This is my first post, so please be easy on me.

I'm 24 years old and am 190 pounds. Most members on both sides of my family are obese and have struggled with their weight since adolescence. I was thin until around 16 and have gradually gained more and more weight over the years.

I fight really hard to maintain a weight of 190 pounds. REALLY hard. I don't eat fast food, don't drink soda, exercise and somehow I still manage to slowly but surely gain weight. I don't eat or drink anymore than any of my friends. I've had blood tests and there's nothing wrong with my thyroid and no physical explanation for this. The only explanation I can find is in my genes.

So, my question is, do I get a lap band now? I understand how difficult it can be. I've had 4 direct family members get them and they have had awesome results. It just seems inevitable that my weight will continue to grow. I'm so frustrated and discouraged. I'm only 24 and my metabolism is just going to continue to slow. I feel like I'm being silly with only being 50ish pounds overweight, but I don't want to struggle my whole life.

Is there anyone in this forum who has a similar story? Anyone who only needed to lose 50-75 pounds to be in their target weight? How did you guys reach your conclusions to do it? I did a forum search and couldn't come up with anything.

Hi, your story sounds like mine. Just about everyone in my family has a weight problem. I never was skinny, but I managed to keep the weight off when I was a teenager. But it was very hard. I hardly ate at all. My mother even thought I had an eating disorder at one time. But even at that time, I still wasn't what you would call skinny. I was around a size 7. But when I turned 18, I started gaining. I could no longer keep it off. I don't know if it was depression or what, but I slowly gained up to 260 pounds by the time I was 25. I also exercised and didn't eat anymore that anyone else. I spent the rest of my 20s being obese. So when I turned 30, I told myself I wasn't going to waste my 30s being obese as well. So my advice to you is, if you are really serious, and if you can afford it, get it now. It isn't impossibe, but it is very unlikely that you will be able to keep the weight off as you get older. Getting it now will save you from wasting years like I did. Good luck!

I know you say you don't eat anymore than anyone else, and I believe you. My 16 year old daughter with the perfect figure routinely ate twice what I did, but I was a blimp. What you should do, is begin tracking what and how much you eat and drink. Be honest. Use dailyplate.com or fitday.com to do it. Take a look at your calorie count for the day and where your calories are coming from. If you are consuming under 2000 calories a day already, I don't know if the lapband will help you.

I did not eat more than anyone else, and much less than most, but now I realize I was consuming 2500-3000 each day. Not too much for an average male, but too much for a bascially moderately sedentary female. With my band I consume 1200-1500 calories per day. I am slowly losing 1-2 lbs per week. Yes, I could have done this without the band, but I would have been difficult to sustain the weight loss. I think I will have a better time keeping it off.

If you find that you are consuming over 2000 calories per day, then this could be a tool for you to use. Believe me when I tell you 2000 calories per day is not a lot of food. I belive most people consume more than that. Good luck. Please let me know what you find out if you decide to track your food and drinks. It is an eye opener, I promise. My daughter has decided that if she starts gaining, her 600 calorie frappacinos will be the first thing to go!!!!

Your story reminds me a lot of mine also. I am 22 years old and ALL of my family members are over weight. I was not brought up with correct eating habbits and I believe that I made a lot of bad food choices that got me where I am today. With that said, I did struggle with the decission to get the band, mostly because I am so young. I am not sure if I could do it long term or not with out the band, but I do know that I am making the right decission for me. I need to loose 74 more pounds to get to 130 and to me that is a huge goal and I am very thankful that I have the oppertunity to make it happen! My advice is do it now, don't wait until your 30 or 40 and look back and wish you had done it sooner.

Thank you for your responses.

My age is what scares me, but my mom (who was banded about a year ago) told me that she doesn't want me to have to struggle my whole life like she did.

It seems silly to do anything to a healthy body that isn't necessary, but I guess if I continue on this path my body won't remain healthy. My mom's process has been SO easy. She hasn't had a single issue. I'm just afraid I won't be so lucky!

i definitely understand where you are coming from. im 33 and have spent most of my life fighting my weight. my highest weight was 225. and my goal is 150. my family history played a major role in my decision to get the band, my mother died morbidly obese at the age of 52. my older sister died from a heart attack 2 weeks after her 40th birthday. ive spent the last few years struggling with my weight terrified of ending up like my mom an my sister. my other siblings are ovewrweight as wekk. im actually the smallest adult in my family.

for me it was a decision based more on the weight i could end up as opposed to the weight i was currently at. it is a hard decision but so far its a decision im very happy with. i dont expect to be thin over night but even in the 4 weeks since my band was placed i already feel so much better. not just physically but mentally as well

OMG this reminds so much of me. Most of my family is obese and we don't eat more than other families. Some people say weight has nothing to do with your genes but I believe it does. I'm only sixteen and I have been obese my whole life. My parents and brothers are also big but I'm pretty sure I'm the heaviest in the house. Just this past summer I weighed 212 now I weigh about 273, no matter what I try I continue to gain so this why I am going to have the lap band done. I don't want to be obese my whole life I want to be healthy and be able to enjoy growing up.