HELP!!! Someone please reassure me!!!

[TopTier 0]

Ibelieve, THIS POSTER IS NOT 50 POUNDS OVERWEIGHT!

At BEST she is 30+.

I am 5'1" and "petite" == quite frankly, this is a shame and this poster needs to deal with PROPER weight loss options before she goes the surgery route, simply because being a diet and incorporating exercise isn't going to be FAST enough.

[shepherds64 0]

i can honstly tell you that it is worth it. it is hard but it is defenitly worth it. i had the banding done on thursday and already i have lost 3 pounds i know it doesnt sound like much but to me it is. i have been struggling my whole life with my weight. in weighing 238 pounds i am now down to 235 and i hope to loose more. my goal is to get down to a size 12 or 10 so i can finally be wearing the stuff a teenager should be wearing. i start kaplan instatute in july and i hope to loose at least 50 pounds before then so i can fit into all the scrubs i want to and still look cute and not be made fun of for wearing clothes that are out of style or even just made fun of. so i am telling you it is really hard but it is really worth it and you have to follow the diet event the stuff is really nasty suck it up and just eat or drink whtatever it is.

[Bobbie155 0]

Wow this is the first time I can say that I am happy with an insurance company's decision. Do you think 50lbs is worth going to mexico putting yourself in debt and maybe having complications that cause even bigger problems than you have being 50lbs overweight? Even though death is unlikely it could happen on the operating room table. Give this great thought before you leave for Mexico. Good Luck

[TopTier 0]

Wow this is the first time I can say that I am happy with an insurance company's decision. Do you think 50lbs is worth going to Mexico putting yourself in debt and maybe having complications that cause even bigger problems than you have being 50lbs overweight? Even though death is unlikely it could happen on the operating room table. Give this great thought before you leave for Mexico. Good Luck

Except that she's not "50 pounds" overweight. More like in the 30-pound range.

Which makes this even more sad. Believe it or not, I really am concerned -- I don't think this is going to be the "Magic Bullet" she thinks it is.

[OnTheWay to Thin 0]

It does not sound like this poster is not 50-55 lbs overweight. I am all for weight control and would have loved to stop my weight before I was 50lbs overweight, but I cant ever remember being just 50lbs overweight. There is a bigger issue here and this poster sounds like she is looking for a quick fix, this surgery is NOt a quick fix or easy way to reduce weight, it takes work, each and every day and I would hate to see someone go through surgery and fail because they did not understand that it is not a quick fix AND it requires 100% dedication to this for the long term.

Edited June 23, 2009 by OnTheWay to Thin

[suzetteherrera 0]

Personally, I do think losing 50 pounds is worth going to Mexico and doing whatever it takes. My BMI was under 35, but I have lost and regained weight at least 6 times. I know I can lose the weight, but I have never been able to keep it off. And it's not like I go "off my diet" and regain it. I've made numerous efforts to continue a "maintenance diet" though Weight Watchers, but I've never been able to keep it off long term.

As my Dr. told me (I had it done in Dallas), yo-yo dieting is not good for anyone. I hope the band will help me lose the weight and keep it off long term. The surgery group I chose does lap bands for people with a BMI of 27 or higher.

[Iris_L 0]

To the original poster...

No I do not think you have a head problem...and thank you for entrusting others to share their opinion...even if it may not be what you would like to hear!

Imo I think you should revisit some options...is the surgery something you really believe you can handle...sure we all think so but part of the psychological process will help you through determining this...

Also... is your weight issue depressing you?Not because you want to look good for your husband...but how do you VIEW YOU?

Whether its 30 or 50 pounds you are feeling kinda crashed behind it and you need answers...whether w.watchers, nutrisystem...atkins, etc. this is your life so choose life and choose it wisely.

I do not agree with you gaining an extra 70 pounds to meet the 100 pound overweight criteria. Locate an honest wlsurgeon and discuss your concerns..maybe you can make an alternative decision but a head problem you do not have you are only human battling obesity of some sort...remember readers there are many forms of obesity...if you are overweight you fit that category...and the contributors to obesity are:

culture

genetics

emotional/psychological

medical

gender.... and so on.

Good luck!

[andyisbanned 1]

Agnes:

Congrats on making this decision for yourself.

I can say this has been the best thing I have done for myself. I do not regret it.

Just realize, this is a tool that you must work with. It is a lifestyle not a deit.

It is normal to get scared and to worry about this working or not.

Just be prepared that you may have times of little or no weight lost as we all hit a pleateau. In fact, I just started moving down again after about a 6 month pleateau.

The key is working with your doctors and getting fills (adjustments) every 6-8 weeks til you get restriction. It takes 3-4 fills for most people to get restriction. So be prepare for this to happen.

Start now practicing Portion Control and not drinking with meals. You cannot drink anything with you meals. No drinking anything 30 -60 minutes prior to a meal. No drinking anything 30-60 minutes after a meal. liquids wash the food thur the band.

Also remember to Celebrate NSV (non scale victories) such as dropping a clothes size. I had many of these nsv during my plateau. It helped keep me motivated.

Remember to drink or sip you liquids slowly. I drink mainly Water or diet green tea. It is best to find some zero calorie drinks and save you calories for you food. Tho' I have my cup of coffee each morning.

You will need to trial and error to see what you can and cannot eat. I have a list of no-no foods my doctor gave me, which I have avoided. Some of the foods on my list, others can eat without a problem. Just like we all are different people, we all react differently to the band. Our bodies tolerate different foods. So don't be surprised you cannot eat the same things as others do.

I think you have done a good job educating your self about the band and I believe it is key to being successful. The chatroom here is a great source for support. There are groups on here and yahoo that may help you too. The forum provides good data as well.

Just know this is your journey and it will be as unique and special as you are. Listen to your doctor and follow his guidelines & instructions. Find you a fill doctor here in the states and make sure to work with them to get your fills in a timely matter.

Good luck and much success on your journey. July will be here before you know it. You can and will make it. Positive thinking, a great atitude, and working with your band equals great success.

I hoipe this post helps you!

[MistyD65 1]

I'll just address the questions and issues you raised, rather than debating the wisdom of having surgery at your weight/BMI...

Some say they are so many weeks, even months post op and havent seen much success...that's tad scary to me!

Yes, it's very true that it can take several months before some really see the weight loss kick in. Others see a big loss right at the beginning due to the post-op diet, then things slow down drastically. But none of us realistically expect to lose more than 1-2 pounds a week once things settle down.

... PLEASE SOMEONE REASSURE ME THAT THIS IS GONNA WORK!! I know that you HAVE to follow the diet, and i am assuming that the people complaining are the ones eating icecream all day long and wondering why the scale isnt budging! LOL

It certainly can and does work for many people. But there are also those for whom it does not work. Some find their bodies react poorly to having the band, and they develop or aggravate GERD or esophageal spasms. Others just can't or won't make the necessary changes to their eating habits. The band does nothing to your brain, and it's a mighty struggle to overcome those mental things that make us overeat. So yes, some of the ones complaining about the band not working are the ones eating ice cream or other slider foods. However, there are others who the band, for some physical reason, just does not work for them

I have approx 50-55 pounds to lose? realistically, does anyone know fast or slow this process is? I mean, it HAS to be faster the dieting alone, right?

It's not necessarily going to be faster than dieting alone. If you are considering the band for speed of losing, please reconsider. From what I've seen, the less you have to lose, the slower it's going to be. Also based on what I've seen, the band works best for those people who have been able to diet successfully in the past, but have not been able to keep the weight off. I didn't say that it works for ONLY those people, just that it seems to work best (from my own observation.)

and these refills.... why do i see people getting filled so often? Is it the more weight you drop, the more you have to fill?

First of all, they aren't "refills" - just "fills" (unless you had some fill removed then put back in.) It is these fills that adjust how tight the band is around your stomach, which in turn causes the restriction that makes you feel full on less food and keeps you feeling full longer. There are many factors that determine how much fill it takes to feel restriction and it's impossible to predict from one person to the next. My doctor is conservative with fills, and would rather do a little each time to avoid the problems that come with being too tight. Many people experience some swelling at the stoma after a fill, so it can take days or even weeks before you truly know the effects. And it's true that as you lose weight you may need more fill, even if you were at that sweet spot of good restriction. That's because some of us have a large amount of fat on the outside of our stomach that goes away as we lose, so it is no longer between the band and the stomach. The stomach didn't get smaller, it just lost the extra padding around it.

Hope that gives you more to think about, and maybe answered some of your questions.

[Agnes 0]

Ibelieve, THIS POSTER IS NOT 50 POUNDS OVERWEIGHT!

At BEST she is 30+.

I am 5'1" and "petite" == quite frankly, this is a shame and this poster needs to deal with PROPER weight loss options before she goes the surgery route, simply because being a diet and incorporating exercise isn't going to be FAST enough.

*

I respect that everyone (including yourself) have an opinion...

however i AM 51 pounds over weight and almost a 32 BMI. which is obese. With my height and weight, my goal weight has always bee 115 pounds. Believe me, I would love to onlyy be 30 pounds overweight. I came on here for support, not for someone to tell me that I need my head checked. i have struggled with weight my entire life. At one point I weight almost 200 pounds, and yes lost weight myself. However after regaining 30lbs or so pounds, (i was never at my goal) I have not been able to lose any weight. I have been on Weight Watchers with success & knew I could do it myself. However, after being on medication for the past 2 years, it has made it an extreme struggle. I have gone back to WW, read the Clean Eating book and ate clean, busted my butt in the gym, gone to my PCP (who used to be a dietician) and broke down in her office b/c know matter how hard I tried, my weight would not budge! Ib fact it consistently krept up..even to the point where I had a thyroid test done to make sure that wasnt the cause.

So until you know me, please don't assume that I am doing this as a quick fix bc I have not tried diet and excercise... I HAVE. I do not expect this loss to be rapid. I would love a 1-2 pound a week loss! I feel for those of you who are 100+ lbs overweight and also commend you on making the right step... however I doubt any of you would appreciate someone teling you that you are too lazy to diet and excercise and that must be why youare getting the surgery. All the emotional times...self esteem issues etc..that come with being overweight I feel. A person does not have to be morbidly obese to feel like they have no other option.

I thank those of you who are supportive a great deal! and I respect those that disagree, however unless you know me, what I HAVE tried for 2 years straight with no success and the MUCH research I have done to see if this is right for me...then DONT JUDGE.

I have spoken to my doctors, other surgeons and my family..who are all supportive in my decision to lose 50lbs..not 30 that I need to lose.

Good luck to all of you and I hope to be back for support after July 8th.

Agnes

Edited June 21, 2009 by Agnes

[Agnes 0]

Personally, I do think losing 50 pounds is worth going to Mexico and doing whatever it takes. My BMI was under 35, but I have lost and regained weight at least 6 times. I know I can lose the weight, but I have never been able to keep it off. And it's not like I go "off my diet" and regain it. I've made numerous efforts to continue a "maintenance diet" though Weight Watchers, but I've never been able to keep it off long term.

As my Dr. told me (I had it done in Dallas), yo-yo dieting is not good for anyone. I hope the band will help me lose the weight and keep it off long term. The surgery group I chose does lap bands for people with a BMI of 27 or higher.

THANK YOU!!! we are not ALL in the same boat and do not know each others struggles, but it sounds that some of us do!! Thank you and GOOD LUCK!!!!

xoxo

Agnes

[Iris_L 0]

THANK YOU!!! we are not ALL in the same boat and do not know each others struggles, but it sounds that some of us do!! Thank you and GOOD LUCK!!!!

xoxo

Agnes

Good for you Agnes!!!The best of luck with the surgery and recovery!! Keep us posted. I will be thinking of you on the 8th!

[Agnes 0]

Agnes:

Congrats on making this decision for yourself.

I can say this has been the best thing I have done for myself. I do not regret it.

Just realize, this is a tool that you must work with. It is a lifestyle not a deit.

It is normal to get scared and to worry about this working or not.

Just be prepared that you may have times of little or no weight lost as we all hit a pleateau. In fact, I just started moving down again after about a 6 month pleateau.

The key is working with your doctors and getting fills (adjustments) every 6-8 weeks til you get restriction. It takes 3-4 fills for most people to get restriction. So be prepare for this to happen.

Start now practicing Portion Control and not drinking with meals. You cannot drink anything with you meals. No drinking anything 30 -60 minutes prior to a meal. No drinking anything 30-60 minutes after a meal. Liquids wash the food thur the band.

Also remember to Celebrate NSV (non scale victories) such as dropping a clothes size. I had many of these nsv during my plateau. It helped keep me motivated.

Remember to drink or sip you liquids slowly. I drink mainly Water or diet green tea. It is best to find some zero calorie drinks and save you calories for you food. Tho' I have my cup of coffee each morning.

You will need to trial and error to see what you can and cannot eat. I have a list of no-no foods my doctor gave me, which I have avoided. Some of the foods on my list, others can eat without a problem. Just like we all are different people, we all react differently to the band. Our bodies tolerate different foods. So don't be surprised you cannot eat the same things as others do.

I think you have done a good job educating your self about the band and I believe it is key to being successful. The chatroom here is a great source for support. There are groups on here and yahoo that may help you too. The forum provides good data as well.

Just know this is your journey and it will be as unique and special as you are. Listen to your doctor and follow his guidelines & instructions. Find you a fill doctor here in the states and make sure to work with them to get your fills in a timely matter.

Good luck and much success on your journey. July will be here before you know it. You can and will make it. Positive thinking, a great atitude, and working with your band equals great success.

I hoipe this post helps you!

*

Thank you!!! Portion control is something I learned throught WW and have been utilizing for years, I guess that is why that past few years have been a major struggle bc the case was only moving UP!

Please keep in touch! I def plan on been on here alot for support, guidance and information...

Thanks again!!!!!

Agnes

[jms462001 9]

i can honstly tell you that it is worth it. it is hard but it is defenitly worth it. i had the banding done on thursday and already i have lost 3 pounds i know it doesnt sound like much but to me it is. i have been struggling my whole life with my weight. in weighing 238 pounds i am now down to 235 and i hope to loose more. my goal is to get down to a size 12 or 10 so i can finally be wearing the stuff a teenager should be wearing. i start kaplan instatute in july and i hope to loose at least 50 pounds before then so i can fit into all the scrubs i want to and still look cute and not be made fun of for wearing clothes that are out of style or even just made fun of. so i am telling you it is really hard but it is really worth it and you have to follow the diet event the stuff is really nasty suck it up and just eat or drink whtatever it is.

Congratulations on your decision to lose weight permanently and for doing it at a young age! How I wish I had been able to do that!! Don't be in a big rush to lose it all overnight. Even the band is not magic! Set realistic short term goals for your loss and keep focused on your day to day eating and exercise plan. Within 6 short months, you are going to be constantly trying on clothes, amazed at how great everything looks on you!!!!! Don't buy much the first few months. Your sizes change so quickly you just waste money!! Believe me, I know from personal experience!!! Best wishes!!

[Agnes 0]

I'll just address the questions and issues you raised, rather than debating the wisdom of having surgery at your weight/BMI...

Hope that gives you more to think about, and maybe answered some of your questions.

*

IT DID!!!

Thank you SO much for your knowledgy and support!

and No, I am not using this as a speedly weight loss. Gradual weight loss is def better! I would be totally happy with 1-2 pounds a week!!! I guess it sounded that way in my original post bc IF I ever did lose, it was .2 or .4 at best!! it took me over 2 years to lost 40lbs..

and i do understand that there will be a plateau, esp since I lift weights with my workout.

Thanks Again!