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WLS is not Cover Girl. Easy Breezy is not a definition that can be used when talking about WLS. In reading the comments posted on Fox News regaurding Gov. Christie's lapband surgery, I was disturbed to see that people still see WLS as the easy way out. What I would like to know is what part of major surgery is easy? While lapband surgery is not a horrible ordeal to face, it isn't all sugar plums and roses. I was sick after surgery, felt like crap. Then I had trouble taking in enough. Then I was starving hungry. Then when I started eating again I was terrified. As the first 50 lbs melted away I was thrilled with my decision to have lapband, once I got past the 199 mark, the next 10 lbs took 4 months! I am still very glad I choose this change and committed to it. Just because you have WLS doesn't mean your cravings, desires, wants disappear. We have to learn to manage these things. WLS success requires a huge committment to change your lifestyle. This pathway to health is worth it, but it is far from easy. May 22nd I will be 11 months post op and I have gone from 244 to 188. I have gone from wearing a tight 18W to a very comfy 14. I know longer wear the 1-2X shirts, I know easily wear a large. These things are awesome and make then changes I committed to well worth the struggle. Every day brings with it a new set of challenges, opticles, highs and lows, but it is worth it to finally feel "normal". I no longer walk into places and feel like people are looking at me due to my weight. I am no longer paranoid over it (well almost there). I love walking into stores and being able to find cute clothes. I walked past the Women's sizes the other day in Belk and saw a cute top- guess what all they had were to big for me . My husband hugs me and comments frequently how small I feel and how proud he is of me. So no matter how people view the surgery, no matter if it is hard or easy, I don't give a rats bootie- this is my life and I choose health. I choose to change. I am on this journey. I still have 45 lbs left to loose. I won't make it to goal in a year. But by golly I will make it. One day, I will see the blessed 140's. I am not sure how much more changing and rearranging I will have to do to my life style, but I am committed and I will do what I must to finally acheive my dreams!

This seems to be a topic that comes up often so I will try to explain all of them and how they happen. Over eating causes your 2-4 ounce pouch to stretch and force food up into your esophagus causing it to dilate. Just because people think that food does not stay in the pouch long that is not true as you get tighter. The food takes longer to go down and eating fast or over eating causes pouch stretching. Band erosion is also caused from over eating. Imagine your band around your stomach and every time you over eat you are forcing your band into the stomach wall. Over a period of time your stomach tissue will wear away and your band will erode into your stomach causing your stomach contents to go into your abdominal cavity which is poison to your system. If you feel like food is backing up into your throat then you are over eating. I know some people eat a cup of food but if you look at most pictures of the band and ask your doctor how much food will my pouch hold not how big is my band, I am sure they will tell you 4 ounces which is a half cup of food. Now the cup to half cup can be debated all day long but the fact is if you over eat which ever that means for you, you are risking your pouch to stretch, dilate your esophagus (which will cause problems pushing the food down) and band erosion. Take your time to eat, don't over eat and take care of your band and yourself so that it can last a long time. Also being too tight can add to much pressure to the band and cause it to erode also. So make wise choices when eating and getting fills.

9 weeks post op and I didn't lose any weight this week. But it's all good! I have been hitting the gym pretty hard so I'm good with no loss. My pants are loser and I definitely feel better! I'm trying to get to the gym at least 5 days a week. I'm doing 3 days of swimming laps and 2 days of cardio (as in eliptical or treadmill) and weights. Then in addition to the planned days I'm also taking the kids over to the gym on the weekends to swim so I'm getting additional activity that way. AND my stepdaughter is doing the P90X ab workout, so she's got me doing what I can on that. (It's pretty ugly, but I'm trying) My husband decided he needed to keep up with me. So he started going to the gym with me a couple days a week and cut out his sugary treats...and in one week HE lost 7#!!! Isn't that the way it always works?? I'm working my butt off and he just cuts back and loses! LOL... Heaviest Weight: 281 3/6/13 Surgery: 257 (-24) 3/13/13: 251 (-6) 3/20/13: 245 (-6) 3/28/13: 238 (-7) 4/3/13: 238 (-0) FIRST MONTH -19# 4/10/13: 237 (-1) 4/17/13: 235 (-2) 4/24/13: 233 (-2) 5/2/13: 229 (-4) SECOND MONTH -9# 5/8/13: 229 (-0)

I appreciate all your post. Actually alot of people have viewed and liked it. Who cares what they think anyway. You are doing most amazing, to heck with them if they have a problem with it. Preparing meals a head has really changed things for me. It really is helping keep me on track, I am amazed. Why the heck didn't I try this before. Thanks for all the advice and for the blogs I take bits and pieces and apply it to me and I am making my success plan.

You got it!! Great job so far...keep that motivation. and LGB!!! we need this one tonight.

That is a great idea! Because July will be very hot (well maybe I stay in the Midwest and our weather is funny as of lately) This will work thanks!

Good information Cheryl. Thank you for sharing it...and for effectively outlining the processes of what risks over eating creates. As stated so often, "Listen to your band!"

definitely get itchy after taking the B12 vitamin. unfortunately, and to my great dismay (as a former potato lover), my tummy will not tolerate any type of potato in any form....the sleeve says, "no way i'm digesting this stuff.....and the sleeve instantly disposes of the problem...." .....sigh...