What made you say "hey, I am not going to be fat anymore"...what was that button that was pushed...or that comment that was made..or that look in the mirror that really set you off on this journey? I would love to know!

For me it was my mom asking me "why don't you every play with Kaylee (my daughter) in the floor anymore...she loves it when you sit on the floor with her and do a tea party!" It was because I couldn't hardly breath getting up and down from the floor. I was totally uncomfortable when I was down there and never could find that comfort zone. When my mom said that it hit me, that my weight had taken over my life and everyone that mattered to me.

Mine was turning 40 with 2 young children, knowing the next decade I'd be miserable because of my weight. I want to be happy and healthy during their growing up years. I hated the thought of turning 50 and still be struggling with my weight with no success.

I had my surgery in April 2005, and turned 40 in May. Now I'm well below 200 and on my way down. Healthier and happier! With a great hubby and kids. Yay! My 40's are off to a great start!

Mine was this picture, I felt like a cow. I was mortified when I saw it and scared that my daughter would lose her parents at a young age.

My turning point was not being able to find clothes that fit. I had to special order from catalogs, ebay or other online retailers or buy used clothes. I was also sick and tired of being sick and tired!

I was tired of being sad, and not having any peace of mind. My weight would always be there in my internal dialogue. I remember changing my sons diaper, thinking "my stomach is getting really big". It was just getting crazy. I would be thinking about my weight at the most ridiculous times.

Then my wonderful husband and I were talking nad he made the observation that you don't see many obese elderly people and that scared me. I'm only 34, but want to be around a long time esepecially for my babies.

So, May 12 I will be among the banded...translation...I'll be among the living again.

My turning point was turning 42 and hitting the highest weight I have EVER been. Seems the harder I try, the fatter I get, and I am just plain old TIRED.

Tired of hating being seen in a bathingsuit

Tired of feeling fat and depressed.

Tired of waiting to lose weight before I buy those clothes.

Tired of feeling like a failure.

T I R E D

Note, I am still pre op. Still tired.

PS, thanks for sharing that picture Butterkup. You look AWSOME!!!!!!!

I found out I had Venous Stasis at 40. VS is basically a problem caused by being a big ol' couch potato - but exercise caused severe back pain. It was an ill tiding for the future. If I was only 40 and already beginning to disintigrate - what would 50 bring?

Now, I feel like I have taken control. I get my first fill next week and I can't wait!!

One day a few weeks ago I went to the Beautytheripist for a session of laser hair removal. I had to take off most of my clothes and hop up on the therapy bed. Holy Bloddy Hell - the bed was in front of a mirror. I felt sick watching myself climb up onto that bed on my underwear. That was the lightbulb moment that told me that despite my best efforts over the past 20 years I had failed to be a healthy weight and I needed help. I remembered my Gyno suggesting labband after my second child and at the time I was offended but I should thank him now becasue it planted a seed.

for me it was a year ago that I really said, I need to get this under control. First off I am still not banded but am hoping everything will come together by mid april. but I noticed that I stopped going out (other than to go to the store or school) and didn't want to be noticed. over the last couple of months it has gotten worse. I just feel uncomfortable with the way I look. Just this sunday I was driving to the library and these teenagers in the car next to mine rolled down there window and held up a little stuffed piggy. what the hell they were doing with a stuffed pig was my first thought. but my second was to roll down my window and tell them if they didn't stop being as**oles I would eat them. thing is I don;t even think 220lbs is that bad. I just want to be healthy and feel better about myself. I have learned to laugh off other peoples stupidity. anyway this was kind of hard to share. thanks for listening.

For me, it was my BMI getting to almost 40 - I set that as the "diving line" that would make me decide to do something drastic. It was alarming to see my weight continue to creep up higher over the years, matter what I did.

So I had set "my BMI getting to 40" as a personal "turning point" but before it got there, I figured out at a BMI of 38, that I wasn't going to lose it without surgery. I had been on every diet, did the gym, starved myself silly - nothing worked for long.

I got approved for Weight Loss Surgery at a BMI of 38 and still the fight goes on.

So that's what did it for me.

Happy Band (and UnBanded) Journeys to all,

New Sho

It was a several things that all converged at the same time. Feeling tired and fat. Having horrid sinking feelings that eventually landed me at the hospital with blood sugar reading of 39. Finding out that I have Insulin Resistance, high cholesterol, and borderline high blood pressure.... the cluster of these 3 putting me at the highest risk for future heart disease. Being put on meds for the previous 3 conditions (at age 38). I had "dieted" my way from 175 to 225 over the last 5 years and realized I flat out needed help.

For me, it was that I was simply existing, but not living. I had fallen into a deep deppression over my weight. I felt like I was twice my age. I was mentally exhausted of all of the diet failures. I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror anymore. I realized that I was obsessing over my weight every day. I saw this tv show about a little boy who was teased by his school mates because his mother was overweight. He loved his mother dearly, but this really affected him. At first, I did this in order to be healthy for him. Now that I am losing, I realize that I am also doing this for myself. I haven't been this happy with myself in years.

Having been overweight ALL my life, I have come to many "turning points" before. There have been many times when I swore THIS was going to be the time, the difference, the real work was going to begin. And every time I'd give up, move on, resign myself to being fat.

Until I had children. That just changes everything, and my focus was suddenly not on the inconveniences being big caused me, but on the DANGER my size put my kids in. I couldn't chase them if they ran into traffic, for example--which is something that actually happened...thank god my husband was around!

It was a new vision of my future that got me off the couch and into the doctor's office. Two little girls who called me "Mommy."

It's funny, but when I show people this picture, they always say, I don't remember you being that heavy, well I do! I was so tired of being the largest person every where I went. I'm short, so finding clothes was a real pain, but my turning point was when I discovered the band. I called out local WLS immediately, but they did not have a doctor who did the surgery, but hoped to be doing it soon. I hated leaving the house, although, I never considered myself depressed, I just didn't want to have to put clothes on.

When they finally had their first seminar on the band, I walked up to my doctor and said, "Hello, I'm going to be your first adj Lapband patient", and I was. Just think I had two doctors for the price of one, a proctor from Louisville assisted in all three of his surgeries that day.

Now my goal is to get back on track and give my band more respect...protein first.

BEFORE&AFTER306.BMP

I just gave up and said ok this is me I'm fine I was at 268 for yrs and content with that. I never considered WLS thought it was the "easy" way out. I only new of the RNY and I new people who died from that.

Then my HS GF told me her brother had the band go give him a call. It was a seed. I never looked into it further until I took a Beth Moore Bible Study last January. Thats when I realized the hold that food had on my life. The day I called my GF's brother I knew would be my no turning back day. So from August 04-April 05 I held his phone # in my wallet not ready to call. After God confirmed to me that this was his will for me I picked up the phone and called her brother. 5 months later I was banded. I'm so glad I did it!! Yesterday I went shopping and fit into Xlg and Lg sizes WOW WEEEEEE !!!! God is AWESOME!