the best me

I agree, excellent analogy Jack! The love is still there. Hang on. Moments and days of discomfort and flare-ups pass, and we are all back together again. There are lots of different people here with lots of different backgrounds and personalities. It happens. I don't like the hatefulness and cursing and bickering. When it gets out of hand, I don't post. At all. On any of the issues. I just duck and run for cover! Call me a weasel, but chiming in usually doesn't help. Hang in there and prepare for the next go-round!. Until then, enjoy the love!!!!!

Yay Melissa! That is sooo cool! Gone for GOOD! for sure! Yippeeeee!

I'm laughing! I was going to bed but I'll wait! hehe! Yer cool!

Ooooo...that was a good'un! *smooch* from me, too P'nut. And thanks!

I'm thinking of you! Can't wait to hear from you when you are home! God Bless You!!!!!!!!!!

So, I joined Curves in March. I usually always go twice a week. Sometimes 3 like I should. Some days, I don't work very hard, but lame exercise is better than nothing. This pic was taken in May, where my average weight has been, what? 183? That's LESS than 10 pounds! But I'm also down about 10 inches. The trousers are Dress Barn Woman size 16W and the top is Dress Barn Woman size 1X. Even I can see the difference! Keep exercising ladies! I might be a slow loser and a poor cheerleader (LOL), but it's working! BTW-those cute girls belong to bondgirl. This pic was taken at our May lunch. Sweet! _____________ (this is coming up HUGE...editing help, please?!!!!!!!!!!) Okay, see this pic below...whew! I'm glad the huge one is gone and now you can't really see just how huge my nose is, just how uneven my teeth are, just just how badly I need to wax my eyebrows! LOL Thanks P'nut. I'll fix the rest tomorrow. g'night!

Yes, but at some point, our bodies start re-shaping. In Jan 2006, I weighed 190. The cargo pants are Lane Bryant size 18s and the t-shirt is Lane Bryant size 14/16. (yuck, I hat this pic!)

OMGosh, she came into your house, unannounced, unexpected, NOT on a cleaning day, and left a NOTE ON YOUR PILLOW?!!!!!! That gives ME the creeps! Super unprofessional, boundary-crossing there. Nope. NOT okay. A phone call would have been sufficient. I'm glad you cancelled. Make sure she gets her dough, that would be the only thing keeping her coming around. I'd be mad, but not panicked. Don't keep wiggin'. You are safe as long as you don't think she's wacko over not getting her money on time. It will be alright, wavy! You did the right thing.

DOH! This is whooshing over my head at warp speed. I'm sure it's funny...but....ahhh...I don't get it?! Someone 'splain it!

Thanks girls...I'm kind of amazed, too. I'm not done losing, but joining Curves in March really helped. And I'm no exercise freak either. I almost always make it twice a week, but I shoot for 3, and sometimes I just go in and do it, not really pushing. So lame exercise is better than nothing. Now, I need some editing help (yes, this is a plea!!) and can someone wax my eyebrows for me while you're at it?! LOL

Holy Moly! Help, it's still so huge!!!!...okay, P'nut resized it. Thanks!!!!!! I posted this in the Gone for Good Club and P'nut put them side by side, but you can still see it here. That 1X shirt is too big. I wish they had it in an XL. I tried on a few XL tops from "the other side" at Dress Barn Woman and they were too tight. I can wear a Woman's XL.

Holy Moly! You don't look very "Geezer-y" to me! Fabulous!

Yay! Congratulations! You have a little band baby! I can't wait to see pics of your new little man. Hurry with the camera!

Letty, I was banded in MX too, and my PCP wasn't very optimistic about the band either. It was nice to see her a year later...she was really impressed with my wieght loss, and I'm a slow loser! But I understand your hesitation to call a doc who you feel doesn't really understand. Do what Dr Rod said and keep an eye on it. And run, don't walk, to your PCP is you have any redness, warmth, increased tenderness, swelling, or other sign of infection. It's probably fine, just watch it closely. Hang on. I'm betting it will slowly clear up! Congrats on your band!

kathyjoester@gmail.com Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blind Date. I knew enough about him before I even met him that I thought he just MIGHT be a keeper...things that were important to me. He went to church, he did things to take care of his widowed mother (took her to get her hair done, took her to the Y for exercise class, etc she doesn't drive), he owned a home so I knew he worked and wasn't totally irresponsible. So when I met him, I liked him fine as a friend, but no spark. But I was also lonely, coming out of a several year relationship with a guy who ended up moving to Colorado. I wasn't really ready for romance and he quit calling me. GASP!!!!!!!!!!!! Best thing he ever did. I got my act together and he finally called back. Funny how the no spark turned into flames pretty quickly after that. LOL We were engaged at Christmas, married by April, and it's been 9 years and 2 kids later and we are very happy! I got a good one. My Mom met her hubby on eHarmony.com. They were married in Feb. He's 72, she's 67. You never know! I saw your pics on the Before/After thread and you look wonderful lins! Go get 'em!

FRED My sister once had a very large fibroid tumor on her uterus. We named it Fred and asked her doc if he could take a picture of it when he got it out. He did. We made "birth announcements" for only the closest of friends when Fred (and about 10 other smaller brothers and sisters) finally came out of her. Since then, she's had a hysterectomy, so I guess Fred will be the only thing she's ever birthed? Our family uses humor, too. It's a good thing!

Don't panic yet, you are normal! During the healing phase (the first 6 or so weeks) as the internal swelling goes down (some heal faster than others) it's normal to get the "where's my band?!" panic. Stick to your doc's post-op diet, eat what you can to keep the hungries at bay, and get that first fill. Hold on, this ride is long! You are just beginning! Congrats, and welcome to LBT!

Okay, so this is May 2006, with less than a 10 pounds loss, and about 10 inches gone due to exercise. I weigh about 182 with a body fat of about 38.5%. Even I see the difference. Cool! Oh, and the girls are Angie's...so sweet!

No hunger on the pre-op liquid diet is a good thing! I'm so sorry about your pain, Karen. I'm a dunce, did you get your first, was it, cortisol? shot yet? Or was that what the MRI is in preparation for? Hang on. You'll drop the first 20 pounds and feel like a million bucks. It will be so much easier on your poor back to carry around less weight. I'm so glad you got approved! Hey, there's a "pain management" thread on here somewhere, want me to go find it?

This pic was taken at around 190 (ain't that a cute pose? ugh I don't like this pic) back in Jan 2006, and as soon as I get my standing-up-in-that-outfit-at-the-May-lunch pic from Kim, I'll post it, too. It's less than 10 pounds difference. I totally don't understand the body fat %. I drink my water, I promise! Thanks Mary! :wave:

Yummy, mashed cauliflower! June 15th is fine...I'm penciling it in for now. It will just be me and Rachel. 3yo boys are too much trouble, and a hermit hubby would just as soon stay home with him. Oh well. I'll bring whatever. Lemme know!

"until I hear he's dead" made me snort my morning coffee! I certainly don't blame you...but I guess headless shots would do just fine? LOL Congrats though. I'm happy for you!!!!

Curves has a body fat % machine you hold onto and it gives you the percentage of body fat you have. So 39.6% of 187.5 pounds is about 75 pounds, leaving my FFM, I guess? at 112. I don't know, but thanks! I'll work on feeling as F-A-B as you think I am!!! Really, thanks!

Yup, it's bread, and very high-calorie-high-carb-sweet-not-very-good-for-weight-loss bread. You are much better off having some type of whole wheat/whole grain roll with a meal if you must have bread. On the other hand, I could eat a danish, one small sweet succulent sticky yummy delicious bite at a time. Well chewed, it goes down just fine. That's me and my fill level though. I don't eat them because I can't lose weight on them, not because I might cause any damage. Good luck, pianoman. Good to see you here!