Thinking about getting the lap band, what do you think?

Question

I am 21 and thinking about having the lap band surgery. I am very over weight and can't seem to lose any of it no matter what I do. I am very active and have never been an over eater or eat alot of junk food. Like I said I've always been very active and have been over weight for most of my life. I don't know if I should or if anyone has anyother ideas on how to get to a healthy weight. I am not looking to be a size 5 or whatever I'd just like to get to where I am healthy. I am 21 and in a size 26 pants...I need help! Any suggestions?

Answer 1

dont try diets! to lose weight (fat) you have to be able to follow it every day of your life otherwise you will gain it all back
never deprive your body - all you lose that way is water weight and muscle not fat and slow down your metabolism and then gain it all back.
find daily calorie intake calculator on the net, enter all your stats and it will tell you how many calories you need a day to maintain, take off 300-400cal off that number and thats how much you need to lose.
eat 5-6 small meals a day (eat every 2-3 hours - it optimizes your metabolism)
5-8 servings of fruit and veggies a day
8 glasses of water
have complex carbs for breakfast - they give you energy
have protein (lean meat, legumes etc) for dinner - repairs muscle
cardio is the only fat burning exercise and burns fat all over your body (running, jogging, swimming, spinning, elliptical etc) 4-6 times a week for 30-50min (ideally 45min because the first 20-30min body burns carbs and only then starts burning fat), light weight training (more muscle=faster metabolism)
dont consume foods that are made of white flour (white bread, cakes, pasta etc.), sugar loaded foods (cookies, icecream, candy etc) and nothing fried, oily.
ofcourse you can spoil yourself once in a while with a little treat:)

Answer 2

Ok. Well you are an adult and you can make decisions for yourself. However, I can totally identify with you in your situation. I am 22, and I am at the same size as you, and after 8 months of preparation, I am having the surgery for the Lap Band in 12 days. I too, had problems trying to lose weight. I would exercise the heck right out of my self and eat good food and not snack and so forth and I only lost like 10 pounds and it stopped there, even though I bumped up my workout and stuck to the eating good. After gaining that back because I was discouraged with exercising, I chose to have the Lap Band done. I've been in the process since December and it's finally going to happen. I am so excited to lose my excess weight and be healthy again, like I was in middle school when I was an athlete.

The point is, if you feel like this is something that you might consider, get some information about it, see your doctor and decide if you think it's right for you. You will get a lot of criticism from people who think that you took the easy way out because you had surgery, but it's far from easy. But don't let what other people say about it affect your decision. My mother is very supportive of me because she had bypass, but my dad doesn't understand why I want to do it. I would like to have children one day, but I don't want to have them if I'm not healthy enough to keep up with them either.

Answer 3

Anything dry is a no-no. Bread, pretzels, etc. You can eat meat if it is moist enough. It has to be cut into nickel sized pieces and chewed very thoroughly. I had a problem eating apple slices the other day but it was because of the peel. Everyone is a bit different on their new eating habits and it can be hit or miss when it comes to trying foods again. The lap band is only a tool to assist you in a new lifestyle. Most of it is up to the user. Good luck!

Answer 4

Weight loss surgery-like lap band surgery have become very common and very safe now. My cousin got her Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery in India. She has lost more than 65 lbs in 5 months and is very happy with the results. The price for obesity surgery is very less in India. My cousin just paid 25% of the cost she was quoted in America. She got her surgery from a company called Forerunners Healthcare.

Forerunners Healthcare is very famous in India. I read a lot about them in the Newspapers and magazines. I have read a lot of their patient stories also. They arrange financing for USA, Canadian, UK and other international patients who plan to have surgery abroad for low cost, as Bariatric surgery and weight loss surgery is not covered by insurance. They also have photos pasted of their International patients. You can checkout their website. There are huge cost savings. As a doctor I personally believe that your Obesity surgery can be easily handled in India, as the quality of healthcare available In India is simply best in the world. The surgeons are USA/UK trained and facilities are 5 star.

http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com
Hope this helps.

Answer 5

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Try this FIRST!!!!!!

Most important thing you can do is this:

1-eat every 2-3 hours (1-200 cal)--6 meals a day--this speeds up your metabolism and keeps it moving. If you don't do this, your metabolism shuts down and stores fat.

2-eat only protein and vegetables.......get your fiber from nuts. Do NOT have any fruit-it will take you out of ketosis (highest state of fat burning).....Have NO bread, pasta, carbs.......again, your only carbs should be from nuts and veggies.

3--limit your dairy. Only cottage cheese and goats milk.

4--drink a minimum of 8 8 oz. glasses of water a day

5--limit caffeine--caffeine destabilized your blood sugars and causes you to eat.

6-- get to sleep no later than 10pm....your body rebuild itself between the hours of 10pm-6am........sleeping 11-7 isn't the same.

7--don't eat after a certain time of day.......if you are hundry, have herbal tea or something light-1oo calories max.

8--cook in olive oil and make sure you don't over do on fats.

9--move your body-walk, exercise......do a minimum of 30 min. every day.

10--stay away from stress......stress releases a chemical that makes your body store fat.


My doctor taught me all of these things and I've lost 30 pounds in 2 months.

Good luck.

Answer 6

The first thing you need to do is see your doc to find out what is causing your obesity since you say you don't overeat etc. If you are not taking in excess calories then something is causing it. I would start by keeping a diary of every single thing you eat and drink for an entire week to see where you calorie range is and take this along to your docs when you go to talk to him about all of this.

Answer 7

I didn't get my lapband until I was older. I don't know if I would have been mature enough at 21 to handle the responsibility that comes with it. I wasn't the most mature 21 year old around though. If you think you can be committed to everything that comes with it, I say go for it.

Answer 8

I know how you feel! I am the same way. My dr has checked everything and there is no reason why I cannot lose the weight but I haven't. If I had the $ I definetly would have the surgery. So my advice to YOU, if it is something that will make YOU feel better about YOU, then go for it! It is YOUR body!

Answer 9

no way there are so many who have had it and who hate it badly just go for the bypass instead ((hugs))