Dianechef

I posted this in the Gone for Good Club, but it seems as if there are others who are also having this issue as well. So, I'm placing it in it's own thread. I am in a weird place & I don't know who to talk to about it. Nobody around me understands!! So, I'm going to share my weird feelings with all of you & hope SOMEBODY out there understands. I have taken pictures of me recently. (Some of them are posted on the "New Me" Thread I posted.) I look at the pictures & say - "Okay, so I took a good picture." I went to church in my new Easter Dress & had an overwhelming amount of comments. No less then 25 people told me I looked like a new person & had lots of great compliments for me. As nice as the comments are, I can't truly grasp them. I just figure it must be that I wore a good dress that day. :rolleyes I see myself in a mirror & don't understand what everyone is talking about!! :confused: My husband keeps trying to convince me that that person in all the pictures are the REAL me & that I truly look like that all the time. I have always had a good self-image. That has never been a problem. I knew that even though I was overweight, I was a good person with lots to offer the world. However, my BODY image must be out of wack!!! I have been living in a big fat suit for so long that it's all I know. I thought I wouldn't have to deal with body image issues until I reached my goal weight!! What is all the fuss about?!?! I am still overweight & have a ways to go. :phanvan Don't get me wrong!! I am very happy to be where I'm at & I appreciate and LOVE all the comments!! I think I'm trying to figure out who I am right now. I've always been the "Funny Fat Girl". Now I'm the..........um..........I have no clue!!! I still think I'm the "Funny Fat Girl" but apparently I don't come across that way anymore!!! I am so messed up!!! Is there a therapist in the house?! HA!!!

Okay P'Nut, I am SOOO happy to hear you say you're going through the same issues!!!! I do the same thing with pictures. I am obsessed with trying to figure out what it is that everyone else is seeing!! Yep, I think we need to sit our behinds down in the shrinks chair & just get it all out. We'd both will probably be thinking that our butts wouldn't fit in the chairs, when in reality, we could probably fit in another one in between us!! Kristin, Tricia, Heather.....want to join us?!?! I'm thinkin' this just might be a whole new thread in itself. Should I start a new thread so we don't keep hi-jacking this one?!?! :confused:

Hey Shackdog!! Welcome to the group!! Can't wait to see you post all the weight you'll be losing. :biggrin1:

Okay, thought I'd post a picture for anyone who cares to be my therapist & figure out my problem!! HA!! The picture on the left is me as the Funny Fat Girl! (I'm the one on the right.) The picture on the right is my family on Easter Sunday. This is the dress everyone kept telling me how much I looked like a new person!! So, am I completely messed up?!? What's my deal?!?!? Why can't I see it?! :confused:

Hey all my GFG buddies!! I am in a weird place & I don't know who to talk to about it. Nobody around me understands!! So, I'm going to share my weird feelings with all of you & hope SOMEBODY out there understands. I have taken pictures of me recently. (Some of them are posted on the "New Me" Thread I posted.) I look at the pictures & say - "Okay, so I took a good picture." I went to church in my new Easter Dress & had an overwhelming amount of comments. No less then 25 people told me I looked like a new person & had lots of great compliments for me. As nice as the comments are, I can't truly grasp them. I just figure it must be that I wore a good dress that day. :rolleyes I see myself in a mirror & don't understand what everyone is talking about!! :confused: My husband keeps trying to convince me that that person in all the pictures are the REAL me & that I truly look like that all the time. I have always had a good self-image. That has never been a problem. I knew that even though I was overweight, I was a good person with lots to offer the world. However, my BODY image must be out of wack!!! I have been living in a big fat suit for so long that it's all I know. I thought I wouldn't have to deal with body image issues until I reached my goal weight!! What is all the fuss about?!?! I am still overweight & have a ways to go. :phanvan Don't get me wrong!! I am very happy to be where I'm at & I appreciate and LOVE all the comments!! I think I'm trying to figure out who I am right now. I've always been the "Funny Fat Girl". Now I'm the..........um..........I have no clue!!! I still think I'm the "Funny Fat Girl" but apparently I don't come across that way anymore!!! I am so messed up!!! I should probably just start a new thread asking if there's a therapist in the house!! HA!!!

P'Nut - I saw your pics on the before & after thread. YOU LOOK AWESOME!! Wow. You are beautiful. You need to post MORE pictures here. You are doing such a good job at telling everyone how good they're doing - now it's time for us to give you lots of atta girls!! We all love you P'Nut!! Size 18 pants are a BIG DEAL!! I'm so proud of you. You're going to pass me up in no time. (I getter get to work!!!) By the way, it's Wednesday so I guess I better post my weight. :confused: C 202 (-55 total) Susan, it's the same as always, no need to change anything on the front page!! I actually weigh what my ticker says & what is posted on the front page of the Gone for Good Club says!! ROFL!! I had gained 2 lbs. & refused to move my ticker back up to 204 & decided to wait until I got back down!! I had my band filled on Monday & the 2 lbs. just melted off. OH, I am so happy to have this band filled again!! Life is so much easier when my band is filled properly. You all are doing so good! I can't wait to lose 4 lbs. a week like the rest of you!!!

3loves - Cute picture!!!! Your boys are adorable. And, what I can see of you is cute too!!! Very funny that several of you mentioned being the only one who knows how to work the camera. For years I was the only one who worked the camera because it was a good excuse to not be in the picture. HA!! But, things have changed around here & I'm finally okay with being IN the picture. Is that an NSV?!?! I'll add that to my list!! :confused: Anybody else have pictures?!? I love to see pictures.

Welcome to Lap Band Land!! What you are feeling is normal. After one week I felt very irritable & wanted to eat everything in the house. I had to leave home several times because I just couldn't stand it. I'd cry & ask myself what I did to myself. The band won't curb your hunger until it is filled; which is usually at 6 weeks. It's a long wait, but well worth it. Right now your tummy is healing & it's pretty important to stick to the liquids. We all feel for you!! Hang in there. It only gets better!!!!!

Hey Photonut! Yes, I was wearing heals in the recent picture. HA!! Very funny you noticed. I think I have a full body picture of me with the heels on - I'll see if I can pull it up. I agree about time moving so fast. I feel like I just had that little baby girl in my stomach & there she is as big as can be. *sigh* However, time is good. It took TIME for me to lose this weight & be a better Mom & I wouldn't change a thing. Okay, found the picture - here is it!!! I'm definately wearing heels. :confused:

What a difference a year has made!! This is our family last year at Easter. I was always HIDING behind everyone when it was time for pictures. (Can you tell how I conveniently positioned myself?) It has been so nice to no longer have to worry about my double chin, if my behind is showing, constantly pulling at my shirt or just feeling so uncomfortable during picture time!! I can't tell you how much this band has changed my life!!

Hi Eieen!! - Did you change your picture?!?! Am I talking to the same New Jersey Chick?!? Your comments are very nice!! I soooo understand the seeing yourself in photos & being disappointed. I used to cry when there were pictures that had to be taken. I always positioned myself conventiently in the back. This is the first time I don't shy away & actually LIKE taking photos. I still can't believe the person in the picture is ME!!!!!! Your day will come. Hang in there.

Great thread!! I also have never had a desire to wear a bikini either!! I am thrilled to feel healthy & active. I never have worn a swimsuit in public & just don't go swimming because I couldn't handle the stares. My husband just took some recent pictures of me in a swimsuit & I was so emberassed just to stand in front of HIM in a swimsuit. THEN, he coaxed me to put the pictures on my "The New Me" Thread. ACK!! I feel like I have worn my swimming suit in front of the world.

HAPPY EASTER!! What a great day!! Here's a pic with me & my "new" Easter Dress and one with my family. Aren't my kids cute?!?!? (A rare picture with them all clean & dressed up all at once!!! HA!!)

Happy Easter to you too!! Here's our family Easter picture after returning from church this morning!!! :biggrin1:

Awesome!! Any pictures to share?! We want pictures!!!

I eat it!!! ROFL!! I figure it's Easter & it only comes once a year. Now, I don't go whole hog, but I DO eat some!

Mandy, you look GREAT!! My last trip to Disney World was 2 weeks before my surgery & I was MISERABLE!! I was so big, hot & uncomfortable. One of my goals is to go back there as a thin person & actually ENJOY it. Your pictures have inspired me!! THANK YOU!!!!

HA!! I just went shopping yesterday & had a funny thing happen. I have always automatically gone to the Women's department because that's all that ever fits me. I got some size 1X clothes & headed to the dressing room. NONE of them fit me - TOO BIG!! I went to drop off all the clothes & the lady taking the clothes said to me - "Do you want to keep any of these?" I told her they didn't fit & I'd have to keep trying. She whispered to me - "I think you might be happier shopping in THAT section." (She pointed to the teeny-boppers area.) I truly thought she was joking!! But, I headed over there & picked up the size LARGE & they fit perfectly. I was doing the Happy Dance in the dressing room!! I have officially checked out of the X club!! (1X, 2X, 3X, 4X) I never thought I'd see the day. I'm a size LARGE!!

You look awesome!!! You must feel so good.

Hi Willowbas - the success tips are on pg. 5.

For anyone who cares to see, I've posted my swimming suit pictures on page one. It took some coaxing from my husband, but they are there!! ACK!! :uwelcome:

DIVA!!! I can't stop laughing. You CRACK ME UP!! :laugh I called my husband on the phone & read the poem to him. He was laughing too! Great job. So, my big behind was so inspiring to you that you just couldn't resist writing a poem about it - ha!! I LOVE IT!!! The Best Me - The panties are the same in the both pictures! They're the stretchy kind & just stretched a lot more in the first picture. They are pretty comfortable!!! I am SO RELIEVED To not have to wear the big ol' bras I used to wear. I now have normal undies that actually look decent!! There's a big NSV for ya!!! I'm still laughing.............Diva!! You're hilarious!!:Banane04:

I've never heard of Dr. Cantu. Is he new??! I would be a little leary about using that one!! Just MHO. I researched lots of MX doctors before my surgery & have been around here a long time & thought I'd heard every Mexico doctor there was. Never a mention of a Dr. Cantu. Dr. Kuri & Dr. Ortiz are two doctors you hear a lot who have great reputations. Check them out & do your research. GOOD LUCK!!

I did not use Dr. Kuri, but I have heard lots of great, positive things about him. I was also banded in MX & my husband was freaked out at first. My in-laws flipped & still haven't spoken to me since my surgery 9 months ago!! (Their loss!!!) My husband is now the biggest MX supporter & was very happy that we went to MX. I think youre choice of Dr. Kuri is a good one!!

Here are some tips of what I have done along the way: 1) I drink lots of water!! I had never been a good Water drinker until I had the band. I can eat healthy & exercise all I want, but the water is what flushes all the fat out of your body. (I read that in a book somewhere!) I drink a lot of C-Light. It's similar to Crystal Light except that it has excotic fun flavors like tropical, strawberry passion, peach/mango, pineapple/tangerine & more. I switch flavors everyday & sometimes put them in the blender with ice & it makes a fun drink! I even put a little umbrella on the side to make myself feel special. HA!! They are yummy. 2) I read, read, read & ask LOTS of questions. I'm sure when I was first banded I annoyed the heck out of a lot of people on this board but I APPRECIATE all the help I've been given. I spoke with people who were successful with the band & I keep in contact with them. They give me lots of tips, but the best thing that it does is KEEP ME MOTIVATED!! I lose my motivation on a daily basis & need a little dose of YOU CAN DO IT constantly. (By the way, your great comments on this thread will keep me motivated for a LONG while! THANKS!!!) 3) I exercise!! I am a piano teacher & have played the piano since I was 3. I sat my behind at the piano instead of being outside playing ball or riding my bike. Therefore, exercise has been very foreign to me my entire life!! (Does that explain the size of my behind?!?!? ROFL!!!) 6 weeks after my surgery I joined a gym & even hired a trainer. I cried the first time I went. I was thoroughly emberassed by my size, lack of knowledge & rude stares I got at the gym. I knew if I didn't hire a trainer I wouldn't continue to go. I took out money from my savings to hire the trainer because I knew it was that important. The first 4 weeks were very hard on me. I HATED IT!! I dreaded every second & felt terrible when I came home because I was so exhausted. I hated sweating, the looks, & just the uncomfortable feeling of it all. But, I continued. And, I can now exercise on my own without my trainer & I feel so good. It's hard, but just DO IT!! You will be so happy you did. 4) I eat treats!! I know myself - if someone tells me that I can't ever eat chocolate ever again, I'd immediately rebel & go eat 20 at one sitting. However, I keep treats to a limit. I eat my treat on Fridays. I purposely go to the store, buy my candy bar - eat it with a movie or where ever I'm going & I'm done!! NO TREATS are kept in the house. If I am tempted during the week, I tell myself - " You'll eat your treat on Friday!" It works for me. :D 5) I Follow the Bandster rules!! I don't drink with my meals. I eat Protein & veggies first. I stay away from pop. I stop when I feel the golfball feeling in my throat. (Make sure you have a good fill too!!) I am by far not perfect at all of these all the time!! Some days I don't drink all my water. I've gone 2 weeks without exercise. Sometimes I've eaten my treats during the week AND on Friday.....(oops!) But, I always start new the next day & try to keep my spirits up. Having a supportive spouse & family has made a very big difference. Hope this helps someone out there!! I'll post more pictures when I hit my next goal. ONE-derland.