gowalking

My sister gets boils regularly and she takes a medication that her dermatologist prescribed for her. You might want to check that out. She does much better with breakouts when she is on the meds.

You can bring fruit..in fact any food is basically allowed on domestic flights. Not sure about international though. I'm going to London next month and have so much walking planned out that I don't expect to have any issues regarding overeating.

It took about 50 lbs. lost before people said anything. They may have noticed 'something' but didn't realize it was weight loss. Also..yes..better fitting clothes make the weight loss more noticible. I'll tell you though...after a while, you get tired of the attention. What I get now, and like, is 'you look nice today' or 'that dress is pretty'. People are getting used to seeing me this size and the compliments are more generalized rather than size-centric.

Everything you posted above my friend. Try to enjoy the ride Shelly. It really is the journey as much as the destination. Make a list of your NSVs and focus on that instead of the number on the scale. I bet you have dozens of them.

Even if it is vanity, so what? No need to rationalize this decision. If you want plastic surgery, go for it. You don't owe anyone a reason why.

My hair is not what it used to be. It's definitely thinner and less fuller and softer. So I cut it short to minimize this...and I like it short as it turns out. More importantly, I'm a normal size and I have good mobility again. This more than makes up for the hair loss.

My issue is passing gas. I do it alot. Luckily most of the time there's no odor but there sure is noise. I've farted in front of friends and family. I can't help it and just do the best I can by laughing it off...

It sucks to be fat and once you start to become 'not fat', the foods you love and crave will not have the same hold on you. My life is so much better now that I am in less pain and simply able to get around where once I was on a cane and couldn't fit where other normal sized people could. And I'm telling you this from personal experience. I couldn't imagine not having food be the first priority in my life but when you are a participant again, instead of on the sidelines of life, your fears and worries about the 'loss' of the food really do disappear. Good luck!

I can't tell if it's sleeveless or not but if yes, how about putting on a short sweater or shrug over it? I have several sleeveless dresses that I do that with because it's just more appropriate for work.

I've never gotten a fill. Just lucky enough to have never needed one. But that allows me to eat any type of carb including rice and pasta. I know some bandsters cannot eat these types of carbs so I would suggest carbs that you can handle..or of course you can ask the doctor and/or nutritionist.

I also have swelling in my lower back. It's been 10 months, and I'm not sure if its swelling or fat. I think it might be a little of both....but I don't think I had that before surgery. My surgeon said it could just be that the fat just got pulled down. How long did the swelling last? My swelling was a real complication that caused me a LOT of pain and kept me from working full time for about 4 months post-op. I couldn't lay on my back or sit up in a chair for any extended period of time because of the pain. The only comfortable position was lying on my side. Standing or exercising made the swelling much worse. It was due to the damage to my lymphatic system and the fact that there was only that little 4-inch space for Fluid to travel between the upper and lower halves of my body. It was like a bottle-neck and the fluid would just pool there. The worst of it lasted about 9 months. That was about when I was able to start seriously exercising again. And, like I said, I was only working half-days at work for about 4 months. Thank you Jamie. This is why I know I'm not ready to do this...and may never be. I've had too many surgeries in my life to go through another potentially long recuperation. I don't like the sagging skin, but it's not bad enough to possibly endure these kinds of issues. I may feel differently a couple more years out. If so, I'll look into plastic surgery at that time but I am so sure that this is not the time to go ahead with this no matter how much I wonder what I'd look like with a flat stomach.

Welcome to the forum @mmartin3. I can't speak to the hunger you are feeling because I was lucky enough to have restriction right away though I have read about alot of people who struggle at the beginning. I'm sure you'll get comments that will help you through this part of it.

I also use a pillow. My tailbone has no cushion anymore, it can hurt to sit, and I've been banded 2 1/2 years. I don't know that it ever will go away. I'll deal with it...it's a whole lot better than having a fat a**.

Protein shakes will not give you the satiety you need. You need to eat food, not drink your meals. Can I suggest you try what I did? I followed a weight watchers type of plan. I ate 3 oz. protein, 1/2 cup of veggies and 1/4 cup of carbs for lunch and dinner. Breakfast was often a packet of cream of wheat or oatmeal. Eggs once in a while as well. I tried to stay at around 1,100 calories daily. By following this basic plan, I lost over 150 lbs.

Getting measured is out of your comfort zone but surgery is not? With all due respect, let me please assure you that these women are professionals and have seen it all. I have 'breasticles'. Useless hanging flesh that sits on my chest and not between my legs. I got measured and spent quite alot of money on very good bras. You wouldn't believe how good the girls look sitting in those very expensive boulder holders. Obviously if you want surgery, go for it honey, but don't rule out a way less invasive option.

I'm glad my PCP told me if I got the lapband, I'd only lose 40 lbs. Made me even more determined to go with the surgery I felt more comfortable with and not the one that would help me lose the most amount of weight. And I'm the first to admit that there's something so satisfying when she told me that I weigh less than she does. At this point, I'm probably a good 15 lbs. less than her. Hehehe...

You're not alone on this one either. I too went to a 'diet' doctor for mystery shots. At this point, I hope they were just filled with saline and not something else.

I think losing the weight was easy as compared to this part of the journey. Without a goal weight to strive for and the motivation of watching the numbers go down, what do I do to make sure I don't let my weight creep up? I've only been maintaining since the beginning of the year so I'm really a newbie again. I have bought all the clothes I need so shopping is no longer the motivator. I'm dating again and I know that I tend to eat emotionally and what is more emotional than dating, right? I really hope that maintenance vets are around to support me and others who are still getting used to this new way of eating. I still am reminded of how bad my mobility was when I was heavier but as the years pass, I will get used to my new normal and that's when I fear I will slip again as I've done in the past. I know I never had the band before to help me with this but I worry as the newbies worry about losing the weight. What if I can't stay successful during this phase? What if I become one of those folks who gains alot or all of it back? I'm not really looking for answers as there are none. I just need to put it out there that I have to find the strength to get me past the difficult times and always keep my eye on the prize. To me, success means that no one thinks of me as a before/after. I want everyone to think of me looking like I do now and not recall the fat me. I want the fat me to be a memory in my mind only. ..and in the few rare pictures of me at that large size. I hope to be able to post here on every bandiversary and say that everything is still going well.

My hair before weight loss and then after. I didn't think short would ever look good but it does..and it's so easy to take care of. I also think I hid behind the hair like I hid behind the fat.

Same here. My PCP gave me the name of a group from a center of excellence in bariatric surgery. I saw one doctor specifically based on a friend who used her. I was very comfortable with her and decided to go ahead with this doctor and group. I'm very fortunate in that I live in a major city so finding a doctor wasn't going to be an issue. Good luck!

We are a country of excesses at times...and this is certainly excessive. I agree though...who am I to judge. I don't preach to those who still smoke, and I'm not going to preach to anyone about their food choices. Nope...not going there...

Good for you for addressing this now. Take yourself to therapy as soon as you can. I lost about 100 lbs. and had major surgery to replace both my hips about a year and a half ago and went to a therapist because I had no idea who the old lady in the mirror was. At that time, my skin was sagging badly, my hair was falling out at an alarming rate, my lower body was swollen beyond belief and I was despondant and lost. I've been in therapy for more than a year and we are working on root causes of the obesity, body image, and all that entails along with self esteem, family dynamics, and all the other parts of what makes us who we are. You're starting to understand that weight loss is not a panacea for your issues. Better you start to work on it now than wait till you are in crisis. Good luck my dear and please keep posting and update us as you continue your journey.

Ayds...boy do I remember that box. My late aunt who was always on some diet or another always kept a box of them on the coffee table...like regular folk who would leave out a box of Hershey's or Russell Stover's. She had me try them...because lord knows, I could have dropped a few lbs. myself even at the tender age of ten. We get the negativity early, don't we? No wonder we have such poor self images...

@@Nikasio, I was only weeks or months away from being wheelchair bound due to joint degeration when I got banded. FF to weight loss and bi-lateral hip replacement and today, I can do almost anything any able bodied person can do. It was a long and painful process to get here, but I walked all over my neighborhood yesterday...up and down stairs as well and didn't have any issues. For me, this is nothing short of a miracle. Here's to hoping you get your miracle as well.