Teachlady

Terry... You better take LOTS of pics or we definitely will be jealous. Not like I won't be jealous anyway.. You violets are so lucky to be close to each other and get to meet each other in person. I can't begin to think how much fun you're going to have. Does this restaurant know what it's in for?? Try not to get thrown out, k???

Here are pics of the lastest flower bed. The more flowers, the less grass to mow!!

Afternoon everyone!! Mission accomplished on the newest flower bed. It's been paved, lined, planted and mulched. And I got my exercise in hauling the blocks and the mulch, not to mention down on my knees digging BIG holes for the plants. DH has been working on the fencing. We have to have everything done by Sunday when the church garden tour comes through. Then I can breathe deep and let it go until next year! My mom would be proud of me. She was a great flower lover and had the most beautiful flower gardens. Never a weed in them and no easy way out with liner and mulch. I've got half my water in for the day and will probably finish the rest right now. I'm sooooooo thirsty. It's 72 out but the sun is beating down. I have a meeting tonight so I better hop in the shower and get changed or they will all be forced to sequester me due to the "flower stink"..

Good morning, all.. It's a beautiful day here and time for me to get out and get that last flowerbed made. I have the paving bricks down and now need to do the black liner and then add the mulch. For all those that have issues with weight or diet or whatever, you can get support here online for sure, but you really need to be talking with your doctors and your nutritionists. We're all different here and we all have suggestions which are valid. But the final word should be with those professionals that you have paid for either with your insurance or your own out of pocket bucks. I know whenever I call with a problem or concern, they are right back to me on the phone. Please don't think I'm trashing those with suggestions here. I'm not!!! But if you really are concerned and stressing over it and not sure what to do.... then make that call!! All you Texas people that are getting together.. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! I so envy you!!!!! I'm stuck up here in Northern Michigan and the in person support group is 4 hours away!!!

Lorien.. Did MESSA require a 12 month supervised diet????? I was told MESSA did not require that nor does it require a psych eval. I'm a retired school teacher and I was approved with just the letter from my pcp that I had followed a diet for 12 months (I did Curves) with little success. But I'm not MESSA anymore since I am retired. Did you check with MESSA about the 12 month deal????

Just got back from 8 miles on the bike. I listened to the radio the whole way. Love it, love it, love it!! I got petunias planted in the ceramic planter we got at the craft sale today. It looks really cute in my little wooden wheelbarrow in the front yard. Now it's time to relax a bit and watch some tv. Everyone have a good evening and remember to follow those bandster rules wherever they take you!!

I am 5'5" started at 233# wearing 3X tops and 22/24 slacks. After losing 46# I am still in women's sizes. 18W jeans, 20W dresses and 1X tops. Not only is height a factor but body shape is too. My 18W jeans are loose,but any smaller and I couldn't button and zip them up. My belly is the determining factor in clothing sizes now. I will rejoice when I can be in misses sizes!!

I started the no drinking with meals the week before surgery. It was tough, but it can be done. My treat inbetween meals now is my icy cold Crystal Light slushie. I put my Crystal Light in a Deja Blue bottle and put it in the freezer just before I eat breakfast. It's ready an hour later when I can drink it. I do the same before lunch. I drink 1/2 of one bottle between breakfast and lunch, 1/2 a bottle between lunch and dinner and then 1 bottle from dinner til bedtime. That's 66 oz a day, a little more than the recommended. And you must remember to sip, sip, sip.. no gulping!! Your band will remind you of that rule!

I just got up from a nice, long nap. After church we went to the Art on the Bay here. It's an annual craft show that is huge. I usually get a shirt or two and a jumper or two, but there was nothing I couldn't live without clotheswise today. BUT I did get some nifty decorations for the flower gardens. One is a copper peacock made with copper and lots of colored glass discs for the feathers. Another was an old window painted with flowers to hang up on the shed behind my flower bed. Lastly was a set of birdhouse fronts arranged together with some twigs. Really rustic looking and hubby is going to screw them to an old shovel so we can stick it in the ground. We each had a fresh whitefish sandwich without the bun for lunch and tonight he'll have left overs and I'll have my favorite.. cottage cheese with blueberries and brown sugar splenda. Then we'll go out biking and see how many miles we can cover tonight. I got a new radio/light/horn for my bike. I'll be stylin'!

Good Morning all.. Well, today was weigh in day as usual and for the very first time since getting surgery April 10, I showed a gain of 1# And yup.. I followed the bandster rules.. EXCEPT for taking 1/2 hour to eat. I can scarf down my meal in 10 minutes so I know now I need a fill. I'm not depressed,not upset. Just wanted you to know that even with following those bandster rules, you can still gain. Now I'll keep at it and hope that pound an at least one more come off by next Sunday. I'm up at the crack of 7 a.m. going to get dressed for church. Everyone have a great day today and remember to follow those bandster rules. Oh.. and Kat.. hope you get all those bugs outta your teeth! You sure made me laugh. And Terry.. WOOOO HOOOOO on your NSV!! That's AWESOME!! I can't wait to be out of women's sizes and into the misses department someday!!!

Pamela.. Glad you and your partner had a good trip and glad you're safely back home. We've missed hearing from you!! Kat.. I think you should send the $0.00 check with postage due.. hehehe Josie.. you definitely need an unfill if you are having reflux problems and can't eat. Those are classic signs of having too much fill. I live in Northern Michigan. Here it is July 14th and it only got up to 70 today! It's 60 now and I told Bob we need to fill up the hot tub and fire it up. My pool is down to 70 and I'd have to chip the ice to get in it!! I just got done framing the new flower bed with paving bricks and now I'm going to go read my weekly magazines..People, Star, US.. you know.. the heavy reading! Everyone have a great evening and remember to follow those bandster rules!!!

Ahhhhhhhhh the end of Garage Sale Part I has arrived.. It rained all morning and cut down the amount of people, but I made $125 and will be having the Great Garage Sale Part Deux next Friday. I still have a ton of clothes left, but got rid of a lot too. The funniest one was a "fluffy" lady who came in and bought a few of my things. One in particular was a cute denim dress with pleating on the bodice and little pink flowers. Nice dress. She says, as she brings it to me to pay for it, "I make denim quilts and I'm always looking for denim and this one is particularly BIG so I'll get lots more patches out of it". That was ego deflater #1.. BUT morale booster #2 was a lady saying.. "somebody must have lost a LOT of weight or you got these clothes from somebody else". Made my day. And DD observed.. "ya know mom, it's funny. The fluffy ladies come in, look at the clothes and end up buying the cook books!!" Hope everyone is having a good day. I'm going to take a nap!! Catch ya'all later!

It's 6:43 a.m. here. I'm up, showered, dressed and got my Crystal Light chillin in the freezer. I'm about to fix my breakfast AND it's raining.. arghhhhhhhhhhhhh. I have too much stuff in the garage to leave it all in there. People won't be able to get around the tables. It HAS to stop raining in 2 hours or I'm doomed!!!I checked weather bug and hopefully it will have moved out of here by 9, but I'm not holding my breath. I can hear all of you snoring out there. Are you dreaming of bandster rules?? hehehe

Beautiful, beautiful, BEAUTIFUL pics, Laura!!! The dress is awesome and you look beautiful! Sorry it was so darn hot, but think of the memories you'll have!! Glad everything went well and glad to have you back here. We've missed you!!!

I'm headed to bed early tonight. Got to be up at 6 so I'm ready for all those people banging on my garage door at 8 even though the ad says 9! Wish me luck on selling all my fluffy clothes. Everyone have a great night and remember to follow those bandster rules!!

I am definitely with you on the Violet's trip. I'd much rather do that!! That's why I asked how many Violets would be going on the lapband board trip. I too would rather wait and go with Violets.

Just need some info from all the Shrink'n Violets. Before I commit to the Vegas tripped being planned for Feb. of 08. I'd like to know how many Violets will be going. You are the ones I know best and would be most anxious to meet.

I'm back from Curves. I know you've been waiting for me to check in. Got showered and changed into an outfit I haven't worn in 6 years.. wooo hooo. It's SO nice to have choices of what to wear now. We're headed out to dinner with our cruising buddies. Haven't seen them in 2 weeks since they jaunted off to Scotland without us. Wonder if they'll notice a difference in DH and me.. errrr... I... errrrr US! Have a great evening. I'll check in when I get back. And I'm gonna follow those bandster rules someone keeps talking about..

What the heck is a trickler???

You're doing great Jennifur.. I'm proud of you!!!:clap2::clap2:

I got 1 cc in my 4cc band and did not feel any difference. DH got 3 cc's in his 10cc and didn't feel any difference except the nausea like you. We go back for our 2nd fill July 30. We'll wait and see how that feels.

Ummmmmmm Terry.... open yer eyes!! sheeeeeeeeesh! I haven't lost enough weight to be invisible YET!!

WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO TRACY!!!!!!:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

Good morning, all you lovely losers!! And I do mean that in a POSITIVE way! I had to step back from the computer last night during our heavy thunderstorms. I hope you all remembered to follow the rules even if I wasn't there to nag at you!! Househuntress... I have always had big trouble with motion sickness. The tea cup ride at Disneyworld almost killed me! BUT there is this nifty little pill I take that does the trick. I was seasick on the first day of our first cruise and DH thought I'd never want to go again, but after I had the bonine pill, I was good to go and never had a problem again. So don't rule out a cruise for that reason! Today I do my volunteer shift at the hospital and then have to get some money from the bank for the garage sale. I realized after I got everything put out and priced that I have a whole nuther closet I didn't touch. BUT I have no more space for anything else so I guess we'll be having another sale towards the end of the summer. Good thing we don't have to put the cars in the garage for awhile! Wherever we decide to meet, I'll be bringing DH along. Not only are we joined at the hip like Tracyk and her hubby, but he's a bandster too so he's double qualified! He can be one of the goils! I didn't get any exercise in yesterday because of the storms, though we did put up a few pieces of fencing, so I at least got moving a bit. I'll be heading to Curves this afternoon and I will be making a new flower bed with paving bricks and mulch later today. I gotta keep up with Jennifur in the exercise challenge!!!! I better go get dressed and get started on the day's activities.. Everyone have a great Friday the 13th.. gulp.... and remember to follow those bandster rules.

ONLY?????? Would you rather say "I've only GAINED 19# in 3 months, 8 days??" PEOPLE... this is not a race!!!! This is NOT a competition!!!! I applaud each and every pound you and I lose!!! Is there anyone here that has gained since surgery or not lost one ounce?? I didn't think so!!! Never forget we are in this together. We support each other and we congratulate each other and right now I'm CONGRATULATING each and every one of you.. there is not a slacker in the group. End of sermon. Amen.