BayougirlMrsS

I could not have said this better.... I have said to most people who are contemplating WLS..... Be prepared to lose friends.... As much as a you try, some woman can't handle YOUR changes. You said she is a "normal" size woman. She is one of those that is just envious of you and im sure of others too. But, Men are attracted to woman of confidence. You have it and she does not. Size is not the issue... she is the issue. I would not confront her. If you do you will let her know that you are validating her issues with her self. and she will probably turn it around on you and make you feel bad.... Say nothing... to anyone, not even the other friends. Because, trust me, they are all wagging their tongues.... by the way, you are a stunning woman and im sure men hit on you before... you just didn't see it.

@@BritAbroad congrats on taking the step to change your life. I have never regretted one day. Somedays i do miss some of the "old" foods. But all in all, i don't it is now just a way of life. Remember you will get of of this process what you put in. and if you work it, it will work for you. @@Julie norton Hey julie... just a few "oldtimers" left here. I have to admit, i liked this site better when we first got on. I miss some of our older LB family. Glad to hear that you are still doing great. @@Sharpie I say, your never to old to take back your life. I will more people would. Which ever way works for them. Glad to hear that you too are doing well. Keep up that great work....

I love love love soup.... some of my fav. Broccoli and cheese from Applebees, Tortilla from Chili's (i tell them no chicken), Wendy's chili is a good one. cream of crab is good. Veggie-beef soup (i don't eat the meat). try those

it's the only way i know how to be....

Well Good Day my fine people.... lol Today is November 10, 2015 and today is year #6 Lapband journey end... 7 is just beginning..... Age 47, My highest weight 230, lowest 140. Now 145. 5'2" tall, Largest size 20 now, comfortable size 8, Was a 44H bra now size 34H, was a 7.5 shoe now 6.5. Self esteem and confidence... ZERO, Now... Through the roof. History.... I was 41 when i decided to take back my health and life. I had a few friends that had the GB, Sleeve (not as popular back then), and LB..... A couple of which i worked with or had worked with in the past. One in particular was my friend Paula (LB). She was my mentor and guiding light through everything... In fact her partner had her LB the same day, so she was at the hospital with the both of us.... I had told only very few people at the time that i was having LB done. The few i did tell were for the most part were supportive. Except for the most important one... MY HUSBAND.... But, i got through the post op diet (on vacation) with only one slip and went into surgery that AM weighing 220lbs. Of course my husband said... then why do you need this... Pahhh. My weight loss was slow by most standards... but now i see it as a blessing. I followed the rules.. (except for no Mt. Dew). I averaged a few lbs per visit... and at first i was disappointed. But then i started exercising (zumba, cardio, and later weights) and it really kicked in.... i lost 60lbs the first year and 20 the second. Which i know is not a lot by some standards... but for me... i could not have been happier. My husband started to come around... he himself started losing weight and working out, sex was great too. But then his (what my gut said was) girlfriend move to Fl. and he let it all go to crap again... oh well. The sex went back in the crapper again. I won't let that get me down... life goes on and we shall see if we hit the 25 years of marriage next month. I have done what i consider very well with my band. No complications (knock wood). I have the LB System in place, according to My LAP-BAND Journey Patient ID Card i have the 10cc band, but my dr. says its the 14cc.. I lean to believe its the 14 as right now i have 10.5cc in my band. I do stay away from the bread, rice, grits, dry meats, Pasta (as much as poss) and fried potatoes. My go to is still Soup. I love soup.... I normally eat yogurt with granola and coffee for Breakfast. lunch is normal something pretty small like a salad (have to be careful, sometime have trouble), soup, grilled something... dinner something pretty small in size... last night i ate 2 nacho chips...the round ones with Beans, ground beef, cheese, sour cream, and guac on each one. so... truth time... I have not exercised in three years... i know, that is terrible... but it's the truth. Reason, my husband cancelled the member ship because he said we could not afford it.. But im fixing to start back anyway. I had my tummy tuck 2/15/2012 and i could not be happier with the results. My scar is not that noticeable at all. My advice to new WLS patients...... Know what your getting into. Research the hell out of everything. Make sure you pick the best doctor for you. Go to support meeting before, during and after. Don't expect to go in surgery fat, and come out skinny.... WLS is not a magic pill... You will have to work at it EVERYDAY FOREVER!!! Maybe not the exercise... but the eating. Take before pictures, you won't be able to see the differences... but pictures never lie. Take during pic and after pic. Limit your weighing in to once a week or less. If not you will become obsessed with the scale. Set many small goals and an over all goal. Don't get down on your self for a gain. Just get back on track. I put back some weight and got back to 162.... and i said... no way in hell am i going to be one of "those" people who gain it back. Don't be ashamed of the journey you are choosing. Embrace the fact that you chose to take you life back your just using a tool to help. Just like a diabetic uses insulin, are a heart patient uses a pace maker... All the same stuff. Be prepared to lose friends... some people can't handle the "new you" and will try and sabotage you. I learned that my fat friends love me fat because i was one of them and made it all acceptable. My skinny friends could not handle the new me because i was now competition in the group for attention. Your true friends will rise to the top... Trust me on this. Remember.... Everyone's journey is different, don't judge your self by someone elses. We all gained weight for different reasons... and we will all lose it differently. Be your own biggest cheerleader...

@@KindaFamiliar Lol. I know right. Such a bad influence

@@RILEYSMOM22 I know you mean well..... but nothing taste better that a grilled cheese.....EXCEPT A fried Bologna sandwich on toast... with mayo and little mustard...... Or maybe a Patty melt... with sauteed onions, mayo & cheese... Ok... enough of that... focus focus focus.

The Nerv of them..... I do miss toast... especially with eggs.... or a grilled cheese with Soup.... omg

omg.... my dr forbids us to chew gum.

Crystal.... you can do it. Baby steps... baby steps. I started off walking down to the stop sign. then to the next... then i joined the Y and started doing Zumba... (now that was funny). But i stuck with it... and so can you. when the lbs come off more and more you will be encouraged to do more and more.... I will be the first to say i didn't have a supportive husband and still don't. He rathers me fat, this way i have not self confidence and he feels safer. the skinnier i got, the more confidence ... the less control he had the more he hated the weight loss. but you can..... it's not Will Power.... It's Want Power...... I want to be healthy, i want to be more active, i want more confidence, i want to be able to cross my legs, i want to wear cute clothes.... i want to feel pretty and sexy... Like i told someone earlier..... Get you some dry erase markers and write inspiring messages to your self on your bathroom mirror....

yes..... but think about the fact that most of us don't really have "fat" pictures.... we are normally the people taking the pic so we won't be in them... or standing behind some one or some thing..... I tell everyone starting out.... have someone take before pics.... it's important because you won't see your changes in the mirror... i know i didn't... but pic don't lie.... we have all been where you were... but good news.... your not there anymore.... 167lbs.... holy mother ... So take those pictures... and be proud... i bought dry erase markers and wrote messages to my self on the bath room mirror.. saying you are beautiful, you are worthy, you can do anything..... I'm now thinking about changing my name to LuvRofagreatCunninglinguist........ i mean who doesn't love a good Linguist.. Right..... lolololo.

@Cunninglinguist.... WOW down 167lbs... that is f'ing amazing. Im sure many of the woman at your work and out side of work are noticing.... Im sure you are carrying your self different and with more confidence. Woman love a confident man no matter his size. Keep the name... and to the ones that are "offended" by it, here's a tip.... click block and you won't have to see it every again. one more thing..... up date your gallery.... show off your success... you have earned it @VSGAnn2014.... ROFLMAO....

@Elode.... You are so kind... Thanks. I am 5 2.5. Don't forget the half. My weight at time of tt was 145Ish. My lowest was 140. I am now 150 and have been for over a year. I still wear a size 8 jeans comfortably. Can squeeze into a 6 but 8 is better. I was expecting a lot more pain, but I would be lying if I said it was painful. Was it a piece of cake..... No but it was not unbearable at all. I drank lots of pineapple juice for swelling wore my garment 24 hours for 8 weeks. I only took off for showers. I taped the jumbo Kotex pads together and placed across the incision for padding. OH... and the key to a nice scar.... lotion lotion lotion.... doesn't matter what one... just LOTION!!!

So last week i went watch my husband eat a Chinese buffet... as you all know, we don't do buffet's any more.... lol Anywho, when we went to pay the cashier asked if he got the seniors discount...... bahahahaha... I started laughing right there.... he is only 53 and the look on his face was priceless...

@Elode....... Thanks... I could not be happier with the results........ i wasn't going to post this here.... but what the hell... an ass is an ass ... right. We are all friends.... lol anyway, the scar is so not even noticeable. I told my husband i will be getting the reduction.. whether he likes it or not. Tired of carrying these 34H's They are too big for the rest of my body and i look like i have porn star implants... which i don't... but still

@Babbs.... my beautiful girl..... i did my TT at 44.... so worth it. I feel so much better, look better, clothes fit better, can exercise better. Everything is better..... The best $8800 i ever spent. I proud to say that on the 29th i will be 47 and im in the best shape i have been in since my twenties.....

@Elode.... I don't think it's rude at all. With that being said..... I had my TT 2012 the total cost was $8800... This covered everything.... dr, garment, pre op, surgery, night in after care... and all the Morphine my thumb could press. I went home the next after noon with lovenox shots (2x a day's worth) and pain meds. I slept in my recliner for the first few nights. It was most comfortable for me. By day three i was walking down the block. I was still hunched over, but the more i walked the better it got. I was back to work in 12 days... i did my TT over a holiday so i could have more days to rest. I could have gone back in a week... i was driving in 5 days. That being said.... i picked a dr that was local, in case i had issues, that did surgery in a surgery center (not office), i had his cell # and could call him at any time, But one of the biggest reasons.... NO DRAIN TUBES.... and he sutured from the inside and glued the top... No staples. I also had two C-sections and would said that the pain for me was no more than that. In fact i just threw out the rest of the pain meds because they expired. This is my end result... I took this not long ago. the scare is barely noticeable... In fact i had to lighten up the pic so it can be seen. also, it is about 2" above my pubic area so i can wear most any style panties or bikini and it never shows. I know in this pic it looks higher so here are a few more. first pic is most recent... three years out second pic was at 8 weeks out third 6 months out fourth at one year

@HealthyNewMe...... don't we though...... cook with carbs (stew=flour and oil), served on top of carbs (rice), with a side of carbs (potato salad).... and don't forget the Bread to push it onto your fork.... how convo's go in La...... hey, it's my birthday... where we eating?..... hey, i graduated....Where we eating?..... hey, my dog died...Where we eating... But i wouldn't live anyplace else

@embernj..... Im sure your doctor will lead you in the right direction. Both have pro's and con's.... it's what you do with either that counts. Both can fail and both can succeed. Embrace what ever it is. Follow the rules and you will do fine. I know that if i had to get my LB removed... I would have a lot to think about.... but i really would think hard, but i know i would have to have something...

This is my bike and i throw the husband in the back..... lol.... Just kidding. For real though... it's for sale down the bayou where we go fishing. We started with a Dyna Wide Glide. I wanted my own so i bought a 883 low custom.... But i was the only female in our "group" riding alone and felt out of place. so we traded his wide glide and my 883 and got the Black Ultra Classic...

Dermablend, you can get it at Ulta.... or Sephora has some really good covers.. like Make up for ever.

i snip them off too.... i use a clean sharp pair of nail clippers..... no pain at all.

man... i was wishing to lose some in the chest.... no such luck. started at 44H still a 34H...... I will have a reduction with in the next couple years.

@IcanMakeit... they are a size 6.5 Jessica Simpson's.. you can barrow if the fit. and actually they are very comfortable...platform fronts are my friend.... heheh how these on the other hand are torture... the kind you find a spot and just look pretty wearing them... They are made by Iron Fist... and these are from Penthouse shoes collection... 15 min. is all i can take. but they are cute as hell and look great on my feet... heheheh

@@MistyAnnMoon829 I think i must have been a stripper in a past life.... heheheheh