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 !

you look stunning ! both before an after !! congrats !!!

yay for you !!!!!! congrats !!! I have BCBS too, i had a bmi of 40, with 2 co -morbities (high BP and sleep apnea.. ) they approved me last Nov, , paid 100 %, so i was banded Dec 13th, 2011 weighing 225 lbs, wearing a size 18. tired all the time, hated the way i looked etc. Im down to 169 lbs (this am i hit 169.5 !!! Me !!!! i havent been 169 in 20 years !!!! ) I wear a size 14 , no more high BP or sleep apnea , and love the way i look. I hope your journey is as easy as mine has been. Good luck !!!

dont give up !!! I have BCBS too, and last fall they approved me in 3 weeks ! I had a letter from my dr stating that she felt i was a good candidate based on my family history , (short women with weight probs), and i had tried 1 yr of weight watchers w/o success, plus i had high BP and sleep apnea. my bcbs paid 100% (bless them), i was banded last December, ive lost 50 lbs and im very grateful to them for paying for the band. I was told to just jump through their hoops and get all the proof, letters of recommendation, and documents signed that i could. i did everything , had the paperwork sent in a nd got approved quickly. So hang in there and keep trying !! Dont give up !!

yes, id do it again ! im 8 months out, gone from a frumpy, old lady size 18 -1x to a cute size 14-large-, lost 50 lbs and generally feel 100% better. ive gone from walking only to jogging/walking, my joints dont hurt as much, my digestive problems have disapeared and my sleep apnea is getting better. Im getting compliments almost daily, (thankyou !!!) and i have cute, attractive clothes that keep getting bigger as i lose more weight. ( skinny jeans ??? belts ?? tucked in shirts ??, who, me ??). Yes, id do it all over again, its been a breeze !

um, what makes you think you cant ever eat those foods again ?? i eat 98 % of what i ate before , the difference is i choose NOT to eat 98% of the junk food i ate before. i can still eat steak , pulled pork, french bread (a few bites), chicken, pizza, etc. i just try to choose wisely, . and try to limit my junk foods (sliders) to a few bites. I cant eat raw broccoli, or anything that expands like a biscut, certain potatoes, thick chicken or thick pork chops . So, step away from the junk food , you may not be able to eat a FEW things when banded, but when the weight starts coming off, you wont even care !!!! Good luck !

well , you go girl !!!!! good luck !!!

whew !! breathe, honey..............breathe !!!!! take a deep breath.................... there , muchhhhhhh better !!! I m glad you made the decision to get healthy, and hopefully your ins. will help you. from what ive heard , taking your regular meds afterwards isnt a prob., going under is easy, and you taking the eating issues one day at a time. the band doesnt take away your craving , you have to make good choices for yourself. the nice thing is the band limits the amount of food you can eat, so if you fill up on healthy foods, theres little room for junk. that being said, you'll get lots of support here,so welcome aboard !

you hubbys attitude "that you could lose weight on your own " is ridiculous ! If that was the case there wouldnt be a billion dollar diet industry ! (yes, i said "billion dollar !") Thats like telling a diabetic that she could cure her diabetes "on her own !!" if she just ate right. Ummmmm. no. The weight doesnt always magically fall off just because you diet and exercise. Your body doesnt always cooperate. Ask the hubby if certain parts of his body have a mind of its own ! (Yeah, i said it !!) well hubby , welcome to the world of obesity !! Having a positive partner is very important, but your not obligated to change his small minded attitude. Do this for yourself ! good luck !

my husband is diabetic and does most of the cooking . we try to eat healthy by following diabetic ideas of lean meats, fish, chicken, fruits and veggies and anything carbs is whole wheat. like noodles, bread etc. He doesnt like sweets but i do so i have a little bit of a treat everyday, usually a cookie or a tiny bit of ice cream. try googling diabetic recipies for some healthy eating ideas.

hey m sangie, youre awesome !!! dont get discouraged !! 18 lbs in 5 weeks !!! thats 3 lbs a week !! youre doing great !! your weight loss may slow down but what youre doing for your body exercise wise is amazing !!! stay on the course because you will start seeing your clothes get loose, and although you cant see it , your heart, lungs and other muscles are getting stronger too !! woohooo !!!!