If there was already a thread on this, I missed it. Thought we could post a little about ourselves. I plan on getting to know you all and leaning on you in the tough times to come!

Just the facts: I am 36 years old. I live in Arizona. I have 8 year old twin boys. I have been married for 17 years. I have about a hundred pounds to lose.

A little more detail: Let's see, was never overweight as a child. Underweight would have been a better description. Right after I got married, my periods stopped completely and I gained a ton of weight very quickly. I was diagnosed with PCOS. Very difficult to live with. Bad body, bad skin, can't get pregnant. Lost 50 lbs with the help of a trainer and low carb and got pregant with twins. Weight came back with a venegance! I have yo-yo'ed ever since. I can lose a bit, gain it back. I was fairly successful with nutrisystem. I lost 50 lbs but couldn't afford it anymore. Not with a family to feed as well as myself. So I stopped and gained all that back. That is when I decided I needed to stop the yo-yo. I need help to lose weight and KEEP IT OFF! So here I am!

Anyone else want to share??

Hey everyone! My name is Jessica. I'll be 26 in October, I'm single with no kids, and a pediatric nurse in Cincinnati Ohio. My doctor and I haven't set an official goal weight yet, but I have between 80 to 100 pounds to lose, and I'm 5'5".

I've been overweight since I hit puberty, and am actually closer to my smallest weight now. I was as high as around 260 pounds, lost about 50 pounds with diet an exercise bringing me to around 210 and have gained back around 10 pounds in a 3 year period. I'm ready for the band and the lifestyle change that comes with it, and always looking to meet new friends going through similar experiences!

Hey everyone...I'm Barbie. Well i'm lots of names...Barb, Barbara, Barbie...whatever! lol

I am 30 years old (don't know how that happened) and started my Lap Band journey in Feb '08 when I went to the seminar. Started insurance-required program called Beyone Diets in 4/08...had to do 18 weeks....did everything I needed between then and August of 2008, except get the full 20 pounds off, so I've been fighting with that ever since. I finally got down enough to send in the paperwork to insurance and was APPROVED 5/6/09...my surgery is 7/7/09 and I am SO EXCITED!...and thankful!

A little more background...been overweight all of my life...actually lost about 90 pounds in 2000 on my own...but it all came back on....and then some. I'm done going up and down constantly...now it's DOWN only and even faster after i get my band.

As far as what I do? Well my 8-5 job is a Director for a child care center...I'm also a freelance makeup artist and once I have my band and have more confidence, I'd like to make that my full time career...i'm talking celebrity clients, red carpet events, magazine covers...you name it. Don't forget my name and face..you'll see it listed as "celebrity makeup artist" in the coming years! :drool:

GOODLUCK to everyone!!!

What a great thread idea!

My name is Amy, and I live in a rural town in East Tennessee. I'm a 31 year old English teacher (4th and 5th grades) and unfortunately, those are my only children. My husband and I have been married for 10 years, have done the whole fertility thing, have suffered one miscarraige, and still have no children. We do have four "furry babies" that we love very much. Two are mixed breeds from the Humane Society. The other two are Jack Russell "Terrors," but we can't help but love them anyway.

I, too, have PCOS. I wasn't overweight until I started puberty, but I have been ever since. I was even the captain of my high school cheerleading squad (worked out like a crazy lady) and was still overweight! (I'm 5'3" and weighed over 165.)

In 2003 I lost 100 pounds on LA Weightloss. Unfortunately, I did this way too fast (7.5 months). As a result, I nearly died from extremely low blood pressure. I also gained all the weight (plus ten pounds) back just as quickly as I lost it.

I started this process last June and have been jumping through all the required hoops ever since. My paperwork was finally submitted to insurance yesterday and was approved in the same day! (I suppose there are perks to being an underpaid teacher afterall...good insurance!)

I could not be more excited to get this journey underway! My first goal is really to get to what my gyn. calls my body's happy weight, 220. That is still obese, though. My next goal will be to be under 200 pounds. If I could get to my high school weight of 165, I would be thrilled. Any loss beyond that would be just icing on the cake. (Okay...maybe that's a bad metaphor.) Anway, I'm anxious to get to know y'all so we can support each other in our new lives!

Best wishes to all!

~Amy~

Edited June 13, 200917 yr by aivey
typo

I'll throw in the short version. I did start a blog in May and the link is below my signature. Feel free to get to know me better there!

My name is Kathi and I'm 49?! WHAT? I know, but I'm young at heart and in spirit. I have a wonderful boyfriend and we are hoping to become even more active once my band is in place.

I've been divorced over 20 years and have two lovely daughters who are 23 and 27!

I was never really fat growing up and joined the Air Force out of high school. The weight wouldn't go away after my second daughter and that's when I got out of the military, just wanted to be a mom.

I grew up in Miami, FL and have lived in lots of great places but I"m happy to call the Dallas area of Texas home for now. I have a great government job and I'm looking forward to my surgery on July 20!

Kathi

i really do enjoy reading posts like these...

let's see... i'm 37, have 3 kiddos ages 18, 14, and 10 (yeah, i started early). i'm twice divorced yet crazy enough to be considering marriage again, so clearly my fiance must be a pretty special person.

i was 140 lbs in high school, with nice curves, since i'm a short 5'3", but after each child, i kept all the "baby weight", and the number kept climbing each year after the last, until i hit my all time high of 370 pounds.

i've been successful in losing weight with MediFast, but too quickly, and not only did I gain it all back, but I seemed to have killed my gallbladder along the way. i've also had good success with plain ol' diet and exercise, and up until this year never considered the lap band, because i thought i should be able to lose it, and keep it off, with diet and exercise alone.

this year i decided i needed some extra help if i wanted to live long enough to see all my kids grow up.

my target weight is 200 pounds, but once i get there i'm sure i'll reevaluate.

i look forward to hearing everyone's stories, and working through this together.

Hi..I'm Bobbie. I'm 51 going on about 37. I was married for 27 years and have been divorced 3 (my choice). I am the proud mom of two girls, through the miracle of adoption. My Jen is 13, Jillie is 7.

I've struggled with weight since i was a child. In high school about 165 (5'7") and took shots/Lindora after h/s and got to about 128 - for about a day and a half. lol. Then up up up with each diet (Nutri system, jennie c, cambridge, ww - you name it i did it).

I started looking into this last year when my dr wouldnt let be go the gastric bypass route. This WAS what i was searching for - a less evasive way to change my lifestyle.

My first goal is to reach 225, my 2nd goal 199 - and my 3rd goal is 170. I would love to see lower than that, but it just seems unreal to think i could get under 170. So to get to 170 i'd have to lose about 85 lbs.

Ya know..i am pretty sure with the lap band, support and all - maybe, just maybe i can get there. That would be awesome.

Since my divorce, i feel like i'm on a new road. I need to get off meds and be healthier..for myself..and for my daughters.

I'm ready....:bored:

Edited June 16, 200917 yr by bobbiezhere

Hello everyone! I'm Ramona, I'm 30, married for 6 years and I have a 3 year old son.

I'm making this short because it's 1am here almost, but I will fill in more later.

I was 160lbs when i graduated high school, ate alot in college, had a few long term relationships that ended badly and i eat for comfort and when im stressed.

I have PCOS and struggled to have my son 3 years ago.

I am at the highest I have ever been 314lbs and my goal is to get to around 175. I'm 5'8 and thats when i look my best.

I'm so excited to get this tool to help me help myself!

Welcome ladies.

Ramona, I like your sparkly name thing (and for some reason, it's the only name thing I can see) so I'm stealing it! :bored: :thumbup:

I was a June Journey scheduled for surgery tomorrow but I have a nasty rash that my dermatologist can't diagnose so we postponed my surgery for safety sake.

Let's see, I'm 52 years old, married, and live in the high desert of southwestern Colorado with my dh, two 15 month old Labrador Retrievers, and two cats. I work part time for the fire district as the office administrator and I volunteer for the same district as an EMT.

My weight history has been similar to most. Up and down, up and down. I'm really good at losing weight; I just can't seem to keep it off.

I've lost nearly 100 pounds three or four times but have gained it back each time. Most recently I lost using a Meal Replacement product and a lot of coaching in lifestyle changes but my "hunger" overrode my good habits. My dietitian/coach from the last weight loss program is supportive of my banding and is encouraging me to rejoin her classes.

Since I'm self-pay, I'm having surgery across the state (400 miles away) in Denver with Dr. Kirshenbaum. Due to distance, I won't be able to participate in his dietitian's support group so I'll use my old dietitian who is willing to learn about banding support (she's supported bypass patients before).

Good to be here with my new compadres.

Hi Everyone,

I'm 34, 5'9" and at my all time highest weight of 275. I really couldn't believe it when I saw the scale.

I graduated from high school at 200 pounds and looked great. I got down to about 175 in college and looked amazing. Then over the period of the next 14-15 years I've put on 100 pounds. That is really shocking.

I haven't weighed below 200 pounds in at least 10 years. My surgery process has gone very quickly due to a sad reason.

Both of my parents had type II diabetes and both of them died of pancreatic cancer within 3 years of each other.

I am still reeling from this loss but am very afraid about my own health.

I am very nervous but so thrilled about the prospect of being extremely healthy.

July 7th - my new birthday!

Columbus..I'm sorry about your parents...i have type II diabetes too...and im hoping this helps me with that....we're having our surgery the same day...your right - our new birthday - i like that! I wish you and everyone here much success with this!

Hi All,

I'm a July Bandster too. My surgery is scheduled for 7/3/09. I'm self-pay so I'm going to Dr. Ortiz in TJ, Mx. I wasn't overweight as a kid either. I got pregnant at 17 and had a beautiful baby girl. After the pregnancy I slowly developed symptoms of PCOS. That was 1989. PCOS is a horrible condition, in my opinion. But I was very blessed to have my daughter and was eventually able to also have a son. It took us almost 3 years to conceive him, after our daughter's conception was a "surprise". But, I do feel very blessed, because I know many people can't conceive with PCOS. Because my husband and I were so young when we had our daughter, we waited awhile before trying to get pregnant again, we wanted to be better prepared the 2nd time. So, our kids are almost 11 years apart. I was 28 when I had our son, and it was much better. I'm 5ft 1 inch tall but my highest weight has been 220. I don't feel like the "real" me. I feel like I'm wearing a "fat suit" all the time. It really keeps me from being able to do the things I want and love to do. I know my Lap Band is going to work for me. I'm not afraid of working really hard at this, I just need some help, and I know the Band is going to be just the help I need. Best of luck to us all!:wink2:

Hi everyone, Thank you for starting this thread!!! It will help keep my paws out of the cookie jar. By the way, I tossed the cookies and the jar in the trash last week. I would mindlessly eat them and never thought much about it. Until they were all gone and then I would to buy more to replace NOT any more. Not even having them in my house. LOL

I was called a “babe” when I was in high school. I WANT THAT BACK!!! I want to wear Lilly again. I am a size 24 stretch. My BMI 40.3 and I am 5 1”.

I am almost 53 my birthday is July 18th and my new Band Birthday will be July 20th.

My sister had the GBP in July about 7 years ago and it changed her life. She is a big supporter. I cringe at the thought of telling people especially, my mother, because my mother never accepted my sister’s surgery and worried all the time and still does. She would say, “Why does she have to do such drastic measurers just too loose weight, why can she not be like normal people?” I have told only my husband of twenty eight years on June 20th and my two grown college age young adults’ ages 19 and 20 that are very supportive. No one thinks I should tell my mother. I have told her I am having pelvic support issues which I do have. We have said if I get that fixed I could loose weight. Ok a little lie that will not be such a bad thing for anyone. I work with FOOD and cannot change my profession at this time.

This year I had my regular Dr. Happy Visit ha ha. My Dr. was NOT Happy with me!

My blood pressure was through the roof for the third year in a row! My weight had been down from year before. But I knew it was only time before it was back up again. I know the ups and downs as I go on the Ferris wheel effect. My highest was about 258 and I am hovering at 241 with a 17 pound loss that has been a struggle to keep off. Blood pressure meds not a good thing. I have been on them since that NOT so happy visit. When the Dr. suggested surgery and I said NO WAY are there any pills I can take? That would be easier RIGHT Huh…. Alli and away we go, Ya it worked and then I ate ice cream. The GOOD stuff!! Not going there again. I have kept off 17lbs. I am great at WW, tried Cambridge, no fats, and the SEA FOOD DIET. See food and eat it you know the one.

Six years ago I started to use the sleep apnea machine I would love to get off that.

Started the LB process in April, have great insurance, a date and a WAIT.

Thanks for being here for me.

imaluckydog

Hi all!

I will start by saying I came into the world at 5 pounds 5 ounces. Sadly, at around age 7, I started to gain weight and have been pretty much overweight my entire life and from teenage years on, mostly weighing in the 200s.

In 2000, I decided to get on a health kick and quit smoking (and still successful with that), I obtained a personal trainer and started hitting the gym! I started at 203 and by October of 2000, I was at 165 pounds.

Then, I met my husband, got pregnant in March of 2001, and gained over 50 pounds during the pregnancy. Twenty-five of that came off after and then I gained that back plus a whole lot more. My highest weight EVER has been 280 pounds, and I am 5 feet 2 inches. Now, I am at 258 pounds. So, since my first doc visit, I have lost 18 pounds, as I weighed 275 then.

I am now 37, almost 38 on July 1. We have a 7-year-old son and have been wanting to have another baby. AFter I had him my body just went crazy. My menstrual cycles went crazy and then I was also diagnosed with PCOS. Sooooo, one reason for the band is we want to try for another baby maybe in the next year. This just made sense to me.

I think that kind of wraps up my obesity history and I am so looking forward to sharing in this fantastic journey we are all on together. I have decided to document my journey on Youtube, and if anyone is interested in that, my user name is PSJ71.

take care!!

Paulette

I was called a “babe” when I was in high school. I WANT THAT BACK!!! I want to wear Lilly again.

Okay, I just have to ask. What is Lilly? I also noticed it in your signature. You make Lilly sound great, and I think I want it too! LOL!