vinesqueen

Great success! Cheers!

Margo's getting her ba-and! Margo's getting her ba-and!

Hi Margo, I have to agree with everyone else. Get to what you see as a goal, and then once you arrive there, see how you feel. I was a little freaked out because our nutishonist says 115-ish for my 5'5" frame. My bones probably weigh that much!

Sssh, don't tell my DH that it is for folks who only want to loose 40-50 pounds! He might be tempted to give back 150 just to make them happy!

Nope, I haven't heard of it, but then I'll need a breast reduction to run anywhere. (I just can't see running for fun if I have to have my arms crossed firmly accross my chest... but that is just me... )

I hate incompetence. You've been having this issue for a while, and I don't blame you one bit for needing to vent!

Since Sunday was Mother’s Day, it got me thinking about good advice from mothers in general. Well, my mother taught me something very valuable. It wasn’t anything she directly said or did, but like all the good things I’ve learned from my mother, it was just the opposite of what she did or said. <o =""></o> My mother has spent her entire life waiting. Waiting until she lost weight so she could do something. Waiting until someone else did something so she could do something else. When I was quite young I resolved I would never wait for my life, I would just live it.<o =""> </o> Yes, I was fat, except for the times when only I thought that I was fat. Even at my heaviest I still went swimming, I still changed in the ladies’ locker room, still went on amusement park rides, even though I felt like I had to shoehorn my way into the cars. I belly danced, wore cute skirts and had my hair cut the way I wanted.<o =""></o> Granted, there are things that I physically cannot do, such as cross my legs. But since I’ve been banded, I know that this is going to happen. <o =""></o> So, if you want that cute hair cut, GET IT NOW. Don’t wait for some arbitrary scale number to give you permission to do something. You will feel better with the cut you want, and if you feel better, you will look better. If you want to go swimming, GO! Don’t wait, just do it! It’s great exercise and fun too. If you are worried about what some stranger thinks, TOUGH for them. They are not the boss of you, so don’t let them act it. Only you are in control of your life, so take control. One of my favorite biblical passages is “judge not lest ye be judged.” I think this goes for not judging yourself as well. Don’t accept the judgment of strangers; don’t let it keep you from doing what you want to do either. Say it with me "I deserve the best the Universe has to offer!"

I would love to go on Oprah too... Have my DH show off all the weight he's lost... all the size he's lost....

I was a Navy wife... Also, my Dad was always stationed in a differenct city from my mom (both parents worked for the airlines), so this is sort of normal for me. But then again, I was raised by wolves ... Some days I make a game out of it, pretenting that they are in the next room while I instant message them. Instead of yelling from one end of the house to the other we will IM each other. Paula, if my Spudboy was little like yours I couldn't have done it. He would be here with me, no question. But he's a young man now, so it is a little easier.

Sunday night I woke up because I was laying on something hard. I figured that I must have rolled over on a book or something like that. (I sometimes fall asleep reading). I felt around in the dark, but I couldn't find anything that didn't belong in my bed. The hard thing? it was my ribs.

oh Penni, Penni! I'm so sorry to hear this. I understand they are very painful! Ouchies!

Angeleyes was banded on Tuesday, 4/5 in Provo UT. Hope you have a great recovery, and please check in when you can. Welcome to the Banded Gentry!

Funny how one person will read something and take it one way, while another person will take it completely differently. Jenna, I'm sorry you feel that low bmi folks are being "blasted." I have NEVER read anything on this board that I would consider blasting a low bmi person. Expressing surprise that someone with a relatively low bmi is considering the band is not blasting, it is simply expressing surprise. I'm sorry you think of yourself as a pig. I know that you are a cop, and "pig" used to be something that cops were called. I don't know if it is still the case. Could this be part of where part of your self-image comes from? This has to be a painful thing for you, and I am sorry for your pain. But your pain is not my pain. Your pain is not universal. I started my Band journey weighing almost 300 pounds. But you know what? My weight has not kept me from doing anything. And it certianly hasn't kept the boys away. At the last frat party I went to there were men clustered around me, plying me with drinks, wanting me to dance with them and in general vieing for my attention, wanting my phone number. And these boys were in the 20-25 age range for the most part. I'm 43, and these boys were facinated with me, all 275 pounds of me. When I enter a room, I if I so desire, I own the room. When I want to, I have a commanding presence. My weight has nothing to do with that. It has everything to do with my confidence in who and what I am. I too am an over achiever. I'm fat for lots of reasons, but mostly because I have been on masive doses of steroides since I was a little girl. I've been on other medications that cause a huge weight gain. I certianly wouldn't consider a PM a "chicken shit" approach. I would view it as a way to try to resolve a matter privately, and with some sensitivity. I know that people in different parts of the country and world for that matter, handle conflict differently. I probably would have also sent a PM. I believe that Babs did just the right thing. We have lots of lurkers here. Just because they don't wish to participate in your poll doesn't have anything to do with anything. Some are not ready to introduce themselves, others don't need what we offer. And that's fine too. I'm sorry Jenna that you have such self esteem issues. But your issues are not my issues. They are not universal issues. Fat does not equal ugly. I am not a pig, and I don't believe anyone else is either.

Monday will be my eight week bandivarsy. All my pants have been very baggy, so today I tried on a pair of pants I haven't been able to fit for 4 years and I could button them! Size 22 black jeans.

Emmy, this IS my weight-loss journal! Maybe one of the blog spots? I think all the major portals (MSN, Yahoo, etc) have a blogging tool... but your milage may vary!

No staples for me, but yes, I was a big whiney baby too. But no fear...

Why no belly dancing? I had my gall bladder out about 7 years ago, and can only find one of the scars from that.... I expect in 7 years to only be able to find my port scar in 7 years.... I belly danced at almost my highest weight (was too sick at my actual highest) but then I've never let my weight stop me from doing anything. Probably much to the chagrin of my friends...

about 4 weeks for us, but I don't live with my husband. (I'm in exile... )

Jack, at home in Seattle I l-o-v-e the water, but I now have a new understanding of water. It is TERRIBLE here. I just cannot drink tap water, it is too... icky, hard, harder, hardest. If I leave a glass of tap water out over night, there will be a minieral ring from where it evaporated. If I don't drink bottled water, I have to have something it in. It isn't pretty.

My angel saved me from becoming one of Leonard Lake and Charles Ng's victime. I had been working at the Ren Faire in Novato, CA, when I met Leonard. He took a fancy to me, and invited me to go visit him at his cabin in the Mountians. As soon as he touched my arm, it was.. aweful. A voice told to me run away as fast as I could, but make sure I didn't upset him in any way...

I would say you will be just fine. Make sure you go grocery shopping before your surgery so you have things like popscicles and juice and gas-x and Protein drinks on hand. You may not feel like driving anywhere for a few days. Get your prescriptions filled before your surgery too, that will save some bother. We'll be here for you!

You look great Lisa, but I'm a little confused... Who is that fat short brunette in the photo montage? So you lost 70ish pounds and grew two inches taller? Can I expect the same results? I've always wanted to be 5'7"... No port maybe, but baby you look great!

Paula M, I've been thinking about this all night. It really isn't for me to tell you whether to have it or not, but you are asking for opinions, so here goes. The lap band, or any other WLS is a very drastic step to take. Like the others have said, this isn't a malabsorbtive technique, and it is possible to gain weight after any WLS. You would still want your comfort foods. The band won't stop that, or probably stop you from eating your comfort food either, since most people have soft comfort foods. One of my main comfort foods is ice cream, because for me, ice cream = love. Yeah, I know... One of the things anyone considering this needs to understand is that it is a lifestyle change. Are you really ready for an alternative lifestyle? Since your insureance company won't cover this, you would have to go outside the country. This will be expensive, like new car expensive. My recomendation to you is this: instead of using the money on an expensive, invasive surgery is to hire yourself a really good personal trainer and a nutrishonist. Many sports and health clubs offer these services. Make that commitment to yourself first. If you find that after working with the trainer and nutrishonist for a year or so and you are still not happy then look at the surgery again. Good luck on your jouney. Travel safely.

okay, since today is payday, I'll go to Fred Meyer and buy a new, hopefully Crystal-proof pedometer after class. (btw, a Friday class that goes until 5:00 pm is just wrong I tell you!

Welcome to the Banded Gentry!