Hello everyone, I'm Chris from Kansas City. I just met with my nurses today at the Weight Loss Surgical Center in Overland Park, KS. Not sure who my doctor would be.

Still not 100% on getting the surgery. The wife is VERY on the fence about it. I'm about 95% for. I lost about 60 pounds about 18 months ago and put back all of it PLUS 20 more. I'm at 342 as of this morning with a BMI of 44.2. That's bad, right? Can't be good.

I'm a fast food fatty. I can't drive by one of them places without stopping in. If I told you how often I ate there you'd flip your lid.

My wife wants me to try "everything else but that" including acupuncture and hypnosis before agreeing to the surgery. This seems to me to be throwing good money after bad. I've tried the dieting. Not once, not twice, but dozens of times over the past 20 years. And look where it's gotten me. The lap band seems to be an acceptible risk with a very acceptible reward.

I don't know. It just seems like the time is now. I've got a 4 year old son and I want to be around to see him hit 14.

Advice?

Hi my husband was unsure also. I went to different places on the web and we looked at stats together. I told him my honest feelings about my weight and how it made me feel. I told him I really wanted him to have an open mind as we went through this together. He is great with it now that he has information on it. Also the Dr. talked with him and that helped alot. Good luck. This is a great place to be!

I just want to thank the person who responded to your e-mail. I am very into frogs as you can see by my user name....kermit . Yet I never thought of it as an acronysm to help me make up my mind on the lap-band procedure. I will do just as the lap-bander said and "Fully Rely on God" to show me that this is the right decision for me. Thank you.

ask her to attend a seminar or two WITH you! It really helped in my situation.

GOOD LUCK!

Do a lot of research. I got my band about a month ago and i am sooooo glad i did. I do not get my first fill till tomorrow, but just having the band in there has really reduced my appetite. I have lost 19 pounds so far. Best of luck. Donna

Chris: I was in the same boat. My husband wanted me to keep trying but after years & years of losing the same & putting it back on I was done with normal dieting. He is..of course...a slim person who does not overeat or eat emotionally. Hard to expect people like that to understand. He did fully support my decision & was a real trooper. He was so nervous the day of surgery I felt bad but once he saw me come out of the OR he was a new person. Stick to your guns & just ask her to support you...that's what I did. We all know we've tried other ways but this is a great decision that works! Good luck to you!

I could always lose the weight, but it always came back. The band has helped me control that. Good Luck!

My husband wanted me to keep trying but after years & years of losing the same & putting it back on I was done with normal dieting. He is..of course...a slim person who does not overeat or eat emotionally.

My wife is... what I would say, heavier, but I guess not super-overweight. It's not a problem for her at this time and I guess we love each other to see through the fat and really love each other for who we are.

All that's great. Mushy, mushy, right? But I really think that by pursuing this, she thinks she's getting hurt. We constantly look at each other after a hard day at work and the look in our eyes automatically dials the pizza Hut. Neither of us cook very well, so we have the Applebee's to go on speed dial. We have a "tradition" where on Sunday morning's I'll go to Hardees and get whatever crap food of the day for Breakfast so she'll have it when she gets up.

We're romantic, but when I stop and look at it, we're romantic WITH CRAP FOOD. So, I think that's got a lot to do with it as well. I've never had a problem going on a 4-month diet. And I'm not about to say she railroaded any of them. I did that. But she did start to chip away at the good habit foundation that I had laid.

Anyway, I think she's got some worries and my entire life is about making her and my little boy happy. It's just going to have to be by living until I'm 80 and eating less rather than eating crap food on Sunday mornings and dying when I'm 41.

I'm just afraid that she might want the latter because it's easier.

Dunno.

Thanks, by the way for the messages. I got approved for the loan yesterday and I haven't called the place back yet to set my appointment. Still have a few more questions... but I'm on my way...

Oh... and I stopped drinking soda today. Not really a pre-op diet because I'm still eating crap, but I had no soda, only Water - and lots of it.

The headache tells me that something is working... No pain, no gain, right?

ask her to attend a seminar or two WITH you! It really helped in my situation.

GOOD LUCK!

Tracy, who did you go to? I went to the Weight Loss Surgical Center - the one that's blasting on the ads on TV right now. I am normally against doing something because of a TV ad, but the clinic was very clean, nice and the nurses and folks were really friendly. I just didn't get a chance to meet the doctors yet. I hope to do that soon.

I live in KC North and work in Excelsior Springs, but maybe I can meet up with ya some time and buy you a bottle of Water and you can tell me the real skinny on how you're so skinny!!

Keep up the awesome work. Your pictures look fantastic!!

I'd have to agree with the person who said take her to a meeting with you. If she loves you and wants the best for you, she will see how much this means to you and support you regardless of what she feels. Love makes sacrafices. Maybe she's afraid to change, because she knows that once you change, she may have to also... Change is hard for some. Any way best of luck

Hey nkcaump! Welcome to the forum! I'm in Kansas too and was recently banded. It's been such a positive experience for me so far. I look forward to living with my new band! I too had friends/family who begged me to try to go on a diet and eat less before resorting to the band. Thing is, dieting and trying to eat less if my life story! I researched the lap band for about a year, went to a couple seminars and met with a couple doctors before deciding. All the while, I took my boyfriend with me to all the meeting and all the consults. It helped him ease his worries and see that the lap band is something that CAN actually help me towards weight loss, not just temporary weight loss.

I also want to commend you on quitting soda. It's a hard thing to do, especially when the headaches kick in and the tiny voices in your head start begging you for some soda. So, again, welcome to the board, ask questions, ask lots of questions here...you'll get answers and lots of support as well!

Thanks so very much for the encouragement. Had a crappy day (day 2 without soda... only water...) horrible headaches and then I get home only for my 4 year old to say he wants McDonalds for dinner.

Well... I did soemthing I haven't done in a LONG time. Gone through the drive-through and only ordered a bottle of water!!!

...doesn't help the headaches, but it's one of those quiet battles I've won...

Thanks so very much for the encouragement. Had a crappy day (day 2 without soda... only water...) horrible headaches and then I get home only for my 4 year old to say he wants McDonalds for dinner.

Well... I did soemthing I haven't done in a LONG time. Gone through the drive-through and only ordered a bottle of water!!!

...doesn't help the headaches, but it's one of those quiet battles I've won...

Hey! Good job on holding up with the no soda diet! It's hard when the poeple around you want a certain type of food that you shouldn't be having. I know when my friends want to go out, they want to go out and have junk food. Now that I am banded I often have to chime in and see if we can go to other places where I know I can pick something out of the menu that is healthier for me. Again, it's hard but looks like you're on the right mind set. Keep it up! :clap2: