I am still really struggling with to have the surgery or not. At times I am gung ho and other times I am still wondering why I can not do this on my own and maybe i just have not not tried hard enough and what if the band does not work for me. I am so afraid of failing and then everyone will know! Anyway so today I talk to two people 1; someone at work who had the band and said that I should just do it and she lost 70 pounds 3 years ago and has kept it off..however she has severe restriction and is having a hart time keeping meat down..she can unfill a little though and it would be solved. 2; My brother who is totally against having the procedure and he is an emt. He is also overweight but feels this is too extreme and that I am losing fine on my own (I have lost 15 pounds in 1 years time..not exactly the rate I need or want) So now my head spins again..he said every procedure you do is risky.......I guess I have so many feelings....

i completely agree with you, it is risky but if you choose the right doctor and staff...you shouldn't have any problems....it is really hard to lose weight on your own....i really really recommend Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, Mexico....with him you are in the best hands. so check them out....you will not regret your decision. goodluck.

It's a personal decision. While I wouldn't completely rule out your brothers opinion.. I would take it to heart. And, know that everyone is able to think what they want.

But, this is about YOU. It's about the lifestyle you want for yourself. It's about YOUR health.

I pretty much realized that without the band I can not be as successful as I could be WITH the band. I need it as a tool to help. It's not a miracle cure all. It will simply encourage me to make better choices, and it will encourage my belly to know it's limit.

Whatever choice you make, make sure it's what's best for YOU.

I was in the same place as you were. First off i have most my family say i shouldnt, im strong, my brothers lost weight without surgery etc etc. except my mother who is for it and would do it if she could. Second of all I researched wls for years before deciding to go through the process i was 30 lbs down then 30lbs up sometimes even gaining more!! trying with out it. lets just say i decided to go threw it wen a couple of months ago my engagement ring couldnt fit and my fiancee asked me why i wouldnt wear it and i was embarrassed to tell him my finger is to fat.

in the end your the one that has to live with this not them

I wish you luck in what you do.

Even if I could afford it, which I can't, I would not do it. A friend of mine did it. She CONSTANTLY cries and has fallen into a deep depression now because her skin hangs like.......below her thighs and she says it is so gross. She says she'd rather be fat than have the body of a 90-yr-old lady and she now regrets having the surgery. Unless you are fat AND rich enough to pay for subsequent surgeries, I would NOT DO IT. Not to mention the boob job you will need because they will hang to your belly button. YOUR BODY WILL NOT, REPEAT NOT LOOK LIKE WHAT YOU THINK EVEN IF YOU LOSE ALL THE WEIGHT! BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!

Even if I could afford it, which I can't, I would not do it. A friend of mine did it. She CONSTANTLY cries and has fallen into a deep depression now because her skin hangs like.......below her thighs and she says it is so gross. She says she'd rather be fat than have the body of a 90-yr-old lady and she now regrets having the surgery. Unless you are fat AND rich enough to pay for subsequent surgeries, I would NOT DO IT. Not to mention the boob job you will need because they will hang to your belly button. YOUR BODY WILL NOT, REPEAT NOT LOOK LIKE WHAT YOU THINK EVEN IF YOU LOSE ALL THE WEIGHT! BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!

for most people i have talk to would rather have excess skin (that by the way some insurances pay for to take off) than be overweight and working their way to the grave slowly

also it depends on age and the rate you lose ur weight

for most people i have talk to would rather have excess skin (that by the way some insurances pay for to take off) than be overweight and working their way to the grave slowly

also it depends on age and the rate you lose ur weight

That's what she thought, too. Bless her heart. It has ruined her self image and she won't even let ME see and I have known her for 27 years. She has no insurance. That's why I said if you are fat AND rich (or lucky enough to have insurance to pay for it) then go right ahead

I struggled with this decision too. i worried about excess skin and jiggly parts long before deciding whether this would be right for me. My surgery is tomorrow and I'm looking forward to having this tool to help bring me to better health.

I have those that support me and those who don't but I'm doing it for me and that's all that matters. My sister believes I can do this on my own and should. but she doesn't have a weight problem and never has. Although she's against it, she will be there for me tomorrow and I'm thankful for that.

My body may not be perfect later but my health will improve for sure. I'm hoping to add many more years to my life that I may not have otherwise.

best wishes to you on your journey to better health.

I feel the same way, I keep going back and forth on whether or not to do it. But I think for me, it's the right choice b/c the things I fear besides it not working is that I won't be able to eat large portions. Which is something I shouldn't be doing anyway.

Even if I could afford it, which I can't, I would not do it. A friend of mine did it. She CONSTANTLY cries and has fallen into a deep depression now because her skin hangs like.......below her thighs and she says it is so gross. She says she'd rather be fat than have the body of a 90-yr-old lady and she now regrets having the surgery. Unless you are fat AND rich enough to pay for subsequent surgeries, I would NOT DO IT. Not to mention the boob job you will need because they will hang to your belly button. YOUR BODY WILL NOT, REPEAT NOT LOOK LIKE WHAT YOU THINK EVEN IF YOU LOSE ALL THE WEIGHT! BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!

Sure, if the only reason you want to lose weight and keep it off is for vanity reasons, then I'd think twice for sure.

Vanity isn't why I did this.

It is a personal decision. Everyone needs to get all of the facts they can, ignore the "advice" of uninformed family and friends (unless they are physicians, I guess), do some soul-searching, and then decide yay or nay, or maybe even "maybe later".

Loose skin really does not hold me back because of course I do not want it but if I lose weight on my own I will also have loose skin and I can't stay fat just because of that reason!

I'm a physician assistant. I agree with your brother that surgery has its risks.

However, being morbidly obese is incredibly risky for your health, too!

In this day and age, many more people die of obesity than of surgery.

This is why, being in the medical field and seeing patients EVERY DAY who struggle with their weight and have the deeply damaging effects from it, I've decided to have the surgery.

Having a reputable surgeon in a reputable hospital, and using someone who's done this procedure hundreds of times is absolutely KEY.

Good luck with your decisions!

I'm a physician assistant. I agree with your brother that surgery has its risks.

However, being morbidly obese is incredibly risky for your health, too!

In this day and age, many more people die of obesity than of surgery.

This is why, being in the medical field and seeing patients EVERY DAY who struggle with their weight and have the deeply damaging effects from it, I've decided to have the surgery.

Having a reputable surgeon in a reputable hospital, and using someone who's done this procedure hundreds of times is absolutely KEY.

Good luck with your decisions!

This is good advice! Hanging skin WON'T KILL YOU, being overweight will!

I went back and forth with it and now I'm so glad I did it and I wish I'd done it sooner. I was just banded in August but so far my results are AWESOME!!

Don't listen to your brother lol. You could do it on your own, but if you are like me, you re-gain it and then gain an extra 5-10 pounds every time.

I think a lot of people struggle with the decision - as folks seem to think weight loss surgery is the easy way out....little do they know it is FAR FROM EASY! It is a tool - which can help you lose weight sucessfully and keep it off, or not. I have friends who have done well with theirs - and others who are struggling - which I can see is closely related to whether or not they get fills and follow up with their doctor. It is YOUR level of committment to the process that matters - and you are the one who will live with your decision.

That being said, I was 33 and 300 lbs - I was miserable and didn't have the energy to keep up with my daughters...I didn't want that for myself, or for them....I wanted to have energy to do things with them, to set a better example for them, and above all to keep ME healthy and alive! So I opted for the lapband, since it was less invasive - and I haven't regretted it once. YEs I have skin on my belly - but it is much better to tuck that into my body magic every morning and be on my merry way, than to weigh 300 lbs and be a heart attack waiting to happen! (the body magic has done wonders at helping to reshape my figure as I am losing the weight, too-an added bonus!)

And since I do have insurance I am documenting the rashes, etc, from the skin so I might be able to get it removed down the line. But truly - who cares about skin? I am not looking to wear a bikini!!!

You need to do some soul searching - make a pro and con list - decide what is most important to you. Hopefully your friends and family will respect that.

Good luck in your journey!

Kim

I can understand why people might wonder if the surgery will work for them after all they never had weight loss surgery before. The one thing I do know is that losing weight and keeping it off hasn't worked for the majority of people. Almost anyone can lose the weight but keep it off, well, that's another story....can it be done, yes but your body will fight you tooth and nail and most people balloon back up to their weight and bring along a few more friends in the form a extra pounds. Weight loss surgery isn't to be taken lightly but neither is being obsese. The toll that being obsese takes on a person mentally and physically especially if they have been that way all their lives and then having something that finally helps frees them of this burden is beyond what I can express in words. I am 3 years out from surgery, at goal, and for the first time in my life am in control of my weight. It was worth it to me now you just got to have faith it is worth it for you....