NewMechelle

I am soo very sorry for the loss in your family. I know your heart is heavy and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. We truly do not know from one day to the next what life holds for us. We are not promised tomorrow. We need to live each day like it could be our last. Telling those we love what they mean to us and having our life right with our Lord and Maker. God bless and comfort you all and again I am soo sorry. Mechelle

Hey guys I am a dingbat when It comes to computers and scanning stuff but my husband does know how. I have passed on the diet to a friend of mine here at work(non bander) and she has lost 3.5 pounds since Monday. She is so excited. I will try to figure it out tonight if possible (it is Wednesday and he is a Pastor) or tomorrow at the latest. If I cant figure it out, I will give you all my personal e-mail and you can give me your address and if all else fails, I will mail you a copy ASAP! WE CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!Mechelle

OMG I feel like you have read my mind and blogged the thoughts of my pitiful little brain!!! I want to lose 100 bye my year soooo bad. It has been my goal my dream to get to 100 by my one year anniverisary May 28th. I feel so blessed to be about 76 down but I'm Just kinda stuck there. The doc says once you have lost that much weight your body really struggles for the last bit. He says it is a survival technique. I totally know how you feel I am right with you. It feels good to share this with some one. I only have two months too and I dont see it happening. As badly as I want it I am trying to be proud of how far we have come and how blessed we are to be where we are now. God is sooo good. lets encourage each other no matter what. We are stronger and healthier than we have been for years, we have a new lease on life and oh how blessed we are, wheather we have lost 75 or 100 in a year. Lets shoot for 100 and if we dont get there lets know that we are still soooo much better off than we were. I have a special diet that my surgeon gave me that is called the rotation diet. He says it is tough to stay on because it is restrictive but he insists if you do ANY ONE can lose a pound a day. If you would like I would be happy to share it with you. I am going to start it on Monday and see how close to my goal I can get. I can mail it to you or e-mail it to you if i can figure out how to scan it in. I am some one computer retarted. Good luck and God bless. Mechelle

:thumbup:You know as you get closer to your goal it is easier to get frustrated because you know you are doing the right things yet the weight loss and slowed WAY down, I am about 76 down and wanna lose about 25-30 more, i talk in "about" and "arounds" because honest to goodness I fluctuate 2-5 pounds with in a few days it makes me so darned mad. But any way the things to celebrate: I now can cross my legs. I can comfortably take a bath and shave my legs and not splash ALL the friggin water out of my tub like a whale LOL. I can shop in the regular stores again. OMG I never though I could do that again. I can wrap a towel around me and it covers me, not a beach towel mind a a regular towel!! I can sit in a movie theatre seat comfortably. When I sit down :thumbup:at a booth with my friends or family, I dont have to be scared to death I may not fit and have the shame of saying "hey can we sit over here, I like this better" I was never turned away from an amusement park ride but I was getting close to "the limit" every time I went on a coaster with my kids, I started to sweat and said "please God dont let them ask me to get off" I no longer avoid people I havent seen for a long time (at Walmart or other places) and hope I dissapear before they see me because I am ashamed of how I look. I no longer out weigh my huge hunk of a 16 year old son. Heck I am no longer neck and neck with my hunk of a sexy 6 foot 1 husband (for weight) lol I dont feel like I have been beat after I go grocery shopping. My rear end is no longer wider than most of my chairs. (you know what I am talking about over hang) and a good friend of mine pointed out to me, my necklace that used to lay high up on my neck is now almost in my clevege (lol) yes it is the little thing we have to celebrate when we start to get frustrated. I am blessed. Yes I want this last little bit off but compared to this time last year, cant even compare, any one who is struggling with the decision to band or not to band? I would do it again in a minute. God has blessed me with an awesome family, friends and now another chance for a healthy life, I was a size 22/24 today 14ish and ......losing Good luck and God bless

:thumbup:You know as you get closer to your goal it is easier to get frustrated because you know you are doing the right things yet the weight loss and slowed WAY down, I am about 76 down and wanna lose about 25-30 more, i talk in "about" and "arounds" because honest to goodness I fluctuate 2-5 pounds with in a few days it makes me so darned mad. But any way the things to celebrate: I now can cross my legs. I can comfortably take a bath and shave my legs and not splash ALL the friggin water out of my tub like a whale LOL. I can shop in the regular stores again. OMG I never though I could do that again. I can wrap a towel around me and it covers me, not a beach towel mind a a regular towel!! I can sit in a movie theatre seat comfortably. When I sit down :thumbup:at a booth with my friends or family, I dont have to be scared to death I may not fit and have the shame of saying "hey can we sit over here, I like this better" I was never turned away from an amusement park ride but I was getting close to "the limit" every time I went on a coaster with my kids, I started to sweat and said "please God dont let them ask me to get off" I no longer avoid people I havent seen for a long time (at Walmart or other places) and hope I dissapear before they see me because I am ashamed of how I look. I no longer out weigh my huge hunk of a 16 year old son. Heck I am no longer neck and neck with my hunk of a sexy 6 foot 1 husband (for weight) lol I dont feel like I have been beat after I go grocery shopping. My rear end is no longer wider than most of my chairs. (you know what I am talking about over hang) and a good friend of mine pointed out to me, my necklace that used to lay high up on my neck is now almost in my clevege (lol) yes it is the little thing we have to celebrate when we start to get frustrated. I am blessed. Yes I want this last little bit off but compared to this time last year, cant even compare, any one who is struggling with the decision to band or not to band? I would do it again in a minute. God has blessed me with an awesome family, friends and now another chance for a healthy life, I was a size 22/24 today 14ish and ......losing Good luck and God bless

Sorry for my late entry. Computer system was down at work on Friday. The system took my weight but did not count the actual weight lost. four more pounds!!!!!! Yea for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Mechelle

I hope to be honest but encouraging. I tried every diet known to man kind. I did great for a while but then it became hard to keep it up. I am still new to this and dont claim to have all the answers. I am only 9 months banded and have lost 73 pounds. This is one of the greatest decisions I have ever made in my life and I wouldnt change it for anything. Here is what you have to ask yourself. Why didnt your last surgery work? Are you truely ready for a permenant change in your life and in your lifestyle? This lapband (just like the bypass) is not a miracle. It is not a magic bullitt. There are people who are incrediblly successful and other who are not. You have to decide if you are willing to do what is asked of you not just for a few weeks or months but for he rest of your life. That doesnt mean you cant ever have a piece of cake or a taste of burger again in your life. What it does mean is that this lifestyle has got to be something you are ready for and want badly enough your going to do it. You have to know you are worth it. Your family is worth it. I truely miss my comforter and friend at times (FOOD) but I promise you nothing and I mean nothing tastes as good as skinny and healthy will feel. My blood pressure is awesome, I just had blood work done, evey thing is perfect, 9 months ago, I was a walking time bomb. I could cry. I hated myself, wouldnt even look into a reflective door or window because I couldnt stand the way I looked or who I had become. Now I wouldnt trade my life. Yes it is hard and there are some days that really suck but it is sooooo worth it. Only you can decide if you are ready this time. untill you are sure, dont do it. I promise when you are, it will be worth it. God bless you and good luck. Mechelle

Hey girl I dont know if you will read this you blogged this a few days back it looks like. I had three c-sections and a gall bladder removal. It was much easer than the four of those surgeries. Dont get me wrong. you do feel like you have been doing crunches for months. it is sore as heck but Disney Land compared to the Csections. I promise as long as you do what they tell you to do and dont over do, take your drugs and for the love of pete keep gas x on hand. it is your friend, you will do fine. Good luck and God bless

As a woman it is essential that we think our man believes we are beautiful and sexy and if you are becoming skinnier and sexier all the time and she doesnt feel she is, that is hard to deal with. Just keep reassuring her that you love and want her, no one else and no matter what she is the ONLY woman for you. I know men dont quite understand and it seems really childish and silly to you but it is very real and important to us. Yes even if you have been together 20 plus years. You sound like an awesome guy who has an awesome woman. She loved you and wanted you and loved you when othe women wouldnt have seen what she did in you, remind her of that. Remind her she is the only one for you. You are why I still have faith in the male species. I am lucky to have a good one just like you!

:thumbup:This Sunday I will have been banded 9 Months. I can tell the weight loss has slowed down quite a bit. I feel blessed and am still very grateful for the surgery but I wish I could get the rest of the weight off. I have lost 72 pounds. Still want to lose 31 more. I would do it again in a heart beat. I have lost 20 something inches and about four pants sizes. I have been a real slacker when it coms to the excercise. It is really hard for me when the weather is cold. I like to walk in the park but the when it is cold, it is hard for me to get motivated! If any one has any ideas to get these last 30 pounds off I would love to hear them. It seems so strange to be asking. I cant beleive I am here. This close to my goal. I never thought I would get here so quickly, I had failed so many times before. I feel so blessed. Hope every one is well. God bless!

:thumbup:This Sunday I will have been banded 9 Months. I can tell the weight loss has slowed down quite a bit. I feel blessed and am still very grateful for the surgery but I wish I could get the rest of the weight off. I have lost 72 pounds. Still want to lose 31 more. I would do it again in a heart beat. I have lost 20 something inches and about four pants sizes. I have been a real slacker when it coms to the excercise. It is really hard for me when the weather is cold. I like to walk in the park but the when it is cold, it is hard for me to get motivated! If any one has any ideas to get these last 30 pounds off I would love to hear them. It seems so strange to be asking. I cant beleive I am here. This close to my goal. I never thought I would get here so quickly, I had failed so many times before. I feel so blessed. Hope every one is well. God bless!

You are smart to have taken "before" pics. I was so depressed about how big I was I refused to let my kids take pictures of me. Now I am 70 pounds lighter and wish I had the pictures to compare. You may be heavy but you are blessed girl, you are absolutely beautiful. People can lose weight but you cant do nothing about ugly, lol. God bless and good luck. You are in for a wild ride. It wont always be easy but this is one of the best things you have ever done in your life, i promise. Remember; NOTHING tastes as good as skinny will feel!!!!!!!

Congrats. I know it has been a long journey already for you. This is one of the best things you have ever done in your life. You dont regret it. There will be hard days but the journey is worth it. God bless and good luck.

I found the best thing in the world for shakes. Get the Magic bullit or you can got to CVS like I did and get the off brand. You fill up a cup, put ice in it mix it in the same cup and drink out of the same cup. It mixes great, makes a thick shake and is great for work. The CVS brand is much cheaper and does the samething but not always easy to find. Good luck and God bless.

I would like to be the first to tell you this is going to be an awsome ride for you. There will be rough days. Food is not like other addictions. When you are an alcoholic or addicted to drugs the first thing you do is to stay away from those areas of influence, you know, bars the people you used to "party" with etc. you surround yourself in a safer enviroment so there is no temptation. Food is every where. We have to eat, we have to eat to live. I was scared to death I would fail at this like I had hundreds of diets before. I am a little over 8 months banded and am 73 pounds down. It is the smartest thing (other than accepting Christ in my life) I have ever done. Some times I get down and I really miss my old friend (food) but I try to always remember my favorite quote that I have repeated over and over since my start "NOTHING I MEAN NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS SKINNY WILL FEEL" I was borderline diabetic, my bloodpressure was sky high, I was 5"3 and 258 pounds. I was killing myself I am so thankful for this band and this new lease on life I just cant tell you how blessed I feel. I can promise you it wont always be easy but it WILL be worth it. YOU are worth it, your family is worth it. You (like myself) will finally get to meet that skinny person inside of you that is dying to get out. Yes the way you look and feel is so important but more than anything, it is about your health, that is so important. I dont have to tell you you are absolutely breathtaking. Remember to enjoy the journey and God bless you as you go. Mechelle

Every day is not easy but it is one of the wisest things you have ever done in your life. I have not regreted it for one minute. I feel better than I have in years. Wish I had done this ten years ago. 8 months banded and 68 pounds lost. Good luck and God bless.

you all are not alone. I used to stay on my daughter about weighing too often. Now she fusses at me. I literally weigh four or five times a day, pretty much every time I go to the bathroom. Yes it is crazy,yes it is way too much and NO I CANT STOP!!!lol It is just so hard not too I can tell you from 8th months of being banded that we can bounce back 4-5 pounds in one day easy. Once a week is much smarter...just cant do it.

You have just done incredible. I was banded the week after you and am only down 67. I am very thankful for where I am but you must be blown away. It is hard not to compare myself to others and be a little jealous. You are doing absolutely awesome. You were pretty before but you look georgous. You look so healthy now. I hope to lose a total of 103 before my one year. We will see. Good luck and God bless. You are doing great.!

That is one of my biggest fears. How in the world would you know if you have a "leak" inyour band or not? I have all my fills under fluero so I think if anything was wrong they could probably see. Good luck. You look incredible already!

That is awesome. I am right behind you and a little jealous.lol Eight months and 67 pounds. Ilove my band. What a blessing. Good luck and God bless.

Girl I loved your story. There is nothing better than running into an ex looking fabulous. I always run into people I havent seen in years when I have that hit by a truck look, no make up hair not done baggy clothes etc. Sounds like you are doing awesome. Keep up the good work.

Oh what I would give to be normal. It's okay its gonna happen, I just know it is. Awsome job girl!!!!!!!

On the 28th, I will have been banded for 8 months. I cant believe it. It has gone so very fast. I have lost about 67 pounds. I say about because every day is different but most days I am around 191. My goal is 155. I feel better than I have in years. I am wearing 14 and 16 pants. I have lost 30 inches all over my body. I still have a way to go but so much better than I was. So much healthier. SO thankful and blessed. I love my band. Not every day, not every week has been easy but I would not trade it, I would recomend it to any one. The doc says in a few weeks, he wants me to go on a low cal low fat "rotation diet" so I can get the last 35ish pounds off. When I get there, he wants to do small fills a half a cc at a time till I can eat 4-6 small meals a day be satisfied and not starved inbetween. He said that is the key to long term loss and keeping it off. He says if I am hungry I wont keep it off, it is too hard for any one long term. Hope all is well. Hope every one else feels as blessed as I do. God bless and Good luck.:thumbup:

On the 28th, I will have been banded for 8 months. I cant believe it. It has gone so very fast. I have lost about 67 pounds. I say about because every day is different but most days I am around 191. My goal is 155. I feel better than I have in years. I am wearing 14 and 16 pants. I have lost 30 inches all over my body. I still have a way to go but so much better than I was. So much healthier. SO thankful and blessed. I love my band. Not every day, not every week has been easy but I would not trade it, I would recomend it to any one. The doc says in a few weeks, he wants me to go on a low cal low fat "rotation diet" so I can get the last 35ish pounds off. When I get there, he wants to do small fills a half a cc at a time till I can eat 4-6 small meals a day be satisfied and not starved inbetween. He said that is the key to long term loss and keeping it off. He says if I am hungry I wont keep it off, it is too hard for any one long term. Hope all is well. Hope every one else feels as blessed as I do. God bless and Good luck.:thumbup:

Each year I start off New Years Eve with a list of goals that I hope to achieve with in the year. Some of them are met, some are not, some get "partially" met. This year will be different. I have been banded for 7 months. I have 40 pounds to reach my goal. I had truely wanted to be there by the time I hit my one year bandiversary however I am learning with each month that this is not a race or a contest. The goal should be my health. I have lost an average of 10 pounds a month untill December then I found myself upset on the 28th when I realized I had only lost about 4 pounds this month. Most years in the past I would have gained like crazy. How in the world can I be upset? So I am off of most of my bloodpressure medications. I feel better than I have in years, I have lost about four pant sizes, I can breath again. Life is good. So what if i dont reach my goal by May 28th? Will life end? Realistically if I continue to do well, I am healthier all the time and working towards my goals is THAT urgent to get there by a certain day? I believe it is good to have a goal to shoot for but it seems when we put so much pressure on ourselves that failure becomes overwhelming. I am so blessed to have this band. I am 200% better off than I was last year and cant wait to see what the future holds. Watch out 2010, here I come....God bless each of you lap band family. Here we come new year.:biggrin: