lindaa

I saw some of it last night too, and it always gets to me too. I am sure there are plenty of folks that are sincere about following the program, so I don't understand why all the resources are basically wasted on thoes that do not want to comply. It seems to me that as long as the administrators and docs can find the funding, they will treat the patients who get in, regardless of the patient's willingness to follow the plan. I guess there are some things I just don't understand.

Priscilla--It's really good to hear from you. I am so glad to hear that you still have the option of bypass surgery. Please keep checking in from time to time to let us know how you are doing.

Jackie--I, too, have a goal of 199, but I am giving myself till Jan 1 to make it. That will be 9 1/2 pounds for me, but I can do it! There has been A LOT of talk about diamond rings at our house this weekend. I think both my son and my daughter and their respective gf/bf went ring shopping yesterday. Now, that's motivating! Do you think I will be able to fit into size 10 Mother-of-the Bride/Groom dresses this summer? My size 16W jeans are baggy now. You guys will be the first to know when the rings are on the fingers! I am so happy, I could burst. I love both the gf and the bf! I have sooooooo much to be thankful for!

I didn't do so well with Thanksgiving. We had a lot of people over and I was running around all day and very uptiight. I was constantly stuffing party mix or licking my fingers. I am sure all of that added up, not to mention the liquid calories. I am up 0.5 pounds this morning. The good news is that I have to have a tooth pulled in a few hours, and I am not allowed to eat or drink anything right now. I am sure I won't want to eat the rest of the day either, so I will probably make up for yesterday today. I would rather go through lap-band surgery again than deal with the dentist today. I am not a good dental patient. . .

Jackie and Kim--You guys are doing great! It's so inspiring to come here and read about everyone's successes and share your happiness. Have a meaningful trukey-day everyone! Remember to take a few minutes and give thanks. We are so very blessed!

Hi All, I must have done something wrong in PMing Phyl last week. but as of Friday, I lost 10 pounds to make the Thanksgiving challenge! As of yestrday, I lost one more, so that should seal the deal! Now to keep it off for the rest of the week: I am going to buy some new pants today, and I am going to buy them on the tight side and wear them all day Thursday. Then, hopefully by Christmas they will fit perfectly. Yesterdy I went shopping with DD and I bought somethig for ME from Banana Rebublic! We've always gone shopping there for her--but this time it was for ME!! What a blast!

Hey Salsa--so that's what I heard! Good for you!! Guess what? My sister who is at least 300+ lbs. told me today that she is starting to think about surgery. She was negative about it before, but now she is willing to at least look into it. I hope she does it, but it has to be her decision. She's apprehensive about mortality rates--for some reason she is convinced that it is high (She's a nurse, but i think she doesn't realize the difference between banding and by-pass) and she doesn't want to change her lifestyle. So maybe by-pass is better for her. I'll support her no matter what. She has uncontrolled diabetes, severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and heaven knows wht else. . .

Amy--You ARE beautiful--on the inside as well as the outside! I've been where you are, and the hurt is unimaginable. What I can tell you is that like any other loss, the pain does go away with time, but the love will always be there. Just like a diet, the first week is the hardest, and the hurt (like food cravings) comes back in waves when you least expect it. But life goes on and you will be happy again. Your response shows that you are a healthy and mature lady who can hold her head up high because she has integrity. You took the high road and you always win on that path. This can be a very productive time for you, as you re-discover yourself and who you want to be. And one more thing: I don't know if you are a Christian, but in times like this, the Bible and talking to God can be sources of strength. My experience is that God always works things out for our benefit. We don't always see it at the time, but looking back, I can see that I grew the most dealing with my worst experiences. I can't wait to hear how this story turns out for you!

Hey Felicia--Its GREAT to hear from you. Glad to hear that the weight loss is going well. Good luck with the job hunt. What kind of jobs are you looking for? I'm not a good execise motivator, but lots of others here are! You will find the motivation you're looking for!

Karri--You're doing great! I'm glad you went in to the doctor before things got any worse. I think you're smart not to totally deprive yourself. That's kind of what I am doing too, and it's been working for me. I hope you don't get too discoruaged now that you don't have any restriction. How long to you have to wait to start filling again? Nichole, I'll shoot for Level 2, although I might have to change it to Level 3 if I don't lose enough before then. I have a personal goal of being in Onederland by the first of the year, so we'll see how close I am by the 22nd. IT'S FRIDAY! Enjoy your day, everyone!

Janet--you did a lot better than I did with the amaretto, raseberry, cocoa cake at work this week. It tasted fabulous. I tried to make up for it by not eating supper, but that was a mistake. Last night I was so hungry that I ate way too fast and ended up losing it. I have to get back on the plan. OK. Tomorrow will be a better day. Sunny--Gald to see you're still kicking around. We are missing some of the regulars from last summer. Your fill might be a little tight, but as long as you are able to tolerate liquids, and not haveing reflux, you should be OK. My first fill was 2cc and I suffered for about 6 weeks. Now I am pretty good (most of the time) Maybe this will jump start some weight loss for you and as you lose the band will losen up a bit. Nichole--I am going to have to pass on the December challenge. It's too cold and dark and nasty to go outside and walk anymore, and DH says I spent too much money already this year, so no treadmill in the basement . I just can not get myself to go out in the cold once I get home from work. This time of year we go to work in the dark and come home in the dark (well, maybe that is exaggerating, but not much--November is a cloudy, blustery, miserable month). I know that I should--you guys don't have to get on my case. I just simply don't want to. I wish all of you the best, and I will be watching the reports of your progress. The good news is that I went in the basement last weekend and found some old jackets and a coat that I can wear this winter so that will save some money.

Ok, Here's the thing: Yes, I a young 55, and I carried a lot of weight in my upper body--especially shoulders and arms. I usually wear tops 1-2 sizes larger than bottoms. Sooo, as the weight comes off, the bat wings take on a life of their own. Even when I lost the weight 15 years ago, there was no way I could wear sleeveless tops, and I don't expect to this time either. Janet--good for you for keeping off the scale all week. I hope you are rewarded on Thursday!

I bet my batwings are bigger than your batwings!

Hey Phyl--My son just got his pilot's license and he took us flying a couple weeks ago in a rented 4-seater. There is a resort area about an hours flight from our city, so we went there, borrowed someone's car and went shopping and all of that for a day, then flew back home. It was a wonderful day! Good job fighting the food demon! He attacks when we least expect. We've got to constantly beat him down. Sounds like you won that battle--Congratulations!!! Hearing your story is inspiring to me. Helps me know that I am not in this alone. Thanks for being so honest.

Janet--I used to get up night to eat too. It did help me get back to sleep, otherwise I would just lie there awake for hours. I guess as long as you plan for it, and keep it under control, it's OK. I mean after all, your weight loss certanily is consistent--to say the least.

and me 24/7. I NEED this thread, even if I don't post as much and Janet and Phyl, I don't miss much!

I have a friend who lost about that much and didn't change clothing sizes. Part of it was that her clothes fit differently however--no longer quite so tight. Personally, even though I am pushing 70 pounds now, I am still wearing some of my old clothes. They don't fit perfectly anymore, but I can't see spending a lot of money on new stuff now when still I want to lose another 60+. I've had to buy some pants for work, but I have enough tops. Hang in there--you will see a big change all of a sudden!

Janet--Sorry to hear about the drivers test. That's so sad. But look at you in size 14 jeans and out of the Plus sizes!!! You're about 10 pounds ahead of me, so maybe in another month or so I'll be where you are. Or maybe not. I have a large frame--size 11 wide shoes even, so it might take a little more than 10 pounds. I think about it once in awhile, but I can't imagine it. Peaches--looks like you're not doin so bad yourself. Impressive!! Anyone got anything fun going this weekend? DH'll be out in the garage putzing on his Mini Cooper (an old one that he is restoring), so I have to entertain myself once again. Could go shopping, but it doesn't makes sense to buy clothes now, and we're not buying gifts for the kids this year b/c we're taking all of them and thier spouse/fiancées to Mexico after the youngest two graduate from college in May. It took a lot of plastic to just pay the deposit on that. Anyway, it should be a quiet weekend here which means that food will be on my mind all weekend I suppose I could clean something. . .

Janet--I made the 1 week challenge with 2 pounds to spare! It was a good week!

OH THANK YOU JANET!!! What would happen to us without you? Yes, the honeymoon is over. I feel myself thinking more and more about food now than about how good it's going to be to reach my goals. Sometimes, it's really a drag, but every one has their demons. I never realized how much overeating IS like an addiction. I have to keep reminding myself of that and behave accordingly. Phyl--I laughed out loud at your response! I LOVE THIS GROUP!

Kathy--It's a rough time for you. I'm so sorry. Please keep in touch with us--we are here to walk through this with you and help in any way we can. I had a tight fill too, and looking back now, I'd say that it was about 6 weeks (or 20 pounds) before I was able to eat any significant amount of solid food without vomiting. I figured that as long as I could keep Water down, I'd be OK eventually. I still have a problem with reflux, but I take Pepcid every day which pretty much does the trick. Right now, I'd say that the restriction is just about right. Janet--you are conquering the night time deamons! You are doing so well. All of a sudden that scale will do what you want it to do. Just have faith!!! Today's a full one for me, so bye for now. Wishing my friends all the best!

Awww Lynette! So good to hear from you. We've been missing you.

Well, it makes sense that we feel colder now. 1. We are losing pounds of insulation and 2. Our metabolism is slower since we eat less, therefore our bodies produce less heat. I for one, never complained about being cold, but now I am freezing all the time (unless I'm having a hot flash)!

Sandyray: Welcome back! There isn't a support group where i live either, but I find that this board fills that need for me. I've lost it all and gained it all back plus some. It's awful, but I am now back on my way down again, and feeling better than I ever did before. The toughest part is getting started--the road ahead looks endless, but step by step, day by day, we get there. Congratulations on taking the first step back!

jamiee--You got it! I'm hoping for another 10 between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hard time of year to loose, but I need accountability. Katrina--good to hear from you! Keep poping in whenever you can. Kirajh--5 POUNDS!! That's a mighty fine reward for being patiet. Good job hanging in there! Thanks for the tips Karri and unruhlyhd. It's good to share what's working! I do something similar with tracking my weight. I might weigh myself periodically during the week, but I only record it on Fridays. I wonder how our other band friends are doing? They must not need this fourm as much as I do. I sure appreciate you guys. I don't know anyone else that is banded, so it's great to be able share with you all.