Thought I had made the decision to get a lap band. I'd talked with my insurance company, and since I've had multiple issues related to my immune system they encouraged me to look long and hard because even laparoscopic surgeries can be traumatic ( I know... I've had 15). I'm glad I waited!

This is going to sound like a cheesy ad, but I'm just offering an alternative before proceeding with banding/bypass... to make sure you really have to do it.

Having tried Atkins, Weight Watchers, Perricone, Palm Beach, yada yada yada... I was NOT interested in having to weigh and measure everything and micro-manage my eating. After all, it was food --- not my life. A means to and end --not the end. Know what I mean? And on those programs I drove everyone in my family batty because I had to eat very specific things prepared a specific way. I was grumpy, hungry, and on every one of them I gave up without much success.

So when my friend at work asked me if I wanted to join Slimming World (what a hoky name!), I wasn't very optimistic. But after being the largest girl in the office for 4 years running, I was willing to go and listen. Before my illness (lupus), I was a size 10 -- so I knew what I was missing, being able to wear anything and do anything. Really, I went in there with a bad attitude, but I heard their 'schpiel' and thought about it.

I decided to try it, because at 5'5", I weighed 289 pounds. It wasn't going to make a difference if it bombed. Id be out the $10 for the meeting. So I took it home and digested what they had to say... literally. Their program allows UNLIMITED (as in frequency and portions) fruit, vegetables, LEAN meat and fish, rice, Beans, and more. Sure, you have to be careful how you prepare it... but you'd be AMAZED with how many different sauces you can make out of fat free plain yogurt. I've made convincing-tasting bearnaise, alfredo and hollandaise sauce -- not to mention whipped "cream" in maple, almond, vanilla and other flavors. You make sure 1/3 of your plate is "superfree" food that speeds weight loss (fruits & veggies), and the rest is up to you.

In three weeks, I've dropped 19 pounds. Lap band would be hard pressed to beat that. The thing is, I EAT ALL DAY LONG, noshing on fruit, rotisserie chicken w/o the skin, sushi... I've even cheated quite a few times -- and I'm still losing that fast!.

I know it won't work for everyone, because some people can't force themselves to give up the comfort food and aren't willing to learn how to prepare it in a more healthy way; but you're going to be forced to make those changes anyway with a band. Cheat too much and you get physically sick.

All I'm saying is that for some people (like me), there IS another much-more-satisfying solution. Food is not the enemy. it's the junk we put in it and on it!!

Whatever you decide, I wish you health. There is nothing more demoralizing than the labels people attach to us because we're large. We're told we're 'slow", stupid, lazy, clumsy... I could go on. They're all a load of horse puckey, and we know it.

Blessings,

ElizabethInDallas (down from 289 to 268)

P.S. Slimming World is only available online to everywhere in the US except the Dallas TX metroplex (thier US pilot area) where they have support groups. Based on the success here so far (one lady in my group will be the first American woman on the program to lose 100 pounds next week), they'll be expanding soon. If you're curious, check out www.slimmingworld.com.

[Elizabeth, You are full of crap and have no business posting in this forum. You know damn well that you are hawking a product for your own benefit and have no interest in helping anyone lose weight. You are absolutely ridiculous and need to be barred from posting here. I only hope anyone reading your nonsense is smart enough to see through your advertisement.

[Elizabeth, You are full of crap and have no business posting in this forum. You know damn well that you are hawking a product for your own benefit and have no interest in helping anyone lose weight. You are absolutely ridiculous and need to be barred from posting here. I only hope anyone reading your nonsense is smart enough to see through your advertisement.

AGREED

TOTALLY AGREE with the rest.. I have lost 18 pounds in 10 days JUST on the liquid diet, im one day out and lost another pound..go post this CRAP somewhere else!!!

Don't you all just love spam?

I am sick of people always trying to take advantage of our issue (obesity). Stay out of our forum scamers.

[Elizabeth, You are full of crap and have no business posting in this forum. You know damn well that you are hawking a product for your own benefit and have no interest in helping anyone lose weight. You are absolutely ridiculous and need to be barred from posting here. I only hope anyone reading your nonsense is smart enough to see through your advertisement.

Excuse me?? If you don't want to try it, don't. Want to side my pictures?! I'm a size 24 and was just as skeptical as you are. But to flame me, use profanity and dump your anger on me tells me you have bigger problems than the one we share. I'm just giving this a shot before I get cut on again. And to the dufuses who think only weird or liquid diets can help, youre I'm for a big surprise. My good friend at church got banded and shes stuck eating and drinking tiny little bits at a time. Otherwise she barfs. I'm pretty angry that what everyone told me about good was a total LIE.

If YOU tried somethimg pretty easy ando it kept you from having to be organically altered, wouldn't YOU want to tell your compatriots? Fine.. The band works... I was just sharing my hope. Its pretty sick to flame me just because you don't agree.

Excuse me?? If you don't want to try it, don't. Want to side my pictures?! I'm a size 24 and was just as skeptical as you are. But to flame me, use profanity and dump your anger on me tells me you have bigger problems than the one we share. I'm just giving this a shot before I get cut on again. And to the dufuses who think only weird or liquid diets can help, youre I'm for a big surprise. My good friend at church got banded and shes stuck eating and drinking tiny little bits at a time. Otherwise she barfs. I'm pretty angry that what everyone told me about good was a total LIE.

If YOU tried somethimg pretty easy ando it kept you from having to be organically altered, wouldn't YOU want to tell your compatriots? Fine.. The band works... I was just sharing my hope. Its pretty sick to flame me just because you don't agree.

Well thats what happens when you sign up on a bored for lap band. Your very first post sounds like an ad, looks like an ad. You know the old say "if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck" you know the rest.

AGREED

Sorry to burst your self-righteous and jaded bubbles. I'm not a spammer, nor am I lying. They wouldn't hire someone who's only been on their program a few weeks. You are the most negative people I've ever seen. You might want to get some prozac and really once you have your surgery.. Flaming someone for sharing their new hope and (albeit very early) success.

Why would you even join a site (today) that is for people that WANT to get lap band just to tell us that you dont want to get lap band. That is so stupid. Did you think you would be accepted with open arms. Not very likely. Most everyone on here has done so much research, we could probably do the surgery ourselves. So I would suggest not posting here anymore if you do not intend on getting the lap band and leaving this site for people that looking for support.

P.S. If it quits working, I'll admit that too. Like all the PO'd people that's are sick of being duped and taken for fools, I want a REAL life where I'm not criticized for my size; but I would also like to be able to eat normal portions if possible. How can anyone flame me for sharing my enthusiasm that its working so far??? Sounfs like a combination of jealousy and resentment...both of which are YOUR problem, not mine. I was only trying to help others that might be waffling, as I was. One could just as easily criticized you all for being Laptop Band reps. Sheesh.

Elizabeth honey, stop insulting our intelligence. You just admitted that you were "hired" by someone to hawk their product. Obviously you drank the kool-Ade! Stop insulting the nice peoople on these boards and telling us how jealous we are of you, Also, stop suggesting prozac.....when you are the one who needs drugs. I would really question any company that would hire you to sell their product. It is clearly some type of shady operation that hides behing alleged 'spokespeople' like you, Why dont you stop posting here and take some of that wonderful product that allows you to eat all you want, and leave us all alone.

P.S. If it quits working, I'll admit that too. Like all the PO'd people that's are sick of being duped and taken for fools, I want a REAL life where I'm not criticized for my size; but I would also like to be able to eat normal portions if possible. How can anyone flame me for sharing my enthusiasm that its working so far??? Sounfs like a combination of jealousy and resentment...both of which are YOUR problem, not mine. I was only trying to help others that might be waffling, as I was. One could just as easily criticized you all for being Laptop Band reps. Sheesh.

Gosh, i thought she would never leave... Kept on digging herself deeper didnt she?

Wow...she was a trip...glad I didn't see any of that ealier, I was ready to beat her up side the head

Even if what she says is true, all diets usually work until you stop "dieting". I chose the band for a "lifestyle" change like everyone else and couldnt be happier with my decision. Id like to see her results after a few years. A little advice to you (Elizabethindallas), stop wasting your time on another fad diet!