puddin

No, you are all right with this. I don't try to be something I'm not, though sometimes I think I should LOL. The dork factor is that, because I'm with someone I like, I can't think of those witty comebacks that I can in regular conversation. But you know, the guy I went out with last night was cool. I've been out with him before. He was sort of under my nose, too. He called me every day during my lower body lift recovery, he took me out for ice cream when I was crying over my breakup, he's been there... a lot. I didn't even really see him before for how amazing he really is. But last night I had such an amazingly fun time with him, just talking and cuddling and watching a movie. He gives me hope that there IS someone out there that I can relate to (because it took time with this guy, it didn't happen immediately like it did with my ex, but it happened), and who I'm attracted to, and who can make me laugh. Even if it doesn't work out with Tony, I have a little hope for the future. Oh yeah, I now have Tony on my wall of currents/exes on my flickr site. He's so damn cute I can't stand it! Thank you all for your kind words and support. I know I'm a freaking open book on this forum. I swear this is like my diary. Go speed racer, go!

Carolel - LOL. That's like the greatest compliment ever - both of your posts, I think. Glad to be a source of inspiration for you. One thing that I'd like to say, though, about losing weight, is that all your problems don't go away when the weight is gone. I really thought life would be so much easier once the weight was off, but really one set of trials just turns into another set of trials. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it for the world! But I deluded myself into thinking that somehow if I were to be able to start dating again, I'd magically be happy and all would be well. Before when I was heavy, I didn't even have to worry about that because no one was even interested. I was happy and fat, but not happy about being fat. But now there's an even bigger set of trials. I feel like I skipped some major steps here that people usually go through in life and now I'm going through them in fast-forward. I never went through the dating phase, not until now. And now it's here with a vengeance and because others are more experienced than I am, I feel like a dork when I'm on a date. In my ex-boyfriend's case, I sort of got taken advantage of physically and then emotionally. Now each time I go out with someone and then they don't call me back I sit there and agonize over what the heck is wrong with me. It's not healthy and I can't figure out how to get over it. Perhaps I'm dating the wrong people. The guy I went out with last night I've been out with a few times, and he's wonderful. I certainly hope he calls me back, but, for heaven's sake, I wish i wasn't such a GIRL (emotionally speaking)! Okay, sorry for the tangent. I'm just saying, I suppose it's all about making goals in life, but with the expectation that we have to do things NOW to be happy. Be happy NOW.

I think you'll love the band. It's been the best investment of my life!

Hey congrats woman! And you're going to be just fine. Just make sure to get that fill doc when you come back and keep up on those fills! You're going to do wonderfully.

Marshall, how's it going? Keep us updated - you're gonna love it!

My doc told me to get in as much as I could and not to worry about loss. It's more important to heal quickly and correctly than it is to lose weight at this point. Get that protein in!

Patience, my dear! But I know what you mean. I lost very little weight even my first 6 months, and then it was slow until month 9. A good lot of my loss has come in the last 8 months! Once you get that restriction you'll start to see it happening, ok? For now, you are recovering. I know we all want it gone immediately, but it just isn't going to happen right away. I was pretty down my first while, too.

I know that my resting metabolism increased by 200 calories a day in the last 12 weeks I worked with a personal trainer doing weight training 3 days a week. What an amazing benefit!

Well well thanks y'all! I bought the thing yesterday and paraded around my house in it so long that I just had to take a picture. Thanks for your kind words! I love my doc! He's a miracle man. And Jacqui, shoot, girl, I didn't really have the money for this either. I'll be penny pinching until I can sell this house and pay the thing off. I may start doing wedding videos again if I can't sell it quick!

Okay... SINCE I can't get enough of these before/after pics. Here's another one I took yesterday: I'll have to get my sister to take another one of me so you can actually see my FACE this time. I bought this swimsuit to start training for the triathlon. The swelling is slowly subsiding. I am down 3 pounds since a week and a half ago.

You're so sweet! It does feel good. In about 4 weeks I'll start training for it (just had a lower body lift 3.5 weeks ago). I'll PM you about the olympic triathlon. I need info!

I'll tell ya, that's never been a favorite spot of mine, anyway. I think it gets the guys more excited than the girls. So when I have my enlargement in March, I'm not too worried about losing sensation. It's always kinda hurt when they get touched anyway.

Yup. Right under the bikini line, not midsection waistline! I'm really, really happy with the placement, and even now the scar is not bad. I'd take the scar over the hanging belly any day. And I'm with ya on plastic surgery intervention. I'm all about surgical intervention these days! I want a boob job. The ex was going to pay for it, but now that he's out of the picture I have to finance the sucker myself. But once my house is sold I'm taking some of that equity money and running to Mexico with it. I love my doc here, but I think a boob job is something I'm willing to go to Mexico for, in order to pay half the price for it! Thank you so much! I needed to hear that today.

Hey Marys - I'm doing the sprint in May by my house, then at the end of June I'm doing the olympic in Edmonton. I'm starting my 16-week training program in 4 weeks, and until then I'm building up to it (had a lower body lift 3.5 weeks ago). I'm recruiting people to come with me! So if any of y'all are interested in going, let me know!

Back atcha babe. It's fun to lose weight. So what kind of exercise are you into lately? I know you're always switching it up, getting into something new. Today I tried on size 10 curvy fit jeans at Express. They fit PERFECT! I think it's the top that was fitting but the legs were kinda tight in the 10's. With the curvy girl 10's, it fit like a glove. I'm hooked now. Then I went and tried on some new bike shorts so I can start training for the triathlon in June with them (it's slowly warming up around here), and I had no stomach! I could wear the tight pants with PRIDE! I love it. I wanted to do a little stroll around the bike shop in them LOL. This is a whole new feeling. And then when I bought my swim gear, I tried on a new speedo bikini. For heaven's sake, I looked good in it. This is definitely a whole new experience!

Thank you. I know I can repent. It's getting over him that I'm worried about. Do you think that I can ever open my heart to someone else again? I'm still very much in love with this other man, but I don't think he loves me back any more. I hate that I compare everyone to him.

Marys - FUN! I wish I could ski right now. I just had a lower body lift and can't freakin do anything except non-impact exercise that don't involve your abs. I'm going to start training for a triathlon in 3 weeks, though. It will require 2 hours of exercise a day! I don't know how I'm going to fit it in, but it's going to have to happen cause the triathlon's paid for!

Heck yes! I had a lower body lift done on January 12. It was the 2nd best investment I'd ever made!

Leatha, thank you so much. It has been the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my life. Thanks for your encouraging words.

Here's my two cents on the issue: I lost my virginity only a few weeks ago to a man that I thought loved me and I loved him. We were planning on getting married. Yes, we are both Mormons and don't believe in sex before marriage. I was ADAMANT that I wouldn't have sex before marriage because it's part of my belief system... but the fact that we did it before marriage ruined everything. He didn't respect me and I didn't respect him after we did it. It killed the relationship. IF we had waited until after marriage, things would have been different. And IF we had chosen to break up, without doing the dirty deed, I'd not be feeling nearly as much heartache and longing for him as I do now. In my opinion, waiting til marriage just makes it a much more special event.

LOL. Thanks hun. I love stalkers, as long as they're not ex-cons or peeping-tom's. But I sense that you are neither, so thanks for feuling my need for voyeurism on the Internet. I kid, I kid. Thanks so much!!!

Wait, I don't understand. Is it anorexia or bulemia? And why don't they simply remove all the liquid? Sorry you have to lose your band either way!

Arms! Yeah, my arms are ghetto, but not ghetto fabulous, just ghetto. I guess they're not TERRIBLE, but they're kinda saggy. I don't hardly ever wear short-sleeved shirts any more. The shortest-sleeved shirt you'll see is like the one in the pic on the previous page. If I DO wear short-sleeved, I've usually got some kind of shrug or jacket to cover up at least my upper-arms. But I can see them shrinking back, so I'm not going to have my arms done.

LOL. No, I knew that. I just brought it back to Jeff Foxworthy status. I'm not THAT young (wink wink)

Don't you mean "where's your sign?"