Ok so I've been lurking around this site for a while, finally got brave enough to contribute to a few posts and have discovered this is probably a safe enough place . . .spoken like a typical insecure obese person right?! My story in a nutshell . . . lost 160 pounds with a trainer, diet and exercise, waited the year of maintenance and for my skin to adjust to the new weight . . . went to a fabulous plastic surgeon in Brazil and had plastic surgery. . .even I can admit I looked amazing . . . I kept that off for three years then gained back about 140 pounds slowly over several years. My plastic surgeon would be so disappointed! So here I am . . . fat again . . . an expert at losing weight and a failure at keeping it off. I'm in the 6 month pre-op phase required by my insurance company. I'm using my expertise at losing to get the weight off again . . . I'm not going to wait for the lap band . . . but am getting the lap band so I don't have to experience failure with extreme re-gain again. I'm already 20 pounds down since January 4th and am feeling better . . . I'm sure my liver thanks me . . . so that's the long and short of it so to speak.

I just want to thank all of you here and on youtube who have been so forthcoming with your journey. It is so humbling to have failed with this issue over and over and over . . . It is really helpful for me to know I'm not alone in this journey and that with surgery there is hope. I really feel like this time with the help of the lap band . . . some emotional maturity . . . and the support of the weight loss community, I will finally have permanent . . .although hard fought . . . long term success. This is my year of new beginnings!

Welcome nubeginnings! Can't wait to watch you lose! Like you, I was a good dieter, just couldn't keep it off. With the band I am confident that this WILL be my last weightloss journey. Not saying I don't have my ups and downs, but what I have learned is that I have to be accountable to my journal. It keeps me in focus and on track. And when I go off track I know exactly where I am at instead of saying, "Well, I already ate such and such, I might as well have more". Even on the worst days of eating for me, I think I may have had 3 times of eating 2,000 calories for the day. I'm a year out, so I don't consider that too bad. Sheesh, before I could have easily had 5,000 calories in a day going out to eat!

Nice to meet you. Your profile picture is awesome! That says volumes. You have done amazing! Thank you for sharing your success with the LB. I'm glad to know it has been such a useful tool in your journey and to help you avoid regain. I completely understand the 5000 calorie, I already blew it anyway, binge! Unfortunately, a few too many of those have gotten me right back to where I am now. I'm so happy to know that the LB can be used as a tool to keep me in check during moments of weakness. I seem to do wonderful during the losing phase but the maintenance phase is where I will need the most help. Looks like you are almost there . . .wow! Thank you so much for sharing.