DivaStyleCoach

Our normal monthly lap band support group meeting in New Haven was a good one this month...two new people who were looking for information, one lady who was newly post-op (about 2 weeks out from her surgery), one lady who is scheduled for surgery within the next 2 weeks, plus our session leader and myself. We stayed past the regular 8 pm stop time, we were having so much fun talking. :cursing: It's really cool to meet new people who haven't yet been banded and help them through their journey. The band is so individual and everyone's experience is a bit different, but having that support is so valuable. I really like sharing the ups and downs (mostly ups) with others...I learn something every time I go to the support group. I've told everyone who I meet there about LBT - hoping that they too will find their way here and get additional information that will help them on their banded journey. Some wonderful NSV's have been happening for me lately...I'm a fan of Lane Bryant's clothing, and my sizes keep dropping. I'm sitting here right now wearing a pair of Right Fit Jeans (taking advantage of Casual Friday) in a size Red 2. When I started my weight loss journey, I was wearing size Yellow 5's. That means not only am I down three clothing sizes, my body is reshaping and my waistline is gaining definition. Beyond the obvious aesthetic benefit, it also means that one of the determining factors in heart disease - carrying excess weight in the midsection - is going away for me. I've read articles that say the "apple" shaped body is one that has a higher potential for heart disease because the excess fat surrounds your vital organs and can affect your heart and lungs more than when you carry your weight in your hips and thighs. It is mostly men who carry their weight in the "apple" shape - more women are shaped like "pears" - at least that's the theory. I have noticed over the years that I am seeing more and more women with apple-shaped bodies rather than pear-shaped bodies and it scares me. I did not want to become a statistic, hence my becoming banded. Losing weight in my waist also means that I can experiment with belts more...I just bought a dress at Lane Bryant (on sale - I try never to pay retail!) that has an elastic belt that goes along with it. In the past (my pre-banded life) I would have just snipped off the belt loops and worn the dress without a belt - they never looked good on me.:thumbdown: Now that I've lost 37 pounds, however, and because I am active and working out, I can wear that dress with the belt and it looks good -at least that's what my hubby has said! I'm thrilled that I think I look good in the dress as well - we are always harder on ourselves than anyone else in our lives. I'm just finishing up my lunch - one half of a turkey sandwich on wheat, with lettuce, tomatoes and provolone cheese. In my pre-banded life, I would have scarfed down that sandwich and been looking for seconds. It was an exercise in patience to finish half of the sandwich. I'm so happy I could just scream! :cursing: I am looking forward to summer for the first time in a LOT of years - because I know I'll be in better physical shape and be able to enjoy it more. I'm looking forward to traveling and having fun this summer without food being the major emphasis. It's funny in a way - I referred to my relationship with food in the past as an obsessive (and abusive) love affair. No matter how badly the food I ate treated me, I kept going back for more - I couldn't stand for someone else to get more of it than I did. I equated food with love - that started in my early teens, and funnily enough, so did my weight gain. Now that I must truly make choices with food that allow me to "eat to live, not live to eat", I am making better choices. I do sometimes mourn the comfort I used to be able to find in food - now I have to find it within myself. I am looking forward to finding out more about ME - all the things I wouldn't allow myself to experience because I was afraid I might stand out too much because of my weight and size...how much life have I missed? I can't get that lost time back, but I can commit to never hiding from life again! For those of you on this banded journey, take time to reflect on who you are becoming...your interactions with others, the "inner voice" you use to talk to yourself, and what you truly see when you look in the mirror. If you're not yet banded, I encourage you to keep up your search for information, but realize there will never be a perfect time to be banded - LIFE will always get in the way. Don't wait so long that your options are limited - do something for YOU, for your health NOW. As always, email me if you have questions, or just want to talk...I'm here for ya!

Thanks everyone for the kind comments and wonderful compliments :thumbdown: I will try to write more often now that I know people are looking forward to my posts!

Glammaw (love the new name!) - it sounds like you might be a little too tight. Can you get your meds in powder or liquid form? If not, you may have to contact your doctor and see if you can crush them before taking them. I'm on my third fill, have good restriction, and am losing at a good rate, so I'm okay. I've found that certain days and certain weather conditions make a difference for me. I haven't had to resort to protien shakes yet, but if I was tighter I would... Are you having any trouble with mushies or just solids? If you can't get mushies down, you are probably too tight - maybe just a small adjustment will do the trick for you. Good luck and let us know how you are doing...don't wait too long to call your doc if you really can't eat much - malnutrition is NOT a recommended method of losing weight!

That is one HOT bike, girlfriend...I'm so envious (in a good way)...*stamping foot again* I WANT A MOTORCYCLE! I'm here, G4E - and with no supervisor/manager in the office today (her dad's birthday weekend - ain't that sweet!) I'm actually going to try and keep up with the posts today... Found this pic of Arnold as the Terminator in the 1991 movie, Terminator 2...he rode a HD Fatboy in the movie. It's one of the biggest bikes that Harley makes, and distinguishable partly by the solid front wheel (no spokes). It's a big, heavy bike...one might almost call it muscular...and it's the one I'd love to own! Here's a great shot of one that's for sale on Ebay:

Get off the computer? Blasphemy! :thumbsup: Sorry you had to lose your PB cherry...Oops, was that inappropriate to say? :eek: Hopefully you don't have to experience it too often, and YES it does hurt! :thumbup: Agree with Lulu here...our Labrador Retriever contracted hip dysplasia and the pain made our sweet, lovable dog a snappy, mean mess after a while. Nothing we seemed to do helped, and we had to let him go (R.I.P. Dave ). PJTP...I'm having a good afternoon! Took a walk in the humid outdoors (not a complaint - I was plenty warm!) and looking forward to attending a play tonight with DH.

Seven years...that is persistence personified! Congrats to your SIL - I'm definately not gonna quit now. I have to set the example for my DD - and I'll be the first one in my family with a Bachelor's degree as well...:thumbsup:

I definately feel your pain on that one...I am on diabetes meds as well, plus Lantus long-acting insulin, which was NOT helping either...I recently dropped my Lantus dose (with ok from my doc) from 12 units down to 6 and I feel certain that's what helped me to lose 11 pounds last month... It's a slower road, but one we have to take. Maybe they can adjust your dosage? Switch you to a different medicine? I hope it resolves soon...:thumbsup:

Originally Posted by Kat817 I plan on being astraddle as much of the weekend as possible, if not the motorcycle or horse, maybe even the DH!!!!!! Must be something in the air, Kat - I'm feelin' the same way! I wish I had a motorcycle to ride, but my first choice is ALWAYS my DH for a good ride! :thumbup: *stamping foot* I WANT A MOTORCYCLE! Unfortunately, with DD going off to college in the fall, and the recent hit to my pocketbook, it will probably have to wait, but... What I REALLY want is a Terminator-edition Harley FatBoy...*sigh*

Mljalways - could you be eating TOO LITTLE? I know that's a weird concept for us, but...:grouphug: How many calories are you burning with activity / exercise? I've read elsewhere on the site that if you are burning about as much (or more) than you are eating, you can put your body into "famine mode" and it will hang on for dear life to every single calorie. If you don't have access to some kind of monitor (I use my Bodybugg to keep track of calorie burn and food intake), then try increasing your calories a bit (maybe 250 calories) for a few days, keep your activity level the same, and see what happens... You can also check with your doctor or nutritionist - and since I'm definately NOT a doctor, that might be a good first step. Do you log your food intake? Maybe going over that with a nutritionist would help figure out what's going on... Good luck - I bet that's really frustrating! Hang in there! :thumbup:

Denny - you have done an AMAZING job...I'm only down 37 since starting - you've gotten TRIPLE the results that I have! Way to go! You inspire me - now I think I'll reset my goals and get my butt in gear! :thumbsup:

PJTP... Had a good lap band support group meeting in New Haven last night - all girls, lots of questions from noobs, three vets there to help answer everything, and all is right with the world. Lots of compliments on my weight loss so far - and I'm looking forward to clothes shopping this weekend! Just a little though - college bills coming! I'm one class away from getting my Associates degree and planning to continue - should have done it YEARS ago, but kids and then work interrupted me...yep, it's late, but I'm going to finish! Goal is to have my Bachelor's before I turn 50 (I've got a little over 3 years)... Got some really good answers to questions about plastic surgery and prepping for it (yep, I'm thinking long term). Dr. Schulman's thread is wonderful - he has a lot of wisdom and is sharing it freely. I see a trip to New York to get him to do my surgery when I get there. Long range goal is to reach my goal weight by Christmas (yep, ambitious, but that's me) and then stabilize by summer so I can have the surgery next summer (6 months at goal before I do the surgery). Happy to be going to Arkansas at the end of the month for the annual Black Pilots Association get-together / fly-in called Skyhook. Lots of good people - good food too, but since I'm banded now, I won't have to worry about overeating! YAY! I can have a taste of this and a taste of that and not worry, because "Jillian" will keep me on track! Babygrl - congrats on the scale moving in the right direction! Yay for you!:idea: Plain applying anything to any part of his body - nightmare inducing! (just kidding, Plain) :grouphug: Tapshoes - yep, unmatched greed (along with a few other terms not nearly so nice) come to mind...why oh why do they feel the need to put the ENTIRE burden on out-of-state students? A moderate difference between in-state and out-of-state I can understand, even a moderate tuition increase I can understand, but damn! G4E - prayers for your family...I HATE tornadoes...they scare me no end. Living in Michigan, we didn't see many, but heard a lot about the bad ones in "Tornado Alley" in the midwest and the heartland of the country. Always sending up prayers for those who live in the path of danger, and the emergency responders who risk everything to go and help. Slim - I agree with answering the phone "Hell - NO!" when MIL calls...she's a real piece of sh*t, I mean a piece of work :thumbsup: If I missed anybody (or any subject), sorry 'bout that!:thumbup:

Yay Tina! That sounds wonderful...hope my recovery is as uneventful as yours when my time comes (hopefully next spring, if my plans bear fruit) :thumbup:

Right about now, Beth, "devil is sweating" hot sounds really good...my office is FREEZING!!!!!

Watched the show with interest last night...I'm amazed that they all finished a marathon! I don't know if I'd be ready to do that...that was awesome! Jillian is hot - no matter what her orientation. :wub: I'd love to have her arms. :wub::wub: Even my DH who usually says women her size "need a sandwich" doesn't have ANYTHING bad to say about Jillian... Love Tara - I hope she wins it all.:thumbup: Helen whines too much for me - grow a set, already!:thumbup: Mike finishing the marathon with a semi-injured hip was cool to watch - very inspirational. Ron finishing the marathon was amazing - pure grit. He just refused to give up and it was very cool to see all the past participants come and walk with him. Yep, I still dislike him overall, but last night was a redeeming moment for him. Feeling sorry for Max - he's got three people in his house that have lost the weight and he's still big. To his credit, he really seems to be working on it - I hope he makes it. Can't wait for the live finale!:thumbup:

What a tiny world we live in! I've run into people in Virginia who are from CT, and others in various places who used to live in MI, or who went to the same high school I did (Cass Tech). I'm with ya on that one, Lulu - the past few mornings the seat heaters in my DeVille have been very, very nice! My DH teases me that I'm always wanting the house "Africa Hot"...well, since I was banded, "Africa Hot" feels pretty good! I've been known to take my lunchtime walks with a sweatshirt jacket on and gloves because it's fairly warm out, but my hands are still cold, so...

PJTP... I lived in Michigan for the first part of my life too - I'm a native Detroiter (if I hadn't already said that). I am getting less and less tolerant of cold. Something about being banded - I am cold all the time now. Add to that the fact that I'm anemic, and well, you've got a gal over here that is anxiously awaiting summer! Usually I like it around 75, but I'm hoping for comfort at 80-plus this summer! :laugh: Drama at home - DD's college raised tuition prices steeply this year. Out of state tuition went from 10K to 24K, so we are scrambling to find money.:smile2: So far, the hunt is going well, so keep your fingers (and toes) crossed that we'll be able to bridge the gap and send her to the school she loves.:laugh: Too bad I don't have relatives in VA to send her to...but then getting residency for college tuition purposes is harder than he** in VA. Methinks they've been burned on that a few times... Work is going ok...not great, just okay.:cool2: I'm not getting hammered every day for little mistakes any more, but I'm just not really comfortable right now. It's partly the economy, I think, and partly just that I'm still feeling blindsided. Gotta find a way to let that go so I can get some mental peace. :w00t: So how's everyone else's day going?

Tina groupie checking in...:tt2: And I agree wholeheartedly with my sister-from-another-mother Beth...MyMy - STFU! I also agree with Lulu - your grammar and spelling are quite hard to read and yes, disturbing...good riddance to bad rubbish. Sorry mods! :thumbup: Methinks I smell a little envy going on here...:smile:

ddgalarza, What style is the dress? If it's a very fitted dress, you indeed do have a dilemma...since they said they can only take it in two sizes, I'd order the size 16, and then if you go down to a 12, you'll still be okay. Sounds like you are moving along very well with your weight loss, but there's really no way to determine how much more you will lose. Heaven forbid you have a slow period! If the dress is not really fitted tight to the body, a size different won't matter a whole lot - if you are smaller than the dress by more than two sizes, taking it in two sizes will make it better, but not perfect. At least you don't have to worry about them having to let it OUT! :thumbdown:

Hey Tina, You've got absolutely NOTHING to apologize for...none of us can truly understand or know what you have been through, and with very few exceptions, most of those who post here sympathize and understand what you have been through and wish you nothing but the best. Do not let ANYONE make you second-guess your decision or doubt the ones you've made since then! You have EARNED the right to direct your own life with what you've been through, and it's just TOO DAMN BAD your EX-husband didn't know what he had before he screwed around and screwed up! You've always been the person you are right now - it's just that the extra pounds were literally "weighing you down"...now you've lost all that stuff you didn't need (including the cheating man) and you can fly free! You have made sweet and tart lemonade out of the lemons you've been handed, and while you might not have sweet days all the time, you will definately have more sweet than sorrowful. YOU GO GIRL!!!!! You look fantastic, you feel good about yourself, and you're moving on in a POSITIVE direction... To quote Jay-Z "Go'on, brush yo shoulders off!":wub:

Congrats! :thumbdown::thumbup:

Thank you for your wonderful reply, Dr. Schulman...I will be sure to let you know when I'm ready to talk surgery. I have signed up for your newsletter and will be following this thread as well. You mentioned in another response that some people are not necessarily able to wait a year after reaching their goal weight to have the surgery - I have had that thought as well...what has been the experience with your patients? Do most of them wait 3 - 6 months, 6 - 9 months, or 9 - 12 months before having surgery? I'm planning (thinking positively here) to be at my goal by the fall of this year, and planning for surgery in the spring of 2010. I want to have this done before I turn 50 - I think it'll be my 47th birthday present to myself! With the timetable I'm planning, I would be at goal for 6 months before planning the surgery. My understanding is that I will need approx 2 months for all the pre-op work - does that sound right? Thanks again for sharing your experience, wisdom and kind spirit with us here on LBT!:thumbdown:

Octomom has created a circus...it's of her OWN making! She has shown not an ounce of responsibility or common sense - not in anything she's uttered out of her OWN MOUTH. Actions speak a lot louder than words, and what her actions say is that she is a needy, misinformed, overwhelmed, didn't-think-about-it-first, selfish woman who wants fame and fortune and is willing to use her children to get it. The simple fact that she continues to get fake nails when she has EIGHT premature babies with delicate skin at her home says to me that she values her own appearance more than the babies' comfort. Even if I made the same decision that she did - to implant all of the embryos - I would be trying to AVOID the media in order to make as normal a life for the babies and my other children as possible. That does NOT seem to be on her radar...anytime the media furor starts to die down, something else happens to start it up again. Just a difficult situation all around, and her actions are not making it any easier!

PJTP... It's been an up-and-down weekend... People have been noticing my weight loss - went to a wonderful concert on Friday night with DH (group was called Conga Bop - very danceable) and many people there knew me pre-band, so I got lots of compliments. Very good for the ego! Found out tuition at VA State (where DD wants to go to college) has more than doubled for out-of-state students from just about $10K to $24K...now we've got to scramble to try and figure out how we're going to pay for it so she doesn't have to give up her dream...she's been crying all weekend and I feel just terrible for her! I've got to find a way - I'm NOT going to let her dream die! Got another wonderful compliment from a fellow church member who asked me again what I'm doing...since I know him really well, I told him about the band. He has been up and down with his weight as well, and his wife is a peach and a good friend, so I didn't mind telling him. It's nice when people notice... I'm in determined mode today - going to find out more about financial aid and *shudder* student loans for DD's college...

Hey Notorious Novembers, Sistasassy - could you update me, please? I'm below 230 for the first time in over 10 years and I'm so happy I could just scream!

Hi Notorious Novembers, Just had to check in and report that I'm doing well - finally below 230 for the first time in at least 10 years, continuing to walk and lose inches, and I'm feeling great! Now if I can just get this blood sugar under control and get off the diabetes meds, I'll be a very happy camper!