Need Adivce

DOCOP · December 20, 2007

I need some advice. Dr. watkins, or anyone who was struggling with the decision. I keep thinking that i can lose weight on my own. My diet sucks, and I have little time to exercise. Am i crazy for thinking about the surgery? Should I try the eating style change and try to exercise to lose the weight? I know if i have the surgery i will have to exercise so i dont mind starting that. I have no control of my diet or Portion Control. Whats wrong with me that I cant stop eating and make a change. Crap others have done and made it without surgery. Im just really tired of being fat. please help. :help:

juliegeraci · December 20, 2007

I need some advice. Dr. watkins, or anyone who was struggling with the decision. I keep thinking that i can lose weight on my own. My diet sucks, and I have little time to exercise. Am i crazy for thinking about the surgery? Should I try the eating style change and try to exercise to lose the weight? I know if i have the surgery i will have to exercise so i dont mind starting that. I have no control of my diet or Portion Control. Whats wrong with me that I cant stop eating and make a change. Crap others have done and made it without surgery. Im just really tired of being fat. please help. :help:

I use to eat in larger quantities. I would have a 12" subway for example. Now I order a childs size which is probably 3-4". It takes me an hour to eat it all. I eat 1/4-1/2 cup of food at a time. Some bandsters can lose 1-2 lbs a week eating 1 cup of food at a time. You may or may not be one of those people. The band really helps me with my hunger and portion control. I do not exercise and that is why I ony lost 65 lbs in 1 1/2 years. I had lost 40 before surgery so I'm down 100 lbs now. I have 30 more to go. The exercise now starts to be key for me. You will find that you will lose even if you don't exercise in the beginning. Bandsters eat 800-1k calories a day. Some people eat 1200 calories and still lose. I love being banded. It really has improved my life. I no longer binge or feel the urge to eat large portions of food. Good luck with your decision.

DOCOP · December 20, 2007

Thanks Julie, I Really Want To Do This But Am Going To Have Some Resistance From My Wife And Friends. I Dont Wont To Hear " I Told You So". Just Sick Of Being Fat.

juliegeraci · December 20, 2007

Try and take your wife to an informational session with the surgeon. Those are really helpful.

WASaBubbleButt · December 20, 2007

You know what is really weird about us? Our population?

If I hand you a photo of YOU thin and a photo of a piece of fried chicken, which do you want more? Honestly, which would you want more, you thin and healthy or that piece of chicken? You want healthy, right? You want thin, no doubts. Yet if you are like the rest of us even though you WANT thin and healthy, you'll reach for the chicken anyway.

It's an obsession, a compulsion and quite frankly, banding doesn't stop the obsession or compulsion but what it does do is make it so you now have control over the obsession vs. it having control over you.

If you can diet and exercise, go for it. Most MO people are unable to make that one work. Studies show that of MO people, 3-5% can take all the weight off and keep it off. If you believe you are in the 3-5% range, then go for it. If you are in the 95-97 % range, get the band and move on with your life.

Exercise... you don't have time? Bull. You have time but you haven't MADE the time. If you have 10 minutes to post on LBT, you have 10 minutes to run a mile. We say we don't have time but we all know that is a darn load. We need to MAKE the time.

Exercise is a part of the lifestyle change. I know Julie is happy with her rate of weight loss but for me that would have been too slow. I didn't get a band to take years to do what could take me months. Each person is different. I wanted to move on with my life and close the fat chapter. But, that's me. But to claim you have no time for exercise, it isn't true and I don't believe you.

We have reasons for being fat, we have biological and psychological reasons for overeating. But a lack of exercise? That's lazy behavior, pure and simple.

If you can't run, then power walk. If you can't power walk then walk. If you can't walk then do chair or pool exercises.

If you could have done the diet and exercise routine, wouldn't you have done it by now? I think there is a pre-banding stage we all go through which is where you are right now. Why don't I just stop filling my pie hole???? Well, why don't we? Maybe we can't. And you have to be one of us to understand that concept. If we could have done it we WOULD have done it. But if you really think you can do it without help, then do it. But I think you and I both know you'll be back here in a year asking yourself why you can't just do it.

I don't know why we can't do it, I have just come to accept that for whatever reason, we can't. So we get a band and move on with our lives.

socaldixiegal · December 21, 2007

The hardest thing for me was admitting that I needed the help of the lap-band. I have always been against WLS. One of those that thought it was an easy way out. Yeah right!

It still takes discipline, but it's a tool to help control your eating. And, it's there forever. It's not a "diet" that tends to have a start and an end. What I needed was something that would stay with me. I can't have the option of taking a day off. Or a meal off.

You will however have to change your diet. With any WLS if you're only eating small amounts of food you're truly eating to live - not living to eat. Has to be good food or you'll feel icky and possibly get sick.

Ultimately, for me I had to decide if I wanted to be thin & healthy enough to truly make a permanent change - with all the ups and downs.

Totallytater · December 21, 2007

I lost 50 pounds before my surgery by reducing carbs and going to Curves. But I plateaued months ago and couldn't lose anymore. I knew if I didn't make some other change I would start gaining the weight back and I was still so far from my goal as it was. So I decided to go for the Lap-Band. I think it will be the tool I need to help me along my way. I can handle the dieting, because I have done it since Jan 1, 2007, but I just needed something more. You may want to consider Curves to help you with the exercise portion. From the time you walk in the door till the time you walk out, it takes 35 minutes including stretching. You only have to go 3 times per week but you can go more. It worked really well for me and it is lightning fast.

DOCOP · December 22, 2007

Thanks To All, Yeah I Could Go Exercise Some And Prob Get Some Weight Off But Im Almost To The Point Of Saying To ^%(* With It All. I Dont Really See Any Hope To Losing Weight Or Changing Who I Am. I Suck As A Father And Husband. I Hate Myself And Everything About Me. Im In A Rut And Cant Get Out. My Ins Will Not Pay So I Will Have To Self Pay; I Can Work My ### Off And Pay For It Just Like I Do For Everything Else. I Have A Great Job But Work 12 Hrs A Day. I Know This Sounds Like A Pitty Party And Prob Is. I Know I Wont Live 10 More Years Like Im Going But Like I Said Im Almost To The Point Of Not Caring. Just Having A Bad Day. Hope Yall Have A Merry Christmas.

Totallytater · December 22, 2007

You need to turn things around for you. When you are feeling better about yourself, everything else will be better. Do it for yourself and your wife and kids. Don't let work kill you. 9 or 9-1/2 hours a day is enough and spend that extra time on yourself. My self pay was just under $10,000 with only one trip to Colorado. Good luck to you.

shortgal · December 22, 2007

I need some advice. Dr. watkins, or anyone who was struggling with the decision. I keep thinking that i can lose weight on my own. My diet sucks, and I have little time to exercise. Am i crazy for thinking about the surgery? Should I try the eating style change and try to exercise to lose the weight? I know if i have the surgery i will have to exercise so i dont mind starting that. I have no control of my diet or Portion Control. Whats wrong with me that I cant stop eating and make a change. Crap others have done and made it without surgery. Im just really tired of being fat. please help. :help:

I'm curious what methods you've tried before to lose weight. I mean really tried. You didn;t mention any. If you haven't, then I would suggest you get yourself to weight watchers or Overeaters anonymous or some support type group. They will give you the tools for you to understand about portions, better choices etc.

I'm NOT saying don't consider WLS, but while women are expert dieters, men are not always as informed about food choices, portions etc. And men typically lose weight much faster than women.

Cut out as many of the carbs, (breads, potatoes, rice, Pasta and sweets and beer) and concentrate on meat and veggies. Even if you lose slowly, you'll feel better and have more energy and then you'll be in a better position to make a WLS decision.

Good Luck. You'll get lots of support here if WLS is your choice.

DOCOP · January 3, 2008

Good Response. I Have Done Adkins, Diet pills, Basic Starvation. Ect. I Have Lost Weight In The Past And Have Gained It All Back And Alot More. Like I Said In Another Post I Just Dont Want To Hear All The I Told Ya So's From Friends And Family If I Fail.