Hi, my name is James.....I am 6'3" 320lbs BMI is 41ish....I am killing myself with food and weight.....is the band really the answer? Help me......

JAMES,

Only you can decide if the BAND is the answer for YOU. Do all the research you can. Dig into all of these posts and read.. read... read.

For me, Yes it was the answer. After 30+ years of dieting, losing, regaining I could not emotionally do another DIET. This is a way of life, it does change you and your relationship with food.

You have to be ready for a HUGE commitment.

That said, I can now tie my shoes, I dont huff and puff when I have to walk a distance. My blood pressure is down, my chances at diabites has went down. I FEEL GOOD.

Best of Luck in your decision.... let me know if I can help you at all.

Lois

Edited April 14, 200917 yr by WOWOX7

Hello James,

My name is Patches and I will be 32 on Friday. before I had surgery, I was 5'7" and 315. I had the LB on 2-27-09 and it was the best decision I have ever made and would do it 50x over. To date, including pre-opt diet, I have lost 39 pounds :sad:. I am so excited and enjoy weighing in weekly. The surgery is not a magic bullet, but it was my life saver. You have to have a certain amount of will power or you will be in for failure. Hope this helps. God Bless you in the future.

I just dont know if I have it in me.....I LOVE eating.....but I hate being so fat also.....I really dont know what to do:sad:

James,

I also love eating. but you know, your WANTS change. I dont know how to explain it. What you do eat tastes so much better, you eat it slower and enjoy it.

You DO get satisfied on smaller amounts. Once you get restriction, you are not hungry.. Honest.

My life does not revolve around my next meal, and how much and what I can eat.

Also, the benifits of living longer, feeling healthy far outweigh the wanting to gorge... ANYHOW.. FOR ME.

Keep searching.... do some deep soul searching.

I wish I could have done this at 30 instead of 46, I feel half my life was wasted being obese.

Best of Luck.

Lois

OK.....I think I want to investigate further....How long would a I have to be off work....I have a wife and 2 little boys who rely on my income......thank you all for being so kind.

James

Car,

Remember this 1 thing : your family depends on you. No matter what you decide or how you go about it people in this world depend on you. That being said youve started the life changing journey that all of us on this web site and many many more have started. Read all you can got to an informational meeting. As for the process once youve started it you will learn so much about your self. Things ive learned about changing my lifestyle is mind blowing to say the least. If I can do this any one can but you have to want to do this and feel the urgency. The lap band isnt the miracle cure for our eating problems, its a tool to help us manage our lives. Going into this knowing this fact is important. Yes the band can help you control alot of the hunger we feel. It does limit how much food we eat. It dosnt decide for us what we eat nor how much we try to force food down our mouths. People for the most part who arnt succesful with the band didnt understand this fact. You will probably have to under go a pshych evaluation, visit a nutrionist for so many months before even having the surgery. I had mine almost a month ago and have lost 33 lbs it hasnt been easy but its been exciting to say the least. I am eating healthier than i ever thought possible and you can to . Good luck

I just dont know if I have it in me.....I LOVE eating.....but I hate being so fat also.....I really dont know what to do:sad:

In the beginning you will miss food, no way around it. You may even mourn food, it's okay. With time you accept that this is the way it is and you move on with your life.

You have to be ready to change your entire lifestyle, the way you view food, the way you think about food, and you have to do a lot of head work.

Will you do the aftercare necessary to maintain your band? If not, don't bother. If you don't maintain your band you will regain anything you lost. You must do this for the rest of your life.

If you aren't going to maintain your band for the rest of your life consider a sleeve if restrictive procedures are all you want.

You have to do what is right for you.