What was the straw that broke the camel's back for you?

[di1138 8]

I realized I couldnt walk a half a block to the mailbox without becoming short of breath. Also noticed that there was this FAT person in my mirror that I didnt recognize. I gave up wanting to put on makeup and do my hair. Finally after I ate a half gallon of ice cream and was looking for more I said enough is enough. But i dont have that problem with shoes... I only buy slip ons! Good luck to all of you.

[MyTurn 4]

My awakening happened when I just decided to stop dieting. It didn't work. Loose 2 lbs., gain 4. Just rediculous. Then when I heard about the lap band I got interested. I took me 11 months to come to this decision but I made it. Now I'm praying for a Sept. surgery date and looking forward for me and the band to become best buddies.

[fujika 0]

I had been researching lap band for about a year and a half, sort of just thinking about it. For all the same reasons:

can't tie my shoes (I tie them off my feet, then slip them on!)

don't want to embarrass my children

want to fit in the Timberhawk (rollercoaster at Wild Waves) last year I didn't even try, I knew I was bigger than the year before. And the year before I fit, but I faked the seat belt There was no way I was going to be the fat lady getting off the ride! It's not an upside down ride and the bar fit across my lap, I was so wedged in there, I had a hard time getting my behind out after the ride was over! :blushing:OMG how embarrassing!

I coach a junior football league cheer squad, I want to be able to show the girls how to do it, I hate being the fat coach!

My health was starting to decline, insulin resistance, blood pressure creeping up, foot pain, knee pain, back pain, headaches, infertility.

But the straw that really broke the camels back was when my Mom was diagnosed with type II diabetes in the spring. I didn't want to lose her and we started on this journey together!

We've both lost more than 30 lbs each!!

Our clothes are too big! We really need to go shopping! Our health is improving!

[Barbiek 0]

The straw that broke the camel's back for me was last September I was so sick of being fat that I got serious and met with a nutritionist and hired a personal trainer to get this excess weight off. Well, while training with the personal trainer, I injured my back! (He must have mistaken me for a young, thin person with all that exercise he had me doing!) Ha! Well, at that point I knew I had to take some serious action and killing myself with the trainer was not the plan! I talked to my doctor and asked for a lap band referral and I was approved! My BMI was kind of low, but I had high blood pressure and with a new back injury, I qualified! (I guess the back injury was a blessing in disguise.) Well, today, I am 11 days post op and am doing very well! I am happy with my lapband and am looking forward to a new and improved me!

[Ineedalapband 0]

When my little girl wants to play ring around the rosie I don't fall down because I know how difficult it will be to get up. She says "mommy, fall down". Its sad.

6 months after having my baby I've creeped up to almost my DELIVERY weight. Uggh.

I've never been a normal weight my entire life. I want to be around for my children. I want to look nice for my husband. I want to be healthy and have more energy for me. I feel like I've finally found a permanent tool for a lifelong problem.

I pray I get my approval.

[Choromom 0]

I'm not sure I had a "point" that made me want to do this...I have watched the reports on the lapband from the time it first became available. In February, when I learned that my insurance has started to cover it, my decision was made! It took several months to get approval squared away, but I'm 8 days from surgery!

I look forward to so many things. Shoes are a big one, for sure, but I also want to be able to roll over in bed in one motion. Now, it's almost easier to get out of bed and start over!

I look forward to climbing a flight of stairs without getting out of breath. To being able to take my dog for a walk, instead of sitting on the porch throwing a frisbee for him. To having enough lap for grandkids to feel like they can have me hold them. To being hugged by my sweet husband and be able to get close enough to really be in his arms again, instead of him needing to lean forward to be able to put his arms around me. To be able to fit in an airline seat, or a ferris wheel seat, or the exam chair in my dentist's office - next time, I won't have to cross my arms across my tummy to keep them from falling off the sides of the chair! I look forward to going clothes shopping with my girls, and being able to enjoy it because I can find things that fit! I look forward to being able to give up some of the many medications that I take - high blood pressure, high cholesterol, anti-inflammatory for joint pain, meds for depression. It will also be nice to go into the doctor's office and have the nurse be able to take my blood pressure with a regular cuff, instead of trying to put that one around my arm, and then having to go get a bigger one!

These things have gradually added up over the years, and I kept trying to ignore them by....any guesses? You're right! By finding something to eat! I can now be honest with myself, and others, and start being the person I've buried under multiple layers of fat.

[kimaly 57]

OK, I can't give up the make up or hair because i'm a retired hair dresser no matter what the weight, I beleave everyone feels better when they take the time to fix your hair and make up(if your a make up person) With that being said, Final straw- Hubby and I went on a romantic week-end and decided to go hoarse back ridding and have a picnic, got to the stable and they asked my weight(in front of hubby) and informed me they had a 225 weight limit, I weighting 252 at the time, was to BIG FOR THE HORSE , they did make an exception for me and found me one as big as a clydesdale. At that moment I knew this would not ever happen again. I was going to get healthy, lose the weight so I could do the things I love. next time I go i'm going to be so small they're going to offer me a pony. lol:biggrin:

[terilynn112 1]

For me it was that I'm diabetic, and have 3 sons. All have special needs and need me. If I don't do something about my weight, I'm not going to be around for them.

One has cerebral palsy, two have hemophilia.

Teri

[hopeendures 0]

I'm not sure I had a "point" that made me want to do this...I have watched the reports on the lapband from the time it first became available. In February, when I learned that my insurance has started to cover it, my decision was made! It took several months to get approval squared away, but I'm 8 days from surgery!

I look forward to so many things. Shoes are a big one, for sure, but I also want to be able to roll over in bed in one motion. Now, it's almost easier to get out of bed and start over!

I look forward to climbing a flight of stairs without getting out of breath. To being able to take my dog for a walk, instead of sitting on the porch throwing a frisbee for him. To having enough lap for grandkids to feel like they can have me hold them. To being hugged by my sweet husband and be able to get close enough to really be in his arms again, instead of him needing to lean forward to be able to put his arms around me. To be able to fit in an airline seat, or a ferris wheel seat, or the exam chair in my dentist's office - next time, I won't have to cross my arms across my tummy to keep them from falling off the sides of the chair! I look forward to going clothes shopping with my girls, and being able to enjoy it because I can find things that fit! I look forward to being able to give up some of the many medications that I take - high blood pressure, high cholesterol, anti-inflammatory for joint pain, meds for depression. It will also be nice to go into the doctor's office and have the nurse be able to take my blood pressure with a regular cuff, instead of trying to put that one around my arm, and then having to go get a bigger one!

These things have gradually added up over the years, and I kept trying to ignore them by....any guesses? You're right! By finding something to eat! I can now be honest with myself, and others, and start being the person I've buried under multiple layers of fat.

Oh my goodness! The horse thing! How humiliating! I just have to say, that I have ridden since early childhood, and I continued riding, even when I weighed 300#, though I know I couldn't have done it if I had ever stopped. It was humiliating though to not be able to get on a horse without a stump, or something to climb up on. And on those few occasions when someone caught me in photograph, (and I had the misfortune of seeing it), it was devastating. Almost enough to make me never go in public again, let alone, get on a horse!

Congratulations on making this change!

[Carrie_C 9]

For me it was gaining 20 pounds over christmas and not being able to take it off because all I wanted to do was eat. I could barely fit into my clothes anymore and I refused to buy bigger ones. I had one pair of jeans that I could still get on and I wore them ALL THE TIME because there was no way I was going to go through the nightmare of buying new jeans. Plus my Dad was recently diagnosed with diabetes and I knew I was next. I was also very active in high school. I never was skinny, but I could wear a size 7. The sad thing is I thought I was huge back then! I didn't even realize how good I looked.

[AngelMae2105 1]

My final straw was that I cannot play with my son like I want to. I always have to sit down and take a break. I just want to go outside and run around with him.

Another is that fact that I have no idea who the fat chick in the mirror is? There is a skinny active girl in there just dying to get out.

[vegasgirl44 0]

I'm not sure I had a "point" that made me want to do this...I have watched the reports on the lapband from the time it first became available. In February, when I learned that my insurance has started to cover it, my decision was made! It took several months to get approval squared away, but I'm 8 days from surgery!

I look forward to so many things. Shoes are a big one, for sure, but I also want to be able to roll over in bed in one motion. Now, it's almost easier to get out of bed and start over!

I look forward to climbing a flight of stairs without getting out of breath. To being able to take my dog for a walk, instead of sitting on the porch throwing a frisbee for him. To having enough lap for grandkids to feel like they can have me hold them. To being hugged by my sweet husband and be able to get close enough to really be in his arms again, instead of him needing to lean forward to be able to put his arms around me. To be able to fit in an airline seat, or a ferris wheel seat, or the exam chair in my dentist's office - next time, I won't have to cross my arms across my tummy to keep them from falling off the sides of the chair! I look forward to going clothes shopping with my girls, and being able to enjoy it because I can find things that fit! I look forward to being able to give up some of the many medications that I take - high blood pressure, high cholesterol, anti-inflammatory for joint pain, meds for depression. It will also be nice to go into the doctor's office and have the nurse be able to take my blood pressure with a regular cuff, instead of trying to put that one around my arm, and then having to go get a bigger one!

These things have gradually added up over the years, and I kept trying to ignore them by....any guesses? You're right! By finding something to eat! I can now be honest with myself, and others, and start being the person I've buried under multiple layers of fat.

OMG! That was so real to me, I had to respond. Except for the medication part, everything you said was stuff I think about and don't look forward to. Good Post!

[cnallen12608 0]

not fitting in booths at restaurants, little kids at the park telling me "you have a big butt", the looks of disgust i get from people at the grocery store,not to mention the taunting of immature, shallow people in every day locations! i haven't got banded yet but im planning on it.

[Malibureen 0]

Umm the final straw? Well I think for me it was getting the chance to go back to my alum and Coach our amazing drill team something I had always hoped I would get the chance to do. Shortly after I started I was giving a little welcome speech at tryouts and some girl whispered to my niece (who is on my team) I hope she wasnt that big when she was on the team. Wheewww!! that caught me off gaurd. It's funny some people have this picture of them selves as huge in their minds but they are these tiny little things on the outside. Well i was just the oppisite. When I thought about how I looked I still saw myself as the size 8 I was in HS and College. It took that little comment and snicker to really open my eyes that I was not that girl anymore and that i was now someone I didnt even recognize. My husband has spent 10 years trying to get me to relize i was getting larger. With my family history that was not a safe road to be on. Who would have guessed it would be a 15 year old girl that would kick me in the right direction.

[CassCass 0]

I've been "obese" since I was about 8. I've never known what it was like to be "thin" or even normal for my age group. I was still active though, did all the sports, was in colorguard in high school, took dance, etc.

So my weight never really bothered me back then. A couple of years ago I realized how big I was getting but my boyfriend (now fiance) loved me, my family did too, and I had friends, so I pushed it to the back of my mind.

We had talked about having Lap-Band done for a few months, but I was always afraid to do that, thinking it was too drastic.

On May 30th, of this year, we went car shopping and on the way home, got pulled over for not wearing our seatbelts. The sad truth is, in my old car, the seatbelts didn't fit us anymore.

Having to explain that to the police officer when he asked why and then being looked down at while he said quite hatefully "Well that's why they make extenders for people like you", and us both getting tickets, hurt worse than a slap to the face would have. You could see the disgust on that cop's face.

I ended up getting a new car the next day with seat belts that DO fit. And we decided we were having the surgery, no matter what it took.

It was one of the most humiliating moments of my life and even just thinking about it now tears me up.