gowalking

@@Tribecca26, I see you are in the NYC area and used Dr. Ren as I did. I can give you the name of my therapist. She's on the UWS and had WLS as well so she has a good working knowledge of folks with eating issues besides just being 'book trained'. I've been seeing her for a year and we're working on root causes to fix the inside as the outside changes. Feel free to PM me and I can give you her info if you are interested.

Glad you're feeling better. It's raining cats and dogs here in the city but at least it's significantly warmer today. Am also going for a late brunch with friends and looking forward to it. I went out for Russian food last night and because I can't eat much, what I do eat is orgasmic in nature if the food is warranted. Last night it was warranted..lol. Gravlax, sour cream, and potato pancake. OMG! ..and more OMG was that I had one serving...not four.

@@Sharon1964, you are new to this site so I don't know if you read my posts but basically I've been changing the outside of me for two years, and am working on the inside of me for just over a year. As other posters have said, we share many of the same issues and understand all too well what you feel and what you wrote. The band will not help me keep the weight off without my getting to the root cause. Self esteem issues, non-supportive family, body image issues, control issues, there's alot going on with me and only with the help of a therapist (who also has had WLS) can I hope to keep the weight off for good. Some people only need to fix the outside to fix the inside, but unfortunately, not me. So I did what I had to when I got banded. Now I'm doing what I have to in order to make sure the weight loss is permanent. Good luck my dear...we are all here to help and support you as much as possible.

Good for you medium Al...love that by the way...

I've had a number of surgeries/procedures at NYU and the staff is truly wonderful. Congrats on your surgery and welcome to the other side.

You are on your way girlfriend!!

The doctor shouldn't sway you one way or the other. It's your body and you know if you need a fill or not. I haven't had any fills and I've been banded two years. I happen to have good restriction without fills. It's unusual but not unheard of. If you think you don't need one, don't get one.

Feel better soon sweetie!

Great job Ken. I was also morbidly obese and suffering from mobility issues. Not any more and it's all because of my weight loss. I hope to never forget how far I've come in order to never go back there again. I hope the same for you. Congrats on a job well done.

Hi there. Your stats are similar to mine. I am also five feet tall and was 267 lbs. I also have Cigna. I needed to have three months steady of doctor supervised weight loss/dieting. I did not have to lose any weight, just have it documented with the doctor. You should be OK insurance wise. As far as the surgery you want, talk to the doctor and explain why you want the DS. If he has a problem with it, you will know that he's the wrong doctor for you. Regarding the amount of weight you expect to lose, just know that my PCP told me to get a gastric bypass since I needed to lose at least 100 lbs. and her experience was that I'd only lose about 40 lbs. with the band. I went with the band because that's what I was comfortable with and I lost 150 lbs. I weigh less than my PCP now so don't assume the weight loss based on the surgery. Good luck and keep us posted.

Look at that! We're band twins. Congrats as well on your success. I do hope you can get that excess skin off but in the meantime, keep rocking those skinny jeans and boots. Woo Hoo!

Look online for a Y near you. I use the McBurney Y on 14th Street. Runs me about $90 a month as a resident. That's alot cheaper than the cost of a private gym.

Excellent decision. It's always a struggle for me to go to the pool but I've never regretted it once I'm there and start exercising and swimming my laps.

I am eating as though I was in the maintenance stage and almost didn't realize that I've lost another 10 lbs. over the last four months. I don't really worry since I'm eating well balanced meals. I figure the weight loss will stop when my body is done getting rid of what it considers excess weight. I have a good deal of extra skin as well and I know that if I ever get plastic surgery, I'd likely lose both additional pounds and another size or two. I'm not ready to move forward with that yet, so I'm also not letting it keep me up at night.

Thank you so much for all your kind words and good wishes. I'm so glad that I can help to inspire others. I really feel like I'm paying it forward while it's also helping me to keep my eye on the prize.

Hi Tanya. I exceeded my 'goal' as well. My PCP told me if I got down to 150 lbs. gone, she would be thrilled so that's the number I plugged in. Two years out and I'm down to around 115-117 lbs. That's not underweight for me as I'm small in stature but I also think as you do that at least ten pounds is loose skin so I'm likely 105-107 lbs. which is still in the normal range for me. I have gotten some remarks from friends and family about not losing any more weight but I know that's just because I've lost so much that they are concerned. My doctor is not and neither am I. Besides...I love food way too much to become anorexic. If I have plastic surgery, it won't be for a couple of years yet so I don't know the answer to your question but since I need my tummy done, and much of the lower body as everything is saggy from the waist down, I have to think there's a good ten or more pounds of loose skin. I just need a break from surgery as I've gone through several these last couple of years. Hope this response helped some.

Mazel Tov girlfriend! Keep us posted on how it goes. Oh...and I looove the picture in your blog of you and Keith. Happy couple!!

On the day of my surgery, January 14th, 2013, I was morbidly obese with a BMI over 50. I was suffering from horrific knee pain and was seriously looking at spending my life in a wheelchair. I couldn’t walk more than a block without having to sit and rest. I couldn’t do the simplest of things like put on socks, or pick up my legs to shave them in the shower. I knew I was probably done traveling. I had just been on a cruise where I couldn’t get off the ship because of the pain I was in. I was wearing 4X tops and 26/28 slacks. I knew I was going to have to buy clothes online soon because I was growing out of these sizes and even places like Avenue didn’t carry sizes much bigger. The larger I got, the more invisible I felt. I worried about being able to move in spaces that were no longer big enough for me. I made sure to get to the conference room at work before anyone else so I didn’t have to bring unwarranted attention to myself by forcing my colleagues to squeeze in just so I could pass them if I couldn’t get a seat near the door. I worried about restaurants with tight seating…airplanes with narrow seats and the looks from whoever was stuck sitting next to me. Oh God…just thinking about this even now makes me so very sad and hurt because the list of painful and embarrasing situations is a long one. That, however, was before my surgery. Today is my two year bandiversary and during those two years, I have lost around 150 lbs. That’s an amazing amount of excess weight to carry around on a very small frame. No wonder I was so uncomfortable. Today, I feel light as a feather. I can move normally again. As many of you know, I needed my hips replaced even before dealing with my knees. Turns out that my knees are fairly stable now as there is no excess weight to put unnecessary pressure on the joints. I can do all those things healthy people take for granted. I can walk anywhere and everywhere, I can cross my legs like a woman should be able to do, I can go up and down stairs…..hell, I can open my legs again and feel that marvelous weight of a man on top of me (sorry if that’s TMI but we're all adults here and sex is an important part of life that I thought was also in my past) Most of all…I fit in the world again and because I fit, the world has opened back up to me. After 20+ years, I'm wearing petites again. I'm in small sized tops and size 6 slacks. My legs aren't tree trunks anymore and I'm wearing dresses. And just an FYI for you ladies…If you want to attract a man, wear a dress. Works like a charm.. I love to clothes shop again. In these small sizes, the clothes are cute and pretty and I don't buy anything anymore just because it fits. I wear makeup again. My hair is styled attractively. I match the jewelry/bag/shoes to the outfits. Like I said above, I am very much aware now that people notice me. What an amazing transformation that is. To know that people see you again is such a powerful feeling….especially when you've felt invisible for so long. I’m traveling again. In fact, I’m planning a trip to China or now possibly a Nordic cruise to Finland and Norway sometime later this year. I hope to go on one big trip every year. There are so many places I didn't think I'd ever get to and now I need to make up for lost time and go wherever my heart desires. My grandson is due in April. I’ll be able to play with this one. My granddaughter missed out on a lot because I couldn’t keep up with her. She and I did a lot of arts and crafts, and reading books together or watching TV. I’m sure she didn’t feel like she missed anything but I know she did and this time around, Grandma is planning on climbing the monkey bars with this little guy when he gets old enough. One last thing I wanted to put out there. I must thank Alex for creating this site. It has been my salvation. The people here were and are, instrumental in my success. I have said things in my posts that no one outside of this place can truly understand and for that I am so very grateful. I am also blessed to call many of the folks on this site good friends of mine and I can’t wait to meet some of you face to face so I can give you a big hug. Here’s how I feel today..and most days in fact….I’m a person with two birthdays now. One in August of 1958 when I was born, and one in January of 2013 when I was re-born. For anyone reading this post, congrats if you have also found success in your weight loss journey and to those struggling, or who are pre-op and full of doubts and worries, know that a new life is possible for each and every one of you. I'm not special so if I could do this, so can you...no matter what your co-morbidities, starting BMI, or any other challenges you are facing. Here's a couple of before/after pics so you can see what 150 lbs. gone looks like. The ticker is just data but a picture is worth a thousand words as they say.

Wanted the least invasive procedure available and wanted to be able to reverse it if needed and only the lapband met that criteria. Had to lose at least 100 lbs. and my PCP wanted me to get bypass. I spoke to the bariatric surgeon and she said I could lose 100+ lbs. with the lapband so I went ahead with it. I've lost 150 lbs. and I weigh less than my PCP now.

I've had both hips replaced. I swim laps and take aqua exercise classes. Best thing in the world for folks who need the buoyancy of Water because of arthritis or any musculoskeletal issues.

Me too. Cut my hair very short almost a year ago and it looks great. I love it short. I did it at first because so much hair fell out but now I have it short just because it looks so nice.

My dream was to walk without pain and I've made that dream a reality. Every time I take a step, I am reminded of what I have accomplished and while I'm sure that one day I'll take it for granted, right now I still find it miraculous simply to walk.

Good luck. You'll be on the other side soon.

You should check with your doctor to find out what his/her expectations are for you in terms of how many calories to consume. Don't forget you also need to keep an eye on your daily Protein and sodium intake as well.

Constipation is a big problem with banded folks. I take a prescription med and a stool softener to help me to go. I even see an acupuncturist as well.