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I post this here so I can refer back to it often. 1) Where you are in life isn’t a measure of your full potential. It’s a measure of how you’ve played life’s cards SO FAR. 2) It’s never too late to play your hand a different way. 3) If you challenge YOURSELF every day, you’ll have more experience when LIFE challenges YOU. 4) Just like muscles need to be broken down to get stronger, sometimes we need to be broken down mentally and emotionally to get stronger in their respective senses as well. 5) Sometimes the people that you thought were good in your life were actually the people stepping on your head. 6) Surrounding yourself with positive and uplifting people, thoughts, pictures, quotes, experiences, etc. is the way to FEEL like you are living a positive and uplifting life. The same is true for the opposite. 7) HUGE personal successes start with a LOT of smaller efforts that build a solid foundation for that success. 8) When you don’t believe in yourself, other people don’t believe in you either. When you DO believe in yourself, people get blown away by everything you accomplish. 9) Some of the same people that see you turn your life around for the better will try to bring you back down to their level in order to feel good at the level they are STILL at. 10) When those people start to succeed in bringing you down, FIGHT HARDER! KEEP your goals, and know that you STILL have MORE potential to unleash! 11) NEVER GIVE UP! When you give up, you are saying, “I’m not worth it.” 12) KNOW that you ARE worth it! 13) Life isn’t easy or fair. The people that fare the best are the ones that adapt in difficult situations. Teach yourself to adapt! Get creative! 14) The same routine yields the same results. If you’re unhappy, CHANGE something. 15) Patience! 16) “When you were in high school, college, etc…” < Stop living in the past! Live in the present! 17) Stop making excuses! Admit you’re flawed like the rest of the world, and figure out a way to be the BEST version of yourself. 18) The best version of YOURSELF? What is that? Figure it out. Experiment. Stop looking to others for easy answers to YOUR complicated personal battles. 19) Be proud of yourself! 20) Taking pride, and being a self-absorbed tool bag are NOT the same. So relax, and talk about your accomplishments a little. It’s OK! You might even inspire someone else! 21) Stop worrying about failure, and “what ifs.” Focus on what you WILL do instead. When you decide to do something, you find a way to do it. When you worry about failing, you find a way to do IT too. 22) Taking care of YOU should be a PRIORITY. It doesn’t make you selfish. It means you have self-respect. Besides, everyone knows you can’t be fully present for others when you’re not for yourself. Win-win. 23) Take out the trash. You’re not a dumpster, so get rid of the garbage in your life. (Whatever that garbage is- people, food, habits…etc.) 24) Allow yourself to be human and have “bad days.” You’re not a superhero. Get over it. 25) When you DO have bad days, find a way to re-inspire yourself. Even if it’s just by making a list of things you’ve learned in life and sharing it in on the internet 26)Patience! 27)Remove the Drama from your life!

Today was my monthly appointment at True Results. They always have the patients fill out a questionnaire prior to seeing the NP. It asks what your typical meals are, the size (1/2 cup, 1 cup, 1 ½ cups, etc), what exercise you are doing, and so forth. I answered the questions honestly. I am eating 1 to 1 ½ cups per meal and getting hungry between meals. I am happy to say that I am maintaining my weight of 169 pounds. So I don’t know if it is the head or not. When I met with the NP we discussed this and she told me a story about how the head messes with us. She had a transfer patient come in (they always pull all the fluid out of the band to verify the amount on transfer patients). She pulls out the fluid and puts it right back in (doesn’t add or remove any of the fluid). Two days later the patient calls her saying “I don’t know what you did but I have not restriction.” She has the patient come back in (concerned of a leak), pulls out all the fluid out again (the amount was exactly as it was 2 days earlier) and puts it back (again not adding or removing any fluid). Two days later the patient calls her saying “I am so tight I can’t eat anything” Nothing changed as far as the amount of fluid in her band; it was all in the head. lol I did get a small fill and instructions to get my timer back out and time my bits, put a dime next to my plate for a visual on the size of my bits, and most important, come to the support group on Thursday to help get a hold of this head game I got going on. Maintains is not a walk in the park!

Loved this blog,aj. I like you, have a hard time figuring out if it is head hunger, or real hunger. I too, need to be better at bite sizes and timing. Congratulations on maintaining your weight and thank you for sharing your thoughts, so we can learn from them. You do belong on Success Way!

this is the road you live on girlfriend:

Allow me to introduce myself. I am 38, happily married, a Christian, and I work in Accounting and Finance for a faith-based, non-profit organization that provides permanent homes and vocational rehabilitation for developmentally disabled adults. My work is extremely rewarding, but my job is sedentary. Sitting at a desk crunching numbers for over 10 years had definitely contributed to my weight gain. About 2 years ago, my health began to deteriorate (high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart valve issue due to the sleep apnea, foot and joint pain), and I made a decision to LIVE! I knew that if I didn't make a life change, I would not live to be an old woman. After close to 2 years of careful prayer, consideration, and loads of research and seminars, I decided to have the sleeve (I would have done it sooner, but insurance was an issue until recently). Today is my 3 month anniversary since the sleeve, and I have lost 62 pounds! I have turned into a healthy eating, exercising machine. I look in the mirror at this work out gear wearing woman and think, "Ok, who are you, how did you get inside my mirror, and what have you done with Kristy's body"? I have had no post surgery issues----no nausea, no vomiting, no food intolerances. The only food issue I have had is a dislike for eggs, no matter how I prepare them, I just don't like them anymore. My experience has been great and I have done exceptionally well. I have been blessed, and I contribute all this to my faith, the support of my husband/my rock, and the wonderful care I have received from my doctor and his staff. Being totally prepared has been a tremendous help, as well. The weight loss has slowed down just a bit now, but I am feeling so great that if I don't lose another pound, it has all been worth it. ALL of my previous health issues are gone and I feel like a new woman. I have no regrets, and I am looking forward to a healthy, better, and well adjusted long life. Being thin has never been my goal----being healthy is the most important thing to me. Even when I reach my goal weight, I will still be a plus sized person, and I am totally ok with that. I will be a healthy, plus sized person. Thanks for listening, and I wish everyone much success and many blessings! Have a great day.

I went for my 5th fill this morning, so today is liquids and tomorrow is mushies. Normal for me is to pick up a quart of milk and a quart of OJ to supplement my shakes and get me through the day because I am so freaking hungry. Just got out of spin class and sat down at my desk and opened a shake and started reading the forum. Pretty soon half my shake was gone and I picked it up for another sip, and Mistress Band said "Sorry Bud, but you are done". Now, she didn't say it in a mean way, she didn't bring out the spiked heels, I just looked at the shake and thought to myself, ewwww! (And I love my shakes). Interesting...

As kids our parents try to teach us need vs want, especially when it comes to things we want them to buy us. But, I think that this applies to every aspect of our life. When it comes to food, preband I was always about what I wanted to eat, not what I needed. Think about it- how often do you say "hey, what do you need to eat" when are are getting ready to cook dinner- you don't, instead you ask "what do you want to eat". I have come to the point where I must ask myself what do I need, not what do I want. Yesterday I wanted a donut, but it wasn't what I needed. I am 32 years old, it's time I grow up and become more about what I need instead of what I want. So what do I need when it comes to intake: Water (my body needs hydration to stay healthy and in balance) Protein (this is food for my muscles, my heart is a muscle and it needs this) Veggies and Fruit (balance baby- our digestive system will be the better for these) Good Carbs (again, balance carbs are energy food, but we need the good ones, not bad) Good Fats (yes, we do need fat, but the good ones not the artery clogging ones) Like we were taught in school we need a balance. A balanced intake is a healthy one. I am finding that the longer I am on the journey my needs and wants are coming together. I crave the healthy protein, I want the fruit, I would fight you for my water. I have become a spinich aholic- it gets added to much of what I eat- so healthy yet sooo good. The other day I ate some fast food chicken strips- one- it KILLLED my tummy. My body is adjusting to the healthy life and doesn't like the bad stuff anymore- how great is that. I am just 9 months into this journey, I am only 54 lbs down and wish I was more; but boy do I look forward to continuing this journey. It's not the diets of the past, this one is evolving and making me better as I go. It's not one I want to jump off of and go back to old ways. So, I am now looking at what my body needs and I will endulge my wants in my sexy new clothes my healthy body needs!!

Let me just say that I don't like Head Hunger. There is such a difference in real hunger vs. head hunger. Sadly, it has taken me more than a year after being banded and a lifetime to learn the difference. Since I was very young, I've fought the fat fight. I became a dieting expert....I was the professional at it. I'd loose 10 lb. then gain 20 lb., loose 20 lb. then gain 30 lb., loose 30 lb. then gain 50 lb. Well, you get the idea. I did this until I became a whopping 80-85 lb. overweight expert. It has taken me my lifetime to realize that my stomach isn't hungry....it's my head....it's my psyche. Now that I've learned that, I'm learning how to be an overcomer and a success. During the discovery of this revelation, I've lost 45 lb. I still have 40+ to loose. But, that's not even the best of it....it's getting my psyche under control. I'm on my way at 45 lbs. lighter. Not bragging, just grateful.

Brag girl.

I liked the don't live in the past. I know too many people who do. That all was great-thanks for sharing your thoughts.