Hello from southern california

[Tracie515 0]

When i was in the 10th grade i hit 200 lbs and thought i would just die!! Throughout the years i packed on a couple here and a couple there. I met my husband in 1997 and was 219 lbs. I then had 2 children (which i lost weight when i was pregnant) and gained 83 lbs after my last one. So there i was 30 years old and 302 lbs. I had diabetes, i barely could tie my shoes and the worst thing ever happened to me. We were at an amusement park and i was asked to get off the ride cause i couldn't get the seat belt buckled!!

***JAW DROPPING***

followed by

***Crying***

That was it!! I started the Atkins diet along with my husband and was pretty successful. I lost 100 lbs and got down to 203 and the hubby (of course) lost all his 85 lbs and still has it off UGH! I fell off that wagon and just cant stick with eating no carbs for the rest of my life so i now have gained 50 lbs back!! This past June i decided to look into LapBand surgery and felt it was the right thing for me. Of course you cant just walk in and get it :thumbup: First thing was i had to have my gall bladder out because of stones, they cant to lapband if you have gall stones. Then i had a bacteria in my stomach which caused to much acid, got that taken care of with 15 pills a day of antibiotic, thought i was gonna be really sick then HAHA. The insurance asked me to see a nutritionist for 6 months and then they would approve it. Then they said i have to see a different dr because the surgery center i was going to wasnt a COE (Center of Excellence). UGH So i did that yesterday and this dr says im ready to go already so they put it through to the insurance this morning. Almost there

Well that's me as of now, in a nutshell of course.

[NurseShay 24]

Welcome to the forum! I'm in San Diego, ca so very very southern cali! =) Now that you're done with all the hoops & hurdles the process will go fast so congrats! The pre op & couple wks of post op dieting can be difficult & yes you may still be giving a lot of the carbs you like (flour bread, rice & such) but its still a worthwhile experience. To have lost so much weight on Atkins you're sure to do well with your band! Best of luck!

[un4getable2u 0]

Hi Tracie,

I am from San Clemente. Not quite as far south as Sashay and I am having my surgery in 7 days. I am 38, 5'7" and weigh 237. It wasn't until last week I realized just how ready I was for this life change. All of my friends and co-workers as all thin, small & cute. I have never shared my weight with ANYONE. EVER! I was talking to my boss last week about all these changes that I will be going through and I found myself telling her my true weight. And then on the same day, I also told my best friend. That is when I realized that I am completly dedicated to loosing this weight, getting healthier and taking control of my life. For me, this was my 1st step.

I have been making myself crazy recently about the what if's? What if the band slips, or erodes into my stomach or I don't loose anything, but.....what if I don't have the surgery, what happens then. I have gained 7 lbs since January and I am a diabetic with Hypertension and a bad back with a lot of pain. And again I am only 38. So, with these health challenges that I already have, the surgery sounds like heaven to me.

Good luck and I am sure that you will get your date soon. Once you get it though, don't start thinking of reasons not to get the surgery. Keep up the momentum!! :eek:

[JoiaRox 430]

Welcome - sounds like you're ready to rock! I'm in Bakersfield, CA...we still consider ourselves Southern :eek:. Best of luck to you on your journey - it's the best decision I ever made for myself!

And to the last girl who talked about discussing her true weight? Wow - same here! I'm not ashamed anymore of telling people I work with, on Facebook, etc. of how much I actually weigh or what I started out at (338). I'm also not ashamed of posting "before" pictures...to me, they're all badges of honor that I can look back on throughout the journey and say, "Yeah, I'm down almost 50 pounds...I'm awesome!" I've found the encouragement from my friends and colleagues amazing as well - yay for being public and no longer hiding behind our weight!