Apples2

That was one thing that I was soooooooo paranoid about. I would keep my coat on at times just to cover the back rolls. Wishing you all the success you deserve. Just imagine how good you will feel and how much more confidence you will have a year from now. Follow all of your doc's rules. Make good/healthy food choices. Get out and move and you will see results!

Ditto what CW said. For some, the hair loss just happens. Be patient, don't panic, it will all come to an end. I notice also that my hair came back looking better. I do think that the mega-dose of Bioton I have taken since b/4 LB surgery has done wonders for my nails and hair. Never hurts to try it. I am 54 and have been at goal for a year. I remember looking in the mirror and almost jumping back....I felt that my face looked distorted. Well, happy to tell you I grew back into most of it. I used a good moisturizer daily on face and neck. The chicken neck is almost all gone and the face has really tightened up. Give it some time. Also, we have to realize we have been heavy for quite some time and we are not going to have the same face after weight loss. Good luck!

That would be my guess also, Samantha. Think you got it! Hey Diva...this should be fun. Thanks for the entertainment.

Janet...I got the dye job and highlights and cut on Monday. Always makes me feel ten years younger. I cannot dye mine myself. I have white hair underneath it all and it is very course. It turns out splotchy if I do it. When I was young, I had almost black hair. I have lightened it up in the last ten years or so to soft brown with just a bit lighter highlights. My hair grows extremely fast (a little over an inch in a month) so it gets a little spendy. But, got rid of the skunk stripe. :redface:

The roosters crowed at 4am again this morning. Oops...don't have roosters...it was DH. We are in that time of year where you grab sleep when you can get it. This last week has been the 4am. Cutting in fertilizer and have to work when the ground is frozen or else it gets mucky. The other half of the crew is tiling so don't even bother with a meal on the table. Packed lunches last night and this morning threw it all in the cooler. Made a HUGE roaster of scalloped potatoes with ham and corn last night and only had one person that ate. They all spread their separate ways after work. That doesn't happen very often as they are hungry but each had something going on. A little warning? Nope. Potatoes do not freeze very well so will be adding a little milk and they will get it tonight. Still have not gotten into the fields to harvest the corn. DH is thinking Monday to start. That's going to bring us until late December b/4 we get done. Guess that's the thing that drives me nuts about farming. No for certains. Every aspect of it is dependent on the weather. I notice lately that I feel like I am at the end of my rope with it all. (And no one to take it out on cuz they are gone all day. LOL) I am sure I am feeling this way due to all the stresses lately. And, now that the major packing and stacking is done in mom's apt, I am here along with only the dog to talk to. (No, not time for the Funny Farm....me and the talk both talk to each other all day long). I was home yesterday by myself from 4am till I picked DH up in the field at 8pm. I cried most of the day. I would look down and my shirt would be wet. Guess a person just has to work through the feelings. Never good to delay the grief. Today I will make a point of getting to town. Have another truck load that is all packed up and sitting on my truck and ready to go to Sal Army. Then to the local Town and Country to get my boy some dog food. Maybe stop for some milk. I know, I know....waaaaaaaaaaaaay too exciting of a day. Back home and hit the books and maybe for some real excitement I'll walk to the mailbox. (Yep, I've got some pouting going on...in a funk). Julie....Like Cheri, I also wonder about if the PT you are getting is causing more harm than good. I wish you could see someone that could put their finger on what is really going on with that shoulder. Better get the bills paid b/4 the mailman does his drive-by. The stack is not going to take care of itself and nothing more dreaded than a messy desk. You all take care and have a good day. Think I will grab the dog and take a walk around the farm to see if a little nature will renew my spirits.

Phyll...fire up that RV right after Eva heads back and head to South Dakota! It would get you there just about at the right time. :redface: More shopping? Sounds like fun. We have a great Outlet Mall about 3 hours from here. Hardly ever hit it in the winter due to the bitterly cold weather. But, in the summer, I could spend all day just wandering in and out of stores. There's a little bit of everything. DH and I love the Kitchen Aid and Bose....usually hit those first. You girls have a wonderful time. Janet have any tiling jobs lined up for Eva?????

Laura...sounds like the docs are really pushing to be more safe than sorry. Will be thinking of you and saying some extra prayers for you, your dad and your family. Take care of yourself. Take some time just to get away by yourself for walk while you are down there. Everyone needs their own "thinking time". I hope you do feel some relief that the treatments will start. Get your protien, take your vitamins, try to get adequate sleep..just take care.

Kartman...let me start by thanking you for your serivice to our country. I voted "no" and my opinion is strictly based on the fact that I had a HUGE fear of the draft when my son was in Iraq a couple of years back and still have the fear as I have another son who could go over at any given time. I would just as soon my sons do their missions with others that signed up for the job.

We can just visit on this thread if you would like. There may be others that would join in to give or get advice. To PM, just click on the person's name and a list will pop up. Click on "send personal message" and type your message in the box provided. There's no question that you should worry about asking. We've all been there. I received so much help from others when I first started out and enjoy paying back. What are some of the things your are wondering about? Fire away!:redface:

We'll just think positivly for the good roads....I would feel right at home in that field 25 miles north of Watertown! I knew DH was coming and still claim the tab for lunch. :redface:

Julie...so good to here you more upbeat. We all have a low days. Hopefully your new pain meds will help. Sleep deprivation could turn anyone's world upside down. Did not realize you are so far from Watertown. That would be a mega-drive just for lunch! Great...BTW...lunch is on me. Just figured milage and you will travel 50 miles more than me round trip. That will make it fair. Hard to believe I am meeting my first LBT person and it's you! So excited that if I ate chicken right now I might just have my second pb of all time.

I am looking forward to meeting you that Sat. There are a lot of different restaurants around 5th Str SE and 9th Str SE. Also, there is a food court at the mall and a bar and grill where we could get a salad or a burger right in the mall. There are quite a few stores if you choose to shop. BDalton Books, Maurices, Christopher and Banks, Payless, Vanity, Herbergers, JC Pennys AND Fashions Plus which we would just snub our noses at cuz their clothes WOULD BE TOO BIG FOR US! The only way I wouldn't make it is if there would be ice or snow to drive on that day. I will email you my cell # and we can talk the day b/4. Your daughter sounds like a typical 28 yr old. As I am sure you know....us mothers tended to do for our kids. You can catch them being courteous to everyone but you. Working for everyone but you. When they are "truly" on their own, that's when you start to see how much they really do appreciate you and they know they need to be responsible for themselves. It will come (you are wishing soon rather than later, right?). I guess I would just set up the rules and tell her what you expect as far as what choes are hers to do. I am willing to bet if you gave her some of the day to day chores you do, she would come to realize and appreciate what you do for all that live in your home. We used to tease our boys when they were younger. DH would say that when they got their first home and had their children, we were coming to stay and were going to jump on the beds and furniture, leave our stuff all over the place and teach their kids how to say bullsh_t. Wonder if we will ever get that invitation. You will get through this but just don't let her walk on you. You deserve respect and at 28 she should be a helping hand to you not causing more work for her momma.

Welcome, Reece. Fire away with any questions that you might have. There's always someone with the experience and an answer to your questions. What part of Australia are you from? We have many friends from there spread out all over your great country. Sydney, Canberra, Melborne, Adalaide (sp?), The Entrance, Gold Coast, etc. Never met an Aussie I didn't like! There is an Aussie thread here. Just go to the home page and arrow down till you find the group. (Not that you are not welcome in any area of LBT). Being 15 months out, I can tell you that lapband was a very good decision for me. No regrets. Wishing you luck!

I think you were most likely somewhat mature at 28, as was I. I also had young ones with a ton of debt and knew we had to keep our noses to the grindstone. I also have a 28 yr old. See him most days...hard worker and does the 15 mile drive to work and is on time. But Holy Hell...weekend comes and he is the "social coordinator" with all his friends. He does come out and work on the weekends when he has to and does give up nights out if it is going to be a big day the next. But, kids that age are really into the social scene. It will wane. I can see it happening with my son. I have always wanted my DS's to have a good balance...know how to put in a good day's work but also want to get out and have a social life. MY DH was/is a workaholic and he put us through some tough times with me and the boys doing everything alone (even Christmas at his family one year while he worked). Ended up that I decided to either put my foot down or continue to put it up his butt. He finally did listen and we met half way. (Boy..did I get off subject).

Allie...so sorry you lost your GF.. It's been fun watching you transform. Looking forward to you posting photos of your final results. Stay strong, but have a pity party those first few days. Any of my friends that have had TT, breat lift, etc. have said anything they went through with the pain (some say they really didn't have a lot of pain...just that the drain bags were hard to deal with) was worth it. It should be considered the final step in your transformation. Good for you for taking that step. You will definately be in my prayers. God Bless

LauraK...things really do change for us a lot when we live the LB life (especially at first). So many different things involved...as you talk about your family and all. Don't let your life with the band change your family traditions. Jump in and still make the food you have always made. Don't be afraid of it...be strong and base it on the fact that your family is looking forward to the things you have always made. Great....you were talking in your last post about how you have this fear that you will turn into mothering like your mother does now. I had a friend about 15 yrs ago that used to make that statement all the time. I did not understand it cuz I had pre-teens then. But, she did not turn out to mother her daughters like her own mom did. Her mother was really a toxic force in her own life. Just by acknowledging it, she watched for certain signs...in other words...she broke the mold. You sound like a very loving mother. Having a 28 yrs old living under the roof after being on her own (even though I understand the circumstances of her living there) has got to be very taxing. I am sure there are days were you have to hold your tongue (or maybe not hold your tongue). Hang in there...it's only a few months. Count to ten b/4 you know you're going to BLOW!

LauraK. You are lucky to come out of your fall with only a aching arm. I am always in such a hurry and it the stairs get me in trouble. Maybe I need to apply the same rules to using the stairs as I do to using the LB. Slow down...baby steps...baby steps. Posted the holiday stuff cuz I sure could have used it going into them last year. I LOVE EVERY HOLIDAY and feel like I truly wasted them last year getting stressed. I am one to not brush things under the rug but I need stress to NOT be in my life anymore. Stress is a killer people and relationships. I tend to try and figure out early on what I am going to do to get rid of it. Like my DH says...."When you think about it, what is stress, is it real?" Made me think. Do we make our own stress? Yep, I think we do. That darned DH is always right. There are times it really pisses me off!:w00t:

With all this talk about the holidays coming up, I think we should all post how we FELT last year with going through the holidays during the weight loss stage (for those of us it applies to) and how we handled it and got through it. If we slipped with all the food around, how we got back on track. I truly feel these "real" stories can help someone that is anticipating the holidays with dread or stress because of all the food around and feeling overwhelmed about how they will handle it. I am sure we all have certain tips that could help someone get through the holidays without food overriding the true meaning of the entire season. I will start with my take on how I feel about situations like holidays and social situations....soooooo many people, worries about who is watching what you put on your plate, how much you put in your mouth and the amount of food left on your plate when the meal is done. Who cares? Isn't this LB trip all about you? I have learned to let these feeling go. I can tell you that last year I had myself in a tizzy. Worked up all morning going to DH's celebration on Christmas day. 99% of his family had not clue that I had LB. 99% of them had not seen me since I started the weight loss process. I got myself into such a snit that it ruined my day. I was watching for the "looks"...waiting for the comments. I have just learned to become very mindful of slowing down when I am around ppl when there is a big meal or I am eating in public. I usually never have problems at home but when I would get in a social situation I became a twit. I have really worked on this the past year. Now I look forward to these situations. It's about family and the reason we are celebrating. I look at the lovely display of food as an act of love. Tradition and the variety of "family foods" is something we should enjoy as much as we can on these wonderous occasions. Yes, I get stuck on stuffing but I LOVE DH's family silly red sweet salad that makes it to the table every year. It seems to turn out differently each year because someone different gets chosen to make it with the SAME recipe. I attempt to take a bit of each of my favorites, eat slowly and savor all the great dishes. I have to also pass up the scalloped corn which was always one of my favorites but there are so many "favorites" on the table that it does not bother me to pass certain things up. I think we get to a point where we learn to savour each bite and appreciate what went on behind the scene to get that meal to the table. Before, the plate would be piled and the mindless eating would begin. I always think of Peter Boyle...the guy that played the GF on Everybody Loves Raymond. As soon as the meal was over, he would unbutton and unzip his pants. Well, I am not wearing elastic waist pants (except for my yoga pants) anymore. Only so much you can dress up a pair of black stretch pants. I tried year after year. My advice for all of your holiday social situations is to be very mindful. Know you are going to induldge in some things that you normally would not. Do not beat yourself up for it. Just make sure you watch very carefully the days b/4 or the days after. No, you should not have to totally deprive yourself or put yourself into starvation mode just to accomodate a few meals or appetizers. Enjoy them in moderation....we all need our treats once in awhile. What's so nice is we now have our tool to remind us and help us keep things in order and not out of control. But, it does all come back to us and our choices. Moderation is the key and picking yourself right back up after a few splurges. OK...stepping down from soap box.

Janet...didn't know you were having knee problems. Do they bother you once in awhile? Cheri...those last 20lbs b/4 goal are a bugger. It's almost like your body is preparing you for maintenance. Letting you figure out where you should be when it comes to intake. That was the time when I used Janet's advice and shook up my diet at bit and it kicked me back into losing after a plateau. I think I bumped my cals up a couple of times a week by about 300 cals a day. (can't remember...either 1 or 2 days a week). Off to bed...we have a 4am morning...

Laura K...hope the back thing is nothing too serious. I took a fall down the stairs a couple of weeks ago. I lucked out. Just jammed my wrist but it could have been much worse. I also did some major reorganizing this afternoon and evening. Always feels good to get those things done.

There's a thread I came accross today (it's been around since 02/09) and have read it b/4 but it's quite inspriational. By Coach Cher and titled "Self-Sabatage"...everyone should give it a read.

Flying is a big one for me. I flew a lot right after banding and that's when I dropped most of my weight quickly. I could not imagine what would happen if I had more fill than I do now. I try to plan ahead when I know I am going to be traveling. For me it's "free" 20oz cappacino time!

Welcome Baybek....wishing you luck and a successful lapband journey. I'm 15 months out and would do it all over again. Just a little advice.....follow all your doc's rules, etc. Wrap your head around the fact that this is a lifestyle change and try to make the necessary changes earlly on in making good/healthy food choices. You will still be the one that makes the choices of what goes in your mouth and the band will be there to help with portion control. When it comes to hunger...listen to what your stomach is telling you...not your head. Take care and much success!

Janet...are you sure you are not running a restaurant that weekend? LOL Menu sounds good and what a good mom/GM to make what everyone likes. I'm so lucky with no picky eaters (with the exception of onions and walnuts for my ppl). I love stuffing also but gets stuck. Go figure. So soft you would think it would slide right on through. I have been more stuck the last couple of weeks than I have the entire 15 months I have been banded. Just the stress. I am always careful with chewing, etc. but band has been tight but has started to loosen up again today. Just finished eating a chicken leg and thigh and all is well.

Don't sweat the knee bend, Lori. You seem to be doing really well. I am sure that Phyll will post later and say the same thing. Amazing how far you have come in such a short time. Keep plugging away at it. Funny you talked about the Christmas music. Had my 2.5 hour beautification today and they were playing Christmas music in the salon. There was a discussion (which I did not participate) about how early it was....I'll take it. Christmas is such a happy season and I throughly enjoy it. Bring it on. I have stacks of beautiful Christmas music (favorites being Nat King Cole, Bing, Beyonce...too many favorites to mention). Got my Bose system today and anxious to try out my CD changer. My last Bose only had room for one CD. Feel like I am forever changing them. I can sit at my desk and hit the remote. Had a remote on the other also but not like this one. :tt2: We moved to our home 22 yrs ago this Thursday. I go through the closets at least once a year and donate what has not been used and de-clutter. Makes life simple. Was lucky a couple of years ago to be able to pass a lot of things along to DS when he bought his home. Those college dishes and pots and pans that he had needed replacing...not even a chance Sal Army would take them! Was able to furnish his entire house with furniture from the basement and replaced with new. Kind of a shame cuz we do not use our basement very often and I think the only one that has ever sat on the new furniture down there is the dog when he is in trouble and goes to hide or when I am on the treadmill, he is in the recliner urging me on. He used to try and get on with me but was flung off to many times. Just couldn't keep up with momma. :biggrin: