Jenn1214

I didn't think it bothered me until I started looking at old pics of myself last night...we have to choose some for a photo montage at our wedding. I kept saying to my fiancé "Geez, aren't there any pictures of me where I don't look like a house?!" It definitely makes you appreciate where you came from and where you are now. I think all our wedding guests are going to think "Who is this fat girl that's in all these pictures with the groom?"

I never get tired of hearing people tell me I look great. Whether or not they still think of me as a "former fat chick" doesn't bother me. What bothers me is my own poor self image...I'm working on that, but it's tough to reconcile your old body image with the new one.

I'm pretty sure I need a fill. I am hungry in between meals, eating larger portions, and my weight loss is slower. Here's my dilemma though: I'm getting married a month from Wednesday. I'm picking up my dress one week beforehand and there will be no time for more alterations (as far as I know). I'm also leaving for California and Hawaii for two weeks a few days afterwards. Everything logical in my brain says wait until after the wedding, but I am so afraid I'm going to gain weight and my dress will be too tight. Should I just suck it up and white knuckle it for a month, or get a small fill to help take the edge off? I'm going to my surgeon's office Thursday to see what they think, but I was just wondering what everyone's opinion is. Thanks!

I was just curious about this...my fiancé is finally having his first fill on Wednesday and he has to go to the hospital to get it done. My surgeon does them in his office, so it seems a little extreme to me. Does anyone else's surgeon do this?

Thinking about what I ate before the lap band actually makes me ill. For breakfast I would eat two huge bowls of sugary cereal. Lunch was a fast food meal, complete with a huge greasy burger or chicken sandwich, fries, and soda. Dinner was usually similar, except I would wash it down with ice cream or candy. Add to this loads of unhealthy snacks like candy, chips, doughnuts, cookies etc. No wonder I weighed 251 pounds at my highest! I was probably eating at least 5000 calories a day. Now breakfast usually consists of oatmeal or a greek yogurt with some sliced almonds. Lunch is often a Boca Chik'n patty and steamed veggies, and dinner is a lean protein with veggies. I do snack but I try to keep it healthy, like almonds. I'm not perfect, but WAY better than I used to be.

It's always great to see "old timers" doing well! Would love to hear more about your journey over the past 7 years!

You can only see mine when I'm lying down...it looks like a pop up timer!

Let me start out by saying that I don't watch any of these Housewives shows, and I never knew who Lauren Manzo was before I saw this story on AOL. I know nothing of her weight struggles or anything, but I watched this video where she talks about getting the Lap Band and I was pretty happy! She makes sure people understand that Lap Band is not a magic cure, nor is it the "easy way out" that most people think it is. She also acknowledges that she had the band loosened so she made sure she could eat healthy foods and exercises regularly. I also love that she points out that the Lap Band does not stop you from putting unhealthy foods in your mouth. Best of all, she says that Lap Band is the best thing that she's ever done for herself :-) I am so glad that FINALLY someone in the public eye is showing that the Lap Band is a positive thing. Way to go Lauren!

I guess I'm weird, I don't feel that our sex life has changed at all. My fiancé is still morbidly obese and has a very low sex drive, but hopefully with his band that will all change...I'll just have to wait and see. I guess it doesn't help that I'm still harping on all my body flaws either!

Mine is an inch or two below my belly button, so no low rise jeans for me!

The idea of having a medical device inside me kind of weirded me out at first, but I decided to name the band to make it less scary. My fiancé thinks I'm crazy but it actually helped.

One of my earliest memories is of my pediatrician telling my parents to put me on a diet and reward me with toys when I lost weight. FYI, don't put your kids on a diet or you will screw them up for life...trust me, I know. I've been up and down ever since (mostly up), but right now I'm at my lowest weight in about 15 years. For the first time in my life I feel that I'm winning this battle and I couldn't be happier!

I don't tolerate carbonation very well, so that's why I want it to go flat first...I figured it would just be like drinking white wine. I'm not even drinking champagne at the wedding, because I don't want to be in pain later.

For my bridal shower, my bridesmaids got me a beautiful basket of wine. Unfortunately, one of the bottles is champagne, but we would like to drink it to celebrate our first married night at home. How long should we let it sit after opening to make sure it's totally flat?

I've been working with a trainer since January, and she's been a big help. I was always the type of person who would join a gym but then stop going because I didn't know what exercises to do and I got frustrated. Be forewarned though, after my first session with her I could barely move the next day. It gets easier so stick with it!

My surgeon says just say no to carbonation...he's very adamant about it. However, my fiancé's surgeon says once in a while isn't going to hurt him. Every doctor is different, but I really wish they would all get together and write a Lap Band Bible of do's and dont's or something.

I was repeatedly told by friends and family "Oh you don't need to have Lap Band surgery, you're not that big." I was carrying 251 pounds on a 5'4" frame, making me morbidly obese. I couldn't stand for long periods or my feet would hurt or go numb. I had unbelievable back pain to the point where I thought I had bulging discs and went to see a spine surgeon. I had heartburn every single day. My cholesterol and triglycerides were through the roof. I had polycystic ovaries and my future fertility was at risk. Most of all, I was depressed, tired all the time, and hated what I saw in the mirror. I hid from cameras, and isolated myself in my house. I knew I had to make a change or I would face an early grave. Lap Band was the best decision I ever, ever made, and I would do it all over again tomorrow. My point is this: no one lives in your skin but you, and they don't know what you're going through. If you know in your heart that Lap Band is the right choice for you, tell everyone else to jump off a bridge. It's not their health, their happiness, or their life. Make the best decision for you, and you won't regret it.

When I lay down and tense my abdominal muscles, my port sticks out pretty far (I had SILS so it's below my belly button). It looks like a freakin' pop up timer on a chicken! It is oddly fascinating and utterly disturbing at the same time. I expected that this would happen at some point, but I'm still at least 15 pounds from goal and have a considerable belly pooch, so I was surprised. I do a good amount of ab work so maybe that has something to do with it. I guess I just need to express my freaked-out-ness, but I'm also curious if anyone has taken the step to have a low-profile port put in and if it has made any difference. I know once I lose more it will stick out even more, and Lord only knows what will happen when I have kids.

I have that problem if I don't eat enough before I work out. My trainer likes me to do cardio beforehand, so I've already burned a few hundred calories before I even see her and start exerting myself with weight training. If I don't have enough fuel in the tank at that point, I feel crummy and light headed. Like Jacqui said, if your systolic BP is running in the 90s, that is awfully low. Has your GP cleared you for exercise? Maybe a quick visit to get your pressure checked might not be a bad idea.

I take a chewable multivitamin and calcium chews daily. While the Lap Band doesn't hinder nutrient absorption, it couldn't hurt to give your body a little vitamin boost!

I've been experiencing FBS more often lately. Each time it's because I let myself get too hungry and therefore ate too fast. It always resolves itself after a few minutes, but it's no fun!

I don't know about all of you, but the whole reason I got the lap band is because diets don't work for me. The cycle of being "good" for a while and then giving up and being "bad" caused me to balloon up to 251 pounds. I follow my surgeon's instructions 80-90% of the time, but I'm not perfect. I don't think he expects his patients never to have a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate ever again, as long as it isn't every day and not in the quantities we used to have. I think the major thing I credit my success to is learning to let go of guilt about eating. I've learned that I can eat an occasional treat and still lose weight, which is huge for me. I've broken the diet cycle and I'm succeeding for the first time in my life with weight loss, so an occasional glass of wine won't hurt me.

I've heard that a good way to slow down during meals is to eat with your non-dominant hand. Also try putting your fork down in between bites. Take a good look at what you're eating. Is it mostly solid protein and veggies, or are you eating more sliders? Don't worry about not being able to eat bread...I don't eat it at all because it's just not worth it. Also try bumping up your exercise a little and make sure you're drinking enough water. Don't be discouraged. It's 6 pounds, not 60, so at least you're on top of the situation before it gets out of hand. You can get back on track...believe in yourself!

Losing weight causes the estrogen stored in fat cells to be released, so that may be the cause of the spotting. But if you had an ablation and are suddenly spotting after having no period at all for 3 years, it's worth a chat with your gynecologist. Better safe than sorry!

Sasha - There is no getting through to this kid. He is a future criminal in the making and doesn't even respect or listen to his own mother, let alone a valuable lesson from my future husband. Pretty sad, really. And I definitely agree that fat is not something we are...it took getting banded to start learning that. Lizzy - I don't think the act of losing weight has made me a different person, but the lap band journey certainly has. It has taught me that I am strong, that I can do something difficult if I really put my mind to it, and that I can be successful. These are things I never thought of myself when I was heavy.