GDC

:wink2: Hi. I will be banded next month. I am concerned with the scarring. Will you guys be kind enough to post pictures of your scars and how long its' been since surgery. I'm getting cold feet because of this.:confused2:

FOR ALL YOU DARING BANDTERS WE ALL DREAM OF ONE DAY WEARING A SWIMSUIT WITHOUT FEELING LIKE RUNNING FOR COVER. BATHING BEAUTYS AND HUNKS LET IT SHOW!! POST YOUR PICTURES The picture is of me 9 years ago, before I stopped wearing shorts and swimsuits. Current BMI - 39 Body fat @ approx 44% Muscle mass @ 110 lbs. Current Weight 198 Band Surgery Date Set for August.

Congratualions. I will be banded next month, and it's encouraging to know that there is long term success! What would you say is on of the hardest thing about being banded?

That sounds pious and better then thou and all.. But reality is that you motivations are similar to mine... The only difference is that I am honest to say that I want to wear a bathing suit on my honeymoon. I don't see what the big deal is!! This particular sticky/post is to post pics or messages of bandters in bathing suits, etc. --if they want to. All other issues and questions can be, and are, answered for me in other threads... Here I want incouragement to know that this particular goal is possible!! If you want my boohoo story of my ailments and pains... I can e-mail you directly. Darling - Why are you so pissed... I wasn't nasty or yelling at you.. (please reread your original message and see your nastiness) Be careful your age is showing and usually pple usually get pissed when you are hitting upon the truth that they don't want to admit to. (Again your pettyness) ( I think my age is showing in that I want to take care of matters now and not wait till I get to where you did, and then hide behind matyrdom, pretending that there is no vanity in your decision. ) #1 I was banded as I wanted to extend my life - I want to see my grandkids get married and hopefully some great grand kids ( I am being banded to have kids, and yes I am also doing it for my future husband so he can al least have a chance to experiment fatherhood with me. I will not have kids I cannot see grow or to afford them quality of life --- a mother that is set and ready to live life included) #2 I wanted to improve the quality of my life - my obesity was limiting my life and what I could do physically ( My obesity limits me psychologically and mentally. Both are real and valid factors) #3 Yes I love the secondary benefits of losing the excess weight - never said I didn't but it wasn't the reason that I got banded - The excess saggy skin isn't pretty but I will take it any day over the fat that use to be in it's place. (I am being banded to avoid getting to this point. I am currently doing my part, but need the additional help. I want to avoid the saggy skin --- and yes, because I want to someday wear a bathing suit and not think much of it.) #4 I never said I felt great when I was obese or that I was happy when I was obese (heck I couldn't walk from here to there without being exhausted - I sleep my weekends away - just vacuuming the house I would break out in a sweat) - I didn't want to stay obese because the fat was going to kill me. Here's a link that will explain to you that being obese is going to kill more pple than smoking - it's on it's way to being the #1 killer of pple Death Rate From Obesity Gains Fast On Smoking - New York Times. (see answer above) #5 As to living in a beach town what's that got to do with the price of tea in china - at 245 I went on a cruise - I put on a bathing suit - and didn't wear a tee shirt or shorts to swim - I got in the ocean & pools fat and all - I am who I am - I am what I am In fact as I took off my cover up to get in the ocean - I warned the pple next to me that it wasn't going to be a pretty site. The same thing goes for now at 150 - i will put on a bathing suit and instead of fat you are going to see saggy skin - but again I am what I am - I am who I am - and what anyone thinks who gives a flying "F" I am not ruled by what society thinks - at my age I have gotten past that - and really gotta say it's never been a biggie to me ( This is exactly what I don't want for me or those around me. I don't want body image to even be on my mind. Has nothing to do with what others think. You just admitted it... to YOU it has an ugly appearance. You don't have to have others point it out. Just the fact that you are conscious about how you look and that others may not approve proves my point. I don't to spend time worrying about how I look. I want to just be.) #6 - There is a little saying that I like - I would rather be hated for who I am than Loved for who I am not.. You don't have to like me or agree with what I say - I was just telling you why pple were suspicious of you that's all. ( As I mentioned earlier... posting is optional. ) #7 What I can tell you is I feel 200% better with the 100 lbs gone - I am no longer on blood pressure med - I am proud of myself for eating healthy and exercising. I am proud of myself for the work that I have done to become a healthier person - the looks are icing on the cake - but it's not the cake - the cake is that my body is no longer drowning and choaking in fat - that the fat is no longer killing me.. Hope fully (Lord willing) I have added a few more year to my life... ( I am glad for you. ) Personal note, nothing to do with this thread:( I have never understood how people can use the name of the "Lord" in the same breath that they are spitting a nasty or hissy attitude.) Again I wish you all the best .... <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________

Jachut, that is amazing!! You look great!!:thumbs_down: I hope you don't feel ofended by me asking ... you look pretty thin now... can someone feel your port when ...ummhmm.. getting jiggy? I'm afraid that it will call for ackward moments!!

Jachut, that is amazing!! You look great!! I hope you don't feel ofended by me asking ... you look pretty thin now... can someone feel your port when ...ummhmm.. getting jiggy? I'm afraid that it will call for ackward moments!!

Jachut, that is amazing!! You look great!! I hope you don't feel ofended by me asking ... you look pretty thin now... can someone feel your port when ...ummhmm.. getting jiggy? I'm afraid that it will call for ackward moments!!

IndioGirl55, I think your response simply demonstrate your ignorance and hipocrisy. I don't feel the need to explain myself any further... I will simply say that posting in this forum is optional. If you are not interested in posting then don't. Don not waste your energy. Finally, stop being hypocritical and admit to yourself that part, if not most, of your motivation to lose weight is due to appearance. If appearance and the way your body felt was not a factor in the formula, why didn't you stay the way you were? If it felt so great to be fat why are you trying to lose weight? There is nothing superficial about wanting to enjoy life without being conscious about the way you look and feel. Or wanting to have children with the man you love. Sorry but I refuse to wear my aches and pains as a badge of honor, and pretend that these are the only reasons why I want to lose weight. And to affirm and confirm your ignorance and narrow mindedness .... I live in a beach town... we do not go in the Water to swim or surf with our clothes on. Maybe that is why I requested swimsuit pictures!!!!

Thank you Pearly Girl. I am in love to a good man and want to give myself a chance to have a family with him. I also would love to experience summer trips and day to day activities without the demons of self-consciousness or complexes. I am blessed with a great man that accepts me the way I am and that encourages me to get a handle on my weight and complexes... I want give him the best of me...in every sence. Yes PCOS has been a nightmare, but I want to try to conceive...if I can't I want to at least have the energy to chase around my adopted children!!

Jachut you look amazing!!!! Was it a total thrill to reach your goal??? BTW, I Love your bathing suit! I love the color combination

I've decided. I am going to get banded. Please encourage me by posting pics of your scarring of at least 1 year post surgery.

Wow! Thank you!! That is so encouraging!! Your skin tone is similar to mine... they are bearly noticible!

I don't understand why so many find it odd or are suspicious of me asking other bandsters that have reached a goal and feel comfortable enough with themselves to wear a swimsuit to encourage me by posting their success pictures? Or that I am concerned with scarring? Yesterday someone graciously sent me a link to a posting on scarring stages, and I found several postings of bandsters that were kind enough to show how great they look, unfortunately most are from incisions right after surgery... only a couple are from a year or more... Is it because I'm not posting a boohoo story of how I'm trying to lose weight because I have a list of maladies and are honest enough to say that what keeps my drive going is to someday wear a swimsuit without wanting the earth to swallow me? I have all those maladies that come along with being obese... but I have several years to cry about and work on those.... I only have a couple to work on having children with the man I love and I only have one chance at pleasing that wonderful man that accepts me exactly as I am with a wedding in a wonderful place. How many of you remember what it's like to feel 100% comfortable with your body, so much so that it is not even on your mind...? Well that is what I want for my wedding. I want to enjoy the moment and the love of my husband without letting my complexes get in the way. When my doctor said you need to lose weight ... it went in one ear out the other. When my family said you need to lose weight... I thought, "your twiggy butt does not know what you are talking about". When I was told I could not have children I was shocked, and almost accepted it.. ... but When I think of all the summer swims I've missed because of the shame of how I look... When I think of the lakes, rivers and pools I will not get near for fear of showing my bump and lumps... When I think I am denying the man that loves me so many wonderful thing simply because I won't wear a bathing suit... including seating by a pool with our adopted child on a summer get away... it makes me angry enough to want to settle things with my weight once and for all... and a swimmsuit is a reminder of that anger... For all those of you that are more interested in hearing about my list of aches, pains and medical problems please e-mail me privately. But for those that also understand that there is a, should I say, more naive side of being obese, ...one that simply wants to feel the warmth of sand ... the bathing of the sun ... the caress of Water on a warm summer month... the pleasure of feeling at ease without the preocupation on body image... Please post your pictures or stories and encourage me... Thank you.

No, I stopped wearing a bathing suit around that time. Since then, I have gained 70 pounds or so... I am trying to look for a picture of me in at least shorts... but I can't even remember when wa the last time I [/url] wore any... I will try to get a picture of me now... When I first met my baby about eight years ago, I started using DepoVera and in a years time the weight kept piling on!! So quickly that I became very flabby and the ever so loved cellulite came home to stay. If I put on a bathing suit now I look like Popeye with a bear belly!

OK, I understand your curiosity. Let me give you some background. I have been plump all my life. I have tried everything I could to lose the weight, needless to say nothing has worked. Then in 2007 I was finally diagnosed with PCOS and told I may be infertile. I have tried to lose the weight since then, because I would like to give myself and my boyfriend a chance to have children. He says he loves me regardless. He has asked me to marry him and would like to have our wedding and honey moon in Hawaii!!!! I am paranoid to say yes, because I WILL HAVE TO FACE THE SWIMSUIT ISSUE!!! I want to give my baby want he wants and look great for him that day and always. He loves me no matterhow I look, but I want to give him the best of me. Your pictures will encourage me to keep going. I will be banded next month, and I keep a picture of the bathing suit I want to wear on my honey moon... This is the swimsuit I want to wear. Did I mentioned that all my family and friends are twigy and that they will all wear a two piece swimsuit! Can you imagine the bride wrapped arouns a towel trying to hide behind a palm tree?? :smile: Ok, no one is looking to be the model in the picture, but I would love to not feel insecure in on my honey moon!!! Since I have shown you my swimsuit aspirations... I will also show you my dress...

Thank you for your replies. I have posted the one picture I could find of myself in a swimsuit. After that, shorts were the norm... or avoiding the beach all together.

Thank you for all the encouragement!!