Hello, everyone. I've been reading posts the past few days and decided to join up. The support here seems amazing and I'm excited to begin my new journey.

A little about me. I've been overweight all my life. I actually lost 60lbs ten years ago on Atkins and kept most of it off until about three years ago when I let it all come back. A bad cholestrol test, which was subsequently followed by a good one so I don't know if it was a fluke, gave me the wake up call I needed to get serious about losing weight for good. Problem was, it didn't seem to come off as easy as ten years ago. But more than that, I was positive I couldn't keep it off, even if I do lose, without drastic help.

After discussing the possiblity of a LapBand with my PC doctor, I got the ball rolling last summer. In June I contacted my insurance company, Humana, and asked if the procedure was covered. The good news was yes! Bad new was one of the qualifications was six months physcial supervised diet and exercise program.

I began monthly visits with my PC doc, as well as getting started with visits to the Bariatric Center, which included mothly visits with the nutritionisht. Then I was finally ready to meet with the Bariatric Surgeon Dr. Chua in February.

My 18lb weight lost brought me under 40bmi so I was worried that the insurance comany would deny me. Then I received a call this past Thursday to say my insurance company approved my surgery! No battles, just yes. To say I was surprised is an understatement!

Because I travel for work, I could not schedule the surgery until May 6th. If anyone has any helpful hints for banders eating frequently on the road, I'm all ears!

Thanks for listening to me. And thanks for all the postings since I've learned a lot.

Edited March 22, 200917 yr by maclynn

Hi Maclynn,

Welcome to your new upcoming life! Help to relearn how to eat and healthy is an everyday learning experience. I, a former cheese head myself loved all the fatty foods from Milwaukee. That is probably where I learned all about Adkins and thinking it was okay to eat all that fat and not learning how to eat healthy carbs.

When you are on the road or not you should know exactly what healthy foods are. If you are serious in losing weight and permanently not only you, but everyone should learn how to eat everything that they never ate before because I am sure that is what would help everyone to lose it and keep it off.

Three years ago I began to eat healthy food and being serious about my health in which this helped me in losing over 100 lbs and have kept it off since July of 2006.

You have to really want this to succeed and for the most part it won't be easy until you truly accept the change that you need to make in your life to become healthy.

My down fall was fried foods like an addiction to alcohol I had to stay away from this food.

Are you actually from Milwaukee or a suburb of Milwaukee? I used to live on N. Lake Drive near St. Mary's Hospital. I haven't been there since 1990 since I have been married. I now reside in Texas. I do wish you all the luck in the world on your new venture. I am here to help.................

Josephine

Thank you, Josephine! I used to live in Milw proper but now live in Franklin. My children were both born at St. Mary's and my mom used to live in Euless, but now is in Frisco. I am ready for a life style change and realize that things have to be different. Thanks for the encouragement, I'm sure you'll hear from me again!