How many times have we heard this? How many times have we questioned ourselves if we are taking the easy way out? Especially before being banded.

Just my humble opinion here so take it for what it is worth.

Being banded is very hard and I know a lot of thin people that could not tolerate being banded. They could never hack the surgery, possibly surgery in another country, life changes, the lack of specific daily foods such as bread, etc. Maybe even no wedding cake at their own wedding?

When I used to go on a low fat, low carb, low flavor diet after a few weeks I could not pass up a juicy cheeseburger. THAT is the kind of hard I can't do. Being banded, that is the kind of hard I CAN do.

Perhaps if we try to explain it to the non-banded of the world who seem to save up all their uneducated comments to throw at you when you are at your lowest, maybe we can teach them something.

Being banded is the kind of hard we CAN do!

That's how I've tried to explain it - it's "help" - that's all. I need control. I'm old enough and know myself well enough where I know what I can and can't control w/o help.

I am a food addict. Period. Unlike booze and drugs, I can't just completely stop eating. Take an alcoholic and give them just a little bit of booze each and every day and see how they do.

I am a food addict. Period. Unlike booze and drugs, I can't just completely stop eating. Take an alcoholic and give them just a little bit of booze each and every day and see how they do.

exactly! i always tell people who just don't get it that i can't cut out my vice - i need it to LIVE. the band is a management tool... and i don't buy that 'easy way out' crap. at all. $9000 was not easy to part with. 12 days of 2 protein shakes and one meal preop was not easy, 21 days of liquids ONLY postop has not been easy, learning how to eat again, not easy. turning your whole life upside down, not easy. i think of it as the smart way out... i could diet the rest of my life and continue to GAIN weight and health problems... or i could do what i did - make a proactive decision to save my life.

so, yeah. poo on people who claim this it the easy way out... maybe they're just jealous. LOL.

Agree with you entirely Bubblebutt. That's a great way of putting it.

I dont think surgery is the easy way out but I've sure found it a lot easier than trying to lose weight without a band. If somebody had lost 32kg without a band for sure I'd think they had more grit, determination and drive than I have because I was never able to do that. But that doesnt mean this has been a walk in the park.

Yes, I agree. It hasn't been easy for me to lose 45 lbs since June. Its a daily struggle to make sure I use my band in my favor.

I just tell people that I'm an addict. food is my addiction and I came to the realization that I could not lose the weight AND keep it off without help to control the constant hunger that I experienced pre-band. The band is my tool, or "crutch" if you prefer and there is nothing really easy about it because it still requires a commitment to changing my lifestyle. I also tell them, if they push the issue, that when they are in the same arena I fight in then I'll listen to what they have to say.

I also point out to them that if someone were to develope a surgery that helped drug addicts, alcoholics, and smokers overcome their addictions that was equivalent in cost, safety, effectiveness, and benefit as the lap band is as a treatment for obesity, politicians couldn't pass legislation fast enough to pay for it. Then I tell them my surgery didn't cost them a dime of their tax money and means there is now just that much more food available for them and/or the poor and starving people of the world.

I normally don't rant like this may sound. If the person is just curious or really uniformed and seems to be genuinely trying to learn more, I'm usually pretty diplomatic about it, even enthusiastic bordering on evangelistic at times. On the other hand, if they have displayed a particularly obnoxious attitude in pursuing the topic, I have been known to throw in, "Kiss my ass if you don't like it!" at the end.

I try to explain it like this to people who think I've taken the easy way out. "If you see someone drowning you throw the person a life preserver...you don't tell them that if they just learned how to swim right,they wouldn't be drowning right now. So just just leave me with my water wings while I learn how to swim." That usually puts them in their place.

The only person that has mentioned this to me is my brother, and I'm in the current commercial for my doctor up here in the north west.

I think it is easier for a person to say it is the easy way out because they themselves are afraid of the substancial change that it will bring. In the case of my brother, he just could not give up the ability to eat alot of food at once. That is his choice and if it makes it easier to cope with that decision then I am willing to bear some of the responsibility for his insecurities.

As for normal sized people, it is usually just a lack of knowledge on the subject. It's as easy as telling them it helped you begin a profound change in your life, and it is only a tool for that change.

That is the reason I chose not to share my story with people. I just didn't have the strength to argue my reasons in getting the band.

Its not easy, although, I find it easier for me to stick to healthy eating. The head hunger is a daily battle for me, however, it is getting easier to deal with. The thing I like about the band vs diets is the growling belly pains is gone. I eat a little and they disappear.

So, I don't feel I took the easy way out, I feel I took the smart, well educated, time to change, get healthy, way out.

I have to say that the response I get about my lap band has been overwhelmingy positive with just enough knuckleheads in the mix to keep things interesting. What has surprised me a little is the number of people who catch me in private wanting to know more about the band for themselves, a family member, or a friend. That's one reason I don't hide it, there are a lot of people who don't know anyone else to ask or watch. I figure for everyone who asks about it there is probably at least one more who is too shy or embarrassed to ask and just wants to see if it really does works for me. Sometimes we help others without even knowing it.

For the most part, I have received positive comments on my surgery. There are, of course those few idiots that don't know any better but I am learning to ignore them. When I first decided to have surgery, I didn't want anyone to know except family but you know how family is, some of them can't keep their mouths shut so eventually, lots of people knew. At first I wasn't happy about it but now I am very open about it. I figure if I can help one person who struggles with their weight learn about the lapband, then all the rude comments are worth it.

I figure if I can help one person who struggles with their weight learn about the lapband, then all the rude comments are worth it.

Amen to that!

I've been a walking public service announcement for this surgery and found out that there are very few people who know it exists and out of those, a lot of them think it's just like the bypass.

I feel good knowing I've set the record straight and helped people out (several have said, "I have a cousin/brother/son/etc who needs to know about this...!").

In fact, my sister-in-law's brother-in-law (did you catch that one? lol) is looking into it and is waiting for me to get my surgery so he can ask qeustions and see how I do! :-D

That is the reason I chose not to share my story with people. I just didn't have the strength to argue my reasons in getting the band.

Its not easy, although, I find it easier for me to stick to healthy eating. The head hunger is a daily battle for me, however, it is getting easier to deal with. The thing I like about the band vs diets is the growling belly pains is gone. I eat a little and they disappear.

So, I don't feel I took the easy way out, I feel I took the smart, well educated, time to change, get healthy, way out.

Sunshine2

Wow. I want to remember that one in case someone tells me I'm taking the easy way out. Nothing about this has been easy. But it has been the best thing I could ever due for my health, my happiness, my future and that of my family as well.

Thanks

Kim :kiss2:

223ps/217s/203t/135g

banded 1/30/07

fill 3/09/07

I don't think it is the easy way out...but a way out. I thinking knowing what we have tried in the past to lose weight, with short term success and then the rebound plus 10, it was time to try something different.

I have been very selective in whom I'm shared this journey with and have had no negative comments. I'm still doing the lifestyle changes, I'm still monitoring calories, I'm still kicking up my exercise, I'm still doing the work. And this doesn't have anything to do with anyone else...it is about me and me doing something for myself. Or should I say "us" and "us doing something for ourselves." I think the end result is what really matters.

Shawn

There will always be those uneducated idiots who think that because you don't do things the way they do that its cheating or the easy way out.

I used to hear it from other nail techs when I did nails with tips. They would say if you used tips you were a cheater or did it the easy way. I did nails for 14 years and had one of the biggest nail clientels in my town.

I heard it from women who were breast feeding maniacs. I agree breast feeding is the best for the child however, some mothers (like me) just aren't equipted to do it successfully. I had such huge breasts (48HH) that the large amounts of fat and tissue blocked the milk glands, my poor babies were starving.

I also heard it when I had a breast reduction and a Tummy Tuck. Why don't you just exercise and cut back on your food. I had the c-section belly that won't go away with exercise.

I don't tell too many people about lap band so luckily most have been supportive.

It is a situation where you have to come to terms with what you feel is best for you. Do It and don't appologize for losing weight, feeling great, and being active. The uneducated idiots need to "butt out" and just be happy and supportive of those who are trying to make life better for themselves.

If nothing else the pre-op diet just reinforced my position. Here I was starving every day with my poor 1000 calories and low carbs. I was sooo hungry all the time. So of course I was also irritible. Poor DH wasn't allowed to eat in the same room I was in. And if he left evidence of his eating lying around-- like a fry container or mcdonalds bag that didn't get thrown away he would hear about it. I mean some of us are starving here and he could just eat. Plus in the two weeks I only lost 7 pounds. I thought I would lose a lot more but especially in the end my rate of losing just really slowed down. So thats how it is with diets. I'm hungry all the time which means I don't have energy or focus because I'm busy obcessing over food. Plus I'm irritable. So even people who love me nad care about me don't want to me around me if I am going to act like that. Neither would I. And then I stopped losing all that crazy weight. Not even worth it! If I was going to be starving I wanted to at least see the results on the scale and on my body! So the add anger to the fun list of affects of diets. And then I can only take so much of it. So I would also go off of a diet by bingeing on some food that was yummy. And eating too much of it. And then maybe another food. And then it gets harder to go back on the diet. So it is this viscous cycle for me. I just can't do that.

Also there are people like my mom I know who have lost 120 pounds through diet. She says you get used to always being hungry. She is how I don't want to be. Always hungry, always thinking about food. I need something to help me process the dragon meat, not something that makes it want to shoot fire at me.