I am a 25 year old male who is about 5'11 and 257 lbs. I have high blood pressure and suffer from anxiety/depression. I have UHC insurance who covers all but 150.00 of the insurance. I have been considering lap band surgery and have received a lot of negative reaction from people saying that I am not fat enough for this or that I should just diet and exercise. But people dont realize that I have been overweight most of my life. I am tired a lot, short of breath, and just feel bad overall. I am out of breath after just walking up the stairs of my apartment. It seems that no matter how much I sleep at night I feel like I could sleep more during the day.

But I have read a lot of things on this site that have worried me. I have read about people who get the band and still gain weight or loose nothing. I have read about people who get sick off of about anything they eat. I also would like to know what can I or cant I eat long term after the surgery and after the first 6-8 weeks?

I know I have to eat better but I still would like to enjoy some different types of foods and I dont want to be stuck with only being able to eat a select few things.

I guess overall I am just nervous and dont know what to expect. I have already attended the seminar and I have an appointment on April 4th.

Welcome to the forum. I would suggest as a trial, that you eat like a banded person should, and try a high Protein diet for a week or two.

Start with 6 to 7 ozs of protein like steak, chicken ,any meat (chili meatloaf, turkey etc and add a salad and and veggies, like green Beans,broccoli. Limit your carbs like potatoes, bread, Pasta and rice to 1/2 c portion, once a day. Make the bread 100% whole wheat and no more than one piece a day. Add two pieces of fruit a day. No more than two alcoholic drinks PER WEEK.

Eat the meals very slowly, chew every bite of meat very well and don;t drink with your meal.

That is roughly the way you'll eat when you get to the maintenance part of life as a banded person. A lot will depend on how much exercise you'll be willing to do as well

Hi- I had my surgery Feb 1st and have lost 20 pounds, and yes, I eat cheetos and cake- sorry :shades_smile: I just don't eat a lot of it and I make sure I don't eat it every single day. I cannot eat pizza for some reason, but other than that as long as I eat slowly and DO NOT DRINK with my food, I can eat just about anything. At the end of the day, the number of calories you eat is what dictates your weight loss. Also, it is VERY important that if you are hungry or able to eat more than you should that you contact your doctor and schedule to get the band adjusted. I am going in today for an adjustment because I am starting to be able to eat much more than I want/should. I was very, very, very nervous about having the surgery but I am so glad that I did it. My advice is to go for it and to visualize yourself each day as having a positive reaction to the surgery. Don't be negative- imagine yourself for five minutes a day in your mind as a thin, healthy, happy person who loves life. I promise it will help! Best of luck.

You have to realize that ppl post when they are having problems or are new with questions. There are thousands of ppl who don't post much, if at all because they are doing fine and just going about their life without ever posting. So when you read the boards you will read a lot more about the problems. But read anyway and be sure to look at all the before and after pictures.

Can't make a decision...then that in itself is the answer....No, or not right now, or not this way.

Gather all the info you need on dieting, exercising, and WLS, etc.

Once you choose WLS then gather all the info on the different procedures. Talk to patients of each. They are probably at your local support group...practices have them and they would welcome you to attend...ask questions. Most would have already had the procedure done and others are pre-op or just like you...curious.

Anyways, after you gather all the info. Walk away! Step back! pray about it.

Then come back to the table and make a decision.

Can't make one...then don't do it! It's not time yet or the answer is no.

I mean I was all pumped up for this. But I guess reading some of these posts made me think. I really do want to become slimmer and more healthy so I will have more energy and look better for myself.

So you cannot drink while you eat? Also after loosing the weight you want to loose do you have the band drained and then refill it at another date if you start to gain it back?

I am on my 5th month of my dr supervised diet and I am still on the fence. Somedays I am like wow I want this surgery soo bad, and then the next day I am like what are you crazy! I worry about all the changes in my life too, and the quality of life after the band. I also know at this rate of weight gain, I won't have to worry about quality of life, because I won't have one. Just like everyone said you have to read the posts on this site with an open mind and remember this is not what happens to everyone, but it is good to know all the facts before doing anything. This site is great and you should use it everyday to help you sort out your emotions and doubts. Also keep in mind most people who do make the decision to be banded have thought about or researched it for a while so don't feel rushed to make such a decision. Good luck!

I mean I was all pumped up for this. But I guess reading some of these posts made me think. I really do want to become slimmer and more healthy so I will have more energy and look better for myself.

So you cannot drink while you eat? Also after loosing the weight you want to loose do you have the band drained and then refill it at another date if you start to gain it back?

No you should not drink while eating and for one hour after eating. The liquid will make the food in your pouch empty faster and you will get hungrier faster.

some people do get a small unfill of the band at maintenance time, some don't. That's the beauty of the band. While you're in the losing phase you have to make decisions about how much restriction you want or need.

Maybe you'll want to keep your restriction kind of loose so you can eat most foods but realize you'll probably lose weight slower or have more hunger.

You don;t ever want to be too tight, it only leads to problems like reflux, food getting stuck all the time etc.

Some people prefer to be tighter and then getting firmer Protein down ( like we should eat) will take more time, as you'll have to take very small bites, chew them very well and go very slow between bites. Weight loss might be a little faster with this type of restriction.

For me, I don't want to be so tight that I have to chew everything to a pasty liquid consistency, even though I do eat much slower and take smaller bites and chew a lot more since being banded. I want to be able to eat chicken, salad, apples, beef and healthly food in general.

This is what restriction is and the band is a restriction method of weight loss.

Bottom line is the band does have some flexibility to it, but you will still have to work with it. If you eat around the band, with poor food choices or drink with and right after meals, it can greatly affect your success.

What I must say is that your BMI is only 35.8. Have you checked with your insurance company about coverage? The reason I ask is that most insurance companies require a BMI of 40 or greater.

And if you are having ANY doubts at all, your best bet would be to wait until you are absolutely sure that this life change is exactly what you want--because I know you also read about those persons who think this is a quick fix to all their problems, only to be confronted by other issues they weren't prepared for.

As for me, I studied for seven months before I allowed myself to be wheeled into the operating room--and I knew it was absolutely the best thing I could have ever done for myself. (Only sorry it wasn't available many years ago). :shades_smile:

Well my problem is that I eat and I eat a lot! It is so easy for someone to tell you to cut back but they are not me. I have tried cutting back and after a while I am just to hungry and start eating big again. I feel that with Lap Band it will give me the oppurtunity to have that full feeling with a lot less food. Also as I would loose weight I would have more energy and get out more without becoming winded so quickly.

And my insurance will cover the surgery if you BMI is 35-40 with 2 conditions. I have high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, back pain, knee pain, shortness of breath. I also have heart disease that runs in my family. I am going to go to my doc because he thinks this is a good idea. But I am going to go to him to have him write up a letter of recommendation.

I also want to do this for my 6 month old daughter. I want to be able to have more energy for her and I also want to be around long enough to see her grow in her life. I dont want to be like my dad with quadruple bypass at 53 years old. One thing that made me want to do this is seeing him have a heart attack and then me being diagnosed with high BP and then all the back aches I have and just looking at myself in the mirror.

It sounds like you are doing it for the right reasons- your health and your child. I was worried about "my old life" changing but I have not had a bad experience. I am not hungry all the time and I don't focus on food like I used to. I also recommend going to the support groups at least a few times a year after having it done. It really is a positive life change. You can eat, just not as much, and you don't worry about food as much as you used to because you don't feel hungry. I used to eat and while I was eating I was thinking about what I was going to eat next- not now. I feel satisfied. It's a wonderful change.

Yes to every thing posted so far.

One thing though, the band is removeable or at least can be unfilled to have little to no restriction at all.

This means if you can't commit to the bandster way then you can have it unfilled and go back to the way you are now.

Try that with a BYpass or sleeve...

JMHO:thumbup: