Is it impossible to loose weight without the lap band?

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  • Buccinator
    Buccinator Posts: 79
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    Girl, puh-lease don't have surgery for 87 pounds. I just got back from Mayo Clinic, basically the best hospital in the country, for my two previously undiagnosed autoimmune diseases, and they wanted me to have weight loss surgery. I said NO. I want to do it by eating right and exercising. You know how much I need to lose? Two hundred. Two hundred monkeys? No. Two hundred pounds. Is that gonna be hard? Oh yeah. But they wanted to slice off more than half my stomach. They said "This one is brand new. It's less invasive than the others." Brand new means they have no idea what the side effects are! Heck no, crazy Mayo lady! I'm gonna watch my calories and dance like a nut until I lose a few pounds! You can keep your knife in that drawer!

    It can be done. I don't know if I can do it, but I'm going to try. And it's certainly my OPINION that you don't need to have surgery for what seems like such a small amount of weight to lose.

    You go! :happy:
  • owengem
    owengem Posts: 131 Member
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    You can totally do it without surgery. I have the same amount to loose and I'm aiming on loosing 2lb/wk. That allows for some wks where I will loose more and some weeks when I won't loose any!!! I'm expecting it to get a lot harder as a near my target but so far I've been doing this under 6 wks and have lost 22lb.

    If you loose 2lb/wk from now you will have lost 88lb by June 29th 2011. With an October deadline you have plenty of leeway for those tricky no loss wks as you near your target.
    We have the same amount to loose...let's do it together!
  • katya143
    katya143 Posts: 313 Member
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    ABSOLUTELY YOU CAN DO IT!!! I had lap band, BUT IT IS ONLY A TOOL THAT HELPED ME OUT!!! THERE ARE DAYS WHERE I STILL PIG OUT AS IF I NEVER HAD THE SURGERY, but i just regroup and refocus and DONT GIVE UP! (why I chose the band, because i always give up when it comes to dieting) I know people who had the surgery and never lost weight, becasue they didnt excersize or watch their portions (It is easy to overeat the band) !! I KNOW THAT IT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE and I ALSO KNOW THAT WITH DETERMINATION, calorie tracking, excersize and support ...IT IS POSSIBLE TO LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT THE BAND!!! we are here for you...XOXO!!!
  • jasonweinberg
    jasonweinberg Posts: 270
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    i did get the band two weeks ago, but had lost 56 lbs. prior to my procedure and many many people were trying to convince me to back out of it because i was doing so well. i have no doubt that i could have lost the weight without the procedure. i personally went a head with the procedure because i have a long life ahead of me, have lost and regained my excess weight (and then some) once before, and i felt the lap band would be a tool to help me maintain the changes i have made in my diet and lifestyle. i have no doubt i could have achieved my goal without the surgery. i just chose the surgery as a tool to assist me.
  • vencellia
    vencellia Posts: 89 Member
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    Nope I don't take any pills and have not had any surgeries. And I have lost over 150 pounds! Diet and exercise alone! Dedication and Determination has got me here!
  • kintegra
    kintegra Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I set my goal the beginning of May to lose 90 lbs by 10-21-2011 for my 40th birthday. Here it is 4 months later & I've lost 35 lbs already! No surgery, no lap band - just plain old working out & eating healthy. I set my goal at losing 30 lbs every 6 months. Well so far 35 in four months is really saying something! It WORKS! Don't have surgery. Just utilize this website for all the support, encouragement, suggestions, etc that you need! You CAN do it! :bigsmile:

    Also - in April my doctor told me I was eligible to have gastric bypass & insurance would pay, but he wouldn't recommend it because it is so dangerous & long term effects can be bad. Then he said there is lap band surgery too, but he wouldn't recommend it either because it is too new to know any long term effects it may have. He recommended the good old fashioned way. Its not easy getting fat & its definitely not gonna be easy losing it. However with determination you can do it! :flowerforyou:
  • chelekaz
    chelekaz Posts: 871 Member
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    I would strongly advise against it. My aunt had it done and she looks, in my opinion, horrible. She lost the weight but now needs plastic surgery for all of the excess skin.

    My doc said that I was eligible but as a prior responder said; he did not recommend it due to possible side effects. The best hold and true method is watching what you eat and exercise. I ultimately have over 100 pounds to lose. Right now I am just trying to lose 89 pounds which will put me at what I weighed when i got married. Then I will re-evaluate and see where I am.

    It's going to take a lot of hard work, dedication and motivation. But, personally, I feel that by taking the weight off slowly and exercising it is easier to lose and tone than to do a quick fix that fixes the body.... but not the mind.

    Good Luck in what ever you decide.
  • SugaNess
    SugaNess Posts: 14 Member
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    I have been loosing, and also my daughter and neither one of us has had the lap band. We believe in doing it the natural way and it is working, Eating better and adding exercise to our daily routines. You can do it also. I will be more than happy to accept you as a friend so we can do it together. Good luck on your journey...
  • somigliana
    somigliana Posts: 314 Member
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    It absolutely is possible, although I'd suggest not setting too strict a goal deadline for yourself. Take your time to make the physical as well as mental journey into a new lifestyle. Don't view tasty food as being "not allowed". Learn to enjoy moving. Do some strength training. Make the way you eat while losing weight a sustainable eating plan that you can carry forward into maintenance of your goal. My journey went more slowly because I took a breather halfway to get my bearings and settle myself and learn to live in my changing body. I lost around 60lbs in the first ten months, took a 6 months maintenance period, then lost the last 28lbs in 6 months.

    Good luck on your journey!
  • jasonweinberg
    jasonweinberg Posts: 270
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    just a quick response to the comment regarding the lap band being too new to know the long-term effects. while that might be true to some extent, i do want to point out that if there are complications, the band can be removed. also, my dr., who i consider a very good and intelligent dr., recommended it wholeheartedly to me and spoke highlly of the program that is an integral part of having the procedure done. clearly, so far so good for me...in the end its a matter of personal choice.and medical necessity. for example, some can beat diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes simply through changes in diet and lifestyle. others need medical treatment. there is no shame in needing/choosing medical treatment. in many cases it is the wise and/or only choice.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    Plenty of users have lost 100+ lbs without the lapband. Go look up Tamtastic, k? :happy: I've lost 21 so far and have 19 more and have done it all from diet & exercise. You can definitely do it.
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
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    I have read many different member's profiles and it seems a lot of you have had the the lap band surgery. I have 87 lbs to loose by October 1st 2011. Is that impossible to do without the lapband?

    Eh? Of course it is not impossible. A minimum amount of people have had lapbands, most people lose the weight by diet and exercise.

    Eat less calories than you use up and you have to shift the weight x
  • rarakaki
    rarakaki Posts: 2
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    I went from 250 down to 210 within a year or so and that was strictly through diet changes, I never did one bit of exercises. To think if I added exercising into the equation I could have gotten a lot farther.
  • jasonweinberg
    jasonweinberg Posts: 270
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    okay i am going to add another two cents: people who do have bariatric surgery, still lose weight through diet and exercise.
  • jasonweinberg
    jasonweinberg Posts: 270
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    sorry. double post...
  • SaveTheDrama
    SaveTheDrama Posts: 62
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    I did not have any surgery nor have I taken any weight loss medications! It can be done the old fashioned way!
  • Brooke200
    Brooke200 Posts: 10
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    :happy:
  • FemininGuns
    FemininGuns Posts: 605 Member
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    Brooke

    I use to think that a fat person could never be thin without surgery especially at 346 pounds like me. I have lost 32 pounds since May on here without a lot of exercise (which I am starting to walk now). It is possible absolutely. You can do it I promise. Get friends on here and keep up with the food and you will do great

    debbie

    You're amazing!! And yes you can do it! My cousin lost over 100lbs in a year by watching what she ate and exercising! Good luck!!
  • abbracadabra
    abbracadabra Posts: 33
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    Of course, it is not impossible to lose without surgery, But, long term it can be very hard to maintain. I cannot quote the studies right now, but several high profile studies have shown that most people regain the weight and only about 2% are able to keep it off "the old fashioned way." That said, I had lapband 6 months ago, I've lost 95lbs in about 1.5 yrs, approx 55 were preop from making nutrition and exercise changes. Could I have lost the rest on my own, YES, but I've done that before and gained it back a few times. For me, I'm done yo-yoing.

    Bariatric surgery IS NOT a quick fix , it is a lifestyle change that must be supported by nutrition and exercise in order to be successful in both the short and long term! My band is adjustable so it can and has been customized to my nutrition and weight loss goals, Any reputable program is multifaceted and provides support and education so that every patient has the tools he or she needs to be successful. Surgery is safe and a healthy option with a qualified surgeon, a good support program, and an individual desire to make it work and follow the rules. Remember, the vast majority of issues people have are a result of poor diet choices and not following their programs - vomiting, nutrient deficiencies, etc...

    It is important to see surgery as a tool much like a treadmill. Some people need that tool in order to help achieve their goals. Simply saying watch what you eat and exercise is not enough for many people. I want this to be it for me and it will because I am motivated and realistic. I work out 5-7 days a week and am losing consistently 1-3 pounds a week, I know that if i feel I can eat anything and everything, I can get a fill (extra saline in my band) so that I can stay full and continue to make good choices.

    So, it needs to be a personal choice to decide surgery vs. diet alone. Either way, if you are determined you can meet your goals. But, please do not say surgery is a quick fix, unnatural, dangerous, or a bad option. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but, be informed and conscientious of others' often life long struggles
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
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    I've lost 81 lbs in 7 months....no surgery here. I eat healthy and exercize. I will lose the other 83ish lbs hopefully within another year, and now that I've learned how to eat, I have no doubt in my mind I will keep it off.

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