I've been reading on other threads about people catching flack about getting the band and how they should just do it the natural way.

I'm sick of this comment.

Do people catch flack for having a C-section or using epiderals? You never hear "you're cheating, you should have done it the natural way."

In vitro: "You should just live with the fact you can't have kids if you can't do it the natural way"

Sorry just had to rant.:eek:

The pacemaker comparison is a great one!!!

Sunwyse, love the comparison's. They are filed in my mind if I ever need them.

Anytime someone tries to tell you 'why can't you do it the natural way' come right back with 'why can't you be intelligent'!

Exactly, I may be fat but I'm losing weight and they'll always be stupid LOL.

I think that the most effective argument against this (which worked even on me, when I was questioning my OWN decision) was the statistic my doctor showed me - I think Allergan released this one. I may not get this exactly right, but I think it was that fewer than 2% of people who are obese will be able to lose 10% of their body weight through traditional diet, exercise and medicines and keep it off for a minimum of 5 years.

I remember how many times my PCP had said, "just eat less and exercise more". My lap band surgeon said to me - basically you've gotten advise that works less than 2% of the time. If a doctor prescribed you a medication and then told you it worked less than 2% of the time, would you be likely to take it?

For the first time, what I knew to be true, was proven - that diet and exercise (which I've done lots of) does not work long term. The "Natural Way" does not work. If it did, we would not have an obesity epidemic in America.

Nicely put jnbwilds! There isn't much success in the natural way; that's why we've all chosen a more effective long term solution!

P.S. I did have an 11lb baby without any pain meds whatsoever, and no epidural. I definitely don't recommend it.

I had an 11 lb 7 oz baby, but I did have an epidural! :biggrin:

I am also getting a lot of flack from my mom. She bought me the Bob Greene best diet book. :rolleyes2:

Well, yes - they can bugger off! :biggrin:

I didn't have C sections, but I had four kids and I wanted anything to help me.

Yeah, walk a mile in my shoes IMHO - all aspects of my life. I have enough trouble coping without their "holier than thou" attitude!

Ahh, you're right - that feels better :rolleyes2:

My sister gave me the "I can't imagine having a foreign object in my body" speech. Then I reminded her of our mom's defibrilator that they put in her chest after open heart surgery 2 years ago, not to mention the screws in my foot. Why is the band the only exception to what can go in your body long-term?

Seriously.

What a classic comeback - and two of them. :rolleyes2:

What did your sister say??

I had an 11 lb 7 oz baby, but I did have an epidural! :biggrin:

Well, if we're racing, I had one that was 11lb 10oz. :biggrin: That one I had an epidural for, as I did with the 11lb 1oz one. It was just that last one I didn't. And it definitely wasn't on purpose. :rolleyes2:

A foreign body? Suzanne - I'm frustrated for you! So, girlfriends - you know what's "foreign"? 100 extra pounds of FAT, that's what's foreign. Our bodies aren't meant to carry what's on them by the time we're morbidly obese. So I guess I'd rather have a few inches of plastic and tubing in my tummy, and trade that for the 100 lbs I need to lose!

shockingly, we received far more "ADVICE" regarding our need driven choice to use IVF/ICSI to conceive our babies then either of us has had with the band. For the IVF/ICSI, we were told to stop stressing and that it would happen...too lose weight and it would happen...to go on a freaking vacation and it would happen (what idiot thinks of these things?)...and, my personal favorite, obviously, God just doesn't want you to have kids...can't you adopt?

RE: the band, we've received nothing but support. There have been the seldom slightly overweight (but not obese) people who have told me it's not fair because it's so much easier for me...(yeah, because it's so easy to have to lost almost 160lbs to be considered on the high end of a healthy BMI)...but to those people I just say, you never know, you may qualify soon. :shades_smile:

Some people are born with stupid mouths...

:thumbup:this is seriously the best thread and posts i have ever read re:band... i got banded on the 26th and i learned more here than i ever thought-- your replies even answered things i questioned myself AFTER banding! what great thoughts!

thanks much to all

shockingly, we received far more "ADVICE" regarding our need driven choice to use IVF/ICSI to conceive our babies then either of us has had with the band. For the IVF/ICSI, we were told to stop stressing and that it would happen...too lose weight and it would happen...to go on a freaking vacation and it would happen (what idiot thinks of these things?)...and, my personal favorite, obviously, God just doesn't want you to have kids...can't you adopt?

RE: the band, we've received nothing but support. There have been the seldom slightly overweight (but not obese) people who have told me it's not fair because it's so much easier for me...(yeah, because it's so easy to have to lost almost 160lbs to be considered on the high end of a healthy BMI)...but to those people I just say, you never know, you may qualify soon. :shades_smile:

Some people are born with stupid mouths...

As a mom of an AI kid I love your post.

People are ignorant. Plain and simple. Really, I like to tell people to walk a mile in my shoes then tell me how to live.

Ugh.