HeatherA

Swood, I had my surgery last December 18 and it was a tough haul through the holidays with my recovery and my pity party over being on liquids/mushy/soft foods for Christmas/New Years/My birthday. I really struggled with my mind and how "the holidays" were supposed to be food wise. I could kick myself now... what a whiner! Today I am down 80+ pounds from where I was last year and I am LOVING it! I would do it exactly the same time of year again if given the choice. I easily could have gained another 20 pounds over the holidays if I had waited until January to have the surgery. Thank goodness I didn't! Whatever you decide make sure it's based on what's best for you... not your friends or your family. Good luck!

Congratulations!!!!

I'm thinking of you! Hope all goes well on Monday!!!

The invitation is open to all! Whether you are pre-band, newly banded or an old band pro. Everyone is welcome! Where: Polaris Mall food Court When: Saturday November 08, 2008 Time: 2 p.m. Look for us near the entrance to the Great Indoors store in the back seating area next to Chik-Fil-A. We will have a helium balloon marking our group. Hope to see you there!

I can't wait to see the pictures Kath! Let me know when you post them in the Yahoo! group :-)

Christy, we missed you today. Hopefully you can make it next month :-) It was nice to see so many faces that have been missing over the last few months. You all look so beautiful and are doing so well. It makes my heart feel good to see how well everyone is doing!

I know...isn't it nice. I really like it.

Just a heads up for everyone... I was at the mall tonight and saw that our normal area is set up as an art show with no seating so look for us in the seating area next to the Great Indoors across from Le Petite Bistro instead of the section by Chik-fil-a. See you tomorrow!

Kathy, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you can make it by the mall tomorrow. I'd love to see you!

Hi everyone! Christy... good luck to you girl. Sounds like life has been tough and will only get tougher as you get older if you don't do something now. I had not yet suffered any ill effects of my weight (other than aching and acting like I was in my 80s physically) but as someone that is also 38 I was determined not to enter my 40s as a morbidly obese person. The band has definitely made that possible. I'm proud of you for taking advantages of your resources and I hope we see you Saturday. Okotberfest, I started this journey at 284 pounds. I'm 38 years old. I now weigh 203, but I've seen 199 and plan to get back there SOON! I'm working toward a goal of 155, but may not get that low as I'm striving toward health these days rather than just a number. I totally believe it's doable with the band... if you are willing to put in the work. Sarah, I feel you girl! I've been un-restricted for the last 2 weeks and it's a struggle. I've been up as high as 8 pounds in the last two weeks and as low as the weight I was when un-filled. Today I'm up about 4 pounds. I'm sure it's a combination of all the fluid I'm drinking now that I can guzzle and the portion restrictions not being in play right now. I'm back to journaling and hope to go in to my appointment next week near the weight I was when I had my fluid taken out. I love my band so much and totally miss my restriction. I hope it doesn't take months to acheive this time. I'm not sure how strong I can be over the holidays. I just know my butt was in size 14 low rise jeans last weekend and I want to keep it in them :-) Hope everyone is doing well. I hope to see many of you Saturday. I know I need this meeting badly!

I'm not... I just joined Urban Active and will start there in January. I hope you find someone to work out with you!

That's awesome! I've missed you!!!

Ahhh that's so exciting! Make sure to take a picture of you in it now (or I can do it for you!) so that you can have a picture of you after wearing it before you pass it on :-) I'm going to try to post a few pics to this post... fingers crossed!

I hit onederland today so I thought it would be appropriate to post a few pics. The first is me during Christmas of 2006 and the second is me on 10/12/08 after appearing in a fashion show for my bariatric group. It's amazing. I was down 82 pounds in the second picture.

******NAME**********START WGHT****CURRENT WGHT*******GOAL********LBS. LOST *****:scared2:***********:eek:*************:smile:************:w00t:*********:scared2:* 1dayatime..........263............261............243............2 2BHealthE!.........194............179............194............0 ahsem2bme..........244............244............225............0 aJoneen............223............216............213............7 Aphrodite1984......208............208............190............0 Ariel..............199............191.3..........185..........7.6 ArmyWife4life......209.5..........209.5..........190............0 Barb12590..........228............218............213...........10 Bea1128............210.5..........205.5..........188............5 blueriley..........206............206............190............0 Brandymom1234......227............151.9..........135..........4.1 Caramia71..........208............202............195............6 cQQlgirl...........194............191............180............3 Crzytchr...........281............269............265...........12 DebinFl............181............177............168............4 georgiagirl........245............227............220...........18 HarleyGirl.........188............185............175............3 HeatherA...........210.5..........199.4..........200.........11.1 HeatherO...........155............143............140...........12 Ivyrose325.........212............212............199............0 Jazzyywan..........255............255............190............0 Jodi_620...........196............179............177...........17 KikiVal315.........237.5..........229............220..........8.5 Lana24.............208............195............185............0 laurigee...........180............173............160............7 Leslie2Lose........220............214............205............6 lindar172 .........274.2..........259.6..........256.........14.6 LisaB..............205.5..........193............180.........12.5 livn4thm...........235............233............210............2 Long2bthin.........248............230............230...........18 Luu2008............203............199.5..........183..........3.5 Mamanmidwife.......299............283............280...........16 mamato3............186............186............170............0 MarinaBleu.........226.5..........226.5..........216............0 memom..............210............210............170............0 Minxz..............299............286............280............9 mominlv13..........299.8..........284.6..........280.........15.2 Momof5.............192.5..........187.5..........175..........5.0 nip50..............175............166............160............9 NukeChik...........218............215............208............3 NurseNiki..........258............246............239...........12 odamay.............242............242............225............0 paige65............252............242............232...........10 Peaches11..........205............205............194............0 pj_txlady..........220............214.5..........200..........5.5 Redtulips3.........180............171............169............9 Renee74............214............213............199............7 Renewedhope........171............167............150............4 reif78.............294............195............185............0 savimama...........216............216............200............0 shaversd...........230.5..........225............210..........5.5 SpecialK...........294............286............280............8 Sunshine2..........177............167............167...........10 Tess...............304............299...........280.............5 thatDEgirl.........211............199.8..........195.........11.2 tp78...............201............192............180............9 Turler.............225............217............210............8 wendyw.............192............188............172............4 wowox7.............195............182............170...........13 WyominGirl.........327............321............312............6

Hi everyone! This month's meeting was one again quite fantastic!!! We had a great turnout and it was a lot of fun. I can't wait to see everyone at October's meeting! The invitation is open to all! Whether you are pre-band, newly banded or an old band pro. Everyone is welcome! Where: Polaris Mall food Court When: Saturday October 11, 2008 Time: 2 p.m. Look for us near the entrance to the Great Indoors store in the back seating area next to Chik-Fil-A. We will have a helium balloon marking our group. Hope to see you there!

Today's meeting was very nice. We missed you Niki and Christy. Hopefully you can join us tomorrow for the fashion show at Macy's Easton. It's from 2-4 in the furniture section of Macy's (2nd floor) Look for the smily face balloon marking the chairs for our group from Polaris!

1dayatime..........263............261............243............2 2BHealthE!.........194............179............194............0 ahsem2bme..........244............244............225............0 aJoneen............223............218............213............5 Aphrodite1984......208............208............190............0 Ariel..............199............196.4..........180..........2.6 ArmyWife4life......209.5..........209.5..........190............0 Barb12590..........228............218............213...........10 Bea1128............210.5..........205.5..........188............5 blueriley..........206............206............190............0 Brandymom1234......227............151.9..........135..........4.1 Caramia71..........208............202............195............6 cQQlgirl...........194............192............180............2 Crzytchr...........281............272............265............9 DebinFl............181............181............168............0 georgiagirl........245............229............220...........16 HarleyGirl.........188............187............175............1 HeatherA...........210.5..........202.1..........200..........8.4 HeatherO...........155............144............140...........11 Ivyrose325.........212............212............199............0 Jazzyywan..........255............255............190............0 Jodi_620...........196............181............177...........15 KikiVal315.........237.5..........229............220..........8.5 Lana24.............208............195............185............0 laurigee...........180............176............160............4 Leslie2Lose........220............214............205............6 lindar172 .........274.2..........262.6..........256.........11.6 LisaB..............205.5..........196............180.........10.5 livn4thm...........235............233............210............2 Long2bthin.........248............235............230...........13 Luu2008............203............199.5..........183..........3.5 Mamanmidwife.......299............286............280...........13 mamato3............186............186............170............0 MarinaBleu.........226.5..........226.5..........216............0 memom..............210............210............170............0 Minxz..............299............286............280............9 mominlv13..........299.8..........286.4..........280.........13.4 Momof5.............192.5..........187.5..........175..........5.0 nip50..............175............168............160............7 NukeChik...........218............218............208............0 NurseNiki..........258............246............239...........12 odamay.............242............242............225............0 paige65............252............247............232............5 Peaches11..........205............205............194............0 pj_txlady..........220............220............200............0 Redtulips3.........180............171............167............9 Renee74............214............213............199............7 Renewedhope........171............168............150............3 reif78.............294............195............185............0 savimama...........216............216............200............0 shaversd...........230.5..........225............210..........5.5 SpecialK...........294............286............280............8 Sunshine2..........177............171............167............6 Tess...............304............299...........280............5 thatDEgirl.........211............202.6..........195..........8.4 tp78...............201............192............180............9 Turler.............225............218............210............7 wendyw.............192............188............172............4 wowox7.............195............183............170...........12 WyominGirl.........327............321............312............6

Juli, my fingers are crossed for your meeting on Monday!!! I can't wait to hear what he says! BTW... did you meet my SIL last week?

I broke the 80 pound mark today! 80.1 to be exact! Only 3.9 left to hit my 10/31 goal! I may just make it :-) I can see ONEderland just down the street!!!! *******NAME**********START WGHT****CURRENT WGHT*******GOAL********LBS. LOST *****:cursing:***********:smile:*************:cursing:*********************:cursing:* 1dayatime..........263............261............243............2 2BHealthE!.........194............179............194............0 ahsem2bme..........244............244............225............0 aJoneen............223............218............213............5 Aphrodite1984......208............208............190............0 Ariel..............199............196.4..........180..........2.6 ArmyWife4life......209.5..........209.5..........190............0 Barb12590..........228............218............213...........10 Bea1128............210.5..........205.5..........188............5 blueriley..........206............206............190............0 Brandymom1234......227............151.9..........135..........4.1 Caramia71..........208............202............195............6 cQQlgirl...........194............192............180............2 Crzytchr...........281............272............265............9 DebinFl............181............181............168............0 georgiagirl........245............229............220...........16 HarleyGirl.........188............187............175............1 HeatherA...........210.5..........203.9..........200..........6.6 HeatherO...........155............147............140............8 Ivyrose325.........212............212............199............0 Jazzyywan..........255............255............190............0 Jodi_620...........196............184............177...........12 KikiVal315.........237.5..........230.5..........220............7 Lana24.............208............195............185............0 laurigee...........180............176............160............4 Leslie2Lose........220............214............205............6 lindar172 .........274.2..........266.2..........256............8 LisaB..............205.5..........196............180..........10.5 livn4thm...........235............233............210............2 Long2bthin.........248............235............230...........13 Luu2008............203............199.5..........183..........3.5 Mamanmidwife.......299............286............280...........13 mamato3............186............186............170............0 MarinaBleu.........226.5..........226.5..........216............0 memom..............210............210............170............0 Minxz..............299............286............280............9 mominlv13..........299.8..........290.2..........280..........9.6 Momof5.............192.5..........187.5..........175..........5.0 nip50..............175............170............160............5 NukeChik...........218............218............208............0 NurseNiki..........258............255............239............3 odamay.............242............242............225............0 paige65............252............247............232............5 Peaches11..........205............205............194............0 pj_txlady..........220............220............200............0 Redtulips3.........180............171............167............9 Renee74............214............213............199............7 Renewedhope........171............169............150............2 reif78.............294............195............185............0 savimama...........216............216............200............0 shaversd...........230.5..........225............210..........5.5 SpecialK...........294............288............280............6 Sunshine2..........177............171............167............6 Tess...............304............300.5..........280..........3.5 thatDEgirl.........211............205.2..........195..........5.8 tp78...............201............192............180............9 Turler.............225............219............210............6 wendyw.............192............188............172............4 wowox7.............195............185............170............10 WyominGirl.........327............321............312............6

Rhonda, Don't fret over what they say. A lot of programs prefer doing the RNY over the band because the results are faster and the surgery requires a bit less work from the patient for results than the band does. You, however, have already shown that you're willing to do the work with the changes you've made in your life so far so I don't think it's going to be an issue in your case. I need to lose 130+ pounds and I've already lost nearly 80 since starting this journey a year ago. I don't plan on stopping and I'm sure I'll hit my goal. They will have to rip my band from my cold dead body before I'd give it up or tell anyone else that it's not a good tool to use for losing weight. I love knowing that with just a pinch of saline I can get myself tightened up at any time down the road and get back on track if I find myself faltering. It's a bit harder with RNY because once you stretch that pouch you have to have a revision surgery to get it back where it needs to be. Good luck with your decision. I'm sure whatever you choose it will be the right one for you. {{{HUGS}}}

Hey guys... just wanted to tell you about the new gym that's opening on Polaris parkway. It's called Urban Active (there are several around town now, Gahanna, Powell, Hilliard) and through Sunday they have a deal where you can join for $24.99 a month without a contract. The gym opens December 29th. I joined the Gahanna one last night for a similar deal because I have family that works at that one and they are having a friends and family sign-up. They told me I could pay $29.99 a month and use any of the locations, or just do the $24.99 and transfer my "home" club when the new one opens. It's really nice... and I NEED to get my butt moving! They have a pool which is a must for me. I love Water aerobics. They have a movie theater where there are various types of equipment (treadmills, elipticals etc...) in a mostly dark very cool room. They show movies constantly and you can go in and watch on the enormous screen. They have a special spinning room, a child care room ($15.99 per family per month unlimited visits), a women's only workout room (for the more timid among us... me!) and lots more. I joined and they let me put my membership on hold until I'm ready to start using it. Right now I'm set up to start January 1, but if I can figure out how I can get conveniently to one of the other locations I may activate it sooner. Oh, a few other things I learned... if you have a family of 5 (old enough to use the equipment) you can join for $99 a month. If you have a teen (under 18) that wants to join it's $20 a month. They have personal trainers but I haven't looked into the cost of that yet. So... anyone interested in joining me this winter???? Welcome to Urban Active Fitness Clubs

Yeah, I could have re-joined Bally's for $99 for a year, but it's old and I'm not sure how well it's been kept up machine wise, plus it's not in a great area and I knew that in the winter I'd never drag my butt there because it's not in my normal drive zone. :-) Urban Active is directly on my path from work so I have no excuses as I pass it twice a day... and it's much closer to home for those days I'm not working. Good luck deciding which one to choose! It's definitely a personal decision and one that must fit your lifestyle in order to work well for you. :-)

Kathy, I think you can find the schedule on their website. The classes (if I remember correctly) seem to be at 6pm Mon, Tues, Thurs and 7pm on Wednesdays. I can't remember on the other days. I figure that will be perfect for me as I'll just go to the gym after work and take the classes. I sure hope you'll join! It would be so fantastic to work out with you and see you more than once a month! The gym opens 12/29/08 so the timing would be perfect for you. If you join now to get the low price they can defer your monthly dues until you actually start. That's what I did. There is an information/preview center set up in the shopping center across the street near First Watch. You should stop in and check it out. :-)

Hey everyone!!! I can't wait to see you all on the 11th! I have a TON of clothes to share. Most in sizes 22/20 with some others thrown in. As they get too big on me I pull them and bag them up. I will be bringing them to the meeting. If anyone has any size 18/16 pants or size large shirts I could really use them. I have hardly anything that fits to take me into cooler weather. On another note... For those of you interested there is another bariatric fashion show coming up on the 12th at Macys Easton. This time it's hosted by Macy's and Fresh Start Bariatrics. It's going to be in the furniture section on the 2nd floor at 2pm. There might be someone you know walking the runway :cursing: Sorry I've been so quiet lately... we finally found a car for my daughter last weekend and prior to that almost every spare moment was spent car shopping... it will be a long while before I want to do that again!