New member researching if the surgery is right for me

[yentacafe 0]

Hello

I will preface by saying I am 5 9 and weight a little over 300lbs. I go to the gym about 4 times a week to do a lot of cardio and some muscle toning. I am no longer able to jog for more than 3-4 minutes. Office chairs, movies, bus, and plane seats are very tight. I ask for an extender on planes. My BMI is probably over 40.

5 years ago I went from 250 down to 186 using the LA Weigthloss diet plan. I kept the weight off for 2 years but as I gradually migrated away from the plan, along with stress I gained weight. First I went to 220 than 240, 260, and have been over 280 for almost 3 years. I am an emotional overeater. When I stick to a diet, I lose weight. My problem is binging. I like food (pizza, cheeseburgers, Pasta, and my big weakness is snacking).

I thought about the gastric bypass surgery but my doctor is opposed to surgey knowing my weight problems are in my head. I see some people go to Mexico for surgery which I will not do since I would want to see one of the best doctors in the US. Just today I read an article that Charlie Weis (Notre Dame football coach) had surgey a couple of years ago. He had complications but did lose some weight. He is by no means thin. He was 350 and may be 275 now. If dropping from 300 to 230 is the expected result then the surgey is a waste to me and I should be strictly dieting instead. If I can drop under 180, then the surgey may be a solution.

For those who have had surgery, do you really have to not eat certain foods the rest of your life? There are times at events when the food available is not on your specific diet, how do you cope?

Please give me your thoughts.

Anyone on this board from NJ that would like to tell me about their experiences and let me know which doctor they used?

[Alexandra 55]

Greetings!

I won't kid you, living with the band is difficult at times. But for those of us who have come to the conclusion that in a fight against food, food wins every time, it's a life-saving tool in our arsenal. It sounds like you're a champion dieter but you've seen how hard it is to keep the weight OFF once it's gone. That's really the holy grail of any diet, IMO.

For me, now that I'm over the learning curve and into the live-with-it-forever phase, it's still hard sometimes. Once in a while I'll actually have a dream about wolfing down a huge cheeseburger, but when I wake up I realized that I've been delivered from the evil such behavior used to bring upon me. It's possible to eat too much of the wrong things, but as a banded person those occasions are much rarer than they used to be. I'm DONE with a meal a lot faster, and fewer calories in means less weight on.

Are you ready to give up that binging behavior? It's not easy, and you really have to be sure that the alternative is what you want more than the food. Being lighter--even if you just get down to 230--will give you a new lease on life and this time, with the band, YOU WILL STAY THERE.

There are no foods that I consciously avoid completely, but the huge-bite-gulp-swallow behavior is indeed gone forever. Do I miss it? Sometimes. But I don't miss being 340 lbs and I don't miss hating myself every time I eat something I "shouldn't." If you think you can lose it and keep it off with dieting, then surgery is not for you. If you're past that point and know you need help in this fight, then maybe you are a candidate.

I'm in NJ and you'll see my doc in my signature. Feel free to ask away!

[yentacafe 0]

thanks for your response. I see this forum is about the lapband. Is their a similar forum for gastric bypass surgery?

[Dreamin2BeThin 0]

You can find info on all surgical weight loss options @

www.obesityhelp.com

[tonya66 13]

By the way, your BMI is 44.3, you would qualify for the band or Gastric Bypass, providing you pass the pre-surgery test.

My friend who weighed 300 lbs, 5'11" had the gastric bypass, she is down to 170lbs and holding, she loves her weight. She also struggles with the head hunger, binging etc. Surgery doesn't fix this, no matter what type of surgery you have.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best!