lisacaron

Hi All!!!
Checking in too. It's been a heck of year this year I'll say that's for sure!! Lot's of changes ups and downs for all of us. Health wise for me...I try to keep hyper vigilant about what I'm eating because I just hate getting sick from food. Though I never know when that might happen. This weekend a pickle and a horrible burger patty did me in. I guess I should have know better than to try to eat that from a diner...but you never know until it goes down and then doesn't sit right or digest. Then I add it to the list of OK that's no good for me.
The one good thing about is that the weight I had gained is just about gone now, and if I can ever get a second maybe I can focus on getting in some exercise. If cleaning out my Dad's house in Queens counts at all I am getting in at least a bit.
Keep posting all the fun summer stuff...it's nice to see everyone doing fun things!! Sharpie lets see all those flowers and vegies in your beautiful gardens!!

@@WLSResources/ClothingExch I'll let you know how it is.

@@lisacaron, thanks.
I won't be going after all. Somehow I got my mental calendar mixed up, thinking that a family wedding was scheduledfor Labor Day weekend. A relative reminded me that it's that last weekend of August. My doubts as to whether I was truly keen on being immersed were lingering as well. I hope that you and your husband find the experience worthwhile.

Photo's are a great motivator, when you are living in your skin every day you don't realize how much you are shrinking as it's gradual.
When you take your photo's try to compare them to similar ones. If you take side photo's find a pre-WLS side photo if you take a photo from the front find one pre-WLS from the front and view them side by side and you will be able to see the transformation trust me!

@@lisacaron
He may be having a better run, but you're cuter.

I have watched the show, though I have not watched the new season yet....I'm sure I am going to catch up on it at one point or another. I must say that I do get a kick out of her Mom and their interactions on the show.
I think that said the show is a dichotomy of positive body image and obesity prejudice along with a bit of disillusion about what exactly being obese truly is versus being a "healthy" weight. To be fair they do try to portray the very real struggles of obesity along with all the health issues that stem from the disease such as PCOS and Diabetes. Making light of things such as "chub rub" and aching feet and joints and holes in spandex.
In many many ways the life that Whitney is living on TV is the life many of us may have lived. We have been in the denial stages where we thought we were "healthy" or that it was our illness that caused us to eat and eat and then eat some more.
I know for me I am an emotional eater and when I have days where I want to just sit locked in my bedroom in front of the TV and eat a gallon of ice cream the fact that I can't do that anymore actually adds to my "stress".
I want to believe that I am healthy even if I am obese and the truth is that I am not. However the truth is also that the lady that sits next to me and is the "perfect" weight and body size is also not healthy. The young lady that goes to my Dr. office is only 22 years old and looks like a movie star, she's not healthy either. In fact on paper my health out weighs hers and she is half my age and weight. So who is to say what is healthy when it comes to size and weight?
I applaud women like Whitney who stand up for themselves obese or not and let others know it's not about weight, size, skin color, religion, choice of wardrobe or what I put in my mouth. It's about ME, about who I am and what I have to share with the world.
The show is entertainment television, that's the category you find it under if you are searching for it along with my 600 lb life and others. If you can relate to something positive or negative GREAT you got a takeaway for your time and if not..there's always the Bachelor? LOL

I have watched the show, though I have not watched the new season yet....I'm sure I am going to catch up on it at one point or another. I must say that I do get a kick out of her Mom and their interactions on the show.
I think that said the show is a dichotomy of positive body image and obesity prejudice along with a bit of disillusion about what exactly being obese truly is versus being a "healthy" weight. To be fair they do try to portray the very real struggles of obesity along with all the health issues that stem from the disease such as PCOS and Diabetes. Making light of things such as "chub rub" and aching feet and joints and holes in spandex.
In many many ways the life that Whitney is living on TV is the life many of us may have lived. We have been in the denial stages where we thought we were "healthy" or that it was our illness that caused us to eat and eat and then eat some more.
I know for me I am an emotional eater and when I have days where I want to just sit locked in my bedroom in front of the TV and eat a gallon of ice cream the fact that I can't do that anymore actually adds to my "stress".
I want to believe that I am healthy even if I am obese and the truth is that I am not. However the truth is also that the lady that sits next to me and is the "perfect" weight and body size is also not healthy. The young lady that goes to my Dr. office is only 22 years old and looks like a movie star, she's not healthy either. In fact on paper my health out weighs hers and she is half my age and weight. So who is to say what is healthy when it comes to size and weight?
I applaud women like Whitney who stand up for themselves obese or not and let others know it's not about weight, size, skin color, religion, choice of wardrobe or what I put in my mouth. It's about ME, about who I am and what I have to share with the world.
The show is entertainment television, that's the category you find it under if you are searching for it along with my 600 lb life and others. If you can relate to something positive or negative GREAT you got a takeaway for your time and if not..there's always the Bachelor? LOL

I have watched the show, though I have not watched the new season yet....I'm sure I am going to catch up on it at one point or another. I must say that I do get a kick out of her Mom and their interactions on the show.
I think that said the show is a dichotomy of positive body image and obesity prejudice along with a bit of disillusion about what exactly being obese truly is versus being a "healthy" weight. To be fair they do try to portray the very real struggles of obesity along with all the health issues that stem from the disease such as PCOS and Diabetes. Making light of things such as "chub rub" and aching feet and joints and holes in spandex.
In many many ways the life that Whitney is living on TV is the life many of us may have lived. We have been in the denial stages where we thought we were "healthy" or that it was our illness that caused us to eat and eat and then eat some more.
I know for me I am an emotional eater and when I have days where I want to just sit locked in my bedroom in front of the TV and eat a gallon of ice cream the fact that I can't do that anymore actually adds to my "stress".
I want to believe that I am healthy even if I am obese and the truth is that I am not. However the truth is also that the lady that sits next to me and is the "perfect" weight and body size is also not healthy. The young lady that goes to my Dr. office is only 22 years old and looks like a movie star, she's not healthy either. In fact on paper my health out weighs hers and she is half my age and weight. So who is to say what is healthy when it comes to size and weight?
I applaud women like Whitney who stand up for themselves obese or not and let others know it's not about weight, size, skin color, religion, choice of wardrobe or what I put in my mouth. It's about ME, about who I am and what I have to share with the world.
The show is entertainment television, that's the category you find it under if you are searching for it along with my 600 lb life and others. If you can relate to something positive or negative GREAT you got a takeaway for your time and if not..there's always the Bachelor? LOL

I will say this, having read through the replies on this post.There were many women here that replied they gained weight after or as a result of pregnancy.
I have said this for a LONG time, though Dr.'s really fail to listen to me and I'm sorry but I know MY body better then any of them ever could. I live in here...I know what goes in and what comes out and what happens on a 24/7 365 day basis no one knows it as much as I do.
I was thin, and I do mean thin through out my younger years and into my very first pregnancy. That child did not survive but I noticed that my "body" had changed. Not only in my "mood" with the hormones that were coursing through it but in the way my body responded to those hormones and the shifts that go on.
Suddenly it felt like trying to stick a square peg in a round hole, it just didn't fit.
Next pregnancy, I didn't gain an ounce in 7.5 months Dr.'s began to "worry" so I began to EAT. I had a skinny anorexic cousin and my grandmother used to tell her to eat Peanut Butter and macaroni and cheese to gain weight.
So I did that till I was ready to puke and then would lay down so I couldn't and that food would stay in. In a month I gained about 30 pounds, and the poor Dr. thought I might be diabetic. I had to go through 4 sugar tests because I would not tell her what I was doing to keep gaining the weight.
Fast forward to the end of that pregnancy and a weight gain of nearly 60 pounds, no diabetes I confessed to the Dr. and my son was born of average weight 7.5 pounds 3 days before his due date on Thanksgiving day!
The lovely nurse in the hospital (horrible experience there! A Nun there came to room and told me I should have died when I had major complications after delivery! Yes that happened.) the nurse told me as I squeezed into a control panty my mother told me I should wear after the baby, that the weight would not go away so easily nor would my "cravings".
I almost feel like it was some kind of curse because after that....I never ate the same way again. My body never reacted to food the same way, and suddenly I always craved bad food, and I was hungry all the time.
Fast Forward two kids later, my body now went from not gaining weight to easily gaining weight. As if once the fat cells were turned on they took over like a virus!!
Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone could figure out how to cure that virus or at least put it into remission?!

OK your right it was pretty funny and yet kind of sad and made me a bit angry as well!
I met my husband way back when yahoo had a personals section, and it had a free trial period. We met in that time frame, even though I wasn't looking for a relationship having just thrown my husband of 20 years out of the house for cheating on me. What I was looking for was to pop that bubble of doubt in my mind that no one would want me, that I would be alone...blah blah you get it.
I met more than a few nice guys. We went out, I had fun and I more than got over my self esteem issues. I felt like me again, and I'd missed me! Then I met my husband...and we clicked.
So when it came time that the "trial" was up I shut down my profile. I didn't know that I would get married to this guy, but I was done with the "dating" scene for a while. (Long story, health issue, cancer scare)
So what upsets me about your post is all these scammers, these WAY out of the country people trying to scam you to "save" their sorry a*s. What really makes me mad as hell is that you PAY these providers, and they should be weeding through these bogus e-mails! Your paying for a service to connect with others who share your common interest, and would like to get to know you and vs versa.
Just as I was shutting down my profile I started getting those bogus messages and I thought to myself "I'm glad I'm not paying for this or I would be really upset." Now I am upset for you and others who pay providers to help you find a "match" and you have to weed through the dangerous scams like that. I am also upset to watch their stupid commercials 100 times a day knowing that they are not screening out the tacos!!! Maybe your in the mood for a burrito!!

I think that often we find ourselves embarrassed by our size, and we don't want anyone to notice us or point out how big we are or how we look. We know how we look we know we are large and we don't need or want anyone to notice us so we try to make ourselves small.
Then we have surgery...and we begin to get smaller literally...and at the same time out in the real world we seem to get larger and people who we thought did not notice us before are not only noticing us but making comments about us and be they positive or negative we might feel just as embarrassed. After all WLS still has that stigma to it that Obesity does right?
Aren't we all taking the "easy" way out of our fat suit by having WLS?!
No we aren't and as time goes on we understand that there is nothing "easy" about our journey. Hopefully through the process we begin to respect ourselves for our efforts, and we being to respect the self that was obese, and the self that endured testing, pre-op diets and surgery and the self that is on the road to and/or recovering from obesity every single day.
We begin to lift our head higher and higher and as we lift our heads our eyes are finally able to meet the eyes of others with confidence because we know who we are and we love ourselves for who we are no matter what numbers on the scale no matter what size our clothes or the shape of our body we become larger than life filled with gratitude and appreciation for ourselves so we lift our heads and say Thank you. Thank you not for noticing my weight loss, but for noticing "me" and acknowledging my journey and that of countless others.

@@Basicwitch I want to let you know that you are NOT alone. I have had many many health issues since being banded, and not because of the band in any way.
I have gained weight, and lost it again. Today I am back on track, and working my band and making my life healthier which was my goal all along.
I read some comments in your post that are very concerning to me.
The first was this: "I began to have problems about six months after the surgery and she dismissed my pain as gas. She is a very busy person, that's fine, and I don't blame her. "
YES I blame her. I don't care how busy your Dr. is she is NOT your friend she is there to make sure that you are well and healthy. You pay for this and you pay your insurance company to pay for her services. She is there to be of service to you!! She should have investigated and found out that you were having such a serious issue. It is not normal to be in such pain with the band, even from gas pains after surgery, they should only last a day or so.
The next comment that really concerns me is: Julie norton, on 19 May 2016 - 23:26, said:


"It is hard because she is so glamorous and I can really tell when she is disappointed. Well, I worked up the courage to reschedule the appointment I cancelled this week. I have one in a few weeks. Maybe by then I will have lost a couple pounds from restricting calories?"

If she is so glamorous she does not need to be a doctor...she could be in movies or magazines. You my friend are doing yourself a disservice by thinking of your medical team in this way. Remember she is a person, just like you. No matter her size or stature physical appearance monetary wealth or education. She is a person, and should be a person who is in your corner and wants you to do well and not by shaming you but by lifting you up and letting you know that it's OK we are all human and we all make decisions from time to time that may not be the best.

My advice friend is keep your next appointment. In the time before then don't starve yourself this is NOT healthy. Instead go back to band basics. Go back on your pre-op, post op diet and work from there. Go to your appointment have your band checked out and if it's all in working order request a small fill and keep moving forward. Dr. Glamazon I'm sure is there for you, and wants to help you through this, be brave enough to reach out and if your are still intimidated see an associate maybe Dr. Hyde

Good luck and please let us know how you are doing.

Thank you all for the chuckles!!! It's just what I needed!

OK, now your making me snort my cottage cheese out my nose!!!! Waaaaahahahaha!!!

OK, now your making me snort my cottage cheese out my nose!!!! Waaaaahahahaha!!!

OK, now your making me snort my cottage cheese out my nose!!!! Waaaaahahahaha!!!

OK, now your making me snort my cottage cheese out my nose!!!! Waaaaahahahaha!!!

OK, now your making me snort my cottage cheese out my nose!!!! Waaaaahahahaha!!!

I'd slap that a$$ every time you walked by.

Just talking to my daughter today about how important it is to Celebrate everything in life. Even though we lost her father (my husband) this past October and we miss him so much everyday we still have to continue celebrating . Memorial Day is a special day we have many Veterans and members of our family who are still serving. My father served in both WWII and Korea and even though I lost him many years ago, each Memorial Day is a memory of how much he loved this Country. I had my best friend and husband here for the weekend and we had a great day yesterday, spent in the pool and grilled some nice steaks on the grill. I had about 4 oz of steak and 1/2 baked potato. I am getting ready to get seriously committed to lose another 10 lbs before I go to Canada on Vacation.. Like LIz (Gowalking) I enjoy seeing new posters but still miss some our old bandsters . I have been on this site for 3 1/2 years and even though I am not posting much I still enjoy getting a little dose of motivation from everyone. Have a wonderful day tomorrow and please keep all of our Veterans in your prayers.

Good to hear from you Bandista. I've seen so many of my PB friends move on and while it's nice to see new people post, I miss the ones I conversed with for these last few years. I hope that all of them are living happily ever after.

Hi there,
A quick check-in with my banded friends. Very sorry for relationship woes and health crises -- sending best wishes for peace and good health all-around.
We have gorgeous weather here in NH and I'm glad to be able to walk outside again. Trying to do the 4-mile lake walk daily but have to take the occasional day off here and there for arthritis issues. Still, I'm so much more active in this season and that feels very good. Will need a better plan for getting exercise next winter but not worrying about that right now -- just enjoying summer which seems to have arrived quite suddenly.
I've been gardening like crazy and doing lots of outdoor work. Veggie beds are all full and the flower garden is going to start blooming soon -- plus lots of projects around the place, building a stone wall, fertilizing fruit trees, moving plants around, etc. I have never been able to understand why that kind of physical labor does not seem to "count" for exercise -- at least as far as the scale is concerned. I gained about five pounds over the winter when I hoped to lose ten, so now I need to buckle down and see what I can do about that. Just bought Protein Shakes that I have used in the past but not for a long time -- thinking that may set me on course for getting off a chunk, and also that the exercise quotient will kick in at some point.
Getting out the bin of summer clothes was so much fun and everything fits well except for two pair of pants I bought as "Goal Pants." These are size ten and I still can't get into them but I'm not giving up! One is red linen and the other a deep shade of purple, extra long. I WANT these pants to fit, dammit. Seems like kind of a shallow goal but I am going to turn that WANTING into DOING.
We have some events this summer -- a wedding and two memorial services, reminders of how quickly time passes and the importance of being happy and enjoying life, choosing to have the right people around and letting them know how much they are loved. Also celebrating a big anniversary (25 years) and son turning 21 -- a big year. The aging parent factor is very present right now and I'm trying to keep balance there. My father is in his nineties and has dementia. He can only be in the moment -- no looking back now or leaping ahead as I tend to do. It's good for me to be with him and realize how rich the present can be if I am pausing enough to really notice all of it. The band has done that for me as far as food is concerned. The slowing down and really noticing......

Thank you all for the chuckles!!! It's just what I needed!

Unfortunately I have been dealing with massive Hair loss since loosing my mother 3 years ago.
The two things that help thus far is with being Italian, we are blessed with an over abundance of hair so I could spare some strands, and being a hairstylist.....I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Lol
But thank you, @@KristenLe , my hair is probably my best asset. Well that and my smartassery.

So here I am minding my own business and I get another "How much have you lost? You can really see it in your face".
Um, did I carry all 49 pounds in my face? I think not.
I know, I know....I should be appreciative for any recognition, but I did this for my Italian arse, hips, and thighs, not my face.
Just once I'd like to hear "Dat Arse Tho".
Meanwhile in another episode of "As This Dysfunctional World Turns", the mother from Honey Boo Boo is going on a strip club tour.
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?