thecoolestsarah

WOO HOO FEB BANDSTERS! No doubt several of you have gotten your journey started - I'm a Dec Bandster but I just wanted to wish you luck, and let you know that YOU CAN DO THIS! Enjoy the ride my friends! <3

You can do this! It's a great time to find some new things you enjoy! I just started hiking again, which I haven't done since I was thinner. I started with some pretty flat trails, and now I'm doing 4+ miles with some elevation a few times a week. Photography, writing, playing music, reading, crocheting or knitting, drawing, walking, working on your house, shopping... anything but eating!

Hi Jess! I just friend requested you on fb!

-Sarah

Listed under Jess Bitter Baldwin My band date is December 8

you click on groups, once on that page you can add a new group and choose to make it "secret". I'm in another "secret" group so i know it works! Do you want to join mine? I need someone to join so I can start it! LOL!

I'm also looking forward to summer - just think how far along we'll be by then! We'll have an active spring and summer, and some will be reaching their goals by this time next year. It's amazing to think about..

I live in Oregon - it's highly unlikely that we would be in dire weather ... although it has happened before! I'm just hoping for the best!

I'm Dec 21st! I want to be a buddy too!

I'm starting a Dec Bandster Facebook group that will be a "secret group" so nobody will see it in our feed or on our walls.. let me know if you want to join it! You can either tell me here or email me at losingwithabandon@gmail.com

-Sarah

December is almost here and our group needs to get fired up!!

I'm going to start a private Facebook group for Dec 2011 Bandsters so that we can keep in touch and keep each other accountable! If you want to join it, please email me at losingwithabandon@gmail.com.

My (tentative) surgery date is Dec 21st! All my paperwork goes to insurance on Monday at my 6th of 6 appointment.. I hope to get the good news back quickly!

When is everyone's surgery date??

-Sarah

I'm so encouraged that all of you are getting your approvals so fast. My 6th appt is Nov 14 and I already set my tentative date for Dec. 21.. I just hope everything goes through too! I'm so glad that our group is so positive, it makes such a huge difference.

My reasons for getting lap band

-to live the active lifestyle that I love

-to have kids

-to live the rest of my life free from food addiction

-to look in the mirror and know I look hot

-to dance wildly without embarrassment

-to feel sexy

-to stand in front of people and not worry that they are thinking how huge I am

-to do anything I want without my weight as a barrier!

The thought has been in my mind. I will be eating real food, not liquid over Thanksgiving.. But I'm going to be keeping it more reasonable and not spending all day eating like I have never eaten before lol.. I will be on liquids, and in bed over Christmas, so my celebrating will also be sans food.

I'm also so grateful to be having this surgery that I don't even worry about missing food. I think it's the best possible time to do it, and it's the best gift I have ever given myself! What a great way to start 2012! It's a new life!

ugh it posted twice.

sigh. my computer hates me.

SHERRY!!!! My Sista-in-banding!!!

I just got my Dec 21st surgery date yesterday!! WOO HOO!

I'm a school counseling graduate student doing 3 days of internships in 2 elementary schools - so I totally feel you on the Christmas Break recovery time. I'm so excited to have a week where I'm forced to lay on the couch and drink broth. Right now that sounds like friggin HEAVEN if you ask me!

So glad to find the Dec Bandsters and also read how totally positive you guys are. These support websites kinda rub me the wrong way for that very reason. I'm all about focusing on fitness goals, being positive, and just getting out and living life! I'm glad I found you guys - MY PEOPLE! hahahaha

Ok so I'm a little nuts right now - long day at school hahaha

Anyway, hugs all, I'm glad I found you and let's keep in touch ok! We can do this together!!!

-Sarah

Hi everyone! I'm Sarah, and I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! I set my tentative surgery date in a couple days, and I'm starting to feel really nervous. I've been on the road to this surgery, doing all the appointments and such, for 6 months. I can't believe it's finally almost here. I've lost about 25 lbs on my own over the last few months, and I'm anxious to have help from the band. I'm a professional at losing weight, it's the keeping it off that I struggle with.

I went through a serious period of clinical depression over the last two years, but I'm feeling much better now after making some big life changes. I'm still really mad about gaining weight back during depression, but I seriously was just in a state of "I don't care" for about 2 yrs. Just a total zombie. I am managing that one day at a time, just like an addict in recovery. It's a hard road, but very powerful.

I'm in graduate school, and am getting divorced - could I seriously add anything else HUGE into my life right now? Oh, how about WLS? hahahaha

I have a positive attitude about it all, I know it's going to be great and I'm ready to put the work in. So far, so good. Every time I see pounds come off the scale I am in disbelief right now. I can't imagine what it will feel like once I get the band. I think I don't really believe it will work for me, and yet here I am getting the surgery. I know, I'm crazy. I'm just trying to live each day to it's fullest, even now while I'm overweight.

I am trying to recapture my low-weight-lifestyle which is very physically active. Yesterday, I was talking with a friend about my future weight loss, and what it might look like, and she said - "so why don't we circumnavigate Mt. Ranier in August?" And I agreed! Now I know I'm crazy. It's a 100 mile, 2 week backpacking trip. I'm pretty sure that if I can keep up with my weight loss and exercise, I'll be ready by then. The training for that includes a lot of spring and summer hiking and backpacking, in addition to running and strength training. My other goals are half marathon in Sept 2012, climb Monkey Face at Smith Rock in Oct 2012 and another triathlon. I finished my first tri in 2009 and I'm going to do it again, only stronger and faster this time!

I'm curious to know what kinds of goals people are making besides weight loss? And if anyone is on sparkpeople.com come and find me, I'm thecoolestsarah there too!

Have you called your doctor to check in and let them know how awful you are feeling? Maybe they will have a good suggestion for you.. Good luck friend, I hope you feel better soon!

I feel a little nervous too, but I'm also just more nervous about how I'm going to fit this into my schedule. I love reading all these comments, it's making me feel so much more at ease! Hugs friend, you'll do it when it's right for you!

Hi!

I'm not sure yet whether I am going to be a Nov or Dec. bandster... I have my appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday to set my tent. surgery date. I'm so nervous! I've been in this process for so long - I can't believe it's finally coming up on the time when it will all start happening. I'm feeling nervous about the pre-op diet, maybe even more than the surgery itself! I've lost about 20 lbs already, and I'm looking forward to losing a chunk through the liquid diet.

Nice to meet you all - and good luck on your upcoming surgeries!! I'll be watching you!

Hi Kristi! Wow, you've done awesome! I think we have similar weight goals. I'm at about 265 right now and hope to get down to 150 next year. I'm 5'10 and I can't imagine being 150 but I think it's time to go for it. If I'm going to go through with this band surgery I'm going to pull out all the stops and go for it!

I have been in this process for 6 months, I meet with my surgeon next week to hopefully set my surgery date!! Then one more visit after that we send everything off to insurance and cross our fingers that it goes through. I'm hoping to get my band over Christmas break.. I'm a student and I can use that two weeks off to recover.

It's been great reading how much weight everyone has lost - it really gives me hope that I can do this once and for all.

-Sarah

I was very successful on medifast. I lost 85 lbs in about 9 months. But like everyone else, once I went off the program the weight crept back up. I'm also on my lap band journey so that I don't have to do that extreme of a diet again. It worked for me, and I got used to it. I actually sort of envision that I will be eating like that for a long time during this process of weight loss, but I hope that I don't have to be that hard core. It's not a great way to live your life, you are very, very restricted. Good luck to you!

-Sarah