So what kind of changes have you guys experienced since you started losing weight? I'm just very interested to talk to more people closer to my age who've gone through/going through things similar to me. Tell me your stories! I'm really interested in getting to know you guys!

I'm Stephanie and I'm 27.

I was banded on Nov. 5th.

I've lost 16 lbs so far.

I've noticed that my confidence is slowly rising...already.

Now your turn!

GO!

There are too many changes in my life to type them all!!! Whoo Hoo! But I will give you a top ten!

10. I can wear normal jewelry (ring size a 6.5-7; down from a 10) I love jewelry but couldn't wear much before!

9. I can wear a size medium shoe. Down from a double wide. Still wide calfs for boots but....

8. I don't need a seat belt extender for the plane.

7. I can bend over and tie my shoe without holding my breath.

6. I'm no longer ashamed to walk into a crowded room.

5. I like to take pictures now.

4. I wear shirts tucked in with belts.

3. I now feel like I don't embarrass my boys ages 14,13, and 11.

2. I love to shop for clothes now!!! Down from a size 24W to a 12~14ish, depending on item and brand.

1. I love to exercise now! I can run 3-5 miles!!!!

My life has changed so much for the better!!!! I love my band! I've lost 110 pounds and still going. It's taken me 2 years but I'm happy!

Thank you for sharing Meekie! You're an inspiration.

There are too many changes in my life to type them all!!! Whoo Hoo! But I will give you a top ten!

10. I can wear normal jewelry (ring size a 6.5-7; down from a 10) I love jewelry but couldn't wear much before!

9. I can wear a size medium shoe. Down from a double wide. Still wide calfs for boots but....

8. I don't need a seat belt extender for the plane.

7. I can bend over and tie my shoe without holding my breath.

6. I'm no longer ashamed to walk into a crowded room.

5. I like to take pictures now.

4. I wear shirts tucked in with belts.

3. I now feel like I don't embarrass my boys ages 14,13, and 11.

2. I love to shop for clothes now!!! Down from a size 24W to a 12~14ish, depending on item and brand.

1. I love to exercise now! I can run 3-5 miles!!!!

My life has changed so much for the better!!!! I love my band! I've lost 110 pounds and still going. It's taken me 2 years but I'm happy!

So very inspiring! Thanks for sharing!

This is a fun one to post on! (This is my first time on a forum!)

Let's see....

I've lost 69 pounds.

I've gone from a size 24 to a size 18 (I'm ALMOST in a 16!)

I've fallen in love and gotten engaged!!!

I've gotten a promotion at work- I feel this is a direct result of my energy level increasing and my self-esteem increasing!

I don't obsess about food and diet anymore, I just enjoy living.

I can TRULY exercise!

I'm a million times happier now!

This is a fun one to post on! (This is my first time on a forum!)

Let's see....

I've lost 69 pounds.

I've gone from a size 24 to a size 18 (I'm ALMOST in a 16!)

I've fallen in love and gotten engaged!!!

I've gotten a promotion at work- I feel this is a direct result of my energy level increasing and my self-esteem increasing!

I don't obsess about food and diet anymore, I just enjoy living.

I can TRULY exercise!

I'm a million times happier now!

WAY TO GO!

This is my first forum as well and I can't wait until I have stories like this to post. Congratulations on your engagement!

Congrats to all you!! I agree I can't wait to share my story! But it is great to see and hear that it works.. with hard work!

I am 20 and just got my band last month. I have lost 16 lbs that I know of. (decided to only weigh-in once a week...got a little obsessive.) I weigh myself tomorrow and I hope that I've lost more. =) Sure I have. I've been following the diet like a mad-woman. =) I, too, have felt my self-confidence rise. I almost feel like I look thinner already although I really don't see any change.

My life has changed in sooo many ways! I was banded Nov 12, 2009. Since then I've gone from a 26/28 to a size 16/18, deppending on the brand. I've gone down to a ring size of 6. I am 1 pound from being overweight, instead of obese. I can go to the gym, and not feel like an idiot. I can walk for miles on end, just because. I can wear high heels now, not just kitten heels, but 4 inch heels. I like to go just try on clothes now. When I look in the mirror, I'm starting to see how I actually look, not the 298lb girl I was, but someone who actually looks kind of skinny. I have curves, and I'm not afraid to use them! Lol. My self-confidense is so much higher. I'm not afraid of traveling anymore because of seatbelts, I know they will fit now. I can cross my les normally. I feel better about myself. I now weigh what I weighed beggining of sophmore year, and am back wearing the same sizes I was in Junior High.

this is an inspiring thread! I still have a ways to go but have lost 35 since starting my liquid diet pre op and post op feeling good!

My name is Katie. I'm 26 years old. I was just banded 2/16. I'm still in the very early stages so I haven't seen the direct changes yet, but it's very inspiring to hear what everyone else has to say. It makes drinking these protein drinks all the time totally worth it =)

I was banded a week after I turned 23 and now I'm roughly 9 months out and 70+ pounds down. Here are some things I've noticed.

1. People randomly strike up conversations with me.

2. I get hit on ALOT.

3. My ring size has gone from a tight size 11 to a loose size 8.

4. Shoe size has gone from a W10 to a regular size 8 1/2.

5. I used to wear W20-22 and now I'm at a size 12 Juniors.

6. I can cross my legs with ease.

7. I can see my bones! (collar bones, ankles, and wrists)

8. I've become extremely flexible.

9. I can sit in a chair with arm rests and not feel like I'm going to break the arm rests with my fat ass.

10. I just discovered I had an hour glass body shape.... yay!

Hi Girls!

I am really considering this surgery (if you can call it that), I currently weigh 145.5kg's and I have been struggling to lose weight forever!!! First time I heard of this was today. Does it have any side effects? I am trying to fall pregnant but the gynae needs to do ovary drilling because my ovaries are inactive but won't do it until I am under 100kg's. Can the band be removed? Any idea of the cost's involved, I live in South Africa!

Any details you could give me would be really helpful!

Thank you

Steph

Hey Steph!

There are possible complications with getting the lapband (errosion/slippage). The band can be removed and the fluid is adjustable. The cost varies by where you have the surgery. You should do your research and find out as much as you can about the lapband. You can simply google it and you can find out quite a bit about it.

I actually just wrote something like this in my journal not so long ago and when I saw this post I decided to share them. Some are small and may seem insignificant to some but the small ones are things I never thought would happen to me!

Some changes since my surgery:

1. Not having a "X" in front of my shirt size-I even wear size medium scrub pants!

2. Being able to wrap my hand around my wrist (I have always had huge wrists, couldn't even wear watches without extenders).

3. (Goes along with #2)-Can fit my watch strap comfortably in the second hole.

4. Can wear shoes without the "W" behind the size and can wear high heels!.

5. Not needing a plus-size graduation gown when I graduated from nursing school.

6. Seeing with my own eyes that I have collarbones without having to shrug my shoulders to see them (For a while I wasn't even sure I had collarbones because they were nonexistant)!!

7. My double-chin is almost gone! It still peeks out in some pictures, which I don't like, but I can now take pictures and not have to worry about sticking my chin out so the double chin goes away.

8. I can button up a pair of size 12 jeans!

9. I am getting attention from the opposite sex, which has never AND I REPEAT NEVER has happened before! It is almost strange to me because I do not know how to act at all.

10. My brother is getting married in June and I am really really close to thinking I am going to look beautiful on that day.