Hello, My name is Kate, I'm 22 years old, I weigh 16 stone 7 lbs, height: 5 ft 2, bmi: 42.3, I have been trying to lose weight for 6 years now on a calorie restricted diet of 1600 calories a day and complete 6-10 hours of cardio and strength exercises a week. I have not lost weight once during this time and have been on every diet plan and pill given to me by my doctors and had every blood test done to no avail.

About a month and a half ago my doctor referred me to the decision maker for gastric banding on the NHS [no news yet], I would like some information from people who have had the band done regarding time scales: -before a decision is reached, -usual waiting time for surgery, - % weight loss average in a year.

I understand the belt isn't a quick fix for weight loss, to be honest the idea of it scares me, but it's my last option according to multiple doctors I have researched the band a great deal but couldn't find any info on the things I'm enquiring about.

Any and all information would be helpful, if there's some things you think I would benefit from knowing please feel free to mention them.

Sounds like you need to hear from people in your own country? Here, the waiting time can be a week or 12 months depending on what insurance(and other factors) one has?

There really is no average weight loss since we all start at a different weight. Someone who has 200 lbs to lose may lose 100+ lbs the first year and someone like me who only had 75 lbs to lose lost 50 lbs the first year.

How much you lose is controlled by how committed you are to following the rules. There are at least 2 books from contributors to this forum that may be helpful. "Bandwagon" is one and "the big book on lapband" link is at the bottom of this page. Good luck.

tmf

I, like tmf, have no information for you concerning answers from UK. We have many UK people on here though. Best wishes, and I hope that you can get answers that you seek. Karen

I hate when people say that weight loss surgery is their last chance. Nothing in this world is the last chance unless you give in to that. Yes we all may have tried different diets and most of us did succeed in losing the weight but we gave in and gained it back. The same thing can happen with any weight loss surgery. If you don't stick to it you will in fact gain the weight back. So weight loss surgery is not your last chance because no one should give up that easily.