Another pre-band newbie-mind reeling from thoughts/questions

LilAngel · August 5, 2005

I am new to this, but have been researching for a while. Emotionally, though, I know I still have a lot of learning to do, I just want to make sure my head is ready for the change that my body so desperately needs. I haven’t been thin since I was about ten and I think that is a big part of why my body hurts so badly. Knees, ankles, feet, back, hips-you name it. Just the thought of relieving these rickety joints of some of this excess weight just delights me. I don’t think it will be a cure all, but maybe it’s a start. Maybe with less pain, exercise won’t be so horrible. I am in Water aerobics now. I try and do things at my own pace, but even that comes with a price. Ouch. But without exercise and with this pathetic thyroid of mine (hypothyroidism-does this affect lap-band eligibility/effectiveness?), how will I ever lose the weight? Okay, it’s not like I don’t have myself to blame for bad food choices too. I know I need to make better choices, band or not. I guess I am just hoping that this time the sacrifice pays off and I don’t just end up fighting the same uphill battle for the gazillionth time again after gaining all the weight back and more.

I am about 205-210 at 5’7-8?. I can’t stop asking myself if I really know what I am getting myself into. Am I really ready for this life changing event? Is this extreme measures for someone my size (BMI 31-32)? Will I always be trapped in this body though if I don’t do it? Always in pain? Always a size 20? I have tried EVERYTHING!! If I had a dollar for every pound lost and found…

I don’t mean to go on and on, I just guess I needed to vent. I am betting some of you asked yourselves some of these same questions before your banding, huh? Can anyone share knowledge/experience/thoughts?

Thank you.

Angel

mousecrazy · August 5, 2005

I wouldn't even try to tell you whether or not band surgery is too extreme for a BMI of 31-32...you'll have to ask your dr. and your insurance company...some insurance companies require a medically supervised diet, and you may lose weight that way. Just to put in perspective what you're thinking about, I had a BMI of 45, I'm 5/7 1/2", and would be jumping for joy to weigh 205! I'm looking forward to getting into size 20! I'm just telling you this to give you some idea about what it took to get approved for the surgery. Of course, I had some questions and had to make a decision, so I researched all I could, and read the stories of people here...I have no regrets. Good luck in your decision-making, Cindy

LilAngel · August 6, 2005

I'm just telling you this to give you some idea about what it took to get approved for the surgery.

Yes, I guess it would be Mexico if I do it. Thanks for your support. And I know 205-210 doesn't seem like a lot to some folks, and I understand that. I appreciate my battle is not a great as many others on these boards. I certainly have the greatest respect and best wishes for them on their journey. However, I just wish that made me feel better about myself, and I could just be happy at this weight, but as hard as I try to tell myself things are fine, I never really believe it. I guess these are the issues we all have to work through at any weight-Loving ourselves. I do hope you do great, though. Best of luck.

Jachut · August 6, 2005

Just seems insane though doesnt it for a person who is very overweight but with a BMI of 35 or under. I'm not sure yet whether my health fund will consider this "clinically necessary" either - I'm 5ft 10 and about 245 lb, BMI 35-36.

If you're finding your weight is limiting your life and causing you discomfort, and you've spent all your life trying to lose it, really you shoudl be a candidate! What do they want you to do - go away, continue on the soul destroying diet roundabout for another 2 years and come back 60lb heavier? How does that help anyone?

Like you, I may not ever have been massively fat, but I have all the same issues and all the same heartbreaks assoicated with my weight.

lins12 · August 6, 2005

I had a BMI of 33/34 and I feel the *weight* of the world on my shoulders at that weight. I TOTALLY know how you feel. I knew it was the anwser I was looking for...I have been battling my wieght since I was VERY young.

DO what is right for you! There are a lot of people on this website with low bmi-s thatmay have even lower self esteem and a greater need for the surgery than someone at 300 lbs.

Good luck!

Alexandra · August 6, 2005

There are several people here who started with BMIs under 35, so you woudn't be alone in making that decision. Only you know whether it's worth going under the knife in a foreign country at your own expense, with possibly limited access to followup care in the U.S., to achieve what you want to achieve.

Bear in mind, though, that the less one has to lose to begin with the slower it is likely to come off. And if you fall within the bell curve of most bandsters and lose "only" 50-60% of your excess body weight, how much would that be? 30 lbs? It would seem like surgery to lose 30 lbs is not a risk worth taking.

That said, there may be good reasons to get banded and only you and a doctor can decide that. If you believe the behavior modifications the band helps us make are modifications you can't make consistently on your own, then it may be a good fit for you. Do you eat too much? Or just consistently eat the wrong things? The band does not help us eat the right things; that we have to do on our own. What it does to is help us eat LESS of everything, so if that's what you need and think it's worth the risk and expense, you're on the right track.

Jachut · August 6, 2005

Bear in mind, though, that the less one has to lose to begin with the slower it is likely to come off. And if you fall within the bell curve of most bandsters and lose "only" 50-60% of your excess body weight, how much would that be? 30 lbs? It would seem like surgery to lose 30 lbs is not a risk worth taking.

That said, there may be good reasons to get banded and only you and a doctor can decide that. If you believe the behavior modifications the band helps us make are modifications you can't make consistently on your own, then it may be a good fit for you. Do you eat too much? Or just consistently eat the wrong things? The band does not help us eat the right things; that we have to do on our own. What it does to is help us eat LESS of everything, so if that's what you need and think it's worth the risk and expense, you're on the right track.

Wow, that's struck a chord with me. I do eat too much, of course I do but I'm not sure that hunger is my main problem, its more emotional eating and choosing the wrong things to go along with that. Nobody relieves stress by eating celery do they? This is such a big scary decision and like you say, I'm actually not sure I would go through surgery to lose only 40lb. I'm positive I could do that on my own, what I dont know I can do is lose the 80lb I'd like to. But surgery doesnt guarantee that either does it?

I'm still going to go and see the surgeon on Tuesday, I really want to discuss the option. However, I'm not positive its for me and I'm not sure my health fund will cover it either. For lots of low BMI candidates perhaps there is good consideration to be given to whether that much money would be well spent on a personal trainer and a dietician rather than just go it alone?

For the last few days I've "practiced" the way I would have to eat, measured out half a cup or so of food and chewed it really really well and really concentrated on it. It's really made a difference - we had a Pasta bake type of thing last night for dinner with parmesan on top and I found when I really stopped to actually taste it, it was very rich and I couldnt eat very much, the flavour became too intense for me. Ordinarily I would just bolt it down and not even taste it.

Sigh. It's SO hard isnt it? The good thing about this process is that it's actually really made me think about my eating habits and what I would have to change in a way I've NEVER done before. I've realised that that is going to be very hard but that all the band would offer me is a physical restriction on how far I could go off track. This morning I'm really thinking that I might go along to the dietician my doc recommended and give that a really really good go first.

LilAngel I guess all you can really do is go for the initial consult, really get a good idea of what kind of weight loss statistically you could be expecting and weigh up whether its worth it. I know that thinking of going through surgery to lose 30lb has really stopped me in my tracks.

EverSoQute · August 7, 2005

Hello Angel

Doctors in Mexico also follow weight regulation just not as stict as here in the States. My doctor was great and he is in TJ mX.

Eversoqute

Yes, I guess it would be Mexico if I do it. Thanks for your support. And I know 205-210 doesn't seem like a lot to some folks, and I understand that. I appreciate my battle is not a great as many others on these boards. I certainly have the greatest respect and best wishes for them on their journey. However, I just wish that made me feel better about myself, and I could just be happy at this weight, but as hard as I try to tell myself things are fine, I never really believe it. I guess these are the issues we all have to work through at any weight-Loving ourselves. I do hope you do great, though. Best of luck.