good morning!!!!! i hope everyone had a happy holiday weekend!!!!!!! last week there was a thread on here..."did i make the right choice?"...it was basically a disscussion from a member wondering if she should've had the bypass...which kind of turned into a band vs. bypass vs. sleeve kind of discussion...lol...there was a post from a group member that basically said the band teaches you how to eat healthier and exercise...let me start out by saying i wanted the band up until i attended my 1st seminar...when i heard how much faster weight loss was with the bypass...i started to have 2nd thoughts and was leaning on bypass surgery...i met with my surgeon and he felt the band would be better for me...i'm not putting bypass patients down in anyway and i know there r plenty of success stories out there...BUT and here it comes...lol...what i have been noticing from going to my surgeons office and 9 out of 10 of my moms friends have had the bypass...is a long-term failure rate...they lose weight so fast...without having to really change bad eating habits...yes they have to eat way less and then there is the whole dumping thing...but the weight still seems to melt off them...without too much change in their overall eating and exercising habits...it seems like after they hit their plateau...they put the weight back on...i know that there are no guarantees with any surgery or diet plan that you wont gain ur weight back...but when u work hard to achieve something...i think there is a higher chance u will stick with it.....i have learned about calories...what fats i can burn...exercise...i have learned what i need to do for LIFE to keep my weight off...and i'm perfectly fine with what i know needs to b done...the bypass seems like a quick easy fix...(not 4 all...dont jump down my throat bypass patients...lol)...but not one that last....i think if ur 400-500 pounds its the way to go for health reasons...but those of us that need to take 100-200 pounds off learn how to do it in a healthier and long-term way....does anyone know the long -term stastics ...of both surgeries??????

by the way i have had results as if i did have the bypass...but i'm a bandster for life!!!!!!!!!!!!....lol

I did not read the post from last week but I agree with what you said. My pre-op hoops that I am jumping thru have really helped me learn a way of doing things for the long hull instead of a quick fix. And I do agree that for those who have more that 200 (just picking a high number--can vary) and for immediate health reasons then by-pass may be a better choice.

Of course, the choice is ultimately our own, but I believe in the band over the by-pass cuz of the lessons learned and lesser side effects or complications.

I agree completely!! Several Dr.'s have tried to tell me to have RNY - I try to explain that that would be too easy for me and I still wouldn't have to confront my food issues. I work with several women who have had RNY and eat like a bag of pretzels and M&M's all day(and are very thin). I can do that now with no surgery!

I really enjoyed your post, Thank you. I haven't been banded yet, I am still doing my pre-op stuff. But its post like yours that keep me upbeat about everything. Because I don't want a quick fix, I want a change of Life to a Healthier way of living.

I agree completely. Since lapband takes a little more effort to get good results, that is why I chose it over RNY. I was on a medically supervised protein fast 2 years ago and we had classes on nutrition and exercise every week. Drinking 500 calories worth of protein shakes every day is an easy way to lose weight... a little too easy. I forgot everything I learned in those classes when I stopped the diet and the hunger came back. I didn't have to "work" at anything and the weight just melted off. Also, the research told me that gastric bypass patients have trouble maintaining their weight after 5 years and the pouch "stretches". So congrats on making the right choice, but you will have to be patient and WORK for you success.

Girl, I like the way you think, not just about this post but all the posts you do. I have 3 aunts who have had bypass. One who really didnt need it but talked the doctor into it, has done great. Lost her weight and has kept it off. The other two.....not so good. Both had over 125 lbs.to loose or more. Lost alot of weight, then gained some back. One just recently has lost back down, but that is because she is doing weight watchers. The younger one lost alot of her hair. Anyway, long story short, I am so glad I chose the band. Seeing their lack of continued success helped me to choose the band. I am so glad I did, i am only eleven days out, but i have lost 8 pounds and going strong!

My suggestion to any who are not sure which procedure they want, research, research research!

IMO

D:lol:

I chose LB over BP for two reason - they are my own reasons and do not reflect on anyone else's choice.

1 - They Re-Plumbing of my guts did not seem natural at all. I mean it made sense what and how it was down, but I could not see myself doing that to my body.

2 - The possibility of additional fills - this was the biggest one. So 4 years down the road I have lost all the weight I would need to, but I start to slip back into old habits and I stretch a bit... Well, I can go get another fill to give me that sharp reminder to pay attention to what I stick into my mouth.

-BSG