Dear need2dothisforme; Hi you are right your health will be the gift given to you on this long path!! I have prayed and prayed but I needed to get all the food out of the house that I know I would eat!!! I also promised myself to never have a milkshake ever again if I was lucky and crazy enough to do this. YES IT WAS FOR ME!!! I am glad I gave myself this gift. My mom told everyone that I had the lap-band and I wish she did not do that... Everyone watches to see if I am eating healthy and also if I lose weight!! I would have told no one!!! This was for my health and not a # on the scale... I had to go to the ER two times because the band was to tight and up chucking... My band is very tight now and I have to eat very small pieces of food, or I still can get that feeling. I want my lap-band this way!!! You do not have to keep yours as tight!!! I can feel the area where the port is and some times it will be sore... I rub it and thank god for the reminder that I am feeling better now. In 10 months I have lost 89lbs. I was a size 26/28 and now a size 16. I am fine at this weight but my children and husband would like me to be 150lbs (30lbs. more)... Like I said it was never about a NUMBER for me... Just my health. My doctor said I can lose up to 2-3 years and thought I lost to much to fast... I walked and walked. Some days I could only walk 10 min. some days a little longer. I am still walking!!! I am know just starting to have extra skin on my legs and tummy. My husband is very thin, the kind of guy who would not eat if I didn't cook!!! I do not eat what he does!!! He is a steak kind of guy... He eats NO sweets... That is good. I eat on a very small plate. I take my time. I only eat 1,000 cal. a day and write down every thing I eat every day. I have taken 5-6 days off since I started this. Yes I am still hungry!!! Yes I can eat all the ice cream I want. I can eat a ton of cookies also... So it is a tool and a mental thing... So you really have to be ready to do the work!!! I wish you luck and will pray for your good health!!! Rose
