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I started this journey in July. My surgery is November 17. The first month I kept doing everything I was doing, maybe exercising a little. Then I had got into a different mind set. Around that time I was diagnosed as diabetic. I quit drinking cokes and stopped eating sweets. I really watched my sugar. I have done really well. I started walking and working out at the gym more than I was. I guess my big change was what I eat. I dont eat perfectly healthy , but I have really really cut down on sugar. I still do not drink cokes. That was HUGE for me. I watch my Snacks and stopped eating Breakfast at McDonalds. I now eat low sugar low fat Cereal at work.
My insurance required a 3 month regimen where I had to have nutritionist appointments and lose weight each of the three months. I have done that.

Oh wow! Tough decision!!! I get very frustrated about my insurance. My co pay for bariatric surgery is $5000, but my doctor is working with me on that. By the time all is said and done, I will spend about $8000. I have two kids to put through college, so I would have probably waited if I were you. BUT, on the other hand, I am very impatient and want it NOW!!! Tough decision. I guess it depends on how badly you need the $11,000 for something else.

My first thought was, oh well, you screwed up. Old habits die hard!!!! We all screw up!!!! It is going to happen. Chill out on yourself!! You are ok now, you realized your mistake, now learn from it You can tell me the same thing when you see me on here saying how badly I screwed up
I love the idea of keeping emergency food in the car!!! Why have I not thought of that????

Oh wow! Tough decision!!! I get very frustrated about my insurance. My co pay for bariatric surgery is $5000, but my doctor is working with me on that. By the time all is said and done, I will spend about $8000. I have two kids to put through college, so I would have probably waited if I were you. BUT, on the other hand, I am very impatient and want it NOW!!! Tough decision. I guess it depends on how badly you need the $11,000 for something else.

@@kranky813 Unless you were distracted by that hamburger and ran over some poor unsuspecting kid and his happy meal you don't need to be abused. It's life! You're not going to ALWAYS make the perfect choice. It's live and learn. Don't worry you will do it again so get the shock out now! Lol! Maybe not the same thing but you'll do something the "bariatric gods" won't approve of. Just don't make it a habit.

I have not had surgery yet but will Nov. 17. I was thinking about doing it anyway, but then was diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic. Well that was it for me. I also have high blood pressure. My mom and grandmother have very high blood pressure are are diabetic. Both took insulin. I, too, was pre-diabetic for quite some time. I decided I was not going to fight my weight the rest of my life. I was always an athlete, until about age 35, and did not have weight issues. After that, I gained and gained as the years went by. I am now 50. My knees are fried; I have had 3 knee surgeries and get shots in them. I know losing weight will help tremendously. They are very arthritic. Dont get me wrong, I am not doing it only for health reasons; I want to look good too. But my health has a LOT to do with it. I guess I am not a spring chicken anymore hahaha. When I have grandkids, I want to be mobile and be able to run around and chase them. I started at 224 lbs about 3 months ago and am down to 216. Tuesday I start my 2 week pre op diet, then it is surgery time.
For me, it was a no brainer. The only thing that worries me a little is that the surgery is not reversible (Sleeve) and if I am nauseated or throwing up all the time it will suck. That is the ONLY thing that concerns me. Surgery itself does not worry me a bit. I have read story after story on here how well people do afterwards. So many people do not ever get sick or feel bad and I have the mind set that I wont either!! I just wont have it! hahaha
I would take a look at your insurance details, too. See what the requirements are for them to pay for bariatric surgery. That may help your decision too. Good luck!!!!!

I have not had surgery yet but will Nov. 17. I was thinking about doing it anyway, but then was diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic. Well that was it for me. I also have high blood pressure. My mom and grandmother have very high blood pressure are are diabetic. Both took insulin. I, too, was pre-diabetic for quite some time. I decided I was not going to fight my weight the rest of my life. I was always an athlete, until about age 35, and did not have weight issues. After that, I gained and gained as the years went by. I am now 50. My knees are fried; I have had 3 knee surgeries and get shots in them. I know losing weight will help tremendously. They are very arthritic. Dont get me wrong, I am not doing it only for health reasons; I want to look good too. But my health has a LOT to do with it. I guess I am not a spring chicken anymore hahaha. When I have grandkids, I want to be mobile and be able to run around and chase them. I started at 224 lbs about 3 months ago and am down to 216. Tuesday I start my 2 week pre op diet, then it is surgery time.
For me, it was a no brainer. The only thing that worries me a little is that the surgery is not reversible (Sleeve) and if I am nauseated or throwing up all the time it will suck. That is the ONLY thing that concerns me. Surgery itself does not worry me a bit. I have read story after story on here how well people do afterwards. So many people do not ever get sick or feel bad and I have the mind set that I wont either!! I just wont have it! hahaha
I would take a look at your insurance details, too. See what the requirements are for them to pay for bariatric surgery. That may help your decision too. Good luck!!!!!

I have not had surgery yet but will Nov. 17. I was thinking about doing it anyway, but then was diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic. Well that was it for me. I also have high blood pressure. My mom and grandmother have very high blood pressure are are diabetic. Both took insulin. I, too, was pre-diabetic for quite some time. I decided I was not going to fight my weight the rest of my life. I was always an athlete, until about age 35, and did not have weight issues. After that, I gained and gained as the years went by. I am now 50. My knees are fried; I have had 3 knee surgeries and get shots in them. I know losing weight will help tremendously. They are very arthritic. Dont get me wrong, I am not doing it only for health reasons; I want to look good too. But my health has a LOT to do with it. I guess I am not a spring chicken anymore hahaha. When I have grandkids, I want to be mobile and be able to run around and chase them. I started at 224 lbs about 3 months ago and am down to 216. Tuesday I start my 2 week pre op diet, then it is surgery time.
For me, it was a no brainer. The only thing that worries me a little is that the surgery is not reversible (Sleeve) and if I am nauseated or throwing up all the time it will suck. That is the ONLY thing that concerns me. Surgery itself does not worry me a bit. I have read story after story on here how well people do afterwards. So many people do not ever get sick or feel bad and I have the mind set that I wont either!! I just wont have it! hahaha
I would take a look at your insurance details, too. See what the requirements are for them to pay for bariatric surgery. That may help your decision too. Good luck!!!!!

This is so mean and hurtful. That post was about me celebrating my success and being thrilled about what I've accomplished. It was about self love and worth.
How does it help you too tell me my posts suck? I would never say something like that to anyone!
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You turned around my post about men being obsessed with my weight and looks and made it my fault. It's ME that's obsessed with my weight and so therefore I attract men who are.
That's just nuts. I'm online dating. I go out with a wide variety of men- different types and different backgrounds. It's a fairly random selection.
I was doing the online dating thing at 160 pounds not that long ago. And no one mentioned my weight or looks, what I ate (I ate even less then) and I feel I got a lot more men interested in who I am than what I look like.
I'm not wearing a flag that says "skinny obsessed men here" and I NEVER bring up weight on a date!! I have a rule never to discuss exes, weight, or health problems on a first date.
It's the men. They look at me like I'm some rare type of zoo creature escaped that they've won the lottery to be out with. I just sit there eating my dinner while they go on and on about weight!! If I have to hear one more thin guy tell me about how he needs to lose 20 pounds!! Maybe I need to get better at shutting down the subject when it comes up. I need to come up with some lines that stop them from discussing it.
I am not feeling much sympathy for what I'm going through. I've just lost 125 pounds and I find myself in a body that is totally foreign to me. I never expected to look like this. And men are treating me different because of it. I am not obsessed with my weight- I'm going through a huge adjustment and this forum is where I post on that subject. So yeah! I talk about my feelings regarding weight a lot!!
What am I supposed to talk about? The price of rice in China??
I am very self confident- I love myself and I carry my head high.
I am finding out that men, especially white men, in California, are super attracted to very thin women. And some of them are fixated on it to an unhealthy degree. I literally get the 10nth degree from these guys or they just can't stop commenting on my looks and it's so uncomfortable. They launch into complaining about their weight and then I just feel so awkward.
It's not something that is my fault. It just is. I look like a model (well, an old one!) and I'm getting the attention of men obsessed with looks. It makes sense. It's new for me. It's weird. I don't like it. But it's a reality I'm dealing with. Their comments about other people weight and shortcomings piss me off!!!
I'm also meeting men who care about more than that. Thank goodness.
I'm looking for support on here and telling me I post too much on any one subject hurts my feelings. You don't have to read my posts if you don't want to hear what I have to say. You don't always have to agree with me or sympathize but at least don't make me feel I can't open up about things in a place where we all should be able to talk openly.

i do not live in dallas but am getting surgery there. i was curious who did yours.

I didn't realize that happened during pre op diet. Good to know!!

WOW! That is incredible!!!!!! Way to go girl and keep up the good work!!

I havent had my surgery yet, but I just know you are going to lose!!!! I just know it! Every single person is different. Try to be patient!!!! Hang in there!

I dread that very much!!!! Remember, it is temporary!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

i guess i have been really lucky. everyone i have told has been really supportive, either that, or we just discuss it. No one has given me that crazy look. I guess they know me well enough; when I am set on something no one can change my mind.

Thank you so much. That is what I needed to hear. I have made up for it! Yesterday, we had birthday cake which is my very favorite in the world. I did not have any!!!!! I also passed up a coke this morning. I am very proud of myself . You will be hearing from me Jessica . Have you had surgery? Will you tell me your story?

Thank you so much. That is what I needed to hear. I have made up for it! Yesterday, we had birthday cake which is my very favorite in the world. I did not have any!!!!! I also passed up a coke this morning. I am very proud of myself . You will be hearing from me Jessica . Have you had surgery? Will you tell me your story?

i guess i have been really lucky. everyone i have told has been really supportive, either that, or we just discuss it. No one has given me that crazy look. I guess they know me well enough; when I am set on something no one can change my mind.

I am so sorry!!! Geez, you must be miserable. I havent had surgery yet, but I have heard from several people that they felt wonderful the whole time and never got nauseated or threw up. That is what I am counting on for me, hahahaha.
You will be able to handle it!!!

with any surgery I have ever had they made it clear that I could have any signs of 'sickness' or the surgery would not happen. I am so sorry that happened to you. Get on the phone and get that surgery scheduled. Tell them to make it soon!!!!

I, myself, am in the process of getting approved for the sleeve. My sister had the RNY 3 years ago and she wishes now she had the sleeve instead. She and I both take several different medications and I did NOT want to fight malabsorption. She really struggled with malabsorption. She had no idea how much medication her body was really getting. I personally NEVER even considered the RNY.
Good luck with your adventure and I agree with the reply above, about getting another opinion from another surgeon.

@@Sun Godess let me first say welcome, and thank you for posting and sharing your questions. There are many out there who are right where you are and I am sure have many of the same questions.
You will find lots of support here and even more stories and advice. If you keep in mind that for every person there is an opinion and not all of them are going to align with each other then you are that far ahead. Every journey is subjective to the person experiencing it. For example my husband and I are both banded and were banded 3 days apart, so we have our bands from the same time, and went through the pre- and post op together. That said we are very different in our approach to food, our issues with food, and our weight loss. None of it bad...just different.
So here are my answers to your questions
1. Are you satisfied with your lap band? Are you happy you chose the band over vsg?
I am very happy I chose the band over VSG. I may have had more success with VSG in the early stages and with the lapband my weight loss is much slower and steadier, however I chose the lapband to accommodate my life style. I am not able to "adjust" any other WLS tool as I am with the lapband. I do not do so on a whim but for things like surgery, and sickness etc. with the lapband I am afforded that option and I like that.
The lapband requires much more follow up and maintenance than the other WLS tools and I also like the fact that it keeps me accountable as well as my Dr. accountable to my health and well being.

2. I'm afraid of the unkown. Do you feel normal...like just living and being your normal self and don't know it's there?
I am not afraid of the unknown. I am very in tune with my body and with my lapband Dr. to understand how it works and how it will work best for me. I live my life normally and I rarely think about my "band" I do not feel it inside though the port is accessible and can be felt under the skin it doesn't bother me at all. I eat and live my life fully as a banded patient.
3. Do you get used to eating little portions? Do you feel deprived?
I never feel deprived. I eat the portions I am hungry for. I allow my hunger to dictate how much I am going to eat. There are days I am very hungry and require a little more than on other days when I am hardly hungry at all. So portions can fluctuate for me though they are much smaller than any thing I ate before surgery. If I am still hungry for something after I have had a good portion I will wait it out and ask myself if it's truly hunger or something else. It's usually something else.
4. I work on a team, and we eat lunch together and chat daily at work. I don't want to tell anyone at work. I'm afraid I won't be able to do this without them and or me having eating issues in front of them? Do you think I will be able to? What are your experiences?
This is a tricky one. Your eating habits pre op and post op are going to change. You are going to be on liquid diets for a bit and you are also going to be eating foods that maybe different from what they are sitting down to eat. Sandwiches are probably going to be off your menu for a while (I don't eat bread at all in any form) Salads are something you will return to but not right away or all the time (not a bad thing since there isn't much Protein there and you can find lots of extra calories there also)
I still eat with my co-workers and I go out to dinner with friends and events and parties. I chose to let everyone know about my surgery and they never question me about my choice of food. My eating habits are the same as they were before, though I will eat much slower now, I will chew much better, I take much smaller bites, and I rarely finish an entire meal on my own.
If I am out with friends or my husband we will often share a meal or I have a nice lunch of left overs the next day to bring to work:)

5. I've heard many people say "oh, the band is only 25% of the help...It's really me." I'm hoping the band is A LOT of help, not a magic wand.
No WLS is a magic wand. With the band your weight loss is going to be slow and steady. You are not going to lose 100 pounds over night. The more you work at it the more you will lose and the more success you will have with it.
Other WLS will have a large amount of weight loss up front and then begin to taper off either way you have to work the tool to be successful.

a GREAT help...more than 25% else wise, what's the point! What is your opinion/experience? How much help is the band for you?
The band is a great help and an excellent tool when it is being used just like any other tool. If you don't take it out of the tool box then you are not working it just having it doesn't allow it to do it's job, you have to work it. You can make the band work for you 100% it shows up ever single day, it just needs you to show up for it as well. All WLS is the same. None of them affect our minds..WE have to put them to use.
I love my band, when I want to have an emotional day of pigging out and just eating my face off because I am having a rough time (this is my personal issue...stress eating and emotional eating.) the band is there to remind me that I shouldn't be doing this to myself and when I push anyway it's there to smack me in the head and often stops me right in my tracks.

6. I need appetite suppression... Does the band actually do that? What exactly does the band do you for you? n How would you describe it?
The band is all about appetite suppression. Many think that the band provides "restriction" this is not what the band is designed for. A properly adjusted band should allow you to eat and drink in proper proportion so you are satisfied at least 4 hours between meals. This is again provided you are following the proper direction and eating the proper foods. Foods that are soft and high calorie are going to slip right past the band without triggering the nerves that send satisfied signals to the brain. This in turn will cause you to eat more and usually those soft foods are high in calories and sugar. Things like ice cream and fried foods are things to watch out for.
When I have a "meal" it consists of a solid dense Protein. Chewing and eating allow me to feel full and the need to have additional food is not there. I am not hungry. Even when faced with the option of having more food, or sweets etc. I simply do not want it. As you go through the journey of learning to work with and live with your band you learn to eat mindfully and choose the right foods to hold you over. Though I will admit if you are like me, this is a big challenge. I often find myself wanting something...just because. However if I do try to have something just because...I am only able to eat a bite or two and I no longer want it and am turned off by it. This is what the band does for me.

7. Looking back, do you think you could have lost your weight without the band?

I have lost weight many many times without surgery. I have lost it and found it again and again and usually when I would find it, it would bring along a few friends with it.
I would lose 40 pounds only to gain 50. I would start exercise programs only to find myself ravenous and eating more and more and not losing an ounce.
I have not for one second since I have been banded regretted my decision. Even when I had a few complications, such as a dilation, and had to have the Fluid removed from the band, or after surgery having one of the incisions become infected. The band has helped me to lose the weight in a healthy way, I have been able to keep off the all the weight I have lost and continue to keep losing.

8. I hear a lot about eating slow and small bites...I am very afraid of this! I don't want to be a spectacle in front of others or feel weirded out and miserable having to eat with baby spoons and pea size bites. I want to eat normal. How is this for you?
I eat totally normally. Actually eating slowly and taking normal bites is how we should be eating all the time. Shoveling food into our mouths swallowing before we even had a chance to taste the food is not the normal way to eat.
I don't obsess about cutting my pieces and no one at a party or out at dinner or events even notices. In fact they notice more the faster and more you eat I think.
Even when my husband and I share a meal, no one even raises an eye brow. We were at an event just yesterday where we shared Eggplant rollatini. There were 4 huge rolls on the plate along with the Pasta side dish (neither of us ate that.) We shared some Calamari prior and shared the dinner. Even the waiter brought out extra plates for us and no one raised an eyebrow.

9. Any personal testimonies, advice or warnings? Please share and
I am not specifically a lapband advocate but I am a WLS advocate who is banded!! I will tell anyone who asks me that if you are not healthy and you are experiencing co-morbidity due to your weight that looking into WLS is a positive thing to do for yourself. Having surgery has changed my life in many positive ways, and I feel healthy and more alive now than I had in years simply because I am not dragging all the extra weight around with me. I am not at goal, I am working my way there gradually. Eating what I like, making healthy choices, taking the time incorporate the changes and make them a part of my every day life. This is what I wanted and the way I wanted for it to be.
Yes of course we all want a magic wand, and turn back the clock to when I was 16 and do it all over again...but that is not reality so the best thing I could aim for is working to be healthier and happier me. I didn't get to be morbidly obese overnight and I didn't want to find myself on the other side of that over night either. I wanted a healthy gradual weight loss emphasis on the healthy part of it since my health was not so great and I couldn't walk without feeling that heart attack was imminent.

My best advice to you is to continue to research. Go out and meet Dr.'s not just one but a few. Ask them their opinions. If they tell you the sleeve or the bypass are better...ask them why they feel that way pick their brains and then of course share the results with all of us!!
Research the other surgeries, there may be a reason why your Dr. recommends one over the others, and don't take anything off the table and don't do anything unless you are 100% sure and you have a Dr. who fully supports you.
After care and follow up are very important no matter your WLS in my opinion this KEY. Having a good working relationship with your Dr. before, during and most importantly after surgery.

I wish you all the best, and keep us updated on your progress and decision!!