MiniMi

It's been 6 years for me. I never reached my goal (20 lbs away) but I am a size 10-12 and happy so who gives a F. I never regretted it. Lap band is not a weight loss tool but a maintenance too. So, if you have been able to lose weight in the past but keeping it off is the problem then this is the surgery for you. No matter how much you want to binge after, how many slices of pizza you want to put away, you just CAN'T after 1.

Hello! Been off for a while. Banded in 2012. 23 lbs from goal and I've been the same weight for one year. This band really is the tool so you don't regain. Most everything else take hard work and dedication. Maintaining is a piece of cake and easy. I just wish I was maintained 23 lbs less. Who cares, I'm a rock star either way and I'll get there when I quick jerking around!

Here is some motivation to follow your plan: eating solids or even mushy too soon can cause a slip ( a nice way of saying rip your stitches out away from your stomach which most likely will cause internal bleeding)

This isn't a diet it is a medical necessity. Stay healthy, stay happy, and call your dr if you can't go on any longer!

It's all about sticking to the program and embracing the new lifestyle. You can't "hope" for these results, you have to go out and get them. GREAT job!

OK' date=' I've always had this one pet peeve. It's not loosing weight, it's losing weight. It's not loose weight, it's lose weight. Loose means something is not attached. OK, I'm done.[/quote']THANK YOU ! It drives me insane. Also, too or to!

You wouldn't wash Bon Jovi's sweat off of yourself' date=' at least I wouldn't. Happy belated 19th anniversary, skinny mini! Makes sense that one rockstar would hang out with another rockstar.[/quote']AMEN!

Talk about wanting to jump some bones! Ugh...good thing my hubby is hot!

Studying is still going strong. I hate it!

I haven't received my approved application back to even sit for the exam so I'm a ball of nerves. The window is oct-nov only.

Hello everyone! So glad to have my bandiversary! Hurray! Also celebrated my 19th wedding anniversary.

Tonight I went to see Bon jovi in concert. Man was it ever great!

Super close to stage!

It is certainly preferable to do as many procedures as possible at one surgical setting to avoid 2 downtimes' date=' 2 recoveries, 2 exposures to anesthesia and the added expense of 2 surgeries. Surgeons will stage procedures for several reasons. If there is a large amount of skin there may be a simple time constraint in removing it all. This type of work also requires a team approach in a specialty facility (in my opinion). Not all surgeons may be willing to enlist the extra help needed to move thee cases along, and not all facilities are capable of handling the recovery process for longer procedures. My typical staging is: Stage 1: lower body lift, breast lift, liposuction as needed, possible breast implants Stage 2: arms and legs plus touchups from Stage 1. Add breast implants to lift if not done at Stage 1. Hope this helps Dr. LoMonaco www.DrLoMonaco.com www.BodyLiftHouston.com[/quote']

Thanks! It helps a lot!

Hello! I'm still alive and well. Two thing... Anyone who ever says that wls is the easy way out is full of crap..my 90 day challenge is challenging. Second, this CPA exam is kicking my butt. Hard stuff. Studying hard and craving chocolate ( I hate sweets usually)

Good thing there is wine in the world. Had a glass of old vine zin and now I'm off to bed. Sorry I haven't been up on you lives. Hope all is well. Miss hanging out. My one year bandanniversary is on next Sunday...can't believe it!

Hello everyone. I am new to this site' date=' and am having my surgery on 10/14. I would love some helpful tips or any recommendations. Thanks [/quote'] Hello! I was banded 10/5/12. My goal range is between 165-175. I'm 18 lbs away from that and I'm thrilled. I never allowed myself to even try taboo foods. One chip leads to 2 bags etc... I stuck with my program 100% and I have consistently lost weight through hard work and dedication. Each triumph made me realize how strong I really am. I heard once that herbal tea curbed appetite so I started drinking red chai tea (it's naturally decaf) with sf Syrup and nf milk. I would sit in my room sometimes, sipping tea and pout because I wanted to eat but didn't want to cheat. That tea got me through some rough times. It became my comfort and security blanket. Find yours. It could be exercise or craft or a guilt free treat...something to get you through. Be your best friend, find your voice, re teach others how to treat you...no more shoving feelings down with food. Enjoy the process, it's a wonderful one. Big hugs to you! You'll do great!

Hello all. I did not break 70... never have except for 9 holes' date=' LOL! I did shoot 93 which is pretty reasonable for me no more than I play. The best news is I had real meat for late lunch...Chicken and it went down and is doing fine. I really am having to relearn how to eat again. I did not realize how much I had slipped from small bites and chewing. This fill is really helping me slow down and think!

Janet, Ange looks so cute and so happy! I can't wait to see Emi in her arms... and yours!

Carole, I feel you pain on the counter tops. We had an excellent contractor here when we did our kitchen a few years ago, but I would still not want to ever go through it again. Likewise with our master bath redo! Happy with is now, but it was painful.

Doreen, I hope you get a good report from your doctor, let us know what he says. Hugs and prayers.

Dawn, All I can say is AWWW, Brad is a definite keeper. The earrings sound really special... pictures?

Michele, study hard and lets put this chapter of your life behind you. So happy you are overweight! LOL. I hope with this fill I can get to normal. Just a few pounds to go.

Diane, I have to go out to buy real oats, but will try the oatmeal soon. Sounds yummy. May I PLEASE have fruit other than blueberries? I don';t do blueberries. Pecans yes, I am a southerner after all! Hope your tummy starts cooperating again soon!

Nicole... welcome back!

Later![/quote']

Never thought I'd laugh at someone calling me that! Ha!

This is my biggest fear as well. I started using rogaine for women now so that if it does fall out then hopefully I should have more growing.

Just don't use it in the shower so you don't rinse it down your back and end up growing hair elsewhere!

I have a beagle/bassett hound' date=' so let's do it!

I didn't think of adding baking soda. I'll give that a try. I'm seriously going to piss off my HOA and hang them outside on the balcony for a few hours tomorrow if that doesn't work! This is driving me crazy!

I did take my second shower today and rubbed some orangish-brown stuff off my back and sides that I couldn't reach before, so hopefully that's the last of it![/quote']

Distiller vinegar in place of the fabric softener on the hottest cycle possible. Then in the dryer us essential oil such as lemon or lavender on a microfiber rag.

Pm if you need more info on the oils.

Thank you for you comments. Cheryl I do understand your way of thinking and that's why I have the inner struggle........am I being unrealistic and ungrateful or am I justified in feeling so disappointed and completely devastated?

Hazelsbliss..........your comment made me cry! You are the first person who seems to "get it". It means so much to have someone say that they understand. Some people probably think I harp on about how miserable I am with my body for the attention or something. They really don't understand that I cannot accept myself as I am and that I don't even have a life due to feeling this way. I barely even leave the house because of the way I feel. I've tried so hard to love and accept myself even just enough so that I can allow and believe that someone else could love me the way I am and it's has ended up in heartache every single time - since the very first time I "fell in love" at 13 years old. I have sabotaged every good opportunity I’ve had to be with someone I l’ve loved because I could not handle the anxiety I felt about being intimate and the fear that they would leave me because of the way I look. So thats 25 years of lonliness and heartache I have endured and I just can't keep going on like this. I can't bare feeling so hurt' date=' lonely and misunderstood anymore. I'm just not able to do it anymore. I feel damaged, broken, flawed, ugly, ashamed and unlovable. I realise that this may seem very extreme and irrational to some and I am having counselling to address the underlying issues which are contributing to these feelings.

I know a big part of the reason that I am so obsessed with my body - to the point that I'd rather be dead than remain like this, is due to being teased and criticised as a child for being overweight. My nickname at primary school was steamroller.....lol I can laugh at that now but it I still remember the pain and humiliation I felt being called that in primary school. I had family members tell me "you're so pretty, if you lose weight someone will love you" (meaning a guy)! There's a movie called Stand By Me which has this really overweight guy in it and whenever he took a step everyone would chant "boom baba boom baba boom baba boom" as if he was causing the earth to shake when he walked. After we'd watched that my own mother, brother and sister would chant that when I walked and would laugh hilariously. My mum's cousin wrote her a poem when she had my baby sister (I was nine years old at the time). It was a lovely poem about how beautiful my sister would be however one verse went like this "I hope she doesn't eat much, like Deb does right now, By the time Deb get's to high school, she'll look more like a cow! That had everyone in fits of laughter!!! My family would constantly make comments about how big I was and would make jokes about my weight etc. My list of taunts, rejections, humiliating things that have been said and done to me goes on and on. I guess that's why I feel so ashamed and unlovable. Growing up with a low self esteem is one thing and makes life enough of a challenge without having physical abnormalities to contend with. I didn’t have the most supportive, loving and encouraging environment growing up and that is no doubt related to the way I feel about myself.

I'm hoping that counselling will ease some of this inner torture as I have a way to go before I will be able to afford to have the body lift (and possibly may have to save to have arms redone now too). This is the very first time I’ve been able to actually explain how I feel to ANYONE and it actually feels really good to get it out in the open. I’ve been hiding how badly this has been affecting my life because I didn’t think anyone would ever understand.

I realise there are people out there who are missing limbs, have terrible disabilities or illnesses and I have thought of those things over and over. I have tried to focus on the wonderful, positive things about me and about how lucky I am to be a healthy able bodied person but I still feel the way I do every day. I think the saying “if you don’t love yourself you can’t love anyone else is” incorrect. I believe that if you don’t love yourself you are unable to accept or believe that someone else can love you. It is so very lonely and painful feeling unlovable and wanting to be free of this fat and skin which is making me feel that way. I can’t wait until the day I can wake up and not have to think about trying to find something to wear that will hide all of this and feeling like a fake because I’m not really as “beautiful” as people try to tell me I am. If only they could see underneath my clothes……they would know why I I don’t feel beautiful at all.

Thanks for reading and for all of your support. It feels like a weight has been lifted just from being able to be open and honest about how I feel xxx[/quote']

Your pain is your pain. You earned it fair and square from what I read. Do not minimize your feelings because others may have it worse than you do. You cannot affect change in yourself or the world unless you take care (and heal) yourself.

I am so sorry for the way your world treated you. It is outright abusive and it angers me to hear! Your arms do need a revision. And you do need therapy to get past the hurt. Start treating yourself with the care and tenderness that others failed to do in your childhood. You'll be better for it! Big hugs!

I also experienced hair loss and was truly AFRAID at one point of becoming bald. I have always had really thin hair anyway but a good enough amount of it to be happy.

I did all of the above posters suggestions and I started using WEN hair Shampoo. None of these things stopped the loss but my hair became softer and fuller looking. Funny thing is I got soooooo many compliments on my hair during this time. I also wore bangs and had to change my hair style. This went on from month 4-9. My Hair loss has all but stopped now and I have a halo of fuzzy new growth coming in all over.

Just when I thought I was going bald the new growth kicked in.

~hugs~ hello girls...

Wow nice to see us all back here...well almost waiting on Di...

Nicole..I was just asking Terri about you today...so very sorry you have had some heart breaking weeks..But very proud that you are eating right and living a healthy banded life...

Janet..so happy your home..your breaking all sort of records this year I think....and God love Maddy...Cj giggled every time Id talk to him about sending the pretty lil girl balloons !!!

Terri Im sorry about your sore hinny...but very glad you went and had it checked..I have watched to many medical shows...

Carole..you must be busy on another home improvement project...so awesome...I have a small hunnie do list for my hunnie tomorrow...lol

Dawn..I thought I had shared about how we came to get CJ...our lil Isaiah was in the hospital for 5 days when one night the dr came in and sat on the bed and told me they found a huge mass in his chest...they talked about cancer..and asked for my preachers number and family...they called and told them they were transporting Isaiah to the Childrens Hospital....I don't remember much after going to my kness crying...it was the worse hours of my life...my baby was only 4....God heard all our prayers and a week later after bone marrow test and biopsies he was discharged...God heard our prayers !!!!

When I came home from the hospital I had so much spam emails and I almost just sweept them all out but God made me go through them and there was a mail from a agency asking if Id be interested in a lil boy with many medical problems...I begged Charlie...because he was already saying NO WAY...he was saying what we just went through with Isaiah how could I want a child that would come with medical issues...I assured him I was just going to meet him...I didn't want any more kids either...well ONE look at his smile and hearing his giggles...I knew he was my baby !!!! and he had been in a few different homes where they didn't work out..and the foster mom who had him told us...she saw a instant bond with us all...the saddest part of this story is...CJ was adopted when he was 11 months out by a family...When he was 5 the police raided the home on a tip from a neighbor and found 4 boys 2 mentally challenged woman and CJ locked in a basement !!! CJ was 5 and only weighed 25 lbs...one boy was actually found in a home made cement room with no lighs ..just kneeling on a blanket..the older children told the police..Oh that's the toy room...so so sad....that all that makes CJ so much special to us all...and to hear him giggle and smile all the time keeps my faith ....

Our Kaleb came to us through his 13 yr old mom who was 7 months preg when she came to us...Jakie came to us as a new born whos mom didn't know she was preg and already had a 3 yr old she couldn't care for...and Isaiah was born in the back of a ambulance by the same mom as Jakie on St Pattys day...she left the ambulance and told them to give the baby she couldn't think of a name for to the family that took her other baby...

Im not that special....its them boys that are everything to me...

love ya all

OMG I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY!

Omg! Welcome back Nicole! I see you are doing great with wl! No fills?? You rock! Yvonne lost 20 then gained 6, has had 3 fills but still eats as usual. She is waiting for the band to stop her before she changes. I try to encourage her ( we are doing kickboxing next thurs together) but I had a feeling from the get go she was gonna have as rough time changing.

I want my lifetime range to be 170-180 so that is what I'm working on. I don't want to do all this work to still feel fluffy! So 15 lbs to go to hit the top of that range and 25 to hit the bottom! (Omg did I just say that?)

Once the sale goes through and I get my CPA I am going to sign up for a marathon. I need it for my mental well being. This whole process has shown me how many inner demons I quieted with food. Now I'm quieting them with movement. Gotta keep on....

Thought you guys would enjoy reading the new essential oils e-magazine http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/a020f6aa#/a020f6aa/1

Morning all! I'm on day 19 of my 90 day challenge. Tonight I'm having a 31gifts party at my house. If you've never heard of it you should check it out. So cool! 31gifts.com

I got on the scale this morning and I decided to go and calculate my BMI and guess what? IM OVERWEIGHT!!!!

Not obese, not morbidly obese but Overweight! Wooohoooo!

I have to work on Saturday because a stupid client brought me a hot mess to finish their corporate return due Monday. Grrr. I'm going to see anjela Johnson in Sacramento on Saturday with my girlfriends. She's a comedian.

Sunday I have the football game. Next week I am working Monday and Tuesday then taking the rest of the week off. Woohoo!

How's my cyber mom? Dawn, are you working from home today too? Are you getting any work in?

Love the football player pics...too cute!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi' date=' Ladies,

Glad to hear Janet is doing well. I made it to Omaha. It was cute, Brad was very surprised. I knocked on the door and could see through the window he was in the dining room working on a puzzle. When he saw the dogs at the door, he was like what??? It was cute. Then he panicked cleaning. The house was clean but he wanted to vaccum real quick, etc. I am working remotely today and tomorrow. I do have a bit of a cold but it doesn't seem too bad.

Have a great day my friends. Hope to ttyl.[/quote']

I hate being sick. I am all in to my essential oils and so far they have kicked whatever is around in the butt. Everyone in my office got REALLY SICK except me!

So sweet you surprised your Hunny!

As for me...today is 5 yrs that our family was bless with making CJ a forever part of our lives..I thank God for CJ every day he has had such a positive spot in each of our lives...and people who meet him say they same....

The whoopee pies didn't stay in the house I made them for the boys football team.....the pee wees played last night and lost in the final mins...~sighs~ but as always Isaiah says we had fun !!!

I had a surprise visitor yesterday ...another foster son that joined the marines and has grown against all odds....he has the will power of a very mature adult...he always has...he came to us a week befor Christmas with just one pr of jeans and 4 white T shirts...and even after spending al kinds of money for clothes for his chiritmas he continued to wear just them dang T shirts...years after he left here....he sat down with me one day and said...mom know why I didn't want the clothes....well long story short....growing up he had to buy...wash..take care of his own clothes... cuz he was the adult in the home...taking care of a drugged up mom...part of his nightly rutien was to wait till she passed out on the front porch and then he would drag her into the house so the neighbors wouldn't see her in the morning....Sooo he just wore the white Ts as his signature...and no one knew he didn't have clothes...

Ok tomarrow I see my nut....she is going to be happy with my weight..130..but she isn't going to be real happy that I have had acid reflex for over 2 weeks....and I just cant seem to eat.some days..I have ate my share of sliders...What I don't understand...last night I ate one hard shell taco from Taco Bell and it seemed to go down fine...but for the rest of the night I couldn't even keep Water down...in the mornings even coffee and yogurt hurt going down....but by night time...im so hungry...I eat sliders..

You are so amazing! I always wanted to have foster kids. I love children and I especially have a heart big enough for those that don't have someone to love them in this world. I just joins junior league and they just started a foster ytd program. Can't wait to get into that!

Congrats on your 5 yr anniversary with CJ!

Omg I'm so busy not dong anything that I have no time! Ha!

Went in for a little fill yesterday. Next month will be my one year bandiversary! I can't believe it.

We put our little white American Eskimo down today. He was 20 and couldn't lay down on his own any more. We would have to pick him up and put him on his bed. Terrible during the night because he would roll off his bed then would cry because he couldn't lay back down.

The 90 day challenge is going good. Day 16 and I'm down 5 lbs. I have 18 more lbs till my drs goal for me. My BMI is 30.2 now!

I haven't started studying yet. Will start this weekend. I'm also taking next week off from work. Woohoo!

I have to admit that I am jealous of all the quilt making going on. I love quilts and would love to learn to make them...one day...maybe!

Hello everyone! Sis, I know financially what you mean. Until your kids are in the same situation they will never understand. I'm paying $40 a visits for chiropractor care for tyler x 3 a week so he can get himself aligned. It helps his Tourette's.

I'm also paying $100 a mon for Ryan's braces. Plus my monthly pay to get my fills/Chk in. Then there is the rest of my sleep study I, paying on. Almost done. Almost $800 a month on medical right now...omg!

Ryan's game was today. Spent two hours volunteering making snow cones in the blazing hot only to have the game forfeited because the other team withdrew for a lack of players! Ugh!

90 day challenge is going good. Monday I have a dr appt. prolly only getting a 1/2 or 1/4 cc fill.

Hope everyone else doing great and enjoying their weekend!

Hi' date=' Ladies,

Glad everyone is doing well!!!

Michelle, you are so rocking this 90 days and so close to goal!!! That is awesome. Great pics of your son too. Do you feel a difference in your relationships (other than their age) with your son and your daughter? I often wondered what it would be like to have a son. I love my girls to pieces, no doubt... just seems like boys are very close to their mothers a lot of the time.

Momma, take care of those cute LITTLE knees!!! I can only imagine how difficult and scary it must be for Ange. I will be so happy when Emilia is in her arms as well. I am excited that next week will be another great chapter for you and your recovery with sexy, new knee #2! You will be rocking those knees by the time Emilia is here! Since Ange is (understandably) opposed to a baby shower before she is born, perhaps she will allow one after she is born? It would be a PERFECT reason to Celebrate. I hope your stuck moment passes soon. I think every once in a while we get those reminders that the band is still there.

Terri, so glad you are taking some "vacation" time. If you want to boat and belch or boat and beach, knock yourself out! How long have you been banded now? Have you found it gets easier to maintain? How are you doing?

Dee, you are such a doll, btw!! I am so excited and I owe you! I am glad to hear Kaleb will be paying to repair his dad's truck. I agree, it will go a long way to building character and responsibility. How did CJ like "eating" for the first time? By the way, it was so funny when you called I was out and couldn't answer my phone at the time. I couldn't figure out what it was because one day I was bored and set all kinds of ringtones for people. I had yours set to a person saying "shut the front door". I kept hearing "shut the front door" from my purse and didn't know what it was, lol.

Carole, I can't wait to see all the fall pictures from you! You live in a outdoor wonderland. I am so happy things are going well with you and Jack and it seems your family appreciates you even more when you visit now. How's Brent doing (hope I got his name right)? How's the kitchen coming along? How's your band doing? (sorry for my interrogation)

Diane, hi sweetie. I appreciate your long note you posted recently. I can only imagine all that is on your plate these days and yet still such a sweetheart and compassionate. Have you moved as well? How are you doing these days? I miss seeing you as much but understand and I appreciate when you can get online. And thanks, I am craving cheesecake now, lol.

Symba found his "forever home" this weekend. I help out with "SIRA", Shiba Inu Rescue Association. He was a sweetheart, when not around other dogs. The first few days I was unsure. He was a 5 year old dog that a family surrendered. I drove an hour to meet up with a couple that drove here from St. Louis (6 hours). We had someone locally do their home visit and then I exchanged emails quite a bit before they decided to come up. I really think it's a great fit and excited for Symba and the new family. I had a nice weekend w/ Brad and the kids all here. Tonight, I actually am enjoying a night of relaxation and chillin' with my ladies (and my doggies).

[/quote']

Hello! Nice thing about dogs is they adapt quickly to their new surroundings and they live in the present so your Symba will adapt quickly and be happy!

My relationship with my boys is very special to me. We are really close. My daughter and I are close too but in just a different way. I am more an anchor for the boys than I am for my daughter. She's always been independent and is a very smart industrious girl so she does her own thing and I just support and love ever thing she does. My boys confide in me more...we are just more friends than my daughter and I are.

I guess for me I understand girls more because I am one whereas the boys are foreign and I am in awe of them turning into men. The period where they break away from their mothers (12-16) is terrible because they are so stinking rude but once they are past that they are delightful. Ryan is just going through the pig headed stage. I am Tyler's best friend though so its nice to have the long conversations about life etc.

I always tell tyler when he tells me he loves me " sure you do, until you marry some tramp. Then you'll hate me!" ( half joking of course)

Hope that makes sense.

Hello there! The 90 day challenge is for me to get off my butt and to my TRX class every day for the next 90 days. My year membership is up by then and I want to use it to the full. It really is my way of making myself publicly accountable to get working out. I have 20 lbs to go to my goal and I want to make it by 12-13 months.

They don't have classes on the weekend so I use that time to go to the gym and get in at least 20 minutes of some cardio.

So far so good...( day8)

As of today' date=' I am down 81 pounds!!! I had my surgery on October 10, 2012. Shopping is so much more fun!![/quote']

I am right with you. Banded oct 5. 80 lbs gone! Great job!