I was talking with someone from work the other day, and she was asking me questions about my band... As we were conversing, I'd told her how I had gotten 'stuck' on a plateau for a bit, and finally started dropping again...

She looked at me and said, "Katy... you know you're going to stop losing eventually, right?" I didn't notice what she'd said for a minute and then it hit me.... She was looking at me, and in her own way telling me I was NORMAL. Not viewed as FAT... My brain still hasn't fully grasped that yet, and I'm not sure when it will... I am at a 12/14 and still view myself as disgustingly blubbery... And I'm not where I want to be yet... but other people see me as 'regular...' Unbelievable....

I fully understand! I have people at work asking me when I'm stopping. When I tell them in about 40 lbs the look on their faces! A few even said no way, they wouldn't be able to see me! Kinda funny, I still see myself fat!

Congratulations! It's such a huge adjustment for us to start seeing ourselves as "normal"; comments like your co-worker's start planting the seeds to help us do that. I'll bet that made you feel good!

Okay, great NSV!!! It's put me back on track...my whole goal is to be "normal" and I'm so not there yet. My emotional habits are fighting me right now.

But, reading this helps! :biggrin:

Thats great and I am sure it made you feel wonderful :biggrin:

Keep up the great work!

I am starting to notice comments like, maybe you are going to be too skinny, and you can't be eating enough to stay healthy :0). I am not afraid I will waste away :0)

Normalcy is so much more attainable than ever before . . . what a delightful surprise. Isn't it great???

Okay, great NSV!!! It's put me back on track...my whole goal is to be "normal" and I'm so not there yet. My emotional habits are fighting me right now.

But, reading this helps! :crying:

Gloucester, we all know there is nothing "normal" about you. You are just one crazy fun loving girl. When the fat leaves, that doesn't! :confused_smile:

My neighbor noticed how much I lost and praises me every time she sees me. She's an elderly lady and just a real sweetheart. We were chatting in the driveway yesterday and I made the comment that I still have a ways to go. She shook her head and looked puzzled and said, "Well, It can't be THAT much. You look fine the way you are now. Don't lose to much, you want to stay healthy." So I know exactly how you felt. She didn't see me as fat either. By my assessment, I DO have a long way to go. I'm just about half way. But I guess some people see us differently than we do ourselves.

That is great news! Isn't that something? I would have liked to see what how your face reacted. I was born in Michigan and have lived in California for many years. I was banded on May 20, 2008. I cannot believe how fast my body is changing. I went to the store last night and bought a new bathing suit - size 18! I used to wear a size 22. I haven't weighed myself for about 10 days so I know I have lost more.

Well, I think that seeing as in America, at least, the average size these days is like a size 12-14! A couple of decades ago, average was 6-8! People see you as smaller than what else is walking down the street! One plus to the Super Sizing of Americans- When you lose wt. you will be smaller than today's "average" person! People have doubled in size, but we are all on the way to cutting ourselves (not litterally, of course, but weight wize) in half!

I went out to eat the other night and had a cup of soup. Everyone else at the table had what I would have eaten a month ago. Today, it made me sick to think that anyone could ever eat that much at one sittting- it would have lasted me a week or more!!

All for saving $ and ourselves!:rolleyes2:

This so hit home. I was banded on 10/25/07 and to date lost 82lbs. went from a 3X shirt to an XL and from a 52 waist to a 44. When I look in the mirror I see my old self not the new person I have become.

Yesterday I was walking in the mall with my wife and when I saw my reflection in the store front glass, I didn't recognize myself. What a shocker! It seems that we are all concentrating on loosing the weight and not stopping to see how well we are really doing.

I started a new job about a month ago and the people there did not know I lost the weight. During a conversation with another employee, he shared with me that he had made the decision to have the surgery. When I told him my story, he was so excited that it actually works that I spent the entire lunch hour just answering his questions.

Please take time to see how far you have come and don't be discouraged if someone looses more weight than you. We are all different and may take slightly different paths but in the end all roads come together.

Happy in Lap Bandville...........................:Angel_anim:

That is great. Keep up the good work.