I'm 34 and 270lbs I want this done SOOOOOO bad!! I've gone back and fourth with the idea and I now know this is the best thing for me to do to get my life back on track and to be healthy again. ANY HELP IS NEEDED!!! Looking for ppl tht have had it done or about to have it done.THANKS!!:thumbup:

yesterday was my 2-year BANDiversary. i'm not going to say i'm not happy i had the surgery because i am. i feel so much better mentally as well as physically BUT....

it's a major decision. it's a lifetime effort that has been the most difficult thing i've every had to deal with. it's not the magical cure of just not feeling hungry so the pounds just melt off. it's so much more than that.

even 2 years post-op, every meal is a battle. do i listen to my band that tells me i'm full or do i listen to my brain that wants to keep eating because it just tastes SO good? it's a mental game and when the brain wins i have to pay the consequenses by vomitting and risk my band slipping.

just do a lot of research. talk to as many people as you can that have been banded. maybe i'm the minority and most people have dealt with being banded easier than i have. i just wanted you to see a side of someone who still struggles even after the weight has come off.

I was just banded on May 12th. I started my journey in November when I attended a seminar. My 1st visit was in January and then my intake was March 25. My insurance excludes weightloss surgery so I was self pay. This is a HUGE investment for me. I weigh over 300 lbs and have many health issues directly related to my obesity.

Every person is different in how they tolerate the surgery, the band and the lifestyle change. Most I think are successful and others fail. I know people who have had the Lapband and had great success and I know a person who has had the band since October and only lost 10 lbs. That tells me they weren't committed. As I was researching the band, I had an understanding of what to eat and not to eat and saw her at a birthday party with a big plate of food. I was shocked and disappointed and thought surely you can't eat that much with the band. I learned she doesn't follow the guidelines.

If you want to be successful you need to commit to following the guidelines and listen to your band. If you aren't ready to make those sacrafices then you aren't ready for surgery. It is definitely a lifelong challenge that I know even at this early stage will be a battle at times. Just last night I was cooking dinner for the family and absentmindedly stuffed a spoonful of the food into my mouth like I always do to taste it and suddenly realized I shouldn't and spit it out. Had I swallowed it I was have been sick all over the place especially being only a few days out from surgery.

Good luck with your decision. There is tons of insight, tips, support and advice on here but the ulitmate decision is yours.

I've learned from this board what a commitment it is to make the band work- I'm scheduled for surgery May 26. I am so looking forward to the long term support the band will give me if I work it right!

I've been working at it pre-op for over two months, and am now 3 days in to a 14 day Protein shake pre-op diet. It's not easy- but I am committed, so I've lost 17.5 lbs. I figure losing now will make for having to lose less on the other end. I've also been practicing eating like I'm already banded, journaling my intake, and walking 2-3 miles at a fast clip daily in addition to Wii Fit and the elliptical. I'll join a gym when I've recovered enough from surgery.

So, yes, it takes work to do it successfully, but I think it is worth it. My health and my self-esteem need it. I wish it had been available when I was your age!