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I was thinking today about what I've learned so far on this journey. Shockingly, it was a great deal. Here are the top 10: 10. Know yourself. There is a ton of advice all over the net and in our own circles.. but we have to be wise enough to know how to "eat the meat and throw away the bones." Not everything that others do will work for you. We've invested in our bodies and now we have to make sure we get a ROI (return on investment)!! Don't sabotage yourself by trying to stick with the regimen of someone else. If you're not sure, speak with your doctor or nutritionist/fitness expert. Your medical team created a plan specifically for YOU! So while it's always good to get ideas and advice, we have to make sure we are first and foremost doing what is best for us. 9. Goals. Look to the future always. Don't get complacent w/the amount of weight you've lost or frustrated with the amount of weight you haven't lost..but always keep reaching for your goal. Set small goals in the interim and reward yourself. We're busting our asses and deserve to be kind and sweet to ourselves every now and then. 8. Excuses, excuses! While we are our worst critics, we also tend to go easy on ourselves at the least opportune times. "I've been working hard..I deserve that slab of chocolate cake." "The kids wore me out, and now I can't exercise." Don't get me wrong, I think we all need a break and need to reward ourselves every once in a while..just be careful not to let it snowball. I made this decision because I needed a lifestyle change.. not to continue to give myself "outs." 7. Positivity. Stress causes the secretion of Cortisol.. which leads to weight gain in many people. Thinking positive and generally finding the good in your situations creates what I like to call, "Happy Juice." Aka: Endorphins! Also created when you work out! Endorphins crush Cortisol and can result in weight loss! So stay positive and encouraged..even if that doesn't cause you to lose weight, you'll be a happier person! 6. Kindness. Be kind to yourself. I have a very swift tongue and can cut someone down like a hot knife through butter... unfortunately, I can do the same thing to myself just as easily. Remember it takes time to see results..but if we keep placing one foot in front of the other and keep pushing we'll all get to where we want to be. 5. Do something! Move your feet and your ass will follow!! Everyone works at their own pace. They lose weight at their own pace and that's OK. If you want to see results (possibly faster) and reduce your risk of other complications that come along w/being overweight, get moving!! Even if it's 30mins a day..some of us spend more time than that on the phone, watching a movie, talking to a friend, reading a book.. etc. The good thing about those activities is they can all be done in conjunction w/exercise. 4. No Magic Bullet. This band is not a "fix all" ..after you get banded you will still have taste buds that crave certain foods.. you will still be a jerk or a prima donna..or a sweetheart.. you'll still have money problems if you had them before.. you'll still have personal life issues to deal with. The world doesn't stop just because we've gotten banded. As we're taking the steps to lose the weight, we must take the steps to improve ourselves to be more well-rounded and level people. Don't neglect the rest of your life..the band, while pivotal, is only a small portion of it! 3. Support. Surround yourself with like-minded people, with common goals..not just for the band, but for life. This is such a life altering experience and you find yourself not only wanting to do better health-wise, but improve all the aspects of it. Make sure you have people in your life that will add to it, and not deduct from it. 2. Keep it simple stupid! Don't major in the minors!! The band is hard...but it's not complicated. Follow the rules and listen to your body (the good stuff) and you will succeed. Don't make the band something it's not or try to complicate it. It's a simple tool.. work it and it works!! 1. Prepare to wait! Patience is KEY in losing weight this way. As the saying goes, "We didn't put this weight on overnight.. we won't lose it overnight." I'm learning a ton about myself..but the most important thing I'm really starting to grasp is that I'm worth it!! =) -Mary-

So I had my blood work done yesterday and my gallbladder ultrasound. Tomorrow I start my pre op diet. Friday I meet with the nutritionist. I'm so excited but also super nervous. I'm so ready for this. I've been telling my daughter who is three that I'll be having surgery and I'm going to get smaller/Skinny. So on a daily basis she asks "mommy are you skinny yet" lol.. I say no not yet and try to explain to her that I will be normal size or the size of her aunt or my mom (who are both average size) then I will be "skinny".. she looks at me all sweet and concerned and says "but I don't want you to be a skinny mommy I can't love you if your skinny". She is so confused I say I'm going to be smaller/ healthier and she says "but where is the rest of you going to go? I will miss you".. I just keep telling her she will be able to love me more and longer because I will be healthy and alive alot longer now. It makes me happy that she loves me no matter what but also sad that she has no idea how much more fun we could have if I wasnt so big now. I am even more sure that this is the right choice for me.

Today, I didn't have the fatigue mid-morning like I did the other days. Step in the right direction! I'm getting better and better every day I'll be making an appointment to remove my stitches soon. Can't wait Starting protein shakes tonite

So this past weekend we had a sort-of reunion. My family is VERY large (my dad had eight brothers/sisters) and we're all really close. We also all (most of us anyway) have had weight issues. Thinking back as a child, any gathering we had together, ALWAYS focused and centered around food. This weekend was no different. There was ham, pasta, roast beef, cheese, potato casseroles, deviled eggs, brownies, turtle cakes, you name it! I'm proud to say that I had 1 deviled egg, 2 small meatballs, 1 slice cheese, and I couldn't help myself but I had the corn casserole. I went slow- got my protein in first and had NO, nada, zilch for dessert. I'm committed to this and if that means I'm missing out a little bit, well then so be it. Today I also discovered myfitnesspal.com! I've been seeing everyone with their weightloss tickers and that website rocks! Its so easy for me to pop the info into my computer or my phone. I also have to thank my co-worker for walking with me on lunch today. I wanted to stop at three laps, but she made me do six laps. She said, "theres no traffic in the extra mile". I said, huh? She said if you push yourself, you'll feel better and theres nothing stopping you to go the extra mile. No wonder she is also my business partner- what a smart girl! Mags

alright so here is the skinny..lol no pun intended.. my stats as of today 5'7'' hw: 265lbs gfs:250 dos:238.1 cw:202.9 gw:150 As of today I am 53 lbs from goal. I had my first post op meeting with my surgeon a few days ago everything went well.. doc said im on track and infact that i have lost something equivalent to those on bypass surgery, which i took as a good thing. She said that im healing nicely and that i can return to full workouts...YAY!!!!! THAT MADE ME HAPPY. Im gonna really start working my abs now cuz i want to have a 6 pack.. or at least something that resembles a 6 pack. So i have to admit.. lately i have been slackin on hitting the gym, but its cuz ive been really tired lately, i think a lot of it is due to the fact that i am NOT getting in my required amount of food and i keep forgetting to take my vitamins.. I know i know.. not good.. so im trying to get back on the horse and remember to take my vitamins and eat right. I am gonna keep this blog short as i decided to slice my hand open and its kind of hard to type.. but ive added progress photos for you to see! ITS A NEW YEAR!!! TIME FOR A NEW ME!

So, I'm feeling a lot better than I did. The gas pain is barely there. It comes and goes, but it's not a constant thing like it was. My incisions are sort of hurting, but it's not unbearable. I've stopped taking my pain meds just because number one I don't really have THAT much pain anyways and number two becuz it was causing me to hallucinate at night. Just trying to get all that medication out of my body since I'm not use to being on any kind of pills or medicine. I came home Sunday and Monday was probably the worse for me so far just becuz I'm use to having my privacy and being alone and there I was in front of EVERYBODY in my house and them constantly on me saying "you should be drinking more water"..."you should be walking"..."you should be doing this and taking that." I was going crazy!! I hated the fact that I couldn't move around like I wanted and go out anywhere. I was really getting depressed and started saying how much I regretted getting the surgery done. But, people were telling me that's normal. My nurse even told me before I left that I would have those days where I'm going to regret it and wish I could take it back and feel miserable, but to keep pushing forward and remember it will get better. Them nurses were such lifesavers, I tell ya!! But, the next day I got out of that miserable mood and just tried to stay positive and in a better mood. I know I have a lot of help and people that care behind me. I've been sleeping in a recliner since I've gotten home becuz it hurts to much to sleep in a bed...I just can't sleep right. But, as of last night I really don't want to sleep in the recliner at all. It's starting to get uncomfortable and all I want to do is sleep on my side. I tried this morning to lay in a bed and go to my side with a pillow in front, between my legs, and behind me, but I was still hurting and uncomfortable =( I don't know what I'm going to do tonight. It was such a nice day out for the last 2 days, yesterday I walked out to the deck and sat outside to get some fresh air. And then my mom took me for a drive around town just to keep me sane lol It felt soooooo good. I can't even tell you. Just to have some fresh air flowing through ya and just to get out and a reminder that there is a life behind the four walls I've been stuck in lol Today it seems like I've been struggling with wanting FOOD...I'm sick of the broth, I'm sick of the apple juice, and popsicles. I'm afraid I forgot how to chew!! lol All I keep thinking is I want a slice of pizza, a hamburger, some chocolate. UGH!! But, I think all I really want is just some solid food!! A small salad or even small veggies or fruits. But, I know it's going to be awhile before I can eat anything like that. One secret...maybe it's not a secret, but it's definitely been helping me out A LOT lately...is people been telling me live in the moment. Don't worry about the future. Recognize your success now. Well of course that's great and all. I do live by that even before the surgery, but what helps me is thinking about the future. Thinking about when summer gets here. How I'm going to feel. Thinking about how I'll be able to fit on the rides at the amusement parks again. I'll be able to wear jean shorts and a tank top and not be ashamed. I'll be able to do things without troubles or getting tired. I'll be able to fit in places without having to worry whether I'll be able to fit in them or not. And then what really gets me happy =) is I start to look online at stores that I couldn't shop in before...at all the cute clothes and I kinda start shopping in a way. Put things on my wish list. It really gets me hyped up and more upbeat about the present time. If you don't have something to get ya going and your mood positive you will end up in a slump. Attitude is definitely EVERYTHING!! Tomorrow I go back to see my surgeon for the first time since I seen him in the hospital. I'm so excited just to get out! lol But, I'm also excited to see how much weight I have lost already. I know it's only been 5 days, but everybody is telling me that I look like I lost a good 15 pounds and I can definitely see it in my neck and shoulder area! That's another thing that keeps me going. When people or yourself can start seeing results...ahhh it's a great feeling!!! Let me tell you =) I'm sure he'll be taking off my bandages that are on the incisions and that part I'm not looking forward to just becuz I have a very week stomach. The other night I was in the bathroom getting ready to take a shower. I was standing in front of the mirror and looking at the bruising and where it was all taped up. I almost passed out. I had to hurry up and lye on the bed becuz I almost blacked out. Let me just say it happened to me during the spring last year. I had fallen and skinned my knee awful. I thought I had broken it when I went to stand and I ended up blanking out right then and there. I ended up needing to go to the hospital. So hopefully I can just turn my head and get it over with tomorrow. This whole experience has definitely made me stronger and I never realized how strong I was until I went through something like this. It's definitely life changing so you better be ready to go! I definitely am =)

First, I want to apologize for all my whining last week. It was the first time I hadn't seen the scale move since I started this whole process. Anyways, I am completely ecstatic this morning! After weighing in at 219 Friday morning and feeling down, this morning I weighed in at 215!!! It's soooo awesome! I took the weekend off from the gym and I guess my body just needed to do some catching up. I had hoped to be at 215 today, and it's a miracle that I am lol. I literally jumped up and down and did a little dance in the bathroom. I even checked it twice to make sure I was looking at it right. I'm going back to the gym today, and this week, I'm not going to whine if I don't see the change on the scale because I know that the weight is going to come off as long as I'm persistent! Thanks so much for everyone's encouragement and kind words. I don't know how I would be getting through this process if not for this site and the people on it. On a personal note, my love life is going in a really positive direction. After being single for 27 years (yes, that would be my whole life!) I have finally found someone who appreciates me for who I am, enjoys being around me, and likes me as much as I like him. It's taken us a while to get to this point, and even though we haven't reached the relationship stage yet, I feel as if it's going in that direction. I have lots to smile about today! Adding some updated pics of me at 215 pounds!

Alright, so who has done everyrthing that they needed to do in order to get the surgery, and are just waiting on that pesky approval...THIS GIRL RIGHT HERE!!! I have Kaiser Permanente and there is 6 months worth of nutritionist appointments, information sessions, and weight loss classes, and now I have to wait on my approval. I'm so nervous but excited at the same time, and I'm not even sure that I am getting approved...Although I'm pretty sure that I'm getting approved. Think positive thoughts Janelle. Good Luck to anyone that is in the same boat!

omg 10 hrs and i will be in the hospital i probley wont sleep tonight but going to take a shower and try to relax see you all on the banded side

I am now down 34 pounds!! so it has been 3 months and two weeks, but it is steady! Slow is ok as long it is steady. Just think if I continue at this pace in another three months and two weeks, I should be down 68 That would be incredible!! I am so hopeful!!