I was just banded on August 22, 2012, 12 days after my 30th birthday. I never thought I'd be here at 30. Over the past 3 weeks, I've become overwhelmed. I've been thinking about how much weight I have to lose to reach my goal weight of 160lbs. The number is over 200 and seems a lifetime away and unattainable. I've been thinking about what I will look like as my body changes. I haven't been under 300lbs since high school. Will I be happy and healthy after all of this? I wonder how people are going to act to towards me and how I will respond. I wonder if I'm ever going to have the confidence to enter the dating world so that I can hopefully meet someone and start the family I've always wanted. All of these thoughts keep running through my mind until I simply have to stop...breathe in...and exhale. All of my problems won't be solved because of my lapband and they shouldn't be exacerbated because of my lapband. I can make this process easy or more difficult than it needs to be. So I've decided to set small goals like losing 20lbs within my first 3 months post lapband. I will use the scale as a tool and not let it dictate my mood. I will exercise a minimum of 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes. I will use this site and other support systems as motivation. I will smile more and be more accepting of myself and my appearance. I will embrace this journey and have patience because the weight wasn't gained overnight, so I won't lose it overnight...but I WILL lose it!

One day at a time, Mimi! You will do great. I started at a low BMI so my loss is pretty slow, but it's the first thing I've ever tried that is consistently down and not up and down. After the first few months the time flies by and the losses (large or small) keep adding up. I wish you the best and congratulations for starting your journey! Just FYI my highest weight ever was almost 250, I was 224 before preop diet, 216 on day of surgery and am now at 172. I was banded in January of this year, and I know the losses could be more if I worked out harder, but I'm tickled with my results thus far! Looking forward to seeing your success!

Hi Mimi

Congrats on your courage to get the band ! I love that you are already so self aware - a good sign you will move toward your goal effectively. You have the right idea about focusing on short term goals to help offset what can be an overwhelming goal of dropping 200 lbs.

People seem to think pain is the great motivator ... Well, pain may get us To the path But it's Hope that carries us Down the path to our Victory. My sister (single mom w/4 kids) has lost 180 lbs SO FAR http://www.300poundsdown.com/

and I have lost 230 so far and we both did it 30 seconds at a time.

Success (Victory) isn't about doing extrodinary acts as some think ... It's about doing ordinary acts DAILY : ) We both did exercise DAILY - I would suggest that was Key - mentally even more than physically. It doesn't need to be 30 minutes - in fact that's quite a large number to start with for most people. Daily is more important - so 30 min x 4 days is 120 min per your plan. 7 days a week that's 17 min a day also add 30 seconds every day. You may find this benefits you more and moves you down the path faster : )

Hope in you Future is Power in your Present!

Lee

doing it 30 seconds at a time also............i just hope my legs/knees start feeling stronger/better so i can start walking more..def gets depressing sometimes

doing it 30 seconds at a time also............i just hope my legs/knees start feeling stronger/better so i can start walking more..def gets depressing sometimes

Hi CG,

How are you progressing? We are half way thru the crucial stretch between Halloween and New Years. Each decision we make today impacts greatly in the future.

Lee

I love your attitude. I had close to 200 pounds to loose also and felt so overwhelmed thinking I would never get there. I'm a third of the way there and like you set myself small goals and that's all I concentrate on till its time to set a new one.

Hi CG,

How are you progressing? We are half way thru the crucial stretch between Halloween and New Years. Each decision we make today impacts greatly in the future.

Lee

hey Lee

what a wonderful surprise asking me how i am doing ((((thank you and hugs)))))

i am down 80 since june (i could be more but i only weigh once a month at my dr and i dont go back til 12/11) but am judging my success by my clothes being looser and most importantly, my mobility. before i couldnt walk 10 feet without dying. and my knees/legs hurt so bad that i couldnt stand long/much. i am now walking a block at night (i can walk through a a grocery store/walmart and park in the parking lot without having to be dropped off at the door). that is a great feeling and def encourages me to keep ----keeping on.

trying my best to do what my dr advised me to do with my eating and exercising (Proteins first and veggies) and drinking alot......i think my mental positive is helping me very much. i dont dabble with the latest fads or the next best thing (as those things are like dieting and well, we know how that went).....i needed WLS..haha

so far, i am pleased

i am letting my band/plication do its thing

and the thing i am finding the hardest is looking in the mirror and seeing a change

i dont see it but i hear people say its there. not only in appearance but in my attitude.

i have found some esteem back and i guess the passive person i was is not so passive at work anymore ....you know the jolly ole fat lady, easy going.....

again, thanks for asking lee. this touched my heart today

Good work all! One day at a time.

hey Lee

what a wonderful surprise asking me how i am doing ((((thank you and hugs)))))

i am down 80 since june (i could be more but i only weigh once a month at my dr and i dont go back til 12/11) but am judging my success by my clothes being looser and most importantly' date=' my mobility. before i couldnt walk 10 feet without dying. and my knees/legs hurt so bad that i couldnt stand long/much. i am now walking a block at night (i can walk through a a grocery store/walmart and park in the parking lot without having to be dropped off at the door). that is a great feeling and def encourages me to keep ----keeping on.

trying my best to do what my dr advised me to do with my eating and exercising (Proteins first and veggies) and drinking alot......i think my mental positive is helping me very much. i dont dabble with the latest fads or the next best thing (as those things are like dieting and well, we know how that went).....i needed WLS..haha

so far, i am pleased

i am letting my band/plication do its thing

and the thing i am finding the hardest is looking in the mirror and seeing a change

i dont see it but i hear people say its there. not only in appearance but in my attitude.

i have found some esteem back and i guess the passive person i was is not so passive at work anymore ....you know the jolly ole fat lady, easy going.....

again, thanks for asking lee. this touched my heart today <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />[/quote']

Hey CG,

80lbs since June is very strong - congrats! I think only weighing in with the Doc is smart - especially the first year.

I hear what you are saying about not seeing the diff in the mirror. I am not sure at what weight you started but for me being 454 at highest recorded weight - it was like draining an Olympic sized pool with a shot glass... You wrk n wrk but the pool still looks the same ?!! However, I found the magic was in the exercise BECAUSE the measurable difference comes much more quickly AND it hastens the visual and scale improvement. As you said, huge huge diff between being gassed after walking 10ft and actually being able to cruise around Walmart.

In fact the Walmart walk is part of my program. Laying out a map of the benches inside Walmart and working around the store from bench to bench until I could actually make one lap without them ! My sister followed the same plan with the same results.

You are always very encouraging on LBT and active - I just wanted to say thanks and keep it up ... You are providing Hope an ingredient without which we can not succeed regardless of WLS.

Lee