Bergdorfblonde

Fran, thanks for your kind words of encouragement! I was such a bonehead you guys. I was so worried that I would be unable to pig out again that I didnt follow the preop diet and ate like it was my last meal on earth! Then I didn't realize I had to watch what I ate after the band. :crying: I felt so stupid cuz I paid all of this money out of pocket and my family friends kept asking how much I lost and I couldnt really tell them I lost anything! So then I realized I had to watch what I ate, and the weight started coming off. But then my dad died and I didn't really feel like dieting. So now I am starting to lose the weight and it feels really good. I went from a size 26 jeans to a size 18, and on top I went from about a 2x to a regular (misses) XL. I can even squeeze into a size L top and 16 jeans although I look like a sausage and those sizes are so tight I can't breathe! :thumbup: Its very gratifying seeing myself fitting into smaller clothes. I am just so jealous that you guys have all lost 80-100 pounds because if I had just limited my eating like I was supposed to, I would be done with my weight loss already! But I am very proud of the progress I am making nonetheless. I just need to buckle down and concentrate on taking off some more weight before my reunion. Name: Frangipani Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 87 lbs Name: Candle Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 95 lbs Name: Salsa Weight loss from day of surgery: 81 lbs Total weight loss: 81 lbs Name: Pammycakes Weight loss from day of surgery: 84 lbs Total weight loss: 86 lbs Name: Ceradad Weight loss from day of surgery: 80.5 Total weight loss: 100.5 Name: KarenG. Weight loss from day of surgery: 74 Total weight loss: 74 Name: NanaRenan Weight loss from day of surgery: 45 Total weight loss: 65 Name: TexasBecky Weight loss from day of surgery: 88 Total weight loss: 98 Name: SPEBSQSAlady Weight loss from day of surgery: 55 Total weight loss: 55Name: Brandottie01 Weight loss from day of surgery: 20 lbs Total weight loss: Name: Bergdorfblonde Weight loss from day of surgery: 28.5 lbs Total weight loss: 28.5 lbs Name: gometros Weight loss from day of surgery: 52.9 lbs Total weight loss: 74.9

Go for the C. If you get bigger ones they could make you look bigger/more matronly. I think D is too big if you have lost your weight already, unless you want the extra attention!!

I think people who have gastric bypass get loose skin from losing 100 pounds overnight. The lap band is more gradual. If you are young and your skin is good, and you do slow steady weight loss, plastic surgery might not be necessary. My last big weight loss before the lap band was 60 lbs and I didnt have loose skin because it was gradual (over 2 yrs). I dont see myself getting plastic surgery now except that my boobs are headed south and that seriously bugs me but they look good in a bra.

My weight is one thing I would never tell anyone ever!!! Even when I was thin, I thought I was fat, so I would never tell. I have always been ashamed of my weight and thought I was overweight whatever weight I was.

Its a personal choice about how you want to go about your weight loss journey. But just remember the lap band is not a magic quick fix like it is portrayed in the media. You can still overeat things that are liquidy in your mouth (chocolate, icecream) and you can still consume way too many calories so you wont lose weight. I find it helpful to track my calories. I try to eat 400 calories 3 times a day for a total of 1200. I eat whatever I want, as long as the calories are in the range. The cool thing about the lap band is, when you eat 400 calories of food, you are actually very full on this, and don't really want more. I am a very mindless eater and find it helpful to track my calories. Also, the lap band prevents binge eating, as you cant eat tons and tons of food at one sitting. But you still could graze (ie eat little amounts all day) so you should really watch out for that. It couldnt hurt to do a weight loss program, or just make up your own diet. The lap band is a tool, use it to your advantage.

Good luck Charley! You are doing a great thing for your health. You have the power to change your weight and your life!:thumbup:

Goddess, its kind of the same thing for me too. When I reach 145 I will technically be not overweight, but the time I remember when I looked my best was 134 so I am using that as my ultimate goal.

If you think about it as over 100 pounds to lose, it i very overwhelming and seems impossible. :thumbup: I try to make small goals breaking the weight down into more reachable milestones (using BMI categories). I'll show you some of mine so you can see what I am talking about. :cool: I started at 242 which is morbidly obese for my height. I lost 28.5 pounds and moved myself into the severely obese category. My next small goal is to move into the obese category, which is only 10 little pounds from now. Easy right?? After that, I have to lose 29 pounds to get into the overweight category (this is my goal for my reunion in june). After that, I will lose 30.5 pounds to get to a normal weight and after that, I will lose 11 pounds to reach my skinny me goal (my weight freshman year of college when I was the skinniest in my adult life). 134 Skinny Me Goal 145 Normal Weight 174.5 Overweight 203.5 Obese 213.5 Severely Obese-current weight 242 Morbidly Obese-starting weight 108 pounds Total Weightloss In total, I will lose 108 pounds, but if I break it up into small goals, then I see my progress and it keeps me motivated to reach more small goals without being overwhelmed.

If I could kiss Lane Bryant and Avenue goodbye, that would be amazing!!!! I am out of plus size tops and actually fit into a junior XL the other day (misses L) but I am still 18 on the bottom and can't wait to get into size 16!

Angelyco, I read your blog and I think you are incredibly courageous for doing this! I would say forget about BMI for a while and just focus on your goal of fitting into a store bought wedding dress. That is definitely a great first goal. I can totally relate to a lot of things you said on your blog, especially when you said you have a great job and a great boyfriend, etc but people just see you for your weight. That totally hit home. Thats how I feel about myself too. I am much more than a fat girl and now I am ready to show the world that!!

I think I am in last place. You guys put me to shame! I didn't follow the preop diet and I really didn't understand how to lose weight with the lap band at first and wasn't losing much but now I am limiting my calories to about 1200 per day and it seems to be working. I lost 28.5 pounds from my day of surgery.

Angelica, you are a beautiful girl inside and out. Its always scary going into relationships because the other person has the power to reject you and hurt you, and nobody likes to be rejected. However, you are never going to get anywhere unless you try. There are women out there who are much larger than you and they have boyfriends. Not every man likes chubby girls. You don't need those men. You need a man who will appreciate you for exactly who you are. I understand what your friends mean when they say dumb down. They are not saying to act dumb, but guys like it when they can tell stupid jokes and the girl laughs at them. Sometimes guys like to take the lead and just knock your socks off impressing you. You should go out and get a haircut and a makeover. Buy some new clothes whatever size you are. Then get out there. Dont use your weight as an excuse. My size 2 friends get rejected by men they like all the time. It sucks no matter what size you are! Just keep at it. When guy reject you, realize they are not "all that" in the first place and you will end up with someone better looking than them. Just put yourself out there, don't be afraid and have a good time. Love yourself exactly the way you are right now, try to look your best, and you will get a boyfriend. I promise!

We all look like that. You are not alone. Even my skinny friends have cellulite and stretch marks. Listen, after you lose the weight you are not going to look like runway model. But you will look really really good. Even with the stretch marks. You need to take control of your body back and get healthy. None of us will ever look perfect, but you have the power to change your life and lose weight. The stretch marks are not the big deal you think they are, as we all have them and its normal.

I don't regret it, but if you have doubts, don't do it. Its not the magical solution they make it look like on tv. You lose weight on the band the same way you lose weight without it, with diet and excersise. If you don't do these things, you can still gain weight on the band and won't lose weight. Its not a quick fix. It can help you diet by making you feel more full on smaller amounts of food, making it easier to stick to your diet. But a lot of us eat not because we are hungry, we eat for psychological reasons. So if you are an emotional eater with a band, you will still overeat. And it is easy to eat things that are liquidy in your mouth like chocolate, ice cream, etc. So don't do it if you have doubts. If you are sick of being fat and are willing to work hard at it, then the band is a great tool to let you be satisfied on less food while dieting and alleviating the possibility of regaining weight and yo yo dieting.

I think the sacrifices you've made are worth it. You are thin, have your dream job, have renewed confidence, look hot. The rest of the stuff goes along with the band. I don't think drinking a beer slowly or eating those foods well chewed will hurt you. You don't have to be so stringent with the rules. But I think all of the sacrifices youve made are totally worth it. You are living your dream life!!

The doctor is not listening your concerns or admitting there is a problem because he is scared you will sue (which you should!) Complications happen but obviously he's not helping you fix them and not giving you any compassion. I would consult with a medical malpractice lawyer. You don't have to pay anything and when you win they take 1/3 of the winnings. If you lose you don't have to pay anything. I would follow up with the best doctor you could find to fix you up and sue for those medical expenses as well. Call a lawyer asap!!

Thanks for posting that Mini! It is so hard because I just want the weight to fall off but it is going slower than I wanted. You give me hope!!

I feel for you!! Its so hard. When I got my lap band, I wasn't really losing any weight and it was embarrasing when people who knew I had it kept asking how much I lost so far. Then I realized, the lap band is not magic and you still can overeat plenty with it in. Especially fattening foods that are kind of liquidy. So basically I thought if I had the lap band I would be magically thin. The thing is, you need to be motivated to lose the weight. If you are, the lap band is great at keeping you on track. It also prevents you from binging out of control. But you can still graze all day and eat all the chocolate, icecream, etc you want because its easy to go down. If I were you I would think about how I can become successful at weight loss and use the band as a tool. I realized that me eating whatever I felt like on the lap band was not doing me any favors. Now I strive for 1200 calories a day of anything I want. Sometimes I reach that goal, and lose weight. Other times I totally go over it and gain weight. But I am more mindful of my eating and sticking to a diet I made up that works for me. If you do the atkins diet, you are famished for carbs. If you do fat free, all you want is cheese and potatoe chips. So I really think diets are not good cuz they leave you feeling deprived and that leads to binge eating. So I eat McDonalds. I just get a small chicken mcnugget happy meal for 400 calories. Because I have the lapband, my body is more than satisfied on that, whereas before I could wolf down a supersize happy meal plus dessert. If I want 400 calories of chocolate, I find chocolate with that many calories and try not to buy more than that because having chocolate in my house is dangerous!! But I eat a lot of healthy stuff too when I want it, like tofu, sushi, etc. I like this way of eating because I am never depriving myself. I need to count calories to make keep myself in check and the lap band helps me be satisfied on 1200 calories per day. Maybe you should look into hypnosis, accupuncture or other things that will take away your self sabotoging behavior. Just do what works for you and use the lapband as a tool.

Westcoastfatguy, what you said totally hit the nail on the head. You are so right!!:thumbup:

I am not going to try to get you to change your mind. However, I think your feelings are similar to what most bandsters feel after surgery. After my surgery, I felt incredibly aweful for a month. I couldn't sleep on my side and every time I rolled over it felt like my guts were being ripped out. I had horrible pains in my shoulder. Plus, it seemed like the surgery made me gain weight even though I wasn't eating much. I spent $15,000 total out of pocket. I felt like I wasted my money and butchered my body for no reason, as I wasn't even losing weight. Then I healed and my stomach and shoulder felt totally normal. I didnt lose weight initially because I fought the band. I ate too many calories and didn't listen to my body's cues I was full. IE I would order a huge restaurant meal, be full after eating a quarter of it, wait and then eat some more. Then I realized what the band is there for. It's to help you manage your eating if you want to manage your eating. I've lost 27 pounds in 6 mos. It's not a huge weight loss, but it is slow and steady. I went from size 26 jeans to almost a size 18. I am seriously excited for when I reach size 16, cuz that will put me into the "normal" sizes again. I just wanted to tell you that we all go thru what you are feeling. If you want to remove your band, go for it. If you take it easy and wait for your body to heal, you can seriously change your life with the band. I think it was the best $15,000 I have ever spent. I'm going to my reunion in the summer as a normal sized woman, not a plus sized woman. I won't be skinny, but I will look good. Follow your heart, but know that feeling crappy after surgery is normal.:w00t:

I went from a size 26 in Seven Jeans to a size 18. I even got a pair of size 16 jeans to get on me and close, although they were way way way too tight on me. I cant wait till I am a size 16 for real. I think on top I am already out of the plus size section but it will take me another 15 pounds to get to size 16 jeans. I love trying on clothes because you can really see your progress.

I have also been loving ceviche lately. They have it at asian restaurants and mexican ones. Its great because there are no carbs and it is packed with protein and tastes very satisfying.

The same thing I said to the girls goes for you Max. Love yourself and the girls will follow. Plus girls love boys in bands!!!

My highest weight was 242 and I am still very overweight at 214 and I have to tell you, the way you carry yourself and your amount of self esteem is all you need to get men. I get more men than my size 2 friend because she is very insecure. Love yourself. Love your body whatever size it may be. Take bubble baths and make your skin soft by putting on lotion. Do your makeup, get a flattering haircut/hair color. Get manicures and pedicures. Love yourself, pamper yourself and the men will follow. I am not saying all men like overweight girls. The ones who like skinny minnies are not for us. But you would be surprised how many guys are attracted to big girls because they love soft curves and naturally big breasts. Personally I think there is something wrong with guys who are attracted to women who have bodies like prepubescent boys with zero hips and curves. You have to have good self esteem no matter how much you weigh and guys are attracted to that. Don't tolerate guys who treat you badly. You are to be treated well. Just because you are chubby does not mean you need to settle for a douchebag boyfriend who is verbally abusive! Lose the loser and get a new guy. Love yourself and you will get plenty of guys. Its a hard thing to grasp at 17 or 18 but believe me it's true. I promise!

Be proud of yourself Karen! That is a huge accomplishment. :thumbup: I am so jealous because I would love to be in the "overweight" category! I remember myself at that weight and (although I thought I was fat) I didn't look so bad.