If diets have failed you, and you’re extremely overweight, what is there to do? Eventually the body will start to voice an ever-louder drumbeat of complaints: The aching knees, the stiff back and hips, sleep apnea…and that’s not even getting into what they call the serious risks. Yet, just another diet isn’t going to do anything much.

You may have considered bariatric surgery before, but thought the typical procedures practiced in the US were too major–most US clinics want to reroute intestines or even cut lengths out entirely and call *that* an acceptable alternative to obesity.

If, like me, you respond to the above with a resounding “I don’t THINK SO!” then it’s worthwhile to check out lap band surgery. This surgery does NOT entail a drastic redesign of your innards. All your guts stay right where they belong.

What Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding does is to put a literal band–like a watch band–around a section of your stomach, making the stomach into two pouches. This slows the processing of food and restricts the amount which can be consumed at one time. Also, the small top pouch allows you to feel full, so you can lose weight without that ravenousness that comes with plain dieting!

At Journey Lite, surgeons use laproscopic techniques to place the silicone band. Laproscopic surgery allows the procedure to be done through small incisions, rather than the big opening required for old-fashioned operations. The actual band is adjustable, and works like a watch band: First it’s placed around the stomach, then it’s cinched down to create a small pouch with a passageway to the rest of the stomach. You can read more about the surgery, and even watch a video, on their site here.

Journey Lite has facilities in California, Florida, and Texas, with other clinics planned for Maryland and more locations upcoming for their current states.