gowalking

Oh goodness. Thank you for such a nice compliment Julie.

I also have gone back to makeup, nails done, and hair cut stylishly. I wear dresses at work because I look nice in them again instead of looking short and fat with tree trunk legs. It's not about vanity. It's about taking care of ourselves. I don't do this for anyone but me. Yes..I know I'm being looked at and I know that I'm getting attention both male and female but that's just the perks. I feel good about me and that's what counts. Keep on getting those nails done GF and remember that this is a huge NSV.

I also needed the large cuff for a long time, but it will be so sweet when you eventually need the small cuff as I did last week. Even the adult regular is too big for an accurate reading. I now need the small cuff and when my doctor said this, I wanted to shout it to the world. Hang in there GF, it will happen for you!

This I hate to see. We are worthy no matter what we weigh. I'm not a Pollyanna...I know that it's easier if we 'fit' better into society but to base so much on what size we are makes me so sad. I've met the most wonderful, strong, sympathetic, and amazing people on this site and to think that some of them are hiding how wonderful they are really bothers me. Riskygirl...you are more than your physical form. Please work on your feelings of confidence. You are stronger than you think just based on what you wrote here for all to see. Yes, it's easier to have confidence when we are smaller, but don't hide your wonderful self a moment longer. I for one am glad to know you.

That's a NSV Janice and much more satisfying than the number on the scale. Please remember not to compare yourself to others. If you do, you will always find something lacking in your journey. It's your weight loss journey and it will come off however it comes off. Also...you did not get large overnight and you won't get small overnight either. Just follow your doctor's directions, eat healthy, exercise, and you will get there, I promise.

My worry exactly. I already know that I get uncomfortable if I overeat but I can so eat around the band if I choose. I am really trying to act and think like a small person in that I try to not do more than taste a little of something rather than go back for extra. But I'll never be naturally thin and thusly I don't know that I'll ever think like a naturally thin person so I do what I can to help myself. I keep 100 calorie items close by. I keep trigger foods away, and I use good old fashioned will (or want) power. All my 'fat' clothes have been tossed or given away. I do not want to have clothes available in larger sizes for me to slide back into. I'm seeing a therapist to help me cope with issues without turning to food. As spectacular as the weight loss has been...this was still the easy part. The hard part is keeping it off. Here's my dream....I want to be thin long enough that people forget the fat me. I want only pictures of how I used to look. Hang in with me Tammie. We'll do it together you and I.

Thanks for the update Summer. You're original post was amazing for it's honesty. I bet alot of people can identify with what you wrote including myself. The bigger I got, the more I tried to be invisible. Sounds stupid when you think about it but there it is. I'm almost two years out of surgery and down more than 140 lbs. It's only recently that I walk with my head up instead of on the ground and that I feel much more comfortable just interacting with people again. When I see someone out and about who is large, my heart hurts because I remember all too well how unhappy I was back then. No...my life is far from perfect. Losing weight is not a magic cure for all one's ills. It is however, a great way to find yourself again or even for the first time. I bet that you find that job faster than you expected. Earning your own money is empowering for sure. Sorry that the family stuff is still an issue but again...nothing is perfect. You sound like a strong and capable woman and I know you will be able to deal with whatever life throws at you. Good luck on the upcoming surgery. I know you'll do great.

I'm a day late, but here's my transformation pictures. I'm below goal at this point so this is really a before and after shot but for those who are morbidly obese, it's good for them to see that they can be successful. I've lost more weight than I currently weigh. I haven't been this size since I was a teenager back in the dinosaur days..lol.

Just wanted to share a new NSV from this morning. I've been using short handled pocketbooks lately because I don't need to keep a hand free since I don't use the cane anymore. But I still have plenty of shoulder bags so I switched my stuff out last night for a bag I haven't worn in several months. I put it over my shoulder across my body this morning and the darn thing dangled low at my hip. Huh? Oh yeah...the strap doesn't have to go across the same expanse it used to. LOL. I made the strap as short as possible and now it's back at the waist where it belongs. These unexpected NSVs are so much fun!

Isn't it great when you appreciate how good the food tastes instead of just shoveling it in? I really enjoy it so much more now that I only eat a little.

...an article about Al Sharpton and how he lost all his weight without surgery. Yet another public forum intimating that those who go the surgery route are doing it 'the easy way'. I'd bet the house that this guy either had surgery and is lying or he'll never keep all that weight off. I remember when he was fat Reverend Al and no one that size keeps it off permanently. He was/is by his own admission, a foodaholic. He says he's consuming 1,000 calories without surgery and isn't hungry? I call BS on that. Or he'll put it all back on in time. And since he's kept it off for a while, I still think the man is a liar. The link to the article is below. http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/incredible-shrinking-sharpton-article-1.1988923

Love your 'after' picture. You look beautiful!

Candy is not my trigger food. I bought small candies like Hershey's kisses for the trick or treaters so if I want one, it won't be so bad. Whatever is left over will come to the office with me and I'll put it in the kitchen for coworkers to eat.

This is a life time commitment, my friend from Queens (I'm presuming). Don't worry about anything just two weeks out. You won't lose every week, and you won't lose big numbers very often. It's the end number you need to think about. I've lost more than 145 lbs. and never lost more than 3 lbs. in a single week...and in fact, my typical losses per week were less than 2 lbs. Just stay the course, and the weight will drop. You know it and so do I. Good luck! PM me if you need to...if you are indeed from Queens, I'm just across the East River from you.

It must be so much easier to play with that little guy in the picture with you since the weight loss. Use him as your motivation. It's not just the band...but as CG says, it's how you use it. I see you live in Florida so go out after dinner tonight with your boy and ride bikes, or walk, or join the Y and go lap swimming with him. He'll love that he's with dad and you'll feel better for getting off the couch and moving around. Good luck!

LOL! I am small. I can see it in pics with my family. My granddaughter is 10 and she will be taller than me in another year probably. I was banded in January of 2013...so it took about 21 months. My PCP wanted me to hit the 150 mark so I made that my goal and I met it back in March. So for these last seven months, I've just continued doing what I've been doing and know that once my body has given up all the fat it has, I'll stop losing weight. At this point, it's pretty stable and I can't imagine it getting much lower than where it is now.

I'm one of those folks who reminds people that we are more than numbers and to focus on NSVs during our weight loss journey. But even I am speechless this morning. I weigh myself weekly just to stay accountable. Yes...I know when I've eaten well and when I've not, but the number on the scale reinforces what I already know. Since I don't let the number rule my outlook for the day, or even the week, I am OK with the weekly weigh-in. Well...got on the scale this morning and it said 119.2. I had to look at it for a few moments because I couldn't take in what I was seeing. I'm under 120 lbs. That's unbelievable. The very first time I went to WW, I was 15 and 127 lbs. I got down to 113. I was 125 lbs. when I got married and have never been close in all the years since. Oh...I got down to 150 in the early '90s but of course ballooned back up again. Yes...I know it's just a number but it's also a watershed moment for me. I've accomplished something I never thought I would. I'm as small as I was as a teenager. I'm not a teenager though... My skin is terribly wrinkled and I only look good with my clothes on and in long sleeves and pantyhose. I hide the flaws same as anyone would. But...I'm alot smarter than a teenager now and feel that I'm mature enough to make good choices in my life and find future success in ways I thought impossible just two years ago. If all goes as planned, I will be visiting my sister-in-law in China over Christmas. Imagine that...me going to the Far East. Was a time I couldn't hardly walk and now I'm going to the other side of the world. I'm dating again. It's scary for sure, but I'm starting to get comfortable enough with my body that I can appreciate what others see. Not always mind you, but sometimes... It's still a work in progress. Mostly I'm just grateful and happy to be mobile, healthy, and appreciate my life. I give all the credit to the band because that's where it started. Have a great Monday everyone.

I didn't even realize as I was looking in my emails that you were referring to me...lol. Sweetie, I am not courageous. My motivation was self preserving. I knew I couldn't continue to work if I was in a wheelchair. I knew I would become a huge burden to my children and I couldn't live like that or with that. I did what I had to and have been amazingly successful in reclaiming my life. All I feel is grateful. Grateful to the doctors who've taken care of me, to my family who have supported me, and to my friends..those who I can see and touch, and those who live here on this forum. I did not do this on my own and I am truly blessed by everyone who has helped me to get where I am. I hope I never ever take walking or bending over, or sitting cross-legged, or being normal for granted. I'm a survivor and like many others, appreciate the littlest of things because was a time I couldn't be involved in any of it.

Do you think your MIL is trying to sabotage you or is she just not thinking of your situation and making sure to feed the folks who've come to her house? I ask because if she is trying to make your life more difficult, you may need to stay away from her while you are working on this. If however, she is just sort of clueless, then you will have to understand that you will find yourself in challenging situations alot. Whether it's a party, or a holiday, or dinner out. This is where you have to be strong and know that your success depends on your strength. It's not always easy, this journey we are all on, but it is worth it. There will be a time when you are able to eat food again and as you lose weight, you will find that the gains you make in terms of health and how you look and feel about yourself are worth more than the foods that seem so tempting right now. Hang in there...come to this site for support and find your strength. Good luck! You will do great.

Good luck to both of you and hope to see you at a future NYC support group meeting.

My sister is obese and she used to complain that she was getting fatter because I wasn't eating all my food and she was eating hers and some of mine when we would go out to dinner together. But last night, she suggested we share the entree as it was part of the dinner menu so it included Soup or salad along with two side dishes. That and the free stuff like pickles and cole slaw was plenty for her and more than enough for me. If I can change her eating habits for the better, even if it's once in a while, that makes me happy. Is this then considered a NSV?

Hi meggs. I was banded by Dr. Ren-Fielding almost two years ago. I worked during the pre-op and followed the program as I did not want to be one of those people who couldn't get the surgery because my liver wasn't shrunk enough. It kept me in line for sure. This is the tough part....and until you are eating mushies, it may be very challenging but you'll get a head start on the amount of weight you want to lose...that's for sure. I dropped 15 lbs. before surgery but I'm not sure how much while on liquids after. I stayed off the scale for a while because I didn't want to become obsessive about weighing.

Nope. I didn't have an upper GI. Turns out that I had a hernia as many of us did but Dr. Ren fixed it and that was that. As an FYI, I used to live on Tums and Rolaids but not any more. Haven't had to take an antacid since being banded.

You should check with your surgeon's protocol. Most of them say no but not all. Same for caffeine, NSAIDS, and other items. Not all doctors have the same opinions on what you should or should not ingest.

Terrific. My co-leader is Lisa and she's near Riverhead. So far we're having our meetings in the city but Lisa is working on having some on the Island and we're hoping to get some outer borough folks involved so we can do Queens, Brooklyn, etc. Here's the link with all the info. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/304888-ny-nyclong-island/page-12