I'm looking to get a lap band surgery. I have gained a significant amount of weight over the past 7 years. My weight has gotten up to 470 pounds. Some of the reasons I am considered lap band is I hate surgery. The lap band seems to be the least invasive and I'm not comfortable with surgery that removes part of my stomach. I do like the fact it is adjustable and can be reversed if needed.

Everything I read is from doctors or people who have not been overweight. I am hoping to hear from people who have had or are considering other options. Just 7 years ago I weighed 240 pounds. I'm still discussing with my doctor about possible reasons I have gained 230 pounds in 7 years. The risks of surgery can't be worse than the risks of being this heavy. At 30 years old I'm already having to see a cardiologist due to high blood pressure and am on blood pressure medication. My doctor said I had a fatty liver due to my weight and I have plantar fascitis and gout among other things.

I only eat two meals a day but they are pretty large meals. I don't like to cook and eating small meals during the day may appeal to me. I do like to drink a lot of diet pop. That may be a struggle to give up pop.

I just don't know what to do. I feel like something needs to be done and soon.

I would spend a lot of time here reviewing posts and also on YouTube. I was 315 before surgery. I had just Packed on another 30 pounds in less than a year. I knew that something had to be done or my weight was going to completely spiral out of control even more. I spent a lot of time talking to my doctor and researching the good and the bad parts of getting the band. In the end it was the best decision for me. I'm down about 60lbs since November. Get books as well which I found helpful like the Big Book of Lap Band and Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies.

I know giving up pop will be hard. I've been trying too move toward water. My fear is I'll feel hungry but unable to eat which will drive me mad. I only two meals a day as it is,but one meal could be 8 slices of pizza. How long does the full feeling last? It seems like I can eat and 15 minutes later I'm ready for another round.

Do you see a endocrinologist? My personal experience the so called diet pop diet coke i was an addict. Lived on it! Im not getting into no debates or statistics or nothing this is my experience..i craved it daily. Me and the hubs. Weight issue? Yes for me. Kept his diabetes crazy. (Again our experience) we stopped cold turkey over 10 yrs ago. "Fear" also held me as prisoner denial of myself and a carb addict. I didn't eat much thru the days yr after yr (so i thought) i also have hashis i had to have complete thyroid workup and get to bottom of my weight increases also. Some was everything i ate the ff foods the lowfat and sf foods i thought was good choices along with the good grains..were all my enemy for me. The band was no option for me it was a tool i would be using as in my mind it would be to easy to go back to eating the way i was accustomed to..that was me..i knew i needed a permanent tool that would motivate me for life. And it has helped me tremendously! Without my sleeve i would just be prolonging the inevitable on my part. I understand the fear of surgery..but its really not bad at least for me i know everyone is different. Its a personal choice. I wish you the best to a healthy life. But also eating habits are also driven by many causes. I had to face mine fix mine and knew when i was ready for lifestyle change. Keep us posted ..do your research..maybe get an appointment and go talk to a surgeon...????

I have not seen an endocrinologist. In 2007 I had my gallbladder removed and weighed 240 pounds. Even though I was overweight, I still rode a bike 30 minutes a day, walked about a mile a day, and was very active. Since then, I have nearly doubled in weight. I'm having digestive issues as well as my bloid pressure so my doctor and I have been focused on that. I plan to bring up weight loss surgery on my next visit. I just started seeing this doctor so she is unaware of my rapid weight gain.

I was always hungry too, wanted a less invasive surgery with a quick recovery time, easy to follow rules and fairly good results. I got that and more. I lost 50 of my 85 lbs in the 1st 7 months, Im still working on the last 35, but Im VERY happy with the results. No more sleep apnea, no more digestive issues, not tired all the time, love how I look and feel. Even with the plantar facitis that I got last summer , I was still able to do some things and only put on 10 lbs due to lack of ability to exercise much. ( Baking /sampling didn't help either! ). You and I have some problems in common, so do your research well to make sure its whats best for youand hopefully you will have good results too !! Good luck !!

I love my band and have had excellent results. There are a couple of links below in my signature which might be helpful in terms of understanding how the band works. It dims the appetite so that we can make good decisions but it would still be possible to eat around any weight loss surgery. I am some one who benefited from seeing a therapist during my research phase and then the initial stages of my new banded life. I don't miss anything. I eat well and am very happy to have the appetite monster off of my back. Choose yourself, choose life and a healthy future -- that is what you deserve. Diet soda is not helping your body -- there is data out about how the aspartame, etc. tells the body that food is coming, thus creating hunger. Whatever it is, it's an epidemic of addiction. Best wishes to you as you go forward.