Great Idea - I will do it right now !!

Hi

I am Janet and I am a recovering food addict :wink2:

I was banded 7/17/07 - My starting weight was 250 - I'm 5'4

Today (just over 10 months out) I am 154 - size 8 pants (was 18/20) Medium tops (was 22/24)

I got banded as I wanted to extend the years that I have left on this planet and to do that I knew that I needed to lose weight.

The band has been the tool I needed. For the first time in my life I have been able to achieve this goal (actually getting to my goal weight)

If you want a buddy - support - help - suggestions - Please feel free to call upon me - I will gladly share my journey with you - the journey is still on going and by helping you I will be helping me (staying motivated and accountable) and then one day you can pay it forward and help someone else.

Good afternoon all!

TX~ You are prob on the way to the Dr soon, but Apples is right! Once it is done you won't even think it's a big deal. At first I could never watch them do it, but now I watch the whole time. It's interesting to me. At one of our support group meetings the girl from Allergan brought a band and port with syringes and let us fill and unfill them. It was kinda interesting to see exactly what was being done each time and how much was going in/coming out. Do the Jimmy Deans breakfast meals need to be microwaved? They sound delish!

Apples~ Be careful girlfriend!!!!! Snowy and icey weather make me so nervous. We don't have weather as bad as yours this early usually, but I know its coming. But in Michigan, you never know!

Great~ Thanks for understanding. I LOVE my band when it works and hate to sound like a debbie downer on here! Wah wah wah! LOL! It slipped because of the combo of being too tight, acid reflux, and throwing up. I think I'm gonna wait until the 11th and really work on the mental part of it all. No one ever tells you that when you lose weight, your brain stays the same!!!! Duh! My thinking was "thinner" for over a year, I don't know how or why it switched back?

Arlene~ Girl, you are right! I need to get back to the journaling! Taking "mental notes" is not cutting it! Obviously! And, sorry about the FM

I know I'm missing a response to a post, but this thing won't let me go back that far to look! Ugh. Also, when I first saw our thread today, I was so excited because there is a little orange book looking character next to our thread I hovered my mouse over it and it said "take me to first unread post" or somthing like that. I was so excited and I clicked. To my disappointment, it didn't work. Of course. We will just have to keep tryin!

Ok, ck back later. Hope everyone has a safe and happy afternoon! I'm going to clean and put up Christmas decorations. Maybe a nap first though! It's my day off! Yipee!

Thanks again to all of you for being so understanding.

Love ya!

Meredith

Went to water aerobics this morning. Feel wonderful. Will go again tomorrow with dear friend.

Still dealing with family drama here. Such a trigger to poor food choices.

So wonderful to have my friends here, who care.

Joyce,

Hang in there and remember we are all here for you.

Get all the junk out of the house and the choice will be made for you. That was all said in "Janet's" voice. lol

Apples, Please don't send that weather Meredith and my way, send it way north.

Chris, This fill will be a breeze.

LauraK

Meredith...you are in the BEST place ever if you are needing understanding and guidance. There's so many of us with so many different experiences....just pick a subject!!! I say the best way to get back on plan is to go back to what worked for you to begin with. What really clicked for you????? The worst thing you can do is beat yourself up. Hop on that horse and get back after it and don't look back.

I also would want to have the surgeon go in and look at things and see just what is going on with the band. You don't want to cause adhesions or something having your band in the wrong position. Hopefully it will be an easy fix or no fix at all. Just be very mindful after your second surgery that when things are not as they should be, seek help immediately.

I think I can speak for us all here when I say...we sure missed our little Meredith when you went missing.

Great...I'm fine...just a dr. appt. to take care of my emotional health. Crazy-A$$ year around here. Otherewise, healthy as a horse (nag maybe????). Had my physical a few weeks ago and I could pass for a 20 yr old on the inside...outside...not so much. Thank God for clothes, makeup and bras.

I can see that you worry a great deal about your GM and her feelings. Bless you for taking such good care of her...even when you are so many miles away. I am sure it wears on you to be that far away. Try not to worry about who does what (your mother and sisters) and you just have the relationship you want with your GM and try not to let anyone else infiltrate what you have with her. I may be stepping over the boundries and sound like I am judging them, but, I THINK THEY ARE PILLS!

Isn't that how it always goes, when you have $$$ to spend you can't find anything? I could not find a thing with my Kohl's bucks so DH got some sweaters, a belt and then we got a knife sharpener. When I am flat broke, I want everything! LOL

I am so cold, sitting here wrapped in a blanket, Christmas tunes playing and the heater just got cranked up some more. Looks are deceiving, it looks gorgeous outside, sunny, crisp white snow, blue sky, majestic peaks, but it's frigid! BRRRRRR

Those Breakfast bowls do sound good, but I'd probably take the potatoes out, wonder if that would lower the carbs much? I would think so. I might have to look for some, I'd even eat something like that for lunch.

TX, anxious to hear how the fill went. I was very nervous for my first one too. Does your dr make you do liquids after?

Joyce, sorry about the family drama, I have mine too. Sometimes I wonder if I was adopted. LOL There's days I just want to say, #$%@# it and be done with them, but then am afraid I'd regret that choice.

Meredith, I understand so much. I needed a band put on my head too. LOL I did fine until my life was turned upside down with this move and I fell back into old habits. But at least it was 20 lbs and not 100 lbs back on so that's encouraging. I have too many cool clothes to go back now.

Went to Water aerobics this morning. Feel wonderful. Will go again tomorrow with dear friend.

Still dealing with family drama here. Such a trigger to poor food choices.

So wonderful to have my friends here, who care.

Right there with ya, Joyce. Don't know exactly what you are going through but it's been a challenge here for us too. My advice to you...take care of yourself first and do not let anyone mess that up for you. You first.

Meredith...you are in the BEST place ever if you are needing understanding and guidance. There's so many of us with so many different experiences....just pick a subject!!! I say the best way to get back on plan is to go back to what worked for you to begin with. What really clicked for you????? The worst thing you can do is beat yourself up. Hop on that horse and get back after it and don't look back.

I also would want to have the surgeon go in and look at things and see just what is going on with the band. You don't want to cause adhesions or something having your band in the wrong position. Hopefully it will be an easy fix or no fix at all. Just be very mindful after your second surgery that when things are not as they should be, seek help immediately.

I think I can speak for us all here when I say...we sure missed our little Meredith when you went missing.

Great...I'm fine...just a dr. appt. to take care of my emotional health. Crazy-A$$ year around here. Otherewise, healthy as a horse (nag maybe????). Had my physical a few weeks ago and I could pass for a 20 yr old on the inside...outside...not so much. Thank God for clothes, makeup and bras.

I can see that you worry a great deal about your GM and her feelings. Bless you for taking such good care of her...even when you are so many miles away. I am sure it wears on you to be that far away. Try not to worry about who does what (your mother and sisters) and you just have the relationship you want with your GM and try not to let anyone else infiltrate what you have with her. I may be stepping over the boundries and sound like I am judging them, but, I THINK THEY ARE PILLS!

I think we were posting at the same time or I missed your's the first time. Glad all is well. And you look pretty good on the outside too! I do worry about GM and thanks for the kind words. No you are not over stepping the boundries they are pills (I have another word or two to use but will stick with that one LOL). GM doesn't have long left in this world and I am letting a lot of things go that I normally would not to save the peace. But I won't put up with a lot of the crap after. I am at the point where I don't care what kind of relationship I have with them when she is gone. I'd love a close sisterly relationship but that just will never happen that I can see.

Joyce,

Hang in there and remember we are all here for you.

Get all the junk out of the house and the choice will be made for you. That was all said in "Janet's" voice. lol

Apples, Please don't send that weather Meredith and my way, send it way north.

Chris, This fill will be a breeze.

LauraK

Once we get to December we just concede. We accept what comes our way and deal. We make our own fun. You should see all the fun we are having today. Counting corn and bean bushels for crop insurance yeilds. (No claim...just sets the tone for next year). I am SUCH a patient person. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have a hubby. He would have maybe made it 2 yrs. Love him but wants to do this himself. OMG...I recheck and try not to ask him if he pulled the figures out of his rear. Takes him 5 hours what I can do in 30 minutes. Gotta let him be proud and do it. I just change his final #'s and all is fine. Gotta love him!

Went to Water aerobics this morning. Feel wonderful. Will go again tomorrow with dear friend.

Still dealing with family drama here. Such a trigger to poor food choices.

So wonderful to have my friends here, who care.

Hugs on the drama trigger. I can so relate. I hope you can focus on yourself. I know it is tough. Water aerobics really helps. I have been having drama with DD. She went back to that loser after lying to her daughter she was going out with friends. How a forty year old thinks she needs to lie to her kids. I am staying out of it. I just gave my DGD advice for her own life. I told her she had a right to be mad at her for lying, but don't let it derail her future for her life. Talking to DD while she is in another verbally abusive situation is like talking to the wall.

Oh, then my SIL that I washed out of my mind called my DH and asked to come over tonight. She is in the same situation as DD. She is 46. She said she has been to rehab and is off pain pills now. So why is she still with that jerk. Give me a Break! UGH! Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but the devil never stops trying to spoil it.

My aching is gone, but I still have low back pain. The front is still moving in and my body is adjusting to the change. I am still waiting on the electric company. I am ready for them. I need someone to vent on.....lol.

Fill went just fine. The only problem I had was the NP had me lay down with a pillow in the small of my back. That put my shoulder in a real bind. Other than that it went great. She said that I had .6cc before and put in 1.2 cc for a total of 1.8cc. I'm not sure if that was enough for the first fill or not. We shall soon see. On liquids for 24 hrs than mushies for 3 days. Having a smoothie king blueberry and bannana smoothie now for lunch. Thank you all for the words of encouragement. I know us guys can be babys about some things. Now I know what to expect it is a breeze.

Hugs

Chris

Fill went just fine. The only problem I had was the NP had me lay down with a pillow in the small of my back. That put my shoulder in a real bind. Other than that it went great. She said that I had .6cc before and put in 1.2 cc for a total of 1.8cc. I'm not sure if that was enough for the first fill or not. We shall soon see. On liquids for 24 hrs than mushies for 3 days. Having a smoothie king blueberry and bannana smoothie now for lunch. Thank you all for the words of encouragement. I know us guys can be babys about some things. Now I know what to expect it is a breeze.

Hugs

Chris

Glad the fill is behind you, TX, and you now know what to expect in the future. Try to not think about how much fill you have. Best to go by how you feel as far as restriction goes. We are all so different. My doc does not discuss with his patients how much fill is in the band or how much he puts in. He wants us to concentrate on what we feel as far as restriction goes.

Kelly...forgot to WOOHOO you on the 3lbs lost. Way to go!

I think we were posting at the same time or I missed your's the first time. Glad all is well. And you look pretty good on the outside too! I do worry about GM and thanks for the kind words. No you are not over stepping the boundries they are pills (I have another word or two to use but will stick with that one LOL). GM doesn't have long left in this world and I am letting a lot of things go that I normally would not to save the peace. But I won't put up with a lot of the crap after. I am at the point where I don't care what kind of relationship I have with them when she is gone. I'd love a close sisterly relationship but that just will never happen that I can see.

Great...there's always hope that you might settle into a not so crappy relationship with your sisters. Maybe later in life. Sometimes takes some longer to mature and realize what they have. My advice is to not stand on one leg waiting for that to happen but don't close the door for the opportunity for it to happen.

Hugs on the drama trigger. I can so relate. I hope you can focus on yourself. I know it is tough. Water aerobics really helps. I have been having drama with DD. She went back to that loser after lying to her daughter she was going out with friends. How a forty year old thinks she needs to lie to her kids. I am staying out of it. I just gave my DGD advice for her own life. I told her she had a right to be mad at her for lying, but don't let it derail her future for her life. Talking to DD while she is in another verbally abusive situation is like talking to the wall.

Oh, then my SIL that I washed out of my mind called my DH and asked to come over tonight. She is in the same situation as DD. She is 46. She said she has been to rehab and is off pain pills now. So why is she still with that jerk. Give me a Break! UGH! Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but the devil never stops trying to spoil it.

My aching is gone, but I still have low back pain. The front is still moving in and my body is adjusting to the change. I am still waiting on the electric company. I am ready for them. I need someone to vent on.....lol.

Arlene...it's so tough cuz you want to protect your kids. Gotta love 'em but sometimes the choices our children make can just make us shake our heads and wonder if they learned anything from what we taught in our home. There's such a fine line as to what to be involved in. So sorry for the drama. I guess each and every one of our families have some kind of drama going on.

Hope your FM settles down. Sending the love.

Didn't get a chance to experiment with a Protein Bar recipe. Got our yeilds proven for crop insurance and made some PB fudge. Didn't get my last tree decorated like I wanted to but will try to get it done tomorrow after my dental appt. Hoping this one is it.

You had asked on Monday if I was working....I only work on Mondays the months I am at the lake.

Thanks for all advice and good wishes.

Thanks Apples......Yep, I don't try to protect my kids much anymore, but let them hurt my G-kids........I am all over them......usually. When I say hurt I mean emotionally. I don't interfere with the discipline.

The electric company said they know the problem is theirs. Yay! It may take a few days to zero in on it.

Tx......that is a good fill. I usually got .5 a month for almost a year. I never had to put a pillow under me. I bet that did hurt. I hope you do well.

I just talked to my DD with the two babies. She joined WW a few weeks ago and yesterday they launched their new program. It is geared towards counting, carbs, Protein, and Fiber. I think I may check out the website. I might join with her. She said like they give 100snack 3pts and fruit 0 pts. Sounds like a way of encouraging clean eating. I just need a place to weigh every week. You know....the accountability factor!

Lori, I am going tomorrow to Kohl's. I will use my bucks on the DGDS. I bought them sweater dresses.....now for the tights.