Age: 35

Height: 5'6

Starting Weight: 330 lbs.

BMI: 41

Current Weight: 252 lbs.

Goal Weight: 170 lbs.

I have always had self image issues!I was born overweight.  Not badly, but it was so.  My Mom fed me all the time, it was her way of showing love.  Our whole family was like that.  It was normal to us.  I was always about 15 Lbs. overweight as a child.  To someone that's barely three feet tall, that can show up more than you think.  No one at school made fun of me, but my Dr. always made it a point to mention it!I struggled for years to lose that weight and I did as a young pre-teen.  I did it in such an awful way however.  I would starve myself until I would freak out and binge uncontrollably.  After my binge the cycle would start all over again, along with excessive workouts even.  I would do hard cardio practically all day long, on perhaps 150 total calories for the day.  On a bad day I would consume probably 10,000 plus calories!!Finally after so many years of doing that, and finding my loving husband I stopped doing that.  Any food I would eat got turned immediately into fat.  My body was so fearful I would abuse it, my food didn't metabolize as a normal persons food would.  I ended up gaining over 100 pounds in less than one year.  That was so terrible!!  Then I went in stale for about 4 years, then I went through another massive gain.  I gained another 60 or so pounds in a few years.I was told not too much later I had HBP.  I have a bad family history of it, and actually seen the damage it can do to you first hand.  My Uncle passed away from complications of it, and I knew I didn't want that to be me.  I struggled for about 3 years trying to lose weight.  I would go up and down fifteen pounds in that time, I'd say 50 times!!  I couldn't do it on my own.  I did learn how to workout though, so I did have a headstart where that was concerned.  Though, it was working out in a healthy fashion, not like I used to do when I was a youngster.I began to look into the lap-band when I'd first heard of it.  I was always too afraid to do the Gastric Bypass, and never would consider it.  I have iron deficiency and other such nutrients and I'm afraid the surgery actually could kill me.  The Lap-Band has helped me greatly, but I don't think the band has really helped me as much as I expected it to.  I know for one thing I'm overly tight and have as a result developed a sugar addiction or (soft food syndrome).  I've had a difficult time overcoming it.  I do have an appointment to have some unfill on 7/31 however.  It will be nice!In short, just remember - there is nothing in this world that is going to be a miracle cure for obesity.  You ulitmately still have to eat right, exercise and make good decisions for your health.  I'm no longer a bariatric "virgin" and I'm so thankful to have learned this now.  I think from here I am going to start looking into the gastric sleeve.  I will know better this time around - and I do believe this surgery will work better for me should I be able to come up with the money to have it done since my insurance does not cover it.  I can also wait around until they do...Good luck!