question--

lupelevenstein · February 23, 2004

i have not had the surgery.

i am scared to do it as i am

not "yet" morbidly obese, but

everytime i diet, i regain more...i am

not unhealthy yet ...but i look like

a different person than i was...

i am on the borderline of how much

overweight you need to be to get the

surgery at all...but i am in a pattern of

going up and up and i am so

depressed at how i look.

but i am totally afraid to give up

perfect health (no diabetes no heart problems...doc says i am healthy) for

potential illhealth due to the surgery...

i have been reading as many posts as i can and really think you guys have the

answers as you have been there.

GeezerSue · February 23, 2004

Lupe,

Mine may be the minority opinion. but here it goes. If we define the word "diet" by "eating healthier foods and making wiser food choices," then after ANY weight loss surgery, you still have to "diet." And exercise.

Now, without the band, I would not have been in touch with even that reality. In the intellectual part of my brain I knew it. But it wasn't something that lived in the part of my brain that makes me...you know...brush my teeth on a regular basis.

There may be a part of you that is (secretly) saying, "Well, if I just gain a little more, I can have one of those surgeries and THEN it will be easier to lose weight." And it will. For a while. But no matter the surgery, you still have to make changes. Major changes.

If you can make those changes without surgery, it would be a good thing. If not, there are many of us who understand your situation.

Sue

lupelevenstein · February 23, 2004

sue

thanks for your thoughts.

i do eat healthy and exercise now...but

i would have to reduce the amount i eat

a great deal...my desire to do this seems

constantly overshadowed by my bodies

will to keep the weight up there.

i refocus on the Portion Control when

i feel awful about myself and then when

i get busy or what not...back to regular

amounts...which is not more than what

my friends eat...but just not for my

darn body.

so this band seems like a solution to

this but still a big huge step.

Chris S. - L.I. · February 23, 2004

Lupe,

What other methods of losing weight have you tried? I think most of us....well, let me speak for myself, have tried just about everything. When I went for my consultation and the doctor went through a list of weight loss mehods, there were only 2 of them that I did not try, NutriSystems and Optifast. I'm actually one of the lucky ones who were on Phen/Fen amd didn't get hurt. People like me are the ones who have this surgery. If you are planning to self pay, I guess you don't have to prove that you tried just about everything. But if you are planning on doing it through insurance your BMI must be a certain number to qualify and you have to prove you've tried to diet in the past usually through a doctor.