Im per opp for the gastric band
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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 -
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.
:-) What is NHS?0 -
NHS is most likely the National Health Service which is the health care service provider of Britain.0
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LisaMarie is CORRECT (u r a class act my friend) and actually deciding and having this surgery may have actually saved my life because in the preparation process I discovered that I had severe obstructive sleep apnea (large hiatal hernia too) that could have killed me because it actually was not weight related. Apparently, I was born with a very very narrow air passage way and all these years I went undiagnosed until I decided to go forward with the gastric lap band surgery. On top of this I became an advocate for sleep studies and have saved 3 other people in my life! I reserached the Lap Band for two years and I was so well prepared that I have had ZERO complications, I am finally losing weight very slowly and eating well. I feel fantastic and look great (yes a little vanity and a positive attitude goes a long way)! No matter how or what you chose to do in life to make yourself healthy and happy just be prepared and be strong in your committment. I support intelligent decisions and I do not believe anyone should pass judgement. If it works for you then so be it. Blessings and peace to you all.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."
~Eleanor Roosevelt0 -
Wow!!!! again some really great advice and i really appreciate all of you for taking the time to share your suggestions and support with me. No matter what anyone says i will be having the surgery because it is something i have reaserched and have a few friends who have had this done ...i understand the possable complications of surgery but have done a hell of a lot of homework on the matter and am taking the whole decision very seriously. I do however appreciate everyone has different oppinions and i applaud and thank all of you who have defended and respected my choice. Its really helpful to hear from all of you who have had the surgery or know someone who has had the surgery and lovely to hear from those who have not had surgery but are just there to offer support and a friendly ear.
Thankyou for your continued support and hopefully one day i can return the favour and pass on my knowledge and help to others who need it.
carlos x0 -
Oh and NHS is the national health service in Britain. I live in Britain.0
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Well said Lisamarie: I too had gastric bypass in June 2009 and it was not by any means a easy fix. If you or Lisamarie want to friend me please do so we always need a support system and it is a continuos process.
Good Luck Carlos and keep up the good work on the current weight loss. Remember the more you lose before the surgery the better. Also, get lots of exercise in now....walk walk walk, because you will be needing to do that after your procudure and the more you walk the faster the recovery.0 -
Good luck achieving your weight loss goals. My best friend was extremely heavy (about 350lbs) and chose to have the surgery. She didn't want to make any kind of life change which was difficult for me to understand. I suppose that those types of changes, particularly in her situation (she was abandoned by her family at 13, had her first child at 14 and now has 7 kids as a single parent - her husband left her) was simply overwhelming. I'm certain that it was the best decision for her except the side effects just seem to outweigh the benefits some days.
She has not resoolved any of her food issues. As an RN I recommend that you absolutely have therapy or counselling to try and work through your food addictions. Even I am seeking this now and I'm not planning on gastric surgery. The weight will likely fall off fast so be prepared for additional surgery to repair the damage. My friend now needs a full body lift to fix the stretched skin she is left with. She vomits up almost every meal, especially if she tries to put too much in her band. This harks back to the over eating and not understanding her issues. It's very complex. Workout. It's still very important that you do cardio and strength training to try and minimize the damage. Doing nothing will still make you just as unhealthy.
In the end, these types of decisions are extremely personal. It's admirable that you have chosen to take a step to make your life much better, however it's critical that you know that nothing is a quick fix. You won't be 100% healthy unless you commit to changing your entire outlook on food and health and exercise. I'm sure (with your research and knowledge) that these are all things you are aware of, I simply wanted to emphasise their importance.
I feel sure things will go well for you. Keep up the great work and you will get to your ultimate goal.0 -
People are so judgemental. If you are not this guy's physician, you do not know all of his reasons.
You are like a bunch of ex smokers attacking a smoker.
Good luck on your journey, hope you get your surgery soon and I hope it's a great success!0 -
It's not a "quick fix"
It's not "cheating"
It's not "an easy way out"
It's a WAY OUT and thank goodness it's out there as an option.
Gonna make this my siggy I think lol.0 -
Good luck achieving your weight loss goals. My best friend was extremely heavy (about 350lbs) and chose to have the surgery. She didn't want to make any kind of life change which was difficult for me to understand. I suppose that those types of changes, particularly in her situation (she was abandoned by her family at 13, had her first child at 14 and now has 7 kids as a single parent - her husband left her) was simply overwhelming. I'm certain that it was the best decision for her except the side effects just seem to outweigh the benefits some days.
She has not resoolved any of her food issues. As an RN I recommend that you absolutely have therapy or counselling to try and work through your food addictions. Even I am seeking this now and I'm not planning on gastric surgery. The weight will likely fall off fast so be prepared for additional surgery to repair the damage. My friend now needs a full body lift to fix the stretched skin she is left with. She vomits up almost every meal, especially if she tries to put too much in her band. This harks back to the over eating and not understanding her issues. It's very complex. Workout. It's still very important that you do cardio and strength training to try and minimize the damage. Doing nothing will still make you just as unhealthy.
In the end, these types of decisions are extremely personal. It's admirable that you have chosen to take a step to make your life much better, however it's critical that you know that nothing is a quick fix. You won't be 100% healthy unless you commit to changing your entire outlook on food and health and exercise. I'm sure (with your research and knowledge) that these are all things you are aware of, I simply wanted to emphasise their importance.
I feel sure things will go well for you. Keep up the great work and you will get to your ultimate goal.
In regards to the comments about re-constructive surgeries, I have friends who lost weight without surgery and they still need the body lifts or re-constructive surgeries. This depends on how long you have been morbibly obese, your age, exercise habits, etc. These are just a few of the factors that weigh in for re-constructive surgeries.
And you are so right about the thearphy that is critial to success. You have to find out why you eat. The surgery fixes the stomach but not our heads.0 -
Hi Carlos,
I have just found the site and was wondering if I should come out as it were knowing what types of reactions one can get when you say you have had gastric surgery.I can lose the weight and have done so on several occasions but I have until now not been able to maintain it,putting it back on each time so I researched went to the Doctor and asked if he would be willing to refer me, I had sessions with a dietitian and was eventually referred for the op. I had my gastric band fitted on 19th December 2007, so nearly 3 years ago now. I had lost about 60lb pre-op dropping from 20 stone to 15.5, I will admit after my 6 month check up i put about 6lb back on, this was entirely my own fault, I stopped exercising due to tiredness and depression neither of which were related to my weight thankfully. The big plus for me though is that since that initial gain of 6lb I have been able to maintain my weight within 2 lb of 16 stone, so for nearly 30 months I have not gained weight, I have not lost either because of not exercising. But since finding this site and getting my brain into the right mind set I have started losing weight again. As others have said the band is a TOOL, if we don't use it correctly it will not work as intended and we shouldn't blame the tool for that but should look to ourselves.
Good luck with your journey and I hope you keep us all posted with how things are going.
Natalie0 -
Hi Nat;
There will always be people who criticize you for what you do. In your life you're be criticized by parents and siblings. As a bigger person you may feel criticized by smaller people. if you're successful you'll definitely draw venom from bigger people. In the end... you are only answerable to yourself.0 -
I had GBS (gastric bypass surgery) last year and have lost 118 lbs to date, a little under a year later.
LisaMarie - VERY WELL SAID! I couldn't have said it better myself. Anyone thinking it's an 'easy way out' or 'quick fix' obviously has no idea what they're talking about.
tbernard - well said also
Congrats to your wife on her success.
I would do the surgery again in a heartbeat, as it's changed my whole life and I'm a healthier, happier person for it.0 -
Hi Everyone,
I have just joined MFP and am looking to make some connections with people who have had or are seeking to have gastric band surgery. I am from Dublin, Ireland and had the gastric band operation on 29th June 2010.
I feel that the gastric band was the best thing i have ever done for myself, i was in a vicious circle of crash dieting then piling back on the pounds x2!!!! At my heaviest weight i was 23 stone 5 pounds (329 pounds) and i had completely lost faith in myself.
The gastric band has helped me target my bad eating habits and be rid of them for good, i now am limited to small portion sizes where before i would always eat very large servings. I have to actively think about every single thing i put into my mouth, i cant just eat on impulse or ignore what i eat like i used to!!
Its a tough decision to make and you need to know it only works for certain people. there are ways to cheat it and its not a quick fix, you need to educate yourself and work with the gastric band as a tool. I was always a comfort eater so along with the band i decided to begin therapy for my bad relationship with food.
The weight is coming off slowly and steadily and im very happy with my decision
hoping to reach my goal weight within 2 years of getting my operation so i can enjoy summer 2012 in STYLE!
Hoping to hear from all you fellow BANDSTERS ;P
Amanda
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