Hello everyone, name is Steve and my surgery date is fast approaching. I'm learning things by the seat of my pants after having switched gears from a U.S. surgery to a Mexico based surgery.

Pre Op diets all seem to be different.

Advice seems to all be different.

I am anxious, and a tad bit nervous....

I'm a 34 year old who is recently divorced from my wife (and daughter). Yah, the daughter was the big loss. Since my separation and subsequent divorce I've gain.. you ready..... 245 lbs! Yah, I basically doubled in size battling depression and separation anxiety disorder while I adjust to life without my daughter in my life everyday.

In the past I managed to lose 260 lbs on my own, working out and eating healthy. That occurred from Jan 01 to December 01.. Thats right, 11.5 months and it was all gone! The weight was off...

Then, I met the girl of my dreams.. Got married, had my daughter Avery and settled into a nice lil life... for a while.. then it happened... Divorce.. eating problems, and I went off the deep end gaining about 10-12 lbs a month for two years and hear I am now...

This is a must, I tasted the good life.. and want it back..

Congrats on your upcoming surgery.

Sorry about the probs you went through.

I wish you lots of luck. :biggrin:

I appreciate the QUICK kind words...

Looking forward to more stability.

That's the most unbelievable story i've ever heard. For someone to be able to lose that much on their own and then gain it back. I'm sorry if i sound rude but my mouth is hanging open right now. I have gained and lost but never been able to lose that much on my own, especially all at once. I wish you the best of luck! I hope this is what you need to get your life back! :biggrin:

Hi Steve: congratulations on your upcoming surgery. You've been through so much and I admire your strength. It will serve you well.My doctor speaks of many TOOLS to get us to goal. I have a food addiction and Overeaters anonymous has helped so much. I also am in counseling. You know it all weaves together.LUCK and a great journey.

Wow, this forum is loaded with support. I can tell already I'm in the right spot.

Amazing, to an outsider. For myself, I've let down a lot of people who followed me through the previous Journey.

Interesting enough when I lost the weight the first time I watched the Subway guy Jared on Oprah Winfrey the day I started in Jan 01. It was NOT him preaching about what he ate that did it it was the timeframe which he accomplished his weightloss Oddly enough it was roughly 11 months. I though, wow, I can change my life in 11 months and it was on. Now I've let myself go and didn't care for much of the battle. I kept telling myself I could "do it again"... My life has changed, my body has changed.. I'm not the same person I was in 01..

Thanks for the kind words, I wish you luck as well sir...

I'm hoping my overall knowledge of both fitness and nutrition will ultimately allow me to get through this and help me on my way. It certainly cannot hurt...

Well I wish you lots of luck. Your story is very touching and I hope your life only gets better from now on. I started at 419 I dunno what it's life to be larger than that. I have a horrible time now. Today at my weigh in I was below the 400 mark hit 398.5 was estactic started crying tears of joy. I can't WAIT until I am banded in November.

Wishing you sooooo much luck.

Lap Dancer..

Thank You. YOur correct, the reason I'm here is I finally stopped and told myself "I have a problem"

Its time to fix it.. You go from overweight to where I am at right now.

Its an addiction in some eyes, and I was filling a huge void to say the least.

Grandest of days to you as well!

I wish you the best of luck! For some people, it's hard to believe how you could lose so much weight and then gain it all back but in reality, that's what happens to obese people like us. My story is not as traumatic as yours but I was on Weight Watchers for two years and lost over 75 pounds. My family and I move back to Texas and I gained 100 pounds within 6 months. It was very depressing and humiliating but I didn't care, I just kept eating..and lying to myself that I wasn't as big as I thought. I know how it feels to lose a battle but guess what...you are alive and will survive this heartache and you will win this battle.

I think your surgery is the same day as mine..keep in touch! We can push each other to a new beginning and hopefully a HAPPY one!!

Appreciate the kind words, it sure does come on fast especially if you are in denial.... Nobody understands a person with a weight problem like a person with a weight problem. It is nice to hear from you, I'm scheduled on July 30th and am actually being banded in Mexico.

Super nervous.. but that is to be expected...

Thanks so much for the post, I'm just getting used to all this :-)

I definetly understand the nervousness..but I have found alot of support on this forum and I think it will def. help you too! Blogging usually isn't my thing but I am finding it quite fun! haha...Keeps me smiling which hasn't happened in awhile!

Good luck on the 30th!

I just wanted to wish you the best of luck and will keep you in my prayers. I also pray that you will be together with your daughter Avery again really soon, I don't know what I would do if I were apart from my children. Keep your chin up things will all come together in the end.

Congrats on the decision to get the lap band. Its the best thing I ever did for myself. Concentrate on getting ready for the surgery, follow whatever the doctors tell you to do. The presurgical work is well worth it. The goal is to shrink your liver so then can put the band in. So, please since you have made this decision, follow what you are being told by the doctor.

Its a great thing to go back and stick it in your ex's face when the weight starts coming off. I am no where near goal, and saw my ex, and it was priceless. :biggrin::scared2:

Hey Steve,

You've sure shown that you know how to take the weight off. That's a great accomplishment. As soon as you are banded, you will have a little friend...a little tool...to help you keep it off. Good luck to you.

With all of your knowledge about nutrition and fitness, I think you will find the band a very helpful tool. It won't do the work for you - you know how to do the work - but it will help you control your physical hunger and your portion sizes. I have heard (not there yet so don't know this personally), that the band is more helpful at maintenance than at weight loss, as it helps you to keep your portions reasonable, even when not in weight loss mode!!

With that hunger and portion control, good food choices and you hitting the exercise hard again, when you are cleared, I have no doubt you can be wildly successful :biggrin2:. Many people have posted about the band not being a cure, but a tool to help you in your battle. You have many other tools on your belt - time to dust them off and make them work together!!!

One thing though - the band doesn't help with head issues or head hunger (the desire to eat even when not hungry) - you need to make sure you are getting the help and support you need so that you can manage your depression and anxiety. At the end of the day, you want to be there for your daughter, but you have to do this for YOU :biggrin:

Good luck on July 30 in Mexico. We will be rooting for you!

Hi Steve, I just wanted to also reach out to you and say good luck with your issues. I'm also being banded in Mexico on July 24th. I leave on the 23rd-so soon! My story is much like yours. I lost 75LBs as a teenager, kept it off thru high school, then gained it back plus some. In 2002 I lost 87 more pounds, and swore that I would not let myself gain it back again! After a break-up I used food to comfort me, and just didn't care. That spiraled out of control, then it was harder to manage and/or lose the weight. Now I realize that I need more help other than calorie counting and exercise and I pray that the band will be the answer. I SO know what you mean by tasting the good life. I was so much happier with myself (and the attention) that I got as a thinner person. Now I won't even date (on the off-chance that I could) because of my own discomfort with my body. Whoo, seems like I had to vent too. Good Luck and safe trip to you!