DivaStyleCoach

Ceradad - big ups on the tats - my hubby just got his first! Self-designed, looks like the Incredible Hulk is busting out of his chest. He's busy planning for another one on the other side...I'll have to post a pic soon. They've gotten all the color done, and it looks great. Glou - tell them about your DD. They might require you to sign a release (cause she's just a tad under age) but they might not. Make sure she stays with you until she learns the machines and is confident in controlling them. My daughter joined our original gym with us at 15, though the gym limit was 16. Because my hubby and I stayed with her quite a while until she was confident, they had no trouble with it. Go for it Glou!

A big WOOT! for Ceradad!:w00t: Your family is adorable, and your story is inspiring...many, many kudos to you and your lovely wife and your cutie-pie daughter. I know you are going to enjoy many more years with them... Congrats again - I know you'll encourage others by sharing your story!

MacM - LOVE the cranberry, and the pink is cute too...you go girl! BBK - so glad for you - those 12 pounds are coming off like yesterday! Leslie - happy Friday! The dancing bananas are too cute - and I think the one with the clown / Afro hairdo is actually smokin' a doobie!

Too funny thread...I would be happy if someone paid me that kind of compliment, Leslie :wub: It's funny what people react to...when I was a lifeguard, I had many, many comments made about my body (which was in MUCH better shape then). Mostly about my bustline, which is impossible to hide in a form-fitting swimsuit :eek: I didn't mind much, and mostly deflected the compliments with a simple "thank you". The only time I went gangsta is if the compliment crossed the line into sleaze - like the time a guy reached over a fence at me with both hands extended like he wanted to squeeze the girls - he got pimp-slapped with everything I had!:redface: Being nearly 6 feet tall and broad-shouldered, it was quite a bit - and his reputation suffered because I literally knocked him to his knees... :thumbup: I am all for good-natured teasing, and have done some of it myself. DH tends to lean toward athletic types, but he's a leg and boob man (in that order) so a gorgeous pair of gams will get his head turning. Tina Turner lights his fire, but so did Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman), Janet Jackson, Queen Latifah, and several other full-figured tall women I could name. :w00t: I felt more threatened by this when I was less sure of MYSELF, but now that I'm working out more regularly, and the band is looming in my future (YAY) I'm more secure (most of the time)... I don't mind being noticed, just keep it clean and no touching!

Hey Ladies, I've not done it, but my DH has broached the subject. I'm intrigued but nervous, because I have had my own body issues for quite a while, and I'm not sure I WANT another person involved. DH would love for it to be a bi-sexual woman...since I'm not sure, I've said no to date. :w00t: I watched a semi-bad movie titled "Trois" - it's part of a series of movies, and in it, the married couple brought another woman (bisexual) into their marriage at the husband's insistence. Of course for dramatic effect, it ended badly with the second woman falling for the wife and the husband reacting badly because he wanted her to want him...I just am scared that type of thing will happen. :redface: Because my DH has done some online flirting, I also do not think I will react well to seeing him aroused and interested in another woman...no matter what her sexual orientation. Please be careful - make sure you are both ready for WHATEVER might happen. Adding another person to your relationship can be sexy, fun and exciting, but it can open up a whole can of worms if you have not talked out all of the possibilities. What if one of you 'catches feelings' for the extra partner? What does that mean for your relationship? How will you verify that your potential partner is healthy and does not bring 'extra' to the relationship that you don't want? Not having done this, I'm sure you'll take my concerns with a grain of salt, but I'd hate for the experience to end negatively for you...

Good afternoon All, The wise folks at Yale Bariatric Surgery decided to start a support group just for lap band patients:wub: The first meeting was last night, and they will continue on a monthly basis. The session "leader" was a lady I refer to as "Patient Zero" - she was the first lap band patient ever done at Yale 2 years ago! She's dropped quite a bit of weight and she was very forthcoming and helpful. There was also another friendly woman there who is her on LBT - though I've spaced out and can't remember her name right now. She was banded in June (I think) and was extremely helpful as well. I was the only other patient (want to be patient) there, but the Nutritionist and Dr. Roberts was there as well. They will definately be back next month, and I hope more people show up!:w00t: I'm moving right along in my process - 3 hour info session next week, then hopefully I'll get an appointment for pre-op stuff and get banded. I'm hoping before the end of October...but I've realized I can't rush the process. I have to just let it play out - understanding that I have had a relatively short timeframe from start to finish so far.

Good morning Warriors, Usual walk with the DDog and DD this morning (DH was fixing the washer)...no workout yesterday (Wed) because it's my normal day off, but did walk with DDog in AM and walked at lunchtime. Today would normally be a gym day, but I have a social - work event tonight, so I'm going to miss my workout. I will walk at lunchtime, though. Tomorrow is Friday, so I'll do my usual 3-walk + gym workout. Since I missed a couple of workouts this week, I'll get in some extra walks or workouts on the weekend. The leaves are falling around my house, so that will likely be a part of whatever I'm doing. Have a great day, everyone! :cool2:

Every time they do a BL Couples or Family show, I've been tempted to do a tape for me and DD so we could do the show together - I'd want Jillian as my trainer, cause she's such a drill sergeant:wub: The opportunity to have band surgery took that off the table - now I watch the show for inspiration and to see some of what they do in their workouts. They do a AWFUL lot of aerobics - more than I have time for - but they are inspirational because I also haven't seen them need plastic surgery afterwards... All that butt-kicking activity must help them with the loose skin issues...plus, I think they are younger than I am... Day off at the gym yesterday, but I did get my walks in. No gym tonight - have a work-related social activity, but I'll walk at lunchtime and again tomorrow. I'll be back in the gym tomorrow and will post the soreness-inducing results here (or in the October exercise challenge thread, when I find it) :cool2:

Okay, now I can post this... I'm so proud of the Dad from the Yellow team - and I said the exact same thing to my DH after the show - "He's a candidate for the lap band". It was so sweet when they brought the doctor from BL to his hometown to say how proud of him he was. My question - where's his wife? We don't hear about her, see her - is he divorced? I agree about the lack of movement from the contestants at the Grand Canyon - they would NOT have seen ME sit around for several days - give me a camera, a big bag of film and let me loose! I'd have hiked all around that place and taken a butt-ton of pictures...what a missed opportunity! I loved Ali from last season - I hope there wasn't any 'rigging' of the contest just so she'd win...I would HATE to think I kicked butt like she did and they rigged it so I would win. It would definately cheapen the win for me - I'd feel like such a fraud! Just kick the Brown (sh*t-face) team off - I HATE :cool2: their attitudes...they are so not nice! The fact that she was willing to send her hubby home so she could keep her selfish butt on the show...I'd hate to be married to either one of them! Lulu - I agree with you on the purple team - WTF??? Just throw the rope in the water? What a doofus... I like the Orange team - Heba is a fighter, and she has a great attitude...she made me cry talking about her dad. Makes me miss my Dad - though he passed away when I was 9 - we were very close. :laugh:

Y'all are seriously makin' me hungry! :eek: The deep-fried candy bar didn't do anything for me - sweets are generally not my weakness, but oh man - do I LOVE :laugh: LOVE me some good barbeque! Corn on the cob...YUM! I WILL do some funnel cake thought - with cinnamon and sugar... Okay, time to get my head back on straight...NOT! :cool2:

Welcome LastOption, I feel your pain, my sista! I've been up and down the scales over the past few years, always seeming to retain a few more than I wanted to. I have worked out 4 days a week, tried to watch what I eat, and yet the pounds still come - slowly, but they still come.:laugh: I chose the Band because it was minimally invasive (surgery-wise), would not present malabsorption problems (common with bypass patients) and has a shorter recovery time. I did not want my intestines re-routed - I already have challenges with iron levels in my bloodstream and other nutritional issues, so an operation that would cause me to absorb even LESS of the vitamins and minerals from my food was definately NOT for me.:eek: I am about mid-way through the process - I have an info session coming up soon, and after than I'm hoping that I'll be scheduled for pre-op and surgery within a couple of weeks. It's looking like a mid-to-late October or early November surgery date...I want to celebrate my 46th birthday at a smaller and healthier size than I am now.:cool2: Again - welcome, sista - you'll find this community friendly, knowledgable, and super-sweet. Everyone here has welcomed me with open arms and I really appreciate all the help they've given me...

Hey Ladies, I agree with you, Sandra - I love Ashley Stewart! I've got my eye on a cute denim dress that would actually be appropriate for casual Fridays at work, plus Saturday movies with the DH. I am looking forward to wearing more knits - I don't wear them now because I'm not "smooth", but as I lose (after I'm banded - hurry up, y'all!) I anticipate that my frame will smooth out as I lose weight. I :cool2: Spiegel's clothes - I just caught a sale on Norma Kamali knits and bought 5 or 6 pieces in a smaller size at a great price. Spent less than $100 and will come out with at least 10 outfits - more when I mix and match with what I already own. I want to buy some cute jeans, too - after my tummy gets a little flatter! I don't think I have much 'junk in the trunk' but my DH says I do - I guess I'm distracted by the belly in front right now:lol:

Glou - you're not alone! I absolutely freakin' hate that Brown team this season...they are rude, not team players, etc, etc, etc. I so want to post more, but don't want to ruin it for anyone - *going off to look for the Biggest Loser thread* And by the way - what happened with Ali? She was my shero from last season - dish, dish!

Closed out September strong...keeping it going in October! Last night, I hit the weights for 1 solid hour - bench press, shoulder press, rowing, ab work, inner thigh, etc, etc, etc. That's on top of my usual walk at lunchtime and to the train station at night... Today, my legs are crying "Uncle" but I walked the DDog with family this morning, just got back from a walk at lunch. No walk to train tonight - there's a lap band support group meeting here at work on campus, so I drove today... Do we need to start a new thread for the October exercise challenge, or shall we just keep posting here?

Catching up...I've been away far too long!:w00t: Joy - DS is duodenal switch - it's a type of WLS, but I'm not sure about the specifics. After reading through some of the threads on OH, I don't WANT to know any more - sheesh!:cursing: My new name is Cheesey Dippin Dunkin - and TrueDiva, we are sistas! I :tt2: this thread...I come here to laugh about the inappropriate posts - ya'll keep 'em comin!:cool2:

Kat - big thumbs up for tackling the gossipers - if more people did that, they'd have to shut their inaccurate freaking mouths!:cursing: I hope they find whoever got your debit card number - you may want to change checking accounts within the bank you use - leave 1 dollar in the account so they can track when someone tries to access it, but otherwise, move on...getting checks reprinted is a minor inconvenience compared to having to fight the alternative...I feel for you. Plain - if you can charleston, you should be able to learn lots of other stuff. My DH is a wonderful dancer - especially loves to line dance and two-step...he's an anomaly! Most african-american men won't touch country music with a 30-foot pole, but he loves it! Actually - he loves any kind of music...with very few exceptions. I get a great workout going dancing with him...:cool2: SNT - I HAVE to be nice to Plain once in a while - makes the whip strike that much more delicious when they don't see it coming...*insert evil laugh here* Keep it comin' folks - y'all are the highlight of my morning!:w00t:

I'm sitting here, bored out of my SKULL at work, and just logged in to read one of my favorite threads...THIS ONE! :thumbdown: Now I'm sitting here madly giggling at all of your funny responses, and I just had to log in and tell you all how happy and silly you made me this afternoon...:thumbup::crying: Leaving work in about 10 minutes - brisk walk to the train station, then an a**-kicking workout at the gym...maybe I should say a**-losing workout? Have a great night, everybody! BBK - hang in there, darlin' - you are an inspiration, and I KNOW you'll get those pounds off quickly! Plain - you are too cute! Leslie - I like salty-savory too! MacM - I love your posts... Luluc - you definately inspire me in the gym... Rhondalou - Love your energy! Send me some...:cursing:

ROFLMBO - Leslie, you are too funny!:thumbup: I HAVE set off the metal detectors in the airport (years ago) with the underwires in my industrial-strength bras...usually they have a female security officer come over and when she runs the wand by my side and it goes crazy, we just wink at each other and they pass me along...:cursing: I'm looking forward to the days when that DOESN'T happen any more because the 'girls' are standing up WITHOUT the industrial-strength cables and steel support system! Although the leather dress I'm planning to buy does have steel boning in it...oh well, I guess you can't win them all!:thumbdown:

Hey Leslie, Thanks for the good wishes...I needed that this morning!:thumbdown: I'm with you - whatever I can turn into "of steel" I'm ready! Arms of steel, buns of steel, thighs of steel, abs of steel, etc, etc...I want my physique to be so hard you can bounce quarters of my butt or my abs, and they set of metal detectors at the airport!:cursing: Imagine trying to explain that one: "Well, officer, it's my Buns of Steel video...I did the workout so many times that my buns are actually made of steel now, so that's why the detector went off..." :thumbup::crying:

Good morning Warriors, Rained out this weekend - that blasted storm kept me indoors all weekend long except for a couple of wet bathroom walks with the dog...he doesn't mind the rain, but I DO! Ran the stairs in my house, though - cleaning and moving things from one floor to the other. Must have done something, because my thighs were talkin' to me on Sunday morning! :biggrin: Funeral yesterday for a dear friend of the family - sad day...walked with the dog in the morning, but nothing else all day. Back on the stick this morning - early walk with the dog, DH and DD. Got a pretty good pace going - think I'll try to work on getting my time down more in the next two weeks. I'm on the hunt for some "walking" boots that will help me make it through the winter. I don't want to give up my lunchtime and afternoon walks when the snow flies, but they've gotta be stylish enough to wear for my commute to work. It's vain, I know, but I don't want to look like I'm going snowmobiling every day when I leave the house :dita:

Everyone here has given you great advice - you have to do this for you...if you are like I was (when I was younger) I did (and did not do) a LOT of things based on the approval of others. Now, I must say that since I turned 40, I've been kicking tail and taking names, and I'm going to do things for me! I decided that WLS was the way for me to lose the weight I've been fighting since I was 12, and NO ONE is going to stop me! My PCP was the only person who might have discouraged me, but he's all for it...so to paraphrase Jill Scott - "Hate on me haters"! :thumbup: I haven't told anyone outside of my immediate family (DH and DD) and a BFF who has had the bypass, and I WON'T be telling anyone else unless they have a NEED to know (like my supervisor at work). Hang in there, girlfriend! Do you and let the haters worry about what THEY will do to keep up!

Ceradad - you are an absolute certified bada**! That's a pretty good squat, considering the time between max attempts...Congrats! Leslie - sounds like you are a cross-trainer...the variety is great for keeping you from getting bored, I'll bet. Walked with the DDog this morning through the torrential rains in CT - not fun, but it puts a little extra pep in your step when you have to jump over random puddles! :tongue2: That means no walk at lunchtime, so I'll throw some aerobics into my workout this evening. Last night would have been an upper body day primarily, but DH had to work, so I had to go to Parent's Night at school instead of him...I hate missing workouts, but DD is very important, so I went with a smile. :wink2:

Posting to say I'm ROFLMBO at Plain...weeping and eating Cheetos while naked...what a visual! :wub: Like LJM, I have tons of books - my DH and I built floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in one room (ostensibly to hide a poorly placed support post) and they are now full...I have them in boxes all over the house! Time to go to Home Depot and build more bookshelves!:tongue2: Tapshoes - thank you very much! I was wondering what to do with my shoes - it would be SO much easier to leave some of my business shoes at the office and stop having to transport them...then I get to buy more for at home! I agree - navy shoes for a navy suit - preferably purchased at the same time, because a 'true navy' is getting harder and harder to find! Now navy has a lot of black in it...makes it really hard to match! :wink2:

BBK - if you get a chance, pick up the latest edition of InStyle magazine and take a look at the photos from the book "Hollywood Pinups". It's available on Amazon.com, but you might be able to check it out of the library (it's priced at $40) and I bet it will give you a LOT of ideas for future shoots. :tongue2: There's a shot of Susan Sarandon lying on the floor, legs up (like your photo) but she's nearly nude except for stocking, shoes and a beautiful black feather boa...I could definately see you doing that shot! You've inspired so many people, I thought I'd let you know about some more inspiration for your future shoots. :wink2: The book is "Hollywood Pinups" by Timothy White...it's described as "the book lets you see your favorite A-listers unleash their inner kitty." Have fun!

Really enjoying reading all of the posts...had to post just to say that!:smile2: