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.

Our Dear Lori, We are praying that your daughter, son-in-law and that unborn baby will be just fine very soon.... I know you will be strong for them while inside your heart is breaking... We all love you and are here for you when you need us.... Maybe the Lord bless and keep you and your family......

We are just home from my mother's after services.. Had homemade potato pancakes (family favorite) and ham and pie.... I tried a couple bits and then had to excuse myself.... The only thing that went down was a couple bites of cherry pie...... Oh well...... No pain so far today... this is very good...

I want to wish each and everyone the blessedness of Christmas.. may the spirit fill your hearts and minds.............. Merry Christmas from North Dakota..... Talk to you all later.... Julie

9 hours ago on FB Lori wrote

Thank you so much for all the prayers and good wishes for Mandy. Report is good the drugs are working and she gets to come home this evening. MERRY CHRISTMAS

Just saw it - missed it earlier - So we all are saying THANK YOU GOD !!!! What a wonderful Xmas gift for Lori's Family !!!

Merry Christmas! I hope you all enjoy your holiday!

Our Dear Lori, We are praying that your daughter, son-in-law and that unborn baby will be just fine very soon.... I know you will be strong for them while inside your heart is breaking... We all love you and are here for you when you need us.... Maybe the Lord bless and keep you and your family......

We are just home from my mother's after services.. Had homemade potato pancakes (family favorite) and ham and pie.... I tried a couple bits and then had to excuse myself.... The only thing that went down was a couple bites of cherry pie...... Oh well...... No pain so far today... this is very good...

I want to wish each and everyone the blessedness of Christmas.. may the spirit fill your hearts and minds.............. Merry Christmas from North Dakota..... Talk to you all later.... Julie

Julie - Sure glad no pain !!! Merry Christmas

Melissa - Hug & love right back at you girl and yes I am passionate - My Uncle thinks I should be a LB spokes person and travel around the States sharing my lb knowledge ;0)

Janet - I would come see you even though I get your advice for free on here. Just know I love that you are so passionate and are willing to help me and the rest with anything we are dealing with

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

~Kelly~

P.S. I am taking the day off tomorrow!

Janet - I would come see you even though I get your advice for free on here. Just know I love that you are so passionate and are willing to help me and the rest with anything we are dealing with

Thanks Melissa - I don't know if pple in person could take what I say ;0) (you all can't see my face when I am talking and shaking my head - but again you guys already know what I am going to say ;0) hell I think I am in the back of everyones mind at one time or another - some choose to listen and some say - go away Janet LOL(- I think I would put off some pple - Not everyone can take tough love ;0) if you every read some of the post here - there are so many pple who blame their bands - not themselves... As us seasoned banders know - we are the one who makes our food choice and if you continue to eat like you did pre-band - the weight really isn't going to come off - it's not just about restriction - it's about what we eat and if we choose to move or not..

Merry Christmas to you all..

Hugs

Chris

It is 12:20. My guests left at 11:45. They started coming at 6. My husband thought that if he left his car parked in the garage instead of on the street like I suggested that when he had to leave for work between 10:30 and 10:45 they would all leave. Ha. They moved their cars to let him out and came back in. I had introduced them to the game "Catch Phrase". They loved it and didn't want to quit. Then they took family pics. Then they went and collected and shared the leftover food, of which there was a lot. With everybody bringing, Ken and I had overbought and they all overbrought. Especially our son-in-law who is a real foodie. Gift exchange went great. $10-15. We were going to do the Yankee Swap but everyone liked their gifts so we all kept them. My grandaughter (the only GK on my husband's side) was the belle of the ball. She'll be 3 in May and is smart as a whip. They all told me to bring "Catch Phrase" to every family party from now on. The younger adults at the party loved the game as did the older generation. I also had them bring their own booze so nobody was feeling any pain. I am pooped. Got all the perishables put away and will leave the rest of the mess for tomorrow. May actually sleep in tomorrow. I've been waking up between 5 and 6 whether I want to or not. But now I'm truly tuckered out.

Cheri

Merry Christmas to all!! It's midnight and DH finally went to bed so I can wrap his presents! He & the puppy, snuggled up, but I hear whimpering from the bedroom... puppy, not DH, concerned because I'm not there yet! LOL!

Wonderful day with daughters and their families and went to Christmas Eve services with both!! First at 3:30pm for the youngest grandchildren, then tonight with oldest daughter.

Mixed blessing today..... DGS who just turned 18 yesterday is going to be a daddy.. GF is preggers... I understand he is quite happy about it. But.. no diploma or GED, part-time job at a pizza place, etc! Not the best of circumstances, but.... as I said on FB... babies always a BLESSING and God has a plan!

Not to be Debby Downer, but another cause of concern... remember when I was whining a couple of weeks ago because Red Hat "Queen" gave me too many jobs to do at our Christmas party and I was stressed out? Well.... about 10 days later, her DH had a stroke. At first we were told, minor, just speech difficulty and he would be fine w/rehab. But today I had an email saying he's been transferred to hospice!! Totaly shocked and I'm not sure what is going on, but he is NOT an OLD man! Probably about my age... 67 ish! And, email says his wife will be staying there, too. She was having health problems (back) and I felt was walking on the edge of disaster... very high strung and not coping well with the back pain. I'm afraid this may have sent her over the edge... so, just asking that you keep Barb & Roger in your thoughts and prayers.

So now I better go be Santa and get those gifts wrapped. Love you all and wish you a wonderful Christmas!!

Phyll,

A baby is always a blessing, no matter what the circumstances or inconvenience. You'll be a GiGi (Greatgrandmother). That's what my grandkids call my mom to distinguish her from me. Your grandson has some mighty big hurtles to overcome but I'm glad he and his girlfriend chose to affirm life rather than end it.

Yesterday we had my husband's side of the family over except for one "niece" and her husband. That neice waited till into her 30's to get married and is now trying to get pregnant and has had some miscarriages. Her younger brother does date and is the type to want kids. He's likely to make his parents grandparents. But Ken's other sister's two kids are in their 30's, not married, not currently seeing anyone (oldest girls has medical issues and has never dated as far as I can tell), and the chances are going down of ever seeing them have a successful relationship and children.

They all make like crazy over Gracie, my husband's grandchild from his daughter Jenny and are all excited because she is pregnant again.

Ken's son is only 28 and has a live-in and will, I expect, marry this one. I can tell they're going to want kids fairly quickly.

But I could just see the longing on Ken's sisters' faces. Their kids are being "responsible" in today's society's eyes, but they're my age and have no grandchildren. And some of their kids may have waited too long and may have lost the ability to have kids.

Meanwhile, from my kids, I've already got 2 step and 4 biological grandkids and one on the way. With Ken's that makes 7 grandkids and 2 on the way. I love it. Two of my kids waited till they were in their early 30's but Rachel has two older stepdaughter's whom I've known since they were little. My son Jonathon got the first girl he ever dated pregnant at the age of 25. That was actually pretty funny. He was living with me at the time and I'd given him an ultimatum about getting back in school and getting qualified for something other than changing tires, or me charging him full rent or kicking him out. I'd cut him a lot of slack because he'd broken his neck when he was 21 which set him back a lot physically and psychologically. He was also easy to live with so the urgency to push him out of the nest wasn't that great. But once he got his girlfriend pregnant he not only went back to school fulltime, he increased his hours, married her, and generally got his act together, eventually getting a decent job. He did live in my basement with momma and baby till baby was two. They moved into their own home a few weeks before my basement flooded. They're never going to be rich. But they're making it. He's a great father and a great husband. His wife's a little flakey and suffers from panic attacks for which she is on meds so they're waiting to have another baby, but I adore my Skylar.

So who's to say when the right time to have kids is? I was 23 when I started having babies. I'm really glad I had them at that time of my life rather than focusing on having a career. Now it seems that young adults never grow up in the sense of taking on responsibility for any life other than their own, and sometimes not even that. No commitments, at least not long term. And spouses and kids, for better or worse, do mold us into people who think beyond our own wants and interests and make us have to rely on God. They break our hearts but also help mend them. I don't think that's a bad thing. It turns us into members of the human race.

Cheri

Thanks Melissa - I don't know if pple in person could take what I say ;0) (you all can't see my face when I am talking and shaking my head - but again you guys already know what I am going to say ;0) hell I think I am in the back of everyones mind at one time or another - some choose to listen and some say - go away Janet LOL(- I think I would put off some pple - Not everyone can take tough love ;0) if you every read some of the post here - there are so many pple who blame their bands - not themselves... As us seasoned banders know - we are the one who makes our food choice and if you continue to eat like you did pre-band - the weight really isn't going to come off - it's not just about restriction - it's about what we eat and if we choose to move or not..

Janet - I think alot of us who are on here love the tough love you and others give that is why many of us feel we need to put it out there what we have been doing that is wrong. Typing it out (or say it out loud to someone) helps me however I may wait a little to long to do so. I don't have the guts to do what Jewel does posting on You tube (which I love to see her posts) but posting here is the best for me.

Merry Christmas Everyone !!!! I wish you all a wonderful time with your family and friends.

Merry Christmas.

Have a Blessed, Happy, and Safe Celebration of this season when Love came down and dwelt among us.

Cheri