LAP-BAND

Lap band is good for some, but I see you have 70 lbs to lose - that is very doable on calorie counting and dieting.

My understanding on Lap Band is that it makes people feel full when they eat a lot less. We are talking people who are at a level where if they do not take some drastic measure they WILL die from their weight problems. So, for these people, it is better that they eat less and are forced to eat less by their physical limitations of a smaller stomach. I see a big downside to the surgery being, not only that it is SURGERY and comes with risks, but that you still eat until you are very full and feel very full. If you remove lap band you have still learned to eat until your stomach feels full and not simply based on healthy portioning. Once your stomach is back to normal size, should you undo the surgery later in life or make the stomach larger, you are still prone to overeating. This risk is worth it in someone who has to lose 100 or 200 or more pounds because otherwise they probably die because losing the weight right now is more important than losing it over the course of a year or two years or longer.

I know that it is right for some people, but for the average weight loss candidate, it is the easy way out, and the easy way out seldom creates long term results. A mindset of, I did this to myself by what and how much I ate and how little I exercised and so I will get myself out of this as well, rather than, what trick can I do to lose weight with as little work possible or as little personal responsibility possible will turn out unhealthy in the end. A side note - it is a lot of work to eat healthy on the lab band system as well. It is an "easy fix" and "not an easy fix" at the same time - it's not, now I can eat 1/2 a hamburger and stop instead of a hamburger and fries and a shake and maybe a soda, but I can eat 4 bites of chicken, some milk, and some vegetables. It is forced portion control of healthy foods for those who physically CANNOT lose another way or it is unhealthy to wait and do so. For everyone else it is not appropriate surgery. I am sure there are may people who have it who should not have it, but there are many where it is the ONLY or one of very few options.

I know people who have had lap-band surgery and are withering away because their body can no longer absorb nutrients. A quick fix will never work. Those people always end up gaining the weight back eventually anyway. But the sheer number of health problems they have is ridiculous.

I've have been on my new way of life for only 85 days. I was going to be here anyway and I won't totally lose all my weight (143 lbs) until probably mid-April. But I'm going to be here anyway. I haven't been living as much of my life as I could have over the last 7 to 8 years. But watch out when I do lose it all! I'll be doing everything I wasn't doing before!! I'm an excellent swimmer and can't wait to start swimming again among other things.

Don't do a diet. Diets never last. Then the weight comes back. For me, I just flipped my brain completely and I'm learning to hate the foods I loved before and to love the foods that are good for me. And I drink nothing but water. Zero calories. I don't miss the sodas! (12 to 18 per day formerly) And I can't wait for my next workout. Pick something you can do for life just 30 minutes a day. (I go for 45 mins per day 4 days a week as a goal but exceeded it today with my 5th workout this week)

I noticed that when an illness tries to get me it can barely get a hold on me whereas before it could get me much easier. Immune system is up!

I've lost my body weight+ by changing what I eat and working out daily...it's changed my life .. I look back and can now say I did the hard work myself ...and I can be proud of that, I could not have done that with surgery.

70 lbs. is nothing Girl! So do-able...look all over the site for before and after member stories/pics, you'll see many ppl did it themselves by healthy eating and excercise.

I think THEY SHOULD have far more rigid rules for WLS canidates so many ppl want to go that route thinking it's the easy/quick route when actually THIS is the healthiest route a person could take!:drinker: Medical complications increase with surgery...they decrease when you take control of your life by eating healthy and excercising and skip the surgery.

Be grateful you don't have high blood pressure, diabetes and any other illnesses, that makes 70 lbs even easier to deal with and drop... how many ppl would love to step in your shoes!!!

I say, toss out the idea and get to work Girl:smokin: , time's a tickin' you could be doing meal planning right now for this weekend, planning a workout, etc. etc. Great site for motivation and those that are looking to work hard on making life changes!:drinker:

And I drink nothing but water. Zero calories. I don't miss the sodas! (12 to 18 per day formerly)

Dude! Wow! Just this change has to have made an INCREDIBLE difference!!! I've never been a big pop fan so that's probably more like my YEARLY average! Don't get me started on ice cream though! :blushing: My weakness!

From what I understand, is they don't want people getting surgery who aren't in the morbidly obese category. (which I am...but sooo doesn't feel like it...every time I see that word...I cringe). Are you sure you can get the surgery even if you pay for it, when I looked into for myself (with 142lbs to get to the bottom of my healthy weight range). When I talked the doctors about it, they made it sound like you had to be in pretty bad shape to get approved, even without insurance coverage. I'm considered very overweight, but I don't have any health problems, so I wasn't even able to get approved.