Hi, I am going to be having surgery in about 1 1/2 weeks and trying to get some advice with other guys who have had it done. What was your experience after surgery in regards to the diet and exercise? I am in need of loosing 50 lbs to be at my goal weight . I am wondering if anyone has experience visible ports or complications. For the past 3 weeks I have been eating small meals and working out in order to get a head start. I have lost 15 lbs but not sure if I should go forward with the surgery or not just a bit worried. Any comments will help. Thanks.

Cesar

I wouldn't say it's worth it for 50lbs... but that's just my opinion. I have 125 lbs to lose, I'm down 50 in 5 months. After surgery it's basically a diet, and exercise plan, you eat about 900-1200 calories a day. The band controls your hunger. So you aren't starving while eating less calories. The weightloss is 1-2lbs a week on average.. like any other diet. I know everyone says it's not a diet. It's a diet! You won't lose weight if you don't eat healthy.

That's like $260 a pound (based on a $13,000 surgery cost) but if you really think you can't do it on your own, and you really need your hunger controlled to lose the rest of the weight.. then go ahead, it could be a good tool for you.

BUT also, most people with the band, only lose about 50lbs on average, then willpower gives out and people give up... the argument could go either way. Obviously it will take longer for you if you are only 50lbs overweight... (heavier you lose more at first)

If you have 50 to lose and you've lost 15 already, that leaves you with 35lbs to lose. I wouldn't have surgery for 35lbs, that's just me.

Thanks for the Replies they really help. I was needing to loose 65 but went down 15 so now 50 down to go. Also my cost for surgery is almost nothing that is why I am debating should I take advantage of almost not paying anything for my surgery and go forward with it. I am a bit worried about life after the band like will i get enough nutrients in my body ? discomfort with the port ?

i can honestly say there is NO WAY i would have put myself through all of this crap that i am going through for 50, or even 65 pounds. to each his own though. this isn't some magic skinny pill that's going to do the work for you. you will still do the work, and so far i'm only a week banded, but it is THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE.

you should think long and hard about what you are about to do to your body and be able to live with the consequences. i'm sure there are people here who have needed to lose less than 50 and did just fine, but it's a painful way to have to lose 50 pounds. just be sure that you are 100% sure.

Dawn what kind of complications are you have since your surgery ? and is after surgery very painful??? My porblem is I cannot keep the weight and I think having the band will help me adjust a lifestyle.

I'm just one week post-op, so i have what pretty much everyone else has....soreness of my wounds, a little bit of gas (not as much as i expected)...but i also have a lot of nausea and chest pains. for the past 2 days, i can't eat (i.e. drink since i'm not on solids yet) much of anything at all. but i have a lot of weight to lose. my goal is to get to 250. anything after that is icing on the cake. at this point, i would even be ok staying where i am, i just want to stop gaining weight. i don't mind being as fat as i am, but i mind being much fatter. i live in NYC and everything I do is walking around, climbing steps, taking public transit, so being much bigger than i am now is an issue.

i am seeing my doctor's office today to see if there is something wrong or if all of this is normal.

Thanks! Hope everything is ok

For Me the problem isn't that I only have 50 pounds to lose or that I cannot take it off (the old fashioned way), it is that in two years it will all come back plus some. Since I already have high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes and sleep apnea, I will only be two years older and probably in worse shape. I have been dieting unsuccessfully since puberty when our family doctor convinced me and my mother that 125 pounds was too heavy for my five foot frame, and the scales have been going up and down ever since until I hit 220 and was diagnosed diabetic. I think I need the added control and permanence of the band.

Robbie

Rememebr the BAND is a tool to lose weight, change your eating habits and then assit with maintaining for a life time

If your doctors (and insurance) recommends lap band, go for it! I am 3 months post surgery. The first week was uncomfortable (I slept in a recliner), but since then I feel better than I've ever felt. I wanted to loose 75 pounds after the surgery. I have lost 41 so far. It makes a big difference when you diet not to feel hungry!

I guess my question is what else is going on in your life? Do you have diabetes or other co-morbidities? Are you able to keep weight off after you loose it? I guarantee you that most of us can loose weight, we just can't keep it off and thats why we're here. For me 50lbs makes a huge difference and if you think you may not be able to keep weight off after you lose it on your own you may seriously want to consider the band. We've probably all lost 50+ here many times. We just can't keep it off.

Im in the same boat your in, I have lost 30 pound before my surgery and only needed to lose 40 more, and was wondering if I really needed the band, had it put in yesterday, and I think I made the right decision. I real fired up about losing my belly

I decided to get the band to lose 45-50 pounds. I did not want that to turn into 75, then 100, then 150lbs. I stopped while I was ahead.

There is a lot of heart problems, high blood pressures, even diabetes in my family....

So my recommendation to you is to go for it. I've lost 30 lbs very quickly in the past and put it back on even quicker!!!! Yes the band was pretty drastic for me my I am sure it will be my life saver in the future:)

I may do surgery if possible at 35 to go but it really depends on your bmi does your wt now after 15 lbs off still put at a high enough bmi to have surgery?? I knw a lot of people have goals that still leave them at a high bmi. Good luck to talk to surgeon to help decide

I have a BMI of 30 and need to lose about 40-45 lbs. I'm self pay and it's all worth it to me! I'm tired of trying and failing. I'm going to be 40 in a few months and it seems like my metabolism died this past year! So anything to get my health n fitness back! I'm schedu.ed to complete my 2nd triathlon this summer and it would be a lot easier with less fat on my frame! I say go for it!