Hi,

I have been doing a lot of research on these boards and have decided that because I don't have any health problems form my excess weight and there are many complications due to banding further down the road,I am giving natural weight loss one more shot.I am looking to lose about 60- 70 pds.Anyone out there who would lliketo buddy up with me????...Let's give it our all before we decide to do a surgery.

Well, good luck to ya! Know I truely don't know your age, but the older we get the harder it becomes. I know in my heart I DID give it all...However, even though I can get the weight off, I just could never keep it off...And yo-yoing does far more damage to the body..And also since I care for my ADULT son whom has a disability, and don't work outside of the home,which doesn't allow me to leave home much so this just seemed to be MY answer..Having said that, I got my band the 19th which is only alttle over a week out, but I have lost 23 pounds thus far..My "ONLY" regret is; I didn't do this much sooner..So whatever choice you make, it is your choice.And I wish you the best..I wouldn't have done it, if I could of lost/kept it off!!! Oh, and I'm completely healthy also..It is possible to be healthy and be over weight..I was just tired of carrying it!

Edited December 29, 200817 yr by klutzyazhel
adding

I think everyone probably thinks this and should have a darn good go at it. You have to be happy that you gave it your best. But most people here have decided to have WLS or have already done so..... Well, I gave it my ALL many times before surgery and once more for good luck before I finally decided to get a band. I gained about 2kg on that attempt.

However, statistics do say that about 99% of people will not lose the weight - or more specifically will not keep it off - someone has to be in that 1%. And until you are completely happy that there isnt a valid alternative, WLS is best postponed.

Edited December 29, 200817 yr by Jachut

Good for you - I had surgery last April, I'll have it again in January because it has taken this long to figure out the equipment has a problem. Right now it's tight and I'm throwing up a lot, actually some blood for the first time today. You'd think tight would be good but I've managed to figure out that what I can eat still is the bad stuff - chips, chocolate, etc.

I think I'd probably still have gone ahead if I'd had the whole story ahead of time but I definitely don't feel that I had all the information.

Good luck.

Been there, done that! You might try, for example, the WW chat boards! Of course, they are geared toward people doing WW....

i have a suggestion that might help... one thing i have found out is excerise is the key and burning calories and intaking less calories you burn is a big factor. you should really think about the bodybugg at www.bodybugg.com its a wonderful device that actually shows how many calories you burn and also you can input your food intake to see what your deficit is. i have been using it for about 3 months and love it i usually intake about 1200 calories and burn about 2700 to 3000 calories a day (depending what im doing) you can also get one at 24 hour fitness gym which is great because they will sit there and teach you exactly how to use it. so if you have a 24 hour fitness try it out. i dont know if you ever watched biggest loser but those little armbands they wear well thats the bodybugg. good luck on your journey... i do understand what you are saying i see now that i could have lost the weight without the band but the band gave me the motivation to do so. i know if i didnt get the band i wouldnt have excerised or watched what im eating. i dont have much a fill never really had about 4cc in a 14cc band which is really low and since i learned to excerise and watch what i eat i havent felt the need to get an adjustment. im hungry alot and i think that has to do with excerising more excerise you do the more energy you burn the more your body needs food kinda so i learned to leave the crap foods and just eat the good kinds of food. no matter which way you take its hard and you do need as much motivation as you can.

good luck on your journey again and may you succeed... remember if you are down and feel like its not working think about what can you do to make it better? or what are you going to do about it?

I would highly recommend Weight Watchers. I have taken off 50 pounds twice on Weight Watchers. I've never taken off more than 30 on any other program. Weight Watchers has a great website w/an online forum like this that is VERY supportive and helpful and FREE! But, I think to give it a really good go, I think actually going to the meetings is key. If you go and don't like the first leader you get, then try another leader. There are some great WW leaders, but they aren't all great so you may have to try a few to find one that you click with.

If this is you last and final go at trying a diet, though, I HIGHLY recommend going ahead to your doctor first and checking in w/your doctor monthly as if you were doing the 6-month supervised diet that is required by many insurances (if is is required by yours or if your insurance might ever change). The reason I say that is then if it doesn't work out, you can use that info in your medical file to get WLS approved more quickly (if you ever choose this). I hope you don't take this as discouraging, but I'm only recommending this because I wish I had done that on my last and final go on WW. Better to have it documented if you need it, than have to do another diet later that you don't really want or need.

I wish you all the best!