have 100 lbs to lose..is it possible with lb??

[DivaStyleCoach 89]

Hey PSJ71,

My support group experience wasn't the best, but it is a required part of my pre-surgery activities, so... :cool2:

The group I attended was made of of all bypass patients - everyone introduced themselves at the beginning, and there were NO banded patients - though the medical group does do bands.

The concerns expressed, experiences, etc were all about gastric bypass, since that's who was at the meeting. I did hear a few negative comments about banding - mostly from people who had lost quite a bit of weight and said that they 'couldn't wait forever for it to work'. Having been on this site quite a bit, I translated in my head and knew that meant that they didn't think they could do the work required to make the band work for them. :embaressed_smile:

*** personal opinion alert ***

I did not personally like the look of the folks I saw - most were very soft, having lost a lot of weight very quickly. It's not the look I want, and I would prefer to lose the weight slower and incorporate a butt-ton of exercise so I don't need further surgery. I want to be slimmer, yes, for my health's sake, but would prefer the look of an athlete - muscular, powerful, strong - over slender and soft.

*** end opinion alert ***

I am also subject to keloids - raised, puffy scars that I feel are very unattractive - so minimizing surgery is another of my goals. I know of people who have had bypass surgery that are doing very well - my best girlfriend and her hubby are two of them - and because they both incorporated exercise into their routines, they look pretty good, but there's still the prospect of further surgery for them because of the speed at which they lost the weight.

I'd rather go slower...but that's just me. I'm looking forward to being banded. I don't think I eat very badly, just way too much *quantity* and I KNOW the band will help me with that.

[MissMom24 2]

It is very do-able. I was banded 12/12 and am down 77 pounds...I am hoping to hit 100 by my bandiversary!

[judiboo 0]

thank you all for your responses :embaressed_smile: judi:redface:

[schwabie 0]

Hey there Sometimes it doesn't matter if you lose it slowly. It's taken 18 months for me to lose 95lbs and I need surgery on my arms and my stomach. When you hit a certian age skin doesn't go back to where it came from. but I would rather have that then be unhealthy again. You need to find a lap-band support group I am suprise that your clinic doesn't have one just for lap-band mine does in WI. Ask your doctor.

[hopeful93 0]

HI ALL! WELL I HATE TO BE A DEBBIE DOWNER BUT UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE NOT SEEN THE WEIGHT LOSS. I HAVE BEEN BANDED ON 9-13-07 AND TO DATE I HAVE ONLY LOST 18 LBS (7 LBS 5 DAYS POST-OP). I FOLLOW ALL THE LAP-BAND RULES ,STARTED WALKING 3 MILES PER DAY AT WORK STILL NOTHING. I HAVE HAD 11 FILLS IN 11 MONTHS WITH LITTLE OR NO RESTRICTION. I HAVE KEPT A food JOURNAL,MET WITH THE NUTRITIONIST AND SHE SAID THE QUALITY OF FOOD WAS FINE BUT THE AMOUNT WAS TOO MUCH. I GUESS THE NEVER REALLY FEELING RESTRICTED COMES INTO PLAY. I HAVE A 4CC BAND AND JUST RECENTLY WAS FILLED TO 4CC AND ONLY THEN DID I FEEL RESTRICTION BUT ONLY FOR A FEW WEEKS THEN IT WOULD EEASE UP. I ALSO HAD AN UGI,(I AM AN X-RAY TECH SO I WOULD TAKE PICTURES OF MYSELF OFTEN WITH AND W/O BARUIM) WHICH SHOWED THAT THE BAND WAS IN PLACE. EVEN THE RADIOLOGIST I WORK WITH SAID THAT THERE SHOULD BE ALOT MORE RERSTRICTION. ANYWAY AFTER ALL THAT ON 8-28-08 I HAD PORT REPLACEMENT SURGERY BECAUSE APPARENTLY I HAD A SLOOOOOOOOOOOW LEAK. SO MY BAND IS COMPLETELY EMPTY FOR 5 WEEKS. THEN A FILL AGAIN. HOPEFULLY REPLACING THE PORT I WILL FINALLY START LOSING SOME WEIGHT. EVEN THOUGH I FEEL THAT I JUST WASTED A FULL YEAR. I CONGRATULATE ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST WEIGHT WAY TO GO!!HOPEFULLY I'LL BE THERE SOMETIME. IN CLOSING I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THIS WHOLE BAND THING MAY NOT BE A QUICK FIX. IT MAY TAKE AWHILE TO FINALLY GET TO YOUR SWEET SPOT IF SO HANG IN THERE I STILL HAVE HOPE !

[PSJ71 0]

Well, I can definitely see how that would be a bad experience. With this doctor I have they have two separate support groups, which I think there should be for whichever surgery you choose to do. Thank goodness, I would hate to have to be the only bandster in a support group. Thank you for sharing that.