pink dahlia

Just before surgery, I started walking, then months after being banded, I started slowly working into running. But because of a permanent collapsed arch, im not allowed to run anymore. But the utter thrill of being able to run, even for a short while , was one of my greatest gifts from WLS.

My hubby hugged me today and said "you're so tiny ! " That's is all.

Honestly, I think you look perfect just the way you are ! Im not sure what you are /were expecting face wise after you lost the weight, but I think you look like a healthy , happy 40 something , normal sized lady . Your skin looks perfect ! Maybe before the extreme idea of Botox, treat yourself to a visit at a Aesthetician for a beauty treatment and some professional advice ? Either way , congrats on your weight loss !

Missy5099, 1st off congratulations for putting yourself and your health first ! 2nd , there is no need to feel "guilty" for taking an extra step to get a healthy lifestyle. As I've said in the past, I've had Lasik eye surgery when glasses or contacts didn't work anymore, sinus surgery to fix a broken nose , and dental surgery for impacted wisdom teeth. Nobody in their right mind would expect me to "fix" those problems myself. Same with WLS, you are simply doing something to get your body healthy that your body cant do by itself. If anyone says you " took the easy way out "( and a lot of people hear that comment ) ask that person if they have ever visited a Dr. or Denist for any reason . Why didn't they "fix" the problem themselves ? Because the human body is not perfect, and sometimes you need medical help to get healthy again . That is all. ( As you can probably tell, I have ZERO guilt , Im too busy living my happy life with a strong, healthy body ! ) Good luck !!!

I am extremely grateful this surgery was even available to me, I thought since a year on Weight Watchers did nothing for me, ( a whole 12 lbs, and yes, I had my thyroid checked twice ) I thought I would be overweight for the rest of my life. I did have some mild co morbiditys ( high bp and sleep apnea), but nothing big. One thing I did see was my late MIL, a overweight person who refused to manage her diabetes properly. Each year she got progressively worse, more medications, more Dr.s appts, going from walking to a wheelchair eventually. Even though I didn't have diabetes, I could see myself going down the same road. Ummm, no thanks !! I took control of my health with the Lapband, and except for a still mild case of high BP, and a bum foot, im looking forward to my later years still healthy and happy ! My only regret is I didn't do WLS sooner ! I hope you make a good decision to help youve happy and healthy too !! Good luck !!

For me there no "final straw ", I had barely even registered in my mind that there were ads in womens magazine s for Lapband. But when a couple of relatives had it done, and did well, I started looking into it. Surprise ! I 've done very well too and couldn't be happier or healthier. The rest of this is hard for me to say, but something in your post kind of hit me hard. You are 33 years old. My dad died of cancer when he was 33 , I was just shy of my 5th birthday. 52 years later, im still dealing with that loss. Yes, this was in the 1960's when there were less treatment s for cancer, but he didn't have the chances that you have to live a healthy life. So if you are unhealthy, and with WLS have a better chance to live a long, healthy life , please consider it.

So how does it feel to be so amazing ??? Thats so cool that you are putting in so much effort BEFORE surgery ! Thats a great way to start ! ( I did the same thing, I think I made all the difference ). Im confused though, it shows your surgery date as November 1999. When are you or did you have WLS ? Either way, good luck ! Keep up the good work !!!

I agree with Scarletwitch19, it depends . Is your girl mature enough to deal with ALL the changes of WLS ? Forever ? Is she one to follow through on other things (nothing "diet" related) like school, homework, curfew ?. Does she have a job that requires her to follow rules , and does she do it whether she likes them or not ? Does she see WLS as a legitimate tool to help her lose weight, or does she think of it as a magical answer to her weight problem ? Also, with pcos, what does her Dr. say ? You know her best and it must be horribly tough to be overweight from the age of 10, but if I saw mostly positive answers to the above questions I would give my daughter my blessing. Good luck !

P.S. Although this s "invasive " too, in a different way, you may consider looking at counseling, maybe someone who specializes in weight loss or another area that you feel you need help with. If this isn't an option, consider looking into a activity that makes you physicaly stronger, such as yoga, pilates, weights, dance, rock climbing, etc. Sometimes when you take control of your body and choose how, when and where you're going to get stronger, this transfers over to other areas and gives you a sense of " I'm in control here, and not anybody else !" It makes outside issues feel less"invasive ", either way, we've got your back. Good luck !

Ouch. Out of respect for your past "invasions ", I can see why this whole questioning thing would bother you. It is very personal, and unfortunately you can't stop people from asking about your weight loss, especially when they think they're being complimentary. What you can do is put a small sign on your work desk that says something like "Thankyou for noticing my weight loss on my journey to get healthy, but I prefer ALL comments and questions to be between my Dr. and myself. Thank you for understanding. " if someone still asks you a question , state the same comment and then change the subject.........nicely. Hopefully, people will soon get the hint. Good luck to you !

Im a private person too, im not one to advertise details of my personal life to others without good reason. When I got my surgery date I let my parents /siblings know, they knew I had been struggling for years with my weight and had done my research, so were 100% supportive. Same story and reactions from my co workers. Nothing but support. (Ive only had 2 negitive comments , one recently from a tiny , 5 f t, 110 lb lady who obviously had never had a weight problem in her life !) If someone asks questions for good reason, im happy to answer. Im proud of the decision I made to get healthy, I watch what I eat, exercise a normal amount, and look and feel better than I have in years ! You may want to consider yourself an advocate that could take the "shame " out of WLS , just a thought to consider ! Best of luck to you !!

Lipstick lady, you are so pretty !! Please take this the right way, but your weight loss took 10 or more years off your face ! You look like your kids big sister, not their mother ! Im built like you, 5'3 with a short, muscular build, close to your weight ( Im 143 ) , so I look at your pics and think " hey, thats exactly what I look like ! Not bad for an old broad !" Thanks for providing so much inspiration, and congratulations on your Mud Runs , etc!!! Way to go !!!

Why don't they make a scale with a "volume control knob ? Or maybe one that says " Hey there,sexy !" or "lookin' good today! " , or something like " Hey ! You've lost x amount of weight since you were last here ! " Something incouraging ! Thats what this world needs !!

1. Im a very private person, so to post photos of myself, even to this website is not something im 100% comfortable with. This may change in the future, we'll have to see. 2. Im not techie, so to post pics off my computer would take alot of work, and Im not loosing sleep over pictures. 3 . I probably don't have that many pics , good or bad ! 4. Ive been told im attractive, but unlike you Dub, I dont photograph well ! You photograph very well ! You're stinkin' adorable in every picture ! And if you'-re still in doubt, refer back to #1. That is all. ( and to those that did /do pist pics ? Thankyou to everyone, you all look great ! Congratulations to all !

A man asked once where he could meet some nice ladies (not a bar scene ) , and I told him " I didn't know as I am happily married. However, if I was looking, I would go where the men are. I like camping, fishing, walking, travel, , anything outdoors etc. So if you're a guy looking for a nice girl, go where they go ! Sign up for a cooking class, volunteer at any place ! The local animal shelter always need help, if you like fishing or are mechanical or like to fix things, put out the word ! Women find it very attractive when men are willing to help others. ( Getting healthy and in shape will get you noticed too ! ) And you ' ll be meeting women with like minded hobbies too. Hope this helps ! Good luck !!

W Killed him with kindness ? Ummmmm, not necessarily. We just did'nt tell everyone where we hid the body !!!! Somebody made a comment last week or so about how we all can disagree and push each others buttons a little bit, like siblings, but if someone else attacks one if us, it's like "Oh, hell no !!! " Oh, how true !! Which is precisely why they'll never find Chucksters remains............. that is all.

I 've heard that something hot to drink 1st in the morning "opens up " the band, which gets compressed from sleeping on it all night. I cant tolerate much food in the morning so I have a cup of hot tea or cocoa to wake the band up, then slowly nibble on "safe " breakfast foods , like almonds, turkey jerky, a cheese stick or a homemade smoothie. Hope this helps, good luck !!

If thats your daily life with the band I'd want it out too !! Hope all goes well with your Appt. next week ! Good luck !!

Chucksters title " My preop diet was all I needed " is wrong, I think. I think he meant to say " Doh ! ( Homer Simpson ) a swift smackup side my head was all I needed !" I 'm truly glad that he was successful in his weight loss , but I wonder what he would have done if he hadn't been successful the 1st time he tried diet and exercise. The 5th through 10 th time ? Also, his comment about Carnie Wilson was beyond pathetic, because she's had WLS twice and is still struggling he deems her low on the "moral " scale, but because Marie Osmond took off the weight with diet and exercise, she has higher morals ? Geeeeeesh ! Give. Me. A . Break !!!

OKC Pirate ? Promise me that if I ever get stuck on a deserted island, you'll be there right with me, ok ? I figure if im going to die there, at least Id die laughing ! ( The "sex " comment about Chuckster, omg.......... snort snort, giggle................ ok, im done now. Giggle some more..............

(Yeah, what she (Scarletwitch19 ) said !!! ) Chuckster, you may be a scientist, and score high on the black and white facts scale , but you lack tact, diplomacy, and some social skills. To come on a WLS forum that offers support and encouragement to those who have or might have WLS surgery and spout off about how wrong we are , and if we would just diet and exercise we wouldn't need WLS , shows how little you really do know. (Really ? Diet and exercise and I'll lose weight ? Golly gee whiz ! I DIDN'T know that ! I guess good ol' Chuckster from N.C. has FINALLY come up with the answers we've been waiting for !! Thanks for clearing that up for us on the WLS forum !! )

(Sorry, operator error ) what I meant to say was theres not always time, money etc for a gym, nutritionist etc, for everybody. And sometimes, no matter how hard we try, the body just doesnt cooperate. As a man , you may not have dealt with the female problems , etc. that can cause, /keep weight gain. While you are certainly entitled to your opinion (and again, you have NOT had any WLS) to post your " my way is better " opinion /story on a WLS board was waaaaayy out of line............. and honestly, rather rude. ( I see our favorite "Lipstick Lady" has already jumped in (yay !) , now Im just waiting for SteveHud to make his presence known, so then I can sit back and watch the show........... popcorn anyone ?

Chuckster, im really and truly happy for you that you were able to lose weight with a healthy diet and exercise. Congrats on your hard work and success ! Obviously though not ALL people will have the same or similar results that you did. No , it's NOT "rocket science " , but not everybody s body responds as yours did. I lost a whopping 12 lbs on a year of Weight Watchers, and I fought for every one of those pounds. After my son was born, my metabolism just died. Dead. Later , add in early menopause, hormones whacked out and the typical mom running a busy home , work etc where theres neither time nor money fo "r Mom your favor, you're a male, and