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I am 27 years old, and just this year my wife and I have had our first child, a girl. Having her REALLY opened my eyes.. I want to be there and healthy when the graduates from high school - and college! I want to be able to run around and play with her when she is a toddler. I want to be involved in any sports / activities she does. For these things to be possible, I need a BIG change, and it needs to be now. I have 2 bad knees (not from weight, from sports injuries / genetics), and having the weight on top of them isn't helping at all.
So this year I made the decision to finally take the surgery route. I had tried every diet out there, and had some success, but I would ALWAYS gain the weight back. Starting out into the dieting world, I was 330 lbs and 18 years old. I got as low as 235 at one point. The only way I could get that low was going to the gym 6 days a week, and doing no carb diet. I got stuck at this weight for 4 months, even though I was strictly following my routine. While I was nearing a healthy weight, I never felt healthy doing no carb. My doc confirmed it when my BP and Cholesterol were going up. He advised that I stop doing low carb, and just do low fat / low cal. Well I then immediately started gaining weight, even though I was following their guidelines (and constantly starving). I plateaued again, but this time at around 254. I was still in the gym all the time, and eating right. Then I blew out my knee a week before my wedding. I hobbled down the aisle, and lost the ability to get my excersise in. I loved raquetball, and that is just simply not possible now. I gained 70 lbs in a year, and then the next 8 months an additional 16. I had balooned up to my highest weight ever - 341!! ugh!
In july of 06, I finally went to see Dr Champion. After talking with him and his staff, I knew Lap-Band surgery was right for me. On september 19th, my life changed for ever when i got my lap band. As I am writing this, I am only 2-weeks post-op, but i already know that this is the best decision I have ever made.
