Cindy C

Was on a road trip last week and away from my scale. Checking in this week @ 176.0. Down 2.4# since the beginning of the challenge. Looks like my little experiment may be working! :fingerscrossed!

I found that I dropped a size about every 20 pounds or so. However, I completely skipped a couple sizes along the way. Sometimes the scale doesn't move but the inches do and sometimes it works the other way around. Don't be too concerned about it. You may find in a couple weeks that 18's fit and then look at the money you saved by not having to buy any 20's. Don't worry, the scale and the sizes will catch up to each other.

Good luck on your journey. We all have to do what we feel is right for ourselves. I hope you have all the success you desire.

According to the list here there aren't any in Toledo. There are a couple in Maumee and one in Bowling Green, tho. You might want to think about going to the Detroit area. There seem to be alot if them around here. Maybe its because we were voted the fattest city in America! LOL!

My doctor did not require a pre-op diet at all. Some do, some don't. You will have to check with the doctor doing your surgery. Just call his office and ask.

If you are self pay, you don't need a pre-op diet at all. That's an insurance requirement. If you want to have surgery "back home" then you need to contact a local doctor and see if he will take you on as a patient for follow up.

I thought you had to be over 18 to be banded. Your profile says you are 13. Is that accurate?

That's great. WTG!! I had a similar experience with my doctor last spring. After almost 3 years of him asking me what my goal was and me refusing to set one, I finally told him I wanted to lose another 25-30 pounds. (I was in the low 190's at the time.) He said, "You don't need to lose anymore. You look great." I said, "My BMI is like 28. It needs to be under 25. How can you tell me I've lost enough?" He took me by the shoulders and led me to the full length mirror, pointed and said, "LOOK AT YOU! You've done incredibly well. You don't need to lose any more weight." I know that I've had great success but I think that just made me more determined to show him 162 pounds!

Mostly coffee, iced tea, Water and koolade made with Splenda. I was banded 6/10/08.

LOL...don't want to be fat in Hell either!!!!!

I honestly don't miss it and I used to drink at least 6 Diet Pepsi's every day. It was difficult in the beginning but I got over it pretty quickly. My daughter was drinking one the other day and I grabbed it and took a sip and thought it was the most disgusting thing ever. Wondered how I ever drank it before.

No and No!

I think I'm going to put it in my will that it goes with me. I don't want to get fat in heaven.

I don't see a problem with it a long as there are no chunks.

I think that generally, night time reflux is caused from the band being too tight. Could it be that after your hysterectomy you just never found your green zone again. It's been 4 months. Maybe you should try getting your fills again. Whatever was going on 4 months ago may not be happening now. BTW, a six week vacation to France? I am so jealous!

I hear ya, Sister!!!! We had a 106 degree day a few weeks ago and I was in Heaven!

I agree. Deli meat is not a mushy!

You can have it removed if you want but I don't know why anyone would. I plan on going to the grave with mine.

I am sooooo sick of bouncing around between 178-182 pounds. It seems I've been stuck there forever. (OK, it's only been a couple of months, but still...) I'm leaving tonight for a couple day trip to St. Louis to take my son back to college. As soon as I get back I'm going to pretend I just had lap band surgery and go back to the beginning to see if I can jump start my metabolism. My plan is 2 weeks of liquids....maybe 4. It shouldn't be too difficult. I'll have my house back to myself so there won't be a need to have crap in the cupboards. Whatever he doesn't eat or take with him is getting fed to the cow! I'm planning my pretend surgery for Sunday!

I came home from St. Louis early so I started my liquid diet today. Darn, this is so much harder than the first time. I keep walking into the kitchen and then remember I'm not eating. Maybe its because I don't have the discomfort of surgery as a constant reminder!

I've had mine for 3 years and have had no problems. I've lost 145 pounds. My BBF (best banded friend) has had hers for 8 years and lost 150 pounds without problems. It's going to work as well as you work it. I think, for the most part, the people who it doesn't work for expected a magic bullet and didn't do what they needed to do.

When my step father passed away in 1996, I inherited his 1994 Grand-Am. I drove it for several years and then bought a minivan right before my surgery. I gave the car to my son. When I drove the car I always had the seat all the way back because I have long legs. At least that's what I thought. Yesterday I got in the car to move it in the driveway and couldn't reach the gas peddle! I had to move the seat up 2 notches. It finally occurred to me that it wasn't because of my legs, it was because my butt was so big I was sitting closer to the wheel! LOL, who knew?!!

Don't let the gym intimidate you. Everyone is there for the same reason.