Gastric band

[Louise0208]

anyone had one?

i have an issue with my weight, im a size 16-18 & come under the 'moderatly obese' catagory & something needs to be done as i have just been diagnosed with high colesterol & ever member of my family has either died from diabetes or cancer.

i have tried WW, excersising every day, slimming pills & even ephadrine (not recomended) all have cost me stupid money & as soon as i 'fall off the wagon' my lost 10-14lb comes back on within the week....my partner lives 100 miles away & i have 4 kids so i cant 'nip to the gym' , join slimming classes or go out for a run (pity me please :laughing: :p )

i need a permanant fix & something to control my constant gorging/comfort eating.....i just dont seem to feel full and i cant stop till the whole plate/packet/fridge is gone :blush:

1 surgeon has recomended a gastric ballon (temporary fix) but i know within a few months my lousy eating habits will return & its a lot of money to waste (£4000) id rather pay the extra £1500 & get a permant fix.

im not scared of going under the knife (i had a breast reduction 2 years back)

i know some of you will think its the easy way out

would you do it?

i

[Tealady]

I don't know how tall you are but 16/18 isn't exactly massive. I would be very weary of having an op unless actually advised to by my GP. My sister was nearly 27st and even she wouldn't consider surgery.

If gorging/binging or comfort eating is your problem have you thought about Cognative Behavourial Therapy or some other sort of talking therapy?
I've yo-yo-d (size 14 at slimmest, 22 at largest) for years and have recently started trying to loose the weight again. I know I will get so far and then need something else so am considering this option.

[The Juggler]

i agree size 16/18 is not that huge hon. I don't think a lot of surgeons would consider it would then (unless you are very tiny heightwise too?).

However, it is your decision. I think the CBT or some form or Neurolinguistic programming and counsellign would be better - to get to the root cuase of the eating :(

[Louise0208]

i already know the root cause...

my mum was a tree-hugging health freak & restricted my food, had locks on the cupboards, no money to spend & forced me to do sport 4 days a week.....as soon as i got my first job at 14 i was given free meals & had to eat them in secret & i started stashing a couple of £s each week (mum put the rest in the bank) and it got spent on treats that i never had growing up (sweets crisps buiscuits etc)....mum searched my room weekly so i had to eat the all evidence......thats when it started, the guilt, the need to finish the packet...

and as soon as i left home a whole new can of worms opened....
id never had a takeaway or fastfood so i tried (and liked too much) everything, i could eat what i want, when i want & now i have got to the stage that i just cant stop :o

issues.....yes!
do i blame my mum.....a little! she thought she was doing it for the best but took it to extremes

BTW im 5 foot 2" it not just because of the size of me (i used to be a 22 2 years ago) its the health problems that are a big issue aswell.

[mumto3]

I would no way do it, it may make u lose weight but the underlying cause for ur eating/binging will still be there, no surgery can deal with the cause of the matter

I was a size 18, pushing a size 20 (in fact some of my clothes were a 20), I saw a picture of myself at a friends wedding and I was disgusted, I was a snacker and loved take aways/easy food

I joined weightwatchers online and just went for it, as soon as the weight started dropping it gave me the urge to keep going, I got to goal last August and lost 4 1/2 stone in all, I was even buying some clothes in a size 10 :eek: something I never thought would happen, since then I have put 12lb of that back on where I stopped tracking and getting abit slack but Im still in my size 12's

I started ww again a few weeks ago, the first week I lost 4lb, last week I sts and my weigh day is tomoz and im hoping to lose a couple of lb

My advice would be, u will only go for it and lose weight and succeed if ur ready and YOU want to lose it, otherwise u wont stick to it, ww is great coz it will change ur eating habits that u will learn forever, not a faddy diet where once u start eating the same old stuff u pile it all back on again, same as surgery, it wont solve anything, u will have to find alternative foods rather than the fatty foods, ie in the evenings (my snacky time) I used to eat biccies, crisps, now I have a cuppa tea (with sweeteners) and sugar free jelly which is 1pt and starves of the sweet craving

I agree with the others u may need some sort of therapy to help, I didnt, I managed to do it alone, its a hard job but the results are well worth it and wait till people start noticing and commenting, its great

Believe in urself and u can do it :)

[jane5]

I think it is very drastic and permanent surgery when you are not that big. There have been loads of cases of people being malnourished and really ill and can not change anything because it is permanent and this surgery does not stop the cravings and feeling the need to eat it just makes it very uncomfortable to eat. I know some one who has had this and she was still so desperate to eat that she kept eating and her stomach has stretched and she has put all of the weight back on.

At your size I would consider the balloon but not the stomach stapling.

Good luck with what ever you decide :thumbsup:

[Tealady]

i already know the root cause...

my mum was a tree-hugging health freak & restricted my food, had locks on the cupboards, no money to spend & forced me to do sport 4 days a week.....as soon as i got my first job at 14 i was given free meals & had to eat them in secret & i started stashing a couple of £s each week (mum put the rest in the bank) and it got spent on treats that i never had growing up (sweets crisps buiscuits etc)....mum searched my room weekly so i had to eat the all evidence......thats when it started, the guilt, the need to finish the packet...

and as soon as i left home a whole new can of worms opened....
id never had a takeaway or fastfood so i tried (and liked too much) everything, i could eat what i want, when i want & now i have got to the stage that i just cant stop :o

issues.....yes!
do i blame my mum.....a little! she thought she was doing it for the best but took it to extremes

BTW im 5 foot 2" it not just because of the size of me (i used to be a 22 2 years ago) its the health problems that are a big issue aswell.

As you are possibly aware of the causes CBT will help you handle it differently

[The Juggler]

As you are possibly aware of the causes CBT will help you handle it differently

I agree hon. sorry what happened as a child but you can deal with this and the issues withouth surgery - I KNOW you can. :thumbsup:

[Carol M]

Have you looked into Lighterlife?
VLCD with CBT, weight drops very quickly then its very important to keep going to group when food is re introduced, the consultants are very flexible and usually hold numerous drop in sessions in the week, so somehow you could get to one.
I lost 4 stone in three months a couple of years back. Have been ill since and on medication that I can't do the plan and weight has come back. I loved doing it I felt fantastic!
Oh another drawback, it's quite expensive but less than I would spend on food each week :blush:
You are aware of the issues in your childhood that have influenced your relationship with food, that is your first step to conquering your food addiction.
That said, my friend had a gastric band lost 12 stone in two years and a full body lift and two boob jobs!
Each to their own.
Good luck in whichever way you decide.
Carol xx

[jelly15]

Last Christmas if I had the money spare I would have had a gastric band fitted. However, I didn't have the money and began another diet. I don't know what clicked inside my brain this time around but I have lost two and a half stone and gone from a size 18 to 14. Lots of heart disease in my family and as I am nearly 42 thought I better do something and I am glad I didn't have surgery. Though I have to admit some days/weeks are hard but the initial starving huger past in the first two weeks. Good luck with which ever weight loss method you use.

[mumto3]

I personally wouldnt advise lighterlife esp for someone the size 16-18, I think it would be more advisable for very obese people, my friend tried it and she was very ill on it and she stopped it and now does ww and has done very well, i have heard people have died on it but its not advertised much, its personal choice tho