Feeling overwhelmed that i can't do this!

[S@ssen@ch 745]

I wish I had the magical words for you to inspire you to greatness here. I can tell you my story, which I think is different from where you are. But I think it's good for you to know where we all come from and that we DO understand your struggles. I never considered bypass. I just refused to have my insides re-routed. So when I found the lap band I KNEW it was for me and spent nearly a year researching it to make sure that I was willing to make the necessary changes to help this wonderful little tool help me. I was scared to death to fail, yet again but this time would be surgical intervention. Once I got approved and knew that I was heading for surgery, I went into overdrive. Something I called training mode. I actually started eating the diet that I thought bandsters were supposed to eat post op so that I could prove to myself I could do it. I actually lost 19 lbs doing that and was so inspired that even the liquid pre-op diet didn't phase me other than I felt like I was starving. I was determined.

As the others have said, the pre-op diet is recommended for a reason. I would recommend to you that you follow it to the best of your abilities. Get your mind in the right place and know that you're doing this for you and for your children so that they have a mom that will be there for them. A mom that can keep up with them. Post operatively the band does help, but I've also seen bandsters on this very board complaining that they feel like they're starving very shortly post op and before their first fill. This CAN lead to eating things they shouldn't. So, once again you must be determined and get yourself on the right path.

As far as exercise, my doctor recommended exercise from the get go BUT that was one area that I failed miserably. Other than sporadically riding my bicycle I didn't exercise regularly until I had lost over 70 lbs. I think I would have lost more, faster if I had but that's in the past and I can only look to the future. You absolutely need to start off slow (even if it's just walking the perimeter of your yard) and find an exercise that YOU can enjoy and are willing to do on a regular basis.

[NJChick 3]

Ditto's to what everyone said.... just another Jersey person checking in