My name is Dee. I'm married and have twin boys. My doctor recently suggested that I consider the lap band surgery. The more I've looked into it, the more I'm leaning towards doing it. I have about 145 pounds to lose, and after a year of seriously trying to get it off (limiting my food intake, exercising more, and drinking more water) I've had no success:phanvan . So I went to my doctor for some help and that's when she suggested the surgery.

My biggest concern is going through the surgery and it not working. Has that ever happened to anyone? I understand that it will not work if the person is not totally committed to doing what they're supposed to. Has anyone been totally committed and still had it not work?

Any information would be extrememly helpful!

Dee,

I'm a new bandster, so I can only give you my take on it. I am sooo glad I did this. I've heard there a few that this did not work for them, BUT I believe the great majority have had success. Remember also that many of the really successful bandsters are probably NOT on any board. They are happily living their normal weight lives. So, you will get a lot of different opinions on any bandster board. Do your research and also know that you have to put your best into it also. If that means you need extra sessions with a counselor or nutritionist to control our head hunger demons, then DO IT.

No Regrets

Terry :grouphug:

Hello newbie, I was banded 90 days ago, and yes if you dont have the right mind set and work the plan given to you by your Doc, it propably will all be for not. The band is a tool just like any other tool, but the great thing to remember is that you are the operator, YOU make the tool work for you, if you keep this in mind YOU will be a success.

This website is grt and at times not so grt, the thing to know is that read alot use alot of the result getters, but remember a number of bandsters on these sites are still not working their plans thus they are not getting the results that they had hoped for. Good luck and keep us posted.

Hi Dee...welcome to lapbandtalk.com...it is a wonderful place. I was banded on June 5th of this year and so far i have lost 21 lbs. Shackdog is so right, you have to have the right mind set to do this...just because your banded doesnt mean you can still eat a whole pizza and lose weight or sneak in a couple of candy bars and definitely stay away from ice cream...I know in my mind that i can still eat all those bad things but i am choosing not to because not only do i want to lose the weight but i also want to be heart healthy.....I think lapband was an awesome choice for me. Just do like shackdog said....do your research...see whats involved and what it will take for you to succeed. Good Luck....if you have questions do not hesitate to ask....Everyone here has answered any question i have ever had and i will answer any questions you have not that i would be much help considering i am not a probander i am a newbie to.

My biggest concern is going through the surgery and it not working. Has that ever happened to anyone? I understand that it will not work if the person is not totally committed to doing what they're supposed to. Has anyone been totally committed and still had it not work?

Any information would be extrememly helpful!

From the other side of the street...yes, lots of "totally committed" people have had problems and/or complications and had the band "not work" for them in one way or another.

Check out the http://lapbandtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=78 and

http://lapbandtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=79

Most, if not all, of these people were as committed as can be.

If you really have spent a year "...seriously trying to get it off (limiting my food intake, exercising more, and drinking more water)..." then you might want to look into the other surgeries as well. BECAUSE, the band will help limit your food intake and the excerise and Water will still be your responsibility, but if doing those things have not worked for you without the band, I'm not sure why we would expect the band to change your results. It COULD improve on your limiting your intake...but only if you don't go for finding some other way to eat to your satisfaction. But since there is no malabsorption, that's about it.

ON AVERAGE, the typical banded person who needs to lose 145 pounds will lose about 90 pounds. Some will lose all 145...some will lose nothing. A few may even lose MORE than 145 and a very few may even gain weight.

Make your decision based on as much information as you can gather. Good luck.

Sue

Hi Dee, yes it was the right decision for me. I am finding that bad habits are a major contributing factor as to why I'm having difficulty. I am newly banded as well but have only lost 12 lbs. If you can go into this knowing that it is a tool and you will have to put work into it as well you will be okay. My weight loss is slow so far.

Good luck.

Thank you for all the good advice. Since talking with my doctor about 2 weeks ago, (which was when she made the suggestion about the surgery), I have followed her advice. I have gone from drinking 2% milk down to skim milk and I have increased my exercise from walking 4 days a week to walking everyday. I usually walk 2-3 miles a day. As for my food intake, most days is under 1500 calories a day. But there are some days, I must be honest, where it seems like I just can't get enough to eat. (I don't even want to guess the calories for days like that:phanvan ) I don't really eat a lot of sweets, but every once in awhile I get hungry for chocolate, so I eat maybe 10 chocolate chips....ugh!

I have an appointment with my doctor next week, and will tell her that I am interested in the surgery.

What are some questions that I should be asking my doctor....and eventually, the surgeon? I want to be as prepared as possible:)

Thanks everyone for all of your good advice!