I'm going to do this the old fashioned way!!!

Hello everyone
  I am new to this forum. Long story short I was approved for lap band about 2 weeks ago. It all was approved so fast I barely had time to think. OH was a wonderful place for me to learn a lot about he band. After a long and agonizing week of thinking I canceled my surgery that was scheduled for 9/3/10. I felt I needed to give myself one more chance at doing this without surgery. I have a nutritionist who has given me a plan of action so I hope with her help and all of your encouragement I can do this!!! Hugs to all

Good Luck! I know you can do it!!

Thank you!!!

I think it's a very hard choice to make but only you know what is right for you! I'm re-starting my own weight loss challenge on Monday, so maybe we can encourage one another!

Melanie

good luck to you!!! and i will take any and all encouragement

Good luck!

I can tell you from experience, it is possible to lose a lot of weight without surgery. It's not easy (no matter which way you lose it) but it is possible.

The secret is to never quit! Don't let a set-back turn into total destruction.

Thank you!!!

Congratulations! I know you can do it! It is possible, I am proof. I will be praying for you! God bless.

Thank you!!  Do you ave any good recipes and diet tips? How long did it take you?

It took me a little over a year to lose 124lbs.  I am actually in the process of writing a list of some of the things I did that worked for me because I get asked this question so often. I will send it to you as soon as I am done with it. In the meantime, the best tips I can give you is to eat real food (not diet bars and shakes), to treat yourself well (don't pressure yourself to lose weight fast, don't beat yourself up if you mess up a bit, forgive yourself, move forward and make better choices next time) make changes in your diet and lifestyle that you can live with for the rest of your life. For example, I LOVE icecream, so I treated myself to icecream or frozen yogurt almost every single day as long as I worked out. I just ate lowfat instead of Ben and Jerry's and instead of eating a 1/2 gallon I ate a pint. I just made a commitiment to myself to make better, smarter food choices and to exercise at least 5 days a week. I ate lean chicken or turkey instead of beef, I used 100% whole grains instead of white for breads and pasta. When eating out, I order everything on the side so I can control what and how much I use of sauces and toppings. I ate breakfast every morning. I made sure I ate every 4 hours to keep my metabolism going. I kept healthy snacks in my car and purse so if I was out and starving, I could make a smart choice instead of grabbing fast food or something bad for me. EXERCISE. You don't need to start out with a gym membership and a personal trainer. I just made a commitment to myself to move my body in some shape or form for 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I started by walking in place in my living room while watching tv. Nothing fancy, no equipment, just walking in place. When 15 minutes got too easy, I did 20 and so on. As the weight started to come off and I got healthier I did more. I didn't add weight training or abdominal exercises until I had already lost about 80 or so lbs. I lost 100lbs of my weight just exercising in my living room with my Nintendo Wii Fit. It was fun, so it made it easier to keep exercising. The most important things you need to remember is that you are worth it. You are beautiful right now, no matter how much you weigh. Losing the weight will not make you happy if you don't learn to love yourself first. Being thin doesn't make you happy, but healing yourself inside and learning to take care of yourself and love the person you are does. If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me. BTW, I added you as a friend. All of my pre and post plastic surgery photos are on my profile. I am in various states of undress due to the nature and location of my surgeries, so please do not share them with anyone. I posted them on my profile to help other women who are embarking on their plastic surgery journey.
Take care of yourself. I am so excited for you!

God bless you,