over 350lbs with a band?

Hello everyone, I have only been loosing weight since June 07 and I'm down 70lbs. Some people say thats great but, I have a lot more weight to loose than the average "bandster". My starting weight was 386 and I'm wondering if there are any people out there that were around this weight and chose to have the lap band and whether or not I should have lost more than this by now. I would also like to know about the panis, or lower part of the stomach, Does it shrink back completely  or is that just wishful thinking? I am very young (19) and becoming more confident by the day but, the thought of hanging skin scares me to death, I don't want anymore scars either so plastic surgery is not something that I want in the future. Please, please tell me anything you can about speed of weight loss and skin. THANKS SOO MUCH!!!!

You are young and if you loose it at a nice slow pace and take your vitamins and eat GOOD for you food, you will have the best chance of your skin snapping back the most. Also, do exercise and build muscle. Don't be in such a hurry to lose fast or you will have more problems with your skin.  You can get a lot of support here. You can learn a lot and get good motivation. Welcome!!! There are a few other YOUNGSTERS here too!   

Sounds like your doing GREAT! Please don't EVER judge yourself or your weight loss to others. We all lose at different rates....remember the TURTLE won the race! About the belly, this too is totally different for every person. All I can say is to enjoy your changing body and when the time comes and your at your goal see where things stand. Best Wishes and Congratulations on making a change for a healthier U!

My starting weight was near 350 and the tummy skin is a big, heavy bag that's going nowhere for me. But please note that I was near 40 and had five problems pregnancies with losses before the band so my tummy skin was yelling "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH." I've lost about half the weight I want to lose, but I want skin reduction before I lose any more.  It might be very hard for some others to understand, but I don't want a flat, bikini tummy, but the large life-less mass of skin is no little inconvenience. On a positive note, I can't remember the state of my tummy, skin when I was 19 and hadn't started trying to get pregnant. Also, plastic surgery can "help" scars and when done well, it leaves nothing but improvement. The 70 pounds are great and ahead of the pack at this point, by the way. Happy Journey, Frances

You are doing a fantastic job.  You are losing at a great rate.  You are very young and will have some elasticity in your skin, but its impossible to predict what will happen.  Just remember that you will feel so much better, live such a better quality of life at a lower weight, and that is much more important than the skin issue.  deb

There is nothing I like more (with a tini bit of envy) than hearing that someone young got the band!  Why BECAUSE I WISH I COULD HAVE DONE IT AT YOUR AGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So congratulations!  How is someone so young so wise???????? 70 lbs is 4 months is FANTASTIC!  That's like, 17 lbs a month!!!!!  You will be in the 200s in no time. What I'm going to say next is really difficult to take on board, and just so you know, I did not follow my own advise. Enjoy the journey, dont rush yourself!!!!!!Enjoy every single lb that you loose, accept that this is a long journey, that you are not going to be thin overnight.  Give yourself small goals, to be as thin as you were at your graduation, and then at what ever other thin moment you had or to fit into clothes you couldnt before.  Only allow yourself another goal once you've achieved the previous one. Also, if you fall of the bandwagon, don't beat yourself up about it and get right back on.  If you have food adiction issues, get help, dont try to navigate those on your own.  Learn to live like a thin person, to enjoy food like a thin person, remember that thin people still eat chocolate and still go out to dinner, their portions are just smaller. Hanging skin.  That scares me too, and I turn 40 next year, and have had two kids to the odds are stacked against me here compared to you. This is what I do.  I've no clue if it works but I think it does because I'm now a size 8/10 and the skin is still not sagging...well...too badly anyhow. I moisturize, moisturize, moisturize, I use the cheap Nivea body firming, cocoa butter with colagen, frankly, anything that's on sale at the local drug store.  Day and night I moisturize!  Then, and this could be the secret.  I use this Girdle thing called ESBELT, look it up on the internet.  It brings the skin in tight, and gives a bit of massage, I use it for 8 to 10 hours a day and since I've been using it, I see the skin around my tummy going back in.  I will never be the crop to and low waist jeans kind of girl but like you, I dont want plastics if I can help it (I am not above it).  If you do get it, get the biggest size they do because the bloody things run small, I use a LARGE being a size 8/10. Good luck on your journey, if you need anything PM me, I dont post as much as I would like but always check in Loli

I was 382 when I started my pre-op low cal eating plan.  The younger someone is the more likely they will have elasticity in their skin.  That doesn't mean you will not have hanging skin but it means that you may have less of it. I wish you the best of luck in making this decision and congrats on losing 70 pounds so far that kicks Arse.

I was 385 when I started. I am going to have a skin removal surgery in about 55-60 more lbs. Your still young, You shouldn't have too much problems with your skin. I'm 33, and have been over 320 lbs for around 12 years. My skin has had a long time to stretch. Strangely it isn't as bad as I thought it would be so far. 70 lbs is great. You are doing awesome. Good luck and keep us posted. Johnny

Hey there!!! I started my lapband journey at 30 yrs old and 425 lbs and I'm a few weeks from from 1 year anniversary and I've lost 146 lbs so far (279). So it CAN be done and YOU can do it!!!!! My under arm skin and my inner thighs are getting pretty bad flabby but my stomach & panis and doing remarkably great and shrinking without too much of a hang.  You can check out my profile for some pics if ya want.  Good luck in your journey : )

Wow Helana!!!  I checked your pics for inspiration and you have done an awesome job!!!!!   How long before your toes got that skinny?  :)