Fat my entire life, will it work?

[nlawlor341 0]

Hello, I am courious. I have been fat my entire life. I was wondering how many people who have had the Lap Band have always been big and what their results were.

A lot of the people who I have spoken to who have gotten the LB were small growing up, then gained their weight from being pregnant, married, etc. I have always been the smallest in my family. My older sister was 750 lbs before she got the verticle banded gastroplasty when she was 18 and again when she was 22. She got down to about 450 lbs. She was scheduled to get the sleeve when she passed away 2 years ago.

I was 225 lbs in High School and then before the LB I weighed 426 lbs exactly for 7 years straight. I didn't fluctuate a pound in 7 years. I went on the Dr. supervised diet as the requirement for my surgery and I got down to 360 lbs. Before surgery, 6 months after the 6 month diet, I was back up to 390 lbs. Took me so long because I had to quit smoking. (Worse than any diet!!)

I have lost 15 lbs since the surgery, and I go in for my first fill in one week from today. My concern is that I will never be "normal" sized. I know that I will never be a size 2, but I am courious if anybody else out there was fat their entire life and what kind of results you have had from the surgery.

Thanks.

[meikobobo 0]

Dear N

Firstly my condolences on the passing of your sister.

I have been Big all my life having small windows of normality only with the use of Drugs....first was an amphetimine based one whenI was 16. That lasted 2 years when the drug effects wore off and then back up over 100 kgs and then recently with Reductil starting in 2002 and unfortunately its effects started to wear off in 2006. I had tried every diet program known to mankind, WW, JC, you name it I tried it and funny thing was I couldnt stay on the diet for more than 3 days to a week at most ever! My appetitie is HUGE. Unfortunately like you weight related ill health runs in the family - everyone on my Dad's side die before 55 and unfortunately I really take after them. My sister who is not even overweight had her first stroke at 45 so I knew I had to do something as I was coming up to 50 and the Reductil had stopped working so my weight was just going up and up. So banding was the only option...I was too scared for anything more intrusive. Luckily the surgeon said that I dint need to get to my peak before I could have it seeing how patently I couldnt control my weight. I was banded in March 09 thinking it would be the answer to all my problems. Unfortunately it was not I am still hungry all the time despite being filled to the max. I am still grateful to it because it still provides a barrier to overeating - I dont know Im full till I vomit and I know that if I keep eating I will continue to vomit so I stop. But no massive weightloss in total I have lost about 20 lbs but I think of it at least it is not 20 gained. and so I figure if this is the worse thing about it ( and believe Ive read the horror stories some poor people have had to endure) I can live with it and just keep trying to work on the hunger. At least I wont hopefully (fingers crossed) gain up to my old level Cheers and best of luck I ve read some great stories of people getting great restriction and the pounds just drop off and I hope that is you

[KelinTx 1]

I have been over weight since about age 8, so i guess you could say just about my entire life. I did however manage to get down to a "normal range" twice. Once when i graduated high school and another time before i got married. The weight plus some always flew back on. When i got my band all i ever wanted was to be "NORMAL WEIGHT" , i am also one that is not cut out to ever be a size 2 or even a 6 for that matter. I have gotten to that point of a normal size range its taken me 3 years but in my heart i know this time it will be for good. So yes in answer to your question it is indeed possible for a person that has been over weight their entire life to have amazing results from this surgery as you can very well see from my stats.

[cwm812 11]

My story is alot like Kel...I was 125 lbs in 3rd grade and have been obese ever since. I did lose 140 lbs once, but then I got pregnant and gained back everything and 30 more lbs. I've dieted my whole life, but never any long-term success.

The band has been great for me. I don't really diet. I just eat alot less. I've lost 147 lbs so far. I'm exercising regularly and feel terrific. I doubt I will ever be thin. In fact, I'm not even sure I'll lose a whole lot more weight, but I can tell you 203 feels alot better than 350 ever did.

Cindy

[chocolate_snaps 3]

I had always been fat. LB and regular vigorous exercise melted the lbs away. Keep your head and spirits up, it will happen the second you decide that it will.

[TSB 1]

I have had a weight problem since I was child. I lost 18lbs during my pre-op program (March-July 2009) and since my surgery on 8/11/09 I have lost an additional 29lbs. Seems to be working :thumbup: Good luck to you!

[nlawlor341 0]

Thank you all for your replies. I have started exercising. I have been doing my own Water aerobics at the gym every morning (for 3 days now). Unfortunately there are no classes for the working people around here! I get my heart rate up to 150-160 and then start the clock for 30 minutes. I then go sit in the hot tub and steam room for 15 minutes as a reward. I just am not seeing the weight loss at all. I am eatting 1300-1400 calories a day. I am hoping once I get my first fill on Tuesday that something will change.

[Salbri 0]

That is a great question. I have always had the ability to lose weight, but the closest I have ever come to a goal weight is within 25 lbs. If I continue to diet it just doesn't come off. I have a calendar from 1992 I keep where I came within 25 lbs of the weight and it shows my calories and workouts and stayed there for 4 months until I just couldn't maintain those low calories anymore.

I have been banded for 2 months now and wonder if the day will come that I can say for the first time in my life I have reached my goal weight. Or will the day come and I am within those 25 lbs and I just have to say that I just have to settle and maintain this for the rest of my life.

I asked my surgeon if there were statistics on this and he said he didn't know of any but in his 4,000 surgery experience he didn't notice any difference from people who were skinny when they were younger vs people who were not.

Of course, I was never asked this question on any of his forms so I just have to believe he doesn't know the answer.

[nlawlor341 0]

UGH! Just got a call from my Dr.'s office. My 1st fill was scheduled for 11/24 but they had to cancel it, because he said that they have to be available for 48 hours after a fill and since Thursday is Thanksgiving.....

Now I have to wait until December 1st to get my first fill. You would think after 30+ years of being fat that one more week wouldn't matter, but I can't help but feel disappointed.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

I had always been fat. LB and regular vigorous exercise melted the lbs away. Keep your head and spirits up, it will happen the second you decide that it will.

This is so true. The Lap-Band will work as long YOU work It. J make that choice to do and follow the bandster rules, tough as they may seem and you will find yourself telling stories of success like most everyone else here.

I've been up and down in weight my entire life. The last time I was considered a normal weight was when I graduated from High School. I'm only halfway there but I won't give up! I've managed to keep most of the weight I've lost off for two years now. That in itself is an accomplishment and a testament to the Band. :confused:

[sweetbean70 2]

Hello. I was a "string bean" until I was diagnosed w/ a kidney condition at the end of 2nd grade and put on an experimental drug. The "cure" threw me into early onset puberty and wrecked my metabolism. It also made me grow to 5'7. I was in the 3rd grade at the time. I was a mountain among molehills (so to speak). I became very self-conscious about my size. My only saving grace was athletics. By keeping very active, I was able to keep off some of the weight. After high school, I stopped playing sports and the weight piled on. My appetite was out of control! During my four years at college, I gained 60lbs. After college, I got married and packed on another 60lbs. My highest weight was 325.

I was banded on 6/8/09 and have lost nearly 60lbs to date. I was wearing a snug size 28. I am now wearing a baggy size 22. I don't think that I will ever be any smaller than a size 14/16. I am built like a refrigerator w/ boobs. I am hoping, however, to some day have my weight begin w/ a "1" instead of a 2 or a 3! :bored:

[nlawlor341 0]

I was afraid of this. Everybody has had a time in their life when they were 'normal'. I have not been considered normal sized since I was about 6 years old.

[atgoalgal 0]

Your band can be the tool to help you lose the weight and keep it off for life. I was fat all my life, starting in early childhood. I hit the 200's in high school like you, although my BMI never got much above 40. I can share with you that my lapband mentor, who was banded more than 5 years ago, started at over 400 lbs, and has been maintaining, in the 170's for a few years now. If we can do this so can you.

I have managed get to and maintain my goal weight by working this tool and weathering the ups and downs. The first question you might want to ask yourself is how am I going to learn to use this tool, rather than asking if "it" is going to work. That's something my surgeon, an incredibly experienced and compassionate man, drummed into me from the beginning. Keeping that in mind has served me well.

Feel free to PM me or respond on this board. Getting my band and learning how to work it is one of the best decisions I ever made. I'm here to help!

[Trappedinafatbody 1]

nlawlor341,

Don't think you are the only one that has never been a "Normal" weight!! I was a fat baby, a was a fat child, I was a fat teenager, I was a fat adult. I have no memories of EVER being under 200lbs. I have spent most of my life well above the 300lb mark. (My highest was 360) I am now 39 years old and this is the smallest I have ever been in my entire life! I understand how you feel and I even posted a similar question back when I started the LB process. If you are willing to put in the effort and make some changes then the lap band will work for you! I have lost 96lbs so far and I'm only about 20 lbs from my goal weight. It has not always been easy and you will have to make some tough decisions along the way.

With that said it has all been worth it!! I only wish I had done this years ago!! I look like a different person, I feel like a different person, and this one still puzzles me a little... I am treated like a different person. I never realized how differently people perceive you when you are overweight. It's a sad fact but it's true.

Good luck to you, use the band to your advantage and it will work to your advantage.

Doug

[Erin Marie 0]

I have not been considered "normal" since the 2nd grade. There was no period where I managed to loose the weight, I've always been fat in my memory. All I have are pictures of a healthy four/five year old. I can't remember a time where I was below 200, ever. In highschool I remember being 244 or there abouts.

I am six months post-op and am down about 55 pounds. I think that is nice and slow and just perfect. It took over 15 years to pack on this weight, I can wait two or three to get it off.

Good luck on your journey. It is possible to succeed!