Hello, everyone! I am a 35 year-old mother of a 3 year-old toddler and wife of a wonderful man. We lost our second baby at 37 weeks of pregnancy due to pre-eclampsia. It has been 10 months since, and I have been trying to lose weight so that we could TTC again.

I have not been successful.

My primary care physician is strongly encouraging me to have gastric banding. There are many reasons to consider this. I am diabetic and hypertensive, and I know that WLS is the only proven way to lose weight and keep it off. I am also not getting any younger—I have to lose weight quickly in order to conceive again.

On the other hand, after researching the procedures, it seems that WLS is mostly a surgically-induced eating disorder. Do I really need to risk surgery in order to obsess over every calorie, puke when I eat too much, and eat fewer than 1200 calories for the rest of my life?

I know this seems facetious, but I am seriously asking this.

Like many people here, I have been fat all of my life. I am 5’2”, and the lowest I have ever been in my adult life has been 175 pounds. I got to 175 pounds by eating a low fat diet and jogging three miles a day. If, after being on a diet and exercising so dramatically in my early 20s I was still at 175, that seems to indicate that I am one of those people who will have to consume a low calorie diet and exercise several hours a day for the rest of my life. I can live with that.

The question is—do I need surgery to do this?

I am looking forward to reading everyone else’s stories, and to learning more about this tool for weight loss.

I was a good dieter. I was better at putting it back on since age 14.

I was tired of being the fat woman . I just got fed up at being fed.

I was willing to give up volumes of food. I admit it isn't as fun as it used to be going to the grocery store. On the other hand I love my back fat being gone.

You have to decide if you want to been smaller or eat 4 pieces of chicken at once.

edie

Hi Amaara, welcome!

First, I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your baby. I can't even imagine!

Second, I wanted to say that I can see how you might see WLS as a "surgery-induced eating disorder", but I assure you it is nothing of the sort. To use your examples, I definitely do not obsess over every calorie. I don't have to! My hunger is dimmed, so I don't even think about it half the time. I do have to make smart choices though. I can't let myself get full on a twinkie, because that would just defeat the purpose. That's not to say I don't have a little cheat from time to time.

I also do not puke whenever I eat too much. Usually I'll slime and have to spit into a sink/toilet for 10 minutes, but puking... no. Actually, it's rare that I eat too much anymore. Once you learn what full feels like (and trust me, it's a lot different when you're banded), you learn to stop there. And it's not hard. Getting food stuck and having that over-full feeling is not fun.

Finally, don't let the amount of calories you might eat bother you. You have to focus on quality food choices, knowing that there are treats still in your future. I know it's hard to understand, but it is an amazing change. I really didn't get it until I had my band.

No one can tell you whether or not surgery is the right option for you. You have to decide what's best for you. I hope I haven't been too preachy here. I just wanted to tell you what my experiences have been. Please explore these boards-- there's so much good info here. I wish you the best of luck in your journey!

Maria

Amaara, I would say that the answer to your last question is "NO". That is, as long as your knees and ankles hold out. Jogging is very high impact and you risk some joint trauma. Also, "NO" if you don't mind a bland diet for the rest of your life. I'm sure there are plenty of people in here that know that "FAT TASTES DELICIOUS"! It is what puts the cream in ice cream and the "beef" in a steak. And your body loves it so much, that it will take any leftover carbs and sugars and turn them into fat stores. So....NO....you don't have to have the surgery. IMHO

Maria, thanks an immense amount for your help. I have been reading as much as I can in the past four days. Do you know of any links to studies done on long-term effects-- 10 and 20 years out from WLS?

These boards are an amazing resource.

~~Amaara

Have you checked out the Lap Band FAQs and References folder? There is a thread in there with links to all sorts of clinical studies. I'm not sure about how long term they are, but they should still be helpful. There is a woman on a yahoo group who has had her band for 8 years and she's still doing great!

Hope this helps!

Maria