DeLarla

He Tall Guy! I'm a tall one myself. Your post just inspired me to make a new goal. I don't believe in making weight loss goals or number goals because they always seem to trip me up, but after this post, my new goal is to ski again. Even if I only make it to the bunny slopes. I used to love to ski, but I had to give it up because I'd get such bad bronchial infections from all the huffing and puffing. Side-stepping up the hills to get on the lift just isn't something a 300 pound woman should be doing. So my goal is to ski again! Welcome, and good luck.

Greta, you made our list. I sent it to Oprah today. I told her we have reservations for Buca di Beppo for 20 people on October 8 and asked if we should make it 21. HAHAHA, but hey, ya never know. Her staff will probably open the letter in 6 months due to their enormous loads of daily fan mail, but yes, I sent our list. I put in bold: WE'VE LOST OVER 1600 POUNDS! Heck, why stop with Oprah? I think I'll write a whole sitcom and propose it to the major networks. Called BIG FAT LOSERS.

You don't want to be far from a doctor that can unfil you in case too much restriction suddenly kicks in. I live in Vegas, and the doctors here won't touch patients banded elsewhere. There's only one doctor here that does fills - his name is Dr. Francis Teng. If you insist on getting your fill first, maybe you should call Teng's office and ask if they'll do a partial un-fill in case you suddenly become too restricted while on vacation.

Penni, any word on that brain-band yet, or was I the one creating the prototype? Is that even a word? I'm trying to talk all smart like all yoons scholars. Yes, I've done 3 nights of binging, but I think I'm done. I slept like a pig last night. I couldn't keep my peepers open past 8:00, so naturally I was up at 3:30 a.m., but I managed to fall back asleep and had a dream that both Kevin Bacon and Tom Selleck both proposed to me. Kevin was the dangerous boy that gave me the bigger diamond, but I chose Tom because of his sensitivity. Funny, I've never had a particular attraction to either of them, but it SUCKED waking up. Yesterday at this same time I was craving a binge, but today I'm feeling stronger. Let's hope it's behind me, because yes, I've actually been hurting my band. Waking up in the middle of the night in pain, and still feeling the pain the next day. I could have easily skipped lunch... but like that would ever happen! I would do good on a couple days of liquids, but I don't have the willpower. xoxo

Hey Moderators, can somebody delete my old thread with my pictures on it. My sister was able to combine this side-by-side shot, so I'm re-posting my "before and now" picture.

Class starts this Friday night 5 - 10 p.m. in a classroom. Then all day Saturday and Sunday outside. They keep testing till everyone passes the DMV tests. They'll give me an endorsement, so Monday I'll take it to the DMV and trade it for my license if all goes well. By this time next week I should be street legal. Chris doesn't like it. He's been so excited to see me enjoying the bike. He couldn't wait to get me in a leather jacket. He's trilled that I'm starting to accept the bike... but now he's getting really worried because the time is almost here that I'll be able to ride it alone, far, far away from him. He's starting to wring his hands. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

I constantly struggle with portion control. I'm on a 3 day binge. But I feel pretty good today because I got great sleep, so I'm looking at it like today is Day 1. I've done good, I can do it again. Congrats to all BIG FAT LOSERS!

Before my band.

Betty, I see what you're saying, but I guess I'm over-analyzing the whole "Harley" symbol the same way I'm analyzing being fat vs. thin. I still have 80 pounds to lose, but men are already treating me so different since I lost 50 pounds. Now 2 guys will each hold doors open for me at the same time. Men stop traffic to let me in. It's nice, but I want to scream at them because 50 pounds ago they'd rather run me over than let me in. That's how I feel about the Harley. I'm the same chick, I just happen to be sitting on an expensive label. I guess what I'm saying is that I've been dying for all this attention my whole life, and nothing about me has changed. I'm still the same ol girl with the great big heart, but now suddenly people are noticing just because I have a fast toy? Maybe I'll just carry a frying pan and whack them over the head. Then again, maybe I'll try to forget about the past and live for the future. I've always been a "label hater." I never understood why people spend big bucks on designer lables just to make the designer richer while I'm getting reamed. I wish I had a kill-switch for my brain to shut it up instead of all this analyzing! Just kinda go with the flow.

Penni, you have nothing to worry about. I binged last night. And semi-binged Sunday. I'm constantly struggling with my thoughts. I had some awesome loss last week, but it's all back. You have nothing to worry about because I'm still fighting the same bad habits. I'm hurting my pouch, and I have to deal with it. There's no excuse other than lack of sleep. When I don't get much sleep, I have poor judgment and big cravings. My belly hurt last night. I actually ate french fries, candy, ice cream, popcorn - all on an already too full stomach. Band... what band? And no, I don't need a fill because I was plenty full and uncomfy, but I did it anyway. I just ate a cookie after lunch and halfway through it, spit it into a napkin. At least I stopped tho! I just keep telling myself that none of this is gonna matter in 100 years. I hate food. It's wrong, wrong, wrong, but gosh, here are all you happy people just making me laugh.

I'm trying to do this whole bike think like I'm smooth and cool, but I may as well wear a siren hat and wave neon flags. There's just no way to remain understated while riding a Harley - they're apparently a really huge deal. Every time we're in public, guys bow down to us. They circle the bike like we're royalty. Seriously, I just don't "get it." Okay, it's a nice bike, but it's just a motorcycle, right? I've never been into cars. I don't know the difference between horse power and cow poop. I might like to be the center of attention when I'm in my own little circle of friends, but driving down the street getting waved at by total strangers is weird... did any of you know that owning a Harley is kinda like joining a secret little cult? All bikers now hit their chest with their fist then kinda throw it our way - one of those brotherly love kinda symbols like we're related or something. Strange. Very strange new world I've entered. You can't stop at a light next to another bike without engaging in conversation. Good thing he waited till I was almost 42... if I had one of dem deer Harley's when I was a slut I mean single, damn, I'd have been in trouble!

Thanks everyone! Funny about the boots cuz I've had them for years. We were in Pennsylvania at the world's largest shoe store looking for some boots cuz it was cold, but the only thing they had in my size was from the Harley line. Next week when I have my license will be the turning point in my marriage. He's excited that I'm learning to ride, but he's getting nervous anticipating me taking the thing to work. He opened a big ol' can of worms bringing the bike home. Big worms.

I'm glad you took extra time to think it through. The part about removing the liver freaked me out a little bit, but a doc's gotta do what he's gotta do. Here, can you hold this liver a sec? I could never be a doctor!

Speaking of construction, my friend, Babs, showed up this morning in overalls to help me finish projects that have me all stressed out. Hubby won't finish projects till he's done building a trailer for the motorcycle, so we've been fighting cuz toys are more important than tiles and drywall. So even though Babs & I had some friendship problems, she pulled thru when I need her most. She's got all the shutters off the windows in my room and has the garage prepped for paint. That's a true friend, eh?

Leatha, good point. When you lose that fast, you're not losing just fat. Losing muscle ain't the way to go. Plus, many bypass patients have to take supplements for life because their newly mutilated stomachs don't absorb nutrition from foods ingested.

Like one of those Dove commericals - which one is mom, which one is Don. You're hair is so long & fluffy! I'm still tripping on your abilities. I could write an hour over a 3 foot section of my kitchen that needs drywall.

P.S. Life is just starting to get fun - I waited 41 years, so no more birthdays please... I'm in freeze-frame mode - gonna chill out at this exact age for another decade or so. Denial. (can't get Christina Aguilera's "Dirty" out of my head... feel like being in a club dirty dancing.)

My little 14 yr old friend named Carlo. After going to a concert and being in the presence of Eddie Van Halen is when we named the meanest bird alive after the most intense guitar soloist I've ever heard. But 4 birds in one enormous cage... they were always fighting and there were actual splatters of blood from bird wars. Now I have a too-tiny cage, but we leave the door open, and earlier I heard the birds but couldn't find them. One was chillen in the laundry room, the other on the pot shelves. Constantly running around with wet paper towels to clean up birdy poo. Hey, the far-outest thing just happened... by the way, it's 3 a.m., which is insane for me since I go to bed at 9:00 p.m., but hubby wanted to party! He doesn't drink but took me to a local bar to dance & hear the band, then to 2 a.m. Vegas Breakfast, but the fun part was the ride home - I was actually freezing! You gotta understand I live in the desert, so the 100 degrees gets old after awhile. Being cold is orgasmic! Sorry, too much info! Home to my warm fur babies now.

Chris asked me what I want for my birthday. I told him "no stress, please." I don't want any gifts - just vacume or pay a bill. My house is insane, so I gave away 2 of my birds and kept 2. I gave away the enormous cage - that thing was like having a garbage truck in the middle of my house. I went and bought a tiny cage (too small for 2 cockatiels) but I keep the door open so they wander around the house with the cat and the dogs. Everyone is getting along for now. I think all the birds will be better in the long run cause now I can give Daisy Sunshine and Triscuit the attention they deserve. And Carlo and Eddie have gone to a very loving home.

I was lucky (in a sick way) because the surgery grossed me out, and I had slow healing, so the last thing I felt like doing was eating (which is wild in itself cause prior to that wild horses couldn't keep me from food.) I juice fasted the day before the surgery. Then I couldn't eat before my surgery, so by 4:00 p.m. the second day my belly was really hungry, but tiny sips of Gatorade was all it took to satisfy me after surgery. I felt lousy after surgery, so I didn't get an appetite for real food for over a week. Cream of chicken soup was the best (and other cream soups.)

My man's in deep doody with me. Fine, he bought the bike, but can he get out of the garage for 2 hours and help around the house? So he'll have to strap me down after I get my license, cuz I'm thinking of riding into the sunset and not coming back. Jeans, check; helmet, check; boots, check; leather jacket, check; goggles, check; gloves, check; insurance, check; license... class starts Friday and ends Sunday. Even got a cute leather backpack purse. I don't know why I suggested arm wrestling. I think all this Harley crap is projecting too much testosterone in me. I'm even growing extra chin hairs. Okay, you asked for it, here's me on MY new Harley!

Donali, it's all so computery to me. My mind is busy seeking revenge on my husband to think of anything else. The pool tiles have been set and plaster is scheduled for Monday. But the pool isn't heated, so it will be quite nippy when they refill. A heater will cost $1200, I'm selling my husband. I saw a funny sticker last night, "He might look hot, but some other woman is sick of his shit." Something like that. Hey Megan, nice to see you. I was really inspired by all the support after posting this, so last night I was pretty band friendly and had one Bloody Mary and a small dinner. I've already been on my xtra long walk and did my total gym today, and I'm drinking my Water like a good girl.

Thanks for posting this... this site has answers to so many questions. Particulary the info regarding fills. There are a couple people in Vegas that will do fills for cheap, but after reading all the potential complications, it's safer to spend the money and go to someone we know is qualified. Good post.

I don't know what a Blog is, but I clicked and read anyway. The first thing I saw was a motorcycle, which I hope you didn't ride to and from your surgery! Glad you had an uneventful and speedy surgery! I was in the hospital with several other people, and I was only staying 2 nights while they were all staying 4. When it was time for me to leave, they were all envious that they didn't chose a shorter stay, since there's no better place to recover than in your own home! I don't suppose you can convert that price to American dollars? I'm curious to see the difference between our countries. Good luck!

Zoe, I'm actually 5 feet 9 inches, but I don't like working in fractions. I'm a whole number kinda gal cuz my mind has too much complication already! And I gotta tell you, Zoe, last night I was babysitting a little girl named Chloe. She's very bright and wanted me to read the postings, and when I read yours, she became very excited and said she had a friend named Zoey that rhymes with Chloe - cute stuff. Thanks, Michelle. Next set of pics I'll be wearing your clothes. But I want the moderator to delete this whole post because I complicated stuff by starting a brand new post with the side-by-side shot. How do I delete this whole thing?