beedub

Ladies, I could not have asked for better responses to my first post. I was looking for a gut check, and I certainly got it. Thank you all for the tough love and the major encouragement. I'm making an appointment to discuss a plan with my doctor first thing Monday morning. Again, thanks for the push. I appreciate it. Good luck to you all. - B

Hey from Seattle, I've been struggling with my weight since I was 13 and have played yo-yo dieter for the better part of 15 years. It occurred to me recently that while I have control over so many other things in my life, this is one area that I feel helpless and, frankly, ashamed. I don't think I know what it feels like to not feel self concious or disappointed in myself regarding weight. And I think I'm finally ready to do something about it. So, I've been thinking about getting banded (note: I've already picked up the lingo from your conversations!) for a year now. And to be perfectly honest, I feel a lot of trepidation about what this means for the rest of my life: - Guilt: I can't help but think that I got myself into this situation, I should be able to get myself out without surgery. When I've buckeled down and lost weight in the past, I felt like I really earned those lost pounds. But then then came back with a vengence. I know Lap Band is NOT a quick fix solution, but I guess I still feel like I should be able to do this on my own. Blame it on my Catholic Guilt. - I love to eat: It's a big part of my social life -- which is probably a big part of the problem right there. I know I need to change the way I eat, but I don't weight loss to be the focal point of my life. But I also don't want to have to pray I get bumped to first class so my butt fits comfortably in airplane seats either. - The horror stories scare the hell out of me: Even though Lap Band is much less invasive than other weightloss surgeries, it's still a medical procedure. I saw the postings about crazy post-surgery reactions and it freaks me out. All that said, I know I need to do something. Now. I'm tired of making excuses. And I'm tired of feeling out of control with my body. I don't expect anyone to respond to this, but I'm glad I've put this out there. If you have any advice, I'd certainly welcome it. Thanks, peeps.