I guess my question for you all is...How open are you about your band? Did you tell many people? Or are you the quiet type to not really say what you did and how you did it?

I told everyone, reason being I am more cautious about what I will put in my mouth. My family knows, my work, friends, and just about anyone I could tell. I want everyone to know how much this band has helped me really find my way to health (I quit smoking and I am cooking healthier and eating healthier), although not just for myself but my husband and kids as well!

My blog is below, please read and follow if you like!

I wish you all luck on your journey.

I am on facebook as well. Looking for other friends that are on the same journey as me!

Mandy Christian Barreiro (facebook)

I guess my question for you all is...How open are you about your band? Did you tell many people? Or are you the quiet type to not really say what you did and how you did it?

I told everyone, reason being I am more cautious about what I will put in my mouth. My family knows, my work, friends, and just about anyone I could tell. I want everyone to know how much this band has helped me really find my way to health (I quit smoking and I am cooking healthier and eating healthier), although not just for myself but my husband and kids as well!

My blog is below, please read and follow if you like!

I wish you all luck on your journey.

I am on facebook as well. Looking for other friends that are on the same journey as me!

Mandy Christian Barreiro (facebook)

I have been completely quiet about my band. My family doesn't know, my friends here don't know and only 9 months after being banded did I tell my best friend. Other then that the only other people who know I am banded are the people at my doctors office and his patients I help ( for support for them and myself).

I didnt tell anyone because i didnt want to hear allthe negative things people would say. Also my BMI was low and I live half way across the world from my family. I have also had some plastics done that again no one knows about. I will eventually tell people some things ( only closest people) but only what they will be able to figure out ( not lipo but tt scar is hard to hide)

i did tell my family and close friends before i got banded but i didn't tell any of my coworkers until people started noticing that i was losing weight.

when you eat lunch or go to happy hours, it is kind of hard hiding the fact that you eat so very little. it's helped me save money too because all my friends let me eat a few bites of their meal or appetizer so i don't have to order a whole one myself!

i've been extremely lucky... i have VERY supportive friends and family!

I was quiet at first but now I tell if asked - I do not volunteer the information. I have lost this weight quick (at least I think so) and people are noticing. I have had a great experience so far - no complications, so I want people to know that. It seems like everyone has a horror story to tell about friends of friends etc. I want a good story out there of someone successful with the lapband.

I tried to hide it at first because I was afraid this would be another thing I would fail. Now that I've lost 65 lbs. I have told my family and coworkers. It's kind of hard to keep saying you're just dieting when you tried and eventually failed every diet known to man.

I am very open about having had the surgery, and my experiences with it. I tell pretty much everyone, and I haven't really had any negative experiences. I had a couple of people who were concerned before hand, but they are all very very supportive. I lucked out in the amount of support I have.

I initially started out being quiet about it because I wanted it to be a personal quest and didn't want to be scrunitized or folks watching to see if I'm eating what they think are the proper things. I also didn't want a lot of questions, especially on the job. I'm friendly with folks, but my personal business is just that...personal. However, the news got out on the job, mixed with untruths so I explained the band in an email. My son works for another part of our organization and he took off work to be with me the day of surgery. When he told his boss why he wanted off, his boss mentioned to my boss that I was in the hospital, which made her worry that I had a stroke or something. After asking several of my coworkers if they knew I was in the hospital, I felt the need to set the record straight as to why. I even invited their questions. I told my children and sisters only a week before surgery. If I had it all to do over, I still wouldn't have share it at work. I guess I'm just a very private person. 2 weeks ago, I had a bad case of the flu, and found out later that some folks were speculating that I was sick due to the band - incidents like this validate my reasons for not wanting people to know because they jump to conclusions. Though people mean well, I now have a coworker making suggestions to me of what she thinks I should be keeping a record of. This is precisely why I wanted it to be private. I don't regret the band, I only regret folks knowing about it. If these folks were real supporters it would be different. I am very proud of my decision and 2 close friends that are supporting me!

i am going to try and keep my band a secret. My in-laws and my parents along with my wife know about it but thats it. To be honest i felt like a failure getting my band. I felt like i never tried hard enough and now this is my last resort. I know thats the wrong way to think but i still feel that way. So i figure because i feel that way other people will feel about the same and will judge me. My friends are all big drinkers and i was one of the biggest drinkers among my friends so i have slowly stopped drinking beer and fed my friends a story about how carbonation expands your stomach so i am try to quit it to see if i lose weight. I also quit going out to the bars except for special occasions. Even then i stick to mixed drinks or i'll order a beer and poor out the beer in the bathroom and add water so they think i am drinking beer. I have been big my whole life and i have been teased and judged my whole life so i feel that if people found out about this they would just do the same as before. So maybe after i have lost a considerable amount of weight and my confidence returns i will tell people but until then i am going to try and keep it a secret. As hard as that may be.

Some People I do tell others I dont, I dont tell the snoby people who I know, they would just put me down for haveing to get the lap band dune to help me slim down. but my friends and nice co workers i tell. and not guys, never them not tell the 3 or 4th date.

Ive been completely open, Im really bad at keeping things secret.

I am a little scared now (2days post op) that I will fail and everyone will know but fingers crossed i will be a success story

You will be a success! I finally hit my 50 lbs goal! Just made it! Super happy! I tell everyone about it! I worked very hard for it! I need to share it!

You will be a success! I finally hit my 50 lbs goal! Just made it! Super happy! I tell everyone about it! I worked very hard for it! I need to share it!

Congratulations on 50lbs!!!! thats a great accomplishment

I know i will be successful its just getting through this first stage

I started off quiet actually. I told a few people at work I was interested so that they might be able to help me with our insurance. After a few months of considering I told my Mom about it and she was reserved about her opinion. Eventually the whole family knew and everyone is either supportive, or keep their mouths shut. =) I am open about it now with friends and family, but people I'm not close with don't need to know. That's just the way I see it.

I was very quiet about getting the band until after I had it put in. I didn't want other people trying to convince me that it was a bad idea or tell me freak horror stories about "a friend of a friend" who diet tragically on the operating table. However after I was fully healed from the surgery and back to my old (yet slightly slimmer) self I told the world (facebook). If anybody asks how I lost weight I tell them the truth. I don't want to lie and I'm horrible at keeping my own secrets.

I guess i was a bit different about the band.

When i first got it, i was excited and told everyone was so happy. I was losing so much weight and looking great. Now, 4 years later and a re constructive surgery later...I don't really tell anyone that i had it done unless pushed to it. If someone said how did i lose all the weight..I tell them the truth...I put down the fork. I wrote down everything I Ate for 4 years now and it shows my lifestyle change and how i committed to this change. The lapband was a tool but was not the SOLE reason for my success. I've learned that people will be negative about it no matter what.

I actually went on a date recently with a girl and she and I got into a discussion about weight loss and she said that people that get the lapband are just lazy. I laughed it off and asked why. She said she saw people that got it just eat mcdonalds and wendy's and it isn't helping them and they just think it is a quick fix. I told her it was true but there were people that actually do work on it with the band. She didn't believe me and kept saying she doubts she would find someone like that. I finally disclosed to her that I had the lapband and was it funny to see a foot in mouth expression from her. I didn't get mad but actually laughed since most of the time she is right.

It is a personal thing. if you like to let people know....let them ...but don't always think it will be positive. If you want to keep it quiet...enjoy it and do it for yourself

In the end...all of the things you do...are for you and you should be happy and not care what the others think