vinesqueen

thank you for your kind words, <3 Kare-Bear. I needed to hear such kindness, because I cannot be kind to myself, no one is harder on me than I am, not even my mother. One of the reasons I tell everyone to be kind to themselves, it will hopefully serve as a reminder to me to be kind to me. Doesn't work as often as I would like. You are, of course, right. That we should be focusing on our souls and tending to that which is not temporal. But I am a creature of vanity, which is not entirely good for my soul. I want to look good, I want to feel good. And these are matters of the physical world, not spiritual needs, wants, or even desires. I was banded for purely physical vanity. Well, that and the fear of a lingering death from resperatory failure. 100% of my other attempts at weight loss were purely based on physical desire on my part. Vanity again. I do not know if souls have a shape that corresponds to a physical apperance. I cannot imagine they would, since our journeys would be limited to that shape, and the experiences that shape or condition give to us. I do, however, know that if I cannot picture something in my mind, I cannot achieve it on this plain of exhistance. I know that for ages the picture of me, in my mind was that horrible brown bathing suit, clinging to my wet body, my hair in a rat's nest tangle from the cold Water. Fat and ugly, fat and ugly, fat and ugly. My mind's picture of me has always been distorted, whether it was from a temporary but horrific case of poison oak, or the things that other people told me was reality. The picture on the previous page is neither distorted, nor fat and ugly. Kind of dopey, but not ugly, and certianly not fat. If I change the picture I see in my mind, perhaps I can change my reality.

nothing again. I'll not be weighing again. I will post my pix at the end though. Wait, I know, I'll just post the same pix I started with.

Not only did I lose weight on the Nutri system, but I also lost my gall bladder! Be patient, practice the Bandster way, and save your money.

I really enjoyed Starved. Hit a little hard for DH though. Of course, he's the one with the eating disorders.... He said the digging through the garbage is more a bulimic thing than an anorexic thing, but the thinks the thin man has a combined anorexic and bulimic thing going on. I wouldn't wish eating disorders on anyone. I've been learning about them from DH and from some of the folks here. We also have a couple of bulimics in my program at school. Their behavior remeinds me of one the teens I used to care for--she had a heroin addition, among other drugs...

well, I think I would prefer the cookie to the egg salad too. But maybe that's just me...

{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}

Congrats, and a job well done!

hey Lisa, I was simply confused by the first post, I thought it was a real case that you saw on the news. Oh, and I don't doubt that it could possibly be real. I don't doubt that there are people out there that were subjected to the RNY (or maybe even the band for that matter) because of their crazy parents. We know all about crazy parents, except for when you are in D-E-N-I-A..... I was just a little freaked out at the thought of a skinny young woman getting the RNY, what with having recently re-read Jessica's blog. That and my friend is recoving from the RNY...

Hi Gang, what a small world. I used to live in Oak Harbor & Woolley too... My DH and I used Northwest Weight Loss Surgery. I could not be happier with them. Everyone is just great. Jessie, as in she wrote the book on banding, does the fills, so you know the staff is experienced. In fact, everyone who works there was banded. DH has lost close to 200 pounds and I've lost about 35 pounds. I will be at the support group tonight in Everett, in case anyone else goes. Please feel free to PM me with any questions. Cheers, Crystal

okay. this was FICTION, and didn't really happen

Ah, right gotcha. I'm very glad you got the unfill. You don't want to risk your health or your band. It is a very good thind indeed that you had the unfill. I don't think of a total unfil as a bad thing. It will give you a chance to further reflect on things.

This weekend at the Beach I discovered that forgot a jacket. So I had to buy a new one. I picked up a 2x and it fit fine. A lttle roomy but that's okay. Wait a second... The sleeves are a bit long. Let's try the XL. I know, I know, an XL? that's crazy talk. Hey! this XL is pretty roomy... but the sleeves fit. so. I had this totally insane idea... What would happen if I try on a Large? oh, it's never going to fit, it won't even zip up. Nah.. I'm too fat for a LARGE. oh my gawd, she's actually going to try to put on a LARGE jacket??? What, is she nuts? Is she a glutton for punishment? No! She's the proud owner of a poweder blue fleese Long Beach Washington jacket!!! SIZE LARGE

Oh, and I thought a stone was 16 pounds...

I've been thinking about this all weekend, and I just wanted to tell you how proud of you I am. I really and truely am so proud that you have decided to be content with yourself, just where you are, just for now. I know that this is a phase in the process of "being here now." I know how difficult it is to live right now. Be focused on right now. Not on where you want to be tomorrow, where you want to be in the future. Not where you wre yesterday or a year agao. But to be here in the now. Not an easy task. You have done well to decide that you are going to be happy at the right now. I'm very proud of you, and you should be proud too. Self acceptance is not easy for us. Especially those of us raised by wolves and circus freaks, not to take anything away from real wolves and/or circus freaks, I'm sure they are lovely people, honestly.

Yay Jane! I don't have a good answer for you. I could easily make one up though... Maybe bandsters don't on average loose 100% because we have been heavy for a long time? I could just be making this up. I know that my "Ideal" weight is 125. Ideal only by the books, but not by what actually looks good on me. I've been down to 150 and I looked downright sickly. But I've got that frame that is really large... When I was seriously working out I could bench press close to 300 pounds. We are not talking petit flower... I'm not built like the ladies from Vietnam at the nail salon by my house. But again, congrats to you Jane and you too Yvonne! Congrats and a job well done!

Yay! Very glad to hear from you. Thought about you this weekend, and hoped you were doing well! Yay! Flat tummy! Yay! Early halloween costume! Yay! Mummy woman!

Yeah, I'm with Penni, this isn't right. what happened to "do no harm." I would definately be calling Inamed and possibly start malpractice proceedings. I don't know if it is criminal to do something like to someone, but it is sure unethical. You deserve the best treatment, and that ain't it.

Sounds coolio! I'll see what i can find. Not too many pix of me, but we all ready know all about that...

What do you collect? And what do poeple think you collect, but you don't really? I love old cookbooks, especially historical cookbooks. My DH just bought me a cookbook with of 15th century English & French cooking. I collect old books in general, Star Trek action figures, Micro Machine spaceships, blue glass and odd kitchen equipment. (I own two vegimatics...) My mother-in-law gives me shot glasses from all the different places she visits. Blue glass shot glasses...

Oh no!!!!! I'm sooo sorry you had such a yucky time of it! Yes, cold pizza tops are weird, I got stuck horribly on one. {{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGGS!!!}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Oh yes, you are doing it all wrong. You should be in agonizing pain, and puking your guts out. Wait, that can't be right, oh yeah, YOU ARE DOING GREAT!!!! This is what it "should" be like. I'm so sorry you are expecting the very worst. Of course you are getting a little tired, you just had major surgery. MAJOR SURGERY, not a hang-nail removed. One thing I notice is that many of us equate "full" with that horrible over-stuffed feeling, instead of being satisifed with what we've eaten. It sounds to me like you are satisfied and content with what your body is telling you, right? I eat cheese burgers on occasion, even pizza. Not an entire pizza anymore mind you, and not a giant mondo burger the size of a dinner plate. I eat a sensible sized amount of food. Why do you expect the worst when everything is going great? BE KIND TO YOUR SELF!

Looks okay by me. Life after the band looks nothing like this, expect... well, the water and the SF jello and the popscicles and the tracking stuff... And just who the hell give this nurse the power to declare you a failure? Uhm hello! Kick her to the curb. The Band is NOT A DIET. It is a lifestyle, and as far as I know, you it's the way you live your life, not die-t

oh... I hadn't even considered my music as a collection. I currently have over 3500 music tracks on my dell juke box, all from CDs I own.

My ex was in the Gulf War I, arts & crafts are very important... When I was first dating my new and improved husband he knew it was true love when he discovered I had more and better camping equipment than he did... I am a full time college student, and my son is a full time college student. I'm an avid video game player

Hi Mary, me again. One thing that sort of sticks with me is the "back to square one." I'm not sure what you mean by that. For me, when some one says that, it implies in my mind that they have lost all that they gained, that they made no progress at all. How do you "know" you could have done "better?" How do you know that you wouldn't be one of our slow loosers? I think you're already ahead of the 1-2 pounds that most of us loose. You are doing GREAT! "Any other diet..." Are you viewing your band as a diet? Why are you having a hard time being proud of your awesome, awe-some accomplishment? You should be doing Jenna's patented "booty shaking dance!"