gowalking

Here's the view from my apartment. The parade was a blast and my party went great. I threw away the potato chips and open bottles of soda. I'm bringing the leftover candy to work on Monday. I'm OK with it in the house for a couple of days...sweets are not my drug of choice. I underestimated how much food I needed...I was worried I'd have too much left over so I didn't buy quite enough. No one left hungry but I used to never run out of food before. I also have sort of forgotten how much food most people eat. I've gotten used to my portions.... So for me, I had some raw veggies with a bit of dip, a couple of mini meatballs, one Hershey kiss, and a few pretzels/chips. Was a little hungry when I finally finished cleaning up so I had a laughing cow low fat cheese wedge and a 100 calorie ice cream and that did the trick. Enjoy the picture I attached. Oh, and we got a good look at Whoopie. She was on a huge float and waving to the crowds.

Great advice! Hang in there Harley...this is a learning experience and it will take time to really know how to work with your band.

Hello all. So sorry to do this but we've decided to cancel tomorrow's NYC/LI meeting as the weather forecast is saying we will have rain, wind, and cold. While it's not much of an issue for those like me who are very close to the venue, we feel it will be too challenging for those having to come from further distances. We will likely hold another meeting closer to Thanksgiving and will keep you posted. Happy Halloween and enjoy the holiday! Oh, and I already had a Hershey's kiss and feeling no guilt. It's not about doing without...it's about living balanced lives.

Hello all. So sorry to do this but we've decided to cancel tomorrow's NYC/LI meeting as the weather forecast is saying we will have rain, wind, and cold. While it's not much of an issue for those like me who are very close to the venue, we feel it will be too challenging for those having to come from further distances. We will likely hold another meeting closer to Thanksgiving and will keep you posted. Happy Halloween and enjoy the holiday! Oh, and I already had a Hershey's kiss and feeling no guilt. It's not about doing without...it's about living balanced lives.

Hello all. So sorry to do this but we've decided to cancel tomorrow's meeting as the weather forecast is saying we will have rain, wind, and cold. While it's not much of an issue for those like me who are very close to the venue, we feel it will be too challenging for those having to come from further distances. We will likely hold another meeting closer to Thanksgiving and will keep you posted. Happy Halloween and enjoy the holiday! Oh, and I already had a Hershey's kiss and feeling no guilt. It's not about doing without...it's about living balanced lives.

We've actually decided to cancel tomorrow what with the weather prediction of rain and wind. We'll reschedule for closer to Thanksgiving most likely.

Happy Halloween everyone. I'm preparing for my party tonight. The Village Halloween Parade is a sight to be seen for sure and I'm on the parade route so I'm having people over to watch from my apartment. Whoopie Goldberg is the Grand Marshall. If I can, I'll try to get some pictures. Have a fun time trick or treating tonight everyone!

Oh...OK. We're gonna go there huh? Well...how about needing a special device to get an MRI of my knee? Yup. my leg was too large for it to fit in the leg rest that goes in the machine. They had to put a different rest on the table for my leg to sit on. And the last mammogram I had before WLS, I had to wear two gowns...one with the opening in the back and another with the opening in the front because nothing fit well enough to keep me covered. Oh god...the humiliation. Just thinking about that now makes me cringe. Hang in there all you pre-op folks. I have no issues anymore...not after losing 145 lbs. It will happen for you as well.

Congrats Elizabeth. If you are interested, we are having our face to face support group meeting on Saturday in midtown. All are welcome...those who are pre and post surgery. If you want details, feel free to PM me. Oh...by the way, Dr. Ren is awesome.

Oh goodness. Thank you for such a nice compliment Julie.

I also have gone back to makeup, nails done, and hair cut stylishly. I wear dresses at work because I look nice in them again instead of looking short and fat with tree trunk legs. It's not about vanity. It's about taking care of ourselves. I don't do this for anyone but me. Yes..I know I'm being looked at and I know that I'm getting attention both male and female but that's just the perks. I feel good about me and that's what counts. Keep on getting those nails done GF and remember that this is a huge NSV.

I also needed the large cuff for a long time, but it will be so sweet when you eventually need the small cuff as I did last week. Even the adult regular is too big for an accurate reading. I now need the small cuff and when my doctor said this, I wanted to shout it to the world. Hang in there GF, it will happen for you!

This I hate to see. We are worthy no matter what we weigh. I'm not a Pollyanna...I know that it's easier if we 'fit' better into society but to base so much on what size we are makes me so sad. I've met the most wonderful, strong, sympathetic, and amazing people on this site and to think that some of them are hiding how wonderful they are really bothers me. Riskygirl...you are more than your physical form. Please work on your feelings of confidence. You are stronger than you think just based on what you wrote here for all to see. Yes, it's easier to have confidence when we are smaller, but don't hide your wonderful self a moment longer. I for one am glad to know you.

That's a NSV Janice and much more satisfying than the number on the scale. Please remember not to compare yourself to others. If you do, you will always find something lacking in your journey. It's your weight loss journey and it will come off however it comes off. Also...you did not get large overnight and you won't get small overnight either. Just follow your doctor's directions, eat healthy, exercise, and you will get there, I promise.

My worry exactly. I already know that I get uncomfortable if I overeat but I can so eat around the band if I choose. I am really trying to act and think like a small person in that I try to not do more than taste a little of something rather than go back for extra. But I'll never be naturally thin and thusly I don't know that I'll ever think like a naturally thin person so I do what I can to help myself. I keep 100 calorie items close by. I keep trigger foods away, and I use good old fashioned will (or want) power. All my 'fat' clothes have been tossed or given away. I do not want to have clothes available in larger sizes for me to slide back into. I'm seeing a therapist to help me cope with issues without turning to food. As spectacular as the weight loss has been...this was still the easy part. The hard part is keeping it off. Here's my dream....I want to be thin long enough that people forget the fat me. I want only pictures of how I used to look. Hang in with me Tammie. We'll do it together you and I.

Thanks for the update Summer. You're original post was amazing for it's honesty. I bet alot of people can identify with what you wrote including myself. The bigger I got, the more I tried to be invisible. Sounds stupid when you think about it but there it is. I'm almost two years out of surgery and down more than 140 lbs. It's only recently that I walk with my head up instead of on the ground and that I feel much more comfortable just interacting with people again. When I see someone out and about who is large, my heart hurts because I remember all too well how unhappy I was back then. No...my life is far from perfect. Losing weight is not a magic cure for all one's ills. It is however, a great way to find yourself again or even for the first time. I bet that you find that job faster than you expected. Earning your own money is empowering for sure. Sorry that the family stuff is still an issue but again...nothing is perfect. You sound like a strong and capable woman and I know you will be able to deal with whatever life throws at you. Good luck on the upcoming surgery. I know you'll do great.

I'm a day late, but here's my transformation pictures. I'm below goal at this point so this is really a before and after shot but for those who are morbidly obese, it's good for them to see that they can be successful. I've lost more weight than I currently weigh. I haven't been this size since I was a teenager back in the dinosaur days..lol.

Just wanted to share a new NSV from this morning. I've been using short handled pocketbooks lately because I don't need to keep a hand free since I don't use the cane anymore. But I still have plenty of shoulder bags so I switched my stuff out last night for a bag I haven't worn in several months. I put it over my shoulder across my body this morning and the darn thing dangled low at my hip. Huh? Oh yeah...the strap doesn't have to go across the same expanse it used to. LOL. I made the strap as short as possible and now it's back at the waist where it belongs. These unexpected NSVs are so much fun!

Isn't it great when you appreciate how good the food tastes instead of just shoveling it in? I really enjoy it so much more now that I only eat a little.

Love your 'after' picture. You look beautiful!

Candy is not my trigger food. I bought small candies like Hershey's kisses for the trick or treaters so if I want one, it won't be so bad. Whatever is left over will come to the office with me and I'll put it in the kitchen for coworkers to eat.

This is a life time commitment, my friend from Queens (I'm presuming). Don't worry about anything just two weeks out. You won't lose every week, and you won't lose big numbers very often. It's the end number you need to think about. I've lost more than 145 lbs. and never lost more than 3 lbs. in a single week...and in fact, my typical losses per week were less than 2 lbs. Just stay the course, and the weight will drop. You know it and so do I. Good luck! PM me if you need to...if you are indeed from Queens, I'm just across the East River from you.

It must be so much easier to play with that little guy in the picture with you since the weight loss. Use him as your motivation. It's not just the band...but as CG says, it's how you use it. I see you live in Florida so go out after dinner tonight with your boy and ride bikes, or walk, or join the Y and go lap swimming with him. He'll love that he's with dad and you'll feel better for getting off the couch and moving around. Good luck!

LOL! I am small. I can see it in pics with my family. My granddaughter is 10 and she will be taller than me in another year probably. I was banded in January of 2013...so it took about 21 months. My PCP wanted me to hit the 150 mark so I made that my goal and I met it back in March. So for these last seven months, I've just continued doing what I've been doing and know that once my body has given up all the fat it has, I'll stop losing weight. At this point, it's pretty stable and I can't imagine it getting much lower than where it is now.

Hi Friends. Thought I'd post this before heading out to Water exercise class. I went to three doctors yesterday for some follow ups. My orthopedic surgeon was one of those appointments. I'm one year out from bi-lateral hip replacement and this was a regular follow up. The doctor is the head of orthopedics at The Hospital for Joint Diseases/NYU Langone in NYC. You would think he'd know everything medical right? No so much. He had several questions about the band and how it worked. He really didn't understand and I had to explain that I am less hungry which allows me to eat less. But he asked about feeling full and I told him that full means you've gone too far and satiety is what we're looking for. I also had to tell him it wasn't a magic wand and that we still had to work the program. He also didn't know that I had to lose weight even before seeing him to discuss surgery. He thought I was obese back in August of 2013 when I first met him. Little did he realize I was already down 70 lbs. Now, I'm down more than 140 and about the size I was back in 1977 when I got married. It was also the last time I was that small by the way. My picture is part of my electronic records in the NYU system and my doctor said I needed to change the picture because I didn't look anything like that anymore.....and he removed the obese diagnosis that was still in the system. Said it wasn't applicable anymore. Have a great day everyone.