drew05

Welcome! This is a big first step (I remember my seminar and consult like it was just the other day) and if you have any questions we're here for you. We've been through it :thumbup:

I have to resurrect this thread. I actually have to use marijuana to get myself to eat. After banding and losing all this weight I've completely lost my appetite. I can go an entire day without eating and not feel any adverse reactions. But that's not healthy. So while I do smoke for pleasure, I use it to help me eat when I need to.

I agree with all of the above ones, but it comes down to you at the end. I told no one except like three close close friends and my family. My brother thought I was taking the easy way out and then he saw how hard I had to work to actually loose all the weight and now he wants it himself. As for my friends who don't know, they wouldn't understand. They've never been fat. They haven't been fat their whole lives and they didn't have to endure the ridicule I did as a kid. If they think it's the easy way out (like your bf) then they need to research and actually learn what the band does. It always hits home with me when someone says this is the easy way out. If they only knew...

Oh yeah. You get used to it. But I honestly still drink so much. Almost all water. I never have soda except on occasion. Drinking a lot of water is great though because it helps with skin elasticity.

To be 100% honest with you the first few weeks after surgery I felt like a failure too. I found I could eat almost anything and I even PB'd a little because I ate too fast and too big of things. But that didn't stop me. The only thing that stopped me was myself. My willpower. You need to make that change in you to will yourself away from the cake. And I can still eat anything I want and a lot of it. I've forced food down with Water before. And I'm still doing great. Just wanted to let you know that you can fall off the wagon but so long as you have the support, willpower and want to get back on, you can. And well, you've got all the support you need with us here :thumbup:

I don't know if it's just me or what, but I have no problems with sodas or carbonated drinks at all. I tend to avoid them because they're so fattening, but I enjoy a good root beer every now and then with no ill effects. But I agree with the water. That'll also help with loose skin.

Rice guy I'm in the same boat as you. I haven't told anyone with the exception of like 3 of my closest friends and my family. I think it might be a guy thing. I'm too proud to tell everyone how I did it. They don't need to know. I lost the weight, that's what matters.

Well I'm not a girl so I can't answer all the questions, but I'll answer the ones I can :smile: Can you feel the device once it's in? I've never actually felt the band itself, but I can feel the port on my side. It doesn't stick out or anything, but I feel it. Any complications at all? (I know it's different for everyone, but still...) No. I haven't had a single complication. Did you experience a lot of vomiting? Not once. I mean I drank too much one time and vomited, but not as a cause of the band. I did eat plain bread once and it got stuck and I kind of spit it back up, but that hasn't happened in a long time. Will you ever be able to eat food? I pretty much eat whatever I want, just a lot less of it. And to be honest I've changed what I like to eat. I eat a lot healthier and I never go out to eat. Right after surgery, what did they give you for nourishment? I was on an all liquid/broth diet. I had some Jello as well. Followed by a week-to-week deal? Generally. It slowly goes from all liquid, to kind of liquid, to more solid til you're all the way up to regular food. How much weight did you lose within the first month? I know it's slow and healthy weight loss, but do you feel like it goes quickly? Well in the first month after surgery I lost about 10 pounds. Once I was able to exercise and eat regular food I started dropping weight even quicker. Any change in emotions? (Not hormonal, just all around feeling great - confidence?) Oh yeah. I am SO much more confident than I used to be. I can openly talk about my weight now, tell people how much I weight without feeling embarrassed and talk to girls no problem. Not to mention I don't get those looks from strangers anymore. You know what I'm talking about

Yeah I did the 6 month deal as well. It's great training for watching what you eat after you have the band!

Hahaha I don't think I could even if I tried.

Oh yeah my wicked farmer's tan... haha. I work outside and it's kind of unavoidable :tongue2:

Here we go! Down almost 130 pounds!

You look great Chels! Well since I hid from the camera when I was bigger, I always have to reuse my before shots :smile2: oh well. Here's a new after one though!

Congrats Rice guy! It's a great feeling getting to wear your old clothes you'd gotten too fat to wear. I know that feeling. Well here's an NSV I just had. My coworkers have been talking about how skinny I'm getting. Now I know this doesn't seem like a big deal, but I just started there 2 months ago!

Woo. Here's one I took a few days ago. And the other one is a year or so old.

Everyone looks great! This is a picture I took a few days ago. I haven't had a chance to weight myself in a week or so but last weight I was at was 250. Down over 100 pounds! Before picture is about a year and a half ago.

Good job Jane! I have to use a belt now for my size 38 work shorts. I've always dreamt about being able to wear anything in the 30's... and now I'm more than halfway to a 36. Woo! Kind of ike Jane said though, anything smaller than a 38 seems crazy right now.

Awesome picture chocolate_snaps! Here's an after picture I just took this morning before work.

Here's a good one. I can feel my port now :sad:

Bah I'm so proud of everyone! I'm gonna scour my pictures and see if I can find a good old body shot to compare to my new ones. Needless to say I was shy around the camera when I was big :sad:

I had a HUGE one yesterday. I was looking through a pile of shorts at PacSun, and I couldn't find any SMALL enough for me!! They were all too big!! It blew my mind... oh and I fit into a 36 today!

Yeah Zuka I am holding off a completely new wardrobe for a while. I am buying a few new clothes though, out of pure necessity! Buuuuuut I have had a few new NSV's... - I work at Costco now and they have no problem sending me out to do carts! When I worked at HEB (a supermarket) they were always worried about me when I went outside for carts. Not anymore! - All my 2X and 3X shirts are WAY too big on me. Like big to where people comment on it. Haha - I'm treated differently everywhere I go. I no longer get the fat person look. -This is a scale victory, no doubt. I'm down over 100 pounds!! Woooohooo!

My recovery was pretty typical. I was off of my feet for less than a week total. I had an overnight stay in the hospital and they made me get up and walk around every hour to relieve the gas. Two days after surgery I was able to go visit friends at work and say hi. The only pain I had was from the port. It was one of the quickest recoveries I've experienced (and I've had a few surgeries). They hardest part for me was the diet restrictions. All liquids sucked pretty bad. But we've all been through it so if you ever need any support, we'll be here!

22. I had it done so I wouldn't have to deal with health issues later on in life.

It's been a little over a year since I started my whole journey and still only two of my best friends know. My roommate doesn't even know. As far as she knows I'm on a diet and exercising more. Even better my new job is all physical labor so I'm losing weight even faster. I am perfectly fine with not telling them. Why do they have to know what I've had done to my own body? All in all I don't see anything wrong with keeping it a secret.