Nervous

[Lemonice 0]

Well i thought id start a brief story on my process. im 17 6"0 large framed and i way 270 Lbs. To be honest ive always had a frame large enough where i don't look weird wearing clothes or anything but my mom got the lap band done and she told me today she would allow me to do it, and that the hospitals here in canada do it now and she thinks if im really serious about this i can talk to my doctor and get it done while im 17 or if i have to wait a year till im 18. Ive never even thought of doing something so drastic at my age but im getting despite, being fat and going through high school is tough and if i didn't play football for 6 years growing up i don't think i would have been even able to live with myself. i grew up with a single dad who was always working and i always had the house to myself, i bought the food i wanted and ate it like i pleased and my dad would bring home terrible fast food all the time, and as a kid what am i supposed to turn down a big mac and fries while we watch a movie together. im ashamed of myself for how i could be so weak. I now want to fight this thing, even if it means that i have to go under the knife, even if my body rejects or is disturbed by this operation. Im nervous and scared. one way or another im gonna get this done, i have to so i can live my life in peace without having to try and pretend im someone im not. Hopefully with this post i can begin my life with a fresh slate. So cheers to everyone who has changed. My question is, is this the path i should go down? PS: spelled nervous wrong by accident sorry!

Edited August 20, 2009 by Lemonice

[bearbandit 0]

Being 17 years old makes your decision even harder. Just to let you know things can change without surgery. From my personal experience I was heavy my whole life. At the age of 24 my weight was out of control (375lbs!) and I decided to change my life or die. So I did. I changed my eating habits and started exercising. I ended up losing 165 lbs in 16 months. So yes you can change without surgery...But for me personally I have an addictive personality and eating when I am depressed was an issue. So as time went on I fell back into my old bad habits and before I knew it I was almost back to where I was before. My wife has the band and I saw her success. I new I could lose it again on my own but I thought that if I did it again I would just fall back to what got me there in the first place. So I simply got the band to 'keep me in check' so to speak. *the band was just a tool nothing more* I had to do the exact same things as I did before to get the weight off. The band just helps you reduce the volume of food you intake, nothing more. You can't binge eat with a band, (or at least not eat nearly as much) so it is always a constant reminder to myself. So your choice is a rather complex one. If I were you I would try it without the band. And I mean dont just slow your eating down, change what you eat how you eat...etc...Change your addiction of bad eating habits to eating healthy and exercise. (this at least worked for me). Give your will power a chance. Educate yourself on weight loss and how to increase your metabolism. Just fyi once you get down to a low body fat you have to eat all the time to keep it that way. (go figure). Good luck at whatever you decide.

[FailureIsntAnOption 0]

I totally disagree with the previous poster. If you feel you need the band to assist you in your weight loss I say go for it. My son is also overweight and I have seen his struggles to fight the battle of the bulge. If he came to me and said, "Hey Mom, since the band has worked so well for you that I want one too". I would certainly help him anyway I could to make it happen.

You are still young enough that you can lose the weight and most likely not have a lot of extra hanging skin, something us older folks have to deal with. I say if you can change your life now by learning to eat in moderation (which the band will help you do), DO IT!

Best of luck to you on your weight loss journey.

Donna