GratefulHeart

I just have to report...I saw my doctor yesterday (PCP). I've lost over 80 pounds to date, and am extremely happy to report that the heart issues that scared me enough to lose weight have reduced to the point that I'm normal!!! I had a "left ventrical hypertrophy" condition in my heart (enlarged heart, and a folded opening to a heart chamber) that were putting me on the fast track to a heart attack, so that's when I asked to get banded. That was maybe September 2008. I was banded on October 20, 2008. It's now June 2009 and I'm a little over 80 pounds lighter, and a LOT healthier. Both the doctor and the guy who did the echocardiograms said that the LapBand and exercise have saved my life. I'm SOOOO grateful and happy for the news! I have stopped taking blood pressure medication, and I feel great. While I'm truly enjoying all the nice comments about how much better I look, I'm so much happier that the news from the doctors is really good! Keep up the great work everybody...it's SO worth it!

Getting there, slowly but surely! Name********Starting weight*****Current*******Goal******To go ******************:cool:**************:smile:**********:bat:******* 1RockinMom.........254............220.........145.......75 Alleycia...........255............220.........152.......68 ALuv82.............280.5..........280.5.......200......80.5 AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............275.6.......199.......76.6 Bellaperdente......196............177.........150.......27 Bklyn1984..........317............238.........165.......73 Bostongurl.........190............186.........133.......53 Brandy.............198............181.........166.......15 Cappy..............240............223.5.......130.......93.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............219.........175.......44 CubsGirl17.........147............135.........130.......5 Clarebear08........192............170.........160.......10 Donna113...........183............172.5.......126.......46.5 dublingirl.........224............209.........145.......64 Ebonie.............307............298.8.......200.......98.8 EmmaWang...........241............203.........140.......63 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............369.........300.......69 GratefulHeart......226............187.........135.......52 GuyMontag..........325............276.........200.......76 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 inri09.............287............254.........185.......69 janesays...........225............189.........160.......29 kaninag............210............210.........170.......40 kimaly.............194............183.........160.......23 Lindar172..........246............218.6.......150.......68.4 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............182.........169.......13 lotzasunshine......270............245.........180.......65 Loveislovely.......216............180.........175.......5 ltgordon...........284.8..........229.4.......185.......44.4 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............222.........140.......83 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 nicolerose.........365............288.........258.......30 Pink...............230............152.........145........7 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Sandra267..........220............220.........165.......55 Snow...............227............167.........141.......26 stacy73............285............214.........160.......54 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............187.5.......130.......57.5 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............147.........125.......22

My primary care physician (PCP) recommended Dr. Owens and gave me a referral. In fact, he said that in his experience, Dr. Owens had the best satisfaction rate among all his patients. Now that I'm almost 8 months out from the surgery, I'd have to agree! Have your PCP refer you to Dr. Owens, or call his office and see what they recommend.

Yayyy!!! No longer obese! Just overweight! :mad2: Name********Starting weight*****Current*******Goal******To go ******************:smile:**************:wub:**********:cool:*******:laugh: 1RockinMom.........254............220.........145.......75 Alleycia...........255............220.........152.......68 AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............278.6.......199.......79.6 Bellaperdente......196............177.........150.......27 Bklyn1984..........317............241.........165.......76 Bostongurl.........190............186.........133.......53 Brandy.............198............181.........166.......15 Cappy..............240............227.5.......130.......97.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 CubsGirl17.........147............135.........130.......5 Clarebear08........192............171.........160.......11 Donna113...........183............172.5.......126.......46.5 dublingirl.........224............209.........145.......64 Ebonie.............307............298.8.......200.......98.8 EmmaWang...........241............210.........140.......70 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............378.........300.......78 GratefulHeart......226............191.........135.......56 GuyMontag..........325............276.........200.......76 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 inri09.............287............254.........185.......69 janesays...........225............189.........160.......29 kaninag............210............210.........170.......40 kimaly.............194............183.........160.......23 Lindar172..........246............219.6.......150.......69.6 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............183.........169.......14 lotzasunshine......270............248.........180.......68 Loveislovely.......216............185.........175.......10 ltgordon...........284.8..........250.5.......185.......65.5 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............222.........140.......83 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 nicolerose.........365............288.........258.......30 Pink...............230............152.........145........7 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Sandra267..........220............220.........165.......55 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............187.5.......130.......57.5 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............147.........125.......22

Been a while since I posted... Name********Starting weight*****Current*******Goal******To go ******************:smile:**************:tt2:**********:tt2:*******:thumbup: 1RockinMom.........254............220.........145.......75 Alleycia...........255............220.........152.......68 AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............278.6.......199.......79.6 Bellaperdente......196............177.........150.......27 Bklyn1984..........317............241.........165.......76 Bostongurl.........190............186.........133.......53 Brandy.............198............181.........166.......15 Cappy..............240............227.5.......130.......97.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 CubsGirl17.........147............135.........130.......5 Clarebear08........192............171.........160.......11 Donna113...........183............172.5.......126.......46.5 dublingirl.........224............209.........145.......64 Ebonie.............307............298.8.......200.......98.8 EmmaWang...........241............210.........140.......70 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............378.........300.......78 GratefulHeart......226............193.........135.......58 GuyMontag..........325............276.........200.......76 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 inri09.............287............254.........185.......69 janesays...........225............199.........160.......39 kaninag............210............210.........170.......40 kimaly.............194............183.........160.......23 Lindar172..........246............219.6.......150.......69.6 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............183.........169.......14 lotzasunshine......270............249.5.......180.......69.5 Loveislovely.......216............185.........175.......10 ltgordon...........284.8..........250.5.......185.......65.5 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............222.........140.......83 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 nicolerose.........365............288.........258.......30 Pink...............230............152.........145........7 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Sandra267..........220............220.........165.......55 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............187.5.......130.......57.5 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............147.........125.......22

I agree - see if you can help your husband get more information about the surgery. Mine was dead set against gastric bypass, but when he saw how lapband works, he was okay with it. Now he loves it! :cool2:

Yes, Dr. Owens is a terrific surgeon and a very patient and knowledgeable person. You want someone like him on your side. I've had three fills and am extremely pleased with Dr. Owens and his experience. Now that I've been banded (10/20/08), I would recommend him to anyone. Thanks everyone!

Made it to Onederland! Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal_________ToGo *****:hurray:************************:crazy:***********:thumbup:* ********* :thumbup:*** AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............282.6.......199.......83.6 Bellaperdente......196............181.........150.......31 Bklyn1984..........317............256.........165.......91 Bostongurl.........190............188.........133.......55 Brandy.............198............181.........166.......15 Cappy..............240............227.5.......130.......97.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 CubsGirl17.........147............135.........130.......5 Clarebear08........192............176.5.......160.......16.5 Donna113...........183............174.........126.......48 Ebonie.............307............307.........200.......107 EmmaWang...........241............220.........140.......80 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............391.........300.......91 GratefulHeart......226............199.........135.......64 GuyMontag..........325............295.........200.......95 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 inri09.............287............254.........185.......69 janesays...........225............208.........160.......48 kimaly.............194............183.........160.......23 Lindar172..........246............222.2.......150.......72.2 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............191.........169.......22 lotzasunshine......270............259.5.......180.......79.5 Loveislovely.......216............197.........175.......22 ltgordon...........284.8..........250.5.......185.......65.5 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............222.........140.......83 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 nicolerose.........365............288.........258.......30 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Sandra267..........220............220.........165.......55 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............187.5.......130.......57.5 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............157.........125.......32

Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal_________ToGo *****:cool2:************************:tt2:***********:thumbup:* ********* *** AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............286.4.......199.......87.4 Bellaperdente......196............184.........150.......34 Bklyn1984..........317............261.........165.......96 Bostongurl.........190............188.........133.......55 Brandy.............198............184.........166.......18 Cappy..............240............231.........130.......105.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 CubsGirl17.........147............138.........130.......8 Clarebear08........192............176.5.......160.......16.5 Donna113...........183............174.5.......126.......48.5 Ebonie.............307............307.........200.......107 EmmaWang...........241............230.........140.......90 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............391.........300.......91 GratefulHeart......226............203.........135.......68 GuyMontag..........325............295.........200.......95 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 janesays...........225............208.........160.......48 kimaly.............194............185.........160.......25 Lindar172..........246............226.8.......150.......76.8 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............198.........169.......29 lotzasunshine......270............262.........180.......82 Loveislovely.......216............210.........175.......35 ltgordon...........284.8..........250.5.......185.......65.5 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............222.........140.......83 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Sandra267..........220............220.........165.......55 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............187.5.......130.......57.5 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............157.........125.......32 Halfway to goal!

How close is Rancho Cucamonga to you? I know it's not Riverside but there is a support group at Rancho Specialty Hospital on the second Monday of the month and I believe the fourth Thursday. I have been going to the Monday meetings and really enjoy them. For me it can be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to get there from work in Irwindale, but the trip home isn't bad. What do you think? If you're interested, email Stevie Blair - she's the leader and is super helpful. Her email addy is: stevie.blair@vistahealthcare.net and I'm sure she'd be glad to help. She might even know of a support group closer to Riverside! She works for a group of surgeons (mine included) and is a WLS patient herself. Let me know if you guys connect and find a place! Thanks!

Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal_________ToGo *****:cool2:************************:tt2:***********:thumbup:* ********* :thumbup:*** AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............294.........199.......95 Bellaperdente......196............189.........150.......43 Bklyn1984..........317............261.........165.......96 Bostongurl.........190............190.........133.......57 Brandy.............198............189.........166.......21 Cappy..............240............231.........130.......105.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 CubsGirl17.........147............138.........130.......8 Clarebear08........192............176.5.......160.......16.5 Donna113...........183............177.........126.......51 Ebonie.............307............307.........200.......107 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............391.........300.......91 GratefulHeart......226............206.........135.......71 GuyMontag..........325............295.........200.......95 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 janesays...........225............214.8.......160.......54.8 kimaly.............194............185.........160.......25 Lindar172..........246............228.........150.......78 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............199.5.......169.......30.5 lotzasunshine......270............262.........180.......82 Loveislovely.......216............210.........175.......35 ltgordon...........284.8..........250.5.......185.......65.5 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............222.........140.......83 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Sandra267..........220............220.........165.......55 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............192.........130.......62 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............161.........125.......36 ************************************************* Getting there!

I am in Southern California and don't have any experience with your surgeon or the practice there...but I think everyone tends to go through a "what am I doing"? or "what have I done?" stage right around surgery. I was banded 10/20/08 and feel it was one of the best decisions I ever made. While I was heavy enough for either gastric bypass or Lap Band, my regular doctor, my husband and I all agreed that the Lap Band would be best for my health, age, situation, etc. I do not regret it for a minute, though I did in the first few minutes after waking up from surgery. It was just "cold feet" - and I was ready to be healthy. Now that it's been 4 months I can say that it's been worth it, every bit of it. There's a lot of "re-learning" to do - how to eat (slowly, slowly, chew, chew), what to eat (protein, protein), when to eat (3X a day), it's been a great journey so far. I'm not even halfway there but it's not been that long. Sometimes I do better than other times with exercise, and actually lose more weight when I do faithfully exercise, but I still would do it all again. I've been reading books on Lap Band Life, settling into my new life as it will be from now on, and enjoying the benefits of feeling SO much better. It's worth it, it really is. Whether you go through bypass or Lap Band depends on a number of factors, but whatever you decide, do something. I personally am very glad I chose the Lap Band.

Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight___Goal______ToGo AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............297.2.......199.......98.2 Bellaperdente......196............189.........150.......43 Brandy.............198............189.........166.......21 Cappy..............240............235.5.......130.......105.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 Clarebear08........192............179.........160.......19 Donna113...........183............178.5.......126.......52.5 Ebonie.............307............307.........200.......107 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............397.........300.......97 GratefulHeart......226............211.........135.......76 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 janesays...........225............214.8.......160.......54.8 kimaly.............194............191.........160.......31 Lindar172..........246............229.4.......150.......79.4 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............201.........169.......32 lotzasunshine......270............263.5.......180.......83.5 Loveislovely.......216............210.........175.......35 ltgordon...........284.8..........262.8.......185.......77.2 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............225.........140.......85 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............192............192.........130.......62 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............163.........125.......38

I think I'd ask questions about my insurance coverage, whether his office has had any experience with your particular insurance package. Seems to be the thing that delays the lap band the most often. Other than that, ask about physical restrictions you might experience, whether you have any other surgeries that might be done at the same time (e.g., a hernia repair is common, though maybe not at your young age), and maybe what you should expect for the first few weeks after surgery. What is his policy on calling the office with questions, especially right after surgery? Does he have an emergency number? I think complications are rare, but it never hurts to ask about the fallback stuff, like who/when to call, etc.

The only time I've fainted is after either not eating enough protein or not having enough iron in my system. Might be something unrelated.

I didn't start feeling restriction until my second fill. Then, of course, I started the PB'ing as well...so the more restriction you have, the more careful you have to be with "chew, chew, chew" and avoiding tough meats like some steaks, etc. I even PB'd on a hamburger patty. I have 6 cc's in a 14cc band. I do get hungry, but nothing like I did before my second fill...it seemed to really help. I got that done in January, so I'm thinking of making an appointment for another one in March. I still get hungry too, but not so bad once I started increasing the Protein content in my breakfast/lunch shakes. That's basically what I eat - Protein Shakes for Breakfast and lunch and dinner with the family if they aren't eating something I can't have like pizza. Otherwise it's Protein shake again. For my lifestyle with working every day, it works for me - so far. Hope that helps!

It seems there are so many reasons that this could be happening. The best thing to do is to check with your surgeon and review everything that you're doing, etc. Maybe you need an adjustment in the fill, maybe you need to focus on protein shakes for a while...it just depends on what your body is doing and it seems to be very individual. I'd encourage you to check with your doctor to see if something's goofed up with the band or if perhaps you need to adjust something in whatever you're doing to lose and maintain weight. Just a thought...

This happened to me a couple of times, even early on. For me it was just a matter of time before it got started again. I remember a two-week period when I did everything right (or so I thought), and nothing! Very frustrating. But it does eventually come off, sometimes several pounds at a time (e.g., in a week). Everyone is different, but I just want to encourage you, and let you know that plateaus can happen even early on.

I live in Southern California too, and work just north of where the 605 and 10 freeways intersect...there are at least 4 or 5 of these lapband billboards on each side of the freeway there. I've seen them close to where I live at the 60 and 57 freeways, and expect to see more. The radio ads on KFWB are for the same group, and have actual patients talking about their experience. They are a little misleading in that they might imply that you can lose 50 pounds in 3 months - which I suppose is possible - but they never mention that the first part of having the lapband is sheer will power! :thumbup: Not until the fills start actually working does the lapband part really kick in. So I do find it misleading in that it might give the impression that it's not hard work that makes the lapband work, but that it's kind of a magic pill that just magically makes you lose enough weight to buy clothes one weekend and have them "fall off" the next. On the other hand, I think I heard about the lapband from one of these billboards, and then asked my regular doctor about it. I then found this website (the first I subscribed to), as well as Obesity Help, and am actually grateful that I heard about Lapband somewhere, somehow. My husband is very much against gastric bypass but was persuaded that the lapband is safe, and we proceeded from there. I guess if it gets the word out, it's good - and as long as everyone understands that it's their own responsibility to use it as a tool (not a magic solution or silver bullet), then it's probably less harmful than it is good. Everyone is responsible, after all, for their own actions, wherever they hear about the surgery. I'm just grateful that I heard about it mid-year 2008 to pursue it as an option. My blood pressure is now below normal, even though I'm still on medication, and I'm healthier than I've been in years. It also got me interested enough in lapband to think that I might actually succeed at losing weight this time. While the billboards are WAY overkill (something like 5 of the same billboard within a one-mile span on the freeway), I'm grateful that I heard about it. I think the radio ads are actually more misleading.

Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal_________ToGo *****:tt2:***********:eek:*************:thumbup:********************* :thumbup:*** Babe...............308............300.2.......199.......101.2 Brandy.............198............194.........166.......26 Cappy..............240............239.........130.......109 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 Clarebear08........192............185.........160.......25 Donna113...........183............180.5.......126.......54.5 Ebonie.............307............307.........200.......107 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............408.........300.......108 GratefulHeart......226............215.........135.......80 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 janesays...........225............224.6.......160.......64.6 kimaly.............194............191.........160.......31 Lindar172..........246............235.4.......150.......85.4 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............205.........169.......36 lotzasunshine......270............265.5.......180.......85.5 Loveislovely.......216............210.........175.......35 ltgordon...........284.8..........262.8.......185.......77.2 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............225.........140.......85 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............168.........125.......43 Getting there! :thumbup:

Name___________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal_________ToGo *****<?xml:namespace prefix = v /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f" filled="f" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600">:cool2:</v:shapetype>***********:wink:*************:tt2:***********:thumbup:********** :thumbup:*** Babe...............308............300.2.......199.......101.2 Brandy.............198............194.........166.......26 Cappy..............240............239.........130.......109 Chocolate_Snaps....244............224.........175.......49 Clarebear08........192............185.........160.......25 Donna113...........183............180.5.......126.......54.5 Ebonie.............307............307.........200.......107 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............408.........300.......108 GratefulHeart......226............217.........135.......82 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 janesays...........225............224.6.......160.......64.6 kimaly.............194............191.........160.......31 Lindar172..........246............235.4.......150.......85.4 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............205.9.......169.......36.9 lotzasunshine......270............265.5.......180.......85.5 Loveislovely.......216............216.........175.......41 ltgordon...........284.8..........262.8.......185.......77.2 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............225.........140.......85 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 WOWOX7.............173............168.........125.......43 __________________

Someone yesterday mentioned to me that she thought I looked like I was losing weight! That's great, but that's not the problem (yet). What she said was that my clothes looked awfully big and that I should take them in. My happy problem is that nothing in my closet fits! I went through everything and took out all of the clothes that are ridiculously big and kept the few things that don't make me look like a clown. I'm going to fill my car's trunk with these too-big clothes and donate them to the hospital's WLS support group closet. I have three suits left, two pairs of pants, about 6 pairs of jeans, and maybe 20-30 shirts left. Only one suit really fits, the pants are really big, but I can hide it by wearing a jacket over the pants with a belt that cinches the pants in the back so no one can really tell. :thumbup: In the meantime I'll bring out my sewing machine again and start sewing some new clothes - the easy ones, like pants - and stretch the use of the clothes I have left. I had purchased a few things that ended up being too small when I bought them, but are now either just right or just a little bit too big. I don't think I have anything at all that is too small anymore. What a happy, happy problem to have! I thank God for all he's done to help make this work out. I know the real work is on my shoulders, and I've only had one fill (getting another one Thursday), so it's mostly Protein shakes and willpower so far. Been working on it now for 3 months, since October 10. I haven't lost as quickly as some, but my surgeon said it's expected because of my age (I'm 56) but that I'm still doing okay. Hurray!!

Rats...mine got lost. So I'm posting again. I'm hoping to make it to goal by the end of the year! We shall see! Name_________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal________ToGo *****<v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" filled="f" stroked="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe">:cool2:</v:shapetype>************************:tt2:*********:thumbup:****** *** Brandy.............198............196...........166...........28 Ebonie.............307............307...........200...........107 GratefulHeart......226............223...........135...........88 Lindar172..........246............246...........150...........96 Long2BThin.........216............212...........169...........43 lotzasunshine......270............270...........180...........90 Loveislovely.......216............216...........175...........41 Mamanmidwife.......264............264...........200...........64 vzghj3.............202............202...........150...........52 __________________ __________________

Name_________StartWeight___CurrentWeight______Goal________ToGo *****<v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" filled="f" stroked="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe">:cool2:</v:shapetype>************************:tt2:*********:thumbup:****** *** Brandy.............198............198...........???...........? Ebonie.............307............307...........200...........107 GratefulHeart......226............223...........135...........88 Lindar172..........246............246...........150...........96 Long2BThin.........216............212...........169...........43 lotzasunshine......270............270...........180...........90 Loveislovely.......216............216...........175...........41 vzghj3.............202............202...........150...........52

You go, wendytip! Awesome reply! Aperfectwom, I don't know much about ADD, but I do know that it can be hard for anyone to keep focused, especially long term. I'm probably obsessive compulsive myself, so I focus a lot of energy on maybe one or two things at a time and usually beat it to death, lose interest, and go onto something else. With this WLS, it's been different because the band is permanent - it's a permanent reminder for me for when I eat too fast, or take bites that are too big. I hate the PB that results! As far as sticking to the overall goal, I have to make mini goals for myself. For now I have a goal that is probably too big to attain for February 14. Then I have another one for March 15, my niece's wedding day. I'll have to come up with another one after that. I also have to learn not to be impatient because I want it done now and I want to be healed of all that caused me to get this big in the first place! :confused: But I know that's not how it works and I have to keep focused on the goal. I also remind myself of those Bible verses where Paul is saying he has fought the good fight, he has won the race, and all that goes into winning. It's a combination of all these things - goals, inspiration, desires, and hopes - that help me to keep focused. Once a week (at least, but more because I'm so compulsive about it), I track my weight and measurements. I also had a scare with high blood pressure, which caused me to start this journey in the first place, so I remind myself that I'm doing this to live longer. I read web sites like this one when I can, and look at "theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com" for recipes that look good (especially for protein ice cream, since ice cream is one of the things I miss the most) and make plans for future recipes. It's just another way for me to focus, focus, focus. And remember my goals. I also have an exercise bike with iFit routines for weight loss that always remind me to remember my goals. And my family is a great support system for me, though my stepkids have no clue what it's like to be overweight, let alone obese. But they help nonetheless. All these things keep me going plus the hope that someday I'll look good in a dress. I keep picturing those small sizes....anything to remind me about why I'm doing this. Sorry to be so long winded, but it's probably all I can think of for the moment. Like wendytip said, Hang in there!!