jojo41

When a fat person loses weight it really "weeds" out the true friends doesn't it. I chose not to tell anyone about my surgery except my husband and kids, this was for a couple of reasons. 1. I didn't want to set myself up for failure.....AGAIN. 2. I didn't want any judgements from family and friends. In the last 10 weeks I've lost 31lbs and have noticed some "friends" looking at me with that "damn...she's lost weight" look but they haven't commented on it. The funny thing is they are all slim women.....could it be that slim women can't stand the extra competition when a "fattie" loses weight????:guess The only friend who has commented is a larger lady and she was so sweet about my weight loss that I really wanted to tell her about my surgery but had to bite my tongue. Maybe when I reach my goal weight I will tell people about my surgery but right now I just feel I don't need that extra pressure.

What about the Elton John Classic "Tiny Dancer". The Chorus goes..... "Hold me closer tiny dancer" I thought it was......."Hold me closer Tony Danza" Along with EVERYONE else!

Sherilynn.....it looks like you've opened up a "can of worms". Could it be that your BF (holding onto 100lbs) and your best girlfriend (holding onto 50lbs) are just jealous that if you have LB surgery that you will FINALLY loose your unwanted weight? Could they be worried that you losing your excess weight will put them OUT of their comfort zone? I'm sure they both love you "just the way you are"...BUT you will LOVE YOURSELF more if you ignore their "helpful" comments and go ahead with what you feel is right. My advice would be not to discuss the surgery with your friends. LB Surgery is such a personal decision and not one THEY should make for you. Coltonwade......If your BF is soooo convinced that getting a personal trainer and going to Jenny Craig is the answer then maybe he should give it a go himself. As for me I've been there and done that.....the Lapband surgery has been the best thing I have ever done for myself and contrary to what your BF believes I AM proud of myself and I AM doing this on my own (no one else is exercising, eating healthy food, PBing, and trying to make appropriate choices everyday for me..... except ME). Besides what's wrong with having "help" to lose weight.....is having help from a band any different to having help from Jenny Craig????

Those results give us "cuddly" ladies something to smile about :confused:.....I suppose it's also a matter of exactly how cuddly?

Muslims across the world do not see the West as liberators of Iraq but as invaders......they feel we are "occupying Muslim land".....a no win situation.

We are Australian and finally got to visit some dear friends of ours in the US last Dec, we had some hilarious encounters with people. 1. We met a couple from Maryland who told us in a slow, loud voice like we were mentally challenged or deaf that.... "YOU SPEAK GOOD AMERICAN". 2. Our friend's next door neighbour said to me....."I wouldn't have guessed you were Australian because you wear the same clothes as us."......what was she expecting me to wear....a kangaroo skin? 3. In Las Vegas a lady seriously asked us if we grew "bloomin onions" at home because she loved them.......I had no idea what they were until I was told it was a dish from the Outback Steakhouse.....BTW The Outback Steakhouse is NOT traditional Aussie food! 4. And this one is my favourite.......I was looking at clothes in Target when a lady heard my accent and asked where I was from, I replied "Australia"...she looked a bit surprised and said "I didn't know they had BIG people in Australia too!"......yes folks the USA does not have a monopoly on obesity. :confused:

I fly alot....so mine is to be able to sit in an airplane seat with room to spare and have to tighten the seatbelt because it's too big!:clap2:

TOM....I agree! The Iraq War is becoming a farce.......too many lives have been lost, terrorism is on the increase, Muslim/Christian relations are at an all time low and lets not forget the infamous "Weapons of Mass Destruction".....where are they? I think it is time to bring ALL the troops home (British, Australian, US, Italian, Danish, Polish, Slovakian, South Korean etc) ALL 23 countries involved.

Since having my second fill (4 days ago) I have PB'd every day.....I'm hoping this will settle down in a few days. I have never vomited or had constipation (touch wood) :confused:

I am allowed coffee and tea....thank goodness!

When I had my surgery I came home from hospital with a cough (a dry but strong cough).....I was soooo paranoid that it would cause my band to slip that I rang the surgeon. He assured me that it was VERY unlikely for a band to slip from coughing. I agree with above posts...it's more likely to just be from congestion.

No....I've never had to spit....although I only had my second fill today so lets see if that changes anything.

Hi cpbaby....I ABSOLUTELY relate. One of my first posts on this site was about being too embarressed to start the process of getting the lapband. Everyone was so supportive that it gave me the courage to "bite the bullet" and get banded......and I'm soooooo glad I did. Now. ....I didn't have to attend a seminar nor have a sleep test but I did have to go to my local doctor to get a referral to the specialist and of course this included getting weighed... which caused me so much anxiety because I hadn't weighed my self in years let alone in front of anyone. I must admit I got a shock when I found out what I weighed but once I had stepped on those dreaded scales the rest of the process wasn't so bad. Actually once I went to the Obesity clinic and saw the nurse, psycholgist, dietician and surgeon I actually felt pretty good.......let's face it these people see Morbidly Obese people everyday and your weight, BMI etc is no big deal to them. I think most people feel anxious about the process you have to go through in order to get the lapband....like you, mine included extreme embarressment but I think the thought of it is more embarressing than the actual process.....it's that whole thing of having to actually admit that you are that big and that you need surgical intervention.....The team at the obesity clinic that I attend have never once made me feel HUGE or humiliated me in any way. Actually on my first meeting with the nurse she mentioned the fact that most of their patients have a BMI close to or over 50. My advice would be if you are uncomfortable with the seminar and sleep test then look for another surgeon or clinic. Good Luck and trust me the process you have to go through in order to get the band is only a very small part of the journey. Once you get the band you'll wonder what you were so worried about.

I think my biggest problem at 5 days out from surgery was the amount of gas in my stomach....I looked 9 months pregnant! Apart from that I felt OK though.

I watched the Steve Irwin memorial service on TV this morning. It was very moving and although it was a celebration of his life..... to me it was very sad especially seeing his family trying to be strong. Everytime the camera turned to Terri a tear ran down my cheek.....she looked so frail and absolutely devastated.:cry What about Bindi though....8 years old and so mature and articulate.

I watched the Steve Irwin memorial service on TV this morning. It was very moving and although it was a celebration of his life..... to me it was very sad especially seeing his family trying to be strong. Everytime the camera turned to Terri a tear ran down my cheek.....she looked so frail and absolutely devastated. What about Bindi though....8 years old and an absolute pro!

Well.....it's definitely official I am now a member of the PB club! I had my first fill 8 days ago and since day 4 my restriction seems to be getting tighter and tighter. This morning I decided to have a piece of toast and vegimite for Breakfast (I have done this a few times in the last 4 weeks and never had a problem). Half way through I got that "stuck in the throat feeling" so I figured I was full and threw the rest of the toast away. I then decided to have a shower when I felt this awful pain across my back and chest like a vice was being slowly tightened around it. Then all of a sudden....up came the slime... followed very closely by the toast. (I swear 1/2 a piece of toast went down and it looked like 1/2 a bloody loaf came back up!):girl_hug: All I can say is..... Thank God I was in the shower at the time, it was NOT a pretty sight....YUCK!

shaunaruder....I Totally agree!

Ditch your therapist!

A friend of mine who is MO (220kg/485lbs) a few years back went to a "chubby chaser" nightclub in Melbourne. She HATED it! She said most of the guys were very creepy and seemed to have a "fat fetish". They were all over her telling her they love her fat and one guy told her that heaven for him would be burying himself in her fat.....Yuck. She felt like they didn't want to know her or date her just treat her like a big fat blowup doll. She also met a guy who described himself as "fat curious" and just wanted to have sex with a MO to see what is would be like. Now it's one thing to love a bit of meat on a woman's bones (like many men do...my hubby included...god bless them) but to ONLY want to be with a woman because of her rolls of fat....that's a bit sad.

I also agree with all the above posts. I have a similar relationship with my mother. Appearance is everything to her. I started gaining weight about 8 years ago and along with my body shape my relationship with her also changed. First she became VERY embarressed of my weight and would make excuses to people about my appearance (She has PCOS you know....was her usual way of introducing me to people). Then she became very judgemental of me, not just my weight gain but every aspect of my life (my career choice, my parenting skills, etc). Next came hostility......."why don't you just DO something about your size???" or "You're not wearing THAT are you???" In the last couple of years it's become pity....she would give me these sad looks like I was dying or something and make comments like "you must be so tired all the time" or "don't clean the whole house you might have a heart attack or something...just do one room each day". So when I finally decided to have my WLS I spoke at lenghth to my husband and the psychologist about whether I should tell her. My husband said a definite NO!......he believed she would definitely judge me on my choice. The psychologist also pointed out that these type of people (with very over enflated egos and views) often have big reactions to things they don't understand or disapprove of and that I must decide if it was "worth the trouble".....she was also concerned that my mother would also try to "sabotage" my weight loss efforts. In the end I decided it was NOT worth the drama. I saw my mother 3 days ago and she actually seemed a little "hostile" and critical about my recent weightloss. My brother was at my parents house and when I walked in the door he said "Wow look at you ...you've lost alot of weight....lookin good!" My mother just looked me up and down, sighed and said "but she's got a LONG way to go to look normal again". Need I say anymore!

ryanjoey.....I know exactly what you are going through....I also feel like I can eat WAY too much after my first fill (10 days ago).....I'm going back to the clinic in a couple of days and am going to ask (beg) for another fill. Also........37lbs!....that's great! As for the people in your town always telling you that you don't look any thinner after your surgery.....How BLOODY RUDE! :angry

Barbara465.....I AM following my "lapband rules". My doctor and dietician have never told me I cannot eat bread or toast. Each Lapbander has different "rules" and mine INCLUDE bread and toast (just chew, chew,chew)

I'm proud to be banded and definitely not "ashamed" of my band BUT it's no one"s business but my own how I choose to lose weight. Having WLS is such a personal thing and what is good for one person may not suit another. sweetsue.....At this moment (8 weeks post op) I have chosen not to tell anyone about my surgery, I have eaten out with friends and been to family and friend's homes for dinner and no-one has noticed my tiny portions except once when I ordered soup at a restauarant and my friend's husband said "you can't just have soup!".....I told him I wasn't very hungry and was going to share my husband's meal.....that was the end of that conversation. Don't sweat over it.......your friends may not even notice.

You're welcome gadgetlady......enjoy your trip to Italy (my most favourite place in the world!) Jo:)