wow, i have been banded with plication for almost 2 yrs

and been on this forum for 2 yrs 4 months..where has the time gone?

i am happier today then i was when i started in Feb 2012...compared to

where i am now today..

the only (advice) i want to give is the following (take it or ignore it):

• call your doctor if you are hurting or concerned or need (assistance w/questions can i or should i eat/do/drink)
• i strongly advise anyone to do what THEIR doctor says, not mine or anyone elses..
• use common sense (you cant gain true weight overnight and you wont lose true weight overnight)
• eating more calories than you burn off will make you gain weight with or without any WLS
• reality is clothes sizes getting smaller is a accurate sign of losing weight (dont focus totally on the metal monster)
• you do not have to be at goal in six months...get there when you do...WLS has no expiration date

and last but not least

believe in yourself to give yourself credit..you know if you eat too much of the not so great food chioices out there

dont say the WLS did not stop you..you stop you.....YOU can control yourself..(you wont step out in front of a train would you??)

WLS will help you but it wont be the save all as that part is up to you and me

be well and all the best to you.

Well it may be a day late for Mother's day but I received some Great news today my Second Son has received the Scholarship award I was trying to get through work it took 3 years but he finally received it, just in time for him to Graduate from college this year in the amount of$5,000.00 & my Youngest son after everything has made student of the month at the continuation school he goes to & he had a accident last Wednesday so I had to take him to the emergency room & he got staples in his leg but it's healing already ,School told him take a few days off & today he was home & said words I thought he would never say in his or my life time he asked me if I could take him to school because he was bored at home , what a difference from a year ago & he had a job for a few weeks, now he's looking & networking on his own for another & The inches are coming off of me so all is good .

@@Debbie yes that is my middle son Nick visiting for Mothers Day and doing great!

Congrats on the good news!!

Waiting at O'Hare for my youngest's plane from Madrid. It's been a long winter without her! So excited!

Hi there, thought this thread was gone -- have not been able to find it these last few weeks. If I search for Banders #6 there is nothing. Weird! All good here. Did my lake walk this morning and had an extra guest along, which is always nice. Time flies and the flora and fauna are a little different each day. We are in black fly season -- brief but serious, keeping us walking at a good clip so they can't catch up. Gardening is somewhat abbreviated right now but lots in and lots coming along. I bought a snazzy dress last night and could not believe it. Marched right up to the clearance rack and took a half dozen dresses into the dreaded dressing room with me. One fit perfectly for an event we are going to in June. It's a fancy dress party, men in tuxes and the kind of thing that could send me off the deep-end (introvert). I love knowing ahead that I will look great. This is a new thing for me to be sure! And it's sleeveless. Wow, I simply cannot believe I am ready and willing to be baring my arms to the world.

Hooray hooray hooray Bandista!! Isn't it so wonderful to not feel the dread anymore when dealing with an event?? Oh lord...I remember so well how awful it was to know I needed to either find something or buy something knowing I'd look awful no matter what I bought.

What a relief to not have to deal with that. It's a good thing to remember when I'm feeling the head hunger.

What a wonderful feeling... Not dreading going to a formal event and looking forward! to it. And got the dress!!! Good for you!

I felt like I hit the lotto when I found the dress and shoes to wear to my sons wedding in a couple of weeks

Got it altered ( after TT) and so ready to wear a fitted garment!!

Feels good to FEEL GOOD????

It feels amazing, right especially when you think you're one size but you're really another & the things that we thought wouldn't look good on us do , from where we started till now & going.

Son's wedding, Julie -- so happy for you! And love it that the dress needed to be altered. My dress reminds me a little of upholstery, the fabric. Can't believe I didn't mention above that it was marked down to $12.97 and when I rang up at the register they took another $5 off. What? A really nice dress for $8.....for twenty years I missed out on this kind of fun.

I love all these posts!! I really really really hate to shop for clothes. I think I have ptsd from when I was a kid and a teenager. We would go shopping and my Mom would make me "try on" everything. Oh how I hated shopping for clothes!!!

When I was older in my teen years and there was a wedding or something I was always the one that had to try on every freaking dress because I was the only one that could fit into the sample sizes!!

As I got older and "fatter" I hated to get dressed up because I was always uncomfortable stuffed into some torture garment to hold it all in and together and then into some dress that if your farted might rip at the seams. Shoes that pinched because I think all the fat the garment squeezed would end up in my feet

Now I like to get dressed up and not feel like 10 pounds of crap stuffed into a 5 pound bag. I like to find clothes that are comfortable and wearable. I have to go shopping today to find something for a grad party...house party. I hope the weather holds up

O.k. I think I posted this in some other places but I will post here also that is what I looked like by now the first one is me getting photo bombed taking a selfie by my youngest before going out second one you can see I'm second from the left with a cover band that I am able to sing & dance to enjoying this weekend .

@@Debbie3sons looks like lots of fun!!!

Just wanted to post here as well Debbie. I loooove the new haircut.

@Go walking Thank You , it was time for a change I have never had my hair this short , bangs yes but never the back.

Looks like fun, Debbie, and love the hair, too......

Debbie, you look amazing!