My name is Rose and I finally went to my consultation to meet my Dr for my lapband surgery which by the grace of God should happen in Apirl...

He was telling me that I will ONLY lose about 1 lb a week. Sometimes if I am lucky 2 lbs.. He said I should do the Gastric by pass.. I was so devestated and sad the rest of the night. I hear all you talk about how much weight you all are losing and it sure is more than what my Dr said...

Also My lower back is bad and it makes walking very hard. He said cause I cant do a lot of walking I wont lose the weight.. Is this right??? Do you only lose 1 - 2 lbs if you excercise or not????? I dont want to have the Gastric by pass I want the lapband ...

I guess it's up to the individual. I've lost almost 40 pounds since 9/27/07.

Once you stabilize your weight loss, then yes, you should continually lose 1-2 pounds per week, to lose in a healthy way. If you were constantly monitored though, I imagine the doctor could get more aggressive.

1 to 2 lbs per week is average, and is also the number for average healthy weight loss. You'll lose faster with bypass, but losing slower is arguably healthier.

Sounds like a lot of the stories I heard before getting banded. Some docs that do both still push people toward bypass surgery. I am not sure why. Maybe it's money or maybe it's a comfort zone they are in with the bypass surgery. I didnt want this argument so I chose a doctor that specializes in lap-bands. He and his partner have done over 1500 lap-band procedures. I was initally driving 3 hours one way to see him. Now I have moved and have to drive 4 hours one way but it is worth it to have confidence in the experience of my doc and his team.

I am not sure how much weight you have to lose. But at 2 lbs a week, that is 100 lbs in a year. Think about it that way. I am 1 1/2 yrs out and have had quite a few set backs. I am still about 40 lbs from goal but I know that I will get there and I didnt have to have my insides cut up and rearranged.

It is certainly a personal decision which way to go. My brother tried to talk me into gastric bypass. He has so many problems with eating meat and made poor decisions. He lost nearly 200 lbs but now 2 years out he is starting to regain. With the bypass there is nothing else his doctor can do for him. I know that with the band even 10 yrs down the road if I start to regain I can get another adjustment to help me.

Just get as much information as you can and make the best informed decision you can for you. And you may consider looking for a different surgeon. You dont have to settle for one that doesnt support you in YOUR decision.

I would consider another doctor. At least for a consultation so that you can get more information/a second opinion. My weight loss will probably slow down as time goes on, here...and once I'm fully on solids (soft foods for another week). I have heard from several people that the first month out is the quickest loss. I'm doing my best to take advantage of it before it slows!

It depends on what you eat, certainly. And yes, exercise helps. Could you do something less painful for your lower back? Like a recumbent bike or something like T-Tapp? Better Body Basics - T-Tapp.com I know with T-tapp, it actually helps people to rehab their back in a lot of cases - helps the muscles to be stronger and it's basically zero impact.

Regarding exercise...whether you have the band or bypass, exercise should be incorporated into your lifestyle. You can do other things besides walk...swim, bike (recumbant) yoga, etc.

Personally, I thought the slower weightloss was better for me. I'm almost a year into this and down 53 pounds. It came off fast at first and then slowed. I need another fill but am waiting until after the holidays just so I won't have problems like getting stuck, etc. My weightloss has slowed mostly due to lack of exercise and not always eating properly.

Good luck with whichever you decide.

Your Doctor is telling what the "ideal" weight loss is for the band. For any person it is a healthy loss rate to do 1-2 pounds a week. Much more than that and your body freaks out (skin sags more than it would have normally, hair falls out in quantities (even more than what many of us experience after about 3 months post-op), your skin gets all crappy...in other words, your body is using itself up too fast and you are depleting yourself of nutrients. Okay, that being said, depending on how much you have to lose, you could lose a LOT more initially. Believe me, I have been more than happy with my weight loss and every time I thought things were slowing down, I put a pencil to it and found out I am still averaged at over 2 pounds per week, spread over the 7 months since surgery.The thing is that it is a steady loss...it shouldn't go up and down, like we "normally do". Don't think in terms of numbers, because there are NO hard and fast rules there. You will lose what you will lose. Don't put preconceived expectations out there and then talk yourself out of it.

Yes, the weight loss is slower than RYN. That being said after a year and a 1/2 and down 75 lbs I would do it all over again. I have 35 lbs to goal. I eat everything I want just less of it. I don't have any nutrional issues. I am very healthy and am glad my interiors weren't rerouted. I would do lapband again in a heart beat. Good luck with your decision.

I've lost over 100 pounds in 11 months. That's a hair over 2 pounds a week...I've had long plateaus. I've dropped quickly at times too. But that's a decent rate if you ask me.

Think about how committed you are to living healthier. If you believe you can eat well and exercise then the band will help you. If you don't think you can control what you eat nor want to exercise than go with GB, because regardless of how you eat or inert you are with that you will lose weight.

With the lapband, you need to do your part.

Are you up for it?

I have done really well with the band. You lose slower , but it is safer. For me it was the only way to go. Donna