Fat and ugly. Gastric band

[Vanishbanish]

I'm really ugly and over weight. Because I hate myself I don't really make any effort with my apprence.

But I am trying to change things. I have had all my bottom teeth removed and having my teeth replaced. The next step is to get my top teeth removed. So with that side of things I'm going in the right direction.

I'm very over weight my BMI is 32. But I really wanted to have a gastric band. But im not over weight enough to have a band. The only other option is the balloon but that just seens pointless.

I'm not diabetic or anything like that so I can't have it on medical grounds. I'm not in a position to be able to go abroad

If I'm paying for it I feel like I should be able to get it done . But it seems that's not thr case

At my biggest I was 19 stone, BMI 43. Managed to get my weight down to 18 stone 7lbs and had a gastric sleeve in Feb 22.

I lost 8 stone and in March 23, I just had a 360, FDL, boob lift with implants.

I'm 10 stone 7lbs now

My only regret is not doing it years ago

Please don't bother with a gastric balloon, biggest waste of money. Had one in for a year and only lost 5lb.

I think, as others have said, that it's the insanity of it all you need to tackle first. I was crazily overweight - top end of size 24 and rising, couldn't cross my legs comfortably or put on socks without a struggle. And I could not stop eating. I just couldn't. I joined Overeaters Anonymous www.oagb.org.uk/ and honestly I haven't looked back. I lost the obsession with food. I lost weight. Nothing else worked. It doesn't cost vast amounts (donations only) and there are plenty of people here who've had surgery. It worked for me and is still working. Happy to chat if that would help

I had a gastric band fitted with a BMI of 31 privately a few years ago so it is possible.

For me, it hasn't worked, although I haven't put more weight on, so I guess you could say I did get some results.
I did lose weight initially but as soon as I started back on solid food the weight loss stopped. Also the food cravings come back intensely once you are back on solids.

It seems that success with it is very much dependent on what sort of overeater you are. The band restricts the volume you can eat but you can cheat it.
In my case, my downfall was always crisps and sweet foods, I've never really eaten huge meals or takeaways or vast amounts of bread and I don't drink alchohol.

Unfortunately the band still allows me to eat those foods, albeit in smaller quantities so losing weight is still difficult. The other issue is that "good" food is much harder to eat, I can't eat leafy veg or salads, meat is very hard to get past the band so "slider" foods as they call them (ice cream, crisps, chocolate, anything with sauce/small pieces) become the foods of choice as they don't get stuck.

Believe me, getting food stuck is really horrible, painful and embaressing. It backs up at the narrow part of the band and you have to try and either pass it down, which hurts a lot, with breathing and stretching exercises or throw it up.

With hindsight, I wish they had questioned me more on how I eat so that I could make a more informed choice. I did originally want a gastric sleeve but they wouldn't do it unless I was BMI of 33 so the band was my only option.