LiveStrong41

Beautiful post!!!

I am so happy for you (and a wee bit jealous). Ha! What a great way to celebrate your weight loss success. You're already smokin' but this next step is going to put you into legendary status.

You must feel fabulous!! You certainly look it.

Congrats to you... what a fabulous climb you'll be making!!

Best wishes! You sound like you are READY!!

Fantastic blog. Fantastic comments!! And a special thank you to LovetheNewMe!!

Thank you!!

Fantastic post!! And, sooo true. lol

Lisa, I can TOTALLY relate to your story! I don't doubt your sincerity for a minute! And know this, no matter what you decide you know your heart is in the right place, just like Dee's was, and that's what matters most. Maybe as more time passes your sister and friend will come to you with questions and you can tell them as much as they would like to know. Best wishes!!! And, if you're like me, sometimes I feel guilty about my friend who is struggling too (although she does know about my wls). Her sister had lapband and also the sleeve, but gained back a lot of weight. So between her fear of surgery and different negative experiences she's heard about she is not interested in surgery at this time. However she also tells me how jealous she is that I'm "getting skinny." Her idea that I will lose all my excess weight makes her both sad and jealous (this is what she told me), but I know she is also happy for me. I keep telling myself that I HAVE TO remember how important my continued weight loss is. I love her, but I know that I cannot let her conflicted feelings change my attitude. Before having this surgery I honestly felt like my life was not worthy. Obviously that is a mental health issue too, but the fact of the matter is my family suffered right along with me because my morbid obesity only amplified my bouts with depression. Long story short (sorry for the random rambling), you do what you need to do for YOU. And if that means talking to your sister and best friend (or not) then so be it. It's not like you're approaching strangers or co-workers and talking to them about losing weight. ha. You'll know if the time is right, if ever. I wish you the very best!!! ❤

Love your positive attitude. And, you really do look amazing already!!

Wonderful post! Your confidence is great and is going to serve you VERY well during this journey. I look forward to reading all about your triumphs and successes!!! Best wishes.

That is exactly what I would be afraid of! I really don't wish to telly anyone because I honestly don't think it's their business, unless they truly care about me. The only reason I would encourage an overweight friend or family member is because if they have struggled like I have, I want them to know it can end. When I asked a friend of mine who had lapband about their success I tried SOO VERY hard to convey that my curiosity was sincere because I was unhealthy, deeply depressed, and wanted my future back. I would be so hurt if I shared my intimate journey with someone who reacted in the way your friend did. Sad and disheartening. I'm so sorry and disappointed that you had that experience, Dee! I think for now I'm going to continue keeping my mouth shut. Your heart was in the right place tho... :]

I would love to hear from others regarding this too. I haven't any desire to approach anyone and advocate for Lapband but I don't want anyone who has struggled as I have to think I did it on my own. I have worked very hard in my life to lose weight and keep it off, but without weight loss surgery I just don't believe I could do it. I have a very close friend who has been trying to lose weight dieting and she already knows about my having wls, but I find it so hard to help motivate her because I just don't believe she can do it without this tool. Absolutely no offense to her, just that I gave up all hope on myself before this surgery, so it's really really difficult for me to have hope for others my age and up who have struggled all their lives. Really looking forward to helpful comments from the people who have dealt with this and really care about the people they have spoken to about this.

Now... get moving! hee, hee.

You can do this! You've already been through the worst. You're obviously very strong, so remember this as you take one day at a time to get yourself back into healthier eating. Let your dad and grandma help keep you motivated --you have some help from the other side now! I wish you all the best and I'm also very sorry for your losses... the death of loved ones can be so painful. Again, I'm truly sorry you're having to deal with this at such a young age. Bes wishes!

Yep! There are MANY foods that are "not worth it" to me, or just need a little tweaking. One splurge I like is a tasty Starbucks. A lot of times it sets a mood for me. It conjures up a time in my life when I was responsible for only me and attending school. Like how a good song from our past floods us with memories of a fun summer, etc. Well anyway, once in a while I'll still order a drink. I have a particular drink I usually always order because I know the calorie, protein, carb count and I can easily arrange my meal plan to accomodate for it. Anyway, the other day, I decided I might want to try a different drink for a change, so before ordering what I thought would be a good choice I grabbed their nutrition guide... and, uh, good thing I did... Needless to say, my old standby tasted better than ever. No guilt, better flavor!