SumthinsGottaGive

That's amazing!! Congratulations on all your success!! That is certainly something to be extremely proud of! I would probably be telling everyone if I lost that much (or when I lose that much). Thank you for sharing and all the best as you continue your journey!!

Have you considered getting the band tightened?

LOL!! What a great attitude you have toward all that's happening in your life! I hope you keep that positivity! Sounds like some of the people around you could use a healthy dose of it. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences! This is very encouraging and I hope to share in the celebration of your success as your journey continues!! All the best!!

That's one of the things I love about the band.. it's not an easy way out. It's just a tool to give you what you need. You still have to take the initiative. Thank you for sharing your experiences! Congrats on all of your success w/lap band so far! All the best as you continue on!

I can relate to the mother thing. I wasn't going to tell my mom..but if something went wrong I know she would be devastated if I hadn't told her...not to mention the fact that I had a spark of hope for her support. Like your mom..she turned out to be my biggest supporter. She even found my surgeon. I'm so glad I took the chance and told her.

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and your encouragement! As it was stated by one of the other bandsters, when we decide to make the right choice in a situation, we expose others' lack of doing so, as well as their bad habits. Kudos to you for making the right choice for you! And all the best on your journey!!

Thank you!

I just posted the same thing under your response to my topic, but I wanted to post it here too. Ok..here's my two cents.. I'm pretty much in the same boat w/you. I have not been banded yet..but am debating as to whether or not to tell my two best friends. I hadn't planned on telling anyone outside of the family..but I told 4 people outside that I knew would support me. I have no reason to think they wouldn't support me, but I'm not sure. Both of them are smaller...one has always been smaller and the other worked very hard to get smaller (though we're not exactly on speaking terms right now for something else). I keep thinking about what they would say if I had the procedure done and hadn't told them before hand. Knowing them, they would want to be there and support me in it..so I'm thinking I'll probably end up telling them. However, in your situation, you have a friend that has pretty much made her stand on the topic pretty obvious. Should you have given her the benefit of doubt? I'm not so sure. This is a very sensitive time in your life..this journey is not an easy one..and you don't need it made any harder by undue stress and tension or hurtful discouraging remarks. I have intentionally only told people that I know would support me..because once I get started I'm going to need people I know are in my corner. The toughest person to tell, for me, was my mother. She can be pretty *opinionated*.. and I thought about going through it without telling her as well..but I decided to give her the benefit of doubt because we're so close and I really want her support. So I chanced her knowing and not giving me that and it turned out great. She was very supportive and even found my surgeon for me. But I had to be so sure that this was something I was going to do that her reaction to my decision didn't sway me. Just so happens, it was a good reaction.. to something she, under normal circumstances and with anyone else but her daughter, would have probably been against. Some times it takes someone you really care about going down a road you may be against to open your eyes. Therefore, I can see your friends objection.. in her eyes it may look like you didn't give her a chance to be there for you. But through your eyes, she had already been very negative with regards to someone else and their procedure.. through both eyes I can see the logic... BUT .. if I were your friend, I think I would have to understand your reservations of not telling me. As negative and verbal as you say she's been about lap band, I don't know that I would have told her either. My point is: it's over. You've already gone through the procedure and are well on your way. There's nothing you can do about not telling her now but apologize and hope that she sees why you didn't tell her. And if she's not a big enough person to see your side of things, then hopefully it's not something that will throw the friendship away. If she decides to throw it away over that, then perhaps she wasn't a true friend to begin with. I hope everything works out hun! And ALL the best on your journey!

Ok..here's my two cents.. I'm pretty much in the same boat w/you. I have not been banded yet..but am debating as to whether or not to tell my two best friends. I hadn't planned on telling anyone outside of the family..but I told 4 people outside that I knew would support me. I have no reason to think they wouldn't support me, but I'm not sure. Both of them are smaller...one has always been smaller and the other worked very hard to get smaller (though we're not exactly on speaking terms right now for something else). I keep thinking about what they would say if I had the procedure done and hadn't told them before hand. Knowing them, they would want to be there and support me in it..so I'm thinking I'll probably end up telling them. However, in your situation, you have a friend that has pretty much made her stand on the topic pretty obvious. Should you have given her the benefit of doubt? I'm not so sure. This is a very sensitive time in your life..this journey is not an easy one..and you don't need it made any harder by undue stress and tension or hurtful discouraging remarks. I have intentionally only told people that I know would support me..because once I get started I'm going to need people I know are in my corner. The toughest person to tell, for me, was my mother. She can be pretty *opinionated*.. and I thought about going through it without telling her as well..but I decided to give her the benefit of doubt because we're so close and I really want her support. So I chanced her knowing and not giving me that and it turned out great. She was very supportive and even found my surgeon for me. But I had to be so sure that this was something I was going to do that her reaction to my decision didn't sway me. Just so happens, it was a good reaction.. to something she, under normal circumstances and with anyone else but her daughter, would have probably been against. Some times it takes someone you really care about going down a road you may be against to open your eyes. Therefore, I can see your friends objection.. in her eyes it may look like you didn't give her a chance to be there for you. But through your eyes, she had already been very negative with regards to someone else and their procedure.. through both eyes I can see the logic... BUT .. if I were your friend, I think I would have to understand your reservations of not telling me. As negative and verbal as you say she's been about lap band, I don't know that I would have told her either. My point is: it's over. You've already gone through the procedure and are well on your way. There's nothing you can do about not telling her now but apologize and hope that she sees why you didn't tell her. And if she's not a big enough person to see your side of things, then hopefully it's not something that will throw the friendship away. If she decides to throw it away over that, then perhaps she wasn't a true friend to begin with. I hope everything works out hun! And ALL the best on your journey!

"As to "the easy way out"...nah, it is a way out. But then again, I drive a car rather than riding a horse, or bicycle or walking. I use a dishwasher. I use a washing machine and dryer. Someone else grows my food and butchers my meat. I buy clothes at stores rather than weaving the fabric and making them. We take the easy way out all the time." Thank you for sharing your thoughts! You are so right.. and it's funny how "selective and discriminatory" society can be about what they choose to see and what they choose to blind their eyes too, with regards to an "easy way out." What you posted about the Dr. on the radio..that is seriously profound! Almost reminds me of how White Blood Cells behave..trying to get things back in order that they believe are destroyed or "broken." I'm not saying it's 100% accurate, but it does make sense. All the best!

I have a glass Homedics from Macy's.. that's been consistent for me. My mom even got one after I did and loves it.

Wow..this is great info to know. I hadn't even thought about this before. Thanks for posting this.

Just a quick question about the Pre-Op 3-6mth diet: I was just reading in another forum where lots of insurance companies require you to go through that. It's not a big deal, as I was hoping to get banded late this year/early next year anyway, but I just wanted to know if there was anyone out there that didn't have to do the diet? I spoke w/my insurance company and they told me because I had the best option, the only requirement was a diagnosis of morbid obesity ( ) and then they would cover everything 100%. I'm asking because I'm not at that point just yet. I've only just scheduled my seminar and chosen my surgeon. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Wow.. why someone wouldn't make the most of this tool is beyond me! It's there to give you that extra something you couldn't get from diet and exercise alone. I guess some people want something for nothing. Congratulations on all your success!! 153lbs..that's amazing! I plan to take full advantage of this opportunity and hope to see results similar to many of the other success stories on this site! Thank you for sharing! All the best as you continue your journey!