ozzy greene

. You are right, it will work it just takes a little time. I was frustrated at first also. Please remember we did not get heavy in a short time and it will take a while for us to lose... and the best part is we are not going to put it back on . Good luck, Bob

Hi I am Bob banded since Aug 7 2007. Somethings you may try is to stop drinking pop. I used to drink 4 litres a day. Try Chrystal Light in many different flavours with lots of ice. Try to think of the long run , the big picture if you will, what you do now has a far reaching effect. I am an emotional eater, if you are check what sets you off and be wary or at least aware of what those triggers are. Maybe losing things like white bread, rice and Pasta. Not using butter or salt. Keep a journal of everything you eat and when and ...why. Good luck to you, , Bob

Hi I am Bob, in Toronto, yes we have all been there. We have a huge expectation that the band will be the cure all or the magic thing. However in the first few days it is not good. There is pain and pressure, it feels like it will never go away. But it will, in less time than you believe. It did not take us a short time to be too heavy and to lose the weight will also take time. It will happen and you will love your band as most of us do. Just try to think of the near future. Soon you will be actively on the road to better health. The weight will slowly come off and...it will stay off. Follow exactly what your doctor said to do. If you have any concerns call your clinic. That is what they are for, my clinic the S.W.L.C. has always been great. Try to follow all the rules and you will have success like most of us. I am happy, healthy and improving all the time. Good luck to you, Bob

Hi I am Bob I have had the lap band since Aug 7. Yes there is debate and lots of info on both options. The reason I chose the lap band is that I have heard that there are people who have had the bypass and then regained the weight. We all can lose weight , keeping it off is the hard part. The lap band is reversable in two ways , first it can be drained of all fill and this is done by women are expecting a baby and wish to eat for two. The second way is that it can be taken out the same easy way it was put in , by laproscopic surgery ( no big cuts ). The lap band is adjustable to fill what you want. Yes the lap band is a little slower than bypass but we did not put the weight on in a small time and it should take a certain amount of time to safely take the weight off. There is no dumping with lap band. Some times you will hear stories of lap banded people saying that some food has come up, but this is a bit rare and it is part of the learning process. The death rate for bypass is something like 1 in 200 or so. For the lap band it is 1 in 5000. For me personally, I love my band. I am 42 and five foot ten inches, in June I weighed 353 pounds. I was sick. High blood pressure back pain and I am not married no girlfriend and no children and I don't go to any dances due to my weight. I was on the Optifast pre-surgery diet and on the day of my surgery I weighed 330 pounds on Aug 7 2007. Now today Oct 5 2007 I weigh 275 pounds. Did I mention I love my band ! Not every person will lose this much this quickly. Each person is different. Good luck in your search., , Bob

. We all lose weight at a different rate. Try not to give up hope. Part of my sucess is in the mind. The band reminds me not to over eat or eat due to emotions. Good luck to you Nicole, this will take time, but it is well worth it, because it is for your health and good feelings, , Bob

. For me Bob ( I was not sure if you were asking me ) I like Dr. C. he spent time answering all my questions and was extremly professional. I like the staff they were great. I was totally calm during the whole procedure due to them. The follow up is great, that is important as this is a long term relationship. I would do it again there in a heart beat. ,Bob

There is always going to be racist and ignorant people who have to put others down in order to feel good about themselves.

Hey Misskitten, We all lose weight at different speeds. Please try not to worry, it will happen when it happens. Good luck to you, Bob

Hi That is a wonderful non scale victory.

You are not too old to need someone. You are not too old to want to love someone. You are not too old to be loved. You are not too old

I love my band. I am Bob in Toronto. I am 42 In mid June I weighed 353 pounds. After the pre diet of Optifast I weighed 330 on Aug. 7 my surgery day. Now on Sept. 24 I am 283 pounds. I love my band. I am an overeater and an emotional eater. The band has helped me to make better choices. I used to drink 5 litres of pepsi each day. In one week I would eat 2 or 3 whole pizzas and several family size bags of chips or cookies or both. I feel better. I am healthy. My blood pressure is normal. I am still losing weight about 3 to 4 pounds a week. *** The best part is I know once the weight goes off, it will stay off, due to the fact that I can not over eat again once I get some fills. *** I had mine done at the Surgical Weight Loss Centre. I wish this had of been around twenty years ago. I am 42, not married, no girlfriend, no children and I don't go to dances so I don't meet anyone. Like I said, I love my band. Good luck to you, ,Bob

Hi I am Bob in Toronto. Some times we eat when it is really thirst. I used to drink 5 litres of pepsi each day. I now drink lots of Chrystal Light through out the day. It helps me a bit. Bye, Bob

Sorry to have to say this but it is true. Smoking kills everyone it reaches. You, me, him, her, all of us. It needs to stop. Plus, and here is the best part, we can discourge kids from starting to smoke. If there is less places for them to go to smoke or be exposed to people smoking the better. If we can stop kids from starting, that would be fantastic. If they see people having to go outside in the rain or snow this will instill in the kids a sense that smoking is not fun it is a drag ( sorry for the pun ). We need to stop children from starting to smoke. We have all got the band for our health. Physical and mental health, we need to help the kids for their health and future health. I please ask all people who smoke to not fight the ban in bars and resturants. Make smoking inconvenent for children to start. Thank you. , Bob

Hi I am Bob. Age 42 I just got the band on Aug.7 2007 I needed this. I was 353 pounds at my consult mid June. I was a prime target of heart attacks , strokes and diebetes. I am not married,no girlfriend, no children. Plus I don't go to dances due to my weight. So my mental health takes a beating also. I am an emotional eater and an extreme overeater. The band helps me to make better choices at the store. I used to eat entire pizzas and a family size bag of chips or Cookies each night plus my 5 litre a day pepsi habit. I know I can lose the weight but I always put it back on. The band plus some fills ( I have none so far) will mean that I am unable to overeat. I need this. I love my band. It was worth every penny. Some people say you can claim it on your income tax. But I don't know. It is too soon to tell. The band works for me. I was 353 in mid June and banded aug 7 and now on Sept 21, I am 284 pounds and still losing. Like I said I love my band. Good luck to you

Hi Janet. I have the lap band as of Aug. 7 2007 in Toronto at the Surgical Weight Loss Centre. I love my band. To answer your questions. No, you are not on a " diet " for the rest of your life on the band. The band helps you feel fuller more quickly with far less food. Before the band I would eat an entire pizza my self and a family size bag of chips or cookies or both in one night. Now I feel full more quickly and the band helps to remind me to make better choices at the store. I do not feel deprived or starving or doing with out. I love my band. For me the bypass is too extreme. Not reversable and too many problems or maybe problems down the road. In mid June I had my consult, I weighed 353 pounds, I did the pre surgery Optifast diet and then I was 330 pounds at the time of my surgery on Aug. 7 Now on Sept 20 I weigh 284 pounds. I am healthy and happy. I love my band. I am an emotional eater and an extreme overeater. The band helps. I went to one of the bandsters lunchens in Toronto to talk to real people who have had the band , to see if they like it and to ask many questions. It was good to do so. The death rate of bypass is much higher than band and some people on bypass do lose a lot of weight but many put it back on. This is not such a problem for the banded people. Most keep it off. Which is the hard part. Good luck to you, and keep searching for info. , Bob

Hi I am Bob. Getting banded was partly due to being single. Due to my weight I don't go to dances for the longest time. I have no self confidence at all. Being overweight has had a huge negative effect on my self esteem. It has made me shy and self doubting. Now I feel my life getting better. I was 353 pounds in June for the consult and 330 at surgury on Aug. 7. Now I am 285 and I am happy and healthy. I am starting to feel better mentally. At 42 I have no wife, no girlfriend and no children. This weighs heavily on my mind. Once I lose the weight I hopefully will be able to find someone. bye for now, Bob

Hello I am Bob, I am in the Toronto area. I had the lap band put on at the Surgical Weight Loss Centre on Aug 7 2007. I have not had a fill yet. I enjoy talking about the band , I wish I had know of this wonderful tool years ago. Bye for now , Bob

Hello to all. I was banded Aug 7. in Toronto at the Surgical Weight Loss Centre. I am 42 and 5 foot 10 inches. I weighed 353 in mid June during my consult. After the Optifast pre surgury diet I was 330 at surgury Aug 7. Now I am 285 on Sept 18 th. I love my band ! I am an emotional eater and an extreme overeater. The band helps me make better choices at the store. Not to buy whole pizzas or family size bags of chips or cookies, which I would eat in one night plus my 5 litre a day pepsi habit. I feel good first with the weight loss and second because I know with the band and some fills I will not be able to eat the huge volumes of food that I used to. So hopefully the weight will stay off. I wish this had been around 20 years ago. I am 42 and overweight , no wife no girlfriend no children and I don't go to dances due to my weight. So hopefully the band will help my mental health also. I have enjoyed talking with other bandsters and I have learned much. I am at yobobby100@yahoo.ca Good luck to all, Bob

I was banded Aug 7 2007 I am happy with my band. I am 42 and was 353 pounds in June as of Sept 19 I am 284 pounds. The band helps me make better choices at the store. I am an emotional eater and extreme overeater. I know I will not be able to eat the sheer volume of food I did before. Hopefully when I lose all the weight this will help keep it off. Good luck, Bob

Hi Chris, I am Bob, I got my band in Toronto on Aug 7. I love my band. It has helped me extremely. I was 353 lbs. in mid June at consult 330 at surgury after Optifast pre-diet. and now I am 285 in mid Sept. Like I said I love my band. Good luck to you, Bob

Hi Elizabeth, I am Bob I was banded Aug 7. 2007, Good for you at 21 I was over weight and I starved myself on and off for months, I lost the weight and put it back on. I am now 42 been over weight most of my life. I was unhappy most of the time. I have no wife, no girlfriend, no children and I don't go to dances for quite some time due to my weight. I hope YOU make a decision to help yourself. To get you to be healthy and happy. If we are not happy than what is life all about ? ? ? I am in Toronto area, there is lunchens that the bandsters go to,I went to one lunch before I was banded just to check it out. I got lots of support. Hopefully your family will come around. Imagine if after 20 years you were still over weight at 41 with no husband or boyfriend and no children. Would you be happy. Plus my health was in serious risk. Hearth attachs,strokes,diebetes, and back pain were all on the list of things to come for me. Plus the mental hurt of being overweight in this society. Then maybe they would want you to be healthy. My family was scared that I would die if I did not lose the weight. I was 353 pounds in June, 330 after the Optifast pre-surgury diet.330 lbs. at surgury on Aug.7 now in Sept 18 I am 285 pounds. I love my band. It is a good tool to help me not over eat. I am an emotional eater and an extreme over eater. I am happy I did this. I wish the band was there when I was 21 or even 31 lol. Good luck to you Elizabeth. Bob

I had the band done . Aug 7 in Toronto at the Surgical Weight Loss Clinic. It cost $ 15,000 and for me it is worth every penny.

Hi I am Bob, yobobby100@yahoo.ca I got the band on Aug. 7 in Toronto at the Surgical Weight Loss Centre. I was 5 foot 10 inches and weighed 353 pounds in July at the consult. On Aug. 7 I weighed 308 pounds and today Sept 18 I weigh 284 pounds. I needed to do this for my health. I am 42 and I was headed for heart trouble or a stroke or diebeties. Plus I have no wife , no girlfriend, no children and I don't go to dances due to my weight. So I needed this for my mental health also. The band is a great tool for me. I reminds me not to buy whole pizzas or family size bags of chips and cookies. ( which I was eating in one night) I am an emotional eater and an extreme over eater. The band helps me. I know that if I lose the weight this time I will not be able to eat large amounts of food. So hopefully that will help. I love my band Good luck to you, Bob

I had mine done in Toronto at the Surgical Weight Loss Centre by Dr. Colbourn. It was a wonderful place. I am very happy with all the Centre did for me. Follow up is great. Where you chose to go is the most important thing. Good luck to all. Bob

Hi I am Bob at yobobby100@yahoo.ca I went to the Surgical Weight Loss Centre on June 19 th. I weighed 353 pounds I am 5 foot 10 inches. I am 42 years old. I, like most of us have tried different things to lose weight. I twice lost all my weight. Once by starving myself on and off for months and then at 35 I had accupucture and it worked but, I put all the weight back on and a lot more. My family was fearful of me dying. I was worried as well, although I thought diebeties plus I am 42 not married no girlfriend no children and I don't go to dances due to my weight. I knew for sure I had to lose the weight and keep it off. I had my surgury on Aug 7 2007. I am so happy ! ! ! Best decision I made in along time. My band reminds me not to buy things like a whole pizza (which I used to eat in one sitting) or family size bags of chips or cookies (that would be gone totaly in one hour) I also gave up my daily 5 litre pop habit. I now walk each day. My pre band weight was 353 at surgury it was 330 lbs. two week check up it was 308 lbs. and now on Sept 18 it is 284 lbs. and I know I can't over eat like before. I am an emotional eater and an extreme over eater. I love my band ! ! ! It is a great tool for anyone who needs help.