Okay,

I am off to Mexico tomorrow night! Getting more nervous and have enough questions to post 10 new threads. I wish more people hung out in the chat room. anyway, I need some encouragement. For those of you who are nearing their goal weight, what has been the best thing. Better health? cute clothes? A kinder world?? Feel free to be specific I think this can be tremendously encouraging. I have been off foods for two days and am realizing how much I love love did i say love food. Smelling, chewing, socializing, feeling in my stomach, really I'm going crazy. I love eating I just hate being fat!!!! thanks, tina

A total change in my mental state. I was just thinking about this this morning. Ten months ago when I first began thinking about this surgery, I was overwraught, overworked and not coping with life. I'd get the kids out the door to school after screaming, shouting and leaving a filthy pigsty behind me as I just hadnt had time to clean it all up. I'd get them out of the car and more mornings than not just dissolve into tears at the stress of it all, I hated that stage of my life. I hated the chaos and mess we lived in. I felt my skyrocketing weight was a reflection of my inability to cope and I just kind of felt that THAT was what I must work on first.

Fast forward to this morning, when the morning consisted not only of bedmaking, Breakfast and lunch making, clothes washing, dishwashing AND Vacuuming before 7.30 am, but also chasing Ewan round the house shrieking (it was a game) and having a jump on the bed and fall down game with Eliza, plus singing very loud and doing a few high kicks just because I was so happy and had the day to myself becuase I've finished my assignment that is due on Friday since I'm so organised.

I am so much more in control of everything and I am just so freaking happy all the time now, its like this enourmous weight is gone from my shoulders. I have control of what I never had control of before, my body and since I started running, my mood has shot through the stratosphere, I didnt realised how depressed and down I had become. Life is now just full of wonderful possibilities and if the work of combining a university degree and three children is time consuming, well I'm no longer exhaused at 4pm and can work long into the night to keep the house and my life in control.

Its got hardly anything to do with the fact that I now look HOT (lol) although that helps. I feel so much better about myself, no more fat days and no more bad hair days either since I had it straightened, and I have a wardrobe full of nice clothes that I actually want to wear.

My husband has suddenly become hot again too, lol, I'm getting way more exercise after bedtime too. I'm sleeping well due to all the exercise I'm getting, I hit the pillow and out like a light and Eliza is pretty much sleeping through now too so for the first time in 10 years I'm getting 7 to 8 hours a night which must be making me feel heaps better too, previously I'd made do on 4-5 hours total of broken broken sleep.

I'm so freaking happy it ought to be illegal.

Wow!!! YOu should do a commerical for the band!!! I am so happy that you are feeling so great, thanks!!!!!

Sometimes I feel like people must get sick of me here, I'm so full of how wonderful it all was/is, how easy it's been and how bloody great I feel. I know people have problems that run deeper than what I did, were more overweight and there are people who's bodies dont love having a band in them as much as mine seems to.

So I hope my enthusing is motivating rather than annoying.

its great not feeling hungry.. this my 2 cents...

i have felt sooo few times really hungry..

its great looking as a woman and not as your husbands brother :Banane33:

and i support and advertise the band as Jachut! i agree whith what she said!

Liberation. Liberation from food, from feeling guilty, from hating my lack of control, from not being able to be an effective parent, from feeling like I don't fit in the world, from hating to meet people, hating my reflection, from hating to shop, from hating to get dressed, from hating to get UP in the morning and face another day at 340 lbs.

It's amazing how people treat you. They were nice before but now they go overboard to be extremely nice. The compliments are great and hard to accept after all the years of self-hate. Buying clothes is a little overwhelming, before I would go to the large section with a little choice now I can go to any store but it takes hours to find something, so many choices. I eat what I want without worrying about what others are thinking or commenting about the choices I have made. It's a new world with great experiences.

290/176 goal

4-15-04

Dr. Jay

Dallas

1. Getting up in the morning and my feet not tingling cause of the weight.

2. I've become hotter to my DH and I'm loving it!!

3. The compliments are overwhelming at times.

4. I went into my first regular size store and bought a size 14 blouse.

6. Walk up steps and not be winded.

7. Having some control over my life.

8. Fit into 1 seat on a plane.

There are so many things that I just can't name them all but this is one of the best things that has happened to me and I thank God for my band daily. I even pray for my band, I believe God can do anything.

I hope this helps!

wow, this is all so wonderful. I've been thin/fit before many years ago and it's nice reminding me of some of the reasons it is/was so great. Alexandra yours really hits home from me. "not fitting in the world" more effective parent.

I REALLY HOPE THIS THING WORKS FOR ME!!

Feeling like there is hope that I will feel and look great again. I'm only 3 months out and have lost 30 pounds, so I have a long way to go, but now I know it will happen! And putting hope back in my life has been a miracle!

Emily

I've lost 30 pounds and the best thing is LESS PAIN. That is major for me. Plus my clothes fit better. But the pain thing is major for me.

I gained a HUGE amount of self confidence after my loss which I know helped me start my first serious relationship. We met online after he saw my profile and pictures on AOL, I had never even had a profile or any type of pictures online until about a month before meeting him. I just started loving the pictures of me, I was smiling more and was actually feeling cute for once in my life and was proud of myself. He said after seeing my smile and how beautiful I was he had to talk to me, we've been together for over a year!

The best thing for me has been being able to use a portapotty at the camping grounds without worrying that it is going to fall over if I shift around too much.

Another great thing was when someone who hadn't seen me in over a year asked me, "wow, what happened to the other half of you?" Made me giggle.

My son weighs about 35 pounds. Yesterday he stomped in the rain puddles, so I carried him up the stairs to the play room at church (the floors had just been mopped and I couldn't bear the thought of little wet/muddy sneaker prints across the floor!) and I got to the top and rememebred what it was like to heft my fat a$$ up those stairs and get winded doing it. This time I whisked him up, took a deep breath at the top, said "Whew! No wonder I felt so awful going up these stairs with an extra 60 pounds on!"

I bought a pair of shoes with heels. Okay, small 1-inch heels, but heels nonetheless! They are cute and funky (for me) and I'm taller! I quit wearing heels over 10 years ago when I was in a car accident and broke my foot. That was my excuse then, and since I was just too heavy to be comfortable in any type of heel. I'm wearing them around the house now! LOL I love my cute little shoes! And they are a 1/2 size smaller to boot!

I am no where near my goal but I am 58 pounds away from my heighest weight.

I physically feel beter, I feel better about myself,

I feel like there is hope, I am beginning to live life again,

I want to go out, I am thankful for restriction

I like getting smaller instead of bigger

I love seeing myself change inside and outside

Good Luck