there are 20,017 threads on this forum

45 of them are in weight loss surgery

I hardly think that a few us trying to be nice and help you keep your health and your money warranted that extreme of a feeling.

Agree to disagree. I've gotten my hand slapped a lot since being here and have been told in several different threads that my approach is "wrong". I'm a little tired of it to be honest.

I'm not hand slapping when I say this... I'm just being honest... it's part of my "charm"

my own personal belief...This is a support forum - part of support is pointing out where people are potentially going wrong in their approach... in hope of someoe else benefiting from mistakes i've made... you can take the advice -or not -it's the internet -everyone has an opinion...

there are a lot of weight loss forums who's members are quite enabling.... and if you want to do 800 calories aday eating all chocolate chips all the time -they'll applaud you..a nd cheer you and won't care that that approach won't be successful long term...

The mind set o f this forum is more about educating the members and seeing this as more of a lifestyle change and not a short term diet... fix the problem for the rest of your life and get the results that you want...

I know enough to know that won't work, and I would say as much to someone who was doing that.

For at least some values of "work," it certainly would. Heck, I did pretty much that as a teenager, and it certainly made it possible for me to sustain an otherwise-unsustainable low weight. If all you care about is the number on the scale, calories are calories. Is it the ideal way to go about weight loss? Heck, no. But not because it doesn't work for all values of "work."

And that's sort of the prevailing opinion here on WLS - that it works for a fairly limited set of values of "work," but isn't the ideal way to go about weight loss.

I've read this thread with much interest. I am as curious as Mal as to what benefit you believe you will get from the surgery. You are losing weight now and that is a good thing.

I also know of a couple of people who have gotten the band. Their weight loss has not been faster, nor has is been easier for them. Both are struggling to lose what they are losing.

The thing is, to lose the weight, they still have to eat healthy and exercise. One is still consuming a bunch of his calories in beer. They've tightened his band because he has not lost the weight. He spends time throwing up what he eats if it is too heavy. The beer seems to sit ok, or he just hasn't decided to drop it yet, so he continues to fight with his weight.

Neither can eat more than a few spoons full of food at a time, and yet they still struggle.

What I don't understand about the procedure, and maybe I don't know enough about it, but how do you figure that if you cannot eat the healthy foods now, that you suddenly will be able to after surgery? It hasn't seemed to happen for the one person above.

Whatever you decide, just keep this in mind. Without the surgery, if you decided to binge on cake or pizza or whatever, you can do that. You can go to parties and enjoy what everyone else is having. If you have the surgery. Sure you can try to binge on those things, but for the most part you probably won't be able to eat them without a lot of pain or throwing them up. You may feel left out, when others are having things you used to enjoy.

I'm not saying that'd you'd want to eat those things all the time, as you are trying to lose and maintain a different weight, but what do you do about special occasions?

And coming from one who's husband has to have a very strict diet, do to other health problems, believe me, most people won't even think to make accommodations for you and they will be irritated if you even suggest it. And his is do to a serious illness. They know that.

All anyone here on this forum wants for you, is for you to be happy and healthy.

It would be easier for me if I was forced to eat a certain way, rather than simply had to use willpower. I'm weak. Someone going out for Mexican food? HELL YES. Pizza buffet? Count me in. Brother wants fried chicken? Let's go.

You guys say you want me to be happy and healthy, but I feel crapped on and chastised for pretty much everything I've said, and few people have said anything remotely encouraging.

I'm beginning to wonder what I'm doing wrong, since other newbies are getting lots of encouragement and I get shit. I guess it's not just that I'm losing weight and want help and support. I get this everywhere I go. I'm sick of being ignored and shit on.

I'm sorry if you feel that those of us sharing stories about real life people we know who have had the band makes you feel crapped on. All we want is for you to know what you would be getting yourself into.

I think you've done an awesome job with what you have lost so far. you only joined this month and you've already lost 12 lbs. That's amazing. That tells me you can make it all the way and you do have more will power than you think you do.

If you are waiting for someone to tell you "Go for the surgery, you'll love it, it's awesome" I can't do that. I haven't had the surgery and from the people I know who have, I don't want it. Ok, maybe I don't need it because I'm not as far over my mark, but getting to goal hasn't been any easier or I'd be there already.

We all struggle and we all choose different ways to deal with our struggle. Some op for surgery, some don't.

What I do find interesting, is that while there are threads and posters who have had some form of surgery, none have posted encouraging you to do the same.

Have you read the threads of those who have had some form of surgery? Do those posting sound like it something they would recommend?

I'm still waiting to hear what you think the surgery will do for you. That's not coming down on you, I am seriously interested to know.

I know that you can do this, it will take work, but you CAN do it!

I would say get a balloon!

No complications, costs much less, helps you for 6 months to learn how to eat properly, assisting you for that start.

I have lost 20kg already with my balloon, and after 2.5 months I dont feel it at all anymore. So eating is now contolled by me and not the balloon. If I do overeat I am going to be very uncomfortable, but I rarely overeat anymore.

I am excercizing for the first time in my life. So, I have already made several lifestyle changes.

The balloon is helping me. Giving me a kickstart of my 55 kg I have to loose. after the balloon is out, I will have to do it myself.

I dont regret the balloon for one day.

I am reading this topic quite a high interest and while most of the people are right, what I miss is to provide some solution to the person started this topic. May be I am sort of stupid here being a newbie but I would love to get a solution or a point to a solution based on the experiences of senior members here like Maleficent.

BTW, I am really impressed with this forum and hopefully become an active member here

Khurram.

Hi Karools!

Balloon technology is quite new for me and its for the first time I have met a person with personal experience regarding it. Can you please explain what were the difficulties, pain, after-affects, cost, etc that you faced with respect to it?

Khurram.

Maleficent!

I have read in this topic that you have shed more than 200lbs which is quite impressive and to me its a BIG BIG achievement. Can you please share your experience about loosing weight? Or if you have already done that in some other topic, can you point me to it please?

Khurram.

I realize that the surgery is not appropriate for very many people, but for some it is. There is a program out there there that can save you a bunch of money, if you do choose that route. They can't also help with the cost of getting the extra skin taken care of after you have lost the weight. I never had the lap band, but I need the tummy tuck etc, after losing 100#. I'm working with them, and I'll save thousands. leave a message at 206-203-1259 if you want someone to call you about it.

I'd never call a phone number given out on the web -- but googling that number returns a few hits from cars for sale on Craig's List -that the ads have been pulled...