DonnaMarie

YAY chris! Good for you! What a great feeling to start feeling comfy in your skin.. it will just get better and better for you. Congrats on the grades!! I am heading back to school myself. I was accepted to the local community college. I am going to major in Early Childhood Education and specialize in remedial reading. That is what I want to do. I have found that since I had the surgery, bought my house on my own etc, I have the confidence to really go for my dreams. Becoming a teacher in my 30s isn't what most do but I am determined and have a VERY supportive fiance.. I also plan (once we are married in may) to start our family. Granted I won't be at goal, but I will be much more healthier than I was a year ago! I just hope I can juggle being a student, working full time and probably being pregnant.. LOL Alot of women do it and so can I! I am pretty much back to myself.. no more coughing really. I am heading back to the gym probably this weekend. Sunday I am thinking. Tomorrow I head to the surgeon's.. going to see if he is pleased with the loss. ( I am sure he will be!) and then see if I get anymore fills.. not sure if I need one at this point. I do have to say, I was bad tonight. I had some ice cream. Now, I am typically not a sweets person but "Aunt Flo" is here (sorry chris lol) and I was CRAVING it. So I had a small dish and now I am satisfied and probably won't have it for a long time. I had to just get it over with. We normally don't even keep it in the house. I am sure my fiance will polish off the rest this weekend! Thank Goodness! Hugz to all! DonnaMarie

Lot's of good advice here darlin.. I dont have too too much to add.. One thing I will say is this.. you dont NEED a man to have a great life.. and a man doesnt NEED a woman to have a great life.. when I started realizing this, I became truely happy and finally found my true love! My fiance and I (yes getting married in May in Vegas!) are very happy and truely supportive of each other and enhance each other's lives.. Why would you want to be with someone who doesn't support you, calls you names the first chance he gets angry, and would throw you under a bus just to make himself look better or for revenge? I say, when you are feeling better, spruce yourself up, and go out in your "red high heels"!! Enjoy being an independent woman.. someone who made the decision to change the rest of her life and don't take any crap from anyone!! Hang in there! ~Donnamarie~

Geez Louise.. :paranoid Can a moderator end this thread?

Uhhh you guys need to take this crap off the board.. honestly, this board isnt for you 2 attacking each other. If I wanted drama, I would watch soap operas..

Wow, Ready, I hope you have a BLAST on vacation! Get some sun for me. We had a late season snow storm this past weekend in Connecticut but the rest of the week it is supposed to warm up and melt the snow. I am feeling much better.. bronchitis is finally making its way out. I am giving myself this week off from the gym so I can fully heal my lungs and get my energy back. I go to see my surgeon on Friday. I am kinda excited cuz I get to report a close to 16 pound weightloss in a month! Woo Hoo! I am pretty thrilled. I don't know if he will give me a fill but I am thinking not. Things are going good. I know I am restricted.. for sure! I have found 2 things that give me a hard time lately (eating wise).. I cannot eat apples (with skin) and oranges.. I do eat the occasional grapefruit but only the insides and leave the pith and stuff alone. Just the juicy stuff. Oranges are harder to do that. That is my update for now.. Tomorrow is HUMP DAY! WOOT! I am glad cuz I have the weekend off finally and will be spending some quality time with my fiance... :kiss2: :love: :mad: ok.. done with the icons.. but I love the banana with boobs! *grins* Love to all.. DonnaMarie

Hello everyone! Slowing but surely dropping.. Lost 3 more pounds this week!! Woo Hoo! I see the Doc on friday and I am excited actually so he can se my progress.. I am not 100 percent with my eating but I am doing well and eating WAY less as you know. I am feeling so much better.. thank GOD.. I am going back to the gym in the morning.. very excited about that since I have missed it. Never thought I would say that! Went to a very nice bridal shower today and had a good time. My cousin is getting married. I met her fiance for the first time and he is really nice. I can't make the wedding cuz I am getting married 2 days later in Vegas! LOL She completely understood and is thrilled for me. Just like I knew she would. Hope everyone is well.. and beachgirl.. you better stay here!! Let those haters be haters.. lesson learned though.. never talk religion or politics.. LOL HUGE HUGZ TO EVERYONE!! My sisters and brother! *grin* Donnamarie

My Doc said that it will fill you up and cause discomfort.. the nutritionist said that too.. (the whole balloon thing).. They said it won't stretch the pouch (cuz it flows thru) and wont erode the band but your tummy would fill up with gas and make you uncomfy.. I do have diet soda from time to time.. but not all the time.. I love crystal light!

Way to go Arcael!! I think you are doing fantastic.. I wish it would come off that quick for me but at least it is coming off for me.. I am FINALLY doing better with my bronchitis.. I got some Robitussin with Codeine and am feeling so much better. I slept for the first time last night 10 hours straight! Yay!! Back to work tomorrow. I am still kinda coughing but I will bring my cough drops and some kleenex and work my way thru it.. Hope everyone has a great day! ~Donnamarie~

Sorry you are feeling poorly Baylor Mom.. I hope you are feeling better very soon.. I am STILL getting over brochitis.. has been about 10 days now since the first symptoms.. I went for a recheck today and was given a script for some cough medicine to knock me out at night and also for an inhaler.. I have a wicked wheeze going on.. I am not getting on the scale this week cuz I am majorly PMSing.. sheesh.. I ate some chips today.. bad I know but I had to have the crunchy, salty goodness.. UGH.. back on the wagon!!! ~Donnamarie~

Prayers sent your way Donna.. You can BEAT this demon.. Lord knows we are all pulling for you.. God Bless! ~From one Donna to another!~ Hugz!

I understand your feelings. i was the same way.. for Breakfast I usually have scrambled eggs.. I tend to do 1 yolk and 2 whites.. I also like the weight control oatmeal.. has alot of Protein and Fiber in it.. goes down pretty good for me (made by quaker I believe) Lunches I usually have chicken vegetable Soup, chicken salad no celery, tuna salad, ham-cheese-lettuce rollups.. Once you are passed the mushy stage.. you will have better choices.. just eat slow and chew chew chew.. no drinking!! (that is toughest for me!) HTH, Donnamarie

This is a really great thread. I can honestly say that I was blessed with great parents who really helped me with my self esteem.. they never teased or ridiculed me.. they always told me i was smart and pretty.. I appreciate them now more than ever after reading some of the posts! One incident that always hovered over me happened in high school. I have always been big but had alot of friends and never really had any issues. I was also athletic and played softball for my school. So most of the time, I didn't deal with anything.. at least not to my face. The incident happened in Algebra class.. this class clown/trouble maker named Jack put a "WIDE LOAD" sign on my back.. I left class and walked down at least 3 hallways before a teacher took it off my back while everyone was laughing. I tell you, the look of PITY in the teachers face was worse than the laughing. Fast forward, 15 years later, Jack messages me online thru messenger out of the blue.. saying he recognizes me from high school. I didn't recognize him.. then he told me his name.. I immediate remember the incident. I even told him about it. He totally didnt remember and said he was a jackass back then and he apologized! OMG.. never thought that would ever happen.. He went on to tell me he dropped out of school cuz he was a loser but then got his GED and college degree and now is successful in computers.. needless to say, that chapter closed in my life and I am blessed that I was able to talk with him and get the apology. ~Donnamarie~

Happy Monday.. yeah right.. :rolleyes I am feeling better but not 100 percent.. I have a follow up appointment with my primary care physician to get rechecked and hopefully get some symptom relief.. I have wednesday off as a scheduled day so will probably just return on thursday. I haven't been this sick in a very long time. I spoke with a co worker this morning and she said that everyone at work has it. lucky us! I actually miss the gym.. hard to work out when you cannot catch your breath. Dammit! lol I am still shrinking and that is all that matters but I would like to get back to it ASAP. Everyone is doing so well, I am a slow starter but I am starting and I am very excited about it! Hope everyone enjoys their day. Steph, great job eating! I totally understand the drinking issue.. I don't drink enough either and I have to especially with this illness!! Hang in there! Hugz, Donnamarie :eek:

Welcome back Steph and Beth! I missed you guys!.. Beth.. what a hunk of a hubby..! and I LOVE the hair and your daughter is beautiful. Steph! Way to go! You are so beautiful!! I wish I have lost 97 lbs. But 63 lbs. since my highest isnt shabby.. I have only lost 36 since surgery but feeling great and it is flying off now. Especially with the gym visits. I have been fighting bronchitis all week.. havent eaten much at all.. drinking alot and eating Soup.. just eating what I can.. I have missed 3 days of work last week and don't know if I am going in monday or not.. gotta see. I am on antibiotics and still very weak.. and the damn cough.. UGH :sick Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! Hugz, Donnamarie :girl_hug:

Well I bought a scale.. and I lost 13 lbs since February 23rd!!! WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!! Finally seeing that scale move.. yeah baby! ~Donnamarie~ :myscared:

:whoo: :whoo: :whoo: YAY! Hippmom!! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: I am gonna go get that scale today to see how much I have lost. YAY!! ~Donnamarie~

Good for you! Pistachios are way better than chips or something worse! The whole working out thing is killing me.. I don't know what it is but I feel very lazy. I am thinking I may have had a bug or something cuz thursday night I couldn't eat anything without Pbing and then poof it was gone yesterday. Today I didnt make it to the gym either but I was feeling a little icky and stayed home from work. I am feeling better now and tomorrow I am off so I am going to go to the gym for sure! I know I have been saying this but between feeling icky and the cruddy weather, I haven't been too good. I am not going to beat myself up. I am going to get back on the horse and do better this coming week. I cannot wait to be out of the 200s! Thank goodness I am tall (almost five nine) so I carry my weight well. But weight is weight and I cannot wait to be long and lean! Hope everyone has a good saturday and nice evening.. I will check in tomorrow! Regards, ~Donnamarie~

:rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :notagree :notagree :notagree :notagree ummm enough?

I am sooo bad.. I didn't make it to the gym. We are getting the remnants of that huge storm that hit the south yesterday and the rain is coming down in buckets. I know.. probably a bad excuse but I had a hard enough time getting my greyhound to go outside and pee! I did do some hand weight work and did something.. I like to go to the gym.. I really do.. dont know why I am such a slacker this week. Maybe cuz "Aunt flo" came and went.. Just gotta get back on that horse. I had a very difficult time eating yesterday. At night anyway, I had scrambled eggs for breakfast ok and for lunch a tiny bit of wheat pasta, spinach,mushrooms,and ground turkey breast.. (I sautee it in olive oil and spices and toss with the wheat pasta)..dinner.. forget it.. kept getting stuck.. i tried different things but ended up PBing it all...grrrrr This morning I stuck to mushy low sugar cereal (chex).. I was able to eat it ok.. *sigh* I will get used to this thing I am sure. I am having my fiance buy me a scale so I can keep track better of the weight loss.. I only see the surgeon once a month and would really like to weigh myself once a week.. Hope everyone has a great day. I am going to take out the ark and get to work.. hee hee:guess ~Donnamarie~

WHEW! Glad you didn't need CPR.. lol I am picturing you sleep swimming.. hee hee I love going to the gym. this week has been killer on me though.. but i will go back tomorrow darn it! ~Donna~

YIKES! I don't know what diets you guys were told about.. I am not "allowed" pasta, bread, pizza, crackers, chips, cookies etc etc etc.. I was told that the band is only a tool and if I continued to eat those things, it just wont work right.. If you find something that easily breaks down in water, you are not supposed to eat it. I know, easier said that done.. but my doc said to me, "I can fix your stomach, but I can't fix your head".. It is work.. for sure.. and the band wont cure eating habits.. only you can do that. I understand though.. I am finally restricted to where I should be and am having a hell of a time with proteins. I chew the heck out of it and it sometimes still gets stuck. Even though I have my band and am very happy to have it, I know that what it takes to lose weight is within me.. no band is going to magically make it go away.. restriction is good.. but if you eat stuff that flies right thru, you are not restricted for long and hungry again. Ok.. done now.. LOL ~Donnamarie~

:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :D Way to go! Good for you! You are on your way to a new you! Congrats! ~Donnamarie~

Ugh it is killing me! I have been banded for 8 months but just finally had restriction so I feel like a newbie all over again. I feel like I am irritated so I had some Carnation Instant Breakfast and will do mushies tomorrow.. It seems like in the evenings it is the worst. But that is good cuz Lord knows I was a slave to the nighttime munchies. Mornings I am able to eat scrambled eggs and what not.. Sheesh.. sorry to whine so much guys but I feel like I am just starting! :violin: there.. I played my violin. ~Donnamarie~

There there Paulax.. I feel your pain.. lol No personal trainer here..(good for you!) there is the hug and holding.. I was supposed to go to the gym today but for some reason, could not get up! I was so tired this morning.. UGH.. but DEFINATELY tomorrow morning before work. I will post on here to prove it. LOL (Heck you might think I am lying.. but I hope not!) I am still very restricted and having a hard time getting protein down. I think I have to work on my chewing.. I had some lowfat turkey chili w/red beans for dinner and BAM came right back up.. sorry if TMI.. Hope everyone is doing well! Regards, ~Donnamarie~

Best of luck to you ladies today!!! (errr I think it is today..lol) thinking of you both and celebrating with you for a new you!! Congrats!! Regards, ~Donnamarie~