I am new to this group and was referred by a good friend who's a member and just recently new to the LAP-BAND®®®®® journey. I started my journey about 6wks ago which would be late Sept. I am currently down 40lbs on the pre-surgery low carb/high protein shake diet. The diet is difficult but i'm doing it with hard work and much effort. I still have a long way to go due to my high BMI but i'm hoping to be successful even at this pre-surgery portion. I'm looking for all of the encouragement I can get and am glad to be part of such a wonderful support system as this one.

I'm also blessed to have such a loving family and friends that stand behind ans support me through this journey, however, there are those that aren't so happy because of their own insecurities. I have been approached with some truly negative remarks by people with whom I thought I had very sound relationships with. One of my "friends" (with whom I use this word very lightly) would just remark on the dangers of any gastric surgery while the other complained that he had went through the surgery just for it to be unsuccessful. It truly hurts my feelings to know that there are people who would much rather you be unhealthy so that they can remain happy or satisfied in their own skin.

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Congratulations on your 40 pound loss! Thats so great. It takes mental strength to stick to your course. It is a personal journey and I know what its like to have people around who don't want you to be successful. I had a "friend" call yesterday who I haven't talked to in a little while. He told me that he thought that I just hadn't returned any of his calls because I thought that I was better than he was now. I made a joke of it and told him that I had always thought I was better than him, even before surgery :cursing: It still kind of troubled me that he would think I could be such a shallow person. I think that you are right in that sometimes it is a persons own insecurities that are showing through. Glad to hear there are some supportive people around for you too. This site has been great for me. Thanks for sharing and good luck.

I have recently had some negative comments thrown at me, by my past co worker. The only exception is they didn't do it to my face they didn't behind my back... I wish she would come out and say it to me.. Oh well. What we all have to remember is this is our bodies, our lives, and our decision... We are doing this for our own reasons and I am making this a positive experience not a negative one... Keep me updated on how things go.. I go for surgery in 8 days.. Holla is all I can say..

Banster and Michelle I thank you so much and i was tear-filled just reading your comments. Someone explained to me that they were advised by their dr/surgeon that they would need a psychiatrist through their weight-loss journey and at the time it struck me as kind of odd. I thought to myself: "Why do i need to talk about something so positive." Now I know that this is not easy whether you are gaining or losing because people are going to be cruel on both spectrums.

Case and point: I went to go see my new PCP yesterday (due to my old one moving to another location and not taking any patients w/ him) and since it was our first visit I wanted him to be on the same page as myself. We were having the initial patient / doctor consult and I began to tell him about my journey and how i had just recently lost the 40lbs. He congratulated me which was fine but then said that perhaps I didn't need the surgery and that I could just keep up with the diet and exercise that I was currently doing to lose the weight. Mind you i'm on a liquid pre-diet and I haven't really done any strenuous exercise beside walking around and trying to get out day by day. I don't plan on being on this liquid diet for the remainder of my life nor do i plan on using the band as a crutch but more as my tool. I would have rather had more support from the doctor but i'm only going to assume that he will understand sooner or later how important this is to and for me.