Lap Band. S.O.S.

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  • lawandfitness
    lawandfitness Posts: 1,257 Member
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    You are right. I am going to give it until Christmas of next year. I spoke with my doctor and she wants to set me up with a consultant but I just don't know. I don't want surgery yeet. I have read a whole bunch of horror stories but 2x as many success stories. I am going to give it a year but next week i am going to a nutrition consult. To figure out what to do to make us healthier. I am just worried about how expensive it is to eat healthy. Any ideas. I also am not a very good cook and could use help with recipes that are healthy and cheap.

    That is the spirit!!! So from reading other threads on here I came across a posting for shopping/cooking on a budget. It was recommended to check out a site called Budget Bites, which focues on cheap recipes. Also, for diffrent reciepes I use this site http://www.skinnytaste.com ..
    There is nutritional information for most receipes. Add me as a friend if you need motivation or support or just to talk.... sometimes an ear to listen is good to have. Good Luck on your journy.
  • portergolf
    portergolf Posts: 40
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    If you aren't sure if you are doing it correctly and need help you should find a trainer who can consult you on exercise and nutrition. Perhaps your health insurace will cover you to see a dietician who can help your learn and design a plan to help your eat properly.

    18 is too you and 274 is not an insurmountable weight.
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
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    You will have to learn to eat better with, or without the surgery.
  • rgohm
    rgohm Posts: 294 Member
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    I have seen a couple people I know get a weight loss surgery but because they were not really motivated by themselves to lose the weight in never really worked. My one friend gained all her weight back. She started eating right but slowly reintroduced bad foods and never exercised and her weight was back almost as quickly as it left. My friend's mother got it done and has never lost more than 20-30 pounds in almost a year! She doesn't eat right, never did, always eats puddings and such. Her doctor has actually yelled at her for that. She just wants the weight to magically go away without putting any work into it at all. If you have no motivation then do yourself a favor and don't get the surgery please! However, if you are ready to make changes then I say go for it! I wish you all the best and hope you do what is best for YOU!
  • scrowl86
    scrowl86 Posts: 12 Member
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    I thought about the lap band for a long time, but as I was learning about all of the lifelong diet restriction I started to think I should just get off my butt and do it the right way. what sold me not to get it was the citrus restriction. the membrane that is found in citrus fruit canning be broken down easily with the lap band! and I love citrus fruit.
  • sugar66
    sugar66 Posts: 41
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    I over the last 20+ years must have lost 50+ stones and gained it plus more back. This has had a big effect on my health. I am now in the right place for me to lose the weight and keep it off (fingers crossed) .
    I would say that only you can decide what is right for you, I to have looked into the possibility of gastric surgery and even now would still consider it.
    But please be aware that if you have a lap band and it slips once you have lost the weight it is so easy to put it and more back on as my sister in law did.
    If you have the motivation to lose weight a bypass or sleeve can be more permanant. I have been checking out a forum called MDjunction as they have a gastric bypass forum which gives information, stories from members and also has some low cal recipies.
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
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    First of all, since you didn't even realize you were overweight at 274 lbs, I'm gonna guess you never ever tried counting calories or watching what you ate.

    So that being said, I would fire your doctor as he sees the Lap Band as a FIRST OPTION.

    WLS should always be a very last resort if nothing else has worked.

    You are making the right decision by giving it a year, but I would also find a new doctor as well.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    Either way with or without surgery you would need to permanently change your eating habits to something that is sustainable for life. If you look a few years into the future, where you've succeeded, you would see that you've made many changes to how you eat and exercise compared to today. This can seem overwhelming but don't let yourself be freaked out by the thought that all of those changes have to happen this week or all at once. If you want to maintain a healthy weight for life you will need to have good habits, but you can make changes at a comfortable pace for you since you aren't going to drop dead this weekend. You don't have to go cold turkey, or starve, or deprive/torture yourself, or give up your favorite food to get healthy.

    If you haven't already started on anything in particular, just eat like normal and log everything you eat. Looking at your log after a week or two, it will probably be pretty easy to see changes you can make, and *you* will want to make, and you will know why. (Also whenever you go to see a nutritionist they can probably help you more if they see your logs too.)

    To stay motivated you might come up with some specific goal such as being able to jog or being able to use a diving board (with bounce) or something silly like that (I think they call it a NSV around here) and visualize and savor that moment when you need the motivation.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    You are right. I am going to give it until Christmas of next year. I spoke with my doctor and she wants to set me up with a consultant but I just don't know. I don't want surgery yeet. I have read a whole bunch of horror stories but 2x as many success stories. I am going to give it a year but next week i am going to a nutrition consult. To figure out what to do to make us healthier. I am just worried about how expensive it is to eat healthy. Any ideas. I also am not a very good cook and could use help with recipes that are healthy and cheap.

    Eating healthy is much cheaper than a $35,000 surgery. (Even if insurances cover it, it can be a large chunk of change.) There are a lot of less expensive options that can be quite healthy such as dried beans, frozen veggies, produce from farmers markets, sales, etc. I know some people coupon clip, but most of the food I buy (fresh veggies and meat) don't really have coupons. I buy larger quantities of meat when it's on sale and freeze it. There are tips for being frugal all over the internet. And at some point, you'll need to figure out what is important to you. I try to be fairly frugal in the entirety of my budget, and I consciously choose to spend more on food so that I can be healthier. Smart phone? Yeah, right; my phone bill is $30 a month (and I could probably go lower if I wanted).
  • ichorica
    ichorica Posts: 475 Member
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    You need a lifestyle change, not surgery.

    Agree with this since you are asking for opinions. You just need to do it get motivated to take care of yourself. I started at 297lbs at 5'3 last Jan. so many success stories from others to let you know it's possible and you can do it! you do not need surgery.
  • demilade
    demilade Posts: 402 Member
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    Your doctor shouldnt even mention it unless you have given every other option a good try. I have been sleeved, and with that sleeve i still watch my calories and exercise every day. I have to be committed to it or it wont work. Surgery is a tool to help you, not a majic bullet, and it is soooo easy to cheet and put weight on. If you cant commit now, you wont be able to commit with surgery.
  • gypsypermit
    gypsypermit Posts: 3 Member
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    I think everyone here is pretty-much giving you the same advice. One good thing that could have come out of your doctor's rash suggestion is that it woke you up to a problem that had crept up without your really noticing. That's a good thing! I had a lapband almost 2 years ago. I lost 60 pounds, then got stuck at that weight. I'm still trying to take off the last 20, but the good news is that I haven't gained any back and have had no issues with my band. I consider it the best decision I've ever made and only wish it was availible when I was younger and my skin was better able to bounce back (I'm 48 now). Like most have mentioned, the band is only a tool. You can easily "eat around the band" and sabatoge yourself if you're not disciplined. Hunger? Not an issue anymore. Grazing out of boredom? Poor choices? The lapband can't help you with that, and you can easily undo any gains you've made. Long story short, my advice is to join WW, identify your issues (we all have 'em!), and IF that doesn't work, you may want to explore other options. Good luck!

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