pink dahlia

i had a nice unexpected nsv just today. an ex co worker came into our store today. he comes 1-2 times a week for stuff. today he said "you're lookin good, what are you doing ? you loosin' weight ? " Big smile from me, "yes. ive lost 25 lbs! " (since dec Thanks, T ! then later i had an appt with my hairdresser who hadnt seen me since just before being banded. The 1st thing she said was "you look great, how much weight have you lost ?" Thanks P ! Both of you just made my day !!!!

Carnie Wilson is the daughter of Brian Wilson of the 60's band The Beach Boys. She was also part of the 90's singing group Wilson Phillips with her sister Wendy and Chynna Phillips . Carnie had her wls done a few years ago and broadcast on the internet. Google her name for more of the story.

way to go ! you're obviously making a big impression on your patients if they notice that much of a weight loss ! how much have you lost and how do you feel ?? great job ! soon you'll have to watch out for the little old men chasing you with their walkers ! congrats !

my experiance is very close to yours. im also banded 3.5 months (Dec 13th) , down 25 lbs, started at 225, but lost 5 lbs before surgery so now im at 199 (hit "onderland" yesterday !) i m ok being a slow loser as long as im losing something ! i thought id hit the green zone after my 3rd fill feb 27th, but it went away after a week and a half so i have my 4th fill march 24th. Exercise is 3x a week a fast moving hard working water fitness class that kicks booty ! that occasional walking are all i but it really amkes a difference ! down from size 1x or 18 to size xl or 16. my pants are falling off ! good luck to you !

i do remember to take 2 adult chewables every day, but i dont seem to remember to take vit d, vit b1 and vit b 12, or anything else that i should take. im horrible that way . because i dont like taking pills. i have thin, straight shoulder length baby fine hair, and the funny thing is that since i got banded 3 months ago, my hair has actually gotten a little thicker !! why ? well, the only thing i can think of is im eating alot more protein than i ever had to. check with your dr for what you need to take, good luck !!

im sorry for your loss of your beautiful mom, just know that she's now an angel in heaven. sending bear hugs to you

Honey, EVERYTHING has a "failure rate !!!!" you can have a failure just getting up in the morning ! you can trip on the stairs, slip in the shower, choke on breakfast and get in an accident on the way to work.! but that does'nt stop you from doing thoses things . does it ???? Even marriages have a failure rate > What does'nt ??Why ? Because nothing is perfect and so you just gotta go with mostly positive and not the occasionly negative. if you dont get the band you will continue on the same downward spiral you've been on, and if you do get the band you have a very high chance of success. im 3 months out, down 25 lbs. Best. Decision. Ever.

Great post !! ive just recently gone from a 1x to a xl, and i now im able to go in to any store that carries size xl or 16. what a huge change that is for me, knowing that i can shop in almost ANY store !!! as i keep loseing , i also want to be able to......ride a horse, be comfy walking into new situations without feeling like i want to hide, have people feel comfy around me and vice versa, wear lots of cute clothes that arent available for "big girls", to wear tall boots that zip ALL the way up, to not breathe heavy when i do the smallest amount of exertion, too see my toes again when i look down, etc.................

WELCOME TO ONEDERLAND< AND YES THE MARGARITA TASTED SO GOOD!!!! WOO HOO !!!!

do your homework before you tell anyone, then if they come at you with a negative comment or reason, you can CALMLY back up your reasons. i was gaing weight steadaly too, tried weight watchers, didnt wor etc..... yada yada.......so after 2 relatives had the band last june, i started researching it. once i had all the info, i attended the surgeons seminar and then the local support group. when i was approved sometime later, only then did i let my family and co workers know. i have had 100 % support and some normal healthy questions about why and how it works, but nothing really negative. and if they do say something negative usually its because they have no knowledge of what its like to be overweight etc. it ain't pretty, but thats life!im down 26 lbs in 3 months and just hit"onederland - 199 lbs !!!) this morning ! Go get banded already ! BEST DECISION EVER !! good luck !!

lito, its your choice whether to tell people or not, but im just a little confused on why you think those people will be less supportive of you for taking control of your weight problem . you worked hard to get where you are now, and obviously had a great group of people who helped you get there, so why would they think less of you or not be supportive of this ? no disrespect intended, im just confused. if anything, they will probably think even better of you because you're taking the bull by the horns and dealing with a problem in a smart, strong ,well thought out way. GOOD FOR YOU !!! addressing a situation in a comfortable, knowledgeable, positive way will generaly get you the same response. if someone has a negative response, its usually because they dont know anything about lap band. i ve had nothing but 100% support, and no negative comments, just a few normal healthy questions, and after i started loosing ..........well, then the nice compliments started and the nsv's. I honestly think you're making the right decision but making yourself stress out over telling people isnt healthy ..........(Save the stress for when your too loose pants start falling off in public..................picture that!) Good luck !!!

PS- i shouldnt tell on them but heres a story kind of like yours. 5 yrs ago when i started at a new company i noticed 2 overweight women talking in our breakroom about grocery shopping. The most obese one( in her 20's!) was saying "buying healthy food is just too expensive, so i just end up buying junk food and processed foods !" EEEEEEKKKKKKK!!! Woman # 2 just sat there and nodded . At the time i had just started on Weight Watchers and we were all horrified by her comment! i didnt have success with WW, no offense to them, so ultimately i decided to have lap band and am on my way to being slim and healthy.Well, the obese woman left the company still very overweight, and woman #2 is now considering WLS. so you have to ask yourself, where do you want your hard earned money to go in the grocery store ? food for thought ........ best of luck to you.

i dont know what to tell you as im kind of a newbie, other than keep your ultimate goal in mind. i dont notice that healthy food is more expensive but then i dont buy junk food either. my hubby is diabetic so almost everything in our house is bought and cooked with him in mind. we buy lots of turkey, chicken, , but also eat other meats. lots of brown rice, whole wheat pasta, salad, fresh or frozen veggies and fruit. i take leftovers for lunch and usually have a protein drink for breakfast with a few crackers and pb later on my am break. as a result i didnt have to change much in the way of food because i was already eating healthy, and generally these foods are not expensive.check your local library for books on diabetic foods and how to eat/ buy inexpensively. Good luck !

congrats to ALL on your weight losses, big and small ! i cant wait until im only"overweight", and not "obese" too ! 25 lb down and only 60 lbs to go ! you guys are all a big inspiration to me with all your success stories ! THANK YOU !

wow ! excited for you ! ive only been banded 3 months but still feel it was an excellent decision. being banded has been extremely smooth all the way, down 25 lbs so far. hope all goes well for you !

feels great doesnt it ! are your pants falling off yet ? CONGRATULAIONS !

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS ! YOU"RE AWESOME !! As far as exercise, other than walking i hadnt done real exercise in a long time, so i started a water fitness class at our local ymca. what a workout ! very easy on the joints and lungs, and since i hate to feel like im sweaty and uncomfortable, the water keeps me cooled off even when i sweating like crazy ! your weight loss is more than ive done in 3 months of being banded, but i dont care ! im so happy that ive lost 25 lbs and my pants keep getting loose, again ! find an exercise you can stick with, and you'll do fine. good luck !

im 3 months banded and i can eat EVERYTHING, just slowly and chew well. since ive been banded ive had pizza, steak, pork chops etc. while i dont care for 99 % of alcohol, tonight im having a strawberry margarita in celebration of losing my 1st 25 lbs ! (Woo hoo! i hit 200 today !) so remember, you are in the early STAGE of being banded," and this too shall pass." good luck !

i am in no way trying to tell you how to respond to those people as ive only been banded 3 months. However , i would of loved to have heard of the band 10 yrs ago ! i have been struggling with a weight prob for many years, tried weight watchers with no success, and wasnt quite sure what to do. then 2 relatives had the band last june and a light bulb just went off ! i vaguely remember seeing the ads in magazines, but it wasnt until i heard from my 2 relatives that i took a closer look. well, i was banded dec 2011, down 25 lbs as of today, and wish i had known about it sooner ! i wish i had known you before , if you had let me in on the band , think what a role model you would of been to me !! for all those people who are'nt talking smack about you, but are struggling with their weight, hey, just casually mentioned that you had Lap Band and are taking control your weight and your life. I've been open and honest about being banded and have gotten 100% support, and even had 3 people consider getting banded to deal with their weight probs ! think of yourself as a great role model ! good luck !

hi paul, i was banded 3 months ago, down 22 lbs and i can eat everything ! steak , broccoli, pineapple etc. no probs as long as i eat slow and chew well. hopefully you will be able to do the same. good luck on your journey, its been a great ride so far. wait until your pants start falling off ! what fun ! good luck !

me too ! i started last dec at 225 lbs, now im stuck at 203 , seems like FOREVER....................................... i can't wait for that scale to read 199, oh happy day ! ( a margarita ? no really, i could'nt ! well, ok , if you insist !!!) as i always say, " Fabulousness comes in all sizes , shapes and colors , and honey , i am freakin' Fabulous !!" good luck !

ive been banded 3 months, down 22 lbs, and continue to lose . I never even looked at anything other than the band because i didnt want to rearrange my insides (too drastic !) and i knew the band was reversable. i had 2 relatives get banded june 2011, she is down 45 lbs and he is down 110 !! ( my heros !!) also the recovery time is very quick usually. i was banded on a tuesday , and by friday i was so bored and felt fine so i went and did some light xmas shopping . i took 1 week off , then back to work with no probs. can your other weight loss surgery do all that ? dont think so !!! good luck !

keep track of what you;re eating and when you have gas , this way you can hopefully figure out what is causing the gas. for me, its certain nuts, like Brazil nuts. also powdered protein drinks block me up and make me gassy.

i hate to sweat and my knees and hips hurt and im overweight and out of shape, so............ you get the picture, right ? so , i started taking a water fitness class 3x a week, and walking when permitted and oh what a difference ! the warm water is heaven on my joints and fun and i dont feel like im sweating but i am getting a great workout ! as im getting looser i feel more comfy and less tight so im starting to take up yoga too. its a slow journey but my body and weight is starting to respond in a positive way. so go sign up for a water fitness class, or start walking if you can. good luck to you, and hang in there ! see you in the hot tub after class !!

i have bcbs too, they approved me for lap band in about 3 weeks or less/ my paperwork was sent in last early nov and i was approved by end of nov. i was banded dec 13th , doing great ! i just followed their requirements and sent in my drs note, past weight watchers records, psych eval, sleep apnea tests, bmi, bp test, nutritionist records , etc. basically anything they asked for. hope all goes quickly for you, when youre waiting to get approved the time sure goes slow, doesnt it ? but im down 22 lbs and a whole size, so i think getting banded was a excellent decision. start exercising now, you can thank yourself later. good luck !