lellow

Thank you! I'm really happy with it! As for what I needed to do, I actually didn't really need to do anything. I looked up lots and lots of reviews of surgeons in my area and went with someone I thought looked like he had loads of experience. I then went to the consult and he talked me through it, and then I paid for it and waited for my surgery date! I would say you probably don't have to be at goal to get lipo, because he reckons he only did 'slight' lipo on me, whereas he usually removes a lot more fat in one go, but he did say that the more fat he removes at one time, the more likely complications will arise and lumpiness can occur, or skin rippling. So to get the best result, being close to goal would be helpful and not having too much loose skin as well. I actually am at the point of not wanting to lose anymore, and even so he warned me about possible looseness in my skin, especially in my inner thighs.

Those of us who get stuck and stuck often are probably just pig headed and take longer to learn . When I was losing it wasn't uncommon for me. I would try new foods or forget I have a band and eat too fast, or just swallow something fast coz I was hungry. I've also been too tight on occasion and that means stuck on EVERYTHING. Just yesterday I had goat curry and after one bite I was like so good work never getting to that point!

I'm 2 days post op now and swollen but HAPPY with the result. For the first time ever about 30 mins before my surgery I had a massive panic attack and wondered what the hell I was doing but they walked in, got me in my gown and I didn't really have time to protest! Now though, I'm so glad I went through it. It hasn't been nearly as painful as any of my other surgeries, in fact I haven't had one painkiller yet! Just feel like I fell off a bike - kinda bruised all over. And most importantly, I now have that waist I was so longing for. I know it sounds silly, having lost so much weight and looking "alright" by most standards, but I've never had a waist, ever. I have lost weight to the point of being too thin trying to get a waist but all I got was a flat butt and small hips and I looked like a boy (with boobs). I always wanted the hourglass figure, and the lipo has given me a little bit of that now, and I instantly feel more womanly as a result. For that alone I am glad I did this. Thank you to all of my great friends who encouraged me along here too. I really appreciate it, how much you'll never know!

Missy I just stumbled on this and I wanted to just pipe in too to say how amazing you look. The before pic and the after pic are worlds apart! You have done a great job and so did your surgeon!

It's all luck and genetics. I had areas that didn't bounce back and areas that bounced back very well. You won't really know how you're going to go until you get there.

Today I was telling myself how good I've been eating all week, so what did I do the minute I got to the shops? Buy a cheesecake when I got my son a cupcake. We are honestly our own worst enemies! But the good news is halfway through the cheesecake my band kicked my butt, so I stopped eating it. Saying no is SO much harder than saying yes. I can hear myself talking myself into it too "You can probably spare the calories" or "it's no good depriving yourself" but both you and I know it only makes you feel like crap when you give in. So we need to stop giving in, and stop feeling like crap about ourselves because we gave in. Saying no gets easier the more you do it, so we just need to start doing it more!

Shoulder pain can actually be a soft stop for some people. So it doesn't always mean it's a sign of a stretched pouch. If everything's ok, then maybe it is your soft stop, which means it's probably a good idea to stop eating before you get to that point.

Honestly for all the hassle I've had with my band, I'd still do it again 5 times over. It has completely changed my life. Be prepared for something to go wrong, but chances are, nothing will. You've made such progress already! Imagine your life in a year, and in 2 years. Focus on your goal and you will get there, I believe it.

I saw a video of an interview with Dustin Hoffman today and it really rang true for me. I think I am so lucky because I was a big girl most of my life and lost the weight, and in the process I went from being invisible to being visible to society. The thing is, I didn't even know I was invisible when I was heavy. How would I when I'd been heavy all my adult life? But when I lost the weight, and the level of attentiveness, regard and interaction people wanted with me increased out of sight, I realised how little people reached out to me before. That SO many people who think I'm amazing and wonderful now, wouldn't have given me the time of day 5 years ago. An old friend and I were talking today, and he said he was so shy when he first met me coz I was thin already and he was 'still the fat guy', and he didn't understand why I reached out to him. I told him of anyone he'd meet, I'd be the one who would never see his weight, because unlike most people, I know better. I know that a person's weight doesn't define them. Because my weight should never have defined me. Anyhow, it makes me wonder how many people have missed out on meeting the most amazing people because they stereotype them in their heads. Which is why Dustin Hoffman's interview struck such a cord. I hope it's ok to post it, because it really moved me, and I hope it moves you. http://www.upworthy.com/dustin-hoffman-breaks-down-crying-explaining-something-that-every-woman-sadly-already-experienced-3

It takes ages for your brain to catch up, and it's kinda nice coz you go into shops thinking you're bigger than you are, and get pleasantly surprised. I think it was at least a year into maintenance that I started being able to tell if something was about my size by looking at it. Before that I always picked up something that was 2 - 3 sizes too big! You've done a great job, enjoy it! And don't worry about your brain catching up, it will eventually!

I don't think so. My doctor did not give me any exclusions regarding exercise. He basically said that no exercise was going to dislodge the band, so to go for my life. I think as long as you feel up to it, and your doctor didn't tell you specifically not to exercise, I think exercising is a great way to recover!

ROFLMAO, trust you to reply with that! I'll go get some bendryl for now. I heard from Hazelbliss that it's actually normal but anything that can help with the itchiness is a plus. So best get that plane ticket, mister!

Before After So I'm 2 days post lipo. I'm feeling really good! I called work because I was supposed to go back tomorrow but they said to take another day, so I am. Haven't needed pain meds but have got some swelling that is pretty uncomfy so I appreciate having a little more time off. I'm so pleased with the result. I had a panicked moment just before I went into surgery asking myself why the hell I was doing this, but now, seeing that I actually have a waist for the first time in as long as I can remember, I'm glad I went through it! I have lost so much weight trying to get a semblance of a waist, but even at my thinnest, I was just straight up and down. And being a BMI of 21 meant that while I was slim at the waist, I was also slim in the hips and my butt was flat. I looked like a little boy! This time, with lipo and a little bit of extra weight on, I have that womanly figure I've always wanted! Boobs, butt and a waist! Now just to get a little toned up in general! My home gym is arriving in 2 weeks so after that it's on! I am going to be the strongest 43 year old I know! P.S my cat photobombed my 'after' pic. Lucky she's cute!

I'd say that yes, you probably need another fill. When you get close to your green zone, you probably won't have to force yourself to wait 4 hours and at the end of that be ravenous.

A friend of mine fell pregnant a month after her surgery. She lost 25lbs in her pre-op and that was enough to get her ovulating again. I'd suggest you go pee on a stick and call your obgyn. If you don't want to get pregnant for a while, maybe you need to go on birth control for a little bit.

So start back on the wagon. Now. You're the only one in control here. It's a vicious circle: I am depressed so I eat, which makes me more depresssed, so I eat more. Break the circle. Also 10 mins of exercise releases endorphins into your body and makes you feel better immediately. It works for me, every single time.

I'm like B-52 in that when I'm in my green zone I have no hunger, no cravings, nothing.

No rash at all, it's all on the inside! And I haven't taken any pain meds at all (haven't needed to) so it can't be a reaction to that. I may just call my doctor's office anyway and ask.

CG, the gif you attached made me giggle SO much! Just wanted to tell you!

I had lipo done to my tummy, back and inner thighs two days ago and have been in manageable pain, but today I've started to itch EVERYWHERE that I've had lipo. Scratching it does nothing because I'm still pretty numb in those areas. Is it normal??

Pebbagirl, I find that support is hugely important (as you can see from this thread alone). If you want to feel motivated to eat well, exercise, lose weight, post in these forums often, because there are good people here who can help you along. And for what it's worth, I agree with Bambam, I cannot possibly eat 5 slices of pizza so I do think you need to go back to your dr and talk about further fills. Aftercare is so important with the band. You should be able to eat a small amount and have it keep you satisfied for hours. That generally will help with your cravings a lot of the time too.

A girl I met on this site got banded at 19. Sure she wasn't mature, but she worked the band and lost the weight, and it changed her life. She went from being the one that guys walked all over, and the one that people would treat like crap, to being confident, happy and sure of herself, whose confidence shone through. I wish I'd had the option of arresting my weight gain at a young age, so I don't feel like my healthier, fitter self only came into existence in my late 30s. I think if there's been a history of not being able to lose, and the prognosis is that the teen would likely be overweight all their life, then I think helping them sooner rather than later would be beneficial to them. Because it's obvious from this site that age and maturity isn't what makes you prepared for the band.

I treat this forum (and others) like a big social gathering. I walk around, I talk in conversations that interest me, and once in a while, I come across someone who rubs me the wrong way. I can mostly still be polite to that person, but I won't linger longer than I need to, and when I walk away I don't think twice about them afterwards. I won't invest in someone who is behind some computer who I don't even know. If someone reaches out to me, and over time we become friends - GREAT! But if it's just some post on a forum, their lives don't impact me or my success at all.

I actually once boarded a plane and as I made my way down the aisle I could see a guy craning his neck to see who was coming along. When I sat down next to him, the guy actually looked over all flirtatiously and said 'oh I'm so glad it was you, I was worried it would be someone fat'. I just looked him in the eye and said, 'well aren't you a charmer? I was fat all my life, and I got get thin, but YOU won't ever be able to change that ugly mug of yours.'. Suffice to say it was a VERY awkward plane ride for that a-hole.

This is one of the reasons I think not counting calories helped me. The lapband isn't like a regular diet. If you're lucky and being in the green zone takes away your hunger (like it did for me) roll with it. You've been given help to slay the dragon (hunger) and following what your body tells you with help you lose. It did for me.