I have realized a few things over the last few days that were a result of being over weight. Or were caused by being over weight.
My son is in JV football now in high school. I went to a "dinner' for the mom's the other night, it was called the "Gridiron" mom's dinner. I did not go last yr ( his freshman yr ) because well, frankly I did NOTHING last yr. I did not want to go anywhere, do anything or see anyone . I realized that all the other mom's there already knew each other , were active in the football program ect and had been for at least a yr or 2.

Last night one of our players on the JR team got injured pretty badly . (it turns out he's probably going to be ok ) But I was there to help comfort his mom , it was an away game , and had rained so most other moms had left. I realized once again I did not know her, she barely knows me .
And its again due to my weight. Now that my weight is off and I am trying to be more active and do more things I want to be able to be the "football" mom . I was glad i was able to be there and help her last night , I thought if that had been me , not being active, not knowing other moms very well, what would have happened.

I guess my point, After so many yrs of doing , being nothing, How do you get back into the swing of things ? I am trying to just get in there. In high school I was in the 'in " crowd. I Never felt like i did not fit in . I guess now i feel like i don't fit in and im trying to find my way " IN " .
Its a very different feeling for me . Something I am not use to at all !
I guess i just realized this weekend how MUCH I have been missing out on from being FAT !!!

Yeah a Fill !

I go in for another fill on the 26th , I am hoping this gives me some restriction . I have a LITTLE bit some days but not everyday ! I am gaining and losing the same few pds and its irritating me .
I am just going to ask for a small fill though probably .25cc's . I get so nervous that im going to get too tight . Not that unfills concern or worry me. That's just goofy when people stress about unfills, they are what they are. But I always am concerned when im too tight and I PB . I worry nearly every time i PB that i slipped my band. So that's why i dont like getting too tight !

Went to a BBQ last night for my son's football team , More of a pep rally . Ate brisket, tater salad and 2 bites of a brownie and this THICK TX TOAST Bread ! WAY too much food , and BREAD, THICK bread are you kidding me . DEF need a fill !

Another Fill

I go in for another fill on the 26th .
I have gone back and forth thinking " Do i really need this or am I panicking "
But then i sit here at night and I Seriously want to eat ALL THE TIME and I think "YEP I need this fill "
I dont think i need/ want a big one maybe just .25 to be "Safe" given the issues i have had in the past w/ swelling ect after fills.
The feeling hungry all the time is horrible.
I remember thinking while i was on vacation and totally unfilled " IF I felt and thought like this when i was not banded its NOT WONDER I WAS FAT !" It was CONSTANTLY Food food food!"
Horrible i tell ya !! And its not good stuff i want/crave either its CRAP .
This is not normal to feel , want food all the time.

SO Im going to be glad when i get the fill . I am 3o pds to goal and i want it off now ! I still feel very frustrated.
I know i should take my own advice huh ? Yeah well BITE ME !!! Let me have a crappy week sometimes LMAO Just kidding ! I Should take my own advice . I know i know . Take it slow it didnt come on over night its not coming off over night.
But I FEEL FAT Right now . 100pds off is great I know but I just feel FAT !!
That's all for now. Tomorrow should be a better day , my oldest son has his first football scrimmage and im a TEXAS FOOTBALL MAMA

Are YOU ready for some FOOTBALL ?

I have to say I am SO Excited this yr . My oldest son is a sophomore and on his high school JV football team . I LOVE football first off , Love HIGH SCHOOL Football , LOVE College football , I know more about football then most women and some men ! I LIVE For game nights and we go to the Varsity games just because we love it so much !!

Last night was the "Grid Iron Moms " Dinner , meet the coaches, be "seen" basically .
OH BTW Im in Texas. ya ever seen the movie Friday Night Lights. THAT IS Texas football for the most part. So Half of high school football is politics !

Last yr though I did not go to the Grid Iron Dinner. I was too embarrassed, did not want to embarrass my son by having his fat mom there either !! This yr I was glad I went.
Im going to join a few other moms who paint the signs for the team before the games and decorate the locker room for the boys before the games. I NEVER would have done that a yr or so ago . So im excited more than ever for football season .
So BE PREPARED to hear about LOTS OF Games and see LOTS OF PICS This season !!!

Still Nothing

This fill is still not Cutting it. Even though I have an "explanation " for it its not cutting it . I am calling my doc in the am to see if he will give me a fill in the next week or so. But I am Hungry ALL The time , i want CRAP all the time and Weight is NOT coming off. This is SO Frustrating .
Its almost like im eating and eating and thinking "OK my bodies going to tell me to "STOP " any minute now " but it does not . So im stopping myself .Its CRAZY how much i can eat right now IF I wanted to and I DO NOT Like that feeling at all. its Very unnerving to think I could eat a ton if i wanted to .
I dont like it and i want it to stop . LOL
Its been so hot here lately also that i dont feel like eating anything that requires any work , turning on the stove or anything . So that does not help much either.
GEESH I hope Dr .Rincon gives me a fill !!!

DUHH why didnt I think of that ??

SO I was venting today on Lap Band talk about not having any restriction .
Posted basically what i posted below. And in a Moment of BRILLIANCE someone said basically well Of course You dont have restriction after the first fill from a total unfill Mindy " (Scratching my head ) HUH ? She went on to say basically Of course not you have lost 100 lbs already the fat pad around your stomach has SHRANK since a yr ago when you had your very first fill !!!

WELL NO SHIT !! WHY didnt I think of that ?? GENIUS I tell ya !! It totally makes sense and Its something I totally would have said to someone else but in my moment of PANIC over looked it .
NOW it does not make me feel any better , well ok it does a LITTLE because i have a reason . Im a reason person. Give me a reason , answer , explanation for something and Im good.

BUT ALL the preaching I do about PATIENTS .. GUESS Who has to have some now???
ME Guess what ? I Do not do well w/ patients !!!
This might not be pretty ya'll !! I dont think i can get in for another fill for another few weeks. So im going to call my doc Monday to see what he can or will do . But I have a feeling since im just about to go off the post fill diet this week that he wont want me to go BACK On it so soon. So I will have to wait a few more weeks to get another fill !! YICK !!

No restriction? So close to goal . Aggervated

So here i am about 30 pds to goal . After my total unfill and my 10 pd GAIN I basically was set back 2 months . I had my fill about 2 weeks ago . My first fill since being totally unfilled.
I do not think its given me any restriction . Which does not make a whole lot of sense to me since i had restriction w/ my FIRST fill ever w/ the band . But what ever . I guess it might be different after you have had the band for a while ?
So Im going to wait another week or so and try to see what happens w/ this fill . Typically my fills have kicked in by now . By a week out they I either have it or I dont , and I always have it .
I have never NOT had restriction from a fill .
I feel like im eating all the time, I cant afford to gain anymore weight. For ONE If i go up a size I HAVE NO CLOTHES !! I give all my clothes away as soon as Im out of that size.
Im a bit frustrated I wanted to be at goal by September . More frustrated that the weight is CREEPING OFF NOW more so than ever. I know i dont follow my own advice or im not feeling that way now .
I feel like on the few message boards im on that i dont get a lot of support when it comes to NOT losing weight. I feel like people think " YEAH Shut up bitch and stop whining , what do you have to complain about you have already lost 100 pds in a yr " So I dont feel I get much understanding now that I am not losing . Its not different than anyone else that is not losing or losing slowly . I am so close to my goal. w/ my PCOS I almost wonder if my body wont say " SORRY This is enough " You dont get anymore "
That's my pitty party for today .

Following Doctors Advice

This is a bit of a hot button issue for me. Since i believe that following docs orders is Essential in the success of your band .
There are a few things that I think are THE MOST Important things you can do to ensure the safety and longevity of your band .
#1 on that list of MINE ( remember just my opinon based on what i have done and what has gotten me this far to this point)
Following your docs advice during the 6 week post op diet !!!
what does that mean to me ?
It means
1. Do NOT Advance your diet with OUT speaking to your doc first.
Look we all KNOW how hard it is to go for weeks at at time w/ liquids, especially those who were on liquid diets pre op . BUT The pre op diet is there for a reason . that reason ?
The reason your docs do not want you to eat for a certain amount of time (NOT MY OPINION this is fact ) is to allow your stomach to heal, form scar tissue around the band in order for your band to anchor itself . There for allowing the best possible life and longevity of your band. = A better chance you will not slip !!

I hear " Im listening to my body and its telling me to eat !OF COURSE it is .
If you are listening to your body and its telling you to eat, your feeling ill what ever and you FEEL you HAVE TO eat something, move to protein shakes, CALL YOUR DOC . MOST docs will allow you to move on to something else or add something to your diet. BUT GET THEIR PERMISSION FIRST . I think this is important for 2 reasons.
A. So that the docs KNOWS you advanced the diet
B. If your having any issues the docs knows about that , and if issues come up down the road the doc knows the diet was advanced and has that info on hand .

I also hear " Well I advanced my diet early you will be fine " Or " Just chew chew chew "
REALLY !! Again there is a reason for the diet, its to make sure your stomach does not start "working" too soon . And giving someone else permission , validation , reason to do the same because someone else "Cheated" Is wrong just wrong.

Ive been accused of being mean, rude, tough love because of how strongly i feel about this .
SORRY Its just how i feel. I Believe POST OP DIET ( meaning during the first 6 wk healing phase after surgery ) Should be advanced on your own !! PERIOD !!

NOW THAT being said. AFTER your on solids per your doc instructions does that mean I dont eat stuff i should not ? Well that depends on how you look at things !
I eat what i want when i want. I am not on a diet now nor will i ever be again . That's why i got the band to start with .
95 % of the time I eat VERY Healthy . TONS Of Veggies , Lots of protein , still probably need to work on getting more water. That being said. When I want something sweet , i eat it .
BUT I do not eat sweets often . a few times a month at most.
Do I feel guilty for it when i do . ABSOLUTELY NOT . DO i realize not everyone can do this . YES My point . After you have healed I do not even consider it "cheating" its just a slip , we all slip , move past it move on , and the next hour is a new day .
But do not look for much sympathy from me if your cheating on your post op diet, . Will I continue to give ANYONE who needs support support. YOU BET !! I am not perfect, do not claim to be , do not want to be.
I am on message boards like www.lapbandtalk.com to help , pay it forward if you will.
Those who were banded before me helped me in my times of need ( Still do ) And i would like to do the same.
But my philosophy with my friends , online or off is this :
IT DOES NO GOOD TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR , I WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO HEAR !!! real friends in my opinion will do that .
Do i say things the wrong way sometimes ? YES , Im sure i do . I do not mean to . I do .
Anyway that's my issue for the day !!!

LOVE EVERYONE !!!

My fill

I was concerned my first fill after being totally unfilled TOO Much . Yeah I am starting to think that it was NOT Enough . I know i need to work back up to 2.0 cc's or so . But I can already tell I wont sit around and wait long on this one.
Normally a decent fill, my protein shakes fill me up . Yeah NOT THIS TIME !!!!
So Im going ot give it a few more days. Weight until Im on solids , then a few days after that and I will be in for another fill i believe !!!!

Stress

I have realized something since being banded and food has been taken "away" as a stress "reliever", I don't deal w/ stress well .
I have never really dealt w/ it well . I smoked for 15 yrs , quit before i got banded . So you take smoking AND food away ? How does someone deal with stress ?
Medication ? OK I am on that !!! I take wellbutrin from Anxiety , stress and to help w/my migraines . But Seriously , I am beginning to wonder if there is enough meds in the world to help me. I WORRY CONSTANTLY . I Sometimes wonder if there is something wrong w/ me ? This CANT BE NORMAL to be this worried about EVERYTHING all the time ?
My life is stressful now granted . But I don't know what to do about this ? I would love to be one of those people that "take things as they come " But how do you do that after you have been a spastic mess for 32 yrs ? Maybe I need a different Med ? I went off the wellbutrin once ! BAD BAD BAD IDEA !! But maybe its not enough anymore ? HELL I have no idea. If anyone has any ideas please let me know on this cause its killing me and STRESSING ME OUT !!

Fills, unfills and total unfills

Fills: Fills are a BREEZE !! Nothing to it . My doc does not even numb me w/ numbing meds .
I no longer have them done under flouroscopy ( XRay ) because he can feel my port under my skin well enough that i do them in the office now . When I was heavier he did them under Flouro to make sure he hit the port. Some people do not like that much , but I do , Its like a mini check up for your band every fill .

Unfills: I have had probably about the same amount of unfills as i have fills. Why ?
I am VERY Sensitive to fills. I am very sensitive to everything apparantly .
If i PB too "hard" I swell quite a bit , it takes longer for me to heal than "normal" and i usually end up w/ a slight unfill.
The upside to this is I also am VERY Sensitive to fills. So a very small fills affects me a lot .
We think this has to do w/ yrs of throwing up from migraines.
But unfills do not have to be feared. Unfills generally put you back to where you "Should have been" to start w/ at your fill level .
So do not stay tight too long you risk your band slipping or causing damage.
I do not like to stay tight and wont stay tight long.

TOTAL UNFILL: I had a total unfill on 6-10-08 due to PBing really bad one time and getting very swollen , I ending up not being able to keep liquids down . So doc wanted me to heal so he totally unfilled me .
Let me give ya'll some advice .. If you have to get a TOTAL unfill do NOT do what my dumb ass has done and eat like HELL . I have gained 8lbs since my unfill LESS Than 2 months ago and MAN is it not a good feeling. I have done it to myself . I could have gotten filled nearly a month before I did , because i was going on vacation I decided to stay unfilled while on vacation so i could eat what ever the hell i wanted.
NOT SMART !!!
So the moral of the story if you have to get totally unfilled be smart about what you eat , dont go nuts like i did . Now instead of 25 or so pounds to goal im nearly 35 !!!
UGHHH . SMART Mindy REAL FREAKING SMART! I have my fill on Thursday THANK GOD . Because what people do not know is when you get TOTALLY Unfilled. YOu can eat like you do not have a band anymore.
At least I can and THAT MY FRIENDS is a SCARY FEELING !!!

Oh how I love thee band ....

I really love my band !! I have had my ups and downs w/ it . I have probably had more unfills than fills , at the very least the same amount of unfills as fills.
But my band just ROCKS !!!
So i was totally unfilled on 6-10-08 due to swelling and acid reflux from a PB episode.
Went on vacation and gained 10 pds in the total time i was unfilled. I was refilled on 7-31-08
So 21 days total ? 10 pounds gained .. YIKES !!!
NOW dont get me wrong gaining STRESSED ME OUT BIG TIME !!! Even thought I "Knew" I would get the weight off. It was very uneasy to be gaining. Up until this point i have never had much of a platea or gain. I think the longest I went w/ out a loss was 3 weeks.

SO I go for my fill on the 31st and I weight in today ( Mondays are my usual weight in day ) and Im down 4 lbs !!!! HOW Awesome is THAT !!! My band totally rules !!!
NOW IN all fairness my doc has a strict Post fill diet, more so than most . BUT I follow it !
Its 3 days of clear liquids
3 days Liquids
3 days mushies/purees
3 days semi solid foods ( Mechanical diet I think is what he calls it )
Then solids.
I know your thinking CRAZY WTF ? His rational for it works for me . He explains that every time you get a fill your manipulating the stomach ( its an invasive procedure ) So the stomach needs time to heal and allow for swelling to go down . That makes 100% sense to me which is why I follow it !!
Every doc is different though . I know your thinking well no wonder you lose. YES I Lose , i use to lose a pd a day during my post fill days. Not anymore. It slowed down now.
BUT Every POUND I have lost during this time i have kept off !! So it works !!

Eating Junk

My thoughts on eating junk food ? Well , with my recent unfill I had a bit of a binge of eating crap for a month . But "Normally"
how do i feel about it ? I eat junk from time to time.
If i feel like a milk shake, a piece of cake, what ever I will eat it. Do I do it every day , Every week ? No . I probably Do it 2 times a month or so ? Sometimes maybe more sometimes less ?
Do I feel guilty when i do it ? NO . Why you might ask !
Because in general the other 95% of the time I eat well. I eat healthy .
Am i saying EVERYONE should do this ? No . I realize some people cant eat some things w/ out going over board . My thing ... Brownies . If I have a pan of brownies in my house i'll eat the whole thing.

But My point is eat some "treats" every now and then if you feel like you can , with out going over board and do not feel guilty for it , But eat healthy the other 99% of the time .

Expectations of Surgery

When I started looking into WLS and Lap Band Surgery I was also talking to my OB about the PCOS . I had a major concern that the PCOS would keep me from losing weight . I mean it made sense right ? I could not lose weight with OUT the band why would it be possible to lose it WITH the band ? The PCOS is still there . One of the things that my OB told me is , " you will lose weight with the band but you will most likely lose it SLOWLY because of the PCOS " . Ok I was cool w/ that . It took me years to get the weight on im good if it takes years to get it off.

I Have since had some friends who have had WLS , made friends who have had WLS ect since I had surgery and I notice them getting frustrated when the weight is not coming off "fast" enough or Soon enough . This was something that never happened to me . I know your thinking "SURE because you lost fast Bitch " LOL But honestly , I was not expecting anything going into this other than to JUST LOSE.

So I think the #1 thing I would tell ANYONE going into any WLS is to not expect ANYTHING !
Do not expect to lose weight at a certain pace, do not expect to lose like someone you know, Someone else who had surgery the same day as you ect. It does nothing but set you up for frustration , failure and upset. So there is no point !!
Why do that to yourself ? I think its just better to take things as they come . Be content w/ who you are and how your weight comes off. Make some mini goals for yourself and achieve those one at a time !!

How do you do it ?

Another Questions I am asked a lot . One reason I started to do these blogs is to help . I dont want to be or come off as self center, or "Special " or Egotistical at all. I am writing all this out to try to help others. I do not think that my weight loss is anything special or anything that anyone else has not or can not done .
I decided to do this also because lately I have had LOTS Of emails w/ people asking me " what is your secret ?" how have you lost your weight ? Im not even at goal yet ! I am very flattered !I will say also that some people think that my weight loss is "Fast" or above average. It might have been a LITTLE but if you average it out per WEEK its 2.5 lbs per week which is about average.


First off I am not an expert, I am not at goal yet , i am not perfect and I have had some issues w/ my band (Nothing major though )
This is what I have done that has worked for ME ! So please do not write me and say " blah blah blah " if you dont agree w/ it.
Also if ANY Of this goes against YOUR Doctor do not do it with out checking w/ them first.
Now that being said. My docs advice for meals are I can have 3 meals a day and 2 snacks.

SO here goes !!!
1.My BIGGEST Rule is I FOLLOW The rules my doctor gave me .
The first 6 weeks post op I followed his rules to a T . After having major surgery on of all things my stomach no way i was gonna screw that up !!! So PLEASE PEOPLE While your healing at least do what your doc says and stop going to Burger king 3 days after surgery to eat !!! This is my BIGGEST pet Peeve and one of the things that PISSES Me off THE MOST if people " Cheating" the first 6 weeks or so during the healing stage. I mean SERIOUSLY Come on people ! How not smart is that ? You just had SURGERY , CONTROL Yourself for a few weeks to make sure your band heals well so you might have it for a LONG LONG TIME !!
Pretty simple to ME !

2. I do not drink when I eat
liquids up. I Drink my liquids up until my meal come , then I stop .
Then I resume drinking one hour after my meal is done .

3. NO carbonation EVER Again for me . I feel this is a rule that is VERY important as well as the drinking w/ eating.
These 2 have the potential to stretch your pouch out down the road.

4. I avoid carbs the best I can , . White breads, rice pasta, Junk food. They are a killer for me and make me crave CRAP

5. I eat lots of veggies.

6. I do not drink from straws

7. I eat when im hungry , which usually is 3 meals and 1 snack.

8. I get fills as soon as i need them . I do not wait until im eating a lot AND stop losing weight . I get fills as soon as I am able to eat more than "normal"

I think those are it ? Or at least the main ones ?

Now for working out ...
I do not do much of it as of lately . I got very sick in Feb w/ pneumonia and had to stop working out and I am just now getting back into it .

What do you eat ?

Is probably the most asked question by people to me .
OR Can you EAT THAT ? LOL
The better question is what DONT I eat LOL
I basically eat what I want when i want it .
I do not eat carbs or try my best to avoid them .
I try to avoid them and I have since my pre op diet ( until recently when I had a total unfill BAD idea )
If i want to eat a sweet though I will have one usually though for a special occasion . I do not eat them every day .

Calories ? I do not count calories unless i am not losing . When i do they generally stay between 1000 and 1200 a day .
Below 1000 and I dont lose . More than 1200 a day and its too much . People do not realize that not getting ENOUGH calories can harm you just as much as getting too many .

Here is some examples of what I eat on a daily basis. I have more ideas and things i eat for dinner but its too much to post for now .

Breakfast:
I am usually too tight in the am to eat Solids
So I have 1 SERVING of Bolthouse farms Protein shake .

Lunchs...
Morning star farms Soy Burgers (They sound nasty but they are good )
Veggie Stir fry ( from fresh Veggies )
If I am REALLY Tight I will eat some Laughing cow cheese and Crackers
Tuna salad and crackers
Chicken Salad and crackers ( usually with Hard boiled Eggs)
Salads ( w/ egg , ham , turkey , have to add protein to salads )
Chili
Most of the time its left overs from dinner the night before

Dinners

Proteins:
Fish ( salmon , Snapper , my husband fishes a lot )
Pork tenderloin
pork chops
Ground Turkey ( Turkey Burgers )
Tacos (1/2 ground turkey 1/2 ground meat the kids never know )
I will make pizza for the boys and only eat the toppings ( leave some off the side for my smothered in sauce , same thing w/ spaghetti )
Grilled Chicken breast
BBQ Chicken
Crock pot Chicken
Casseroles ( I have LOTS OF casserole Recipes they are GREAT , moist for us and the Boys , and kids are satisfied)
Steak sometimes
Stuffed bell Peppers
Roman Noodle Dish

Side Dishes
Mashed Potatoes
Baked Potatoes
Cucmber Salad
Stuffed Mushrooms
Veggie Stir Fry
Canned Veggies


Some of THE BEST Advice my nutritionist gave me early on was this : If your hungry and your eating a snack dont let it be a "waste" for instance ... if your hungry and you can have snacks the goal of the snack is to tide you over until your next meal. So for that snack you have say a Sugar Free jello or pudding is that going to hold you over for 2 hours or more ? NO why ? No protein .
Anything w/ out protein that goes in your mouth if the goal is to keep you full is a waste.
the key I believe is PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN !!!! So i try to think before i put something in my mouth LIQUIDS or Solids " Is this a waste " ?

Eating healthy was a gradual process over the yr of being banded. As I found some things I could not eat I slowly just started eating better.
I eat more veggies than I have ever eaten in my LIFE !! I go through probably 6 bell peppers a week !!
But I feel better than I ever have in my life !!!

One Year Later

(Picture: Me exactly one yr after surgery at 140 pds )
So I will skip A head one yr in my journey . I wish i had started this blog thing before now .
There is just too much to share I guess.
My Life is SO different , at least emotionally . I am a TOTALLY different person .
I have more energy I am more out going again , I am in general happier than i have been over the last 8 or 9 yrs. ( I still have my days like everyone else )
My band Saved my life, My DOCTOR saved my life. I do things w/ my kids. We have spent so many days at the POOL this yr , OMG a swim suit NO WAY IN HELL I would have been caught dead in one of those a yr ago .

I am healthy . I eat better than i have in my life. (More on food later)
I have made some AWESOME friends through this process. Some great ones . Band Sisters they are !

I Lost 105 pounds in 10 months !!! OMG can you BELIEVE THAT . BUT I gained 10 recently because i had to have a total unfill . After the unfill i went on vacation and ate like a PIG and gained the weight. So that was MY FAULT TOTALLY !!!

Bottom line , I love my band, I would do it again in a second !!!

The Recovery

SO how was your recovery after lap band surgery ? I get that a lot .
It was pretty good to be honest . I compare it to when i had my gall bladder out .
I had my surgery at 8 in the morning and i was home (2 hours away ) by 2pm that same day .
I was up walking around some, i slept a lot the first day .
The second day was good , walked around the house , Took naps .
The third day , I wont lie was painful. Im not sure why if i did too much the days before or what.
But it was not fun. I had a lot of pain getting up and down mainly .
By the 5th day I was pretty good, I was up out of the house with hubby running a few errands ( he drove)
The first week I was not hungry at all, I had to force myself to drink liquids because I did not really want anything but water. But i drank pretty much non stop .
Hunger did not set in until about week 3 and I got pretty bitchy by that point LOL

Once i got onto solid foods I was GOOD !!!
I could eat about half of what i could pre op straight out out of surgery .

A New Start

On July 16, 2007 is the day my life began again .
At 250+ Pounds I had had enough . As someone who had been thin before the weight took a toll on my emotionally . I did not want to go and where, do anything, see anyone. My marriage was suffering because of this . My kids were suffering .
I had turned into a miserable, bitter, unhappy person. I use to be so outgoing , friendly , social person and I was not that person anymore.

My husband had never said anything about my weight. NEVER a negative word.
The ONLY thing he ever said to me was " If your going to do something about it do it otherwise stop bitching about it "
So when I decided to get the surgery he asked me " do you think i'll get my wife back "
I told him " I hope so " !

So On July 16, 2007 I had my Lap Band Surgery with Dr Jorge Rincon in San Antonio Texas .
http://www.saweightlosscenter.com/
If you schedule an appt w/ Dr Rincon tell him that Mindy Sent you , I get a free fill if you have surgery with him !! Being self pay that's helpful !! *Email me and I Will give you my last name for this ) It will be appreciated )

The Past

(Picture me at 250+pds)
Hi , My name is Mindy and I am new to this bloging thing so bear w/ me while i try to start from the beginning and work my way up .
I have not been over weight my whole life. In high school i was 110 pounds .
As a young adult i was 130-150 pds .
My weight issues started about 10 yrs ago when I got married , became a stay at home mom and got pregnant the same YEAR !! Not a real good combo for someone's weight.
When i got married in 2000 i was about 140-150 pds. More than I had ever weight in my life.
In 2001 i became pregnant w/ my second son and my weight just came on and on and on ( I GOT HUGE ) . After I had him , the weight did not come off. Would not come off.
I'll be honest though I did not and have not tried every diet under the sun.
I tried Atkins , I tried weight watchers , working out a curves and eating better over the last 7 or so yrs. So did i try EVERYTHING ? Probably not .
I also have something called PCOS ( Poly Cycstic Ovarian Syndrome)
Here is the definition from Wikepedia
Polycystic ovary syndrome abbreviated PCOS or PCO (also known clinically as Stein-Leventhal syndrome, Sclerocystic ovary syndrome, Hyperthecosis, ovarian, Polycystic ovarian disease PCOD ) is an endocrine disorder that affects approximately 10% of all women .^[1] It occurs amongst all races and nationalities, is the most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age, and is a leading cause of infertility.^[2][3] The principal features are weight problems, lack of regular ovulation and/or menstruation, and excessive amounts or effects of androgenic (masculinizing) hormones. The symptoms and severity of the syndrome vary greatly between women. While the causes are unknown, insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity are all strongly correlated with PCOS.

It became very obvious to me that my weight was not going to come off. Over about 7 yrs I lost 25 pds and that was IT !! So I gave up . I wont lie I did !

A few yrs ago WLS started to be in the press more and more , people were talking about it ect.
Gastric Bypass came up , I knew that was not for me , just did not feel i need anything that drastic ... OH Yeah BTW I was 250 PLUS pounds by now !!
So i waited . Then Lap Band Surgery started to come to light . I checked into it and thought " humm" this might be for me "
Being self employed at this time I knew we could not afford it at that point. So I researched more, spent lots of time on message boards and realized THIS WAS FOR ME .
Talked to my hubby about it and he agreed to the surgery .