animatedfluff

It's only been 3 monhs since your surgery Winjammer! 3 fills is a lot to have in that time, however you are probably not feeling full restriction yet. Don't be dissappointed in the band - remember it is a tool and you have to get the tool working right in order for it to assist you in losing your excess weight. It took me 5 fills to start getting restriction! Chin up & keep up with the exercise!

How is it to late for her to become a vegetarian? Anytime you want a different lifestyle change is good. Im sure she has reseached it and was asking for recipes.

That comment is both remarkably ignorant and incorrect. And, one of the more irresponsible things I have read on this forum in a while.
Maybe you would like to tell that to the tens of thousands of patients over the last HALF-CENTURY for whom the Bypass has been the key to a new and healthy life.
This forum is one of the places people come to try and make informed decisions about which, if any, Weight Loss Surgery they will have performed. It's fine for you to comment on the Lap band; you have one. You do NOT have a Bypass, and from what I have gathered from your posts, you know very little about it, in SPITE of your claims to the contrary.
The Band, the Bypass, and the Sleeve (and several other procedures) are ALL very viable options for prospective WLS patients. The Bypass has been the gold Standard in WLS for many years, and will continue to be for the forseeable future.
It is ridiculous and uninformed comments likes yours that have the potential to dissuade potential patients from even considering a sugery that could very well change their lives.
S.

Hello! I was banded on January 3, 2011 and I can't be happier. I have my good days and bad days. When I really want to be honest with myself, I really haven't done enough. That's usually the case. For example, I had surgery to remove two lumps from my right arm so I haven't exercised in two weeks. When I exercise I see the most results. When I don't the scale won't move 1 inch, lol. Anyway, I was feeling sorry for myself until I sat down and really thought about it. I haven't even done the housework. But tomorrow I can begin. I think the most important thing is keeping active or busy as some people like to say. People aren't happy unless you're up and about anyway. I say stay prayerful, optimistic and assertive. If you don't, yes, you are going to have bad and gloomy days. Remember, it's just a tool to help us stay on ourselves, because yes, most of us love to eat. I am one of them. But I realize when you eat because you love it, instead of eating to live better, that becomes a problem. I hope this helps.

I say wear what makes you feel good......Try and find a sexy one piece that still covers but shows your weight loss. Good Luck!

For long time, too long, I allowed fear to dictate my life. In my 20s and 30s there were many things I didn't do because I was afraid --including driving 3 hours by myself to visit my mom in the hospital, going to the pool to swim, going places with my husband like car races. My fears were real to me --might have an accident, might get lost, might be laughed at, might not be able to sit in the bleachers that long, etc, etc. One day I woke up --really. I had a chance to SCUBA dive --I'd done that in college--but that was 20 years ago --I needed new certification --ooooh, pretty scary --but I thought I'd check it out --I'd been a crackerjack diver in college --so maybe --I found out that EVERYONE in the class was my age or older and in not so perfect shape. I took the class, passed, and took my brand new C card to a topical island --and BY MYSELF--found a dive boat and went diving. At that time and now, those boats are mostly men (older --it's an expensive sport) and a few women MY AGE and MOST divers were, well, heavy people --no skinny minnies.
And I had FUN!
After that, I started doing more "scary things." I'd sit myself down and say, 'What's the worse that could happen and how would you deal with it." I got AAA incase of car problems and now drive all over the US by myself, with my hubs, and with daughters and half the time I'm pulling a huge trailer!
And then there was this weight thing --like everyone here, I'd tried it all, lost it a ton of times (I was 100 pounds overweight) , and was heavier than ever when I found an ad for lapband. Selling point to me was that it could be taken out if . . .well, not sure what the if was. Step by step I did the process. Now the day of the surgery, I said to my hubs, I'm scared --he pointed out that I had a greater chance of dying on the way to the hospital than in surgery. And, you know, at the weight I was, I really didn't want to live --I didn't tell people that, but I was gaining more weight each year ---I'd be over 600 pounds by the time I retired at the rate I was going. And I KNEW what life was like for overweight people in retirement centers. I'd rather die.
But I didn't. And now nearing retirement, I'm 5'10", 150 pounds, with dyed blonde hair and a wardrobe that has a lot of sequins and black leather in it.
Remember courage is doing something when you ARE scared. Keep thinking -- This is your chance --grab it and fly with it. It's kind of like getting on a plane --you have to ,at some point, trust the pilot will get you safely to your destination. If you can't make that step, then you can never fly.
So anyway, that's my 2 cents worth.

I have had 3 weight-related goals since surgery.
First, I said that getting under 200 would mean I was significantly healthier and at lower risk for weight-related health conditions than I was at 293, so if my loss stopped there I wouldn't be thrilled but I'd be satisfied (not to mention, that would put me at over 60% of excess weight lost, which is the stated goal of my surgeon).
Second, I said that I'd like to weigh less than my husband, for vanity's sake. That means weighing 170-175.
Third, I set the goal of 150 which would put me (barely) in the "healthy" BMI range for my height.
When I started this, I have to admit that 150 seemed like a pipe dream-- an aspirational goal that would be psychologically unhealthy for me to get really attached to because I wasn't ever going to really be able to get there.
Today is my six month bandiversary and I have already achieved goal 1: I weighed in at 194 this morning, which puts me 99 lbs down from my high and in so much better physical condition than I used to be, even though I am still obese. I am also clearly not done losing. I'm now thinking that 150 might be doable after all, though we'll have to see.
My next goal is on my ticker-- it is being in the overweight BMI category instead of obese and it roughly coincides with my "less than my husband" goal.
Sometimes this journey has been unbelievable-- case in point-- I am now in a size 12 in pants. I can't imagine wearing lower than a size 12, yet it will be inevitable if I really do reach my goals. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around that. Even when I was an athlete in college I was wearing a size 12.