Slimming World or gastric band?

I honestly think having people every step of the way with you is the way forward. I'd certainly follow a blog of yours if you did one or a diary on here. Compliments and praise work so well for me... to know that I was having to share my story with everyone would probably help me loads!

Maybe for each pound you lose you could put a pound into a baby fund jar?

Good luck - let us know how it all goes
Xxx
 
Jengen said:
Your first post was fine I know it's my willpower that will determine I lose weight or not but your second post asking to decided which I want more a baby or a burger was not. It's not what is more important or what is wanted more that is the problem because if it was then I would have stayed away from unhealthy food a long time ago.
I am sure that food is like an addiction and my will power will be enough for the first part whether its a week or a few months but once I slip I keep falling and then find it difficult to get back on track.
Thanks for your post :)
Click to expand...

You can out eat a gastric band though, gastric bands won't rid the addiction you have to wave through this the same as starting a new plan.

It's awful I had shakes, aches, migraines, they were gone by a few days but I felt like I'd hit a bus but for me it was the realization of just what **** I'd got hooked onto. But when there over there over it gets so much better.

You might also find the doctor suggests you loose x stone before they do a band so you might aswell start sw and see and try you might then decide actually it's working I don't need surgery.
 
That's what I was thinking- the dr is likely to tell me to start loosing weight before they will do anything and so if I start sw and then hopefully I will have the motivation and will power to continue with it without anything else (other than exercise)

I appreciate all the posts and I'm glad everyone on here is honest and doesn't sugar coat everything - so much comes from speaking to people in similar situations.

I think a blog/diary might help- thanks for the suggestion :) hopefully all your helpful comments will keep me motivated too x
 
Apparently you can have a baby with a gb but there's risk and one Is baby failing to grow so they do planned growth scans. But it's possible.

Do they do gb on nhs or will you need to pay private?
 
I think the telling words in your OP were, "If I follow the plan it works". It's about getting your head in the right place.
 
I'm not sure - if it would put baby at risk at all I would not do it. They can be done on NHS but I think there is a strict criteria and I'm not sure what that is?

I have always said I'd never do it and didn't even want to take diet pills but when husband mentioned it the other day I thought I've tried and failed so many times at dieting maybe it is something to consider? I don't want to get much older without having children. I turn 30 in June 2014 and I would love to be pregnant by then or at least have lost weight :)
 
Hi,
I just wanted to share my story with you. I have been where you are. I battled with infertility, but it was because of my weight. I weighed 20 stone and was trying for a baby for over a year. I had the same kind of thoughts as you, I love food, i have a big appetite, no willpower etc. But at the end of the day, its food. Once i've finished eating, its gone and its done nothing for me. I felt good while eating it, but then it was gone and I went right back to feeling like rubbish. So i had a good chat with myself and realised that I was getting nowhere with all the excuses and the negativity. And tbh I felt I was letting my husband down. He was so supportive, but at the end of the day I knew that if I lost some weight we would have our much longed for baby.
So I knuckled down to it. I lost 3 stone, and found out I was pregnant. My gorgeous son is 16 months old now, and I put on weight over the pregnancy, but I am here now to lose the rest. While I got my initial goal of getting pregnant, now I need to be a healthy mother to my children. I need to teach them how to eat healthily too. I would be doing them a great injustice if I fed them the way I used to eat. And SW is giving me all the tools to set them up for a healthy lifestyle and a good attitude to food.

I dont mean to sound nasty or imply that you are doing any of the things that I did. Just that I was in your shoes, standing on the scales knowing I had 8-10 stone to lose and feeling like it was impossible. My weight loss is slow, I lose about a lb a week. But thats more than I would lose if i was still having greasy takeaways and share bags of crisps every night.

You have to change something to get a different result. You can do this. There are so many inspiring people on this site. Your SW consultant will be there with you every step of the way. If you feel weak, come on here and let us talk you out of it!!
Come join us on our SW journey, you will never regret it!
 
Great post pink.

I'll be honest the only way I get through my will power is to consume myself in what I'm doing, yes I'm sad lol but it works for me. I'm a single mum so I spend my time on a night planning my food recipes, on here, testing food ideas, then I go to bed, it keeps me in the right place to do this.
I'm now at a stage where I take batter of my fish shop fish n skip the chips, i don't need greasy batter in my life what I need is to be fit n happy for my son. :)
 
Hi, my colleague had a gastric band 6 years ago - she has her children already, but in those 6 years she has lost some weight, she exercises beyond belief but she is still a large person. She is constantly burping, she cannot drink anything fizzy, food appears to be unhealthy most of the time with the odd go ahead bar. Her children get upset as she won't eat out not because she wants healthy food but because she won't pay for a meal she can only eat half of.

I have been back at SW for 7 weeks and lost 1st 1/2lb but I have eaten out at least once a week (Feb/Mar/Apr are majority of family birthdays, Mother's Day, valentines day and Easter) but I need to do it this time, I keep post it's with me to write down foods I eat so I don't forget I have had them. I am not deprived, I plan and allow myself treats. Yes I would have eaten a whole Easter egg before but I broke it up into synned amounts this year. It is extremely hard once that nasty viscious circle kicks in of bingeing feeling bad so doing it again. take it an hour at a time, each time you decide I need / want this tell yourself if you still want it in an hour you can have it but eat something free in that hour, or start a task that will take time & keep a bottle of drink handy to ensure its not thirst. Each step will get easier. None of us put our weight on overnight so I am happy to lose it slowly that way I hope I can keep it off.

SW is not a quick fix but a healthy lifestyle, most things I can do I have had to learn first - driving, swimming, reading - most things I take for granted as these were years ago but these days I just do them so hopefully as time goes on SW will be the same.

It has taken me ages to get my head in the right place, we have a beautiful daughter but I lost 2 - miscarriage & ectopic and recently had op & put into false menopause as a hysterectomy too dangerous so I have had to accept that keep eating will not change any of this but I can feel better about myself by being and feeling healthier.

Unfortunately, only you can decide which is best for you, people on here are so supportive and would help if asked. Please think carefully about your choices. When you have your family, if you are eating healthy good habits are normal for them.

Good luck. Sorry I feel I have really waffled. :) xxx
 
hi jen, i had the band 10 years ago, and it was a big mistake,
it dosnt help at all, it dosnt make you feel full, i just makes you in pain when your pouch is full or blocked but as food dosnt reach your bottom part of the stomach you still feel hungry,
i lost some weight with the band, but only because i went to slimming world, when i got pregnant i had to have the band loosened as i couldnt swallow my own saliva and i gained 5 stone through eating rubbish,
also you need willpower.. lots of it, if you dont have will power you will find your self eating stuff that goes through your pouch, ice cream, chocolate, puffed crisps such as wotsits, quavers, anything, so in my opinion, the band is useless
also for the past 3 years ive been getting severe pain in my shoulder and stomach from the band, its just not worth it, not to mention im now 2 stone heavier than when i got my band 10 years ago :(
slimming world is better than the band by far but thats just my opinion :)
 
Hey Jen, I'm losing weight for a similar reason - I have just under 8 stone to lose and have lost 5.5 of it in the last year. Initially I was losing to make it easier to conceive but then we found out that husband has a very low sperm count and we'd need IVF. So now it's all about losing weight to get on the IVF waiting list!

I know it's daunting when you start, especially when you have such a big reason for losing weight and a lot to lose. And as everyone else has said it's not just a case of what do you want more - that's way too simplistic. None of us want to be in a situation where we feel powerless to change anything and I've learned that even with this massive incentive I sometimes fall off the rails. It's a long hard journey with infertility and sometimes I feel so down that I don't want to do it any more, I want to give everything up and I wish I could just snap my fingers, lose the weight and be where I want to be and have the baby that I want so much.

Now I just try to think about how loved our kids are gonna be and how much we were prepared to give up for them before they even existed. And that's a beautiful thing.

You can do it without surgery, it is possible - it's just about getting yourself in the right mindset and focus on what you want in life. The support I've had on my diary threads is incredible - I would definitely recommend starting one! And if you want to visit us in the TTC room there are women there in a similar position to you with PCOS etc.

Wishing you all the luck in the world xxx
 
Hey Hun

You might want to grab yourself a cup of tea as my post is going to be quite long lol so I apologise in advance ;)

Personally I thinks the gastric band is the only route to go when you are really desperate and nothing else can help.
I've not been through it myself but I have witnessed the side effects and complications of it through seeing my old manager go through the process.
She had the gastric band fitted but had lots of illness, was constantly sick after eating only a couple of spoonfuls of food and could never go out socially for food because of the fear of throwing up and not being able to eat normally with friends and family.

Although she successfully lost weight she also suffered with extreme sagginess of her skin because of losing weight so rapidly. So she then was miserable and more self conscious because of this and then had to go in a waiting list for a full body tuck.
After so long she then gained weight again, it was like she had out stretched the band (which I've heard is possible as you can actually force yourself to eat more than the band should allow).
Since then she then underwent the more serious operation and had the gastric bypass, we all kept saying dont do it as there's no going back once you have that done but she did and guess what?!? She regrets it big time.

Now she says she can barely eat a whole carrot chopped up, she's miserable because so much food and drink is restricted and she can't go out anymore and enjoy anything. She's suffering with lots of excess skin and is terrified of now having to undergo a full body lift.

I'm not saying I'm against it and I have nothing against people who have had the surgery but Im speaking from experience through seeing my old manager go through it and it wasn't nice.

Check out these links........
Laparoscopic gastric banding: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Introduction to gastric band
Gastric band operation | Bupa UK
Risks of gastric band surgery - Latest News - Best Health

Then compare it to these links.......
http://www.slimmingworld.com/health/swor/benefits-to-nhs.aspx
http://www.slimmingworld.com/useful-features/weight-loss-route.aspx
http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/slimming-world/review-diet.htm
http://www.slimmingworld.com/getting-active/benefits.aspx

You are only 28 Hun, thats very yound and you have your whole life ahead of you, there is still time to lose weight naturally with Slimming World, you can still eat all your favourite meals and eat until your full and satisfied.
All you need is will power and support from your family and friends and that will spur you on to do well.

Like others have said keep something close by to remind you why you want to lose weight. Keep a dummy or a photo of your niece/nephew close by etc to remind you that you are doing this because you want that beautiful bouncing baby :)

You could even keep one of those money boxes and call it the baby fund, for every lb you lose add £1 to the box to save up for when you fall pregnant :)

We are all here to support you and I'd love to hear in a few months/1-2 years time that you have successfully lost weight with Slimming World and gear that you are expecting. Imagine that for a Slimming Wold magazine story :D

Good luck Hun and let us know how you get on.
Love Stacey xxxx
 
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What about taking a picture of yourself now and place it on the fridge? The dummy might upset you and make you want to eat? I know it would personally upset me. However, it might work for you. :) Its a good idea though, just my personal opinion :)

Dont give up, keep going! You can do it!!!!! :)
 
Thank you all for your great posts :)

Dr did not give me much information at all was a bit if a waste of time! Was basically told 'the best way to lose weight is to diet and exercise' said to come back in 2 months and if not working will try dieting tablets or something!

This forum is so much more helpful :)

I am going to start a blog/diary and update when I can, the iPhone app makes it really easy to do too.

I am going to slimming world on Monday and hopefully kick start this change in lifestyle :)

Thanks for all your support so far I have really liked reading your posts x
 
Jengen said:
Thank you all for your great posts :)

Dr did not give me much information at all was a bit if a waste of time! Was basically told 'the best way to lose weight is to diet and exercise' said to come back in 2 months and if not working will try dieting tablets or something!

This forum is so much more helpful :)

I am going to start a blog/diary and update when I can, the iPhone app makes it really easy to do too.

I am going to slimming world on Monday and hopefully kick start this change in lifestyle :)

Thanks for all your support so far I have really liked reading your posts x
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear your doctor wasn't very helpful. They don't really like you to go down that route I guess as it costs the NHS money. It took my old manager about 5 years to get it. In that time you could easily be at target and have a baby by then :)

You could of asked about discount or free SW membership though as I think they can help you with that. xxx
 
I don't mean to sound unsympathetic, but i have PCOS and i know what its like. Myself and my mom have always used the excuse ' got PCOS its hard to lose weight' Ive not had a period in years and im only 24 as it is. Im doing slimming world and im doing it because i want to and eventually want to have children. In my eyes if you really want something bad enough you will do anything you can to get it. As for not being able to keep away from take away food. Just don't go in the place.
 
So thrilled to hear you are going to join SW. You can do this, and you will feel a million bucks really soon. We are all here with you, we are all struggling with the exact same demons!

Best of luck, post a link to your diary when you have it started, I would love to follow your journey.
 
Glad you've decided to start a journey with Slimming World and not the drastic gastric! There's a special offer in next weeks Woman mag ( out 16 April) to join for £4.95) xx
 
Hey I'm having this same problem on 26 and 17 st I've been told I have PCOS too and Ive seeked advice from the docs for the last 6 year and all I ever got was lose weight ur obese ur this ur that .... I don't have regular periods and never have I went to the doctors in October last year and they finally done something for me gave me a scan found out I had PCOS and gave me tablets called metformin I've been taking these since nov and my luck it hasn't worked their meant to make u loose weight quicker but again not me !!! I then was referred to slimming world last week I joined I got weight last night and list 1n half Ib to which I was disappointed coz I've stuck to it so well .. I've been so down and depressed lately I too want a baby and it is hard so I feel ur pain but just try and stick it out x
 
One of my colleagues at work had this done last year. We were talking about it and she said from start to finish (you have to go through lots of different therapy to discuss everything, doctors, lots of things actually that you probably don't realise) it took just over 2 years. She said that even if she went through all of this the last meeting is with the anesthesiologist and if everything else is passed, he/she has the last say. Basically if he/she believes that you are too overweight to survive the anesthetics the surgery won't be done and you've just spent 2 yrs getting there for no reason.

I have gone through hypnotherapy (gastric band) and I will say it does work, I decided to step away from it and try this for other reasons, but I can easily go back to it. The most helpful thing about gastric band hypnotherapy is that it costs a lot less, takes a few sessions or so (I had 5), and actually gets to the point of where your issues are to begin with. For example it was the fact that my mother derogated me at every turn for my entire childhood and my subconscious in order to protect me piled on the weight. So part of the therapy is to talk to your subconscious and get it to help you rather than hinder you.

If you want to talk more about it, I'm quite happy to do so just send me a message. You can easily combine the two programs together you just have to make some adjustments. Just another thing to think about in your decisions
 
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