Hello my peeps!

Happy 2007 to you! I'm already starting this year as my best ever. My biggest New Year's resolution was to quit smoking. I am now on day two and going strong. Yesterday evening was tough, I kept reaching for one or starting to ask my hubby for one then I caught myself and did something else.

I am now officially down 60 pounds since May 06! It amazes me each and every time I step on the scale. I did some major purging in my closet and now have 7 huge trash bags full of clothes to give away. I went to Old Navy on Saturday with the intention of getting some smaller jeans. They didn't have the size I wanted (14!!!) but I did get some cute camo pants and a sweater (XL!). I also did some online shopping at Torrid yesterday, so hopefully I will have some things to get me through awhile longer.

As this new years begins I can't help but reflect on 2006 a bit. I have made some amazing connections with people here and I can't thank you enough for cheering me on and being in my corner. You guys rawk!!

Here's to 2007!!

Peace.

I actually might make this month's challenge. I only have a half of a pound to go to hit my 220 goal. I don't actually think I have made one of my challenge goals yet. I usually end up dropping a bunch of weight the week after the challenge is up.

I have thought about trying racquetball. I was never very good but I did used to enjoy playing.

So many of you are getting so close to your goal weights. I can't wait to join you. I have a trip to London coming up at the end of May. I would love to be below 190 by then. And my 25 year high school reunion is sometime this summer. How I would love to be at 180. That is around or a little lower than what I was through most of high school. I was over 300 at my 20 year reunion.

I will decide on my Valentine's goal on Monday. It will probably be to lose 10 pounds which will really be a challenge since my weight loss seems to be a little less than than a month.

Well, I did it! I made my "I have a dream challenge" goal! This morning I weighed 220.

I guess my Valentines Challenge goal will be 210.

Hi everyone! I'm a May 2006 bandster, and I thought I would join in on the fun. How do I get in on the next challenge? I've enjoyed reading about everyone's NSV...congrats to you all! I used to get UTI's all of the time, and my doc suggested lite cranberry juice...I don't get them anymore-it really works! I SO get the whole hanging tummy problem, after three babies (last one was almost a 10 pounder) and a life long fight with weight it ain't pretty. :/ Thank goodness for plastic surgery!!(I'm hoping insurance might help pay for it...) Here's to a great 2007!!!! Keep it up everyone!

Hey Kelli,

Welcome to LBT and the May Bandster's thread. Our next challenge is our Valentine's challenge and you pick your own goal. We ocassionally post how we're doing throughout the challenge to help encourage each other. Based on your ticker, you are doing great so far.

So where are you from and who did your surgery?

Happy Monday!

This morning I woke up to -5 degrees. YIKES! I went out to start my Jeep and it made a sickening sound and wouldn't turn over. Oh well I guess....lol I can always drive hubbys car! I got myself all bundled up and headed to Starbucks for my morning fix. Since I quit smoking it is my only vice left and as long as I keep losing I figure why not? :paranoid

I had a test done on Friday that brings us one step closer to getting pregnant. All seems to be well. Hubby is going to a fertility class at a local spinal cord injury hospital here in Denver tomorrow. He should get some good info and figure out a doc to go to to get tested.

I just figured out my BMI and I was shocked. On the surgery day my BMI was 42... today it is 33! Holy moly! I weighed 217 yesterday morning and this morning but I want to see it at least one more time before I change my siggy. I am creeping closer and closer to onederland!

I am having a friend dilema (sp?) I am looking for opinions on. I have a really close friend, we will call her B. B went to NYC in December to meet up with some girls she met online to got to a play and some local gay bars. (She is straight and married) Her and these girls are into gay men and that whole scene. To each their own but that's really not my thing. Anyway.... hubby and I had dinner with B and her hubby (my DH's best friend) and he B's hubby mentioned that he was flying B's NY friends in for the weekend for her bday. I was really excited for her. She told me that she couldn't wait for me to meet them and we would have an awesome girls night out Saturday night. Soooo... I assumed I was getting together with them. B and I email during the week at work and try to get together a few times a week to go to the gym. I mentioned several times in email last week her upcoming bday weekend and asked if she had an ideas of what she would like to do. She always answered everything else in my emails but avoided the talk of the weekend. So Friday comes and I still hadn't heard from her about Saturday night. I'm a planner and like to know what's going on but I figured she would just call me on Saturday. She never called. My feelings are really hurt and I'm not really sure how to handle this.

Am I over reacting??

LindaV-Thanks for the warm welcome. :confused: I am IN on the Valentine Challenge! I live in Houston, TX (I love it here!), and I was born in Enid, Oklahoma. Dr. Spivak did my surgery...he's fabulous!

DrewsLou-I'm so sorry your feelings got hurt. Pre-weight loss my inclination would have been to let it go and just live with the hurt feelings, but now that I can't fall back on food to "fix" everything I'd have to say, as hard as it will be, I would tell her I hope she had a great birthday weekend but that my feelings were hurt. You definitely aren't overreacting. Again, I am so sorry your feelings got hurt and I hope it all gets worked out. Hopefully she will be honest with you...

Yep Drews.. Since she originally mentioned you meeting her NYC friends on her birthday, you have EVERY right to ask her what happened and that it her your feelings. I',m sorry that this happened to you.. I've been there and done that. It Sucks! :hug:

Welcome Kelli! Always happy to have another Mayster on here!

Linda - Congrats on your weight loss! Girl, you've left me in the dust! I've stalled out this month.. may be time for another fill. How filled are you?

About the tattoo and weight gain/loss... My crazy uncle often jokes that my Aunt's Scottie dog(they have two Scotties) tattoo has turned into a Great Dane cause her butt has gotten bigger (she hasn't gained weight, he's just a crazy guy always going on about something). Wveryone gets a chuckle out of that one!

You guys aren't the only ones thinking about tummy tucks.. I may have a tummy tuck/lower body lift in my future...

Drews - I completely understand your hurt feelings. If you are really good friends I think you could ask her about it. She may have had second thoughts about having you along because you aren't really into the gay scene. She should have told you that and made alternate plans with you to Celebrate her b-day.

I think the fact that she avoided the subject with you means she was trying not to hurt your feelings and didn't really know what to do. But, I do understand your hurt feelings. I have dealt with similar situations here in the recent past. I have found that it only makes things worse to dwell on them. We tend to create even worse scenarios and reasons in our own heads than what reality actually is. I think you will probably both feel better when you talk about it.

Kim - I have the 10cm band and I am filled to 2.7 or 2.9. I can't remember which. I don't like to have really tight restriction so I get a very small fill every 4-6 weeks. My doctor tells me that the time beteen fills will start to increase and I am looking forward to that. I am starting to wonder if this fill will last longer. I am 5 weeks out now and I still have really good restriction. I have an appointment for a fill on Monday but may postpone it. We'll see.

Anyway, don't get discouraged. My scale is finally moving at a good pace again. I have felt really stalled out for the past few months. I have never kept track of my measurements but I did notice that even when the scale was moving very slowly up and down that I was fitting into clothes differently. And I definately wouldn't call a 7 pound difference leaving you in the dust. :confused:

GOOD LUCK WITH THE VALENTINE CHALLENGE EVERYONE!!!

Thanks for the encouragment Linda. I have to keep in mind that I've lost a lot more weight at this point than I thought I ever would. It just doesn't seem to be fast enough sometimes. Patiense is not one of my stronger qualities.:confused: I have a 4cc band and have had two fills.. my last one was in October. I have 2.0 cc's in there now. I hope that I don't need another fill for a while.. guess I'll just wait and see! Thanks again!

Thanks for the comments everyone. I guess what hurts my feelings the most is that she felt she couldn't be honest with me when she decided she didn't want me to go. I know my feelings would have been hurt MUCH less had she done that rather than just blown me off, you know? LOL I feel like I'm in high school all over again!

OMG.... you won't believe this.... I actually RAN on the treadmill last night! I started at about 3.5mph at a 4% incline for a couple of minutes then went up to 4.6 for a minute. I did this 7 or 8 times. I actually ran for 8 minutes!! Holy crap! The only drawback.... I sure have a lotta stuff that jiggles when I run...

Ok, I missed my "I have a dream" goal by about 5 lbs. I am officially setting my V-day goal for 170. My scales didn't budge last week but I started TOM so maybe that is why. UGH!

On the subject of tattooes...when I got mine 10 years ago, I was about the weight I am now...probably 5 lbs less. I got in on my tummy because I wanted it to be private and hidden should I decide I didn't want a visible one in the future. I also got it there because I thought it would inspire me to lose weight. The following year I got my belly button pierced for the same reason. Hmm....

Janey - I have decided the close you get to goal, the harder it is to lose the weight. But you are so close!!!

Missy - was the tat on the foot painful? I have heard that is a painful location? I hope you hit your sweet spot with your most recent fill!

Linda - WOW! I am so proud of you for hitting your goal. Your weightloss is amazing!

Kelli - Welcome to our May group. I can't wait to get to know you better!

Drews - Congrats on running. I am going to do my daily jog in about 2 hours. I think I would be hurt with the thing that happened with your friend. I think I would speak up about it to her if you haven't already. Get it out in the open and deal with it so you can move on and forgive her.

Kim - I go see Dr. Rose next week for a follow-up. I really don't want another fill but I think it is time for one. I have noticed I can eat A LOT lately.

Thanks Alicia521, I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you as well! It will be nice to talk to people who know exactly where I'm coming from with this wonderful band. My family and friends have been so supportive, but they still don't get it sometimes...they just can't...ya know? I think my goal for the Valentine's Day challenge is to lose twelve pounds, I'm planning on kicking up my exercise quite a bit so it should be do-able. (since I still have quite a bit to lose...) Have a great day everyone!

Alicia...I think tattoo pain is like childbirth pain...you block out the memory. . Because at the time I was getting it...I think I boohoo'ed like a baby, it did hurt. But since its my only one, I can't compare.

Drew. Congratulations on runnniiinnngg the treadmill. That is awesome.

Kelli, its very nice to meet you.

OK, I didn't make my "I have a dream challenge".:phanvan , but....I did loose 5 lbs, so I am not to discouraged. I have decided to make my goals a little smaller for me. MY valentines day challenge. to be in the 2teens. My longer term goal....to be in onederland by bandiversary!!!

and to do better with walking....still haven't consistantly gotten up to 3x per week. working on it.

I went last wednesday for my 3rd fill. 1.5cc for a total of 10.5 in my vg band. Today is my last day of liquids, I've lost 2.5 lbs.

looking for that sweet restriction.

have a great day all.

I have a decent sized tat on top of my foot that I got last summer.... it hurt like a bitch!!! Never have I felt anything like that!