jups2709

I had the same concerns. I felt like people wouldn't understand and I felt like I would be admitting to the world that couldn;t do this on my own and I would look fat and weak. However, I started to get so excited about it that I just couldn't keep it in any longer so I told everyone via Facebook about preparing for the surgery. EVERYONE was so supportive it make me feel so much better. I've started posting pictures of me as I lose the weight on FB for people to see and even a year later the support is amazing. It's up to you if you want to tell people about it because it is something personal. However, you might be suprised and the amount of love and support you get!

Woohoo!! Go girl!! I've noticed a wonderful difference too!
My end goal is to buy something from there as well. Can't wait and congrats on 40 years!

Woohoo!! Go girl!! I've noticed a wonderful difference too!
My end goal is to buy something from there as well. Can't wait and congrats on 40 years!

Each person and their weight loss is completely different. I lost weight after being banded with it completely empty. 6 weeks after my second fill I was down about 50 lbs and a year later I'm down over 100lbs. Some people lose faster than others and some people don't start loosing for a few months. Hope this is helpful!!

Good luck tomorrow!! We're all rooting for you.

Each person and their weight loss is completely different. I lost weight after being banded with it completely empty. 6 weeks after my second fill I was down about 50 lbs and a year later I'm down over 100lbs. Some people lose faster than others and some people don't start loosing for a few months. Hope this is helpful!!

Each person and their weight loss is completely different. I lost weight after being banded with it completely empty. 6 weeks after my second fill I was down about 50 lbs and a year later I'm down over 100lbs. Some people lose faster than others and some people don't start loosing for a few months. Hope this is helpful!!

Each person and their weight loss is completely different. I lost weight after being banded with it completely empty. 6 weeks after my second fill I was down about 50 lbs and a year later I'm down over 100lbs. Some people lose faster than others and some people don't start loosing for a few months. Hope this is helpful!!

Each person and their weight loss is completely different. I lost weight after being banded with it completely empty. 6 weeks after my second fill I was down about 50 lbs and a year later I'm down over 100lbs. Some people lose faster than others and some people don't start loosing for a few months. Hope this is helpful!!

Measure everything you eat. Serve yourself a 1 cup sized meal, when it's gone, you're done eating.
Please keep in mind that even with fills, the band isn't supposed to stop you from eating anything. It's not supposed to restrict how much or what you eat and it's not even supposed to make you feel full. The one and only thing the band is supposed to do satiate your hunger one less food for longer periods of time.
This is why it's important to learn to stick to band sized portions- because it's not something the band will do for you.
Best wishes.

Woohoo!! Go girl!! I've noticed a wonderful difference too!
My end goal is to buy something from there as well. Can't wait and congrats on 40 years!

I agree with Mis73 but would like to add that my mom is a nurse and she also convinced me that the band was a safer option. Also, I've seen several people "beat" bypass by overeating and thus gaining all of their weight back. That can happen with the band but since it's adjustable you can get yourself back on track.

I agree with Mis73 but would like to add that my mom is a nurse and she also convinced me that the band was a safer option. Also, I've seen several people "beat" bypass by overeating and thus gaining all of their weight back. That can happen with the band but since it's adjustable you can get yourself back on track.

Good luck with your surgery and congrats on your weight loss so far!! My biggest fear before surgery was that I was going to be hungry but I didn't need to worry. You'll be amazed how little can make you full.

I agree with Missy and Jups...
I am a nurse as well, and know many individuals who have done the bypass. Besides the malnutrition and higher mortality rate associated with it, it's not adjustable....many have continued with their previous eating habits thus stretching the stomach again and gained the weight back. Now many who have had the bypass are now getting the band as well. The neg. thing I still do not like with the band is the slippage issue, but not many experience it, and the newer bands are a bit better designed to reduce the risk and now they are stitching the stomach over the band as well to reduce slippage episodes.
So for me, despite that 1 negative aspect, I chose to go with the band because I could not imagine letting them cut my stomach. But again it is definitely YOUR CHOICE....a lot of people don't like the band because of the maintenance it requires, but that I don't mind at all. I love having that rapport with my surgeon to ensure all is going well.

Woohoo!! Go girl!! I've noticed a wonderful difference too!
My end goal is to buy something from there as well. Can't wait and congrats on 40 years!

Can't wait for this 56yo to go to Victoria Secrets.
Married 40 yrs in Nov., ready to spice things up.

I agree with Mis73 but would like to add that my mom is a nurse and she also convinced me that the band was a safer option. Also, I've seen several people "beat" bypass by overeating and thus gaining all of their weight back. That can happen with the band but since it's adjustable you can get yourself back on track.

Along with my weight, I've struggled with depression. I've had to come up with new ways of thinking and talking to myself. I started to think like this. It took me 25 years to put this weight on, it won't come off overnight. In a world where we expect instant gratification it can be really hard to wait for what we want. 3-5 months must seem like an eternity but think about it like this, in less than 6 months, you'll be on track again. You've lost 88 lbs so far and that is wonderful!! You've lost a 4th grader! You only have a 5th grader left to lose! Everything will be okay. We all have set backs but these kinds of experiences make us stronger!! You can do it and we are here to help you make it through.

I had the same concerns. I felt like people wouldn't understand and I felt like I would be admitting to the world that couldn;t do this on my own and I would look fat and weak. However, I started to get so excited about it that I just couldn't keep it in any longer so I told everyone via Facebook about preparing for the surgery. EVERYONE was so supportive it make me feel so much better. I've started posting pictures of me as I lose the weight on FB for people to see and even a year later the support is amazing. It's up to you if you want to tell people about it because it is something personal. However, you might be suprised and the amount of love and support you get!

Along with my weight, I've struggled with depression. I've had to come up with new ways of thinking and talking to myself. I started to think like this. It took me 25 years to put this weight on, it won't come off overnight. In a world where we expect instant gratification it can be really hard to wait for what we want. 3-5 months must seem like an eternity but think about it like this, in less than 6 months, you'll be on track again. You've lost 88 lbs so far and that is wonderful!! You've lost a 4th grader! You only have a 5th grader left to lose! Everything will be okay. We all have set backs but these kinds of experiences make us stronger!! You can do it and we are here to help you make it through.

Now that I am shopping for some new clothes to go with my new figure i find myself buying nothing but pants, shorts, skirts and jeans with buttons, hooks, snaps and zippers. I didn't plan it .... but it hit me over the weekend that everything I owned ... once I topped the scales at 200 had an elastic waist. And over the years as I packed on 10, 20 and even 177 lbs to the 200 I had... My elastic waists were forgiving and loved me. I didn't even think to buy a zipper... Too uncomfortable. Elastic grew with me and when I was sure my favorite pair of shorts or skirts has shrunk in the wash yet another time I would buy a bigger size because once again the elastic loved me and made me comfortable.
As I was losing weight I found I could go 30 or 40 lbs before the elastic just let me down and I had to go to the next size down. But when I hit sized 14 i bought a skirt that had a zipper and no elastic. It didn't occur to me at the time... I was too busy celebrating the size 14... But I was finished buying elastic anything except maybe leggings and undergarments.
The 14 skirt falls off me today. The difference between that and the 10s I am wearing wouldn't be so extreme if they had elastic waists. But they don't and I am promising myself to let my clothes govern my body. If the pants I bought today are ever tight... I won't buy anything else until they fit again. Sorry elastic but you just lost a customer!

One small point to make- Lap Band doesn't necessarily mean slower than the Sleeve or Gastric Bypass.
I have a friend who had Gastric Bypass around the same time I had the Lap Band surgery 8 months ago. We both started off over 400 pounds. She's lost about 20 pounds so far, I've lost 141 pounds. The difference in our loss has nothing to do with which surgery we chose but the fact I changed my lifestyle and eating habits to healthy ones and she did not.
In the end, all WLS is just a tool not a magic fix. If you don't make the necessary lifestyle changes you'll fail regardless of which one you choose.