dylanmiles23

Hello everyone. I haven't been writing much lately but I do read a lot of your thoughts, feelings, goods and bads. I enjoy keep up with everyone. In one week will be 2 years for me and my life change, The Lap Band!! I love it and it treats me well when I treat it well. Yesterday, I thought I was good and got stuck at lunch. I had cucumber and lump crab meat (both plain). Weird. Over the past year I have been around the same weight but lately up 5-10 pounds. I can not buy me nuts anymore. I eat too many. I also, don't exercise enough. At a breakfast/lunch restaurant in my town the owner had the band 5 years ago and after working from 5am until 3pm every day he walks 5 miles a day up and down hills. He is great, I am not that great at all. My Fitbit says a do 4-5000 steps a day. I feel that is great but my doctor wants 10,000 a day. I have never down that. I belong to many FB groups with WLS as the main topic. One woman is doing her own non surgery plastic surgery. She showed a picture of her bat wings and 6 months later(yesterday) she has wonderful muscles from doing weight lifting. Her stomach she said is getting flatter but she still has thigh skin. She should be a poster woman for all of us that have 'skin issues', me included. She made me want to try weight lifting. Start small with baby steps. I read some where about using the 16oz bottles of water and use them to start. They are less money than weights, just in case you don't like doing this. Everyone have a great day. Enjoy this wonderful summer. Arlene

A new small NSV for me. I needed a white belt for my summer white jeans and shorts. Being that I had a massive huge waist I bought an xl. Too big and they didn't have a smaller size, so took it and had holes made. Was in Kohl's the other day and bought 2 size large belts and they fit and past the first hole. My weight has not changed in about 1 year but I guess inches are changing which is wonderful for me. Yesterday I wore a size large maxi skirt from Gap and I looked great. I don't know how to down load pictures, that is why you never see any of me. Needed to share. Thanks for listening. Arlene

Happy new month to everyone in WLS land. I haven't been writing much but I try to read about all of you. ​The end of July is my 2 year banding. Best thing I ever did. I am much healthier and I actually enjoy walking. My weight has been around the same for 1 year but my surgeon thinks I am at goal even though I would like to be 40-50 pounds less. I am around 190-195 right now. When I got married 43 1/2 years ago I was 144 and have not seen that number since. Under 200 maybe 2 times in all my married life. I enjoy eating out and do so almost every day at least one meal. Bread is a problem food for me so only great bread in restaurants and then mostly the crust and dunked in olive oil. A week ago I was out with my grandsons, 6 & 14 and husband and I ordered fried onion rings. I had 1 too many and after very bad slimming and throwing up slim I threw up that f**kn onion ring in front of the boys. How embarrassing is that? The band tells you when to stop and you need to listen. I enjoy outlet shopping and walking. I go almost once a week even if it is just window shopping. When I go walking I need to be someplace not just in my area, boring! So I went when it was the Memorial Day weekend sales!! OMG, I did good. I wear a size 12 shoe and Easy Spirit had sandals for 1/2 off. I bought 3 pairs for $80.!!!!!! Mighty fine value when you have huge feet and I am only 5'5". ​Congratulations to all who graduate this spring. Enjoy your summer. Arlene aka Eye Candy

Sorry to hear about your friend. I have not changed at all. I did not let my band change me at all except my eating. Many years ago I did a crazy weight loss program and lost 40-60 pounds. I former friend said I changed when I became thinner. My husband said I didn't, she was jealous of my loss because she wore my 'fat' clothes. I wish you a lot of good luck with your new journey.

Happy Marathon Monday from Boston. We are BOSTON STRONG!! Info about Boston. The Marathon is always run the closest Monday to April 19th, that is Patriot's Day. In MA it is a holiday and also school vacation. Our spring vacations are not around Easter but this week only. The wheel chair racers started, then the women and finally the men. They have all started. This is a very important day in Boston. For WLS people, every day is an important day, why? because we are all running with our new journey. I am far from a perfect Bander. I eat wrong but my band does say, Arlene, stop eating. This past week I had two stuck dinners. Ate too fast and too much. But I am the marathoner and I will not let this stop my journey. I have been too good with the gym either and my legs were tired yesterday. I thought I would do 5 minutes on the bike. My friend was there, so we talked and before I knew it, I did 11 minutes. It felt great!! Today is my MIL's 91st birthday and we are taking her out for Japanese food for lunch. One of the steak house restaurants. I will have shrimp, a filet, veggies and a little rice and I will feel good about my choices. Well, I hope everyone in WLS land has a wonderful Patriot's Day. That was when the battle of Lexington and Concord happened. In June we have Bunker Hill Day. In March was evacuation day which was also St. Patrick's Day. Boston has a lot of history days. I went to Boston public schools and those were no school days. Enjoy the spring day. Arlene

Good luck with your new journey. I love the band. I have had it for 1 1/2 years. I have a shake for breakfast every morning. I hate eggs etc. I use 8 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 scoop of chocolate Body Fortress protein powder, about 1 tea. or more of decaf instant coffee and about the same amount of peppermint extract and then tons of ice. My shakes are very thick and taste great. The coffee and peppermint kills all after tastes. I have a small Hamilton Beach blender that is also the drink cup. So after all the ingredients are in I fill it with small ice cubes. Good luck.

Hello everyone. I have been reading everything but just haven't written much. I am busy with my family. My 95 year old mother's mind is getting worse. Last week she didn't recall my name. That sucks. My mentally challenged brother, he is 6 years older than me, is a handful. Tomorrow we are looking into adult day care for him. I hope it works. Today my oldest son is 39. Can't believe I have a child that old. I baby sat his son, Max the other night. Max is 14 months and priceless. Laughs, yells and loves to eat fruit. I belong to a gym and Friday was my first time there since November. I went yesterday and today and I feel much better about me. It was like starting over again. I went slow and didn't push myself but loved it. Do you know what you call people like me that pay and don't go to the gym?, profit! My husband won't get off his fat ass and go with me. A high school friend posted this, funny and dumb: I want to die like my grandfather, in my sleep, no pain not yelling and screaming like the people in his car. I have a weird sense of humor. Before the band my tops were either a 2 or 3 xl plus size woman's. Yesterday I bought a new sweat shirt, size misses large! Yeah! me! Now to just get rid of the muffin top which is my largest part of the body. Everyone have a great week. Thursday, Boston is either getting lots of snow or rain. They don't know yet. Arlene

I love the show and love seeing how the people end up. I do think Jillian is a bully, a lot of the time. I know I wouldn't want her to be my trainer. Rachel did go over board to win the money. But then she was a swimmer, so maybe this weight is normal for her younger self.

Thank you for telling about the shoulder pain. I was convinced I need shoulder surgery. You just saved me from a MRI and doctor's appointments. I have had 3-4 fills for a total of 2.2 and my doctor said I don't need more. Every doctor is different.

Have you gone to any meetings? They explain the different types. Also the support groups are great because the people will tell you what is good or bad about each type of surgery. Good luck. I have the band and love it. Nothing is removed and the band can get removed or replaced if needed.

Good luck with your new journey. I don't recall which WLS you're having. I got the band right before I was 62. The best thing I ever did. I wish I knew about it many years ago.

My oldest brother once went to a meeting/talk about dealing with old age parents. The speaker said that to keep the mind going, math helps. My mother would take 3 packages of the same item and in her head would tell which size to buy. It was like it happened over night. She fell and then went back home and that was over 4 years ago. She took care of and spoiled my brother who is mentally challenged. He is now our problem. He is mentally around 12, which when you see others, that is great. When he was 8 months he got the measles and it destroyed 1/2 his brain. I hope I am never like this when I get that age.

my mother use to say when she was around 85 that she, my father and brother should go on a bus and let the bus go over the cliff. My SIL added her father (he is now 96)to the list and my husband added his mother (90) to the list. It is funny but not funny.

thank you. My mother is going to the hospital tonight because she did break something and they want to check her out better.

​So today would have been my parents 74th wedding anniversary. My father died at 89, almost 90 April, 2006. My mother is 95, good to decent health but the mind is gone, full blown dementia. I saw her yesterday and she hates to be bathed, needs to wear Depends and won't. She wears a huge gold ring and while lashing out broke her finger and won't let us cut the ring off. I tried to talk to her, forget it. At 4ish am this morning she fell. She wasn't great getting an x-ray. Don't know yet if she broke anything. Ok, now my rant!! Why is it we can put our beloved pets to sleep and not our parents/spouse or whoever, who is suffering?????????? When my father was dying, my mother, age 87, bathed him, cleaned him, spoon fed him and every day she would say, "Today is a good day for a funeral, Melvin, close your eyes". My mother is that way and if she saw the way she is, she would try to kill herself, I know that. Sorry, but I needed to voice my thoughts. My oldest brother feels the same way as I do. It is enough for our wonderful mother. She was great!! When I see her she always says who is watching the boys. I keep telling her they are 35 & 39. She thinks they are still very young. Sad. Thank you for listening to me. I hope you all don't have to deal with all this. I also have a brother, 69, I am the very youngest of 3, who is mentally challenged . He lives alone but I take care of him. He has type 1 diabetes and takes 4 shots a day and he doesn't get it. I try to explain and help. I have a full plate with family. Everyone enjoy your day. Stay warm. Arlene