Hi,
Have you ever though of just throwing a towel and take an easy way out? Lately, I am seriously contemplating to jut do the lap band. I went so far to even ask my doctor to refer me.
Yesterday I got a letter from my insurance company saying that they APPROVED my lap band and it will be covered by insurance, but I am not really sure. I dont want to look like I gave up and took an easy way out... I am not weak, I just cant stop eating.......

I eat very healthy, but A LOT. I have no stoppage, no will power to just eat a proper portion.....

Help. The approval letter is sitting in front of me and I dont know what to do....

I have been in your shoes way back when i was 278 lbs i was going to have the gastric bypass insurance approved but we relocated and i had to start over.
i had time to think about it and realize there is no easy way out. even lap band can fail. its mostly mental and the lap band is just a tool. you have to be able to control the portions you can stretch your stomach back out on it.
before making the final decision try looking for a lap band forum or chat room. talk to ppl that have had it done see what they have gone through.
Than sit down and weigh your options is it what you want and its not a quick fix my friend had it done and she has only lost 20 lbs in the last six months personally i think she could have done it without the lap band. hers has had to be adjusted a few times from overeating.
this is all just my simple opinion only you can decide what is best for yourself.

I personally have never considered it, but I worked with someone who had it done. She was 5'2" and weighed 300+lbs when she had gastric bypass. When I met her, she weighed about 180. Still not thin for her frame, but much better. I watched constantly have to watch what she ate or how much. She took ALOT of sick days because when she ate too much of something, or just too much, she would get ill.

The reason I have never contemplated doing it, even when I was 260lbs, is because I want to be 100% healthy and I feel that the only way I am going to get there is to fight for it, and to learn along the way what my triggers are, what the underlying issues are that got me there in the first place or I'll end up back in the same place. Even if it takes me 2 more years to lose the rest, I want to be sure I totally know myself when I get there.

This is a very personal choice. You have to choose what you can live with and be happy with for the rest of your life. Good luck in your decision.

Yes, I have, but I figured that "easy way out" is such a crock. It's not easy to undergo major surgery and then I'd have to completely retrain my body and mind anyway , and even then I'd have permanent issues from the surgery (like possible malnutrition/absorption problems and guaranteed further medical treatment which by the way is the 3d cause of death in the US after cancer and heart but I digress).

I hear you on the no off switch. I think it's mostly physical - the hormone signals are to keep eating and also your stomach (like mine) is trained for large amounts to feel full. It can all be retrained, I really believe that, but it is hard to get off the dime all by ourselves in a free living situation until the body quits being so hungry.

Too bad someone doesn't invent a less invasive, less permanent equivalent to a lap band. Why not a super corset if the point is to prevent the stomach from filling too much?

Wouldn't it be a hoot to be sausaged into a super tight bodysuit for 6 months so you couldn't overeat? Like Scarlett O'Hara having to eat at home before having her corset laced for the barbecue.

Wonderful idea! You made me smile....

I wonder if there are classes where they teach how to retrain the body to NOT eat so much.....

Hi Yana;

I had gastric bypass done in March of 2003 weighing in at 283, (I was 302 at one time). Believe me, it is not the easy way out. Major surgery with issues that I will deal with the rest of my life! The biggest problem is absorbing vitamins and minerals for me at this point, I also do not heal well, was off work for almost a year to heal from two surgeries in 2007.

I got down to 180's in April 2004 and had tummy tuck, they removed 10 pounds of excess skin from my stomach. I then got down to 157 (close to where I am now) after the tummy tuck surgery due to taking all the pain meds and not having much of an appetite. Since 2003 to present day, I have gone up and down the same 25ish pounds, getting all the way back up to 210 at one point.

This surgery and the lap band or any other type weight loss surgery is only a tool. Over time you can eat more and thus risk stretching back out your stomach, this I have done. You will have to watch it the rest of your life or you will gain weight back, maybe not all the weight, but some.

Some days I can eat and eat and eat, other days I take a bite or two, something might get stuck if it is to dry and I can not eat again for hours or sometimes days.

Would I do it again? Yes and No. I am happy that I am no longer 300 pounds and that even without watching it I was able to stay between 180-210. Do I worry about health issues now and in the future, YOU BET I DO. So, I have very mixed emotions when it comes to this question.

The best thing that I can tell you is to find every book on the subject and use the internet to research it. Only you can make the decision, so make it an informed one.

Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best.
Rox

Such excellent info from Ringamajig

I have not had the surgery but did consider it when I was at a low point in my mind. I didnt think I could do it on my own. I thought having the surgery would just fix everything. What I found out was that its not that easy. You still have to work at your eating. How much, when, what.... very much like a diet.

For me I had to come to grips with the idea that whichever way I went I was going to have to work at it. I was not 200lbs overweight.... I could try on my own.......I decided on the one with the least risk. Surgery is a risk always. Complications. You have to decide if that is what you want to do for the end result. I decided that I would give it my best - went with Atkins - and if I didnt get to where I wanted I would think about the surgery again. Turns out I do know how to loose weight. I just need to learn to accept how fast or slow it comes off. I can only put up my best effort and forgive myself. I do think about what I eat, when I eat etc. I just dont have that extra surgery behind me.

Its a personal choice that you have to make for your own interest. Its not about a shortcut. Dont believe that! Good luck with whatever you do.

Funny, but the idea of being sliced open and artificially modified never came across to me as "the easy way."

People I've seen writing online who've had this done suggest that in the end you end up doing a decent (as in likely LC of some kind) eating plan anyway if you want things to go well. Seems to me it'd be easier to just do that to start with and skip the surgery, but it's definitely an individual's decision. Several people on this forum were about to do that and tried LC and ended up not needing to anymore.

You weigh about 200 pounds. Unless you are three foot tall, you are nowhere even close to the point where surgery should seem so reasonable and 'the easy way out'.

It sounds to me like you have some severe food intolerance which cause severe addiction/craving issues and make eating plans difficult for you, and you're starting to despair and think you can't do it. While your decisions are none of my business, I do hope you find some nutrition-buddies online who will help you into a better place and successful weight loss without the knife.

PJ

Yes, wouldn't that be nice!

I like the approach in Byron Richards' "Leptin Diet" for retraining the stomach size issue and hormones. I didn't do that program because I had already adopted that way of eating before his book came out - but in my experience his rules are right on and the only thing I would change is some people have to have less starch than his 50/50 visual. But eating regular meals (NO SNACKS) on time helped me with the hungry horrors and the never-full situation.

http://www.seniorfitness.com/tutori...es_article.html

I was also thinking this and was a little miffed to hear that an insurance company approved it.


Yanabanana, I sincerely hope you will look further into the reasons why your appetite is insatiable - whether it's mental or physical, and explore all of your options.

Best wishes!

With most insurance companies you need to be 100 pounds overweight, or, 75 pounds with a medical issue like HBP or diabetes. If I calculated right, Yana would be around 85 pounds over her ideal weight.
Rox

What are awesome responses. Thank you all.



I think you are absolutely right, rightnow. I hate food and cant live without it. I thought smaller stomach after surgery will fix that problem, but it wont fix my head and this is exactly what i need to fix.


I was very surprised my insurance approved me too. I am perfectly healthy besides being overweight. I even have perfect blood test. I JUST CANT QUIT EATING. I NEVER FEEL FULL.

Have you ever tried gluten and dairy free? Maybe that's a simple big part of it.

No, I havent. No grain, or any kind of dairy?

Grains are overrated...and if you go long enough without them, you will think they taste nasty next time you try them.

I splurged on potato chips today...they were disgusting. Not how I remembered them at all. I didn't even want to swallow...what a waste of calories. And then I had a SEVERE crash and HAD to take a nap (fell asleep sitting upright on my couch)...which is when my unattended 7 week old puppy peed on my floor...twice. whoops...all because of a weakness that was so NOT worth it.

But I tell you what. Every time I cave, my memory gets better and better. There are foods that just simply do NOT tempt me anymore. You can get there too.

Please don't have a surgery...our bodies are AMAZING. I always wonder about the long term of these patients that have vital parts of their organs completely removed as if they shouldn't have ever been there. Its permanent. There are so many inspirational stories of people like us who never thought they could reach their goals...but they did.

One last analogy and I'll leave you to your thoughts. Gastric bypass can be compared to bankruptcy or having someone bail you out of a financial mess. RARELY does anyone learn from these experiences and they live to see debt again. Sometimes things can only be learned thoroughly the hardest way.