Angelyco

Haha...the pinto bean thing made me laugh loud enough for my coworkers to look at my funny :tongue:

The reason I'll be happy with my body no matter what is that I can always fix that with surgery, and I'll be happier just to be able to fit in regular clothing. I guess I just have no concept of what I'll look like without puffy cheeks. When I was a little lighter (around 300), I like how my pictures looked so I don't know what will happen when I'm below that. My double chin has gone up and down over the years so I can pretty much imagine without that at least. I agree though, all the B&A pics I've seen on this site have all been for the better, but in magazines and such I've seen people that look worse in the face afterwards, and not always because they were older and the wrinkles come up, etc. Some people get sunken-in cheeks or around the eyes and end up looking like druggies or anorexic, I don't want to look like that.

I have personally experienced discrimination due to my weight. I have also had the same experiences with sales people not acknowledging me. In high school, I was in marching band and I had to wear my own black pants because they refused to order bigger uniform ones to fit me, even though they special ordered a full uniform for a really skinny guy. I auditioned for the flag team and was rejected, despite being better than most of the girls who were accepted (I guess they'd rather have me in the unflattering marching band top with my own pants than put me in a leotard and dance pants). I tried out for the dance team with 4 years of dance lessons and got rejected--I was even told by one of the captains that I was the best dancer that tried out but the other members wouldn't vote for me because of my weight. I had a street vendor in Manhattan, who had never seen me before in my entire life, ask me why I'm not trying to lose weight. How the heck would he even know if I was or not?! This was also in the middle of him accepting my money, you'd think he would be a little nicer to someone who's buying from him. The worst thing, though, is when my own mother told me that the reason I couldn't get a job right out of college was because of my weight, and she said it to be hurtful instead of trying to comfort me when I didn't get job offers. Her idea of motivation is to make me feel like shit. She forgot that I only had about 3 interviews out of 20 resumes sent out, and my picture wasn't included in the resume! So duh, it couldn't be my weight if they don't even see me before rejecting me. I think one problem with having weight be a non-discrimination criteria is that I don't think people always realize that the reason they don't like someone right away (like in job interviews) is because of weight. For some people, I think it's a subconscious discrimination and harder to prove later on.

This may seem like a strange question, but I've seen this happen enough that it worries me sometimes...a person loses a ton of weight and their face ends up being uglier than before. For those of us that have been overweight our entire lives, we have no idea what our face will look like without the padding. Do you ever worry that you'll be less attractive after you've lost all the weight than you are now? (Face only--we know our bodies will look better no matter what!)

I used to ride my bike around 340 or so, it didn't hurt the bike at all, but it hurt my butt something fierce with so much weight on that little seat! That was the only reason I stopped using it.

I'm really surprised by the answers here--I had no idea so many people didn't tell their husbands! I assumed that everyone was open about it, since the DH is usually the biggest support you have when you go through this (and sharing in the losses). My fiance always knew I weighed more than him (it's hard to hide when you meet someone at 300+ lbs) but I've only told him my weight a few times. I was completely open with him about it when I was losing weight about 5 years ago, but I didn't tell him how much weight I put back on afterwards. About 6 months ago, he asked how much I weighed, because he had no idea, and he promised he'd block it out afterwards. It was pretty funny, because a few days ago I showed him my blog that I just started, and he honestly had no idea that's how much I weighed (407 last time I was weighed 1.5 years ago). I think he was so surprised because one of our friends is bigger than I am and he always says he only weighs 300, so my fiance always assumed I was less than that, even after I told him time and again that our friend CAN'T weigh 300. Now that he knows (and remembers) how much I weigh, I plan to keep him in the loop as I go through this, because he's completely supportive and I know he would never use my weight as ammunition against me. That's why I'm marrying him :thumbup:

So...what if your BMI is over 60? :tongue:

If you don't mind me asking, what positions did you guys use until the port wasn't so sore? I haven't had my surgery yet, but I'm anxiously awaiting dropping the pounds...my fiancee lost a lot of interest in sex and swears it's not because of my weight (he wanted it all the time when I was about 300, but now I'm over 400), but I'm hoping losing it will kick-start him again. Trust me though, I'll be back in the sack as soon as I can after the band! :biggrin:

Hey all! I'm just starting my journey and have my first appointment March 18th. According to the last time I was weighed about a year and a half ago, my BMI would be 66, but I'm fairly sure I've gained weight since then, so it's higher than that. My ultimate goal is to get down to 150--a BMI of 24.5 or so, but at this point, I'm hoping to get down under 200 with the band. I'm glad I found this thread, it's so disheartening to see people starting at 230 lbs and saying how much weight they have to lose! That would be vanity pounds for us!

Hey all! I just moved to Yonkers, NY about a year ago from Dubuque, Iowa.

Thank you Mom, for constantly reminding me when I first started gaining wait, and haven't let me forget since! I started gaining weight in 1st or 2nd grade, enough that I quickly became the fat kid. I know I was very overweight by then because by 3rd grade I had to start seeing a dietician (that didn't last long, logging food never worked for me. I could tell you exactly what I ate but it had no effect on me). I was up to 340 lbs. by the time I started college, lost 55 lbs. my second semester there, then gained over 120 lbs. I have no idea how much I actually weigh right now because I haven't been to a doctor's office with a scale that goes over 350 in a year and a half (I was 407 back then).

Thankfully, my stretch marks have all faded to white by now (maybe I shouldn't be thankful, because that means they've been there long enough to disappear). I'm constantly worried that since my skin has been stretched so much that it won't tighten back up, but to me, I'd rather be a saggy twig than a smooth-skinned lump. I'll worry about PS when the time comes, who knows, maybe we'll all be part of the 30-50% whose skin naturally tightens up! :biggrin:

Thank you for the link! I spoke with someone who used Dr. Weber and was very disappointed with his office and couldn't in good conscience recommend him for me. I haven't sent the appointment deposit money yet so I'm going to contact Dr. Fielding's office and see what I can do. Thank you!

NYU probably has a nutritionist/dietician on staff that you could meet with. I don't know many doctors in NY, but I would try there first until someone else can give you some other names.

I just got an email back from my doctor's office saying that Depo shouldn't interfere with the surgery (probably because it doesn't have estrogen, it's only progestin). She said to feel free to talk to the surgeon about it when the time comes, but she doesn't see any problems with it. Mirena is also progestin-only, FYI, so that makes sense if people have to stop pills (which usually contain estrogen) but not the IUD. Not sure what's in Nuva-Ring.

I really want to stay in Westchester, unfortunately...I need somewhere that's more accessible to me. I hate the thought of having to go to the city all the time for appointments :confused:

I know he has a few offices outside NYC but I didn't think White Plains was one of them...I can't find anything stating exactly where his offices are on Google. Anyone else have some enlightenment?

Hey all! I live in Yonkers right now (moved from Iowa about a year ago) and going for my first consult with Dr. Philip Weber in White Plains on March 18th. I tried for Dr. Artuso but he's out of network for my insurance. I hope to hear more from you all :confused:

Thanks all--I'll give the office a call to find out.

Hello all, I am hoping to get the Lap-Band in April and I read here and there different people had to stop taking their birth control pills before the surgery. I am on Depo-Provera (the 3 month shot) and I don't know if this could prevent me from having surgery when I want to? I am due for my next shot in April so it wouldn't be a big deal to get it after the surgery, but would they make me wait an extra month for all the hormones to get out of my body? Any insight would be helpful! Thank you!

Hello all! I've been browsing the forums for a few months now but it's time to make my first post! I heard about the Lap-Band years ago when they first started their TV ad campaign. At the time, I wasn't ready for it, still in college and still under my mother's roof. Now that I'm on my own, made the move from Iowa to New York to live with my fiancee and hopefully getting married within the next year, and somewhere over 400 lbs (I haven't been weighed in about a year and a half when I was 407, none of my doctors here have scales that go high enough), it's time. I've been researching the band and my insurance coverage, I found a doctor close by that turned out to be out-of-network, then after a little more digging, I found one who accepts my insurance fully, Dr. Philip Weber in White Plains, NY. I have Oxford Freedom, which I've heard is the easiest insurance to get approval for Lap-Band, as well as only a $250 copay for the surgery itself. My first appointment is March 18. I've already arranged to have whatever medical records I could get sent to the doctor and I'm hoping for the surgery sometime in April. We're moving in the end of March so the timing will be great after we're all settled in and I can finally buy the recliner I'll most likely need after surgery anyway. Everyone here is so great and I look forward to sharing my stories with you all and hopefully I'll be in Bandland soon enough!