Banditbear, I can relate to you, especially with not lying to myself about the 100+ that I need to lose (I've recently overcome that issue). All of the replies have been full of wonderful advice and I agree with much of it. I understand your husband worrying about you, so may I suggest something for you to look in to before you do surgery? (I am not dissing surgery at all, I just understand how it feels having been on so many failed diet plans and I battled EDs)

Please look into Trim Healthy Mama. It has changed my life in how I approach eating and losing weight, and I am not deprived or starving at all! There are many wonderful tools online to get you started, it's free too. There is a book but you don't have to buy it to do the plan. Not sure if I can post a link to the quick start guide so you can see the plan, so I will PM you.

It's very simple and you can tailor the plan to your lifestyle and needs. It really is wonderful!

Okay for some reason I cannot PM you so I will post a link here but if I am in the wrong Mods, please let me know!

http://www.gwens-nest.com/trim-healt...k-start-guide/

It's because I'm still a newbie. :-)

Thanks for the link! I'm definitely going to check it out.

I'm still on the fence about WLS. Mostly I'm worried about long-term effects from the actual surgery itself. I saw a gastroenterologist awhile back (turns out I have acid reflux) and I mentioned it at our follow-up today and she said she sees a lot of patients who have GI issues like ulcers, etc, from WLS that turn up down the road, 5, 10 years on. Which is something i do not want to deal with.

SO I'm going to give it six months. If I can't lose weight by eating less and better, and by working out 5-6 days a week, then it'll be the last resort.

I just think of all of these people here who have lost 100+ lbs without it, and it makes me motivated.

And I totally understand and agree some people need WLS. But I don't have any diseases related to my weight, just some fat on my liver which will go away if I lose 20 or so lbs.

Everything u said banditbear ive said to myself. now im saying "who was i fooling?". Me.i need change.

Yes please check it out!! You can definitely do this and I am right there with you in losing 100+ lbs!

My mother had the lap band, two of my aunts have the sleeve, and one aunt had gastric bypass. My mother is having to get a scope due to her acid reflux that has become much worse after having the lap band for over three years. All of my aunts have similar issues with GI and acid reflux. My aunt who had the bypass has lost too much weight so they are having to put her on a special diet/drinks to gain weight. My other two aunts who have the sleeve both lost then regained their weight. My mother has had success with the lapband, minus acid reflux problems, and is considering getting it removed since she said she understands how to eat healthy now and she is scared about the GI issues she's experiencing.

So, with all of that being said, I think it's a good idea to give it more time before going the WLS route, but if it comes down to WLS, research research research all of your options, pros and cons, talk to the wonderful people on here who've had WLS, and utilize your resources to make the best decision for you and your husband!

You can make this happen for yourself!!

banditbear, I can soooo relate to you! Most days I feel like I'm a pretty good looking big girl... BUT health issues are creeping in and that is the biggest motivation to change my lifestyle.

I love your motivation and positive outlook.

Just wanted to say keep it up and you're worth it!

I'm just chiming in here to say I think it's wonderful you like how you look but acknowledge that your diet needs to change for a healthier YOU. That's half the battle, in my opinion. A lot of people, including me, see a number on the scale and fall into a pattern of self loathing and destruction. You're one step ahead already and the only way is forward :)
6 months is a good amount of time to give yourself before you consider other options. I wish you the best of luck

Wow, I am so with you on the giving up soda. All the press and people talking about diet this or regular this--and if you quit you'll loose <blank> weight. Ah and how awful those diet drinks are so bad for you!! HA---I haven't had a diet drink or any soda in almost two years...and I haven't lost an ounce cuz of it. Not an ounce! Now with all that said...I don't regret giving it up...it is one less thing I need to look at. I wanted you to know that I hear you and am with you. Blessings, Cathy

Thank you everyone! The encouragement here is awesome. What a great community.