How has your journey been starting out as a lower bmi?

first I kept questioning myself, "surgery I must be crazy surely I can loose 60lbs without surgery" Well I can lose 60lbs. without surgery. But I will gain it all back plus a little extra in 6 months. I just want to stop thinking about being over weight every second. I will think about what I eat, and exercise and how much I chew, fine but I was just in this fear cycle before. So my BMI is 31 now in 2 years at this rate it will be 35 and when I am 50 it will be at 40. My trend is to gain. I want to stop!!!!

The DR. I am working with seems to do a lot of "low" BMI surgery. So I am going for it . I am informed and I feel like I understand what I am in for and I am doing it!! Scheduled for my nutrition class June 30th and the surgery is July 18th.

I will let you know how it goes

Great.

How has your journey been starting out as a lower bmi?

I committed to getting the lap band a few days ago. My BMI is 33, however my highest BMI ever was closer to 40. I was on track to there (or more) after gaining 30 lbs over the last year, after a 50 lb loss on a crash diet.

I am getting this to help me keep it off, not get it off (though it will help with that).

Shauna

I am a low BMI Bandster, 2 weeks post op and doing great. Ive lost 18 lbs so far. I havent weighed myself in a week because a few days after mushies it seem like the scale moved up a few pounds so I do not want to be disapointed so I will not check for a while. Elcee, was it hard for the pounds to come off for you? I hear that it is harder to get the weight off if you don't have much to get off.

Wow Queenie, that is great...I can't wait to be a Bandster...hurry July!

I heard a doctor on satellite radio the other day saying that many doctors outside the United States feel that the band is perfect for lower BMI patients. He said that it is actually being used more often for these types of patients. He felt that the success rate is higher for lower BMI bandsters than higher BMI bandsters.

His take was that lower BMI folk were more likely to get to a normal BMI with a band than a higher BMI patient with a band.

Elcee, was it hard for the pounds to come off for you? I hear that it is harder to get the weight off if you don't have much to get off.

No not really.

I started off at 74 kg and was 70kg on op day - 2/6/2009

I lost:-

Month 1 - 5kg

Month 2 - 3kg

Month 3 - 2.1kg

Month 4 - 1.6 kg

and that is where it sort of averaged off. If you look at it the loss is slower than if you have a huge amount to lose but it comes off steadily. I had hit 54.2kg by Dec 2009 , went overseas for 6 weeks and came back at 55.1kg. Not bad considering I didn't diet on holiday.Since then I have lost a bit more and now weigh 50kg.

Has it been hard? Yes and no. Yes when for some reason food that should go down doesn't want to and I end up stuck or PBing. No because I haven't really had to diet which makes it far easier than any weight loss attempt previously. Would I go back or do i ever wish I hadn't had it done? HELL NO!

I eat a well balanced diet with food from all food groups . Yes I eat junk too but not all the time and in small quantities. For me junk is things like chocolate or cake, I have never been a big fan of fried, greasy foods, McDs etc. There is something I should do but don't ( probably shouldn't confess this) but - I don't exercise. Yes I have done some in the past - Bollywood dancing,bellydancing etc but I don't really enjoy it and living in a small country town it is difficult.

Do I have the perfect body? No. My stomach is not flat and perfect like all those airbrushed models in the magazines but I look pretty good with clothes on! And I still have a problem getting jeans. I need an Aus 6 (US2) to fit my legs and butt properly but I can't do them up around my middle. If I buy an 8 (US4) they are saggy and baggy around the butt and legs.

Remember the journey is different for everyone. Some people have issues with hormones and insulin resistance etc and they struggle to take the weight off. I was told by my specialist though that having a low BMI meant I was more likely to lose 100% of my excess weight.The band is designed to help you lose approx 60% of excess weight and if you lose this amount the surgery is considered successful. It might seem a low % but they have to take into account that some people will not be as compliant as others and this will affect their success.

The main thing to remember is that the band is not a magic wand it is a tool. You are still in charge of what you put in your mouth. The band helps to control hunger but people eat for many reasons other than hunger. If you choose to eat for these reasons the band cannot and will not stop you.Never think that the solution is to keep getting your band tightened. A too tight band will stop you from losing weight as it will stop you from eating healthy stuff but the high calorie , low nutrient food will slip down really easily.

Hi everyone - I am new to the forum and am SO happy to have found threads on low BMI and banding. My BMI is 30.7 (5'4" and 179 lbs) and I am just starting to explore this option. I go for a consultation next week and I can't wait! Please keep the positive stories flowing - I hope to be able to add to them soon!

Hi Catbert (cute name; I love Dilbert),

Glad to see you here, please visit back with updates on your journey and how your consultation goes.

Shauna

I am a lower BMI bandster and had to go the self pay option. I had no problem loosing weight and also no problem gaining it back. For the last 10 years I have been doing this. I finally heard about the band early this year. I wasted no time and have now had my band for a little over 2 months. I have lost 25 pounds so far. I have no regrets at all about getting the band. The only thing I would do differently if I could would be to keep it a bigger secret than I did.

Sandy, that is great to hear - congratulations! My consult went well and I am scheduled for the surgery on August 31. I can't wait!! I am doing self- pay too.....24 mo interest free thru Care Credit. Huge investment but it will be so worth it. I have a close friend at work who is also low BMI and she is getting hers on 8/6. We have the same doctor. Just had all the pre-op testing done on Friday and it all went well. The part where you have to drink the contrast was pretty yuck but I survived!

Shauna you are a July bandster, right?? It's here!! When is your surgery?

So glad to have found this forum!

I am a lower BMI bandster and had to go the self pay option. I had no problem loosing weight and also no problem gaining it back. For the last 10 years I have been doing this. I finally heard about the band early this year. I wasted no time and have now had my band for a little over 2 months. I have lost 25 pounds so far. I have no regrets at all about getting the band. The only thing I would do differently if I could would be to keep it a bigger secret than I did.

Just curious as to why you would keep it secret? I'm thinking of doing that too. What have you come up against?