Newbie here, stil not sure

DallasK · December 23, 2008

:smile: Hi i just signed up today and think that this forum has a wealth of information.. i thank you for that,! I have attended my meeting and now in the process of going to see all the doctors and such.. I am still not 100% sure if this is for me..

1. Afraid of what to expect.

2. HATE HATE HATE to vomit

3. Never was a cook or planned meals

4,. Does it really work?

So i am single and kind of eat what i want and when i want. Since i work shift work. So any and all help will be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Mickey:tongue2:

Big08 · December 23, 2008

I went through many of the same things you are discussing, I am due to be banded on the 22nd of January. I don't have any co-morbidity's, my BMI is just under 40 and I am self-pay. I believe it requires that you have a very frank conversation with yourself. I went through all the same things, am I really working out enough, did I make the right commitment to eating right, etc? Eventually, I had to ask myself if it was more than probable that I would be overweight and still making the same promises to myself ten years from now. I decided to act now instead of later when the circumstances could potentially be worse, i.e. one or more co-morbidity's. It's a tough decision, but the stories on this forum helped me make that decision, I'm certain you will gain as much from it as I have.

MissBS · December 23, 2008

Hi Mickey. Welcome to LBT. This is a great place for you to be. You can read lots of posts, ask questions, and meet nice people. But the final decision is yours. Making the decision to have the band was an easy one for me. I was not healthy, not happy, and had tried and failed at every diet that there is. You need to think it through and be ready to make the changes in your lifestyle that it takes to be successful. Looking at your questions/concerns.... and only my opinion of course... 1. I kinda knew what to expect by the time I had my surgery (thanks to my research and LBT). I had many of my questions answered and my concerns addressed here. 2. I too HATE to vomit. I have not vomited since I had my surgery. 3. I am not a gourmet cook by any means and I don't think you have to be to lose weight with the band. It does take some planning and some experimentation with food, but once you get it down, it is not difficult. 4. From reading the posts here, and the research that I have done, I would say, in most cases, the band works if you work with the band. It doesn't work for everyone - some people do have complications and some people are not willing to make the lifestyle changes it takes to make it work. It sure is working for me. I have lost 52 pounds - 16 on my pre-op diet and 36 since my surgery on September 19, 2008. I feel so much happier and healthier. I have a lot more energy and am wearing clothes that I have not worn in a long time. I hope to be off of my blood pressure medication very soon. I love my band!!

Good luck to you. I hope you find the answers that you need to help you make the right decision. If I can do anything for you, let me know. Happy Holidays!!! Becky

FrogStar24 · January 6, 2009

It's different for everyone. I had a lot of time to think from the time of my first appt (early august) til my surgery was scheduled (11/24/08). I changed my mind a few times. I thought maybe this was too extreme, but I knew in my heart that I kept promising myself to do something about my weight and hadn't before. Every year I'd think "If I'd started my diet a year ago, I'd be smaller already." Doesn't matter when, New Year, Memorial Day, whenever.

In terms of how the surgery is, I had a friend who had the surgery, but it didn't really help with what to expect. For me, the surgery itself was almost enough to do me in. I was immobile, needed help getting up, down, in and out of bed, going to the bathroom. But a few days later, when I got out of bed myself, I'll tell ya... that was probably the hardest part. It had seemed impossible just days before. I think it's true that it's just plain different for everyone.

I heard from a bunch of people how they were all up and about and ready to go back to work in days. It took me two weeks to get back to work. I just couldn't stay awake for a full day, and certainly couldn't sit for long periods of time... Wearing a bra was extremely uncomfortable, though I wore one, and also I wore sweats/pajamas for my first two weeks back at work. I also had to get up and walk around constantly during the day.

I guess if you think this is the right choice for you, you should just go for it, but it really is a change in your whole life. My decision was should I try by myself again or should I have the surgery. Do I want to put it off or do it now. There's no real sugar coating. It's like they say - it's a tool to help you, not the solution itself. However, as I saw someone posted, even when you're having a plateau and have only lost 10lbs in 6 months... that's still 10lbs that are gone.

For cooking, I hated having to cook after a long day at work because I want to eat when I want to eat. Now I'm getting used to a 15 minute prep time, then another hour or so to eat. I also think it's better to prepare my own food, because it's harder for me to stop if it's something I love from a restaurant. I just make up recipes. Mostly my meals consist of stir fry - either chicken or fish, and some veggie like broccoli and onion. I just throw it into a pot with a little olive oil and a little Water, and wait for it all to cook. I add lemon or lime juice and it seems to work!

hope any of that rambling was helpful. Good luck!