To have Lap Band or not????

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Kimma34
Kimma34 Posts: 66 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Anyone have any thoughts or opinions on Lap Band Surgery? I'm so torn about this. Sick and tired of being fat and I have tried every diet over and over to no avail. Please help!!!


-Kim
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Replies

  • talysshade
    talysshade Posts: 273 Member
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    I think that surgery should be your last resort. Nor is a diet the solution. Have you tried yet to use this site, not as much as a diet, but just to track your intake? I've found that after many times trying to lose weight this website has helped me greatly. Simply by putting in what i eat and trying to plan a day ahead and staying under the calorie goal given by the website, i'm actually losing weight!

    I have 100% faith that if you stick with it, and be sure to stay under that calorie goal each day (though not too far) you can lose weight and fat without the surgery. Many others have done it before you.
  • admmommy
    admmommy Posts: 143 Member
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    If I were you I would really pay attention to the food intake and exercise. My MIL did the lap band and it gave her problems and she had it taken out and got the gastric bypass done and now she is having problems with that. I cannot stress enough that traditional diet and exercise is the best option.
  • Hedone
    Hedone Posts: 92
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    It works, my sister got it and she was almost 300 lbs and now she is down to 150. I think that she could have done it with just exercise and eating right, but I do have to say it works, but it is expensive. Good luck in your decision.
  • rosieflo
    rosieflo Posts: 218
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    My dad has gastric bypass surgery 2 years ago. It is a great tool, as long as you realize that is what it is...a tool, and not a quick fix. I have considered it myself, but I know that I have not got my emotional eating under control enough.
    I am doing the 17 day diet...which is not as hoaxy as it sounds by the way...and I really believe this could be the guidelines I need to change my life around.
    Talk to your doctor, your family members, etc. IT takes a lot of support. :)
  • jenniferg83
    jenniferg83 Posts: 278 Member
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    I think that surgery should be your last resort. Nor is a diet the solution. Have you tried yet to use this site, not as much as a diet, but just to track your intake? I've found that after many times trying to lose weight this website has helped me greatly. Simply by putting in what i eat and trying to plan a day ahead and staying under the calorie goal given by the website, i'm actually losing weight!

    I have 100% faith that if you stick with it, and be sure to stay under that calorie goal each day (though not too far) you can lose weight and fat without the surgery. Many others have done it before you.

    agree
  • Gennawest
    Gennawest Posts: 171
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    my PERSONAL opinion, and i rarely put it down unless I am asked for it, as you did here. I was thinking about getting it too. Then i decided I would give a "diet" a try again. And now I am so happy that I didnt get it. In a lil over 4 months, I have lost 61 lbs. When I see advertisments for the surgery, they say you lose and average of 1-2 lbs a week. I lose an average of 3-4 lbs a week eating correctly and working out (a lot). I am satisfied with the results because my body is shrinking in proportion. Often time when people get a surgery like that, their stomach will shrink but the other parts of their body (typically arms and legs) remain chubby. Plus, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I did it myself. That I can actually achieve what I set my mind to. Whatever you decide to do, I hope that is works for you.
  • SpaceMarkus
    SpaceMarkus Posts: 651
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    Try changing your diet and upping your exercise first, for a set period of time (say three months). If you still don't like the results you get, go talk to your doc about it. Surgery should always be a last resort unless medically necessary.
  • rfcollins33
    rfcollins33 Posts: 630
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    I would say you should not try to "diet," but try to change your eating/fitness lifestyle. Thats exactly what MFP is all about, not dieting. Not dieting AT ALL. And as far as people saying it works, it works if you work as well. I know a girl who had it, but stuffed herself until she was full, waited until she could fit more, then stuffed in more. So, I think it can work (coming from me who has not had it) if you actually put in the work and have willpower. But, look through these forums, you will see people who have lost all the way up to 300 lbs!! No joke. I'd be willing to bet most of them did it through hard work, changing their bad eating habits, and becoming active. Good luck, and remember it is NOT about dieting. :)
  • Driagnor
    Driagnor Posts: 323 Member
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    Not a fan of surgical procedures unless they're 100% necessary. What nutrition / fitness plans have you tried, how long were you on them, and what were the results?
  • catcrazy
    catcrazy Posts: 1,740 Member
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    The choice can only be yours but...


    How much do you have to lose?

    Do you think that you have an eating disorder, obsessive eating when you know you are full is an ED too


    I had 100lbs to lose when I started, i'm just over halfway there, it can be done, its not easy but then I don't consider bariatric surgery easy either.

    I'm not for or against surgeries, I believe there is definitely a place for them but I also think sometimes the medical profession push them because its easier and cheaper for them.
  • AngelaPowPowPOW
    AngelaPowPowPOW Posts: 293
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    I know that it works for people and they lose weight quickly and look great...BUT...let me tell you a little something people don't talk about:
    As a dental Hygienist, I had three patients who had either the lap band or gastric bypass. Their teeth started to become brittle and decayed, and their breath was horrendous and a never ending battle to fix. Their hair started to become brittle and two of the ladies had skin that started to yellow. What's worse, during procedures, they would have to use the bathroom once a half hour/hour. The smell from the bathroom was so bad, so raw and unprocessed, that I couldn't schedule anyone in the building for an hour following their appointment.
    Why?
    They would eat and nutrients would be *kitten* right back out within minutes. Nothing was going to their teeth, hair, or skin. They were thin, they rocked the size 4....but it was disgusting to be close to them and they knew this.
    Do it the right way and the healthy way.
  • heatherseona
    heatherseona Posts: 49 Member
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    I had been thinking about the lap band for almost two years now. I went to a seminar back then and didn't think I was ready yet. But now two years later I went to another seminar and to my first consult. I have decided on the gastric sleeve because I really don't have any other problems medically except for knee pain. I didn't want to cause myself more medical issues and have the nutrition deficiency with the regular bypass and with the lap band it bothered me to have a foreign object in my body long term. But if something falls through with the insurance with the gastic sleeve, my second choice would be the lap band.

    Good luck with whatever choice you make but make it your choice.:smile:

    Laura
  • TaneeisFitforLife
    TaneeisFitforLife Posts: 433
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    I considered having the lap band done before I started my weight loss journey (just celebrated my 3rd anniversary of starting yesterday!) and came to the conclusion that I would have to change the way I eat no matter what & to give it one more very honest try at losing it on my own. Which the "last try" seemed to have worked lol

    Like others have said, it's a tool and if you choose to get it then take advantage of all the education that is out there to use it effectively :smile:
  • Dtho5159
    Dtho5159 Posts: 1,054 Member
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    My opinion is weight loss surgery should be only used as a life or death issue. If your dr said you'll die within 6 months if you don't drop 100lb then Id say go for it.. I started here at 298. By tracking every bite I put in my mouth and exercising, Ive made it down to 254. Now thats not a lot compared to a lot of people but its a start for me. I still have a little less than 100lb to go but this works. Its not a diet. You have to think of it as a lifestyle change.
  • texaslady9376
    texaslady9376 Posts: 7
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    that is crazy!!! i never heard it put like that..i wanted to get it done but at 5'3" and 200lbs, they said i didnt qualify because was obese, but not obese enough!!! (go figure) still a little tiffed about that one, but hey, what can u say? wow!! nice to see an honest side-effect of the surgery discussed...
  • Kimma34
    Kimma34 Posts: 66 Member
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    I just want to be thin, look and feel good for once in my life!! Is that too much to ask?????

    -Kim
  • flutterqueen04
    flutterqueen04 Posts: 278
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    This is one of those things that you need to do the research on and talk with your doctor about to see how and if it will work for YOU. Honey we ALL want to be healthy and thin and beautiful, that is why we all joined this site. You are NOT alone!! There is no quick fix to weight loss. Every way there is to lose weight has some positives and negatives and needs some work in order to make it work. All weight loss boils down to one simple equation that people always want to avoid, but you CAN'T. Its the "burn more than you eat" equation. You simply have to burn more calories than you eat. That is how you lose weight and keep it off. Not by cutting out food groups, not by taking diet pills, not by cutting out fat, not by surgeries. If you want to maintain and keep your weight off you have to follow that equation. You have to be more active and eat better.

    I know someone who had this surgery. She did lose a ton of weight the first 2 years but then she started having complications. Another thing that happened to her is that she eventually started to eat more and thus her stomach started to be able to hold more so she eventually got back to eating a lot more than she should. Now she is back struggling to lose weight. She is by no means as big as she was so the surgery did help but she didn't realize that there will come a point where she would have to start moving more and eating better/less calories.

    Also if you get the surgery remember to still do strength and toning. The surgery will help you lose weight but you want to avoid the saggy extra skin look. So not beautiful. Just something to keep in mind :ohwell:
  • SabrinaJL
    SabrinaJL Posts: 1,579 Member
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    There is no quick fix to weight loss. Every way there is to lose weight has some positives and negatives and needs some work in order to make it work. All weight loss boils down to one simple equation that people always want to avoid, but you CAN'T. Its the "burn more than you eat" equation. You simply have to burn more calories than you eat. That is how you lose weight and keep it off. Not by cutting out food groups, not by taking diet pills, not by cutting out fat, not by surgeries. If you want to maintain and keep your weight off you have to follow that equation. You have to be more active and eat better.

    Very much that. And no, looking and feeling good isn't too much to ask, but you have to work for it, whether you get the surgery or not. A friend of mine had weight loss surgery, lost the weight then gained it all back by going right back to his old habits. I figured, if I was going to have to learn to eat right and start exercising anyway, might as well just do that and see how it works before even considering surgery. It's working.
  • jennro7781
    jennro7781 Posts: 208
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    Kim,
    I have seriously thought about the Lap Band surgery myself. I have several close family members who have had either the lap band or gastric bypass (depending on insurance coverage). Only 1 of the 4 women had extraordinary results. She lost close to 150lbs and has kept if off. The other 3 lost somewhere between 30 and 50lbs and gained at least half of what they lost back again within the first year. :( All of them have had negative side effects including constant vomiting, constant nasea, nutrient defiencies, bad breath, dehydration, and the list goes on. As others have said, it's truly a "tool" for your "toolbox" and not a quick fix.

    If you have throughly researched it, checked with your insurance and decide it is the right choice for you...I wish you the best of luck! It is not easy but it can be done! I know how you feel; wanting to feel thin and healthy for a change. It's not to much to ask of yourself. That's why I'm here, on MFP and heading to the gym 6 out of 7 days because I deserve more than this body I am [not] living in. Good luck to you and if you are looking for a friend in this weight loss journey you are more than welcome to request me.
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
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    I think that surgery should be your last resort. Nor is a diet the solution. Have you tried yet to use this site, not as much as a diet, but just to track your intake? I've found that after many times trying to lose weight this website has helped me greatly. Simply by putting in what i eat and trying to plan a day ahead and staying under the calorie goal given by the website, i'm actually losing weight!

    I have 100% faith that if you stick with it, and be sure to stay under that calorie goal each day (though not too far) you can lose weight and fat without the surgery. Many others have done it before you.

    agree

    TOTALLY AGREE... getting surgery does not change the habits that put you were you are today. A Lifestyle change needs to happen... that includes eating healthy choices and exercise.

    I have two friends...one went the route of bariatric surgery and the resultant infection almost killed her. The other has over time suffered numerous health problems related to nutrient absorbtion.

    There is no silver bullet solution for weight loss...its about choosing to live better and losing weight in a healthy and safe manner. What ever you do, please, Please, PLEASE make an informed decision and weigh ALL of the potential side effects and risks.

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