KATHERINEM200

It is hard for me also. With all the excess skin that hangs, I still feel the same naked. What happens is sometimes I will get a glance at myself walking down the hall at work in the glass door and think who is that person, and realize it is me. Comparing old to new photographs helps. I still have poor body image, but it is getting better. You have to change the fat mindset. That has been working for me. The little things that I can do now that I could never do before. I can actually run for a mile, fit into a size 10 pants, ride my horse and feel my balance points. All those things I could have not done 100 pounds ago. The realization that I am worthy. The self confidence I have now that I did not have before. I still have a long rode ahead of me, but by losing the weight I now believe all things are possible. That is half the battle.

Congrats on the 99 pounds lost. It is amazing to have lost so much. Just the thought of caring around that kind of weight. That is more than 2 large 40 pound bags of dog food. Try caring one and see how out of breath you become. That was my realization of how much I had really lost. I thought how did I do it all those years. It is a wonderful thing to lose that much weight.

I am so excited today. I have finally hit ONEDERLAND!!!! This is the first time in over 30 years that I weigh below 200!! I am very emotional today. The journey has been long, but well worth it. 28 more pounds and then some body reconstruction for me. I am so happy!

Thanks. When I get a fill, that is exactly how my doctor has me eat.

I have never heard of the 5 day pouch test. Can someone direct me to that information. Thanks

I am 100 pounds down and 14 until I hit ONDERLAND!!! I cannot wait. The past few months have been the hardest due to stress and hitting a long plateau. I lost 7 pounds in the the last three weeks, but prior was 4 pounds for 3 months. That was a killer. I never realized what carrying around an extra 100 pounds does to your life. Mine has been evolving and I feel great.

I was self pay. I used Care Credit. You can apply on line. You can use it for any type of medical procedures, like plastic surgery, bariatric surgery, even for your animals. The website is www.carecredit.com. It was the best money I ever spent. My life has changed in so many ways. My anniversary is July 30 and I need to lose 20 pounds more to reach my goal. Good luck.

I do excersize. 5 times a week minimum sometimes all 7 days. I run on the treadmill for 2 to 3 miles and then walk the dogs 2 miles. I always walk the dog 2 miles a day. I talked with a personal trainer and he told me to switch my routine and do 4 day work outs but very intense for about an hour. I made the changes this last week and I hope it will work. I do not have the restriction that I had from July to December. I had my last fill in March and my doctor was excited with my progress. When I am on my period or a day before I start, my restriction is perfect. I think that is why the weight loss has slowed. I need to be just a little bit tighter. I have a fill next month. Hopefully that will kick start me again. My goal was to be under 200 by my anniversary. I am so close, yet so far. I hope that once I am under 200, I can start to see myself for how I really look. When I look at pictures of myself now, It does not look like me. If feels like I am looking at someone else. I just stare and it does not feel real. This is a tough time for me in so many ways.

I am having problems with body image. I still see my self at 300lbs. I never thought I would have this problem. I have never been thin. I have always been obese or dare I say super obese (scary). I have only lost 8 lbs since the last week of January. The last two months I have just stayed at the same weight. A very long plateau. I knew this would happen eventually, but emotionally I was not prepared. I think watching the Biggest Loser on TV does not help me. I expect those kinds of results.

I have not posted in since November, and lost my ticker. I weighed myself this morning and am 81 lbs lighter. I am so excited. I stopped weighing every week because I did not want to get discouraged. I was suprised this morning. I love my band.

Congrats on all your NSV's!! I was size 22 now down to 18 and can even fit into 16 in some styles. I have not been that small for at least 9 years. I can actually run now. Never have I been able to run during a workout. The biggest NSV for me will be when I can get on my horse without using a fence, or mounting block. That will be a changing point in my life. I am still struggling, but maybe another 6 weeks and it will happen for me. :w00t:

I had my second fill this week. When I weighed at the doctors office, it was 3 pounds lighter than my scale on saturday. I am 57 pounds lighter. I am so excited. I am almost half way to my goal weight.

I weighed myself yesterday after waiting 2 weeks to weigh in and was down 4 pounds. I was a bit disappointed. I have been watching calories burned versus calories in and felt that I should have lost more. I had perfect restriction 2 days prior to starting my period. I have a fill next week and am hoping the doctor will hit my sweet spot. Total since July is 54 pounds and that is not bad, but I am a bit of an over achiever and wanted more weight gone.

On the fourth day, I was crying and wondering what I had done to myself. The next morning, I woke up and everything was better. This shall pass and you will be excited about the new journey you have started.

I understand exactly how you feel. I felt the same way to. But after I started writing down every diet I have ever been on and what age I started dieting, the decsion was very easy. I cried when I realized that the first diet I went was in the third grade. I am a self pay and have been banded since July 30, 2008. It has been one of the best things I have ever done for myself.

I guess I did something right, because the change shows on my ticker. YEAH!!!

I am down 40 pds since July 4, but I cannot figure out how to change the ticker. I am so excited.

When I called customer care with Kaiser, I was told that they do cover the lap band procedure. I know someone who had Gastric Bypass in the Riverside facility, not lap band. Good Luck. If they can do it in No Cal, they can do it in So Cal.

I know Kaiser in So Cal does Gastric Bypass. I am a self pay because I did not realize that Kaiser would do a lap band procedure. I do know that your primary care doctor needs to refer you to the bariatric facility near you. I am in Riverside County and they have a facility in Riverside. Then you have to wait for the appointment. Go to a seminar. Then you are required to lose 10 or 15% of your body weight before they will schedule an appt with the surgeon. I hope this helps. I went to Dr. Krahn in San Bernardino. I will be one month post op on Aug 30.

Added ticker, checking to see if it works.

I was banded on July 30 and started pre-op diet on July 4. Pre-op lost 23 pounds and as of yesterday a total of 37 pounds. Can someone help me with the ticker ? I would like to add one to my profile.

I do not know how to add myself to the list, but I was banded on July 30.:thumbup:

I have Kaiser and live in Southern California. I was not aware until a few days ago that they did the Lap Band procedure. I knew about the bypass surgery but not the other. This is my dilema. I went out to a private doctor and am paying cash for the procedure. I started in May and have done classes, psych eval and I am scheduled for my procedure for July 30. BMI is at 50, but really have no other health realted issues. Has anyone had experience with the Kaiser in my area. How long will it take etc. I am considering waiting and seeing what Kaiser will do. However, I do not want to wait another day to have my surgery. I need some advice. Thanks