I posted this in response under another thread, but since it got so long I decided to cut and paste it as a new thread also....

Hang in there....It DOES WORK....

LAST CHANCE???? My Health was deteriorating fast! My family history was grim, having lost both my brother and sister from obese related illnesses...sister was the worse going through amputations, cardiac and other circulatory surgeries, infections, and finally renal failure....they flat out said she had too much going on to qualify for kidney transplant.

I started down the same road, diabetes out of control, my blood work was all over the place, nothing was normal. Had clogged arteries resulting in one hart attack, had to undergo cardiac surgery...

My PCP was very blunt and honest, told me I was a walking time bomb and did not have long to live. Stated if I could but loose 50-60 lbs, this would all start to reverse itself. It was my LAST CHANCE!

Knowing that I have tried every diet under the sun, and failing miserably at every one of them,

He recommended weight loss surgery and referred me. WLS was my LAST CHANCE!

That is why I have never taken this lightly...full steam ahead...I can care less what others think, let them find their success. I found mine!! NO WHINING HERE

I want this band to do the maximum performance, everything I anticipated.Would not settle for anything less...

And it did!!! Lost over 100 lbs in a year......all my illnesses have been reversed...no more medications or insulin injections.

I go to the gym every chance I get. (it's 4 am as I'm typing this, will be at the gym at 5)

My hunger/cravings are in check, have no interest in food or eating most of the time. And when I do eat, the band limits my portions, making it impossible to overeat or binge. Also, when I do eat, all I do is eat wisely, making healthy choices.

No more diets, no more calorie counting.....

Does not mean I don't enjoy the treats in life...I do! It's just that I don't make a pig of myself...all things in moderation thanks to the band...

Head Hunger....perfectly normal, but it goes away eventually....I have gone out of my way to purchase something I was craving, only to throw it away after one or two bites.....

The band turned my life around...all my Dr.'s are astounded...(and I have/had a lot of them)

I do not, have not, any weight loss goals...how can I ??? I was OBESE because of a lifestyle of bad eating and being a coach potato....NOW my lifestyle has changed, and the reverse happened, I went on the opposite direction and lost weight until I was back to what my body determined was normal...where it should be for someone who eats right and gets plenty of exercise.

Maintenance?? I don't get it...I have been on many, many diets so I understand what maintenance is in terms of dieting programs.

But I am not on any diet program....simply put, because of WLS, my eating, what and how I eat, has been changed...and it will stay that way for the rest of my life....it is the New Normal for me. So there is nothing I can do differently.

I suppose I could get Fluid taken out of my band, to allow me to eat more, larger portions...but that makes no sense to me. Why would I want to do that?

I was fat-obese because I ate too much of the wrong things, I am now at optimal weight with very little body fat% because I eat less, way less, and eat good wholesome healthy foods...it's that simple.

Sprinkle on top of that fat burning exercise and there you have it. (notice I said fat burning, not calorie burning)

I should say, concerning my health improving and illnesses reversed, a Heart Attack, (MI) the damage is done to the cardiac wall - muscle and cannot be fixed, and with this, there are 2 medications I will take for the rest of my life....

BUT that does not stop me from running 3-5 miles 5 days a week, and strengthening what I do have.

Very inspiring. I've learned from your story over the last several months and I appreciate your willingness to help newbies. It's encouraging to hear of long term success with the band. You always make it clear that there's still work to do on our part, but when we do, amazing success can follow. Thank you!

May I chip in with my own story? To help others.

Yo-yo dieting from the age of 21 to 56. I wasn't actually big when I was 22- maybe all of 145lbs. But I dieted, gained, dieted, gained,

By the time I hit 298lbs I hated my body! I was ashamed and embarrassed of my gluttony and tried to hide it. My BP was too high. My knees hurt. I always felt unwell. Nothing like diabetes etc but it was likely things would get worse.

At 298 and aged about 53, I got down to 248 and stayed there a while. But it started creeping up.

So in 2006 I was banded,aged 55. I lost all my excess weight (110lbs) in 15 months. I was actually too thin, not in terms of BMI but at that age, under 140 made me look old and ill. So I allowed myself to go up to my now comfort zone of 155-165.

I have not found maintenance as easy as B52. It was for the first four or five years. In fact, I distinctly remember wondering why people said it was hard! But by the time I was 6 years post-op, it started to get harder. Now at 9 years, it is a battle. So far I have won! And I intend to keep on winning.

It has never occurred to me to have any Fluid removed. I know I would regain if I did. Although I have always kept my band loose, I have never relied on it to physically stop me eating. This is my paranoia! I have seen so many people thinking a tight band was good. It isn't! Weight may go quickly, but so may the band. It s the most common reason for serious complications.

But wls changed my life. And for me the band was the right choice. I do worry as on the U.S. Board which is my main online board, very few of those banded when I was still have their bands. But I am an optimist!