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So after a bit of a stall in weight loss, I hit a milestone today. I am now down a total of 40 pounds from my start weight. The last two pounds took their sweet time comng off but today I was so excited when I got off the scale I was jumping up and down -naked, in my dining room. Thank god my kids were still asleep. Now only 80 lbs more to go. I am third of the way to my goal and I'm use over a month post op. This week I made some discoveries I want to share: First- If I'm going have any money left to buy nice clothes by the time I reach my goal weight I need need to figure out how to get clothing now for my change body that doesn't break the bank but I still feel good in. I bought a pair of size 18 jeans two weeks ago-$25 on sale - too big now. All my other jeans too big to wear out of house cause if I move around too much they fall down, or they look too frumpy because too big. So...I found a new second hand store that had just open near by a friend of mine took me too on Wednesday. It was nicer then most and had some really nice clothing for cheap. I got three pairs of designer jeans-one still had original price tag of $65 -size 16, all for under $20 TOTAL! - They were really tight on Wednesday, had to lie down to get zipped, but not so bad today. I actually got them on and up while standing up with no problem. Second- Oikos Key Lime Greek Yogurt-If you crumble up a small bit of graham cracker on top, It tastes very much like a Real Key Lime Pie. 11 grams of protein and 150 calories. I felt like I was being so bad but I wasn't. Third- When I was putting makeup, to go to meeting at kids new school, on this morning I noticed I had cheek bones again!!! So cool. I actually skipped to my friends car in my new not too tight jeans. Take care everyone.

Well I'm totally committed (or my husband would say I need to BE committed!) to exercising. I know that the scale staying at 18lbs lost for a week was because I needed to get up and shake what my momma gave me! I am doing Zumba on Tuesdays/Thursdays, but I was searching for something I could do at home. Low and behold, I bought the Just Dance 3 for the Wii. HIGHLY recommend! Everynight when my hubby goes to bed I get my controller strapped on to my wrist and I go to town. I'm sure if anyone was videotaping me I would go viral instantly because I'm sure that is a funny site to see! It actually lets you keep track of your week and your "sweat points". Not sure really what that means, but I'll take it! NSV of the week: Going back to work and having two boxes of Krispy Kreme GLAZED donuts on the table and not even having a desire to eat one!

So... I'm constantly reading around on the forums for support encouragement, inspiration and experiences. Lately I've come across so many angry and negative experiences and comments that I have to admit I actually lost some sleep. Hek... I even called the doc and was about to ask for another fill without weighing in to check results on my first fill. I know we are all individuals with different results. Even extremely varying results, but it seems a lot of posts blasting the lap-band don't really tell the full story. What did these people eat? Was there any other medical conditions? And if it truly did not work I don't believe it was the lapbands fault. Sometimes things are beyond our control. Sometimes things are written down in detail right under our nose and we choose to ignore them so we don't step out of our comfort zone. I have also read many post about people giving up on the band and getting gastric bypass. This is extremely shocking to me. My brother had gastric bypass 10 years ago after stepping on a freight scale that read 590 lbs. I have watched him go though hell, still over eat, need supplements for all vitamins and minerals (because with gb you only absorb

I'm one day post-op and I feel like a million bucks. I'm sore of course, but I haven't taken any pain medicine all day - I figure if my menstrual cramps were this bad, I wouldn't take pain meds for them, so why for this? All in all, I feel pretty good - its hard to get comfortable for me because i'm a stomach sleeper - well - at least I won't be for a while. We checked in at the hotel and its a beautiful room - just kinda haning out - hubby is snoozing - I took a little nap. Time seems to crawl by - I have to be back at the clinic for a checkup at 5- they come to get us. I swear if the peope at the clinc were any nicer, they'd melt in the rain like sugar. I can't get over how they are so genuinely sweet. They don't condescend to you, they don't forget about you. They're really there to take care of you. I'm now to the point where I can sip water, but I still feel pretty hydrated from the iv's. I cannot wait to take a shower. Hopefully that will be tonite. I'm still a little gassy, but nothing spectacular. I'm hoping to sleep through the night, but don't have any expectations to. Again, that's just me - I'm an insomniac. Oh - and everyone at the clinic is just gorgeous. Inside and out.

I have...at least that's how it feels right now, but at least I have my band. Surgery took about an hour, no hernia to fix and I'm told my liver was shrunk nicely. Also, I hit my pre op weight loss goal of 20 lbs., score! I cant say I'm digging the soreness right now, but i will say there is no way I'm going back to fast food after this; its not worth the pain.

I went to the Doctor last week for a consultaion about the GSV surgery. At age 27, my BMI is 62 with a height of only 5'7". Doc said if I do not do something drastic, I will not live to see 40. That not only scred the crap out of me, it has acted as a super motivator. Exercise = life! I am on day 3 of my new diet, hight protien, high fiber, low fat, low sugar, low carb and exercise daily. All is going well, even though I have been tempted, I have to think of my ulimate goal which is to get healthy and live as long as I am ment to. I want to be a motivating factor for my family and give my nieces someone to look up to! My dad told me a good quote the other day that has stuck with me. "A body in motion tends to stay in motion, while a body at rest tends to stay at rest" - Newton So I know if I get home and sit down to relax, thats it, I'm done for the day. So instead, as soon as I get home I hop on my eliptical and knock it out! This seems to really help me. I am always exhausted and sore afterwards, but a little time goes by and I get a big energy boost. Aside for the energy, exercise makes you happier in general! Ah the wonders of the chemistry that makes up our bodies - amazes me sometimes. I am still working on financing for my GSV procedure and hope to finsh this up Monday so I can get a date. I thought I might as well get a jump start while I am waiting so I am eating right and doing my best to exercise and stay motivate. I love the support the members on here have given me in the last few days and find it contagious, I want to help motivate others as well. I think this will help me stay motivated as well. Hope to here some of your stories soon. More to come....

well I'm almost 16 months post op and I'm still at it. I have a tough time losing more weight but I did manage to make it to 215 pounds now. My goal is around 200 pounds. Its been a ton of work, I run 2-3 miles each day and now added weight lifting. Believe it or not the adding of weight lifting has transformed so many different parts of my body and also bumped started the extra 6 pound weight lose. I've started to firm up the flabby areas. I manage4d to run my first 8k on thanks giving. That was the first time I ever ran 5 miles. I did it though. never stopped once. For anybody who here the comment "you took the easy way out", tell them oh yeah, lets go to the gym and maybe a little run, We'll show them how easy this is.

This journey is different for everyone and we all have our individual struggles as well as our individual triumphs. My main reason for lapbanding was basically to lose weight in a healthy, but fairly quick environment. On my own, I quickly lost motivation and patience when the scale didn't move, or didn't move enough and then quickly resorted back into the comfort of food/drink. There has been alot of discussion lately on what is an acceptable or average weight loss per week/per month. I just have to say that 1 lb a week is UNACCEPTABLE to me. My surgeon practices at one of the country's best hospitals and assures me I can do 20-30 lbs a month if I stick to his rules, so I am! I am averaging 5-8 lbs now a week. Since my surgery December 15th, I have lost 27 lbs. Overall loss is 38 lbs. I could have done 1 lb a week without having surgery and spending a small fortune. I know this is a TOOL, but it needs to do its job when I do mine - the perfect partnership. I feel absolutely no restriction right now, so it is pure will-power - something I have never had, but I am not going to risk hurting my lapband by overeating or eating the wrong things. I know in time I will feel the restriction and it will provide some support to my own will power and I can rely on the band a little more each day and not feel I am alone. Please remember, this is a different journey for all of us, but the desired result is the same - a healthier, happier YOU! God Bless and stay the course! Leslie

In 24 hours I'll be banded...queue Europe's "The Final Countdown". I can't believe it's finally here. I remember the first time I seriously considered the band, last May at my son's little league pool party. One of his coaches (whom I considered to be a "guys" guy) told me he'd had the band for about a year and was loving it. Loving the time he was able to be more active in his son's life, the ability to get more out of life, how it brought him closer to his spouse, and I just remember thinking "if I would just swallow my pride and accept I needed help with my weight, I could be a lot happier". You see, my wife was already planning her lap band at this time and I fully supported her decision to get healthy and reclaim her life, but up until this point I had pretty much resigned myself to being a "fat" dad... the one who was a master at the barbecue pit during family cook-outs but who didn't get into the pool with his kids or play catch with them...because it's too hard. I know the band is not a magic wand that fixes all aspects of one's life, but for me most of my unhappiness stemmed from not having the ability to control my own issues with food to the point that it was affecting my relationship with my kids and my wife. Tony is 10, I have 8 years left with him "full time" and only about 3 more until he becomes his own person and starts socializing outside the home, how long before he doesn't want to do anything with me regardless of what I can and can't do physically? Josh is 4, if I keep going the rate I am I will die before I see him turn 18. 2005.. the start of my weight gain. In regards to my marriage, we had our kids very young. We've never had the time to ourselves to really be just a couple. We have always made plans to travel and enjoy each other when the kids are grown, but without a healthier lifestyle what are we going to be able to do? Watch Food network and visit every buffet restaurant in the state? I want more than that! I want us to climb a Mayan Pyramid and see top of the Eiffel Tower. I want to be intimate without fear of throwing out my back. And now here we are, 7 months later. one day away from go time. I have the usual nervousness and apprehension that comes with any procedure, but all in all I am ready. Ready to make the effort to change my life, ready to put my family and my own health as the number one priority in my life. READY. follow my whole blog at http://gerryslapband.blogspot.com/

So today I was so excited I got on the scale and it said 220.5 I my journey started at 256 so after a few days stuck at 222-224. I was down to 220 today. I was so excited I took a picture of the scale. My sister was so excited too, except text back not to take another picture of the scale until I had a pedicure. My toes were scary. So tommorow I off to get a pedicure, I had had time to get one in the last...ok I can't remember my last one, but September? Between going to Nursing school, studying, and then in October I sort of cut through my two fingers instead of pumpkin. My hand surgery actually said it was more come than one would think, slippery pumpkins. So once my fingers and tendons were sewn back together, I could drive til the week of my lapband in December. Now that my hand is working again and can see my toes again- I guess it time to go for that pedicure. I feel really good now, so far so good. I had my first post op visit on the 5th, but nofill til Feb. That was disappointing, but I'm doing ok now that kids are back in school and I have been keeping busy. Got a few things stuck. chicken, and something else I can't remember that I didn't chew enough. Not a fun feeling. I have lost 15 pounds since my surgery on Dec 19th. This week I have been going through my clothes. My friend is making me try things on so I can see them hang there and then toss into the goodwill bag. Today I actually got a pair of new jeans on ....Size 16! I got them zip and on, they were a bit tight but I was still excited. Ididn't wear them long, But it was still cool. I gladly put my 22's and 20's into the goodwill bag after that!. We dropped off all the bags at good will. I can't wait to go shopping when I get smaller. Trying not to buy too much too soon. But My pants kept falling off so I got a pair of 18 and one 16 to work towards. Now wearing my leggings and workout pants that I can adjust waist. Ok that's all for now. Good luck to all of you! Off for my pedicure! Suzi