I know I want to lose the weight, i'm only 23 and i'm 250 at 5 3', and I have been pushing to get banded for a while now. But now that its going ot happen I am second guessing myself thinking 'why couldn't I just diet and exercisr and do this on my own?' I know that every time before when I have lost the weight I have gained it back so logically I know this will help me but i'm also starting to chicken out.

Can anyone please remind me why lap band is a good thing and how it is better than trying to keep doing it on my own? I just need reassurance please!!!! :cursing:

I am not banded yet, but I know that it's the best decision for me! I am tired of being overweight, and being afraid that I will reach 300 lbs before I am 50 yrs old... (only 2 years away!).

Ever since I made this decision, I have a much more positive outlook on life, I am more active now, because I have something to look forward to! I know that I am going to love the new me, and I am sure that you will too!

susi

We can not tell you if you should or should not get the surgery only you know whats right for you but I can tell you this. I myself (like you) am 5'3'' and this morning I was 251 pounds. Im 46 years old. I hope 23 years from now you are not reading these posts and wishing like me I had done it when I was 23. Ive wasted so many years yoyoing up and down and being soo miserable with my weight.Good luck with which ever you decide to do but remember you only get one chance at life make it a great one.

I know I want to lose the weight, i'm only 23 and i'm 250 at 5 3', and I have been pushing to get banded for a while now. But now that its going ot happen I am second guessing myself thinking 'why couldn't I just diet and exercisr and do this on my own?' I know that every time before when I have lost the weight I have gained it back so logically I know this will help me but i'm also starting to chicken out.

Can anyone please remind me why LAP-BAND® is a good thing and how it is better than trying to keep doing it on my own? I just need reassurance please!!!! :thumbup:

Ok first deep breath, your freaking out and that is not good! Yes this is the right thing that will help you reach what ever goal you choose!

Second the reason you can't diet and exercise is because you know as well as I do that it is hard, your not lazy your productive, but this is something that you can't control. The band will help you get that control over your life, will it be easy no, but nothing worth having ever comes easy! I am 5'3 I was 260, I had the band placed on 4/7/10 I am down 25 lbs, but I am twice your age so things for me will be a bit slower, you my darling with go through this fast! It will be worth it, for your health because you definitely don't what to be my age struggling with your weight, so relax and congratulations on this life changing decision which you will see it is the best thing you could ever do for yourself!

Send me a message in here, or add me as a friend, if you need to talk.

Good Luck!

Sandee

I wholeheartedly agree and can relate with everything that has been said so far in this thread.

I too am 5'2" and creeping towards 260lbs. I never, ever thought that would be me. A woman that loves fashion and beauty and was always told how pretty I am.

I'm now 55 and this weight is the bane of my existence. My Dr. recommended that I have LAP-BAND® surgery 2 years ago but like you I felt I can do this on my own with diet and exercise.

I've been on every diet known to man and yes I can lose weight because I've done it before many times but the problem is I never reach my goal and I can't keep it off.

I'm waiting to be banded so that I can feel like I have some control over my weight. So that I can finally reach my goal weight and so that I can keep the weight off for once in my life.

I wish I had known about this years ago while I was in my 30's or 40's . I wish I had pursued it when my Dr. first recommended it Perhaps I would be banded and at goal by now.

Other than my weight , I have a good blessed life however, my struggles with my weight take away from my full enjoyment.

I have low self-esteem and I find excuses to stay in the house because of how I feel about myself. I don't wear pants or jeans because of my big butt and thunder thighs. I made an excuse and stayed home from my worship svces. today because I dreaded trying to find something to wear and feel comfy in.

Take control of your life now so that you can enjoy it without the burden of being overweight and all the complications that brings.

Edited May 30, 201016 yr by msdv

All I can say is do it!!!!! I was 24 when I had mine done, and it has helped my health so much!!! I haven't lost a lot due to some personal issues and now a leak. But what I have lost is the hopelessness of knowing that any weight I lost would come back. This is a good thing to do when you are young, and even if it takes a while, you will be grateful that you took this step. I know I am.

I'm 51 and was banded on Dec. 16th. As I started to lose my 23 year old daughter noticed. She is very overweight too. By March she had the paperwork completed and the surgery done. Now we are losing together. All I can say is that it's the smartest decision I ever made and only wish I had it done sooner. Best wishes on your journey!

Thank you all so much for your responses and support! It's really helpful to hear that this is a good thing for me from other people who are in the same boat. This really helped me feel reassured!

ereili

i fee your feelings too. I am scheduled to be banded on friday and have been on the liquid diet for near two weeks and have lost only 5 pounds... :smile2: i'm so frustrated and feeling like maybe i should just forget it and figure something else out.... i am confused and feeling like if i can't lose weight before on 400 calories a day how am i going to lose weight after getting the band?? I just feel really downtrodden today. :thumbup:

I am positive that you can lose the weight with by changing your eating habits and doing a little more exercise. It is very easy to lose weight if you want to.

However, it is even easier to put it back on.

I lost 95 pound in the 5 months prior to banding by just changing my eating habits. (Note: I did not use the "D" word!)

I got the band as an insurance policy that I don't put the weight that I fought so hard to lose back on.

Do NOT wait until you are banded to start changing things and do NOT get banded until you are positive it is what you want and need.

My mom and me got the lap band done in August of 2009. If you were to get any kind of gastric weight loss surgery, I would recommend either the gastric sleeve or gastric bypass. Gastric Lap Band surgery is alright, but you have to keep getting fills when it stops working, it could leak and you have to get another operation, you have to take it out every 5 years to get a new one in.. it's just too much complications with the lapband. My aunt and cousin got gastric bypass and they lost a tremendous amount of weight. My mom had to go back to Mexico to get the lapband out because it formed a hole on her stomach where the scar from it was, and got the sleeve. We're not too sure whether or not it works yet, due to her being in the hospital because of complications such as nausea, horrible pain, pnemonia in her right lung, and 5 abscess in her stomach. So I would also recommend getting this done in the United States.

...you have to take it out every 5 years to get a new one in.. it's just too much complications with the LAP-BAND®...

Total BS!

The lapband is meant to last forever and the complications are far less threatening that those of the other surgeries you mentioned.

I wish there was a Thanks option on this forum.

Reading posts like the one made by Rolltide is one of the main reasons that I put off starting the process of being banded.

Misinformation and horror stories.

The Thread title is "Reassurance Needed" if you can't come in with anything encouraging and also factual why bother to post?

I think, rather than write someone off as telling horror stories, it's important to know the possible complications and stats for those complications for surgeries a person is considering. There are advantages and disadvantages to all the types of bariatric surgery. "Reassurance needed" doesn't mean filling a person with just the positives.

erieli, you need to make an informed choice for yourself, not an emotional one. This is major surgery affecting your body in a big way. Freaking out isn't going to help; neither is positive thinking.

I myself was scheduled for a LAP-BAND last Wednesday. I went into surgery and came out without one- my hiatal hernia is huge, and my misshapen stomach ruled out a LAP-BAND as an option now or later.

At first I was very disappointed, but in doing research, realize the gastric sleeve might be just as good an option for me because of fewer complications! Go figure!

ereili

i fee your feelings too. I am scheduled to be banded on friday and have been on the liquid diet for near two weeks and have lost only 5 pounds... :smile2: i'm so frustrated and feeling like maybe i should just forget it and figure something else out.... i am confused and feeling like if i can't lose weight before on 400 calories a day how am i going to lose weight after getting the band?? I just feel really downtrodden today. :thumbup:

400 calories a day? Is that what your doctor has you doing? Your body is prolly in starvation mode. It is holding on to everything that it can and your not losing any weight because of it. If your doctor allows more calories, you should prolly eat them, you will see the weight come off a lot quicker.

Sorry for your complications but I stand by my post.

There are many threads on this forum telling horror stories and about complications with the band if the OP has done all the research she should have before making this decision I'm sure she has heard or read a boat load.

Reassurance needed means that she was looking for "reassurance" about her decision.

She didn't need a 16 year old coming in telling her what happened to her Mommy.

However, this is just my humble opinion. Be well!!