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I have to say that reading blogs and viewing photos are so inspirational to me. When I made the decision to have this surgery it took me a year to say "I am going to do it". Now I am so excited to know that I am making the right choice for me and only me. I can't wait to have my surgery which is scheduled for Dec. 26th, 2013. Just want to thank everyone on here for the good and bad stories reguarding their experiences and I wish EVERYONE success on their healthy weight loss journey!

A couple weeks ago, I hit my pre-op weightloss goal and recived my sugery date with the understanding that it was pending insurance approval. As of today, I had not heard from the center or my insurance company. One phone call later and I was informed that not only am I approved by insurance but that I'm the first on the list for my surgeon. Um, this just got real and I think I may have wet my pants a little. LOL Excited. Nervous. Butterflies everytime I think about it.

Hello my lapband family, I know I haven't been on here in gods knows when but let me tell yall of my progress. First off I'm down to a happy 195. I know I can't believe it either. I now work out 5 to 6 days a week and have fell in love with it :wub: . I love it so much I crave for it when I have to miss a day crazy I know. Also I'm really learning how to eat I'm still not perfect and I have some pit falls but I'm still a work in progress none the less. Well I hope to update more often until then have a good day.

I'm so excited this morning!! I just want to share it with everyone! I have been in a 2 1/2 week stall and just patiently waiting. I read many blogs and forums of people sharing the fact that stalls happen and you just gotta keep going so that's what I was doing. I have been at 201 this whole time just waiting to get to Onederland. I had not weighed myself since Monday because I honestly didn't want to keep seeing the same thing again. This morning my husband asked me if I had weighed myself and I said no. I thought, I'll just see where I stand today. And to my VERY pleasant surprise I weighed in at 198! I'm so happy to be in Onederland!!! I also went into my closet and found some brand new jeans that I had bought 7 years ago but never wore because I gained too much weight and was able to put them on! Plus today is Friday, and payday and I'm taking portraits of a beautiful bride to be this afternoon! Today is just an awesome day! I hope everyone is doing just as awesome!

Its been 3 weeks since my first fill. To be honest it hasn't changed my appetite or how much I am able to consume. I feel full on small portions but it feels very temporary. Within an hour or two I am hungry again. I have been exercising but still snacking too much in between meals. I need to be more focused on not eating as much. My next fill is tuesday. I am hoping that I am able to do better going forward with my diet.

Well I do......surgery!! I swear I never thought this day would come, how in the world I didn't lose my mind I don't know. But now, how in the world am I going to keep this smile off my face, oh wait I don't have too! For all those people who may read this and think, what I wouldn't give to me her, to have a date to know it is my turn, you will be here. Don't give up no matter what comes your way just do what you have to get to surgery. I already know it is worth it.

I have been lost in thought for awhile, running all kinds of emotions. So I thought I will do my old standby. Make a List... a List of Why I am wanting to keep my head up & not cheat, not give in to my belly... all its moaning & groaning of thinking it wants something Sweet or Salty... or something besides Shakes, protein, veg's or a single piece of fruit.. things I want to be able to do. ~sit in a both when I go out to with my family. ~not have to worry about whom is driving, due to the seatbelt issue. ~ride any fair or amusement park ride. ~be able to go buy cloths that don't come from The Big Girl section (basically anything without a X or few) ~be able to not have fear of people asking when I'm Due. ~for that matter no terrible comments or remarks. ~to be able to actually Smile without hiding the pain of something. ~to not have to worry if I drop something & have to pick it up in public. ~be able to go swimming at a public pool without giggles. ~when family & friends gets together to not worry about a chair breaking. ~to be able to ride the dirt bike. ~to be able to wear high heels again when I feel like it. ~to do a 5K without walking. ~going skiing. ~go tubing. ~go rollerblading again. ~ride a horse without extra stress. ~go on the zip-line. ~go golfing without getting to tired. I have many more that have rolled through my head & now that I sit to type they have disappeared. This Journey is for me, for my Health & Happiness. Sometimes I just have to remember that. this was just a quick rant. I'm so ready for this change. Happy Trails to everyone on their own Journey!

It's official! I saw Dr. X on Monday for my monthly follow up. I have hit the the 50 pound loss mark. If you really think about it ... that's a whole big bucket of blubber. Fifty pounds is definitely life changing. Just about every aspect of my life has changed. My complete wardrobe (all three levels) are obsolete. My sleep habits have changed ... no more snoring. My exercise went from zero to above moderate. My eating habits have greatly changed for the better. My overall activity level has improved. My blood pressure went down and my resting heart rate is at the GOOD level. I'm only a couple of beats per minute over EXCELLENT and not far from ATHLETE. That's a hoot! So you can probably say that I had a complete makeover. Both in outside appearance and inside my head. It's the head part that's the hardest to change. I will have to struggle with this for the rest of my life. If I ever give in, it'll be back to the level 3 wardbrobe and I can't afford that. Well I think it's time to get a real grip on what 50 pounds of fat ass real is. We reviewed it at the 40 level and that was kinda fun. And very eye opening. So let's look at fifty. 1) $200 in quarters ( that would be 800 coins) weighs fifty pounds. This begs the question: What would you rather have? 200 bucks or my ass full of quarters? 2) An average 7 year old child weighs fifty pounds. My kid is growing up right before my eyes. Remember? He was only 3 at the 40 pound level 3) A bale of hay weighs 50 pounds. My ass weighed about 10 bushells full. 4) A baby pygmy hippo weighs 50 pounds. We can all think of something wittty to say here. Let's leave at this: A few months ago, hanging out with me would be like hanging out with 5 baby hippos. Less the cuteness. 5) 2 big sacks of potatos weigh fifty pounds. Formerly easily consumed by me either fried, baked, sauteed, mashed, boiled. It didn't matter. Also, A potato is the Father of the Chip. Forever whorshipped. 6) A medium pit bull terrier. 50 pounds of sheer muscle. Can't say that about 50 pounds of ass. 7) 5 bowling balls. Yep. Strap 'em on and go up and down the stairs a few times. It never gets old! If we had time, I would go around the house and weigh all the appliances. I know my ass was at least as heavy as your average microwave oven. Or maybe even your refrigerator. It was big and it was heavy. Now, not so much. Yes, I am still of large ass. But not of fat ass. Hopefully soon, I will be of normal ass. Fret not my friends, I will always be YOUR horse's ass. Hasta la vista, baby! Johnny! P.S. I'm in the game for real now. Dr. X gave me another full c.c. in the band. I'm at 35% restriction. I will report any changes soon

After more than two years post-op and almost three years on this board, I've decided to create a blog. I never made one before because I didn't want the responsibility of keeping up with new entries and dreaming up fresh and exciting content to share. But I've come to recognize that blogs, even when they are abandoned, can provide a permanent link to some great information. So, I'm going to use my blog to answer questions that I see come up over and over in the online VSG community. I'll put each topic in a separate entry so they are easy to link to. A bit about me: I'm a retired techie. I wrote techincal documentation for end-users, administrators, and programmers. I also worked on websites and UI design. After retiring, one of my projects was getting healthy. After years of trying to lose weight including a stint with Weight Watchers in person, Weight Watchers online, hiring a personal trainer, hypnosis, and a brief fling with Alli, I decided to try weight loss surgery. At first, I wanted the band. After learning more about it, I decided on the sleeve. I had VSG through Kaiser Fremont in May 2011. I got to my personal goal in March 2012. I've been staying there since. I hope you find the information I provide useful. Lynda

Wow! Has it really been that long since I blogged, March 2013! Yes it has been a while. For those of you who do not know me, my name is "Love" and yes I still love my lap band 3 years post op. I am at goal weight and a normal BMI and have successfully maintained that weight for 1 year now. The questions i still get asked are: 1. How much is in you band? ( I have no idea, I have not had a fill since January 2012) 2. How much can you eat? I eat about a cup to a cup to a half of food, Most meals consist of protein and veggies. I am one of those low carb eaters by choice because i still have issues with carbs. One I love them, two they get stuck, and three I lost weight better by eating on the low side. 3. What can you eat? Anything, yes I can eat most foods. The issues for me are, if I chose to eat a slice of pizza it will fill me up much quicker and I will be hunger much sooner. I do eat pizza and small burgers or sandwiches occasionally but it has to be the perfect storm. My band has to be cooperative and I have to be relaxed and take my time. Not the type of foods I eat out in a restaurant. When I eat out I usually eat off the appetizer menu or share with my hubby or friends. I am a cheap date! 4. If you had to do it all over again would you do the surgery again? That would be a big YES, lap band has given me back control over my life and my health. It is true you are what you eat, I eat healthy now and I feel great. 5. Don't you think you are too thin? NO, I am a normal BMI. You are suppose to see my collar bone and I am suppose to be able to feel and see my hip bones. Geez world it is really healthy to be thin. 6. Do you drink protein shakes or eat protein bars? Yes, I still supplement with protein bars and shakes. I do not drink or eat them daily but I always keep a good supply of them around. It took me lots pf trial and error to find protein supplements I like and that taste has changed over the past 3 years. I found the most difficulty finding a protein shake I could stomach the smell and taste of. I personally hated and still do the premixed drinks, too sweet for my taste. I ordered off a bariatric web site in the early days and used a lot of unflavored protein powders. Today, I like Pure Protein, Frosty Chocolate and Vanilla. They are my base and I add flavorings, fruit, peanut butter and ice. I never use milk to mix with unless I am supplementing them as a meal and need the calories. How did I learn to like the powders, it was necessary, I needed to eat between 90-100 gms of protein a day when I was weight training and this was the only way I could get in the necessary protein to build muscle and loss weight. You see I had plateaued for a very long time and still had 30-40 lbs to lose to reach goal. If you eat too little you will not lose weight and your body will stop losing. 7. How long did it take you to lose your weight and how much did you lose? It took me 2 years to reach goal and I lost 132 lbs. I like many of you thought I would have my weight off in a year, boy was I shocked and disappointed when that did not happen. I stalled really bad and stayed the same weight for about 6-7 months right before my 1 year date. 8. Do you exercise? Yes, exercise is key to losing and maintaining weight. These days I am not as aggressive and obsessive as i was when trying to melt off that 132 lbs but I still exercise.You have to really work to find out how your body burns calories and how many you need to maintain. Figuring all this out took me months to figure out. I used a fit bit, my fitness pal and a trainer to help me learn to use my body as a fat burning machine. Fat and muscle weigh the same, a pound is a pound and a pound of muscle does not weigh more than a pound of fat. Use this as your vision, a pound of jello is your fat and a pound of chicken is your muscle. The mass of the jello is greater than the chicken but still weighs the same. That is why when you are exercising and toning you look smaller and the scales my stall. I know silly but so true. Also when you are exercising to build muscle and tone you need to be in your target heart rate to maximize your burn of calories. Losing weight is really a delicate balance of everything and is so much more than just cutting back the calories. 9. Since it took you 2 years to lose the weight why could you not lose it on your own? Well I guess the answer to that is yes, I could have lost the weight on my own without my band but I never, never could have maintained it for a year without my band. I view my band as my safety net, my inner voice, my conscious so to speak. It keeps me focused and honest with my self. I was a closet eater, if no one saw me eat it, it did not count. Sound familiar to anyone? 10. Do you have a lot of excess skin? No, I am fortunate and do not have a lot of excess skin. Do I have a nice tight, firm body. No, I have the body of a 58 year old women who lost 132 lbs and I am very happy with how I look in and out of my cloths. And believe me it has taken me a while to get comfortable with those words. Would I like to have some nips and tucks, yes it would be nice but my WLS does not recommend, At my last visit in June we discussed cosmetic surgery and he informed me that the benefits did not out way the risks for me. My surgery would be completely cosmetic, I have no skin break down or health issues from excess skin. So I am happy with me and my Victoria Secret Boobs! lol 11. Do you consider you are on a diet and do you get tired of watching what you eat? No, I have adopted a healthy life style. Have you ever noticed what skinny people eat, they do enjoy desserts and they do enjoy high calorie foods but they enjoy them in moderation. Moderation and balance is the key to maintaining your weight, learning that your body uses food for fuel and if your intake is lower than your needed use you will gain. So keep moving if you feel the urge to eat. 12; Do you drink while eating? Sometimes but only sips. Fluids fill me up and if I drink while eating I get stuck and PB or slime and neither is pleasant. I do not drink high carbonated beverages, I do have a soda stream and I do drink low carbonated beverages that I make using half a pump of gas I drink these only occasionally when I want to treat myself. 13. Do you drink alcoholic beverages? Yes I do drink Alcohol. I have had several bad experiences with alcohol during this journey and had to learn the hard way that alcohol and weight loss do not mix for me. I always loved martinis but have had to learn that one is not enough and two is too many. So I drink my wine and have an occasional martini on special occasions and savior the entire glass. Remember alcohol is empty calories and has absolutely no nutritious value at all and no a fruity drink is not a substitute for one of your fruits. I do not drink beer, I have tried and for me it is too fizzy and makes my stomach hurt and causes a lot of bloating. 14. Final question, what do you do if you get hungry between meals? Silly question, but here it is. I eat! I try hard not to eat in between meals and to not give into boredom eating or head hungry. I believe in planned snacks. Boredom eating is one of issues that we all have and feel and the sooner you learn to accept and deal with them the better off you will be. We all need to Analyze why we eat and when we eat. i eat when bored and like to snack late at night. So I plan snacks and makes sure they are low in calories or if high in calories they are packed with protein. I do not keep sugary treats around, I keep dark chocolate, protein bars, nuts, peanut butter and bananas, apples and pop corn for snacks. I have to seriously watch the nuts and popcorn and not have them to readily accessible. So this is my life on maintenance, is weight loss easy, NO! Is is worth the effort, YES! Do I love my Band, YES! Would I do it again, YES! Everyone's experience with lap band is different, there are basic rules yes but the key for me was finding out how lap band was going to help me. I honestly do not think about my band these days, it is part of me and how I eat. Small plates and small portions are just how I eat these days. Funny, most of my family now eats off a salad plate these days, I have quilted them into my feelings on why America is fat. Portions... Portion Control and learning to put the fork DOWN and give it 20 minutes before you go back for seconds. I wish all my lap band friends and family success and never compare yourself to others or allow others to make you feel bad about your journey. Me than: Me today: