NanaRenan

Nope! It doesna count until the photos are IN and the journaling is done! But it's a nice place to start from! Munchkin, I'm only 3 months out so all I've done is take a few photos -- but I have a box that has all my hospital bracelets (and forms -- I had three different sets!) and I have an outline of different photos I need to take. I expect it to be one of my MOST shared albums! How about you?

**sigh** Reminds me of my early days online -- back in '96 or was that '95? I forget -- some really clever chat rooms I was a party to....where the wit and banter were par excellance and loser and creeps were shown the door. (and Nana grows nostalgic:rolleyes:) Any chance of a repeat performance?? (can ya'll tell I'm avoiding work??)

OMG -- I really wish I had one of those Body Bugg things -- it could tell me, right?, how many calories I just burned -- ROFLMAO at ya'll. -- Including my dash for the bathroom because I was also about to ROFLMAO&PIMP!!! I'm just REALLY sorry I missed the live action last night! :pop2: WASA, do you still have my digits? Gimme a holla if there's a repeat performance! I'll come prepared!!! :popcorn:

Anyone else a sufferer? Is there a cure?? My daughter's nail tech asked me months ago to make her two formals for December weddings. I said "Yes.", thinking she would bring me a pattern and fabric. Instead I get a photo out of a magazine of a designer dress! I've put it off til the last minute and am avoiding working on the first one like crazy -- (Anyone notice how much I've been posting the last couple of days?) -- haven't even THOUGHT about the second one. Now I'm considering doing something I've never done in over 25 years of sewing -- I'm going to add in an UPCHARGE for having to come up with a pattern and track down the fabric myself! Is that reasonable? I mean any other 'custom' job you do, there are premiums you pay for. I only quoted her a BASE PRICE anyhow. My husband says I'm just bitter because I realize she charges more for two mani-pedi's that take her a couple of hours than I quoted her for a dress I've spent weeks avoiding, days researching and hours just getting set up! Will someone KICK me next time I take on a custon job? I've quit it more times than I can count!!!!!

Looks like the eBay one didn't work -- maybe this will. eBay Store - Nana Renan's: Category 1

Don't worry, I didn't feel attacked, because I knew ya'll are only hearing part of the overall story. I've been given $hort $hrift often enough as a consumer that I would never take advantage of someone. It's a personal thing -- my husband has hated my sewing for years, because he felt like I never charged enough for what it was worth. I'm sure there are all sorts of self-esteem issues in there. And you're right -- I did forget to discuss a website! I have my domain name, but haven't yet built the website. I will probably sell on eBay for a while until I get some inventory built up. I was just starting to work on it when my daughter and her family decided to relocate here after the new baby so I've been busy keeping him for the last 18 months. I already have an eBay store -- Nana-Renan's eBay Store -- right now all I have in it is greeting cards that I make. I'm going to sell some fat clothes through there and start making things new items to market through there, but I'll be sure to let ya'll know when I add any new stuff to it. I also have some "old" cards posted in my pics on Nana Renan's MySpace and soon I'll be putting up photos of some of the sewing I've done, too, including the dress that started this thread! (I hope those links work!)

I guess I handled it okay. (I tho't I was REALLY upset.) But when I finally quit crying long enough and called the surgeon's office after the SECOND date to see when we would reschedule and to insist that I never lay eyes on that Anest. again, they seemed genuinely shocked to hear from me. She said the Doctor had told them about it and had guessed I would blow the whole thing off. I was like, "Oh Hell No! I didn't get this close to quit NOW!" LOL

Okay, we're close in age and our past and present numbers are real similar, but I'm guessing by your goal weight you must be taller than me. Funny -- when I look at your numbers I think "You're doing great!" but I'm so hard on MYSELF!!! Isn't it just DUMB how we talk down to our OWNselves?

I'll go there. My weight GAIN was mostly physiological -- four pregnancies in 8.5 years and eating completely wrong for someone predisposed to diabetes explains that, but there are some psychological components. Primarily, it boils down to one thing -- caring for a family of six on one income, luxuries were few and far between. food -- usually simple but delicious -- was a reward I didn't guilty letting myself have. I justified it that I was keeping it from going to waste. And subconsciously pleasing my mom, by living up to her expectations of a clean plate!! STAYING fat was a different story. I know that at least SOME of the reason I got so comfortable in the fat world was that it insulated me from unwanted attention. Last time I had a school girl figure, I was, well.................a school girl!! And I was one of those girls that developed early and looked 18 when I was 12. I got a lot of attention from that -- mostly negative, as you can imagine. I had to fight very hard and stand very firm to not live up to the reputation that I inadvertantly got from that. (Evidently, if you're cute and boys like you, well, you're a 'slut' whether you do anything or not!) Looking back on some of the situations I ignorantly got myself into, it's frankly amazing that I was never a victim of date rape!! But somehow I managed to stay a virgin until I married -- LOL -- not that I'd win any endurance records for that ..... I married 12 days before I turned 17 and got pregnant 9 months later. The 21.5 inch waist was gone forever and with it went the unwanted looks and flirtations of other men, so I actually LIKED that. See, my husband lived 500 miles away and was unaware of those rumors. I guess -- in my immaturity -- I tho't if he saw me dealing with glances and passes from guys, he would think I was causing it somehow and it would cause problems. LOL It seems silly to say that, after 28.5 years of marriage, there's probably not a less jealous man on the planet!!! But in my mind it was a huge deal back then. In 1988 I dieted down to a size 10 after several years of being an 18/20. It absolutely freaked me out the first time someone whistled at me.....I looked around to see who they were flirting with!! But I didn't have to worry about it long, because within a few months I was pregnant again and once again 'safely' invisible.

oh my goodness....I hadn't seen this thread until now. Thanks for the laughs, ladies!!! Here's one for the Sad But True category -- I can't call it a NSV, how about a NSA(Non-scales Actuality)?? One way I can tell that I'm losing is my considerable APRON is getting longer and thinner. It's hard to get excited about weight loss when it comes with such uncomely results.

Wow! This thread makes me really happy I stay-at-home! Laura -- that sux SO bad. I can't believe people do stuff like that!

WASA, this is one we'll have to agree to disagree on. In 2002, I did Weight Watchers for several months and lost 49 lbs. Got a little cocky, feeling good, all new clothes and half the meds.....let my mometum slip and spent the next 5 years battling to keep from putting it all back on....I lost, of course, and that's why I'm now banded, BUT....I digress. I have my card where I weighed in as well as my journals where I recorded everything I ate. My Points range was about 31 points per day. If you look at the weeks were I was really working it and eating 25 pts or less 4 or more days....my weight loss would be .5 to 1.0 lb. But, if you look at weeks where I ate 33-35 pts per day 4 or more days, I would lose 1.5 to 2 lbs. This was consistent across the span. Now I don't have your medical training, but I have had my diabetes explained to me enough to understand that this has to do with being resistant to insulin and is not some inexplicable phenomenon or just a myth. It DOES happen. I've been on here pouting for WEEKS because I was stuck. I'd lose two lbs and sit there for three weeks before I'd lose another pound or two and sit at the new number a month. SO - I increased my carb intake and I've lost two lbs each of the last two weeks. I'm sure that the logic of what you are saying would kick in....if I consistently held myself to 1000 calories for many months, of course, I would eventually lose. BUT, my body will fight it by killing all of my appetite and switching off my metabolism. So, if you're only taking in 1000 and your metabolism 'thermostat' gets dialed back to 800 calories burned per day. Then you're still STORING 200 calories a day, right?

Okay..I didn't make THAT goal by Halloween, but I DID reach it by Thanksgiving Day! And we're going to East Texas to see some friends and relatives instead of San Antonio -- just trying to figure out if we can squeeze it in before Christmas or wait until after. My next goal is 250 by Valentine's Day. It'll be a stretch, but I'm determined!

ooooh! What she said!!! girl, that's GOOD, I'm gonna be borrowin' that! losingjusme, don't be too hard on yourself. food was your (OUR!) comfort for SO many years. No reason to think it wouldn't be the first place we still turn. I'm gonna pray for you. I know what its like to go through bad stuff -- ESPECIALLY when DH is away, isn't that always when the feces hits the fan? candy -- Girl, I feel ya! I had my surgery rescheduled TWICE, too. First time I was prepped and about to go into OR, second time I was in OR and OUT, I can't begin to tell you how I felt when they woke me up and sent me home withOUT a band!!! It'll happen, just be patient.

I know, I didn't either, and when my approval came, it happened so fast I hadn't been fitted for one yet and would only have had it about 3 nights before my surgery. As those who were around in August know, the anesthesiologist stop me outside the OR the first date, put me out and then stopped the surgery the second date and finally, after kicking him off the team and getting a new anesthesiologist we did surgery on the third try. BUT -- I said all of that to say, one of the reasons he didn't want to do my surgery is because my test showed I did have apnea, yet I hadn't been sleeping with a CPAP. And ultimately -- forget the surgeon, forget the insurance -- the man with the POWER is that flippin' anesthesiologist!!! Ennywayze....I would LOVE to have a copy of your CD. What do I need to do to get one??

Ashley, I think you're doing pretty good. I was banded a week after you and have only lost a smidge more, and I started out nearly 100 lbs more than you! How are you doing clothes-wise...? Things looser, having to buy smaller? Remember, when the scales are stalling, the inches are falling. :whoo:

And don't you find some things you previously thought were just delicious really DON'T taste that good when you savor them slowly...? I bought a "favorite" pie for Thanksgiving, hoping everyone else would gobble it up and I wouldn't be tempted for days. I ate one small slice and found it, it really ISN'T that good.:heh:

Okay....I got the pricing for the personal trainer sessions at the gym yesterday. Lets just say I'm gonna have to save that for when I hit a plateau I CAN'T bust out of on my own. I think (HOPE!) I got enough core info from him during the two free sessions I had to get me started -- and I'll just keep increasing the duration and weights. Then, when I need to vary it some more, maybe I can pay for another month here or there.

It looks like BRAS are going to be the first thing I'm going to have to buy! I started about a year ago replacing all of my older ones AND going UP a size, so it's a shame, but the newest ones are going to be the first to go. I wear front closers so there's no way to tighten them (yes, I know I have a sewing machine, but I'm not gonna go there!) and there's enough play in them now (guess I'm losing back fat! YAY!) that sometimes when I take off my top, half or more of the hooks are undone! So, if my 46s are too big, I wonder if I should by a 44 or just squeeze into a 42 for now...?

I'm sorry, but that make me snicker...cause that kind of stuff happens on a regular basis, at least to me and my husband it does. An example -- we do a guest reception at our church every Sunday morning. I went in to the dry cleaners week after week with four identical tablecloths and it was $26 + change. The seasons changed so I got four NEW tablecloths and the first time they were cleaned it was over $40! My husband picked it up and paid, but I went back in to find out why. One of the cloths was a few inches longer. BUT TWO OTHERS WERE SHORTER!!!!! I pointed out. The guy turned his screen around to show me his price listing. (I'd bought them on a clearance rack and sizes didn't make much difference to what we use them for.) I didn't argue with the man, I just pointed out that in addition to the $100+ a month I was spending on the cloths, we spent nearly that much on our personal clothing in his establishment as well. It seemed to not make any difference in his mind. So, I could cut off and hem the one offending cloth so I can keep paying the $26. OR, I can just wash and Iron them at home. And look for a different dry cleaners for my clothing. What do you think I did?? And back to the dress in question. We did not agree on a price at the beginning. When I asked, I quoted $75 MINIMUM, to 'sew' a formal, depending on how elaborate it was, it could be more. She wanted me to copy/design-from-scratch a dress AND sew it. And she's free to walk away from the deal. I bought the material, so techincally the dress is ALL mine. The only thing I have from her is the magazine ad and her measurements. She's lost nothing -- except the extra time to search for a replacement. PLUS -- she's my daughter's nail tech, so its highly likely we'll barter it out in services anyhow. So she won't be HURT by a $25 increase. Besides, I used frequent customer coupons she wouldn't have access to and saved her more than $25 on the cost of the fabric.

I agree -- I think I used it also, and know that there are exceptions. ALWAYS. I worked a job once, that was very near customer service, in that the only time I saw people was when they had a problem. If I could fix it, I was their new best friend. If I couldn't fix it, they didn't know what I was being paid for. More than once I cracked off, "If you knew WHAT they were paying me, you'd know why I'm not able to help you!" (Someone with more training and skill would cost three times what I did!) My son, daughter and both their spouses worked at Whole Foods supermarkets. They weren't always happy with how they were treated as employees...but they DO respect the level of Customer Service that that company stressed and my DD, especially, gets HIGHLY upset when she's dealt with poorly as a customer. But employers are a large part of the problem.....they don't treat their employees well enough to make them WANT to stay and progress in their skills and experience. Where's the motivation to do an excellent job if you know full well you could get replaced tomorrow by someone willing to accept minimum wage.

Hi there and welcome to LBT!! Did I have days I feared not losing weight??:cry Only every day that I wake up! Seriously! You just will have to be patient. I've stalled out several times in 3 months because I want to speed things up by eating less and less. But it's counter-productive. Just choose healthy things and then eat what your band will permit you to. The weight WILL come off. Watch for those changes in how your clothes fit. Listen for remarks from friends and family. And expect to still seriously doubt anything is happening. But it is. Oh, and get plenty of Water and exercise -- those two things seem to make the most difference to my progress. As to weighing -- that's a personal choice. I can completely see the wisdom in weighing infrequently or not-at-all if you're easily discouraged. OTOH, I always say, "If there's GOOD news, I want to know it ASAP!" I weigh every morning between the first trip to the bathroom and the first trip to the fridge. Sure -- there are plenty of days I'm frustrated. BUT, I can then channel that frustration. It makes the difference between putting on my shoes to go walk right THEN or postponing it and possibly not getting it in at all that day. Likewise, if I've seen PROGRESS :whoo: on the scales that morning, it's easier to make the healthiest possible choices all day long. Hope that made sense.

I dearly LOVE fish, but get stuck on it more often than almost anything else. I have to take SUPER small bites (think like the size of a pencil eraser!) and lengthy pauses between bites. Take your time! (preaching to myself as well!!!)

Beka, I had more than one freak-out reading about the unhappy people. Then I realized that I have to accept the reality of forum posting. Undoubtedly, a fairly large percentage of the "Happy/No complications" people are not coming back to LBT to post because.... THEY ARE OUT HAVING A LIFE AND LOVING THEIR BAND! Meanwhile, you can also assume that a large percentage of the "this-sucks" people ARE coming back to share their warnings with others. So whether you're reading the postings or taking a poll, you'll have to take the results with a grain of salt and weigh them against reality. btw -- 3.5 months and I love it. (I may not always LIKE it, as I'm still learning the ins and outs, but I DO love having it.)

My apologies for being remiss in my job -- I haven't started a thread in a while.....but here's one to get us busy 'getting to know each other' again! Cut and paste and change your answers: WHAT ARE YOU MOST THANKFUL FOR? Hands down, I am thankful to the Lord for the life He has given me on this earth and the eternal life He has promised me. I'm also thankful for a wonderful husband, four awesome kids that I adore, their partners/spouses and two phenomenal grandchildren. DO YOU STAY AT your HOME OR DO YOU GO TO VISIT FAMILY? We're homebodies, whenever possible. My daughter and her family are in Michigan visiting, but everyone else will be here tomorrow. Growing up I spent more than half of my holidays AWAY from home, and though I had fun and they were great memories, I just like it better when we can stay home. WHAT ONE THING ARE YOU GOING TO ENJOY TOMORROW (AND THE CALORIES BE DAMNED!) One small slice of Caramel Apple Pie from Sam's Club WHAT ONE food ARE YOU GOING TO WISELY SKIP, BUT MISS INTENSELY? Pecan Pie, I'm not even gonna make one, so I don't have to deal with the temptation! DO YOU HAVE A SET MENU? We're keeping it fairly simple and old school... Ham Turkey Mashed Potatoes with Gravy Cornbread Dressing Whole Kernal Corn Green Beans Sweet Potatoes Brown N Serve Rolls Assorted Desserts including the aforementioned Caramel Apple Pie WHAT TIME OF DAY DO YOU "do" THANKSGIVING dinner? 1 pm -- but the grazing continues all afternoon during commercial breaks in the football games! DO YOU DRESS THE TABLE AND EAT "FORMAL STYLE" (Would Martha be proud?) OR GO AT IT BUFFET OR BOARDING-HOUSE STYLE (Would Roseanne feel at home?)? We're VERY informal around here -- all the extra prep and clean up is pretty, but its less time to just have fun and hang out. WHAT EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES (non-eating!) DO YA'LL DO? The guys watch football. The gals chat, plan shopping excursions, play cards or dominos and there's always a jigsaw puzzle to piddle with. Last year we busted out of the routine and went to see Marie Antoinette at the movies.