES after dieting since the age of 11, I WISH I had done this sooner! It is still work but it definitely helps you stay in control. I do not have proper restriction but have not been able to eat anywhere near as much as I used to in one sitting. Be warned though, you can fail at this by eating the wrong foods, amounts and not helping the band work for you, so make sure you are ready to commit to this! Everyone gets discouraged. I look at the before/after pics to inspire me. Good Luck!

[bigbipper 0]

Thank you. I read the commitment it takes, and it sounds very simular to the commitment that traditional weight loss takes.

[Mariasha 3]

Thank you. I read the commitment it takes, and it sounds very simular to the commitment that traditional weight loss takes.

It is.

But for many of us, if we just have that commitment and not the band we will not be successful.

It is simply impossible to succeed at dieting if you are constantly feeling starving hungry and craving food.

The band is the tool that allows us to be successful in our commitment.

[Nicole74 4]

Hey, I too am 35, 5'8 and 295lbs..Im scheduled for surgery on July 30th. I said almost the exact thing you are saying now before I decided for sure I was going to go through with it....I still have my doubts especially since Im selfpay...but I feel like I have done it all ...every diet imaginable including diet pills...I dont have it in me anymore to fight this battle without help..Iv been as low as 210 and as high as 300lbs over the past 15 years.I always gained it back plus more..I gotta change my lifestyle and my eating habits.Im still young but if I kept on the same road how would I be in 10 more years??No health issues now but you cant be 300lbs and not have issues eventually..I didnt want some crazy health issue or something dangerous to happen in order to "wake me up". If your asking if its come to this and you are in this sight than it sounds like it has...if you want to talk anytime let me know!!:ohmy:.

[lynh564 0]

All I have to sya is that my appetite is dimmed. I am 46 and so glad I did this. I was banded 4/5 and I am down almost 50 lbs. I am exercising hard, watching what I eat but it is easier. I have had two fills but I am not at my sweet spot yet.

[bigbipper 0]

It is.

But for many of us, if we just have that commitment and not the band we will not be successful.

It is simply impossible to succeed at dieting if you are constantly feeling starving hungry and craving food.

The band is the tool that allows us to be successful in our commitment.

I think this is what will eventually be the difference for me.

[Glass is Half Full Girl 0]

Hello Bigbipper

Oh honey you are so not alone in the way you are feeling. I even got to the application phase for mini-gastric but chickened out because it was too restricting (and expensive). About a year later an acquaintance of mine had this done. I haven't spoken to him since that point but investigated it further and went for a consult. I just didn't have the willpower - or whatever you want to call it- to do it permanently on my own so here I am, 2 months post op and 15 lbs slimmer. It hasn't come off as quickly as I thought it might but no ones fault but my own. This is a tool and it takes a little trial and error to find out how to use it to your advantage. I know my weight will come off steadily, more steadily if I behave and when I get a couple more "fills". I now know it is not a magic pill but helps me deal directly with my inability to stop eating so much - I simply can't! I struggled with it psychologically for the first month or so but don't even notice it anymore. I have joined a boot camp class to ensure I get heavy duty exercise in to help me lose and I focus on my good meals/days and kiss the others off. I also don't weigh myself daily. I can only speak for myself but I am happy I did this and I know I will only get happier as the pounds come off. Good luck with your decision. I'm always available to bounce ideas off of if you like. Cheers

[jenndall1896 0]

You sound just like I did a year ago. I had reached the 300 lb mark and that was it. I was sleeping with a CPAP machine and was in the "pre" stage for both diabetes and hyperglycemia. I went to a seminar and really listened to the physician and took it to heart literally; either I had to get this weight off or I would probably be dead sooner rather than later. I did a LOT of research, a lot of praying, attended another seminar with a list of questions and also scheduled a personal consult with my physician. I am now 4 weeks post-op and down 37 lbs (including my 2 week pre-op diet) and the only regret I have is that I did not do it sooner. I am 36 years old and I want to be healthy and alive when I am 40. We can talk if you have any questions I can answer. Good luck with your decision I know its not an easy one to make. Jennifer:redface:

[chocchook 0]

I understand where you are comimg from. I am 43 and wonder how I got here. I am due to have a lapband 21st July and I wish I had of done it years ago.

[PhillyGirl 0]

The way that I see it is that I need a non-drug tool to assist me with not feeling so damn hungry and deprived. I also need to be accountable to someone besides myself. Does that make me weak? I don't think so; I am going to be doing the hard work. This is going to be a tough journey and since nothing else has worked and now that I'm over 300 pounds (oh my god) I had better do SOMETHING before it's too late.

I'm going to be trolling the posts a lot during this journey, looking for help and encouragement. I know I'll find it too--such a nice feeling.

Hugs to all.

[XxMariposaxX 1]

:frown:Hello All,

I am stunned that I am at the point in my life that I am actually considering voluntary surgery to aid in my weight loss?

How did this happen? Am I really at THIS point? Is this my last option?

I am 35 years old...293 lbs....5'8". Over the past 5 years, I have developed high blood pressure, sleep apnea, GERD, and joint pain.

I am mobile enough to excercise, but lets face it, 95% of weight loss is done in the kitchen. It feels I have tried it all. Green Tea, Atkins, WW, Zone, South Beach, Hoodia, Ephedra....do I continue?

So my latest failure is here....and here I am. Somewhat lost and desperate, if you will. Wondering if this is really the way to success?

Thank you for listening.

Hey There Bigbipper:

I was there too.. I'm 4'11" and was 197lbs before I considered WLS. I said to myself, how the heck did I get here? I tried every diet out there and it hurt too much to excersize so that was out of the question.

This wasn't exactly the easy road to take but I would certainly do it again.

You'll need to keep in mind that you will need to excersize and make smart food choices otherwise the WLS would be for nothing. It's just a tool and you have to use it correctly in order for it to work. I've seen many people going into this thinking it's the magic cure for obesity and it's not.

I learned 1 month post-op that I wouldn't have restriction for a while and would need to control my portions myself. I also noticed that when I don't limit my carbs, I don't lose weight. So, please follow your doctors instructions and GOOD LUCK! :ohmy:

Edited June 29, 2010 by XxMariposaxX
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[juliansmom2003 3]

Believe me, you are NOT alone in thinking or feeling the way you do. As many posters have already said, the one most popular regret is not having done this sooner, so please try to keep that in mind.

If you're contemplating WLS, you are either at or near the point to do whatever it takes to get healthy and lose the weight. I will tell you this tool has been the best one to lose the weight and KEEP IT OFF, unlike all the yoyo dieting, pills and programs I have tried in the past. I am a little over 8 months in, but I know each pound I lose, it will be FOREVER gone this time.

Good luck to you. It is perfectly normal to question sucj a huge decision. It definitely is a life changing one!

[LeighaMason 19]

Thank you. I read the commitment it takes, and it sounds very similar to the commitment that traditional weight loss takes.

The difference being that on a traditional diet I am HUNGRY! With the band I still watch what I eat and exercise but I know I can continue to live this way forever. When I dieted I knew that once I stopped the hunger would make me regain, now the HUNGER! is gone. Yes, now when its time to eat I get hungry but it is a normal, controllable hunger.

[bigbipper 0]

It looks like the decision has been made for me even before the options weighing began.

I found out the neither my insurance (United Healthcare) nor my wife's (Cigna) will cover this procedure.

So, I am left with 1 option...the traditonal approach. Maybe when I fail again and again and finally do develope Type II, etc. that I will be a candidate for such a procedure.

Good luck to all and thanks for your support and input.