Hi all,

I just joined this group last week. My plan is to get the band in the next 3-6 months. My goal is to lose 200 lbs.

I am 65, weight 403 and co-morbidities include diabetes currently, heart attack 12 years ago and coronary artery disease -- well controlled with no problems since.

On my own self-imposed diet I've lost 12 lbs. in the past 30 days (nothing drastic, just more vigilant about what and how much I eat).

I chose my doctor because he has the best credentials, experience and success rate vs. others in the area, even though none of his office staff seems supportive or very caring.

How do I get started with the weight loss tracker?

Hi all,

I just joined this group last week. My plan is to get the band in the next 3-6 months. My goal is to lose 200 lbs.

I am 65, weight 403 and co-morbidities include diabetes currently, heart attack 12 years ago and coronary artery disease -- well controlled with no problems since.

On my own self-imposed diet I've lost 12 lbs. in the past 30 days (nothing drastic, just more vigilant about what and how much I eat).

I chose my doctor because he has the best credentials, experience and success rate vs. others in the area, even though none of his office staff seems supportive or very caring.

How do I get started with the weight loss tracker?

Click on one my trackers at the bottom of this message, click on the Ticker Factory Logo at the top of the page, and create your own, then copy the code into your signature on your profile page.

Best of luck to you!

Hi all,

I just joined this group last week. My plan is to get the band in the next 3-6 months. My goal is to lose 200 lbs.

I am 65, weight 403 and co-morbidities include diabetes currently, heart attack 12 years ago and coronary artery disease -- well controlled with no problems since.

On my own self-imposed diet I've lost 12 lbs. in the past 30 days (nothing drastic, just more vigilant about what and how much I eat).

I chose my doctor because he has the best credentials, experience and success rate vs. others in the area, even though none of his office staff seems supportive or very caring.

How do I get started with the weight loss tracker?

Welcome Katie

We share many of the same issues as I am 63 and started this journey last Nov. Because of my health issues (CAD,Diab, copd.Arthritis,sleep apnea,etc) I have had to have extensive tests which all have taken lots of time. I thought I would had this done by now. Be patien and keep trying to lose. Although I do not keep up with the weight tracker, I am sure somebody can help. This is a great support system. There is even a chat set up also. Hope to see you there. I live in the Boston area and hope to have this done soon. Good luck Hope we can stay in touch. Its differern for us and much harder but it can work and be very successful.

Shirl

UPDATE: Just fillin' you guys in..

From everything I'm hearing, it seems like I probably won't lose the 200 lbs. I want to lose. I guess I'll be lucky if I lose 100 lb. I keep going round and round in my mind what to do.

Truthfully, now with a more complete picture, I think the sleeve would be my best bet. Chances are good that I'd lose a substantial amount with the sleeve, and if I needed a revision, I could easily convert into the bypass.

That said, Medicare, does not cover the sleeve yet. It's anyone's guess as to when they will -- anywhere from 18 months to 5 years. I don't have the time to wait.

I am too scared to have the bypass, because of my age, prior history of a heart attack and co-morbidities. I'm sure I will pass all of the pre-op tests with flying colors. But I'm afraid to be on the table for the length of time it takes to do a bypass and the fact that it's 5x more dangerous than any other procedure. Since I had extensive abdominal surgery to remove my ovarian cancer, they don't know if scarring will be an issue that will force an open surgery vs. laparoscopic. And while I'm not having any heart problems, who knows what will happen during surgery. My doc tells me I'm already at a higher risk for pretty much everything, including a pulmonary embolism.

Now all I have to do is find the right doc. My doc is probably the best and most experienced surgeon around, but I do not like his support staff (particularly the P.A. who will be doing the fills).

Right now I'm on the medically supervised diet and doing quite well, to my surprise I've already lost 12 of the 20 pounds I need to drop without much effort. I'm not actually following the "diet" just being practical about what and how much I eat.

Best wishes and healing thoughts for all you newbies. I'm not sure where I'm gonna hang out on this board -- but I will be popping into the 60s for sure.

Kate

UPDATE: Just fillin' you guys in..

From everything I'm hearing, it seems like I probably won't lose the 200 lbs. I want to lose. I guess I'll be lucky if I lose 100 lb. I keep going round and round in my mind what to do.

Kate

So what makes you say that you won't loose the 200 lbs. I was banded last January at 58 years old and 390 lbs. I have lost 130 lbs so far and I am very confident that I will get down below 180 before I am done.

losing 200 pounds is totally doable with the band. even the sleeve and bypass are not a guarantee as you can easily gain weight back if you don't change your behavior. i know several bypass patients who are doing lap bands over their bypass because the bypass didn't change their eating habits over time.

you should really research before you do something drastic like bypass or sleeve. just my. 02.

and there is a special area on the boards for us bigger folk with 200+ pounds to lose.

i am only 5 months out and I have lost over 65 pounds so far. i'm taking it one day at a time, i'm not in a hurry, but i feel amazing after just losing that amount. i may never lose 200, but i am learing to eat correctly and more like a normal person, and that is enough for me. good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Hi,

Thanks for posting! I'm 95% sure I'll be getting the band. Now my biggest decision is what doc. The one I picked is fabulous but I don't like his support staff, especially the PA, who will be doing the fills. I definitely don't want to have to interact with her ever again, much less very often.

Congrats on your weight loss! It's hard work, but definitely work it. I've been dropping pounds consistently since I began my own serious effort to lose weight. Dropped 21 lbs. so far in the past 60 days, 12 "officially" in the past 30 days on my medically supervised diet.

I have a lot of info on Protein Drinks, in fact 73 recipes. Lemme know if you want.

Kate

Welcome Katie,

I was 61 when I started this "path to a new life". I had 100 lbs to lose. I did it! But, I have seen others on here who have successfully lost 200+ lbs. You are already changing the way you eat, so I think that you can be successful. Good luck. 1000 miles starts with the 1st step!!! Karen

Thanks, Karen, and CONGRATULATIONS! What a terrific accomplishment.