Worried: should I be feeling more excited

[JanPuppyLover 2]

I am over 100 pounds overweight and my joints and bones are starting to notice it with hip and back pains. Like many on here, I have tried every diet from supervised fasting, Atkins, working with a nutritionist, Weight Watchers and probably some that I have forgotten about. In the last 6 months or so, I have started to have real and very limiting pain in my back and hip which I am being treated for but I know that this is at least partly, if not all, caused by my weight.

I've researched banding and other bariatric procedures a number of times over the years and now am feeling resigned to get banded. I need to get back my active life where I can more easily travel and do things. I am not there now and I know that my weight is a big stumbling block to getting there.

I read the posts on here and see how excited everyone is to start this new adventure. I wish I felt more that way. I do sometimes, but other times, I feel a bit sad.. I have my consultation in a couple of weeks and I know that I will be able to have the procedure within a month or two at a top hospital with a very known and respected surgeon. I am fearful right now that my lack of "jumping up and down" about it is a bad sign and this is something that I don't want to fail at.

I am wondering if buried in all of the excitement about this, if there are those out there who have also felt sadness about being here (overweight, not the forum :-)...or fearing this is one more "program" that they might fail at.

I am generally a very "can do" kinda person and one of the few things in my life I have really failed at is my weight. Just looking to hear whether other people have had any of these feelings, too. Thank you.

[TKW 501]

I think we all have those thoughts that we may "fail" again. It took me 2 years to commit to having the surgery. It has gone very well for me now I imagine where I would be had I commited earlier!!! No regrets... love my band!

Good Luck to you!

[DogMomAmy 0]

I felt "resigned" to the Lap Band surgery as well, and at no time was I ever excited to have it done, I was actually very sad and disappointed in myself for not being able to do it "on-my-own".

The morning of my surgery, I was apprehensive, and really did not want to do it - but I knew I had to do something, I was weighing almost 350 lbs. at my heavest!

Surgery went well, but I was sore for about 1 week. (I had surgery on 3/10/11).

I have since gone for numerous "fills", and finally a week and a half ago, I think I finally got the restriction I need! I have lost over 50 pounds total (including the pre-surgery diet), and am on my way to being "myself" once again.

Don't be afraid, or disappointed that you are not excited.................It is truly one of the best things I have done for myself!

I wish you the best of luck!

[JanPuppyLover 2]

I felt "resigned" to the Lap Band surgery as well, and at no time was I ever excited to have it done, I was actually very sad and disappointed in myself for not being able to do it "on-my-own".

The morning of my surgery, I was apprehensive, and really did not want to do it - but I knew I had to do something, I was weighing almost 350 lbs. at my heavest!

Surgery went well, but I was sore for about 1 week. (I had surgery on 3/10/11).

I have since gone for numerous "fills", and finally a week and a half ago, I think I finally got the restriction I need! I have lost over 50 pounds total (including the pre-surgery diet), and am on my way to being "myself" once again.

Don't be afraid, or disappointed that you are not excited.................It is truly one of the best things I have done for myself!

I wish you the best of luck!

[JanPuppyLover 2]

Thank you so much for sharing that. Reading your post actually brought tears to my eyes. I guess I feel ashamed for not being able to do it on my own-- and that there is nothing left for me to do to get my weight under control and get my life back. It is great to hear that you both have been successful on this journey. Thank you both for posting.

[amjcal 5]

I can honestly say once my surgery was set my excitement went away. I was nervous very nervous about the lifestyle change. In fact I even woke up late for my surgery the morning of!! So I sped to the hospital trying to make it on time to my surgery, and got their in time for my surgery to not be canceled. As the pounds start to come off, I get more excited. This is serious, this is a life style change. Just like anything in life it is good to be excited, but it is also good to be serious. You will be amazed after you are banded, to me it was almost like brain surgery. I know you will do great! Good Luck and best wishes!!

Thank you so much for sharing that. Reading your post actually brought tears to my eyes. I guess I feel ashamed for not being able to do it on my own-- and that there is nothing left for me to do to get my weight under control and get my life back. It is great to hear that you both have been successful on this journey. Thank you both for posting.

[Twinkles 7]

I think we all go through this to an extent.

During the pre-surgery stage, I was a mixed bag of emotions that would change at the drop of a dime. One moment I'd be excited, the next moment totally dreading it, the next feeling like a total loser, etc etc, so on and so forth.

It is a tough decision. I know I was constantly thinking that, I've tried everything else there was to try... WHY would this work? In fact, a few times I almost convinced myself that there would be no way this would be successful for me.

However it was and I couldn't be more happy with it. With that said, you do have to make a personal commitment to yourself. As I'm sure you've read and hear a million times, this is a TOOL, it is not a cure all and it won't be successful unless you do your part.

[PJ384 3]

OMG it was as if you wrote down exactly what I was thinking and feeling Iam getting my Band the 31st of Aug and everyone asks if Iam excited about it and No Iam not I do feel resigned to it and I do fear Iam making a mistake and worry I will fail yet again and I hate not being in control,I have always been known as a no nonsense cut through the crap get the job done kind of person and I fear this will expose me I guess as person who has no control over herself and had to resort to a LapBand to get her eating under control and lose the weight. But then I have to mentally slap myself and remind myself the Lapband will not control my weight it will help me learn to control it myself and in that way its no different than any other tool I have ever used to get a job done.I have a sign I made myself hanging above my desk in my office at work it says "We don't make the school excel we make excelling easier for the school" and now I will make a new sign that I will place in my journal that I will keep while on this journey "My LapBand don't make ME lose weight it makes losing weight easier for ME" to remind myself it is only a tool to help me get this job done.Iam not sure you should be excited about the banding surgery but rather you should get excited about living a new life without the weight thats been holding you back and to quote Geneen Roth who wrote Women food and God "You need to realize you were put on this earth to do more than just lose the same 30lbs a thousand times over".and on a lighter note I will quote Dr Seuss "Oh the places you will go". and I wish you all the best on your journey to the life you were meant to have.

[ChelseaM 1]

I read the posts on here and see how excited everyone is to start this new adventure. I wish I felt more that way. I do sometimes, but other times, I feel a bit sad.. I have my consultation in a couple of weeks and I know that I will be able to have the procedure within a month or two at a top hospital with a very known and respected surgeon. I am fearful right now that my lack of "jumping up and down" about it is a bad sign and this is something that I don't want to fail at.

I am wondering if buried in all of the excitement about this, if there are those out there who have also felt sadness about being here (overweight, not the forum :-)...or fearing this is one more "program" that they might fail at.

I am getting my band tomorrow and am trying my hardest to be excited but honestly I'm having trouble. It took me a few days to realize why I wasn't excited and today it finally hit me....I'm not nervous about the procedure (I've had surgery with my dr. before and trust him) I'm nervous that I won't have the self control to do this. I'm nervous because I'm sitting here fasting (Clear liquids only all day today) and all I want is a sandwich and that worries me. I'm trying really hard to focus on what the results can be. Earlier today I went online and found pictures of all the things I want but can't have because of my weight (ex: knee high boots, a flattering trench coat, a Bracelet I LOVE but it can't fit around my wrist). So I can only tell you that I'm not super excited but I know that I don't regret my decision...I'm just not jumping up and down about it. I hope to get there the first time I hit a new goal....That will be a very exciting moment for me. I wish you the best of luck!!

[Lilium 2]

I too, at first, felt a failure at the idea of resorting to surgery to help me lose weight. Once I made my mind up to have the surgery on 4/28/11 I have been using the band as a tool to help me with weight loss. I still have to eat right, exercise, and do the head work to keep up the hard work of weight loss just like on all the diets I have tried. From talking to banders that are 5-6 years out I realize that it can be a slow process, but if I stick with it I can get there. I was also relieved to hear from many of these long time banders that it also can help you not to regain the weight you lose if you keep plugging away at it. I have only lost 32 pounds, but am headed in the right direction and that's all I can ask for. Keep up the faith in yourself and use the band to help you make it.

[BaileyRose 13]

I know exactly how you feel. Exactly. Even up to the morning of my surgery my surgeon came up I me and said "are you excited?!?!" and I said, "uhhh no. I'm nervous haha" and he said, "good, I would be nervous if you weren't nervous."

And yes, I was nervous about the actually surgery and recovery since I had never had surgery before... But I was more nervous about the lifestyle change and that I will fail at this like every other diet I've done. But I know I won't. I have an incredible support system. And I had freaking surgery for crying out loud! I'm 4 days post-op right now and I keep telling myself, "all this pain and discomfort WILL be worth it!" I'm not going through this to fail... And neither will you. :-) you can do this... And you will. Good luck!

[miamia 1]

Congrats on your surgery BaileyRose! Hope you have a speedy recovery.

I went almost all of the last two years sort of blah about this until i went in for my last preop appointment....it then hit me that this is really happening. Now that surgery is so close, utter freak out! I hope the nerves will calm soon. I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other..know that this will change my life for the better.

I know exactly how you feel. Exactly. Even up to the morning of my surgery my surgeon came up I me and said "are you excited?!?!" and I said, "uhhh no. I'm nervous haha" and he said, "good, I would be nervous if you weren't nervous."

And yes, I was nervous about the actually surgery and recovery since I had never had surgery before... But I was more nervous about the lifestyle change and that I will fail at this like every other diet I've done. But I know I won't. I have an incredible support system. And I had freaking surgery for crying out loud! I'm 4 days post-op right now and I keep telling myself, "all this pain and discomfort WILL be worth it!" I'm not going through this to fail... And neither will you. :-) you can do this... And you will. Good luck!

[Arzel Phenomenal Ivy 8]

I understand all of your feelings. Before I had my surgery in May 2011, I had those same feelings that I was going to fail at another weight loss journey. On the other hand, I was excited about the surgery. I have a great surgeon who is supportive and keeps me on track. I'm doing well on my journey and I have lost 34 pounds. It is a slow progress but I'm glad it is not too fast because I think that helps me stay focus. Stay focus and you can do this

I am over 100 pounds overweight and my joints and bones are starting to notice it with hip and back pains. Like many on here, I have tried every diet from supervised fasting, Atkins, working with a nutritionist, Weight Watchers and probably some that I have forgotten about. In the last 6 months or so, I have started to have real and very limiting pain in my back and hip which I am being treated for but I know that this is at least partly, if not all, caused by my weight.

I've researched banding and other bariatric procedures a number of times over the years and now am feeling resigned to get banded. I need to get back my active life where I can more easily travel and do things. I am not there now and I know that my weight is a big stumbling block to getting there.

I read the posts on here and see how excited everyone is to start this new adventure. I wish I felt more that way. I do sometimes, but other times, I feel a bit sad.. I have my consultation in a couple of weeks and I know that I will be able to have the procedure within a month or two at a top hospital with a very known and respected surgeon. I am fearful right now that my lack of "jumping up and down" about it is a bad sign and this is something that I don't want to fail at.

I am wondering if buried in all of the excitement about this, if there are those out there who have also felt sadness about being here (overweight, not the forum :-)...or fearing this is one more "program" that they might fail at.

I am generally a very "can do" kinda person and one of the few things in my life I have really failed at is my weight. Just looking to hear whether other people have had any of these feelings, too. Thank you.

[Tired of being Tired 0]

This is how I have been feeling! I feel like I am going to fail. My cousin had this surgery about 2 years ago. She is failing miserably at it. She has only lost the weight she did during the pre-op liquid diet. I know I am not her but she is the closest person I know that had this surgery. I am not nervous about the actual surgery just that I will fail afterwards. I don't share that with my family because they would just use that against me. Wish I knew people here that have been banded and successful!

[Jules1981 0]

Hi,

I have had many of the very same feelings. I am trying to not think of this as a pass fail kind of the situation. I am doing my best to look at it as if this is the one, this is the time that I will be successful. I have gone through the majority of my life feeling like I am not good enough and that was why I was not succeeding in weight loss, but this hope I have for the lap band has given my the permission I needed to be happy about the surgery more than fear it or worry that it wont be as successful as I want it to be. I think I am finally in the mindset that ANY loss will be a success and something to be proud of.

I hope everything works out great for you!

I am over 100 pounds overweight and my joints and bones are starting to notice it with hip and back pains. Like many on here, I have tried every diet from supervised fasting, Atkins, working with a nutritionist, Weight Watchers and probably some that I have forgotten about. In the last 6 months or so, I have started to have real and very limiting pain in my back and hip which I am being treated for but I know that this is at least partly, if not all, caused by my weight.

I've researched banding and other bariatric procedures a number of times over the years and now am feeling resigned to get banded. I need to get back my active life where I can more easily travel and do things. I am not there now and I know that my weight is a big stumbling block to getting there.

I read the posts on here and see how excited everyone is to start this new adventure. I wish I felt more that way. I do sometimes, but other times, I feel a bit sad.. I have my consultation in a couple of weeks and I know that I will be able to have the procedure within a month or two at a top hospital with a very known and respected surgeon. I am fearful right now that my lack of "jumping up and down" about it is a bad sign and this is something that I don't want to fail at.

I am wondering if buried in all of the excitement about this, if there are those out there who have also felt sadness about being here (overweight, not the forum :-)...or fearing this is one more "program" that they might fail at.

I am generally a very "can do" kinda person and one of the few things in my life I have really failed at is my weight. Just looking to hear whether other people have had any of these feelings, too. Thank you.