Hello!

Im writing to you cuz i need support so please don't judge me, thats the only reason why i came here. Im 22 years old, turning 23 in september. I have struggled with my weight since i was 3! I was always the fat one in class. Honestly i don't know where to start. I hate my body and i hate that i have to live on a diet constantly to maintain my weight. Im 168 cm tall and i weigh 78 KGs so my BMI is 27. Everytime i try to lose the excess weight i end up gaining it right away, i tried every single diet there is. Im also insulin resistant and recently i went to my doctor and he said i need to lose the weight ASAP cuz its effecting my sugar levels a lot and i have 40 percent body fat which is very dangerous. One year i lose 10 to 15 kgs the next i gain double. Its always been like that and I'm suffering. If i eat a burger today , the next day will show on the scale. Living in Dubai makes it extremely hard to diet and exercise given that i work and study and own my own business. Its really tough cuz I'm in the fashion industry and every time i look at my pictures i feel incredibly shocked and depressed. Im really really down. I found a doctor in Lebanon, Beirut ( self pay, i can afford it ) that accepted to band me but told me since i have such a low bmi then the risk for the band slipping is higher. Is it really that dangerous to get banded at bmi 27? a lot of people lose plenty of weight banded and keep the band when the Bmi reaches 25, so whats the difference? I have considered lipo and other options but i knew that that was a short term solution. Please help me.. I'm really down

Not sure about band slippage in low BMI patients. I was banded in February and started with a BMI of 28.4 the day of my surgery. I am 7 weeks into it and have lost 13 lbs.

I also started with a lower bmi (30) and my Doc happily agreed to band me. All he has to do is use a smaller band suitable for lower bmi-ers. Perhaps he only has 1 size band?

I had my surgery 2/14 and down 15.5 lbs.

Welcome to the group dwolley. You will get a lot of stuff from this group but judgement isn't one of them. Let me start with we have all been there I have the same problem a will starve myself of food and kill myself with exercise and will get every last pound off. but the minute I return to a normal way of life (and by normal I mean 1300 calories and exercising 2-3 times a week) I gradually begin gaining weight. Eventually I gave up. I just couldn't live on 900 calories forever. So thats way I chose the band. It will make 900 alories possible.

So be proud of yourself for maintaining a lower bmi...and seeking a longterm solution. I know a few people felt I wasn't "big enough" to have the surgery. I never could get them to understand that me being the size I am was strugge and that I knew if I didnt do something soon I would be "big enough" for the surgery. So applaud you for making the decision early on and not waitly until you have a bmi of 45 or 50.

As for band slippage....I agree with jennybee, unless he dosen't have multiple size bands, he should be able to fit you with one that would work on lower bmi patients.

You are all so supportive, thank you so much for your replies. Im so glad that i found a place where I'm not judged, or told that " I'm not fat" or what ever. I really appreciate this. Well today i was having lunch with a couple of friends and i told one of my friends that i was considering getting banded, and she was so shocked and kept saying how crazy i am and that i have a nice body.. the thing is i know how to dress in a way that covers all the wrong areas! So they have this idea that I'm not that fat.. but once the clothes come off its horrible. Ok so enough about that. My biggest concern now is the actual surgery and the pain, i googled some images of the surgery and it looked so painful with all these holes and the port and all!! Oh and my friend told me that a lot of people have died in that surgery+ never lost the weight.. Im so discouraged right now, but i know that i have no other option.. Please help, i don't know what to do.. can u just tell me about the pain after the surgery and the pain getting the fills? Is it that bad? Don't they use anesthesia or something while going for the fill? Im so clueless..and lost.. and worried that something might happen to me!

I am a low BMI bander (was a BMI of 35 when I was banded) and I hope you don't see it as judgemental when I ask you to consider this:

Is the amount of weight you wish to lose worth the surgery?

I had about 60lbs to lose, according to my dr, and if you go by the statistics, the AVERAGE weight loss of band patients is about 60%. So for me, I had to weigh up if only potentially losing 36lbs was worth the cost, the pain and the risk.

For me, it was. In part because I believed I could lose 100% of the excess weight and I eventually lost 130% of my excess weight.

So for you, you have to consider: if losing only, say, 20lbs (60% of your excess weight) is worth the cost and risk, then do it, and stand by your decision, and accept that it will be painful, that you will have scars on your stomach (which will show if you wear a bikini) and you won't be able to eat and drink the same way you always have. And, being of a lower BMI, the weight will likely not shift as quickly for you as it does for others.

Good luck with your decision. I know what it's like to live a life being overweight, and I wish I'd done this sooner. But having said that, I didn't know that I was actually ready to do this before my surgery.

I am a low BMI bander (was a BMI of 35 when I was banded) and I hope you don't see it as judgemental when I ask you to consider this:

Is the amount of weight you wish to lose worth the surgery?

I had about 60lbs to lose, according to my dr, and if you go by the statistics, the AVERAGE weight loss of band patients is about 60%. So for me, I had to weigh up if only potentially losing 36lbs was worth the cost, the pain and the risk.

For me, it was. In part because I believed I could lose 100% of the excess weight and I eventually lost 130% of my excess weight.

So for you, you have to consider: if losing only, say, 20lbs (60% of your excess weight) is worth the cost and risk, then do it, and stand by your decision, and accept that it will be painful, that you will have scars on your stomach (which will show if you wear a bikini) and you won't be able to eat and drink the same way you always have. And, being of a lower BMI, the weight will likely not shift as quickly for you as it does for others.

Good luck with your decision. I know what it's like to live a life being overweight, and I wish I'd done this sooner. But having said that, I didn't know that I was actually ready to do this before my surgery.

Thank you for replying. I understand where u come from. Im at 80 kgs now, so i wana be at 55 kgs ( so i want to lose around 20 to 25 kgs ) I want to be " THIN ", not even chubby. If i could reach 20 then that would be amazing. But thanks for shedding the light on the average 60 percent weight loss, i never knew. Also, I'm worried about the scars. Don't they ever go away? are they that bad?

Its amazing that you reached your weight,and lost even more than expected. Im sure you look amazing!

Just wanted to say that at 163cm, when I was 54gs, I was VERY thin. I was in a US size 2. I actually consciously gained til I was a size 4 just so I didn't look so boney. Even at a size 4 now, I am still thin compared to most.

If at 168cm you get to 55kgs, you may find that that's not thin, but unhealthy. It's something to consider. May not be so for you, but it was for me. I did not look good at a size 2. My hair and skin suffered and my hip bones stuck out. And you could clearly see my ribs between my breasts. It wasn't beautiful at all. For me, perfect is about 58kgs.

And I have never been a BMI of 19 (which is what you would be at 55kg and 168cm). I only ever got as low as a BMI of 20.3.

For you to get to a "normal" BMI of 25, you'd have to lose 8kgs.That is your 'excess weight' as is calculated by most bariartric patients. So if you did the surgery, it's possible you may only lose less than 5kgs. You may lose more than that, of course, but it's likely you'd have to work hard.

Another thing to consider is this: you may be able to go overseas to have to surgery, but who is going to do your aftercare? For the lapband to work, you need excellent aftercare and regular fills. You need to make sure you will have this in place before having your surgery.

And because I'm dark, the scars never really went away. For others, it does fade though. I had a lower body lift after I lost all the weight too, so have extensive scars on my body now that I've had tattooed over. If you want to have a look, feel free to view my albums: http://www.lapbandta.../242962-lellow/

You also have to keep in mind that its not all in the height or weight ( BMI ) i have a fat percentage of 40 Percent, that means I'm practically obese. The amount of fat i have on my arms, legs, and flanks even my bank is incredible. I hate it.. honestly now I'm feeling extremely discouraged.. after a lot of research I came across this picture ( that freaked me out!! ) , thats what I'm gona have to go through every time i go for a fill? AAAAH I'm so discouraged now.. and unhappy to say the least.. i don't know what to do, I'm so confused!!

I think theres not enough recognition given that every person with. Bmi of 45 once had one of 27. You describe All the struggles of an obese person. Better to lose a small amount now than a large amount in future years. All Lellows points are very true though, aftercare is important, theres someone else on this board fro Dubai but i cant remember who, hopefully she sees this.

I agree with Jachut, that everyone with a BMI of 40 had to at one point have a BMI of 27 so I don't see a problem with a person with a low BMI getting banded. What does concern me though are your expectations. A band is designed to help a person lose their excess weight not to ensure that a person reaches the lowest end of the healthy BMI scale. Even with a band that is probably going to be hard to achieve.

As you work within the fashion industry I am sure that the pressure to get to that ultralow weight must be huge.

What are you doing currently to try to lose the weight? Are you on a diet, are you able to stick to it? What are your particular diet demons? Do you have issues with portion control,are you a grazer, an emotional eater etc?

If you are struggling with portion control and hunger then yes the band could assist you. But if you are already managing to stick to a "diet" then a band may not be the answer. It may be a case of extra exercise would benefit you more.

The thing you also need to remember is that even with a band weight loss is not guaranteed as the band is not a magic wand, but if you are committed and follow the rules, eat the correct amounts of healthy food and exercise then it is an invaluable tool. If you think the band is for you then do lots of research first so that you know what to expect and ask lots of questions. When researching check what you find e.g your photo of a fill is nothing like any fill that I have had!

Oh holy cow if that was how anyone gets fills, they're braver than me! A fill is just a needle through the skin on your belly into the port that is situated just under your skin. No big holes! That probably is more likely to be the actual operation, because you're left with 5 (I think) incisions on your belly usually from the lapband placement.

I agree that we all were a BMI of 27 once, and I am for low BMIers getting banded before they get to the stage of having lots of weight to lose. But I think tempering expectations is important. Understanding the trade off you're making is important. Then if you want to do it, you've made an informed choice and that's the best you can do.

You also have to keep in mind that its not all in the height or weight ( BMI ) i have a fat percentage of 40 Percent, that means I'm practically obese. The amount of fat i have on my arms, legs, and flanks even my bank is incredible. I hate it.. honestly now I'm feeling extremely discouraged.. after a lot of research I came across this picture ( that freaked me out!! ) , thats what I'm gona have to go through every time i go for a fill? AAAAH I'm so discouraged now.. and unhappy to say the least.. i don't know what to do, I'm so confused!!

this is the actual surgery. I suggest you research the surgery (watch a video on YouTube) and the fills too. Find pictures, stories, and info. This will not make you lose weight, it is not a quick fix. You will need to eat right and exercise.

what is your current routine? How many calories do you eat a day? What exercise do you do, and how often?

what other weight loss methods have you tried? Do you know how to eat healthily? Have you been to a nutritionist? Why do you think youve been unsuccessful?

I'm not trying to be mean, as I would advocate for anyone to get this if it was right for them. I just hope you understand that this is no guarantee, that it will not make your choices for you. It isn't a get thin quick tool.

Dwolley-

Here's what it all boils down to...you can seek out others advice and opinions ad infinitum, but at the end of the day, you are the only one that can decide what is best for you The procedure is minimally invasive, outpatient procedure and there is a quick recovery. My doctor does the surgery in less than 17 mins. The pain involved depends on one's pain threshold.

One other thing...there seems to be group of people that are very preachy and negative toward low BMI candidates. I find it fascinating - like a kind of resentment and passive aggression. And remember...it's not about losing the weight, it is about keeping it off!

Good luck!

What you see as preachy, I see as making sure she understands the whole picture. I am all for people doing what they want to do to make sure that they nip a problem in the bud. But I would hate that she goes into this thinking it's a quick win when it's not, that she thinks that it's something that will not require any change on her part.

If she decides, knowing everything she can about the band, to go ahead, then she makes an informed decision. I would never tell anyone, low BMI or high BMI, what to do with their money, but I also won't pretend that the band is what it's not.

• She has a right to know the stats on the success of the lapband - on average 60% of excess weight, and excess weight is the difference between what she is now and what she would be at a BMI of 25, and in her case, that's 8kg. That's not being passive aggressive, that's the truth.
  
• She has a right to know that she will have scars on her tummy after the operation.
  
• She has a right to know that not many banders get to a BMI of 19.
  
• She has a right to know that she NEEDS good aftercare after her operation or she will fail. Not many people who have just started researching the band appreciate how much aftercare is as important as the operation itself.
  

Why say that someone telling her these things is being resentful? I am a low BMI bander. Most of the people who have commented are low BMI banders. If I'd posted a thread like this 4 years ago before I got my band, I would hope someone would give me the same information as has been given in this thread.

I am not discouraging anyone from having the band, I just want them to know what they're getting into so that they can decide for themselves if it's worth it.

I always appreciate lello and elcees posts. I was never told any of this stuff n didn't find this site til like the day after I was banded. I didn't know I couldn't eat certain things. Didn't know the statistics. Didn't know much of anything except I was sick of being fat! I love all the information and truth I receive here n am very thankful for your posts