She Smiles

Oh Neal I am just SO jealous right now. You must be wanting to just stand in front of the mirror looking at your FLAT tummy all day!

Chickie, you rock! :tt2: Can't wait to see the latest hot photos of you!

I was the chubby kid when I was younger and the biggest of my friends in high school, not obese, but definitely a few sizes bigger. I gained to about 90 kilos (200 pounds) when I first moved out of home when I was about 21 and then starved myself down to about 63kilos (145ish pounds) in about 8 months. Then it took me about 6 years to get back to 95 kilos and the rest seriously seemed to arrive overnight one night (well it was more like a year to 18 months after I sustained a knee and back injury and was unable to do ANY exercise without severe pain), I first met with my lapband surgeon at about 110kilos and was 115kilos (250 pounds) the day they gave me my surgery date.

Wow Neal you look fantastic!

Best of luck Amy! Let us know how it all went when you feel up to posting

HOORAY!!! EXCITING NEWS!!! 9 days is gonna fly!

Oh Lauren how awful! Must be a crappy week for everyone!! Fingers crossed things improve next week hey? I hope they get to the bottom of your allergy so you can avoid this happening again! I hope you feel better soon! *hugs*

Thats great news for you and your family Jacqui. Its quite a motivator and support having other family members who are banded (both my folks are now). You'll probably notice the difference in having some one on hand who "understands" the ups and downs. Good luck to Mr Jachut!

*hugest hugs* You and your family are in my thoughts. Take all the time you need to make the right decision for YOU.

My family tends towards getting each other a small gift instead of chocolate these days. Admittedly 3 of us are banded and we're all adults, so we don't have to worry about keeping any kidlets happy with sweets. Its really none of anyones business why you're not eating it! I'm with the others, tell them to mind their own business!

Wow wow wow Neal! Look at you! Sorry you had the complications that kept you in hospital longer. Hope you're feeling fit and healthy soon!

I'm actually going to be running my first half marathon on March 9 now, not in May. I'm almost ready :biggrin:

The gym won't firm up loose/hanging/stretch marked skin. And you can't target to lose fat from any specific area of your body. You can build muscle, but you can't say ok, by doing crunches I am going to burn the fat off my tummy. It just doesn't work like that (and my gosh how I wish it did!). I have been going to the gym/running since a month after my banding in Nov 06 and my tummy is still my worst area. I am thin except for my big bloated looking belly.

Lauren, I forgot to ask you, did the Doc say anything about getting pregnant after a TT? DH and I have firmly decided we don't want kids, but I need placate my Mum with some news that its still ok afterwards. She seems to think "I'll come around". Whatever.

Excellent news! 7 kilos is A LOT! Wow!

Lauren, you know that I am feeling the same way right now. We just have to sit tight and wait for our time to roll around. Patience isn't one of my virtues, thats for sure.

I'm glad it went well Lauren. Were those the sorts of prices you were expecting? What procedures are you thinking about having? I mean I guess the whole she-bang would be ideal, but will you be happy with the BL, Lipo and TT? I think getting another perspective/opinion/price to think about it a good option. I have my first consult next week. I've not made an appointment for a second one, but I know I have to eventually just to have covered all my bases.

The half marathon is March 9. I registered for it today, so theres not turning back now!! I know in my city some of the running clubs run training courses in preparation for half and full marathons. They schedule runs 3 or 4 days a week 12 weeks in advance and teach you all about nutrition and technique and the right clothes to wear etc. Its costs a few hundred dollars but if you want to start from scratch, something like that would be ideal. I'd just see if you could google and see if there are running clubs in your area and contact them to see. That said, I'm no running hero, I definitely don't look glamorous after 10kms like some of the runners do!

HAHA too true!!

You're right - I've done those things and am losing steadily again, but no where near as much as in my first 6 months or so. I'll get there, its just going to take time. Training for a half marathon should be helping!

You can all do this guys! There are a few of us more seasoned Aussie banded folk on this board too.

Mine is to get to final goal ASAP. I'm close, but not close enough. It gets a lot harder the more you lose because your body seems to get used to the small amount of food for fuel. By May would make me extremely happy....

Thanks for all your thoughts guys, I appreciate your time. I have had a consult appointment made for the 18th for a few weeks now, but as I am sure you can all relate am incredibly indecisive about this for a myriad of reasons. I'll just go ahead with the consult and see what the professional says. Neal, good luck for your surgery! Its so soon now!

Nina GOOD LUCK!!! Tami, can I say that it is reassuring for me to read that you are having some doubts - let me explain - I am SO sorry that you are in this situation at all, but knowing that its not just my wacky mind swinging and swaying on my *almost* decision to have a TT is a comfort. I'm glad to know that other people, like yourself have second, third, fourth etc thoughts. So - what I keep telling myself is that I have a whole lot more living to do in this body and will I really be happy looking like this for the rest of my days? Yes, it might be for vanity, but for me its also about my mental health. Like you, I didn't work my a$$ off, literally, exercising to have this body. I want the body I feel like I deserve. Thats just my 2 cents - ultimately, you need to do whats right for you. I've had mixed reactions from friends too, its always going to be that way. Try not to let them sway you (easier said than done). As an aside - to all of the PS inpirations on this thread - I've posted some before pics of my tum on my blog (link is in my sig below). Now I know none of you are Surgeons but you've seen a few befores and afters in the PS's that you've visited, I predict. In your opinion, have you seen befores that look like me? Am I going to be laughed out of the surgery and told that I need to lose more weight? What are your thoughts from a lay mans point of view? (sorry to hijack the thread a little for a moment).

In some ways were are very lucky in this country and in others, we are not. I believe that some insurance companies in the States will cover plastic/recontructive surgery, but no insurance companies will here in Australia (please correct me if I am wrong!). If you have a medical reason for needing the plastics, then medicare will cover part of the cost. So while part of the journey to a "new you" with the lapband is covered by insurance if you're with the right insurance company, once you get to goal and want to look the way you think you deserve to after your months of hard work, its $10,000 + to get that body. Thats the bit that no one really talks about. And I wish I'd been better prepared (info wise) for when this time came (I would have started saving back when I was banded in Nov 06). Just my 2 cents....