meesh Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 i knew i would do this! my original surgery was scheduled for february 25th, i had to change it to march 7th and now i am thinking i will not do it at all. i am 5'4 and 187 pounds...i am normally around 140, i had a baby 10 months ago and gained 87 pounds. long story long...i am now taking optifast and have already lost 11 pounds...so here is the question, do i forgo spending the $7500 in cash and just keep purchasing the opti fast and loose the weight that way? i am so torn....i have to turn in my money this friday and am not sure what to do. i have already paid the $500 deposit and paid for my plane ticket, not that it was a lot... i guess i am wondering if i should do it because i have the following fears 1. i am afraid i will get the band and not feel good/not loose weight or loose it so slowly that i will resent spending the money since i could have just went on optifast... 2. i am afraid i will be throwing up all the time of pb'ing as you all call it...or frustrated because i can't eat but am not loosing weight fast enough 3. i am afraid i will be turning to alcohol as my husband and i dine out a lot with friends and are very social ..and not being able to eat will have me "drinking my dinner" thus turning into a complete lush! and so on and so on...i feel like a total baby right now..not being able to make a decision i have so many fears and wonder if needing to loose 50 pounds is enough to spend on this type of surgery? ugh, i am so torn...any advise would be helpful scared in california! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbird Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 Okay, usually I encourage people to get the band when they are on the fence. However, you do not have a history of obesity, and I think you should read over the information on this website and on another one called Lapbandtalk (lapbandtalk.com) to really look at what life with a band is like. For me it was a last chance to lose excess weight that I had had, literally, since I was five years old. Being thinner is very nice and I would not want to give up my band. However, I never get to enjoy eating anymore. I can only eat about a quarter of what I was eating pre-band, and by the end of that small meal I often feel pain and some nausea. I have to realistically look at the slight possibility of band slippage and erosion in the future, which may mean additional surgery. Surgery is cutting into your body even with the less invasive laparascopy. It is not something to undergo lightly, and there can be surgical complications, such as stomach perforation and infection, apart from the more frequently discussed band complications. Plus, the things you listed that you are afraid of are real possibilities. Have you really tried dieting? There is a reason US insurance companies want a history of dieting and failure with it before approving coverage for a band. The band is not a quick easy fix for a few pounds gained. I'm not a big fan of things like Optifast or Jenny Craig, for the simple reason that it isn't a normal way of eating that you can maintain for the rest of your life. However, you had a quick weight gain from pregnancy. If you can lose weight with something like optifast and go back to the way you used to eat before you were pregnant and keep your excess weight off, then I would think that is a good weight loss method for you. It hasn't even been a year since you had the baby. If you have any thoughts that you could be successful in losing that baby weight any other way besides surgery, I would go with those thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thinkinthin Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 i knew i would do this! my original surgery was scheduled for february 25th, i had to change it to march 7th and now i am thinking i will not do it at all. i am 5'4 and 187 pounds...i am normally around 140, i had a baby 10 months ago and gained 87 pounds. long story long...i am now taking optifast and have already lost 11 pounds...so here is the question, do i forgo spending the $7500 in cash and just keep purchasing the opti fast and loose the weight that way? i am so torn....i have to turn in my money this friday and am not sure what to do. i have already paid the $500 deposit and paid for my plane ticket, not that it was a lot...i guess i am wondering if i should do it because i have the following fears 1. i am afraid i will get the band and not feel good/not loose weight or loose it so slowly that i will resent spending the money since i could have just went on optifast... 2. i am afraid i will be throwing up all the time of pb'ing as you all call it...or frustrated because i can't eat but am not loosing weight fast enough 3. i am afraid i will be turning to alcohol as my husband and i dine out a lot with friends and are very social ..and not being able to eat will have me "drinking my dinner" thus turning into a complete lush! and so on and so on...i feel like a total baby right now..not being able to make a decision i have so many fears and wonder if needing to loose 50 pounds is enough to spend on this type of surgery? ugh, i am so torn...any advise would be helpful scared in california! You have alot of valid points. If you have that many reservations about going through with it, what would it hurt to continue the optifast and just see. You can always rechedule at a later time if the shakes do not work for you. Maybe you should just postpone and give it one last shot at something else. It is a big jump to have surgery as well as the financial cost. You need to make very very sure that this is the right thing for you. Don't make any decisions without feeling 100% confident that it is the right decision for you! This is my opinion.... Take some time and rethink the pros and cons, write them down and see it on paper. Hope this helps. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clynn Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 Questions for your question: Have you had a weight problem your entire life? If you try the Optifast are you confident you can succeed and keep the weight off or have you done that dance countless times before? Are you having any health problems associated with the excess weight? Have you talked to your Primary Care Physician or OBGYN about this? If so, what do they think? My first impression is that if you believe you can lose the weight with the Optifast (and a balanced diet of course), what do you have to lose by putting the surgery off? It is a BIG life change for people who everything else has already failed and not to be embarked on lightly. Your fears about developing alcoholism are not unfounded, though your awareness and vigilance makes it less likely to happen. Besides that, you're not even a year out from your pregnancy. My understanding is that the body doesn't fully return to normal hormonal-wise until about 2 years out, especially if you are breastfeeding. You can always give the Optifast a shot and put the money you would have spent on the surgery into a 12 month CD. Then when the CD matures and you still haven't lost the weight (or gained it back), the surgery money will still be there with a bit extra. Those are my thoughts given the information you posted, though your answers to my questions may change that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magpel Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 I agree with all the ladies here. I'd say put it off, keep on track with what your'e doing, and see what happens. If I could have lost the weight without surgery, I would have. I just had my 2nd baby 10 months ago, but while I was pregnant, I only gained like 3lbs. This was because my starting weight was so high, I didn't put any on. So after I had him I lost a few pounds, but I put it back on, and them about 15 more, not paying attention to what I was eating while having a newborn, and a tot. Before I had my first baby I was about 50lbs overwieght. After having her I put on about 15 extra lbs. Then I had my second and did the same. My goal is not to be skinny, but curvy and confident. I'm the gal that hates to work out becuase I am overwieght. I firmly beleive that when I loose about 50% of my goal weight I wll be much happier working out, and am just sucking it up now and doing lots of walking. I'll start going back to the gym in a few weeks, and hope that working out will allow this weight to come off a bit easier. Why not give yourself the opportunity to loose this extra weight. Worst case - you get the surgery later. Best case, you take it off yourself, and with that extra money, you take a fun family vacation! Good Luck to you. Peace, Maggie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meesh Posted February 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 I agree with all the ladies here.I'd say put it off, keep on track with what your'e doing, and see what happens. If I could have lost the weight without surgery, I would have. I just had my 2nd baby 10 months ago, but while I was pregnant, I only gained like 3lbs. This was because my starting weight was so high, I didn't put any on. So after I had him I lost a few pounds, but I put it back on, and them about 15 more, not paying attention to what I was eating while having a newborn, and a tot. Before I had my first baby I was about 50lbs overwieght. After having her I put on about 15 extra lbs. Then I had my second and did the same. My goal is not to be skinny, but curvy and confident. I'm the gal that hates to work out becuase I am overwieght. I firmly beleive that when I loose about 50% of my goal weight I wll be much happier working out, and am just sucking it up now and doing lots of walking. I'll start going back to the gym in a few weeks, and hope that working out will allow this weight to come off a bit easier. Why not give yourself the opportunity to loose this extra weight. Worst case - you get the surgery later. Best case, you take it off yourself, and with that extra money, you take a fun family vacation! Good Luck to you. Peace, Maggie girls, thank you so much to all of you for replying, you all have made me think. i know i can work out, i am just being lazy and looking for an easy way out...i know it. i have to get my a** in gear and get off my "had a baby am fat" pity party and move on!!! i will have to make this decision soon but you guys have opened my eyes...thank you thank you.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim2BSlim Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 I agree with the others too. I think that you should try to lose it on your own if you think you can. This is a last resort for me after years of dieting and having a thyroid problem that messes with my weight. Good luck to you with your decision and we will be here when you need support either way. > Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbird Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 And believe, me lapband is NOT the easy way out. It is a drastic solution to a lifelong problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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