Im per opp for the gastric band
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I asked my doctor for a copy of the diet that they give to people post gastric band, I didnt want the op but could see no reason why I shouldn't follow the same diet if my will power was strong enough. As he didnt know the exact diet he wrote to the hospital. They sent him a very nice letter back which he then passed on to me. The letter included a web address which I looked up which gave the diet but also gave the statistics for all the things that can go wrong, which made me even more determined not to have the surgery.
The other thing the letter said was that in my area they no longer performed the gastric band instead they went for the more expensive, permenant and more risky bypass surgery. Their reason for this was that it was far to easy for people to cheat after gastric band surgery and their research had shown that the results were poor especially the long term results.
You still need will power whether you have the surgery or not, please reconsider, with the right support you can do it, and this site is full of supportive people0 -
WELCOME TO MFP. I really think a site like this will help you. It has been a very supportive place for me. I do not know why this place works but it does. It has something to do with the combination of the diary tools which you will definitely need, the information available on the message boards. However it also has something to do with the supportiveness that I have witnessed here. I think if you had already had the surgery you wouldn't have gotten some of the comments you did. Definitely get a group of like minded MFP friends. That is one of the strengths of this site that this post doesn't reflect well. However I did see some caring even in the posts questioning your decision. I hope you see that you are very welcome here and can find support. When I first started I got into a group called 100 pounds to lose. It has been very supportive. Some of the welcoming comments on here are from some of them. This site has people who just want to get fitter and others that need to lose weight. What we all share is a quest to get healthier and there are many ways people are pursuing that. I personally have agoal to lose only 1 pound a week and it is harder than it looks on the outside. For others I am sure this doesn't work for them. This is a site for everyone and we do care. Best wishes.0
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Im currently on the waiting list for the gastric band ive managed to loose nearly 2.5 stone so far but am looking forward to having the opp and dropping the weight and keeping it off for good...I am lucky to have a really supportive wife and two of the most beautiful kids in the world who are all helping me and supporting me. Ive been over weight all of my adult life and am looking forward to being able to get into some nice clothes and generally feel a lot fitter and healthier. I have approx 4 - 6 months left till the opp and am determined to get as much weight off as i can before i have the opp!!! Good luck to anyone else in the same boat as me. Carlos x
Keep up the good work Carlos!!! Congrats on weight loss! Also please check out ObesityHelp.com for more information and support on WLS.
I had RNY in 2004 and it is still the best gift I could have given myself and I don't regret having it one minute. I wish I had done things differently myself but that is past and I do not dwell in the past.
I am sure if you did your research you know the WLS you have chosen is only a TOOL. It is a very good TOOL also if use properly just like any other TOOL.
My wish is for everyone to respect everyones decision on how they want to lose weight. There is no RIGHT OR WRONG here. It is just like a person who has a chronic problem or illness and they are given the choices for treatment. They choose what is the best treatment for them. There is no reason to be negative because you choose your method of treatment and they choose theirs. I am happy for anyone whose loses weight NO matter how they choose to lose it.
There are pros and cons to all choices in life, no matter what decisions we make and we all including you should make the decision that you are most comfortable with and that is best for us.
We are all here for you even if we can't agree on this matter. Let's agree to disagree. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. You can do it no matter how you decide to do it!! Good luck to you and I know you will do well if you apply yourself.0 -
Thankyou so much for your support I'm so glad I found this site. There are so many nice people on here who really respect others choices and it's so nice to have a support network like this I already feel part of the community and I thankyou all for taking the time to respond to me. My wife and children are super supportive to me and now with you guys as well it's a huge help!!!0
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Hello there!
Good for you for realizing that you need help in order to keep the weight off. Please keep in mind that you will run into people who are very critical of those who have opted for weight loss surgery (even though I swear this was supposed to be a SUPPORTIVE community forum). There ARE some other people, myself included, who have had weight loss surgery and WILL be supportive and encouraging. Feel free to send me a friend request. There are people on this site who have been there and will help you along your journey.
I am sure that you have done your research and thought long and hard about opting for surgery. Unlike what most judgemental, uneducated, and criticizing people will say, those who have actually had the surgery know that is is NOT a "quick fix". It is a TOOL to help you in your journey. Just like weight watchers, Jenny Craig, and other programs that people shell out a bunch of money for -- it is a TOOL not all cure all, fix all. Yes, YOU still have to do the work. YOU HAVE to be accountable and follow your doctor's orders. They WILL tell you what foods you can eat and what you SHOULD/NEED to AVOID and HOW MUCH how should consume in order to be SUCCESSFUL. YOU will still need to make better decisions. YOU WILL NEED to start some kind of exercise regimen in order to take the weight off CORRECTLY.
Wow... when you put it like that, it's really NOT a quick fix, now is it? There ARE rules to follow, protocol for what you can eat and when and FOLLOW UPS. A good program will offer support groups as well.
Yes, there are SOME (NOT ALL) people that DO NOT follow the rules/guidelines that are set forth with weight loss surgery. There are SOME people who do this for the WRONG reasons. But for every one or two of those "lazy" people, there are A TON more of us that are doing what we need to be doing. You will find some incredibly amazing, motivating and best of all, SUPPORTIVE friends on here that will INSPIRE you and be there to answer any questions you may have.
Good luck to you!
Amen!! I had Gastric Bypass 2 years ago and it is definitly not the easy way to lose weight! You still have to be aware of what you are eating and why you are eating, but it is a great tool! So Far I am down 189 pounds and still losign 2 years out! don't those who do not know the truth about the surgery persuade you not to do it.0 -
you need to do what you feel is best for you - and I hope this is what you want it to be. but I want to caution you to not rely on the surgery to change your life for good - you have to do that - from the inside out- the reason people gain the weight back after "dieting" is because they were dieting -a temporary diet leads to many ppl going back to they way they ate before - once they're "off" their diet.....As long as you've worked through the phsychological and emotional aspects of overeting than you'll be just fine after the surgery. a life long change in eating habits won't gain the weight back...
the problem is many people have these physical surgeries, but don't work on the mental side of what brought them to that weight - so although their "bodies" are 'fixed'- they're minds often leads them back to the world of overearing/unhealthy eating.
I pray this works for you and that this will be all you want it to be. remember that only YOU hold the power to change your life for good - the surgery is simply just another tool you choose - but your mind is the compass on that journey.
good luck!0 -
Hello there!
Good for you for realizing that you need help in order to keep the weight off. Please keep in mind that you will run into people who are very critical of those who have opted for weight loss surgery (even though I swear this was supposed to be a SUPPORTIVE community forum). There ARE some other people, myself included, who have had weight loss surgery and WILL be supportive and encouraging. Feel free to send me a friend request. There are people on this site who have been there and will help you along your journey.
I am sure that you have done your research and thought long and hard about opting for surgery. Unlike what most judgemental, uneducated, and criticizing people will say, those who have actually had the surgery know that is is NOT a "quick fix". It is a TOOL to help you in your journey. Just like weight watchers, Jenny Craig, and other programs that people shell out a bunch of money for -- it is a TOOL not all cure all, fix all. Yes, YOU still have to do the work. YOU HAVE to be accountable and follow your doctor's orders. They WILL tell you what foods you can eat and what you SHOULD/NEED to AVOID and HOW MUCH how should consume in order to be SUCCESSFUL. YOU will still need to make better decisions. YOU WILL NEED to start some kind of exercise regimen in order to take the weight off CORRECTLY.
Wow... when you put it like that, it's really NOT a quick fix, now is it? There ARE rules to follow, protocol for what you can eat and when and FOLLOW UPS. A good program will offer support groups as well.
Yes, there are SOME (NOT ALL) people that DO NOT follow the rules/guidelines that are set forth with weight loss surgery. There are SOME people who do this for the WRONG reasons. But for every one or two of those "lazy" people, there are A TON more of us that are doing what we need to be doing. You will find some incredibly amazing, motivating and best of all, SUPPORTIVE friends on here that will INSPIRE you and be there to answer any questions you may have.
Good luck to you!
Carlos~ I couldn't have said it better myself! LisaMarie is one of my very supportive friends on this site! I had the band on July 21st and I truely believe I saved my life on that day! It took me a year of hoop jumping with insurance but it was SO worth it! I no longer feel trapped with no answers. I, like you, have comitted to my lifestyle change. It is a lot of hard work and you do have to dedicate yourself to an entire new lifestyle. Like you, I am very blessed to have the support from loving family and friends and that is KEY! Many who have not had to struggle with this for a lifetime just may not understand and it is not their choice to make or judge. You have to take care of you so you can be the best husband and father you can be and make this your best life! Please feel free to friend me as we both travel on this amazing journey! You will find many others that support you! Congrats and Best Wishes!
~Amy Jo0 -
Let me first say congratulations for making a decision and committing to it. This is a tough decision and you are going to take much criticism for it. That criticism however won't be coming from me. I've never been one to consider major surgery as a solution to obesity but my wife made the sort of decision you are and she had gastric bypass surgery two years ago. What you are about to do can be a life saver, but maybe I can provide you with a little bit of feedback to help you out.
Now my wife is no longer tormented by the hunger she always seemed to have. Its much easier for her to make use of portion control. Not having that hunger does make it a lot easier for her to resist some of those foods she once couldn't resist. This however isn't enough on its own to cure her demons. She still has the urge to eat things that she shouldn't. She occasionally falls prey to some of those habit foods. Sometimes this happens because her family insists on offering them to her when we visit them. And even when they don't offer those items, they still eat them around her. My wife is 160 lbs smaller and more active. This alone doesn't make her a gym nut though. She knows that she has dropped a great deal of muscle (You can't lose weight that fast without losing a lot of muscle), but this alone doesn't make great motivation to get into the gym and build some up. And its very difficult for someone who has surgery to maintain their success long term if they don't build a little muscle after the process is over. The fact is that even after such surgeries there are ways to cheat, and the extra calorie burn from the muscle can be a life saver.
Rather than telling you not to have such a surgery I would rather give you some advice to make it work better for you.
1. Talk to your family and friends, telling them how badly that you want this. Let them know that you are going to need to start surrounding yourself with people who are supportive and spend less time with those who aren't... then follow up. You need to train those people around you to give you support. If you don't have the support, your surgery is more likely to fail.
2. You will be told in the lead up to surgery that you should be consulting with a therapist. You should do this, and do it now. You need to break emotional connections with food. Otherwise, on those stressful days, you will find yourself mindlessly picking up a bag of chips or pretzels...even post surgery...
3. Start putting together a better eating/workout routine now.... even if you still plan on the surgery. This surgery is much safer than it was in the past, but is less risky the smaller you are. The healthier you are in advance the easier your surgery and recovery will go.
4. Build a good MFP habit now. Gastric Bypass has a better success rate than the gastric band.... and it has a failure rate (Maintaining 80% loss of your extra weight) of 50%. Any tool you get good with now is going to help you boost that success rate. I don't think the most powerful thing about MFP is actually the calorie count. Its using that calorie count to learn better ways to fill yourself up, and power your body without loading up on calories to do it.
Good luck with the Gastric Band surgery. I hope you successfully accomplish your goal. Try not to treat the surgery like its a magic bullet though. The weight comes off quickly. It however doesn't come off easily and without a price. Changing a few habits now could make that post surgery time so much easier.0 -
My best friend had the surgery and she has lost about 60lb. and can't seem to lose any more. It worked out for her and I'm happy for her. You have to decide what will work for you and not anyone else. I just joined this site and I have lost four pounds my first week by keep the calorie log, this seems to work for me. I wish you success in whatever method you choose. You will make it work, either way it goes. If you want to, please add me as a friend. Good luck to us all!0
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Rather than telling you not to have such a surgery I would rather give you some advice to make it work better for you.
1. Talk to your family and friends, telling them how badly that you want this. Let them know that you are going to need to start surrounding yourself with people who are supportive and spend less time with those who aren't... then follow up. You need to train those people around you to give you support. If you don't have the support, your surgery is more likely to fail.
2. You will be told in the lead up to surgery that you should be consulting with a therapist. You should do this, and do it now. You need to break emotional connections with food. Otherwise, on those stressful days, you will find yourself mindlessly picking up a bag of chips or pretzels...even post surgery...
3. Start putting together a better eating/workout routine now.... even if you still plan on the surgery. This surgery is much safer than it was in the past, but is less risky the smaller you are. The healthier you are in advance the easier your surgery and recovery will go.
4. Build a good MFP habit now. Gastric Bypass has a better success rate than the gastric band.... and it has a failure rate (Maintaining 80% loss of your extra weight) of 50%. Any tool you get good with now is going to help you boost that success rate. I don't think the most powerful thing about MFP is actually the calorie count. Its using that calorie count to learn better ways to fill yourself up, and power your body without loading up on calories to do it.
Good luck with the Gastric Band surgery. I hope you successfully accomplish your goal. Try not to treat the surgery like its a magic bullet though. The weight comes off quickly. It however doesn't come off easily and without a price. Changing a few habits now could make that post surgery time so much easier.
I agree with all of these except number one. Some people do not have any family and friend support. When this happens they have found support else where. And there is tons of support out here. You are lucky you have your families support.
I would like to add go to as many support group meetings as you can before and after WLS. Males tend to stop going to support group meetings. That is how I re-gained some of my weight. I stopped going to support group meetings. I am now attending at least one a month.
Number 4 is true also for sure. And please please do not think you will not have to move that body baby.....:-):laugh: Yep you are going to have to move, move, move. This is proven for anyone maintaining weight loss -- WLS or not.
Please keep in mind 50% of the people do regain 50% of their weight back in 5 years. Some say this is not true. I believe it is true if not higher. When people regain weight they are ashamed and so they do not come back to their groups and surgeons because of shame. So none of the numbers and statics are 100 percent. They can only do statics on those that come back of continue to report thier weights.
I was determined not to be in the 50% that had regaing 50% or their weight back and I know you will do the same!!0 -
THE BEST DESICION EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ADD ME AS A FRIEND!!!!!!0
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Looks like you've done wonderfully and have a terrific attitude about the whole thing. I stand behind number 1 though. I totally agree that you need to get out there and find your support groups. I've been to a few of those meetings with my wife. But you also need to make sure that there aren't people in your immediate surroundings who should be providing support but are actually undermining your progress and decision. This is something that EVERYONE should do.0
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wishing you all the success with your surgery! i am not an advocate of none of the weight loss surgeries:noway: for several reasons but thats my preference and not yours! i have had two of my best friends to go through with the gastric bypass and the results were great. as with them even though i am against it i beg that you continue to do your home work while you are waiting for your date. i applaud you for the weight you have lost on your own.i pray that you have continued success and when your date come i hope you will have lost enuff to change your own mind!.( thats what i am hoping but i am praying for what makes you happy):flowerforyou: i know that you can do it with out the surgery! and i dont even know you! i think you said you ahve already lost 25 pds! thats dedication and you did it cause u wanted to or cause u had to! u will find the same drive with or WITHOUT the procedure.
read the rest only if you like.
as for the young lady who said she thought this was a positive site, it trully is. but these post are for any and everyone to see and voice an OPINION on any statement or situation. people are for and against the surgery for many reasons. mine are 1) if you can discipline yourself to eat liquids for weeks then soft foods for some more you can push away from the table. 2) if there is a chance that you can do before during or after then why take the chance. 3) u dont know whta your body will look like because the weight loss is so drastic. ( if the weight gain is from emotional reasons then you dont like what you see in the mirror afterwards, you have now added on another emotional problem. 4) with every surgery there are risk, why take risk u dont have to. those are only a few reasons. my 2 bf's that had it look good! one of them after 5 yrs have to go in and have resurgery because she gained about 85 pds back. another friend lost 165 pounds and she looks 10 yrs older, and has gone thru so many surgeries to reconstruct her body and it still looks very elderly! so mentally she is still not happy! i know folks who have died and i know folks that would have died if they wouldn't have had the surgery. so everyones opinion is just that! we all have the right to have them. we dont know eachothers full stories. but carlos if u are still reading, i wish you all the luck and peace in what ever you decide to do. its your decision just do your homework and if there are any emotional issues you have thats tied into weight, deal with it starting now cause no surgery can fix those! and in your new body u dont want old baggage!0 -
Best wishes to you and your weight loss goals! You can do this!0
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Europeans use kilos. The stone belongs to the Brits. But to answer your question, a stone is about fourteen pounds.
:-)0 -
Hello there!
Good for you for realizing that you need help in order to keep the weight off. Please keep in mind that you will run into people who are very critical of those who have opted for weight loss surgery (even though I swear this was supposed to be a SUPPORTIVE community forum). There ARE some other people, myself included, who have had weight loss surgery and WILL be supportive and encouraging. Feel free to send me a friend request. There are people on this site who have been there and will help you along your journey.
I am sure that you have done your research and thought long and hard about opting for surgery. Unlike what most judgemental, uneducated, and criticizing people will say, those who have actually had the surgery know that is is NOT a "quick fix". It is a TOOL to help you in your journey. Just like weight watchers, Jenny Craig, and other programs that people shell out a bunch of money for -- it is a TOOL not all cure all, fix all. Yes, YOU still have to do the work. YOU HAVE to be accountable and follow your doctor's orders. They WILL tell you what foods you can eat and what you SHOULD/NEED to AVOID and HOW MUCH how should consume in order to be SUCCESSFUL. YOU will still need to make better decisions. YOU WILL NEED to start some kind of exercise regimen in order to take the weight off CORRECTLY.
Wow... when you put it like that, it's really NOT a quick fix, now is it? There ARE rules to follow, protocol for what you can eat and when and FOLLOW UPS. A good program will offer support groups as well.
Yes, there are SOME (NOT ALL) people that DO NOT follow the rules/guidelines that are set forth with weight loss surgery. There are SOME people who do this for the WRONG reasons. But for every one or two of those "lazy" people, there are A TON more of us that are doing what we need to be doing. You will find some incredibly amazing, motivating and best of all, SUPPORTIVE friends on here that will INSPIRE you and be there to answer any questions you may have.
Good luck to you!0 -
I asked my doctor for a copy of the diet that they give to people post gastric band, I didnt want the op but could see no reason why I shouldn't follow the same diet if my will power was strong enough. As he didnt know the exact diet he wrote to the hospital. They sent him a very nice letter back which he then passed on to me. The letter included a web address which I looked up which gave the diet but also gave the statistics for all the things that can go wrong, which made me even more determined not to have the surgery.
The other thing the letter said was that in my area they no longer performed the gastric band instead they went for the more expensive, permenant and more risky bypass surgery. Their reason for this was that it was far to easy for people to cheat after gastric band surgery and their research had shown that the results were poor especially the long term results.
You still need will power whether you have the surgery or not, please reconsider, with the right support you can do it, and this site is full of supportive people
Having reread what I wrote I realise I didnt express myself very well. Had the gastric band been an option for me I would have had it done. It was the risks involved in the gastric bypass that I wasn't prepared to undergo. The bypass surgery may give better results but the risk of side affects, the lifetime of vitamin & mineral supplements and the much higher risk of death was not something I was brave enough to do. I dont see any form of weight surgery as an easy option on the contrary I think it takes a lot of guts. As I couldnt have the band and wouldnt have the bypass I decided just to go with healthier eating and so far I dont think I am doing too bad thanks to all the support on here. I couldn't have the bypass (on NHS) now even if I wanted to as I am no longer classed as morbidly obese.
If you feel that surgery is the right option for you then I wish you luck and hope all goes well for you but as it will be a few months before you can have it and you are doing so well with your weight loss at the moment, I hope you will stay with this site and give it a try, you may change your mind.0 -
There are several people on the boards who have the band. It is a very effective tool and works great. Learning how to eat correctly before the surgery is very important so good for you for coming to this great site. It is another great tool. Welcome.0
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Hi there!
Congrats on the weight loss and for making a decision to have the surgery! I had RYN in 12/09 and have lost 115lbs since then. It took me three years to decide to have the surgery because I was scared and unsure if I could change my eating habits...but I did! And I will continue. This site is amazing and everyone for the most part is very encouraging.
I think WLS is a personal decision; it needs to be looked at as a tool. As long as you're committed to changing your lifestyle I know you will do well!!!0 -
Hi there!
Congrats on the weight loss and for making a decision to have the surgery! I had RYN in 12/09 and have lost 115lbs since then. It took me three years to decide to have the surgery because I was scared and unsure if I could change my eating habits...but I did! And I will continue. This site is amazing and everyone for the most part is very encouraging.
I think WLS is a personal decision; it needs to be looked at as a tool. As long as you're committed to changing your lifestyle I know you will do well!!!
I also researched WLS for 3 years and went to support group meeting regularly for over 2 years before my surgery.0
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