mousecrazy

Bettina, it takes a while, but after a while it's just like keeping up with your family. We forget stuff, too, believe me! You're a full-time student! That's a lot of studying! I'm a teacher, just about ready to retire (which everyone here is way tired of hearing about, but I'm just so excited about it!) Dianne, sheesh...thanks so much for the really nice words...I think you're really cool, too. I am looking forward to going through the next year with all of you, and know we will all be better of for being in it together! Hugs! I forgot to tell ya'll...when we were in Bangor, we actually found Stephen King's house! I had researched some clues about where it was, and we found it...it's red, and the gate is black iron that looks kinda like spider webs and has bats on it. Weird, but fitting, for Stephen King. Of course, I took pictures! If you wanna see it, PM me your email and I can email it to you, because that is way easier than posting it here! LOL! Poor Darcy...my personal photo editor! Good night, all....hugs! Cindy

Thanks, FunnyDuddies! This will be great inspiration!

Hey, just wanna say that about every month or two this kind of atmosphere surfaces, then it goes away again. Use your ignore list and your patience, and I hope you feel better soon. The best defense is a good defense! LOL!

Hi, Rachel! I'm 50, so we're close in age...it's so hard to compare ourselves to others, since so much of how we age depends on our family genetics...but losing weight will give you back your activities and stamina, and gosh, that's gotta be worth a few extra wrinkles and some loose skin. Even if we had been thin the whole time, we'd have some wrinkles and loose skin, right? I mean, under normal non-celebrity lifestyles anyway? LOL! I've noticed some looser skin under my chin, but the alternative was a bunch of fat, so who's to say which is more attractive? I'm never going to be 20, 30, or 40 again. I like where I am now. I think wherever you end up, it's going to be great!

Thanks to all of you for the shared joy! High fives to all!

FunnyDuddies, I'd love to be in this group of Christmas lovers! It's my favorite holiday, and favorite time of the year. My favorite Christmas song is "O Holy Night" peformed by Josh Groban. Have you heard it? Goosebumps, I tell you. So, I'm joining at 225. My Christmas wish is 199, a loss of 26 lbs. My goal is 180, whenever I get there. Paula, I share your spiritual goals, as well. I work at them in spurts...I would like to be more regular with my spiritual development, and I'll keep working on it. Let me know how it goes with you. Are we checking in on Wednesdays for this Christmas Wish group? Thanks for the great idea! Cindy

Hey, just thought I'd let you know that one of the NSV's I had (non-scale victories) was to sit in an airline seat AND be able to buckle the seat belt! I've done that twice now. Most of the NSV's I have now are things I never even dreamed of...hiking, climbing lots of stairs, and stuff like that. I can't even tell you what a difference the lapband has made in just a year! Can't wait to hear all about your NSV's!

Margo, I'm so excited to see your great progress! I have been on vacation, and just saw your post, so sorry the congrats are a little late! HOpefully, you'll still see them! Cindy

Everything is going to be fine. Read all the bandiversary posts. Put that term in the search area. I used to spend lots of time looking at before and after pictures and stuff like that. Sure, look at the complications, but don't focus on that. Focus on the huge percentage of very happy and healthy success stories, and figure out how to be like them! Cindy

Leenerbumps, I sure think you're a lucky gal...you've got a personal shopper and lots of support here! One thing that helped me become less self-conscious was that I learned that very few people actually pay attention to other people. Think about that. Most people are really only thinking about themselves, their date, their DH or DW, etc. If they are so mean they are busying themselves by looking around at others and being critical of them, yuck. It would suck to be them. I think you'll look great! Carry yourself with pride and attitude!

I've caught up on the reading now.... Kat, OMG. You have a more-than-full plate, girl. You cannot do all this alone, so get what help you can, let go of what you can, and say the Serenity Prayer. I always believe there is a reason for everything, and this will prove to be true, even if we can't figure out what it is right now. I am praying for all of your family, and especially you. Take it one hour at a time, one minute at a time if you have to. Eileen, I am glad Jessann made it through her surgery, and I'm sorry you have to wait so long for the results! I sure hope you still have that sense of peace through Jesus, and know he is holding you in his heart. We had connecting flights in Newark Liberty airport yesterday...you must have had some vicious weather...we missed our first scheduled flight, made our second, and even that was almost 4 hours delayed. Instead of getting home at 8:15 last night, it was 1:45 AM!!!! Can we say TIRED?! It was exciting to see Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty from the air, though. Betty, poor thing. I wore one of those boot casts for months and months before, and it's no picnic. You have to walk much slower than you are used to, and that helps the strain on your back. Which foot is it? Sorr about your DH's job, too. I hope this means he is going to find an even better position...hang in there. If you take a ride to Sanger to eat at Babes, you better let me know! PM me if you want my cell number! Dianne, ONEDERLAND!!! You rock! Patty, thanks for the congrats, and hope you have a great time getting babied by your mom. I miss that most of all. No one can baby you like a mom, and you miss it terribly when it's gone. So soak it all up! Darcy, no talk of failure, you hear? You might hit a bump or two, but we can get you over this bump, and we'll all keep going. How can we help you? Need to talk? Need the swift kick of reason? Just let us know! I emailed you some before and after pics and am begging on bended knee for some help getting them side-by-side so I can post them here and on the before and after thread. I hope I'm not too big of a pain in the behind. If I am, you'll let me know, right? Then I go begging someone else..... LOL! Sherry, hope you're having a blast on the cruise! Bettina...weird we're all on the NJ thread, huh? Beanie, good for you on the weight loss! I know I'm missing people....forgive me? We had a great vacation...the best thing is that this time I could hike all over the place! I could climb stairs, rocks, walk a mile out to a lighthouse, climb the ladder up to the top...all of that stuff I couldn't do! I can do it! I saw a seal, a loon, several Eider ducks, seagulls (of course), some other birds and wildlife. We went on a Schooner for a sail. We had blueberry pancakes, lobster omelettes, steamed lobster, and clam chowder. We had several picnics by different harbors, watching all kinds boats and yachts, and day dreaming about what their lives are like. Our little Chippie (chipmunk) has stored 3 bags of peanuts for the winter! She was so busy...and she would even come up on the porch, inches away from me to get her peanuts! Great trip, lots of wonderful weather, one bad storm, and even that had its own charm. Glad to be home, even though it is so brutally hot here, as Texas summers usually are. Nice to be back with you all, and I mean it...ya'll are the best ever! Hugs, Cindy

Hi, Marc! So, you're ready for a new life! Congratulations! What impressed me about your post is that you have given love and care to others as part of your life, even though you have been kinda hiding out in that...there are worse ways to hide, huh? Other "hits"...I lost my mom last July, and my grandmother last November, and I understand the sense of loss you are afraid of...I cannot say it is easier than you think. It wasn't for me. It is hard. I would rather know it is going to be tough than be told it's easy, and be shocked when it isn't. So, you've got some tough times ahead with that. Here's the good news...you've got faith. Keep reading that Psalms. You've made a decision to change your life. You love yourself more than you are giving yourself credit for. See? I just posted about my "bandiversary." One year ago, today, I did what you are planning for Aug. 31. What a year! I won't go into the details here because you can easily find my post about my year...but the bottom line is this: you can make your life better. As you lose some of the weight, you will feel better; when you feel better, you will do more to be even healthier. You may need some counseling; or, there are books you could read that could get you started on changing your beliefs and attitudes about food. I quit using alcohol almost 5 years ago, and since you have accomplished that, you know how to break an addiction, and you care enough about yourself to do it. I've gone on long enough, but one more thing I just really need to say. Please just put your relationship issues on hold for right now. Let's just get YOU in order for now...it will take all your energy and focus anyway. The rest will fall into place. You have found a great place at LBT. Post and read, post and read. Take what works for you, and blow off the rest. Think about the stuff you might not agree with or understand, because it might come into focus later. I wish you well, and wish you good health and light! Cindy

Congratulations, Dianne! I just got back from vacation, and couldn't be happier to read your good news! I'm hoping to follow you there...keep waving me in, okay? Cindy

Deanna, Many of your questions about your co-morbidities will be answered by your lapband surgeon. Unfortunately, your insurance company's requirements will also determine what will qualify you the surgery ( as in what they will cover, or not). Many of the conditions you listed will definitely be greatly improved by weight loss...I hope you will be able to have lapband surgery if that is what you want! Good luck, Cindy

Add me to the list of pre-fill restriction people! I made the decision to get another fill (haven't had one since November, people!). Sure enough, even though I have been able to eat entire sandwiches...now I get the golfball on the first bite! I'm just gonna ignore it, go for the fill, and ask them to check how much fill is still there, and only go up .1 or .2 cc's. Hopefully, that'll work out okay. Weird, huh?

So, one year ago today, I had my lapband surgery. I don't need to review for any of you the nerves, the anxiety, the GAS PAINS!!!!! Then the liquid diet, the mushie diet....and the hardest of all: learning to eat plain ol' regular food again. Looking back now, I see that I have learned so much. In fact, I think the lapband gave me more gifts than I was prepared, at first, to accept. I have been given the gift of PATIENCE. I learned that if I turn down a brownie today, there will probably be another one in the future. Think about that. That's a big realization! I learned FORGIVENESS. If I make some bad choices today, I can do better tomorrow. Life is full of opportunities to redeem your mistakes. Learning this has been very freeing. This kind of freedom has released me from the depression/eating cycle, at least most of the time. I learned how to LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE. There's no race going on here...no competition. Sure, I'd see that others lost weight faster than I did, and I was tempted to buy into my old response of feeling inferior to them, but I fought that battle. What glorious freedom to rid myself of that! The reverse is also true. I saw that I was losing faster than some...I had to learn to fight the feeling of superiority, too. I LEARNED TO JUST BE ME. I don't have to be perfect. I don't have to be the best example to everyone. I can be just ME...sometimes doing things that are good and healthy, and sometimes not doing those things. Overall, the good decisions won out, and I have some before and after stats that I hope will be inspiring to some, especially those who are just starting out or are making their decisions about whether or not to have this surgery. I also hope that those of us who have been supporting each other all along will accept whatever success these statistics represent as a personal THANK YOU! The hours and hours I have spent here were informative, comforting, and thought-provoking. I chose to learn from all of you. I know we are all different, and that has been a benefit, not a detriment. I have made some very special friends here, and to those very special people, who should know who they are, I want to say, "Thank God for you!" Before: After: Weight: 286 Weight: 225 Bust: 50" Bust: 38.5" Waist: 48" Waist: 39" Hips: 59.5" Hips: 49" Thigh: 36" Thigh: 26.5" Calf: 18.5" Calf: 16" Upper arm: 18" Upper arm: 14" Size: 26 Size: 18 BMI: 45 BMI: 36 61 lbs lost!!! 41 inches gone!!! I am looking forward to YEAR TWO as a year to meet my stated goal of reaching 180 lbs. Another goal for this year is to add quite a lot more physical activity to my life. It's been a great year. I wouldn't trade the ups and downs for anything...especially not the life I had before I made the decision to take the leap and change my life! Much luck and success to all, and again, thanks for support! Cindy (There should be pictures to go with this, soon.) <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Ya'll get the scoop, first! So, one year ago today, I had my lapband surgery. I don't need to review for any of you the nerves, the anxiety, the GAS PAINS!!!!! Then the liquid diet, the mushie diet....and the hardest of all: learning to eat plain ol' regular food again. Looking back now, I see that I have learned so much. In fact, I think the lapband gave me more gifts than I was prepared, at first, to accept. I have been given the gift of PATIENCE. I learned that if I turn down a brownie today, there will probably be another one in the future. Think about that. That's a big realization! I learned FORGIVENESS. If I make some bad choices today, I can do better tomorrow. Life is full of opportunities to redeem your mistakes. Learning this has been very freeing. This kind of freedom has released me from the depression/eating cycle, at least most of the time. I learned how to LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE. There's no race going on here...no competition. Sure, I'd see that other lost weight faster than I did, and I was tempted to buy into my old response of feeling inferior to them, but I fought that battle. What glorious freedom to rid myself of that! The reverse is also true. I saw that I was losing faster than some...I had to learn to fight the feeling of superiority, too. I LEARNED TO JUST BE ME. I don't have to be perfect. I don't have to be the best example to everyone. I can be just ME...sometimes doing things that are good and healthy, and sometimes not doing those things. Overall, the good decisions won out, and I have some before and after stats that I hope will be inspiring to some, especially those who are just starting out or are making their decisions about whether or not to have this surgery. I also hope that those of us who have been supporting each other all along will accept whatever success these statistics represent as a personal THANK YOU! The hours and hours I have spent here were informative, comforting, and thought-provoking. I chose to learn from all of you. I know we are all different, and that has been a benefit, not a detriment. To my NJ thread pals, nothing but love and respect to you!!!! I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT ALL OF YOU! Before: After: Weight: 286 Weight: 225 Bust: 50" Bust: 38.5" Waist: 48" Waist: 39" Hips: 59.5" Hips: 49" Thigh: 36" Thigh: 26.5" Calf: 18.5" Calf: 16" Upper arm: 18" Upper arm: 14" Size: 26 Size: 18 BMI: 45 BMI: 36 61 lbs lost!!! 41 inches gone!!! I am looking forward to YEAR TWO as a year to meet my stated goal of reaching 180 lbs. Another goal for this year is to add quite a lot more physical activity to my life. It's been a great year. I wouldn't trade the ups and downs for anything...especially not the life I had before I made the decision to take the leap and change my life! Much luck and success to all, and again, thanks for support! Cindy (There should be pictures to go with this, soon.)

DonnaB, that was hilarious! NancyRN...you post your input, and the people who want good factual info will appreciate it. Others, well, they won't. Most of us can tell the difference.

Ask god for strength to face your loss, of food as your friend. You will have other friends. I just wanted to say I know how you feel, and have been there. I also wanted you to know that I've hit this "speedbump" more than once in this journey. I say this, not to discourage you, but to let you know that it can happen, so you won't be derailed by it. There are so many issues around food. You'll have to figure out what yours are. Don't be afraid. The band will still be there when you are ready to move on again. Blow off those nosy people. I will give the benefit of the doubt and assume they are well meaning, so just tell them your body has to go through some adjustment phases, and you are not bothered by it. That's all. Nothing is instanteous; besides, you are better off going slow. Educate them, don't be embarrassed or shamed by them. Have courage! Cindy

You are probably too tight. Better to get a slight unfill, and eat real food. It is important to find that balance between speedy weight loss and healthy weight loss. Better to err on the side of health and patience, than speed. Get it checked out, and make your decision based on long-term health.

Excellent advice from DonnaB! Another point I'd like to toss into the ring is that your body often needs time to adjust. I think it just depends on each person. I am one who is like that...I'd lose a bunch, then sit there for a while, then actually gain maybe 3 pounds back, then drop a bunch, then sit there, etc. It's a pattern I see in myself. Track your pattern, see what it shows. Tracking your food is part of that. Fitday is a great place to do that. Good luck in your journey! Cindy

Donna, those are some fantastic pictures! I bet you are big-time proud! Eileen, I'm praying for Jessann. You do what you need to do, and let God take care of your boss, if ya know what I mean. I will go crazy wanting to know what's going on while I'm away. Mary, take care of yourself All of you...take care and take care of each other. We're leaving at 4 AM and off to the airport! I'm so excited! This time tomorrow night, we'll be in Bangor. Then the next day, we'll be heading for Camden. Picture us watching the ocean, feeding the chipmunks, and going to town to shop when we get bored of the ocean! Love you guys, and I'll "see" you when I get back! We get in late on the 21st. Cindy

Hey Colleen, 40 lbs is a lot of weight! Don't waste your time being disappointed...let's try to find a solution to accepting head hunger, but NOT acting on it. We could all benefit from that! LOL! Seriously, take what you've got, and keep going. Never, never, never quit! Here's to continued success in your second year! It's not over yet!

We lost a whole, pre-banded person! LOL!

God bless you, Eileen. I will keep your niece in my prayers the whole time I am on vacation...its gonna drive me crazy not knowing what's going on...yikes! Please go to the Lord for comfort and mercy and know that you and your family are loved by all of us here. (((((hugs))))) About your boss, can you write your request? I do better when I write stuff like that. Dianne, I don't have any good advice about the insurance thing. They confound me every time. Hopefully, somebody here will have some experience and can give you some meaningful help. I just hope it all turns out okay for you! Beanie, hope your work stress lets up! Hugs and squeezes, Cindy