charlottesweb91

I have not been on the forums here since May, and I thought I would just log in and look around, but I am compelled to start a new thread. I stopped visitng the forums because I was living my day to day life by what everyone else experienced, and really downing myself when I didn't do as well as others here at Lapbandtalk. Now, 4 months later, here I am again. I had my surgery January 29th, 2007. I started slowly. I struggled with finding the right way to eat and hating myself for spending over 15 grand when I was not losing weight quickly. Now I can say this....15 grand well spent! Face it folks, GOOD eating habits are learned, even with lapband. I learned this the hard way. Today is my 8 month Bandiversary. YEAH!!!!! I have lost 53 pounds, and dropped 4 sizes. I have loads more energy. I am happy for the first time in ages!!! My advice and thoughts are this: Don't give up, every person is different, and slow can be good! (You didn't gain the 100 pounds overnight, so you won't lost it overnight!) Charlotte Former struggling bandster; now a HAPPY bandster!

Banded on January 29th. I am currently sitting at 200.1. I want to see that 199 so bad, it's killing me!!!!

My first real meal was meat loaf and mashed potatoes. I am not a big fan of meat loaf, but it went down good and I had no problems, so I was happy. Also, it was not really a meal, I think I managed about 4 bites of each then I was full.

Punky Bruiser

I tied my Nike's without losing my breathe, usually when I bend over to do that, it takes my breathe away. But so far all my weight has come off my belly, so it helped this a lot! And my pants are looser, not down a size yet, but they used to be snug!

Now that I am banded, I want to eat things on TV that I never wanted before, and know I can't have....Like a SUBWAY sub. I have never been a sub eater, and all of a sudden, I want one so bad I can't stand it....it is so thick and nice looking with all those meat and veggies on a nice thick bread.........mmmmmm.......:hungry:

The final straw for me was this: I got married, and after my wedding pictures came back, I refused to buy any or allow anyone to see them. I was that ashamed of the way I looked.

I got a score of 10. Okay, I got the Moses right, but the darn apple one wrong!

What, if anything, is too serious to joke about? child abuse If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or one ability, what would it be? The ability to to make everyone in my life happy. Whom, if anyone, do you envy enough to want to trade lives with them? Nobody at all. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what woud it be? Because my parents were divorced when I was very young, I do not know the circumstances revolving around their break up. I do know that my mother hated my father, and spent every chance she could drumming this into my brain. She was a great Mom in all other respects, but I could of done without the Dad bashing. She is gone now, RIP, but Dad is around now, and he is great. I wish I could of enjoyed him when I was growing up. If there were a public execution on tv, would you watch it? Yes, I tend to be morbid. Would you rather arrive at a party underdressed or overdressed? Overdressed. Once you are there, you can always down play it, but it is hard to upgrade. What's more important: actual experiences, or the memories that remain from those experiences? The actual experience makes the memory, so I would have the say the actual experience. In real conversations, do you tend to talk more or listen more? I think I do them evenly. If you had to chose one, would you rather be blind or deaf? Deaf. There's always close captioned!

We call mine "Bandita".

On another note... The kids call us Jeff and Joe.......AS IN: Jeffather & Joemama. Funny, huh.

I call my husband "phillie", which is what his grandmothercalled him when he was young. He really did not like it, but when he told me about it, I called him that as a joke, but then now it has kind of stuck around. He says he does not bug him any more! He calls me "baby". But, lately he calls me "my shrinking baby".

I am the Student Services Coordinator at an international flying school. We train people from Europe to be airline pilots. (NO middle easterners though or persons from countries that have ties to any terrorism.) All our students go through a government screening process before coming to us to train. Many people want to know why someone would travel to Florida to gain European Pilot Licenses and the answer is really simple: We fly 360 days a year, while weather does not permit this in Europe, and the costs are way cheaper here. The best part of my job is that I get to meet people from all over: We currently have students from England, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Holland, and many other European countires. And I get to travel to these places occasionally also. Although I am not a pilot myself, I handle all the day to day school stuff that happens on the ground from sales, embassy paperwork, TSA flying approvals, booking travel and housing accomodations, and instructor scheduling. You name it, I do it! One of goals after losing my weight is to get a pilot's license myself!!

Wow, four months is good from what I hear! I PB'ed on my first scrambled egg. That was Saturday morning. I was so excited about eating something that was not liquid (and having company to talk to) that I was eating FAST and talking all at the same time. Three bites and it hit me, the PB'ing I have been reading about! Now, I am sure to be concentrating when I eat something, even when it is mushy!

OOPS sorry KristiB, forgot to answer your question, the log hit me after it hit you... She used a "pseudonym"!!

Hello KristiB, Yes I read the sleeping Beauty trilogies several years ago!! Anne Rice used the name A. N. Roquelaure for those books. I discovered them after I read "Exit To Eden", and she used the name Anne Rampling for that one! But, I thought they were good, very complex for soft porn..lol. Also James Patterson's new book came out last Tuesday, "Step On A Crack". I already devoured it and it was excellent, as is all his books!

I was banded on Jan. 29th. Although things are going very well, I have these thoughts that I cannot shake.....FOOD! Not the eating part of it all, but the social part. Already I am faced with having to attend a birthday party for a friend next week, and of course, it's a BBQ. This does not bother me in particular, it is just that it has we wondering.....a lot of the things that go on in my life have food involved. Will I never be able to enjoy food again? When I go to Mexico in April on vacation, how am I supposed to enjoy the local menu? When my hubby and I go on that yearly cruise in November, how will I enjoy my dinners? STUFF LIKE THAT! I guess I am just thinking too far ahead of all this. Like I said, I am really doing quite well so far, and do not regret my decision to be banded. My mind is working overtime about all the future food scenerios in my life.

I am 11 days post-op, and I thought the same thing right afterward also! Hang in there, it does get better each day. I suggest that if you must sleep on your side, get a VERY soft pillow, such as feather one, and use it longways to lay on. I did that, and it seemed to help some.

Well, I had my surgery on Jan 29th, and guess what??? They said, leave the panties on. And I did, and they were still on afterwards. I was surprised, but I didn't argue.

Hello Everyone....The big day is today at 10AM. I was up early, watched CNN, took my shower, saw my daughter off to school, and now I am here wondering why I am not nervous yet! I guess it is because it is the right thing to do! I survived the pre-op 3 day liquid diet with no problems, and I am looking forward to the beginning of my new life! Charlotte

I sometimes have to LIMIT my reading, because once I start a book, I am useless for anything else until the book is done! I am a big James Patterson fan, I have read all his books, and am even on the list at Barnes & Noble so that they send me his new ones on the release date. I have just finished reading "The Boleyn Inheritance", and I enjoyed it so much that I ran out and bought Phillippa Gregory's other books in the same series. My LapBand surgery is today at 10 AM (YEAH!!) and I have several books waiting on my bedside table for my week off work this week, including Lisa Gardner's "Gone", and "Naked Came The Stranger", which is a semi-famous book from 1969 that was written as a joke by about 10 different people who were trying to understand the popularity of "Fear of Flying." Should be interesting! Additionally, I love Anne Rice, and I just recently finished "Chris the Lord", which was better than I expected!

AMEN again to the name thing! I also have a son named Andrew, and people always insisted on calling him Andy or Drew. I named him ANDREW, and that's what he's called!

Wow...you mean I can B*t#h with no recourse??? Here goes: When you are on the interstate and drive slow in the fast lane..shame on you!!!!! I am the CUSTOMER...without me, you would not have a job...so...where is the customer service ???????? And say "Thank You" when you take my money! And last and most annoying... MY NAME IS CHARLOTTE, NOT CHAR!!!!

In the beginning of my journey, my DH was not 100% behind me either. I took him to the seminar with me in August, and he still had more questions, whcih we researched together. I am scheduled for banding on Monday the 29th, and his is now on board with me 100%! I am also a self pay, and this was big issue for him also. But the bottom line ended up being this: Have I had successful weight loss before? NO Do you want me to stick around and enjoy an active life with you? YES Which is more important, my life and well being or the bank account? NO ANSWER EVEN NEEDE FOR THIS ONE! It took time, but now he understands.

My date is Monday Jan. 29th, and I started out real nervous last weekend, but now I am more nervous about missing work all of next week! I am trying to tell myself, I will feel great and be back at it by Thursday... Mostly I am worried I will be in pain afterwards, more than being scared about the surgery itself.