new and excited!

I seriously laughed out loud when I read, "I'm a super slow loser."  Anywhere else but a weight loss forum, it would mean something completely different.

I compltely understand where you're coming from.  I was in the exact same state of mind as you were when I had my band 5 years ago.  No way in HELL I was going to do something as drastic as a RNY.  I had done my research and was ready for my band. 

I followed the rules, all of them, and lost a grand total of 53 lbs.  I had a 100 to lose.  Not great but not terrible.  Except that I lost 20 of them pre-op.  On my own.  So I really only lost 33 lbs.  I kept those 33lbs off for a year and then my weight crept back up.  Yes, I was still following the rules.  But the band does nothing to help with satiety and can prevent you from eating healthier foods like chicken and salad.  ] Still living on 1600 cals a day, but to lose I should have been around 1200.  But see, my metabolism is screwed up and I'm betting yours is too.  Every day was a diet with the band.  And frankly, if diet and exercise alone would have helped me, I wouldn't need the band.

Flash foward to now.  Not only did I have a drastic surgery, I had the queen mother of all drastic surgeries - the DS.  They do a Sleeve AND reconfigure my intestines.  Why on earth would my attitude change so drastically in 5 years?  Because, with my band, I GOT SICKER.  I developed diabetes, high BP and my apnea (pre-existing but in "remission") came back full force.  I also gained back every pound and then some.

I realized that if I was serious about this, I had to do something serious about it. 

Plus, my band was causing me a lot of trouble.  It ended up giving me a diverticulum and esophageal dysmotility which likely is permanent.  So I chose the band because it was less invasive but it did permanent damage to my body.  Very invasive.

I tell you this because I wished someone had told me.  You probably won't listen,  I doubt I would have, if I'm being honest.  But I would feel awful if I didn't say something.

That's what all these people are doing.  They are trying to help.  I know it feels like we are being negative and we're just a few people with sour grapes because it didn't work for us.  But PLEASE hear me, it doesn't work for a LOT of people.  And the odds are not necessarily in your favor that it will work for you.  You have 200lbs to lose.  This simply is not the best surgery for you.   Go to www.pubmed.com and research the studies.  They will give you the real statistics.  

If you go through with it, I truly honestly hope that you are one to do well.  But in my heart, I truly honestly hope you don't go through with it.

My band stopped being effective for me after SEVEN  months, weight loss completely stalled.  After months of lapband induced bulimia, eating junk food to keep food down, couldn't eat protein without throwing it back up, I revised to bypass and I'm very happy.  I wish I had done the bypass in first place.  9 1/2 months out and no complications and lost weight and still am losing.

Please don't do the band if at all possible.  Research sleeve, DS, and bypass.  I thought I would be successful with the band when I researched in 2007 to 2009, but that was 6 years ago and there weren't many failures back then as there is nowadays.