pink dahlia

Dear Professor, I used to get the best deals at our local Value Village ! They had everything ! Sadly, they went out of business where I live in western Washington state. The next time you shop there, tell them to please reopen one in our area ! ( In other words , "shut up and take my money !!!)

Sorry, the author is Carole Jackson, and yes its updated and still in print. Try Barnes and Noble, or Amazon, or just google for info.

Im 57 years old , gone from 225 lbs to 144 and im pretty darn sure I haven't spent $30, 000 dollars on my wardrobe in my entire life. I dont have to dress up for work ( jeans are fine) but I still look stylish, professional and pulled together every single day. People compliment me often on my nice clothes , it's always from Goodwill !!! I bought only what looked good and fit my body, and age, not because it was popular or a bargain price. I will say one book that helped me a long time ago was called "Color me beautiful" I think the author was Carole Johnson ? She saved me a fortune once I figured out what season I was ( winter) , I ve never bought the wrong colors since. Money well spent !!

Ms954jkwd, you had surgery a month ago and you're "depressed " because you've "only " lost 14 lbs ? Thats an average of just over 3 lbs a week !! You're doing great !!! Loosing too much too fast is not a healthy way to keep the weight off, so remember "slow and steady wins the race !" Good luck ! Keep it up !

Trust the process. Also realize that like ANY journey, you are going to have roadblocks, detours , stop signs etc. Dont stop the journey towards a strong healthy body just because you hit a speedbump. Its temporary, not forever. Again, trust the process !

Love the story, also I love Stevehuds anology about the mountain. Great stories from both of you ! Thanks !!

Elaine Sunday, I hope and wish that a week, a month and a year from now you will see your journey in a better light. Please don't think that because you like to cook that you won't be able to cook much. I cook more now than I ever did ( a kitchen remodel and Pinterest helped alot !) ! and as far as eating, well who does' nt like eating ?? We ALL like to eat, otherwise we would'nt be having WLS !! I just cook and eat healthier, and in smaller amounts . Thats it. No huge changes other than the very rare fast food. But the 5% negative of being banded is NOTHING compared to the 95 % of being banded. Its been a win win from the beginning !! I hope you start seeing all the positives coming your way !! Good luck !!

I put WLS in a similar category as teeth problems , poor eyesite or a broken bone. If you needed help fixing any of the above, such as eye surgery, dental surgery or surgery to fix a broken bone, nobody would think twice about it. But if someone thinks about WLS, well that can be a different story for some. Too bad !!! Getting help to get your body healthy and strong is more important than someone s opinion. Nobody would think those other surgerys are the "easy way out ", neither is WLS. Just sayin '.............

Frozen chocolate fat free pudding.......mmmmmm

About 6 yrs ago, sitting in our company break room were 2 co workers, both very overweight. They were talking about grocery shopping. One ( about 30 yrs old ) said to the other " buying healthy food is just too expensive, so I just end up buying junk food and fast food ." !!!!! I was involved in a popular diet group then, eating healthy and NOT loosing weight, so was shocked at this obese womans comment. I wonder how much money will she pay in the future for her obesity ?

2muchfun, I couldnt of said it better ! About a year and a half ago a high school friend of my daughters came through my line at work with his dad, (early 40's) who was in an electric wheel chair. The kid introduced us, the dad and I chatted while I rang him up. Guess what he bought ?? Yep, soda pop and several candy bars ! Eeeeeeeeeeeek ! Im NOT perfect, I have a little sweet or chocolate everyday, but did this guy just NOT get it that he was in a wheelchair because of his eating habits !????? I wanted to tell him about lapband so bad, but definetly not the time or place ! (Although that has not ever stopped my daughter from telling anybody and everybody that i had a lap band done when they ask her how I lost my weight ! )

The key for me was finding activities that I liked and felt that I could stick to. Before being banded I only walked occasionaly. Once i got approved for surgery I joined the Y and started on a weight machine that had you go around the room woking out on each machine for a specific amount of timeor reps. I hated it so I switched to swimming 3 x a week and walking once a week. Once I was banded and continued to walk and swim the weight literally started falling off of me ! Now I still swim 3x a week an have graduated to running ! ( my dream was to be a runner !!!!!, and im a slow runner but a runner neverthe less !!) 65 lbs down !!!

Does'nt that 1st compliment feel great ? I felt like I was floating on air ! When I had lost about 17 lbs I ran into an acquaintance I hadn't seen in a few months. He said "have you lost weight ? You look thinner in the face !" Ohhhhh, that just made my day !! I knew that the band and my hard work was paying off !! Congratulations !!! Trust me, those compliments will just keep happening ! good luck !!

way to go ! its a great feeling when your pants start sliding off your rear end, isnt it ???? suddenly it was , i cant wear that anymore, its too big !!!! wow !!! ..............it was beyond shocking when i went frm a size 18-1x to a 16, now 14, and some 12's ! unbelievable, but it WILL happen to you too ! iwas banded Dec13th, 2011, down 55 lbs with about 30 to go. So, start shopping at Goodwill or other 2nd hand stores. i get 90% of my clothes there, shop once a week, and try to look for clothes that you will grow into this winter, not that just fit now. Then on a morning when you are standing in your underware because NOTHING fits, you can be very happy "shopping your closet" for smaller sizes. I get LOTS of compliments on my nice clothes (Im 54!) and how i look, and trust me, it never gets old !! (im happily married, get lots of support and compliments from hubby, but the first time a male aqaintance noticed my weight loss and said "girl, you are smokin !!!!" i just about wet my pants !!!! ) It will happen to you too , so keep up the good work !! Good luck !