LilMissDiva Irene

Kat! I'm so glad to hear your surgery went well!! Congrats on your whole new self!

I never told my husband how much I weighed. To be honest I think it was more of myself keeping it from ME than from HIM. If I said it out loud and admitted my weight to him, I'd have to admit it to myself as well. I didn't even weigh myself for years until I absolutely needed to. I did tell him before my surgery because I was waking up to the truth myself. He was very kind and loving about it. He is my biggest motivator and cheerleader. I am so glad to be that open with him because I have someone to confide in about that. Thank God for him! Telecia, your husband is not "morbidly" obese. He is obese however.

What makes this band work? You do! Getting the lap-band instead of GBS is completely 100% a personal choice. No one surgery is promised to work better than another. Each has its pros and cons. Do a comparison with both and write down what is the most important for you to get out of this surgery and write down what each can accomplish and how well. This is a major big deal and either way your life is going to change dramatically. Always remember though, no matter what you decide -- YOU ARE WORTH IT!!

Hi Jenn, and welcome! Don't worry too much about the fills, they're a piece of cake (or not). Support group meetings are helpful too, but this place is open 24/7 if you have anything needs addressing right away, provided it's not something that should be handled by your surgeon or doctor of course!

Awesome, I can already see the difference! Keep up the good work Jaime!

Thanks tskelli! I don't know about before though... :tongue2: I kinda thought I looked like an obese Night of the Living Dead!!! :smile: I more think it's the miracle of make-up.

I have posted updated progress pics on the B&A thread. Check them out! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/before-after-lap-band-surgery-pix-only-4642/index108.html#post866396

Aww, girl -- I had no doubts at all this day would come! Let's all revv our engines girls, it's possible for a chick to win the race!! Ah-hem, Danica Patrick anyone? How about the very First Biggest Loser female Winner!!??

LOL!! Especially when I'm wide open like right now!! Feed.... meeeee...

Well, we haven't posted in this thread in awhile. I'll like to share a few recent NSV's I've had. Anyone else? I went to the Dentist's Office, no not the NSV - I do actually go out once in awhile... anyway as I'm instructed to sit down and wait for the dental hygienist to call me back, I turn around and immediately size up the chairs. For anyone who has been as large as me, that is one of the first things I do. I guess this will be something that will stick with me for a long time. Anyway, I notice the chairs are actually rather small, with the thin arm rests even - way small for me at 330 lbs! I would have immediately not even wanted to try. Well, I figure, OK, I can do this. So, I sit down and find that I fit rather nicely. My legs barely touch the arm rests. WHOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Smilin' all day from that one! My other one is, well bitter sweet to say the least. So, I have to go to LB's because they are the only store with a bra that works for me. My bras right now are a 40D. They are big, period. My cups are like open invitations for peeping toms too. I knew I probably needed to get a downsize in the cups as well. So, I go in and the nice young lady asks if I want to be sized for a bra. I say sure, since I'm not sure of my size anymore. She measures me as a 38C. My boobs have deflated: bitter. I have finally gotten out of the 40's: SWEET! I am in the smallest size now that LB's carries as far as bras: bitter and SWEET! Now I just need to find out where I'm going to get my bras after I shrink out of those.

Ezma, according to your ticker you two are tied for first. Way to go ladies! Ack!! I can't wait for my fill on Friday...

Wholly cow, you have done amazing!! You've lost 60 lbs. in less than four months??? What's your secret?

You are extremely talented! Thanks for sharing so much with us!!

Leslie, yes I remember reading you posting that story somewhere before about VS. Good for you, they don't deserve patronage for their poor customer relations. XXBeGone, thank you for the suggestion! Fortunately I was sized at LB as a 38C, which I figured would work. They have that size, but is the smallest they have in the stores (not hating that too much!). I did see on LB's website though that they have 36's as well. Before getting really heavy I was wearing a 34, so I might need to contact them at that point. It sucks when you find a bra that just works so good for you, and it turns out you have to go shopping around for them again!

Wow, is clean shaving normal? I had no idea! A bit strange where I come from. Nice and trim... ok, but nothing? Ew. Oh yeah, I had to clean shave for a surgery a few years ago, so Fanny I know what you mean about the itchies.

I lost from 330 to the low 270's long before I even thought about Lap-band surgery. I then yo-yo'd between that and the low 280's for a long time, years even! That's what made me think about it, as I was worried I would do that forever and I had so much more weight to lose. I went back down to the low 270's for my consultations with the surgeon but gained back ten from the moment I got my surgery date. I ate everything for fear of never being able to again. My surgeon did not require any type of pre-op diet. Try not to do this! It only hurts you by adding weight to lose in the end. If you use your band properly you will still be able to eat most of your favorite foods (just much less per serving) with the exception of a few, but everyone's different as to what those are. Mine is mostly breads and pastas and dense meat, but I can really live without those!

Mine was a six weeks plan. First week clear. Second week full. Third and fourth week. Mushies or pureed. Fifth and Sixth slowly incorporate normal eating by soft foods. It's really hard to say what might be appetizing for one vs. another. I didn't really deal well with pureeing my food so I pretty much stuck with just eating mushy food. I couldn't bring myself to eat anything that pretty much looked like vomit to me (pureed food).

My surgeon recommends trying to learn to eat healthy, smaller portions on my own. Along with exercise and plenty of Water. It's a new way of life and I have to incorporate these good habits to lose the weight and keep it off for life. I'm doing the best I can! However, I have heard others mention this - WW and the band. It's not a bad thing I don't think. It doesn't seem to me like a fad diet, they have good healthy meals and promote exercise and good hydration as well. At some point however, one must learn to live this way for life and not need to keep seeking this help to maintain. Just my personal opinion due to the advice of my surgeon. I know we all need help, as we all have or are seeking the Lap-band.

Love it. Everything it stands for too.

That's funny!! Hey, if we can't laugh at ourselves sometimes, lifes gonna be pretty darn boring. I think I need to take a trip to LB's as we speak! I have size 40D right now. I think my boobage has shrunk up on me... I might have to downsize a cup I think. At least they have a good range of sizes though. Does anyone know if they make those bras and sell smaller sizes anywhere else (for later)? I can imagine those would look good on any size!

The reason bandsters are told not to drink with your meals is because when you do, it washes all that solid food right down the pouch. This defeats the entire purpose of having the band.

I'm just not all that sure at this point. It doesn't look too bad right now, but who's to say what I will look like when I'm at goal.

I know... LOL!! But was I?? :thumbup:

Y'all are just looking terrific!! Now you are not just a pretty face - it's great, isn't it?

I'm glad to hear that you were able to connect. Sometimes in our lives we have to take time out for ME. I sincerely don't believe your good friend did that to be mean to you at all. She probably was just busy and concentrating on one's self can take up all the time you have in the day.