grizzlyrider

My doc pushed bypass too and they are always full of statistics on how lapbanders do not lose as much as bypass. Read the posts here, you can see how well it works. I go to a support group where 90% of the people are bypass and 4 of us are banded. The bypass people are always worried because they have strange aches and pains, have to get iron through an iv, and stretch out their stomaches. The banders are happy as clams, I'm the newest one and have lost 64 lbs, they have all lost over 100. Think about those statistics! Oh yeah, the gastric costs much more than the band and think of all those follow up visits for their complications - just a thought.

So, today I went out to buy some clothes since all the winter clothes are on sale this weekend. I was quite excited because after 64 lbs lost I figured I'd have a wonderful time trying on all the smaller sizes. No, this is not what happened. First I tried on a coat, 2X (I am now wearinng a baggy 3X) it was too tight. This scared me so I tried on several 2X and 3X shirts - most did not fit me. I cannot believe it. Those are the sizes I have been wearing for several years and all my clothes are way too big. The only thing I can figure out is that I have only been buying clothes from the Lane Bryant catalog for a long time and they must run much bigger than the women's sizes in stores like Penneys and Sears. I'm hoping this is the answer but boy was my balloon burst. So, I'm swearing off shopping until spring, I'll just muddle through the rest of winter with what I have. I'm not going to buy clothes at the same size or larger after all I have been through! This put a major damper on my whole mood today. Tomorrow I'm making my husband take some new pictures of me because I have not done that since I started (except for a couple random shots at Christmas). I'm sure that will perk me up, everyone keeps telling me that I look so much different. We'll see. You may or may not remember that I am the one that has to jump on the scale every morning because I'm afraid all the weight loss has been a dream and is not real. Today did not help. Sorry I'm down in the dumps today, hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.

Try Carnation Instant Breakfast too (the powdered ones you mix with milk) they don't have that "vitamin" taste the premixed ones have. Good Luck

It's very normal - I was complaining all the time about how long it takes. But, as I have said before, now I am glad. It made me really ready to do this once I had the surgery. I don't think I would have been if it had gone faster even though I thought I would be fine. So, hang in there your time will come!

I'm so proud of everyone doing so well. It is really motivating to see so many people have lost 100 lbs. I'm hoping to be one of those on my bandiversary in August. Congratulations to all of you!!!!!:thumbup:

Heck no. I was soooo tired of eating and eating as much as I wanted and then hating myself. Now I eat anything I want - just a Lot less and I feel more satisfied with that then when I was shoveling it in. It's not that I am telling myself that I'm satisfied with it, I really am. I feel like I have been released from my compulsion. No, I have not mourned not eating for even a minute.

I don't care what anybody advises me to do, I weigh EVERY day also! I strip off the nightie and hop on - I actually wake up every morning looking forward to doing it! I think it reassures me every day that this is not all a dream and, yes, I really have lost all that weight. I may be a scale whore but I'm a happy one!:thumbup:

I'm not sure if I detect sarcasm in your post or you are having a bad day. If that kind of magic were possible I'd want it too, but....... Hang in there!

Today someone at work called me skinny-minny. Now I know I am not skinny but what a feeling. Everyone there has been so very supportive of me, I feel so very lucky and so glad I told everyone about my surgery. I really thought that just losing the weight would be enough but I find myself just glowing after someone says something like that. I guess I am not the tough Minnesotan that I thought I was - I actually enjoy the approval. I would never have admitted that to even myself before this journey. Another revelation I had is that I am really going to have to buy some new clothes, thought I'd be able to wait till spring but after looking at Christmas pictures I can see I will need some. Clothes that felt comfy to me are like tents on me and make me look heavier than I am. I'm not going to buy many but will hit Goodwill this weekend and see what I can find. I have never lost this much weight before in my life. Twice before I had lost 50 and it was a major struggle involving a lot of time and sacrifice. Is this still my honeymoon stage? I don't know but I like it. To think I almost chickened out before the surgery. Where would I be now? 64 lbs heavier, depressed, hopeless. Thank goodness I came to my senses. I have hope now! I'm going to go kiyaking this summer! Yes, and I'm going to ride my bike and walk in the woods AND go ballroom dancing with my husband. My life is back - I took my life back!

I'm one of those lucky girls whose husband likes to dance even more than I do. We've not been able to do it for 2 years because of my bad knee but SOON we'll be dancing up a storm!!!!!

Yeah, mine also seems to be in a totally different place when I'm standing vs sitting. I think that's normal.

I'm sure it was just an expression meant as a joke. I thought it was funny.

Oh yes, I can see a BIG difference! Keep up the good work!

Today someone at work called me skinny-minny. Now I know I am not skinny but what a feeling. Everyone there has been so very supportive of me, I feel so very lucky and so glad I told everyone about my surgery. I really thought that just losing the weight would be enough but I find myself just glowing after someone says something like that. I guess I am not the tough Minnesotan that I thought I was - I actually enjoy the approval. I would never have admitted that to even myself before this journey. Another revelation I had is that I am really going to have to buy some new clothes, thought I'd be able to wait till spring but after looking at Christmas pictures I can see I will need some. Clothes that felt comfy to me are like tents on me and make me look heavier than I am. I'm not going to buy many but will hit Goodwill this weekend and see what I can find. I have never lost this much weight before in my life. Twice before I had lost 50 and it was a major struggle involving a lot of time and sacrifice. Is this still my honeymoon stage? I don't know but I like it. To think I almost chickened out before the surgery. Where would I be now? 64 lbs heavier, depressed, hopeless. Thank goodness I came to my senses. I have hope now! I'm going to go kiyaking this summer! Yes, and I'm going to ride my bike and walk in the woods AND go ballroom dancing with my husband. My life is back - I took my life back!

I think I was the biggest complainer ever about how long it took to get my surgery. I complained every time i had an appointment and it took me 8 months. However, now that I am banded, I am glad it took that long because I was REALLY ready when it happened. If you read some of the posts from people who have a short period of time between their first appt and the surgery you will see a lot of them really struggle. It may not seem like it now, but it will happen and it will all be worth it!:thumbup:

That is so exciting - I bet you get there before the weekend! Foolish me, I took in all my pants and now don't have any before pants. Poop! After seeing our Christmas pictures I'm starting to think I better go buy some new clothes. I look lost in mine and I thought I was just comfy! Anyway, congratulations again - I'll be thinking of you and your scale every morning!

Fantastic! You should be so proud of yourself!

I've been one of those people who says the band is magic. I guess thinking about it logically, it just feels like magic to me because it is the right tool for me. I tell my friends and family that it feels like something inside of me was not working properly until I got the band. Now I feel normal and what I do to try and lose weight actually works. It does feel like magic compared to how hard I worked on diets to lose weight. I don't feel like I am working as hard now because it really works. Also, because it is working, I don't give myself enough credit for making the proper choices. We're all a work in progress!

It's funny you should write this today. Not an hour ago my sister told me that I always talk negatively about myself. I hadn't even realized I was doing that. I do know that I have a problem with guilt and food. Now that I have the band and do not feel hungry all the time, I feel guilty almost every night and catch myself running that loop through my brain that is telling me I have been bad and eaten too much. I have NOT eaten too much but feel like I must have because I am not hungry. I have been aware of this for a while now and am working on it, I just hadn't realized how negatively I talked about myself. 55 years of bad habits don't work themselves out overnight I guess. Anyway, once again you have hit the nail on the head, thank you!

I was a Pepsi One addict and weaned myself off it gradually. One day I realized I had not had one in over a week and I haven't looked back since. It's probably just as well, that stuff is not good for us banded or not.

I've never gone on the diet Aetna requires but that is what happened to me every time I did any diet. Didn't work. Things will be better once you get the band!

Man parts! That is too funny! I can hardly stand it. I'm pretty sure I will be thinking of you whenever I venture out to find a "shaper." And never, never, ever, will I wear a tank top and tie it together in the back. What a hoot!

Today I walked into work after being gone for 2 weeks and my coworker burst out laughing. Apparently my coat is now so baggy it is humerous! What's better than that!!??! We had a wonderful time with our kids back east over the holidays. It's funny but without my ever present scale to jump on I kept feeling like I was out of control and gaining weight. Apparently not because I lost 4 lbs during those 2 weeks - can I say again how I feel this is magic! For anyone who is scared and just can't decide if they want to do this, I wish I could pass this feeling on to them. It's the best thing I have ever done for myself. I spent Saturday visiting with a friend who is interested in getting the band but her doctor refuses to refer her. I just want to shake her. Well, I do believe that when my friend gets really serious she will make it happen but it is so frustrating that she is wasting this time. She is diabetic and has high blood pressure and I know she would be happier. Well, we can only do what is right for ourselves. Another thing that has been driving me crazy lately (and I apologize to any bypass people who may read this but it really does drive me crazy). Why is it that doctors push bypass surgery, why do they tell us that we can only lose 40 to 50% of our excess weight, why do they tell us we must exercise like fiends? All you have to do is look at this forum and see all the very successful people with the band, many of them losing over 100 lbs. Happy, happy people, not people with stretched pouches that have not learned to curb their eating because they are relying on malabsorbtion (geesh is that spelled right?) Anyway, I'm ranting. The band is good - I love my band! Life is good!

I was out of town for 2 weeks but managed to lose 9 of the 10 lbs I was trying for. Can't complain about that!:rolleyes2:

Today I walked into work after being gone for 2 weeks and my coworker burst out laughing. Apparently my coat is now so baggy it is humerous! What's better than that!!??! We had a wonderful time with our kids back east over the holidays. It's funny but without my ever present scale to jump on I kept feeling like I was out of control and gaining weight. Apparently not because I lost 4 lbs during those 2 weeks - can I say again how I feel this is magic! For anyone who is scared and just can't decide if they want to do this, I wish I could pass this feeling on to them. It's the best thing I have ever done for myself. I spent Saturday visiting with a friend who is interested in getting the band but her doctor refuses to refer her. I just want to shake her. Well, I do believe that when my friend gets really serious she will make it happen but it is so frustrating that she is wasting this time. She is diabetic and has high blood pressure and I know she would be happier. Well, we can only do what is right for ourselves. Another thing that has been driving me crazy lately (and I apologize to any bypass people who may read this but it really does drive me crazy). Why is it that doctors push bypass surgery, why do they tell us that we can only lose 40 to 50% of our excess weight, why do they tell us we must exercise like fiends? All you have to do is look at this forum and see all the very successful people with the band, many of them losing over 100 lbs. Happy, happy people, not people with stretched pouches that have not learned to curb their eating because they are relying on malabsorbtion (geesh is that spelled right?) Anyway, I'm ranting. The band is good - I love my band! Life is good!