OOmis1105: Im not being “snobby” when I say only those who have one should comment. You have proved my point with the misinformation in your response.
One who doesnt have a band doesnt know enough and will give misinformation. Malabsorbtion does not occur with a band. A band is merely “restrictive” meaning it just restricts the amount you can eat. Malabsorbtion is something that occurs with other types of weight loss surgery, and since I didnt have the other types I will not comment on malabsorbtion.
Of course diabetics need to lose weight but what if they just cant without help?
Lets all agree that the only way to lose weight is to eat less.
The question is how to do that.
Someone who is 20 pounds overweight and otherwise healthy, can and should watch what they eat and work at losing the weight the old fashioned way…
There are those, however, that have to lose 80, 100 or 150 pounds and for us, starving for a week, depriving ourselves of any of the foods we love, to lose 2 pounds, only to gain back 3 pounds at a simcha where we slip up is torture.
I assume the OP is severly overweight or is asking on behalf of a loved one. I am sure that she has tried other methods before considering this and can use support.
I go back to my Motrin analogy.. If someone has a severe headache, why would you dissuade them from taking 2 Motrin? There are many horror stories about people who overdosed on Motrin, there was Motrin that was tainted and had to be pulled from shelves, so now should everyone avoid motrin and call it the “easy way out”?
A band is not Easy, it restricts you from eating too much, even when you REALLY want to. even at a simcha, or on Yom Tov. It requires multiple trips to the Dr. to have it tweaked.
Those who have gained back the weight have done so because they got tired of their band and stopped going to the Dr. just the same way that someone who diets and excersises to lose the weight and then stops dieting and excersising, it will come back.
So lets be clear, we are not discussing a band for someone 20 pounds overweight, we are discussing 100 pounds overweight with probably a few co morbidities thrown in as well…
I really wouldnt even bother reponding to these threads anymore, but I remember when I was looking into it and EVERY person I mentioned it to had negative things to say. I shudder to think where I would be now if I had listened. My mother freaked, and threw all sorts of (wrong) information my way and guess what…6 months later she did it too. and she was successful as well.
If anyone out there actually has a band, and regrets doing it, by all means post and give the OP the info she needs, but if you yourself dont have one I really feel you should keep unsupportive comments to yourself.
Hatzlacha to the OP and anyone out there who decides to take this route.