As I was working out today...It hit me....On July 12th I have my first consult with the surgeon...I feel like I let myself down by looking for help in loosing weight...I have lost 80 on my own the good old fashion way...I need another 100 to loose...Why cant I do the rest on my own...I'm very confused...Knowing that I need to be healthy and feel good about myself...I just feel like I threw in the towel...Anyone else ever feel this way?

NOPE!!!! The band is a tool designed to help you lose weight. It is not intended to do the work for you and by no means is it "throwing in the towel".

I feel that way all the time, but take a look at your weight loss history. Are you like me? taking 20-50 pounds off multiple times only to put them back on and then some. I am sure if you asked most people on this board they would say the same thing. I think getting the lap band is not just about getting the weight off, it is about using it as a tool to keep the weight off. That is how I am looking at it. As they say the first step is acknowledging that you have a problem, I am a food addict and I binge on food. I need something to help me control it

NOPE!!!! The band is a tool designed to help you lose weight. It is not intended to do the work for you and by no means is it "throwing in the towel".

I second this! Without the band I may be able to loose but I always gain back + extra! It is a tool. You will still have to do the work! It is by no means a quick fix.

Not one little bit. Tools were designed to be used. That''s why we drive cars, use the dish washer and put the laundry in a washing machine instead of beating it on a rock!

I must say, you should be very proud, you have done spectactular on your own and I can see why you are questioning it. The choice is yours to make but I'm not one bit ashamed of my decision.

Good Luck to you! Keep up the good work!

I can't say I feel like I threw in the towel but I do have days where I ask myself why I even got banded. I don't regret it one bit but if I knew all I knew now..would I have ever gotten banded? Definitely not. Especially seeing as how I did it all without a fill. I don't have this so called 'restriction' and I never went after it. I just got my head and the game and pushed and pushed; could I have done it without a silicone ring? Dunno.

Thank you all soooo much for all the input...I cant believe this is such a big deal of a decision for me..All I have ever wanted was to be a healthy weight....With my health issues my insurance company will fast track this...I dont know why I'm so hesitant....

I third that you still have to do the work and make the right choices

I second this! Without the band I may be able to loose but I always gain back + extra! It is a tool. You will still have to do the work! It is by no means a quick fix.

There are a lot of different ways that people (including us) perceive the band. Some of us do view it as "the easy way out" or "throwing in the towel." I do not. It is unlikely that anyone who spends the time and energy to use this site and chat with others made the decision to embark upon the journey of weight loss surgery with a cavalier attitude. For me, this has been a very emotional journey to admit 1) that I need help 2) that I am not completely at ease with my decision.

You've lost 80 pounds, that's incredible! Sounds like you have been working hard at it. I think you are making an affirmative decision to lose more weight and keep it off. It's just a tool, it can't lose the weight for you. The same hard work and decision making processes will gave to be in effect for this phase of your weight loss and it has been for the first 80 pounds,

In many ways I feel like a failure because I have not been able to keep a normal weight (or even just being simply overweight) for my entire adult life. I have made the changes I need to make the band as much of a success as possible for me. I'm done beating myself up for my mistakes. We have a whole world out there who judges us because we are heavy. We really don't need to pile on any more.

Congrats on your incredible success to date and however you go forward, I wish you health and happiness!

I can understand where you are coming from and had some of those thoughts myself.

At the end of the day this is a tool and (in my opinion) of the options available probably requires the most work from the recipient of the band to make it work.

At the nd of the day i want to make 2 points.

1. I wonder how many people have died before their time because this tool was not available to them? It is available to us and we are incredibly lucky. Now cars are available not many people walk anywere?

2. I would rather live longer with a "tool" than die young living in the knowlege that you didn't use it!

Regards - and good luck

AJ

Very well put

I can understand where you are coming from and had some of those thoughts myself.

At the end of the day this is a tool and (in my opinion) of the options available probably requires the most work from the recipient of the band to make it work.

At the nd of the day i want to make 2 points.

1. I wonder how many people have died before their time because this tool was not available to them? It is available to us and we are incredibly lucky. Now cars are available not many people walk anywere?

2. I would rather live longer with a "tool" than die young living in the knowlege that you didn't use it!

Regards - and good luck

AJ

Thank you for a great perspective

There are a lot of different ways that people (including us) perceive the band. Some of us do view it as "the easy way out" or "throwing in the towel." I do not. It is unlikely that anyone who spends the time and energy to use this site and chat with others made the decision to embark upon the journey of weight loss surgery with a cavalier attitude. For me, this has been a very emotional journey to admit 1) that I need help 2) that I am not completely at ease with my decision.

You've lost 80 pounds, that's incredible! Sounds like you have been working hard at it. I think you are making an affirmative decision to lose more weight and keep it off. It's just a tool, it can't lose the weight for you. The same hard work and decision making processes will gave to be in effect for this phase of your weight loss and it has been for the first 80 pounds,

In many ways I feel like a failure because I have not been able to keep a normal weight (or even just being simply overweight) for my entire adult life. I have made the changes I need to make the band as much of a success as possible for me. I'm done beating myself up for my mistakes. We have a whole world out there who judges us because we are heavy. We really don't need to pile on any more.

Congrats on your incredible success to date and however you go forward, I wish you health and happiness!

The same thing happen to me last year. I lost 60 pounds last year and the week before my surgery I had to start my liquid diet and all of a sudden I changed my mind I thought I have lost all this weight on my own I don't need help. Now fast forward almost a year to the day and I had ended up gaining all the weight back that I had lost. I have decided to have the surgery now and I am actually meeting with my doctor today to find out what I need to do in order to have the surgery. I have been dieting and exercising for the last month and I have lost 20 pounds so far. I know I need the surgery because I have been riding the weight roller coaster for years and it is time to make a life change. I think we all get nervous it is natural, but you have to think what is best for you. Do you think you can loose the amount of weight that you need to loose and can you keep it off for the rest of your life? Do what is best for you that is what is most important.

I doubted my own need to get banded. Hey, I lost 27-28 pounds in 6 weeks! That was one-third of my excess body weight. Some people might say I'm crazy to get banded to lose only 57 pounds but these 57 pounds are horrible for me in every way. I've avoided being in pictures for years and looking back through my digital albums I see tons of photos with hubby and kids but few with me because I hid behind the camera. My weight keeps me from living life to the fullest and from enjoying good health. I'm sure, if left to myself without the band, I would have packed the weight I lost back on within 6 months. No doubt in my mind.

I'm still doing it all by myself, even though I have the band. It hasn't gotten to the point that it stops me from eating what I want to eat- I am still making the conscious choice to eat certain foods and not others, and to control my portions. I can still eat just like before if I want to. So don't beat yourself up!

Am I upset I let myself get to this point, but I was done with life as I knew it. I knew the band wasn't going to lose the weight for me and that I still had to diet. That it was just going to help me. So yeah I'm upset, the band is not doing much for me right now, but it gave me the kick in my ass I needed to say, hey you have to do this!