Hello everyone,

My name is Suzanne. I am 31 years old, married to a wonderful man, and just had my first son in 2010. I have been overweight since 5th grade. Slightly at first and throughout high school, then ballooned to about 250 pounds in college. I have tried many diets, exercise, personal trainers, etc. I did lose about 70 pounds once through Atkins, but slowly gained it all back. After I had my son, I weighed 230 pounds. Then I managed to gain another 22 pounds, putting me at my current weight and all time high of 252 pounds. I'm unhealthy and embarrassed, and I desperately want to change.

I've been thinking about the Lap Band for a couple of years, and finally started seriously pursuing it in October. And while my surgery is set for Friday, I'm still struggling with the idea of it. The two people I have told (my husband and mother) both tell me that I can lose the weight without it if I really try. But they are also the first people to shove Cookies in my face when I tell them I'm on a diet. I feel as though I SHOULD have the strength and willpower to just say no to food and do this on my own, but I don't. I never have and fear I never will. Is the Lap Band a cop out? I don't know. I just know that I want to be healthy, have more energy, and be able to walk into a store other than Lane Bryant for clothing. My biggest fear right now is failure to lose weight even with the Lap Band. I mean, how humiliating would it be to have this drastic surgery done and still not lose weight? It's the most terrifying thought to me right now. Please tell me someone out there understands how I'm feeling...

All of that being said, I'm excited and determined. I don't want to set mini goals. I have ONE goal, and that's to be 135 pounds by December 31st, 2011. It's not going to be easy, but I am hoping to find encouragement and support from those who have gone through and are going through this process with me: ALL OF YOU!

Hi Nena - Congratulations! I'd love to support each other through this.

Jewals - We are about the same weight now and being banded close together. How much do you hope to lose? I'd love to chat more through the mailbox on here.

Again, thanks to all for the support and understanding. Getting more nervous as the big day approaches. I'm glad I found this site.

Suzanne,

The band is not a cop out, not cheating and definitely not taking the easy way out. I felt this way once too. For years I thought, "oh I could do it myself, I wouldn't dare get surgery, that's cheating, it's just for lazy fat people.." and all that hesitation, stubbornness and lack of education did was pack on another 110lbs in 10 years. but after failing repeatedly at dieting, years of gaining and losing I finally decided to READ ALOT, get educated about myself, my body and the procedure and talk to some doctors.

The band is a tool. not a magic pill.. The only thing the band is doing is making us feel fuller faster, it keeps us from over eating giving us no room to pig out, and it mentally helps steer us in the right direction in making every bite count towards nutrition, not pleasure (for me it does, but everyone is different).

It doesn't make our decisions for us, it doesn't cook us healthy meals and it definitely doesn't pick us up and force us to work out (too bad it doesn't lol). It takes work and determination. Does it make it a little easier than doing it on our own?, for me yes and for a lot of us YES!

And you ask how humiliating would it be to fail with the lap band? it just might be. None of us know for certain if we will fail or not, but we give it our all, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. For me the 50/50 chance was worth it, because my only other option was 100% failure if I tried AGAIN on my own.

For me it's less humiliating to try my hardest with this band, then to sit around getting fatter, or to struggle on my own just to keep failing anyway. You have to be completely in this emotionally, mentally and intellectually before you make a decision. I wouldn't listen to negative things people have to say, people always shoot down things they don't understand, like the struggle with weight loss and what the lap band really means. Do this for you, no one else.

Good luck to you!

Well Said Victoria!

Well Said Victoria!

Thank you!

Congratulations Suzanne. I hope you meet your goals!

Thank you all for your stories and encouraging words. I think I would have chickened out had not been for this site. Had my surgery this morning and writing this update from the hospital (my insurance, unfortunately, forced me to spend the night). Everything went really well, my belly button incision isn't even visible, and I loved my surgeon (Dr. Enochs in Raleigh). I am very, VERY sore.

Hello everyone,

My name is Suzanne. I am 31 years old, married to a wonderful man, and just had my first son in 2010. I have been overweight since 5th grade. Slightly at first and throughout high school, then ballooned to about 250 pounds in college. I have tried many diets, exercise, personal trainers, etc. I did lose about 70 pounds once through Atkins, but slowly gained it all back. After I had my son, I weighed 230 pounds. Then I managed to gain another 22 pounds, putting me at my current weight and all time high of 252 pounds. I'm unhealthy and embarrassed, and I desperately want to change.

I've been thinking about the Lap Band for a couple of years, and finally started seriously pursuing it in October. And while my surgery is set for Friday, I'm still struggling with the idea of it. The two people I have told (my husband and mother) both tell me that I can lose the weight without it if I really try. But they are also the first people to shove Cookies in my face when I tell them I'm on a diet. I feel as though I SHOULD have the strength and willpower to just say no to food and do this on my own, but I don't. I never have and fear I never will. Is the Lap Band a cop out? I don't know. I just know that I want to be healthy, have more energy, and be able to walk into a store other than Lane Bryant for clothing. My biggest fear right now is failure to lose weight even with the Lap Band. I mean, how humiliating would it be to have this drastic surgery done and still not lose weight? It's the most terrifying thought to me right now. Please tell me someone out there understands how I'm feeling...

All of that being said, I'm excited and determined. I don't want to set mini goals. I have ONE goal, and that's to be 135 pounds by December 31st, 2011. It's not going to be easy, but I am hoping to find encouragement and support from those who have gone through and are going through this process with me: ALL OF YOU!

Hi Suzanne,

I understand completely how you feel, I am 52 and have felt the same way you do for 15yrs.

Have come to realize that I really needed help outside of dieting and exercising to reach my goals. Several of my doctors brought the Lap Band to my attention, I started researching attended the seminar and I was hooked. It is one week to the day since I had surgery. Have lost 25llbs. and so incredibly happy and looking forward to be much healthier me over the summer.

Just a word of caution, the Lap Band is a tool, and everyone looses weight differently. Don't set yourself up for heartache if you are not 135llbs in one year, whatever weight you do loose will be heading you to wards your goal of being a happier and healthier you! You need to go with your heart and whats best for you!! Best of luck to you on Friday.........please keep us posted on how you are doing. Lori

Hi Lori, thanks for your reply and congratulations on your weight loss. Something tells me I will not have lost 25 pounds by next Friday...that seems like such an insane amount! I definitely won't be hard on myself if I don't quite meet my goal by 2012; I just want to have a clear target to keep aiming for. I'd love to hear more about how you're doing in the upcoming weeks, since we were banded just seven days apart. Best wishes!

Hi Suzanne,

I understand completely how you feel, I am 52 and have felt the same way you do for 15yrs.

Have come to realize that I really needed help outside of dieting and exercising to reach my goals. Several of my doctors brought the Lap Band to my attention, I started researching attended the seminar and I was hooked. It is one week to the day since I had surgery. Have lost 25llbs. and so incredibly happy and looking forward to be much healthier me over the summer.

Just a word of caution, the Lap Band is a tool, and everyone looses weight differently. Don't set yourself up for heartache if you are not 135llbs in one year, whatever weight you do loose will be heading you to wards your goal of being a happier and healthier you! You need to go with your heart and whats best for you!! Best of luck to you on Friday.........please keep us posted on how you are doing. Lori