It's been a couple of weeks since my last post, and a LOT has been happening...

Summer has finally arrived in New England! The rainy and cool June gave way to a slightly warmer July, but August has come in hot and humid. I do like summer (mostly without the humidity) and since I'm not as heavy as I used to be, I'm enjoying it a LOT more this time.

Amazing how NOT sweating all the time makes warm weather more enjoyable, plus the fact that I feel I can wear shorts and tank tops without being embarassed.

I never had the sense of body acceptance that some people considered 'overweight' by mainstream society have...I always envied that sense of confidence they had. I say that because I know of some women who are perfectly happy at their larger size and strut their stuff on a regular basis. They made me smile, but it was a sad smile because I did not share their confidence.

It took me losing the weight to regain the confidence I had when I was younger. Having been heavy a lot of my adult life - shoot, ALL of my adult life so far - and not being accepted makes for low self-esteem. I'm happy to say I'm recovering from that.

Happy news - I am closing in on Onederland! I'm only a few pounds away from breaking the 200 pound mark (203 as of this morning) and I can see it in front of me...somewhere I haven't been since before high school!

I know part of the reason I'm losing at a decent rate is my activity level - I walk a LOT - 6 days a week is regular for me. The Couch to 5K program ("wogging") is making the difference. My legs are shaping up, I feel stronger, and I've developed an addiction to the activity. I WANT to run - I NEED to run - and when I don't go, I feel rotten.

Even 90 degree humid weather doesn't keep me in the house any more - I just bring water with me, drink as I go, and run on!

My wardrobe adventures are continuing. Some of my 16's are getting looser, and I've got to go through my closet and get rid of the 18's and 20's - I'm not planning on going back there EVER again! I'm going to try on some 14's this weekend to see how THAT goes...I wasn't even sure I could fit into a 16 not too long ago, so now I'm hungry for more.

I have been noticing early morning tightness with my band - partly due to stress (I'm trying to change jobs within the same company) and partly due to dehydration, I think. Another LBT member, RestlessMonkey, posted a message that a banded friend had issues with being tight in the morning and when she increased her water intake earlier in the day, it got better.

I've done a limited trial on my own (recent lunch with co-workers) and drinking more water DID help...I'm going to keep it up and see what happens. I know I'm not getting enough water, so that can only help me.

If you're new to banding, do your research and talk to as many people as you need to in order to be comfortable with your decision - but don't wait until you have ALL the answers, because you might never get to that point.

You CAN do this - the folks on LBT and in your doc's office will help you. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions about anything I've posted - I'm happy to try and help! :sad:

I am happy for you and I share in your joy. I can't wait to get where you are. This morning I hit the 50lbs mark. It feels amazing and I am enjoying every minute of it.

Hi Laura!

Thank you so much for the good wishes - I'm glad you are doing so well on your own journey! It's just so...freeing...to know that we've finally found a way to get healthy by losing the weight in a healthy way. No crash dieting, no unusual food requirements, no dangerous drugs...this really is the way to go! Enjoy your journey, and I look forward to reading updates about you, too!