• I have been over weight most of my adult life I am a 30 soon to be 31year old married mother of 2. I was always slim until my freshman year of highschool the gradually the weight came on. I then was in a relationship prior to my marriage for over 10 years and was very content and kept my weight maintained. After the relationship was over, I lost over 100 pounds, by not eating because of nerves and I felt great. Needless to say 6 months later I was pregnant, & getting married. I only gained 43 lbs with my son, but my sister in law who is a OBG told me to breastfeed and the weight will just melt back off...WRONG it seemed like I gained more. Then 20months later I became pregnant again and in my whole pregnancy I gained 10lbs but I beleive that is because I was already heavy. Now is where I need to make a decision because I don't want to be this way the rest of my life. So i'm looking for any info on what to expect what you can and cant eat and so forth. My sister inlaw had gastric by pass and started binge eating and drinking and hers busted and they had to repair her. My brother who is a doctor has a secretary who had it done and hasn't lost much weight she too is a beer binge drinker it has been almost 3 years and she has only lost 50+pounds. then on the otherhand a nurse that I know had the gastric bypass and is doing great. I am a bread eater and I just don't want to have to give everything food wise that I like up. Anyone can help I would appreciate it.
  

Well, here's the thing, Jenny...There are certain foods that some bandsters have trouble with. So, if you found out you couldn't eat bread with the band, would that be a dealbreaker for you? I could be waaaaaay off the mark here, but when you write that you might not get the band because you don't want to give up some foods.....that gives me some pause. A statement like that makes me think that you either: 1) don't have near as much weight to lose as I do, or 2) maybe have some issues with food.

See, the band works great...if you follow the rules. It is a fantastic tool for people that need some help with how much food they eat. The band will make you feel more satisfied with less food. The band does not help with your desire to eat. So, people that have compulsive eating issues, or eat when sad / angry / bored have a much harder struggle.

So, could you lose weight with the band? Of course you could. It all depends on how much effort you put in. I would suggest you do your homework on the band (heck, on all weight loss surgeries), and maybe attend a doctor seminar where can ask very specific questions. The more info you have, the more likely the chance that you'll make the best decision for you. Good luck!

I'm not saying that if I can't eat bread that will be the deciding factor. I'm just saying that I am a big bread junkie and I know this is going to take alot of work and I looking at having to loose according to by my measurements 125-130 pounds so I guess what I really should ask is this the procedure that I should have needing to loose that much weight or should I look at other options. Ive lost alot of weight before and I have done ok. But it just seems that since I have kids I can't shake the weight. My husband works for the railroad and we have excellent coverage and I have questioned them and it will cover everything for the lapband or for gastric. I just don't want to have my stomach cut in half. And with knowing people that has had problems I really didn't want that kinda surgery.

I'm not saying that if I can't eat bread that will be the deciding factor. I'm just saying that I am a big bread junkie and I know this is going to take alot of work and I looking at having to loose according to by my measurements 125-130 pounds so I guess what I really should ask is this the procedure that I should have needing to loose that much weight or should I look at other options. Ive lost alot of weight before and I have done ok. But it just seems that since I have kids I can't shake the weight. My husband works for the railroad and we have excellent coverage and I have questioned them and it will cover everything for the lapband or for gastric. I just don't want to have my stomach cut in half. And with knowing people that has had problems I really didn't want that kinda surgery.

I'm totally with you, Jenny. That's exactly why I chose the band. You absolutely can lose that amount of weight with the band. There are quite a few bandsters lurking around here that have lost that much. I think there is somebody from Texas that has lost in excess of 200 lbs with the band. The band can work for you. I just think everybody should go into the surgery with their eyes wide open, that's all.

Whichever surgery you choose, hang around! There are a ton of cool people on this site that can offer great advice. Let us know what you decide!