Hi there,

I am considering getting the band. I am about 35-40 lbs overweight, my BMI is 27. I know that the band seems like a drastic measure but I have been battling weight for about 15 years and Im struggling just not to gain. I do exercize and eat generally healthy but I am a volume eater, I simply eat too much good food. I have tried WW and every other diet known to man (or woman...) and Im hoping that the band will help me take off these extra 40 lbs and maintain a healthy weight. ANd yes, a part of me would like to do this because I want to frolic around in a bikini....So if there are any bandsters out there who started out with a low BMI..what has your experience been like? would you do it again??? any regrets?

knew about it at your age I would have done it I'm sure...We all had to start at your point to get to how fat we are now. It will only get harder once you hit 30. The only problem is you will probably have to get it done abroad instead of in the states and insurance will most definitely probably not cover it so either you will have to get financing or pay out of pocket at this point. Insurance denied me because I wasn't fat enough too but my BMI I think is around 35 at this point (not sure cuz I'm doing pre-surgery diet now). My surgery is in 8 days!!!! Just research, research, research it and make sure you are aware of the possible complications and food behaviors you will have to give up (i.e. bread's some meats, etc.).

Hi there,

I am considering getting the band. I am about 35-40 lbs overweight, my BMI is 27. I know that the band seems like a drastic measure but I have been battling weight for about 15 years and Im struggling just not to gain. I do exercize and eat generally healthy but I am a volume eater, I simply eat too much good food. I have tried WW and every other diet known to man (or woman...) and Im hoping that the band will help me take off these extra 40 lbs and maintain a healthy weight. ANd yes, a part of me would like to do this because I want to frolic around in a bikini....So if there are any bandsters out there who started out with a low BMI..what has your experience been like? would you do it again??? any regrets?

Hi Beachee Girl,

Best of luck on your upcoming surgery. I am from Canada and I've already been to a consult and I would be self-pay for sure. Its a large sum of money but when I calculate how much I have arleady spent on weight loss over the years and how much I may spend in the future (if I dont get the band), I will probably end up saving money!!

Cheers,

Sandy

Hi Sandeee, I don't have any regrets---lots of bitches but no regrets. I wish I could lose faster, like 40 pounds in one week. Stupid stuff like that but no regrets. I was only as a BMI of 30 and I had to self-pay in Mexico. LOVED IT! I've lost 20 pounds so far (not bad but not fast enough for me) and have at least another 20 to go. It works as a tool to control your overeating. Not a miracle cure but as a tool. I'm really happy with my decision. Welcome!

Hi Raven!

Thanks for your feedback. Im actually in the same situation as you. I am currently 180 and would like to get down to 140 lbs. So be honest with me...am I nutso for wanting to do this?? I briefly mentioned the procedure to my mom and a couple of friends and they're all telling me Im crazy to even consider it, to just go to the gym and work out more...but Ive been down that road already. WHat has been the hardest thing about being banded? I know everyone is different, but Im trying to get a sense of what a banded life is like...

Congrats on losing 20 lbs...!

That's the same 'talk' we've always gotten...just exercise more and stop eating. Well, if we could do that we'd be thin. I remember that I was at that weight for years...always unhappy and trying to lose that weight. If lapband had been available to me then I would have done it in a heartbeat!

Why wait until you're over 200lbs? I'd do it now and get rid of the problem sooner than most of us. You don't have to tell everyone you know that you are getting the surgery.

I decided to have the lap band too even though I didn't actually "qualify" for it. My BMI was about 30 and weight 188 but I kept gaining every year and since the women in my family live very long lives, I don't want to me like my mother who is 82 and except for her weight is in good health. Except for her weight is a BIG except. I was banded May 1 in MX and was doing great until about 2 weeks ago. I'm not sure what happened - I think a combination of things, but I haven't been able to keep very much food down. So I've lost 20 and have another 30 to go, but this is a hard way to lose the weight. I would rather lose slower and feel better. The doctor I saw here in the US thinks I've developed an ulcer in my esophegus (sp). Not fun.

Oh and by the way, Janey, my poodle wants to have a word or two with you.

I've Been Riding The Fence Myself And Hope To Have A Surgery Date In The Next Few Weeks

Hi Sandee!

If you have the financial resources and having the surgery won't burden your family financially, then DO it!!! I knew that I would have to battle weight gain, weight loss for the rest of my life and THAT depressed me. My weight is coming off slowly (normal for us low BMI folks) but at least I know now that once off, always off. As far as your friends and family thinking your crazy, that's because there are so many misconceptions about surgery in Mexico (or anywhere outside the US for that matter). I didn't tell anyone, including my children, for at least two weeks afterward. Only my husband knew and he supported me completely. A lapband is simply a tool---not a simple tool though. It's taken some getting used to for instance, when I talk and eat, I don't chew well enough and it gets lodged in my smaller stomach (stoma). It's pretty uncomfortable when that happens. Also a little scary----don't want to hurt my band, stoma, or waste money. Also, I can't eat breads anymore for the same reason---pain. But hey! Go figure that I can still eat chips and salsa! I am so glad because before the surgery, I wasn't sure if life was worth living if I couldn't eat chips and salsa. I'm grateful for that. Everyone is different with what they can and cannot eat after surgery. I can eat soft cuts of meat just fine with no problem if I remember the rules of the band----eat slowly and chew, chew, chew-----take small bites----don't drink fluids with the meal (this is not only because you will somewhat negate the reason for the band in the first-place but also because the fluid will make the lump of food get stuck in the stoma opening--ouch!!!). Lettuce sometimes gives me a problem but popcorn does not---nor do nuts (chew well). I also keep jerky in my car for moments of perceived starvation! Did you know one whole package of jerky only has about 550 calories!? Lots of sodium but who cares. It's a good way to get your protein and requires you to chew it completely before swallowing. I know a lot of people have problems with eggs but I don't. The band takes a lot of getting used to and I am still learning. I'm glad I did it though. Remember, if your friends and family are giving you slack now----just don't tell them. Don't lie, just keep the secret to yourself until you start seeing results. The lapband way of life is not the easy way out that some people think it is. It's actually a lot harder than a normal diet ------but it's permanent and that's why I did it. I don't know if this ranting has answered any of your concerns but I'm open to keeping the dialog open so you can feel free to ask away! There are many really smart, and funny, people on this board with many varying experiences in lap-band world. It's a good idea to keep checking in to learn from them all. Stay plugged in after surgery as well. We are all here to support each other in this journey. My opinion----GO FOR IT! You won't regret it!

If you only have 40 lbs to lose, it's not worth it, in my opinion. Knowing what I know now, having experienced it and having some problems, which may or not be fixable, if I could have only been 40 lbs overweight and stayed there, I would not have been banded. Unfortunately, I had about 100 to lose.

I guess this will be one of those decisions you'll have to figure out yourself, but even so I think it's pretty good to hear what experienced bandsters have to say about it.

In my case, I only wish I had done it earlier and when I was at your age instead of letting it reach to this point when I fnally had my surgery. I had a low BMI of 35 but I was scared just thinking that at the rate I was getting more weight each year, things were going to get pretty nasty in 10 or 20 years.

No regrets here, this is the best thing I ever did for myself, it has been a long hard process and I'm losing slowly but steady and I'm very happy about it.

niki

i had a bmi of 35 when banded and have lost 40 lbs. i still want to lose another 35-40 more. i would love to frolic in a bikini, but my scars are quite noticible so i don't know if i'll be able to even after getting to goal. but on the larger question of is it worth it? i think so. because of the nature of the tool, i think it is probably an even better preventative measure than a treatment measure for morbid obesity. i have no numbers to back this up, but in terms of effort, i think it is much more difficult to lose with the band than to maintain with the band. so if you do the band before getting way over your optimal weight i think most people would be better in the long run. plus, if you're generally healthy exc for the weight you're more likely to physically be able to exercise etc. (whether you do or not is another thing) i heard that there are french studies to see if the band works as a preventative thing. i am part of one such study, where the participants are bmi 30-39. i don't know how it's going but the nurse says anecdotally that things are going well. anyway, i say all that to say definitely consider the band! i can't assure you that it's the perfect thing for you but i am very happy with it. and i have very little patience for the 'just eat less and exercise' crowd. most of them either have no weight problem or are fat themselves.

I have a low BMI, too. I will be banded next Weds. I wish I would have done it younger but I am still only 34 so I'm not too old to enjoy a bikini if I can get to my goal. Dr. Ortiz actually has a video in his website dedicated to lower BMI's like us. You should check it out. I'd rather get this now before my weight gets totally out of hand.

I have a low BMI, too. I will be banded next Weds. I wish I would have done it younger but I am still only 34 so I'm not too old to enjoy a bikini if I can get to my goal. Dr. Ortiz actually has a video in his website dedicated to lower BMI's like us. You should check it out. I'd rather get this now before my weight gets totally out of hand.

Hi, I couldn't find that video for the low bmi bandsters, can you send me link housecatgirl?

See if this works... http://practiceonde.temp.powweb.com/drortiz.html It was actually one of the many reasons I chose Dr. Ortiz.

I was lower bmi but my weight fluctuated from the time I was in my late teens early 20's. I'm now in my 40's and wish I had been able to do this sooner although I may have thought it was too drastic as i even debated that before surgery - cuz it is pretty drastic. However i've realized and now see very clearly that I would never have achieved permenant weight loss without it - i'm hoping i will but i'm still not there. What i've been forced to see is all my bad habits around food - most are easier to change with the band. I was so tired of yo yoing and one year being 125 and the next 200 - i know that wasn't/isn't good for one's body, etc. So, my bmi was 33 at surgery and I'm hoping to lose a total of 40-50lbs AND KEEP IT OFF FOR LIFE. if the band can help me achieve that - i will be the happiest person. So, yes think hard and research a lot and make the decision for you - don't tell a bunch of people as you can always tell them later and good luck.