I am 5'2" and about 205lbs giving me a BMI of about 37. I have struggled with my weight my entire life and have tried every diet out there. I began thinking about getting the Lap Band surgery so I made some calls to schedule an appt to consult with a surgeons. Out of the three calls I made, only one office considered me to be a bariatric surgery candidate. I am very excited but am also skeptical- has anyone else had the surgery with a lower BMI and no major health issues??? My appt isn't until the 31st and my anxiety is going to be through the roof by then!!

They only usually do it for people who have co-morbidy's with your BMI. Don't be discouraged though. You actually might have something that could be considered a co-morbidity that you don't realize. Talk to you surgeon and see what he say's. It is worth trying. Relax you pretty much don't have control of what they decide so I wouldn't worry. Good luck!

My BMI was 35 . I have mild sleep apnea.

I had surgery December 1 ,2011

they told me that things like joint pain, low energy, sleep apnea, and other physical problems could be considered co morbidities. i was worried about the same thing since i'm young and don't have things like diabetes and high bp, etc. try not to worry, you never know. it could work out. mine did and i'm going in for surgery on january 20th. good luck!

My BMI was 32 but in Aus we have a different system.

Sorry to sound harsh, but this is surgery, with small-medium but significant risks (including death - depending on how good your surgeon is). Have you considered getting a personal trainer? At a BMI of 37, its not that hard to lose weight, and a personal trainer can have you fit and looking good within a year or two. I found having someone/something to motivate me was all that i needed. Also, a personal trainer for a year is likely to be cheaper than surgery, and you will be healther in the long run.

Also, as a side note, I know BMI is not that good an indication of how "fat" someone is, its really the skin fold test. Anyway, i think if you start by eliminating all alcohol and pre-packaged foods from your diet, you might be surprised how effective it is. I know its hard. I had a BMI of 30 about 4 years ago. I didn't have any co-morbidities. I set myself a diet plan. 2 weetbix and milk for brekky. 1 medium apple and small tub of plain/natural yogurt (in one of those snap packs - try to find the one with the lowest sat fat and free sugar) for a snack. 2 sandwiches with wholemeal bread, tomato, lettuce, beetroot, 2 hardboiled eggs, gherkins/pickles and 2 thin slices of honey roasted ham with no butter (the key is no butter). One more apple for a snack. and whatever roast or Pasta (no cheese/olive oil/pesto etc.) for dinner.

The other key is 0.5 to 3/4 of an hour of solid exercise per day. This means sweating and pushing until you're breathless - this is where the personal trainer comes in. Do this, and you will lose a lot of weight within 6-8 months and be very fit. It will be easy to start, but a lot harder after the 1st week, and hard for at least 2 or 3 months to come, and during this time you will lose a lot of motivation. But push through and you will feel happy that you didn't do the surgery.

I don't like to say how much weight I lost (it was a lot) but that shouldn't be the main goal. I always told myself that If i become fit, the weight will come off by itself. Before i started, running 300 metres was a struggle. After half a year, i was running 3 kilometers non stop, an improvement of 10 fold. Last year, I ran the melbourne half marathon, and this year, I am playing in the glen iris open championships in tennis.

P.S. the food doesn't seem a lot, but eat it slowly, and you will realise that it is.

At a BMI of 37, its not that hard to lose weight

Oh really?

It's not is it?

Well if that is true how come so many people didn't lose the weight by themselves when they hit a BMI of 37 but instead they kept gaining until they reached a BMI of 40 or in some cases 50 or more?

I don't know who you are but I think you have a hell of a lot of cheek to come here and tell people that it is not that hard to lose weight. Yes it is and guess what it is even harder to keep it off. So if you have managed to lose weight and keep it off without a band or any other type of help bully for you. Most people on this site have been struggling with their weight for years, they have tried to lose and keep the weight off by themselves but have eventually realised that they need some kind of surgical intervention.

If you don't have a weight problem and you don't have a band or have had some other form of WLS then I suggest you go and preach about how easy it is somewhere else!

thank you all for your words and support. The lap band surgery, if approved, is a last resort for me, as it is for most of you. I have been overweight my ENTIRE LIFE, i am just not happy anymore! It is hard to stay motivated when i have hit the gym 3-4 times a week for the past two months, watched what i was eating and only lost a few pounds, which i can gain back in a weekend! I need results and I need them to stay! I have my first appt. with my surgeon on the 31st of this month! I will keep you posted

My BMI is 43 and before losing 10 pounds it was 45. I've been overweight since age 12. I went from 110 pounds to 289 in a year due to learning that I have policystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). When my BMI was lower it WAS hard to lose weight. I have to work twice as hard as an average woman because of my PCOS. It's a lot EASIER for men to lose weight then women and my doctor even told me that and I actually did a little study myself I have a friend that is the same weight and we eat the same and do the same exercises and everything. BAM he lost weight me I've only lost 10 pounds. He knows that I'm going for lap band surgery and he even told me that for years he had a hard time losing weight but he only exercised more before. With a BMI of 37 I don't know what the standards are for where you live but I live in Vermont but I'm going to New Hampshire for my surgery because they are the closet hospital that has the bariatric program and they said that if your BMI is 35 or more they will do it. For the whole co-morbity (whatever it's called) that's if your BMI is between 30 and 35. Each place I guess is different. The best thing to do is ask your doctor about it. My doctor has recommended it for me since the age of 18 but I wasn't ready then to change and get it done. I'm now 24 and I'm ready. good luck

My BMI was under 32, with no co-morbities (unless GERD is considered a co-morbidity). Insurance wasn't going to cover so I self-payed (I saved for 18 months) and had no problems- in fact the surgery was cheaper by self-paying and the post-op attention I receive is better than most friends covered by their insurance- same surgeon in the same office but there are insurance limitations. I worked with my family physician and he was able to show proof that my BMI had fluctuated between 35 and 20 for over 18 years. This was my investment in myself to take control and never go back- because of that it came to a point that the money was no longer an issue. I wanted my life back.

Keep in mind that being approved by an insurance company and being approved by a lapband surgeon are 2 different things. If you are willing to be self-pay you can be banded with a lower BMI and no co-morbid conditions. The idea is that if you are very overweight it won't be long before you do have weight related health issues. My starting BMI was much higher than yours, so that was considered a "morbid" condition all by it's self. Morbid Obesity ....yuck!

Way to tell'em elcee, no one should judge us unless they have struggled for years to lose and maintain a weight loss. Banding IS NOT the easy way out, it is just as hard work as before.

In the US the FDA has approved the use of the Lap Band for BMIs down to 30 with a co-morbid condition:

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm245617.htm

But even before that occurred a doctor could prescribe banding for someone if they felt their health would be improved by its use. There is an American who used to post on this board who self-paid at a BMI of, I believe, 32 with no co-morbidites.

However, that doesn't mean your insurance company will pay for it. Have you called them or looked online to see what your coverage is? You don't have to wait for the appointment to find out.

When I started this I didn't have co morbidity but I started checkups at Dr and I did have high colestrol high bp I just didn't knw about it. I also have foot problems so that helped. Even a slight increase requireing Meds can help your insurance approve it. Start the wt 6 month wt loss program with Dr now sooner the better and it goes by fast really!

Oh really?

It's not is it?

Well if that is true how come so many people didn't lose the weight by themselves when they hit a BMI of 37 but instead they kept gaining until they reached a BMI of 40 or in some cases 50 or more?

I don't know who you are but I think you have a hell of a lot of cheek to come here and tell people that it is not that hard to lose weight. Yes it is and guess what it is even harder to keep it off. So if you have managed to lose weight and keep it off without a band or any other type of help bully for you. Most people on this site have been struggling with their weight for years, they have tried to lose and keep the weight off by themselves but have eventually realised that they need some kind of surgical intervention.

If you don't have a weight problem and you don't have a band or have had some other form of WLS then I suggest you go and preach about how easy it is somewhere else!

Thanks for the reply. I know its not easy, and it is also easier to "lose weight" as a man. The point I was trying to make was that fitness is the thing to concentrate on, and after that with a healthy diet, the weight drops off by itself. I didn't mean to offend anyone. I know many people struggle to lose weight at that particular BMI, but I think the mentality that many people have is to concentrate on losing weight too much so that as soon as you put it back on, it becomes discouraging.

The reality is that weight should be taken over an average of the week because it fluctuates. @bellavp, did you take your weight as an average over the week, or as one offs? I know for example, my weight on a wednesday is higher by 2 kilos on average than on a sunday because sunday is my day of rest, meaning i eat and drink less.

@elcee I know its a touchy subject and you have every right to be mad at me. I'm sorry for making you upset. I'm glad that the banding has helped you.

@laddie1229 I don't know if you were referring to me but I wasn't judging.

Thank you