coolcrystal

After I told my parents I was pursueing this surgery my dad probably would have driven me to the surgery himself and paid for it right then if he'd had the money! Both of my parents are 60 and two of the most physically fit people you'd ever meet. They work out 3-4 hours daily, eat right and are both in the best shape of their lives and for them to have an obese daughter... well, lets just say, I think it's rather embarassing for them. When I was younger and lived with them I too was 125 and physically fit, but for the last... oh 8 years or so, I've been over 195 pounds and now I'm almost 300. So, when I told them I was trying to get this, my dad sent me this email: <TT>Hi Hon,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></TT></PRE> <TT><o:p> </o:p></TT><TT>I'm glad you brought this up for discussion. I think anything</TT></PRE> <TT> you can d</TT><TT>o for </TT>weight loss<TT> will be good and we will support </TT></PRE> <TT> your decision to have t</TT><TT>he procedure. Most importantly, I'm </TT></PRE> <TT> glad that you acknowledge the problem a</TT><TT>nd are willing to do </TT></PRE> <TT> something. This procedure you are considering is not the </TT></PRE> <TT>"be all, end all" for weight. It can solve some of the weight </TT></PRE> <TT>issues but it can be dangerous and you can end up back in the </TT></PRE> <TT>same place if you don't take the opportunity the </TT><TT>procedure </TT></PRE> <TT>gives you to change your life, and changing your life is what </TT></PRE> <TT>it will do.<o:p></o:p></TT></PRE> <TT><o:p> </o:p></TT><TT>The lap band will change your lifestyle for the better and I </TT></PRE> <TT> am thrilled that you are willing to take it on. Me and your</TT></PRE> <TT> mother have talked several times about approaching you about </TT></PRE> <TT> the weight problem, getting you on weight watchers or </TT></PRE> <TT> something, but were afraid to talk with you about it because </TT></PRE> <TT> you always seemed defensive a</TT><TT>bout the subject. We really </TT></PRE> <TT> don't care how you approach it, I'm thrilled a</TT><TT>nd I'm sure </TT></PRE> <TT> she will be just as excited as I am.<o:p></o:p></TT></PRE>

Nanna makes a very good point. My friend Jayme use to come on here and said she got so much great information for her lap band, and has lost over 100 pounds and loves it; but she doesn't come back anymore because she said she got all she needed out of the forum and didn't need the support anymore. So, I'm sure there are TONS of folks who love the band and are doing well, but just don't post on the forums anymore.

I've been to a few of the other forums, but they were harder for me to figure out how to use. This one is set up well and the easiest to use and do searches on. I've seen a few people on here who weren't the most pleasant ones, but not too terribly many. The good outweight the bad big time. Perhaps it's because people change when they lose a lot of weight. When my husband lost 100 pounds he said he got more cocky and one day he realized he was that way and caught it in time to fix it. I think a lot of the frustration with some long time folks on here might be that a lot of the same questions are asked , ie, PB, etc.. and some folks aren't researching those things before they post. But, whichever forum you pick, I hope to be here a long time and I'll always be nice to ya! Again, 79 pounds is a lot of weight to lose and now that you are back on the bandwagon, you CAN succeed!

Hi there, I think 366 is good down from 459... Sorry you got off track, but at least you didn't go back up to the 459! I haven't gotten my band yet, I hopefully will be getting it in late January; early February. I've got my last monthly dr. appnt next month and will put in for approval early January. I hope to be as successful as you. I'm 295 and would like to get down to about 150.

I'm not banded yet and Thanksgiving reaffirmed why I need to get this band. Me and my husband had two thanksgiving (his family and then mine) and I ate so much that I had heart burn, acid reflux, when I laid down I was PB'ing and I don't even have a dang band yet. LOL. But, I was MISERABLE. It made me realize I never want to stuff myself like that again. Stupidly I tried to justify it by saying "this is the last Thanksgiving I'll get to eat everything" so I did. But I was miserable when I did and I regret it now. But, I have to get over that. Today is a new day.

I haven't been banded yet, but I have my decision down to two doctors in the DFW area. One is the one my best friend went to and has done very well with and another one that has gotten lots of praise on the groups I belong too. It doesn't take long to do some research on the doctors in your area..

Jack that was so funny about spreading your DNA through the towns! LOL Well, it really sounds like the most common factor people have is doughy breaded items and dry chicken. I always dip my chicken in some type of sauce or ketchup though. But the rest certainly seems to vary from person to person. I hope I won't have the tuna issue... I love tuna and I figured tuna would be a great source of Protein.

I'm really shocked about the slimy foods hurting you and the applesauce... wow... I figured the slimier the better.. interesting!

Girl, I know.. we Texans LOVE chips and salsa. LOL. I live in the Dallas area... do you go to any support groups around here?

Two of my friends who got banded last year each had a different experience. One was not eating hardly at all. She would go two days with no food and she wasn't eating protein hardly. She had major hairloss and ended up shaving her head at one point, which didn't bug her because she was into this goth/skin head type thing. The other followed the diet well, drinks protein shakes and eats several small meals a day and she has had no hair loss problems. So, I think it really depends on the protein intake and eating... Good luck.

Wow, this is a great list so far. And I know what you mean about the tortilla's.. ooh man, that sucks! I like Pita bread.... I would die if I couldn't have pita bread, but, I'd have to get over it.. Cottage cheese?? wow, wouldn't expect that one... And tuna? I figured most tuna is already pretty shredded... totally sucks...

I was perfectly fine with my obesity until I got over 240. The way my body is shaped, I looked about 180 at 240. But now I'm 285 and I'm in pain all the time. Anyway, I've had almost the complete opposite response with my friends. I even wrote a huge blog on 360 where about 100 of my closest friends and family found out I was pursueing it and the excitement I had. Not one of them gave me a negative feedback, except one who had the bypass and gave me her horror story of all the complications; but a bypass and a lapband are two different things. What bugs me the most is people who think the lapband is the bypass. It's not. My sister had a friend who died from the bypass so she was slightly concerned, but when I told her the difference she was very happy for me. The ONE person who keeps flipping back and forth is my Mother in law. At first she was happy for me. Then three weeks later she was upset that I was getting it and said she has two friends who only lost 30 pounds and couldn't lose anymore. But, what I think is that she is obese too and we go out to eat a lot and she is scared she will lose her eating out buddy or something. I told her I have three friends who were 110% successful and she gawfed. So, now that's what I'm dealing with. But, I'm so glad I have very supportive friends who haven't tried scaring me and this forum.

I haven't gotten my lap band yet, but I have dreams of all the things I'll get to do when I do get it. What are some of the things you can't wait to do after you lose your weight; or, if you have lost enough wait to do the things you wanted to do, what was it? Here's my list: 1. Fit comfortably in a movie seat :clap2: 2. Go to Six Flags again and ride the rides 3. Not feel embarrassed in a plane seat _ pretty much anything having to do with a seat _ 4. Roll over in bed comfortably :notagree 5. Put my shoes and socks on without straining 6. Fingernail polishing my toenails without straining 7. Rollerblade and iceskate again 8. Not have the fear of breaking somebody's chair. LOL What about you?

GraceUtah, I'm sorry but Dr. Phil rides my last nerve. He is the most annoying "doctor" on this planet. My husband and I were just talking about this the other day - about how we look affecting how we act and who we are. Losing weight does change a person because it changes how we feel about ourselves and how we are treated by others. I've been on both sides of the spectrum you see. I was 125 pounds for several years. I was very athletic. Then I got with a guy and fell inlove and we went out to eat all the time and instead of doing my rollerblading, we would go to movies and cuddle up on the couch and he would get jealous if I went to work out cuz he didnt' want men looking at me.. I gained over 100 pounds in a year. And.. he dumped me. LOL That quick I became obese.. because of that I got a dabilitating foot disorder, disc bulges and stuff that wouldn't allow me to work out like I once did and gained 60 more pounds.. then dislocated my knee from a fall... which leads me to this. I'm so tired of psychologists/doctors saying there has to be some underlined reason why people gained their weight and that there are emotional scars attached to it, because for me, there wasn't. I just fell inlove with a jealous guy and we had fun by going out to eat and snuggling, which was a big mistake on my part. I lost who I was, but I was never depressed. I never had childhood issues... I still have tons of friends and I still have a good time, even at my 280 something body frame. But, I do know that when I do lose weight, I will be changed, because I will be able to move around better, people will treat me differently, etc. Which will change who I am. But, I do love who I am right now; I'm just in a lot of physical pain due to the extra weight.

Right, a friend of mine who was about 350 when she got her lap band didn't follow that first diet 100% and they had to use the largest band on her because her liver didn't go down enough. Because of that, she's had to have SO many fills because her band is just so dang big. Apparently the bigger the band, the more fills you have to get. She was just telling me last night how she regretted not following that first diet because had she, they could have used a smaller band on her and she wouldn't have to keep going in for her fills all the time. Of course, the flip side to that is, when she does need a fill, she said she can eat just about whatever she wants because the band is bigger.. BUT, she says she always gains a few pounds back when that happens. LOL. Yesterday she missed her fill by 30 minutes and she had to reschedule it for AFTER thanksgiving, so she's pretty scared now. She said, "Now I'm going to be able to eat whatever I want for Thanksgiving". HA HA. In a way, it seems kind of cool for that to happen right at the holidays :-) But, I guess the last thing a bandster wants is to gain a few pounds, but dang, she's already lost 110 pounds, so, what's a few pounds to enjoy the holidays and pig out?? Of course, I haven't gotten my band yet, so I'm sure I will think differently later, especially since I have that whole pigging out issue still right now.

From reading in other threads, I've heard some say about 5 grand to have it removed if your insurance won't cover it. You might want to do a search , because I know there is a thread about this, I just can't remember the name of it right now.

Wow thanks! And I haven't even lost any weight yet.. That makes me feel good :-) Crystal

Make33.. no really they WERE looking.. seriously... they were obsessed with my basket.. HA HA.. J/K. Yeah, they probably weren't, but in my little head they were. Just the other day my hubby put a bag of gummy bears in the basket and since he was going to go sit in the car, I put them under the bag of peas. LOL. Aren't I bad??

That makes sense.. One time I lost 50 pounds and I went down half a shoe size. Your feet probably unswell and perhaps get slightly more narrow maybe... For me, my ankles and feet were so swelled and they did get slightly slimmer. Perhaps thats what happened with you too.

Wow, everybody really opened up and listed some awesome things and reminded me of a few more too... I hope everybodys list comes true!! One big thing I can't believe I left off my list is my car seat. When I bought my Nissan, I had to go check out several cars just to see if my rear end would be comfortable in the drivers seat. But, either way, my hip still digs into the door. So, I can't wait until my left hip doesn't touch the door!! (I have a big rear end!) LOL.

I agree with want2beme . She hit the nail on the head. Gosh, I hope I don't go through this with my skinny friends too.

Ugg, I hate the buffet line stares... It makes me always get less though and always throw a salad on there too. LOL I get paranoid at the grocery store too.. I feel like people are looking in my basket at what I have. I've been known to hide the bad stuff under the good stuff. HA HA..

Hi, I know what you are talking about. I was always pretty thin until about 8 years ago. I gained 100 pounds in a year. I got "happy" and went out to eat a lot with my boyfriend at the time. Then he dumped me because I got to 220 pounds. Then I went back down to 180.. and then back up to 240.. then down and up and so forth. I met my husband at 240 and now I'm 285 and the weight never really bothered me until I got over 240. That's when it got painful and then I dislocated the ole kneecap from slipping on Water. All my weight came down on the dislocated knee and ripped tendons and stuff.. it was a long recovery.. ANYway... my point is, when I got fat, women were nicer to me. Suddenly the women at work didn't treat me like crap because I was a threat to them and the men didn't make me feel like a worthless piece of meat. Everywhere I went men were always hitting on me when I was a size 4.. everything I said got turned into a sexual innuendo! "I'm sick in bed today".. their reply, "Oooh, I wish I could be in bed with you", even pumping gas minding my own business some guy would be right there and make vulgar remarks... So, I gained lots of weight and I didn't have to get sexually harassed every second of the day and I finally got some female friends. So, my fat became my safety net. If I was still at 240 I don't think I would get this lap band, but as I'm quickly heading to the 300's and with my bad knees and disc bulges, I just have to take drastic measures. And, I also want to have a baby too and with me at this weight, it's just not possible. I was preggers last year and had a miscarriage. My doc said that my weight probably had something to do with it. So, I don't want that to happen ever again. Sorry this was so long..

Yes, I dislike that commercial too Glo. LOL. And yes, I should have put the clothes thing on mine too Dave. I sure hate it when the plus size clothes seem to come in the ugliest moo moo crap you've ever seen.. I do tend to find some decent stuff, but when I walk by the 16 and unders I remember the days when I wore the 4-12's and how cute those clothes were..

I went to Curves for a while. The first one I went to was pretty good, because it was big, then I moved to a new city about 3 months later and the Curves there was crammed into this tiny room with mirrors, whereas the other one didn't have mirrors. Everybody would just stare at everybody. Also, it bothered me because there were these two younger girls and they were making fun of one of the other ladies who was getting really into it. There's just something weird about working out in a circle with everybody watching everybody. It's not very private and the smaller the place is, the worse it is. This is just my opinion though; I'm sure there are many who like it a lot. Oh and another thing that bugged me was the boring Christian music they played. Apparently Curves is a Christian organization or something, at least the two I went to were, and they played Jesus music everytime, and I'm not talking about the young hip kind, I'm talking about the snore fest kind. And, I have my beliefs, but listening to slow boring "I love Jesus" music wasn't exactly pumping me up to work out. Again, I'm not bashing Jesus music, but something a little more livlier to listen to would have been nicer. However, I think they are franchises, so perhaps it was the owners who wanted that music to be played.