this is my first post here but i started looking at the lap band about 2 years ago. i know most of you are glad you did it, but i just wonder if its really worth it for me. i know it takes a lot of hard work to actually lose the weight even with the band but....i just cant help but thinking that if i have to put so much work into it, wouldnt i lose it on my own with that much work?????? i guess my real question is...how much is the band and how much is you??? and possibly, how much is mental???

for example, i know that atkins really works for me, but every year i manage to fall off it for a few months, gain half the weight back, and then i start over. its a vicious cycle but at least its cheap and painless!! i cant even imagine if i paid thousands of dollars, went through the surgery, the pain and risks associated with it, likely pain afterwards with the pbing and stuff, possible complications, etc and THEN screwed myself up b/c of lack of discipline!!! that would REALLY suck. god, if i feel like a failure now, i cant fathom the feeling i would have if i actually had WLS and failed!!!!

anyway, i hope you can make sense of this post and offer any insight and opinions.

thanks

eve

Eve: No one can really answer if it would be worth it but you in the end. I can offer some insight into my thought processes prior to banding and what has transpired since being banded.

I did research between gastric bypass and the band for about a year and a half. I came to realize that I did not want my insides re-configured and I didn't want the risks that were involved with the bypass along with the long term effects and complications that can arise. I chose the band because of the reversibility factor and the fact that no internal changes would be made other than the band around the stomach.

Pre banding: Weighed 296 lbs, got short of breath getting out of bed, walking, eating, sleeping, etc I got short of breath with everything, joints ached, back problems, knee problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, problems sleeping, I was a mess.

Post banding (11 months today): 240 lbs (lost 56 lbs and 31.5 inches), no longer short of breath, just did the L.A. 5K walk/run Marathon TODAY. Joints don't ache, back problems are nonexistent, knee problems are gone, blood pressure last check was 120/78, cholesterol was 188 last check, I sleep like a baby. I have more energy than I have ever had and I feel wonderful for the first time in decades.

Is this mental work? Yes, and you can do it.

Is this physical work? YES, and you can do it.

Is the band doing all the work? NO, you have to see it as a tool not as a "fix all".

If you could lose the weight without the band then you most likely wouldn't be asking that question to begin with. You would already be losing and not need the band. That was an observation I came to on my own with personal journalling. I could NOT lose this weight without the band. It wasn't possible. I had to have this little internal device to remind me I have eaten enough and am full.

I am sure there will be others that chime in and offer their input as well.

Good luck Eve on whatever you decide.

this is my first post here but i started looking at the lap band about 2 years ago. i know most of you are glad you did it, but i just wonder if its really worth it for me. i know it takes a lot of hard work to actually lose the weight even with the band but....i just cant help but thinking that if i have to put so much work into it, wouldnt i lose it on my own with that much work?????? i guess my real question is...how much is the band and how much is you??? and possibly, how much is mental???

for example, i know that atkins really works for me, but every year i manage to fall off it for a few months, gain half the weight back, and then i start over. its a vicious cycle but at least its cheap and painless!! i cant even imagine if i paid thousands of dollars, went through the surgery, the pain and risks associated with it, likely pain afterwards with the pbing and stuff, possible complications, etc and THEN screwed myself up b/c of lack of discipline!!! that would REALLY suck. god, if i feel like a failure now, i cant fathom the feeling i would have if i actually had WLS and failed!!!!

anyway, i hope you can make sense of this post and offer any insight and opinions.

thanks

eve

Eve, how much weight would you like to lose? Do you have any pre-existing health problems? I did...asthma, high blood pressure, arthritis, gastric reflux, high cholestrol. I was tired and "down" all the time...just sitting on the sidelines of life.

But since banding, I take a fraction of the meds., have a fraction of the health problems. I feel good, physically and mentally. I've discovered I really like bicycling, have taken part in 3 benefits..a 20, 25, 24 mile rides. Our family has made some memorable bike rides together. Vacation, I hiked 4 & 5 hours in the mountains - every day. Could I have done this preband...no way! I wouldn't even have thought about doing them.

I enjoy clothes shopping for the first time in years...gone from a 22 to a 10. Lost 58 pounds.

The band gives us the extra boost needed to do what's needed...lose that extra weight and reclaim our lives. But it doesn't do all of the work for us. For me, it really hasn't been that hard. It's been exciting to see that weight and inches go down and feel my energy level go up.

Please do lots of research. If you decide to get a band, you want to go into this w/ a positive attitude and please know that it works. Best of luck to you!

Hi Eve,

What the band gives me that I have never had before is CONTROL. Certainly we all know what it's like to fall off a diet, however much the diet works. I've successfully lost some weight any number of times, only to fail again because it was impossible to adhere to a strictly limited diet for the long term.

Limiting calories works, we all know that. But HOW do I limit calories? Just by telling myself to? Doesn't work--my hunger was too constant for that. I could do it for a month or two, or three, whatever, but never without some sort of help (like ephedra, Weight Watchers, OA, a nutritionist) and never once the help was gone.

The difference is this time, the help is not gone. I can fall off the wagon here or there, but the effect of the band is with me all the time. I simply am not as hungry as I used to be. I simply cannot eat as much or as fast as I used to, nor do I want to.

So was it worth it? Hell, yes. Whether I'd have been able to pay out of pocket is another story, but I know I was seriously considering going to Mexico if I had to. The idea of having some permanent assistance with limiting my intake was a whole new world.

And it's been exactly what I hoped for. Sure, I am the one telling myself "enough" but it's EASY to do that now! That voice of moderation inside my head that always went quiet in the face of a celebratory dinner now has actual muscle, provided by a little band of silicone. The loss has been "slow" but for all that it's much more real to me than any loss I've ever experienced before. It's the last "diet" I'm ever going on--I've seen the last of any number higher than 230 or any size that starts with a "2."

And I have my band to thank for that.

Eve,

Hi - I am still a little like you in your thought process. I am yet to be banded & waiting on insurance. I have 100 pds to lose. No other health problems but gerd.

I felt too that the band is going to be work. I am especially afraid of the possible hair loss & body noises & I know its silly but the scar from the port insicion. Like Alex said the one thing that really makes me want it- is the fact that when I fail my next attempt at losing weight; I will have that to stop me from failing to the point of no return. I lost twice w/atkins. Was on super strick - never once- cheated atkins for 9 mnths & lost 35 pds & many inches. But it just didn't last & couldn't. Too hard to do forever. But from what I have learned of the band, you really can eventually eat anything. Weather it be good or bad. The good news is if you fill up on smart food first - you will not be hungry. How cool to not be hungry! I can wait - i just know that with that "BAD BOY BAND" I am sure to lose weight & when & if I start to faulter- it will kick me back into gear. Anyway- just wanted you to know that I understand *exactly* what you mean. I even haven't told my entire family because I am still afraid of failing. Maybe after I lose a 100 pds & keep it off for a few years in a row I will tell them & my friends;0)

I agree with Alex and Becky, the key here is control and the desire to make better food choices....cause if you don't you'll be sorry, LOL.

YES YES YES

it is really worth it in my opinion. I have tried them all ( diets ) to only fail, this is the first time in my life I know I will never put the weight back on.

Thje band has been the tool I have needed. yes there is some discipling and mental work but iyour band will help with that, it reminds you when you have eaten too much or eaten the wrong thing, thats the best part about it. This band really works but again you do have to do some of the work it is not a magic wand but a tool. Good Luck to you on your decision, I know it is a tough decision

Boy after y'all I can't add much!

Yes, it is worth it and I would do it again in a moment. I regret I waited so long to do it. After failing at so many diets in the past I thought I was going to stay heavy all my life. The band has given me not only given me a new outlook on life, but has given me that life.

To me it was VERY worth it. I was banded on Nov. 8th 2004 and I've lost 37 pounds to date. I started out in a size 30W pants, and am now almost able to fit into a size 26W. It was such a wonderful feeling when I could button those suckers and zip them up half way tonight in Walmart. I haven't fit in store bought clothes in years!

I was a compulsive eater before, and would stuff myself with whatever tickled my fancy. I'd move from one thing right on to the next without batting an eye.

My band gives me the control over how much I can eat without me even having to think about it. I just eat until it tells me I've had enough, and then I'm done. I can now eat a regular sized meal and not feel deprived. And I can eat slow enough to taste the food and enjoy it.

I can't answer the question for you of whether or not you'll feel it's worth it, but I can say that yes, it's been more than worth it for me thus far. And I haven't even had a fill yet!!!

Best wishes to you on deciding what is right for you. May the footing on your journey be steady and strong, and guided each step of the way with confidence.

In my mind, the most valuable thing the band offers is a way to MAINTAIN weight loss. Most of us have lost weight a number of times and very successfully, but MAINTENANCE has always been more difficult. The band increases your odds of successfully keeping the weight off. That's why it's worth it.

well thanks to all of you for your opinions on this. i need to lose a lot of weight. i started atkins a year and a half ago at 320 pounds, lost 30 pounds the first 3 months. after that i sort of yoyoed back and forth and eventually got to about 270. however NOW i am probably around 285-290 again. its such a vicious cycle...i gain some weight back, feel depressed, eat more, gain MORE weight, feel more depressed, eat even MORE....and so on....

i dont really have any other health problems, YET. at this weight, i know thats only a matter of time though. i really need to do something ASAP b/c i want to be able to live normally. i dont need to be skinny. i would be perfectly happy at 175. i want to be comfortable. i used to weigh 210 and of course i thought i was a huge porker at the time (i wore a size 12-14). i went from 210 to 300 in about a year and a half. its as if i woke up one morning and was HUGE. i literally would walk by store windows and do a double take like, "who the hell IS that??"

i just want the embarrassment of being overweight to go away. i feel like i have to hide in society, i hate going out at all anymore. i am sure we all have our embarrassing stories but this one had me swallowing back tears at the time. my husband and i went to dinner with his brother and his wife, and another man that works with the guys. well, as they are serving the food, (my sister in law and i were the only 2 left without plates) the waiter hands his helper a dish and says, "this is for the pretty one." i just wanted to evaporate right there. my husband deserves to have a pretty wife too!!!! i know he sees me that way, but....well....you all know what i mean i am sure.

anyway, thanks again to all of you for your responses (and thanks for letting me vent). i guess you can tell that i am pretty desperate to do something, but also pretty scared.

eve

Eve, probably everyone here can relate to your entire post! You're very wise to check into doing something now before worse health problems develop. Best of luck to you!

Eve

I so relate to how you feel. I understand completely how it is to just no recognise yourself. When I see photos, I wonder who is that person?

I'm in the honeymoon period. 2 weeks 3 days since my op. I wrote in another post that what I am trying to get used to is NOT associating feeling full with guilt. I have to go and work out my calorie intake to convince myself that it's OK to feel full now. It used to be that in order to feel satisfied I had to eat excessively. Then I felt guilty, so I felt bad about myself, so I ate more. We ALL relate to that cycle.

I can't tell you how liberating it is to know it's OK to feel full! It's wonderful.

Pain? the operation really isn't painful at all. At least not for very long. It's a bit like doing too many sit-ups in the few days after the op, but by 5 days I felt completely fine. A bit of itching round the scars, but that was it.

The money - only you can say what value you want to put on your health. I paid myself for the op. I live in the UK and this op is rarely available on the NHS without serious co-morbitiy which I didn't have, and isn't covered by insurance. Yes - I could have used the money for a new kitchen, new car, holidays - but for me the band is an investment in itself - and more importantly investment in me!

So - is it worth it? It's too early for me to tell - but I've a feeling it will be!

I have to say that I have never felt so good for a long, long time. Before I had my band I was depressed all the time I felt so ashamed of the way I looked I would just sit and cry at anything Dr Phil you name it if someone had lost weight I used to just bawl. The last time I seriously dieted it took me 18 months at weight watchers just to lose 38lbs since my band last August I've lost 39lbs in six months so I would say that yes its definitely worth it. I too live in the UK and had to pay for my op private but in my eyes being able to look people in the eye instead of looking at the floor has made it all worth while.

Helenxx.

I can so relate to the comment the waiter made...he was probably just complimenting her, but Oh! the Sting! Things like that can stay with you for days, the lower than dirt feeling...and then you never really forget them. I am ready for some self-respect, I have been so low on that in my life these years. I cried at the computer when I first logged on to LBT, because I saw people with hope...and let me just say that if I didn't think it would be worth it, I would not be putting myself or my family through the time, effort, and expense of this. Yes, it will be worth it and I will make sure of it. Barring any complications, I will make this band work for me. No more looking at the floor!!!

Hi Eve -- Someone started an interesting thread here a couple of months ago called "Would you do it again?" Try looking in the archives around Oct. - Nov. 2004. Most of us said "Yes, in a heartbeat!" There were a few dissenters, too. You're doing the right thing by getting more information.