Hello LapBand Talk, LapBanders, & Future LapBanders,

My name is DeShawn and this is my first post here on LapBand talk! I am 30 years old, married with 3 kids. I'm a veteran of the US Army and now I'm a defense contractor. I've always been a big guy and losing weight has always been a troubling and not so fun task. When I graduated high school and decided to join the military, I was 315 lbs. and climbing.

One day I mentioned joining the military to my best friends dad who was in the reserves and needed to drop a few pounds before his next PT test. So the next morning we met and started a year long journey of running 2 to 5 miles daily, along with push-ups, sit-up, jumping jacks, and other various military exercises. About a month into our routine, I saw minimal changes if that.

A co-worker of mine mentioned to me that his son had lost a lot of weight by eating tuna fish (right out of the can) with mustard, and spinach (right out of the can), and drinking lots of Water. A month later I had lost an astonishing 20 pounds. By the time I entered the miltiary, I was weighing about 215 lbs. If my career wasn't hard enough dealing with deployments, it was even more stressful being concerned about being kicked out due to being on the "Fat Boy" program everytime I weighed in or took a PT test. I'd pass my tests with flying colors, but I was never able to make the weight of 205 and because of all the diets, diet pills, and working out 4 to 5 times a day, I would measure up for the tape test and would be over my body fat percentage.

After deciding to get out after 4 years, when once I wanted to retire, I immediately became a full-time student, single parent of my first child, and working a full-time job. All the working out came to a screeching hault. Toppled with drinking, and eating anything I wanted overtime I eventually went from 225 lbs to my current wieght of 375 lbs. I am 6'2" so I carry it pretty well, but 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and there was my wake-up call.

As a contractor, I'm supposed to be able to deploy all over the world, but in order to do so, I have to be able to pass a medical exam, and with diabetes, I can't. So after fighting for two years and getting no where with weight watchers, south beach, or even slim fast, or Atkins, I turned to LapBand after my wife had done some research.

It's a pleasure in advance to meet with some of you and I hope to give great advice as well as receive some great advice to/from fellow lapbanders and others on this site.

V/r,

DeShawn

DeShawn,

I too was in the military and subjected to AR 700-9. I lost weight to join and lost in basic. I was always in special PT and the overweight program. I got out in 2004 and watched myself eat my way to unhappiness.

Now, I am also trying to take the lapband journey. I just started the process. If you need support, email me....fellow soldier to fellow soldier, buffy.marie75@gmail.com