jojo41

Don't worry Aimee you're not alone. I've been a "head" for the last 7 years, I honestly don't know what my body looks like anymore!

Brad Pitt......too skinny for me (gorgeous face though). I prefer my men with a bit more meat on their bones.

Great Photos ladyslenda......you look beautiful. I LOVE the black and white dress on you.

Mia Tyler looks great.....still a bit of meat on her bones......great lips too!

MoOrLess.......oooh yeah! Mathew McConaughey........GORGEOUS!

It's a great question lizziegrace. I must admit I feel the same way. If I had willpower would I be 275lbs (125kg) and if I had willpower would I be having surgery to have a band placed around my stomach?? I look at the lapband as my last resort. I am getting this surgery because I NEED help to stop me from shoveling vast amounts of food into my mouth. I can't do it myself ...... I may be "lazy" too but I am soooo TIRED of the struggle I've had with my weight that after a lifetime of dieting I am giving myself permission to finally be "lazy" and have surgery.

Who is Sara Rue????

Salma...Salma...Salma! My husband fell in love with Salma in "From Dusk Till Dawn".....she does a dance in a bikini with a very large python......maybe in a few months (after my surgery)I may make his day and replicate this dance for him!(LOL)

Thak goodness you posted photos because I'd never heard of Mark Anthony or Tyson Beckford!!! But my choice would be Colin Farrell.......gotta love that Irish accent too!

That's right Rachel.....apparently most people cannot tolerate "starchy" carbs....which is every PCOS sufferer's WORST nightmare! I can't wait to have my band and I wish you all the best on your decision. If you do decide to go ahead and get banded you will have lots of support (not just from the people with PCOS) but from everyone in here. Cheers Jo

Well I am 5ft 7in and weigh 275lbs (125kg) and was told I was a perfect candidate for lapband surgery. I would go see another doctor.

Rachebknox....GREAT, GREAT, GREAT question. I also have PCOS (it has truely been the bain of my existence!) and am booked in to have Lapband surgery in July. My gynecologist actually recomended the Lapband surgery to me and told me many of his PCOS patients have been successful losing their excess weight with the Lapband. Because women with PCOS are insulin resistant, the fact that the lapband limits the amount of carbs you can eat is a big reason why women with PCOS are successful. I think it was Brisbane University (here in Australia) a couple of years back which did studies on women with PCOS who have around 100lbs to lose and found the lapband surgery was the most successful type of weightloss (compared to low-fat diet, low-carb diet (without band), Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and a few other diets)....in almost 50% of cases the cysts totally disappeared.:clap2: So there is hope for us yet!!

Unbelievable!!!! I am amazed that so many people feel the same as me. I know I'm 125kg (275lbs) but it's just a number to me. I don't feel HUGE. BUT I know I am. I know I'm often the largest person in the room, I know I weigh about 75lbs more than my 6ft husband, I know that I wear a size 20-22, I know I find some seats a "tight fit", I know I avoid looking at my whole body in the mirror, I know that I have gained over 100lbs in the last 6-7yrs and I know I need to lose alot of weight but when I look down at my body all I see is a terrific cleavage and great boobs!!!! Talk about being in TOTAL denial !

Hi Guys I have my surgery date booked for July 17th and one thing that is really bothering me is the impact the band will have on my social life. We go out with a large group of friends on a weekly basis and most of our outings unfortunately revolve around food (dinner, shows, picnics, BBQ's etc) I have also chosen NOT to tell them about my upcoming surgery (couldn't stand the drama!) I realise having the lapband is going to vastly limit the amount of food I eat but did having the lapband put a huge strain or even a stop to your social life? Any tips on how to handle the situation would be greatly appreciated. Cheers Jo

Hope this works. here are my "babies" (Ethan 15yrs & Olivia 12yrs) on a recent trip to Hawaii.

My surgery is booked for 17th July and there are days when I'm excited and thrilled about the surgery then I have days when I'm PETRIFIED!!!!! I think this is a normal roller coaster of emotions that many people go through prior to getting the surgery.(I hope so) Hang in there!

Hi fellow newbies....I have my surgery booked for 17th July and am starting to really look forward to this new phase in my life. this is a great site and i have learnt so much valuable information. Look forward to getting to know you all.....Cheers Jo (from Sydney, Australia)

It sounds like a bizarre reaction to me also. As for the "how can someone let letselves get that big" argument I think everyone has a different "breaking point". Mine came when I went to a restaurant with friends and found the seat was very "tight" when I sat down....it was basically the last straw! I'm 5ft 7 (170cm) and 275lbs (125kg). Now those statistics to someone 100lbs heavier don't sound too bad but to someone 100lbs lighter it sounds like a nightmare.....to me it's just normal. When I see someone much heavier than me I don't think "how did they let themselves get that big" I usually feel sympathy because I know a little of what they are going through. As for hating myself for getting this big....yes, there are days when I ABSOLUTELY hate myself, there are days when I feel like things could be MUCH worse then there are days when I feel fine about my size but I do realise that there are many people who have never been obese who are disgusted/horrified by my size..........that's their problem.

Thanks guys...lots of great advice. I don't know how I'm going to explain my way out of not eating the feast at my father's 70th birthday in August (3 weeks after my surgery) .......I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it.

derbygirl.....you are spot on. There are always people around who are going to try and sabotage your weightloss success.My mother is the same as yours. For the firsat few pounds she's proud of me but when I start to lose alot of weight she becomes jealous and puts me down. I also have a friend who is the same. In the past when I've lost weight she has told me that being thin doesn't "suit" me and that I look older when I lose weight. This is why this time I have decided to not tell anyone (except my husband and kids) about my up coming surgery. I don't want to give anyone any further ammunition so they can use it to sabotage my weightloss.......I sound paranoid don't I?

Flying is not a particularly comfortable experience at the best of times but when you are up around the 300lb mark it can be quite embarrassing. I've had people roll their eyes and make comments as I've tried to squeeze past them to get into my seat. I once had an air stewardess ask me on the top of her voice if I need a seatbelt extension as a boarded the plane. I've had a girl in the seat infront lower her seat (for the entire 13hr flight) right down onto my lap so I was unable to move, watch the TV or to use the food tray (because it would hit my stomach) and refuse to move it back up "Not my *uckin fault you're too fat" she yelled when I asked her to put her seat up slightly. But this is not the norm. Most people know how stressful and uncomfortable plane travel is unfortunately the seats in all planes are pretty narrow that's why I would definitely try and ger an aisle seat for the extra arm room.

I agree....friends of our from the USA have been raving about Krispy Kreme donuts for years so when we went to the States this year we couldn't wait to try them.......YUCK....they were stale and dry tasting. Maybe Krispy Kreme Donuts are a bit like Vegimite.....an aquired taste!

Tricia K.....I have always had a tendency to gain weight "easily"I just assumed I had a slow metabolism ( I always managed to stay within a "normal" weight range through starvation and exercise) then when I was 32 my periods became irregular and I started gaining weight. I went to the doctor who did blood tests and told me my testosterone levels were elevated but it was nothing to worry about. Between my 32nd and 38th birthdays I gained 100lbs....I had no idea how, but blamed my inactivity and love of food. So again I went to the doctor who just told me to lose weight and my periods would get back to normal. Then one day I was watching a current affairs show that had a story on "Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome"...a lightbulb went off in my head....I had ALL the symptoms. I went back to the doctor and told him all about PCOS, I had tests and it was confirmed I was one of millions of women with dreaded PCOS! I thought to myself "Hallelujah!.... Now I know why I've gained so much weight, I've got PCOS, I'll have treatment or take a pill and it will go away. I was so excited that there was a "reason" behind my rapid weight gain, lethargy, excess hair growth, irregular periods and moodswings however this feeling of elation soon subsided when I asked my doctor what I should do for treatment for PCOS and he replied "Lose Weight!" AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!

I'm a hairdresser.....not so exciting I'm afraid.

I'm 275lbs (124kg) and travel often. I have never had to buy 2 seats or use a seatbelt extender. Of course business & first class seats are bigger however if you have to travel coach(economy) go for the aisle seat because there is heaps more arm room. BTW Qantas (Aussie Airline) have fantastic new seats you can now lift up the arm rests on the aisle seats also (obviously they are starting to realise that fat people travel too!) :clap2: