NanaRenan

Here's a good NSV -- for ME anyhow! I'm not exercising today. BUT -- it's because I'm TOO BUSY and not because I DON'T WANT TO!!! I'm actually MISSING the gym on days I can't go! How wild is THAT!

LOL Loved your thread title, Lisa! I'm SO thrilled, after all the complications I had GETTING surgery in August and then waiting 8 weeks for my first fill, that I got great restriction with it and am doing well with it!

Sweetie, I couldn't stop the tears when I read your post. My oldest daughter is about your age and it scares me to think what our lives might've been if I hadn't had a wonderful husband to help me through the rollercoaster rides of my mental issues and emotional baggage from my own childhood. But your perseverence confirms what I believe, that adversity builds character. God bless you. I hope your BF and brother treasure you and appreciate you as you deserve!

Thanks for the article, Fanny. Grace, I'm not a fan of Water, either. One trick I did learn that helped me was to make it as convenient as possible. A friend mentioned that her sister keeps a bottle of water in the bathroom and drinks 6-8 oz every time she goes to the potty. I tried it and found I drank more during the day.....which made me go more....and then I drank more....which .... you get the picture. I found it much easier and started looking for other places. Instead of having one big jug of water to lug around all day -- cause I am all over the place! -- I buy it in 16 oz bottles and stash them all over the place. I break up a 24 pack like this.... Nightstand Magazine stand next to toilet End table next to TV watching chair On top of Dryer Computer armoire Both studio work tables Several in the cup holders in my car That way I'm never out of arms reach of a bottle and a lot of times when I start thinking about wanting something to eat, I'll grab a bottle and drink several ounces of water. Its really made a difference. Hope this helps someone else, too.

Ah...gotcha! I can't wrap my head around the concept of ONEDERLAND yet EITHER! Haven't been there in 19 years! But that ain't gonna stop me from speeding in that direction!!

As a long time scrapper, I would advise you to get a little experience under your belt before attempting what might be a very special album. I've always told people do NOT start scrapping with your wedding photos or a baby book, because you'll show it to people for the rest of your life and you don't want it to be your greenest work. And trust me, if you scrapbook any amount of time, your skill level will go up and you will be less than thrilled about your first work. That said, [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Scrapbooks-Meaningful-Memory-Weekend/dp/1929180241/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196391758&sr=1-8]Amazon.com: Simple Scrapbooks: 25 Fun and Meaningful Memory Books You Can Make in a Weekend: Books: Stacy Julian,Gayle Humpherys[/ame] is my favorite book for making great 'themed' albums. I use it in teaching scrapbooking classes, but my personal copy is not in its rack. Either I've loaned it and forgotten about it or one of my daughters or daughter-in-law borrowed it. I also recommend subscribing to the magazine of the same name, Simple Scrapbooks. It's not too overwhelming for beginners. And it IS a great deterrent to eating!

Prayers and best wishes!!!! Keep us posted. You're doing what lots of us still only dream of!! I hope to be where you are someday! In fact, I PLAN on it.

While I did find it AMAZING that the guests lost such significant amounts of weight without surgery, I can't say I think they were being untruthful about it. How many of us have had significant losses -- only to gain it back again? That -- in the end -- was my driving force for getting the band. As a stop-gap to never regaining what I lose! As to those truly ginormous losses -- all I can think is they must've really been slammin' down the calories and that ANY reduction would bring great gobs of weight off. In my situation, I was super sedentary, but daily living in a 1400-1800 calorie range (2000-2500 on special occasions and holidays!) and all I was accomplishing was not getting any bigger. I remember one of the super obese men I saw on Big Medicine or one of those other shows was eating 7000 calories a day!

And that reminds me of something -- see how much work we can BOTH avoid if we work together like this?? When my younger son was almost t 3 and my baby a newborn, we were in Target for something and I took time to take him to the toy dept. He found something at the end of an aisle that he really wanted me to come and look at. But there was a problem. There was a building support column in the center of the aisle that would not permit me to get to him with the baby in the cart. If I went around the aisle and met him on the other side, I would lose sight of him for a minute and he just might wig out and disappear in an attempt to find me. Being barely verbal, he could not understand my attempts to get him to come TO me, so we could then go around the aisle together to look at what he'd found. He wasn't feeling very well and needed a nap, so it instantly dissolved into a screaming, temper-tantrum as I pondered what to do. Inevitably he hit the floor, flat of his back, eyes closed and screaming. The instant he did, I dashed out my end of the aisle and began hoofing it to the other end while I could still locate him by his screaming. As I rounded the end cap I passed an elderly couple and heard the man say something, but it didn't register at first, as I was intent on reaching my son. When things had quieted and we had 'oohed and aahed' over all the goodies he wanted me to see, I had time to consider what the man had said. I'm sure he wasn't being hateful, just helpful in that way that isn't welcomed....he had said, "If that'n was mine, I'd dust the seat of his britches and quieten him down." The more I tho't about it, the angrier I got. I actively looked for him before checking out and leaving the store. If I had located him, I intended to go up to him and say, "I'm terribly sorry if my son's behavior offended you in some way, but if you had sat up with him all night, as I did, listening to him gasp for every breath (he had asthma) his screams would sound like music to your ears!" At that moment, I was immediately convicted in my heart of every time I'd ever 'judged' a scene playing out between a parent and a child, because just like that old farmer -- I didn't know the whole story and it was frankly NONE OF MY BUSINESS.

I had to wait eight weeks for my first fill and it was not pretty -- I was so low I had to climb a ladder to kick an ant in the knees! But, thankfully!, when I got it I got immediate and good restriction from it. Hang in there. And ease up on yourself.

I'm so thrilled for all the 20-somethings and younger on here who are banded! I wish I had back the last 20 years of my life that were consumed with being fat!

Amazing!! :ranger: This is SO much more fun than doing my work!

I've never used it in reference to myself much, but will 'own' it when need be. Someone said something about me being fat in front of my GrandDoll when she was about 7. She got upset and tho't it hurt me. I decided to not tip-toe around it too much, I wanted her to know that it could only 'hurt me' if I let it. Now, what bothers me MORE than someone saying that "I" am fat....is for someone who's obviously WAY smaller than I am going on and on and on and on and on about how FAT THEY are. I'm like, "If YOU'RE fat -- Miss Size 9 -- then I'm a freakin' BLUE WHALE!" For some reason that's far more insulting!

Ock - silly me!! Proof-positive I'm NOT a 'know-it-all' oldie, ............... yet!

OOps -- I should have read all the posts before commenting! CW already stated it more clearly than I did. And kudos to you for not needing to spank your kids. I have four and they were all different. What worked on one did not work on the other. Because spankings had always worked on ME, I learned quickly that I needed to have more than a hammer in my toolbox.....Cause some problems are nuts and bolts, some are screws, with a nail scattered in there every now and then. It's funny -- every one of my kids (ages 27 to 18) have at least ONE spanking they remember in vivid technicolor with surround sound. :heh: I must've done something right, huh? J/K

Exactly - sometimes the child is too young or the consequences too grave to mess around with....a spanking is in order. Such as yesterday when I got up to throw something away and my 19 mo. GrandBuddy bounded into my chair and was standing on the dining room table about to do a jig. I could take him down, and try a hundred different methods to teach him not to do it. But in the meantime, he could try it again, fall and be seriously hurt if not killed! So, until he's big enough to understand all the reasons he can't dance on the dining table -- the memory of the spanking he got will be sufficient deterrent to repeat behavior! Ack -- those are what my mother kept on top of the piano to make sure I got in my hour of practice every day and without slouching!! (Why do kids think poor posture and a miserable face will get them a reprieve from an unpleasant task?) Thank you.....I can say the same for my kids. 27 years ago I wanted BADLY to be a breast-feeding consultant with La Leche League. I did all the work required for that honor, but when it came down to it, I could not sign an agreement promising to never, ever, under-any-circumstances, spank my children. I can see they looked at it as a whole-parenting approach, but I didn't agree, so I declined. I think to spank or not to spank is a personal choice and unless advice or opinions are solicited, others -- especially the government -- should butt out. My goodness -- think of how overworked Child Protective Services are already -- now you're going to have them spread even thinner policing GOOD, DECENT, HARD-WORKING, LOVING parents, just because they believe in old-fashioned corporal punishment??

Ok... since I see you're a G.R.I.T.S. you can be in the club....even if you're a noob! :guess

You Northern gals....I'm from Bogalusa.

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:

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?