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losingjusme, AMAZING job, just amazing. You'll get to that goal with your awesome attitude! Okay, I took this swimming suit pic a few days ago and I still can't believe it's me. So forgive me for posting again so soon, but here's an After/Before pic of me in the swimming suit:

Hey girl, just keep up that motivation, and know that you're going to have some plateaus and some down moments. Find the exercise that YOU love to do, find an eating plan that works for YOU, and go for it and never, ever give up until you hit that goal, okay?

I totally agree with the first paragraph I have you quoted with up there. To be completely honest, I wasn't shallow with how men looked when I was heavy, but now... now it's a different story and I feel terrible about it. I'm positive that I still must have some confidence issues, as I feel like I've got to date only the best looking men to be validated as a good looking woman. I'm working through this, but just know that the women that YOU want are going to be the kind of women that are confident in themselves first and will therefore be less shallow. That being said, however, I will only date athletic men now because that's what I want in a lifestyle and that's who I am now. It's not the fact that a man is good looking because he has a nice body, it's the fact that I'm looking for a lifestyle and obesity just doesn't fit that lifestyle. I don't want to sell obesity or buy obesity, either.

Sorry to reiterate, but yeah, Spanx is what I had to go through before my lower-body lift. It was a miracle... really. But, if you can afford it and it's a realistic option, there is a new thing out there called Thermage. It causes the skin to produce collagen and "firm up" and become more elastic in about 6 months time (after the 1-time treatment). The results are pretty good, in general. I'll be doing Thermage on my arms pretty soon.

It does vary, and that's why your'e told to sip right now. I've been very thirsty before and gulped water, only to have it come back up again because I drank it too fast. You don't want to risk a slip right now while you're still healing. You just don't want to test those waters and push it. But if it helps, I was able to drink fairly normally after about 10 days. Still not gulping, but more than tiny, tiny sips.

Brenda, you are BEAUTIFUL!!! Here are Brenda B's smokin hot pics: BEFORE & AFTER:

Alright Brenda, I send you an email. Just send me the pics and I'll get them up there for you! And Karey, I'm sure I've said this before, but I'm from Utah as well. Got banded by Dr. Hansen in Sandy. I'm glad this thread is motivating. And thanks for the mom advice. I'm taking it! Getting the book today.

Well, I never really had cellulite on my thighs. My thighs just looked 'saggy'. I was a smooth big girl before. My thighs were never big - just my STOMACH!

WOW!!! You're a rockstar. That's amazing. You're definitely a workout inspiration for me. How come you can't work out fewer than 6 weeks post op? I started working out at 3 weeks post op. I have been doing spinning 3 days a week. What's wrong with that if it's non-impact? How long did it take for you to hit the workouts hard? How long was it until you could run?

Wait 'until it's too late' bothers me a little! I have a cough right now... it uses tons of ab muscles. What does "too late" mean??? Yeah, they do tighten your ab muscles with the LBL. A LBL is a TT with removal of fat and skin in the back as well. You can tell by my "before" pic that I had a rather large midsection. It went ALL the way around! So 8-10 weeks? Really? I have to start training for my triathlon in like 2 weeks. I better talk to my doc! Yes, yes, yes! I agree with you. I'm going to work on that. I'm not even going to pursue Tony (unless he pursues me), in hopes of improving my relationship with God AND my friends and family. I'm doing my best to have patience. But yes! I am going skydiving still! And we're maybe going to learn how to surf during spring break before that. There's a week-long surf clinic in CA. Should be fun. Sounds like you have some awesome goals for the future. It's interesting how once you lose the weight, it's like you DO have to find yourself again. I thought I had, but it's obvious that it was a farce, well, some of it. You definitely have some things to help you along the way, though. Fostering your nephew is just incredibly unselfish. I am amazed at some of the stories on this board - some of the most amazingly unselfish, helpful people in the world. I really hope your business takes off. Good luck in finding whatever it is you want right now!

Hey Brenda, tell me when you had your tummy tuck again? Has it only been 3 weeks? I was thinking it was before I had mine (4 weeks ago today). So how long does your doc say to wait overall to start exercising? I started on Monday doing spinning again because it's non-impact. I figured that was safe enough, right? If you can't figure out the pics then PM me with your email address and I'll post them up for you. And Brenda, it really super sucks to be single, I'm just telling you right now. Dating is the most stressful thing I can think of. Will he call? Why didn't he call? What did I do wrong? Boo for that! I just wish I could be done with it. Anyhow yeah, I'm a web designer. Actually, more of a web analytics architect, for a university. I love it, but I sit at a desk all day. What do you do?

Um yeah... no. You don't want to do that. Utah's just about the worst place you can be if you're over 25 and still single and don't have barbie blonde status. Not sure how long this dating spree's going to last, actually. I'm trying to get happy just being single for awhile.

Doc told me to have mine within about 15 pounds of my goal weight. Had a lower body lift about 4 weeks ago. I'm also happy with my timing. It's amazing how much different you look. Even though I still want to lose 15 or so pounds, when I tell people that, they say "where?". The tummy is where it's AT!

Sweet! Yeah, save those bucks. It's worth it! I'm finding these guys in random places, I swear. I met Tony at a wedding I was doing. I met Joey on Myspace (it's a long story), I met Dee at the Bike Shoppe, I met Loch at the Sportsman's Outlet. I met my ex doing a bike race in Salt Lake (he was here on business but decided to do the race), and the date I'm going on tomorrow is a blind date set up through my cousin. So there you have it.

Carole I'm sure he will. He has an awful lot going for him. Not sure that he'll be MY husband one day, but he is very sweet.

Hey Platinum, I have like a whole long thread about it here. But to make a long story short, I had it done about 4 weeks ago, so still recovering, but I was back at work within a week and a half. It cost me $8,500. And it's the 2nd best investment I've ever made (next to the band). I have before/after pics (though the swelling is still there. The doc thinks I'll lose another size in the next few weeks), and sort of a recount in my blog as well.

No, you are all right with this. I don't try to be something I'm not, though sometimes I think I should LOL. The dork factor is that, because I'm with someone I like, I can't think of those witty comebacks that I can in regular conversation. But you know, the guy I went out with last night was cool. I've been out with him before. He was sort of under my nose, too. He called me every day during my lower body lift recovery, he took me out for ice cream when I was crying over my breakup, he's been there... a lot. I didn't even really see him before for how amazing he really is. But last night I had such an amazingly fun time with him, just talking and cuddling and watching a movie. He gives me hope that there IS someone out there that I can relate to (because it took time with this guy, it didn't happen immediately like it did with my ex, but it happened), and who I'm attracted to, and who can make me laugh. Even if it doesn't work out with Tony, I have a little hope for the future. Oh yeah, I now have Tony on my wall of currents/exes on my flickr site. He's so damn cute I can't stand it! Thank you all for your kind words and support. I know I'm a freaking open book on this forum. I swear this is like my diary. Go speed racer, go!

Carolel - LOL. That's like the greatest compliment ever - both of your posts, I think. Glad to be a source of inspiration for you. One thing that I'd like to say, though, about losing weight, is that all your problems don't go away when the weight is gone. I really thought life would be so much easier once the weight was off, but really one set of trials just turns into another set of trials. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it for the world! But I deluded myself into thinking that somehow if I were to be able to start dating again, I'd magically be happy and all would be well. Before when I was heavy, I didn't even have to worry about that because no one was even interested. I was happy and fat, but not happy about being fat. But now there's an even bigger set of trials. I feel like I skipped some major steps here that people usually go through in life and now I'm going through them in fast-forward. I never went through the dating phase, not until now. And now it's here with a vengeance and because others are more experienced than I am, I feel like a dork when I'm on a date. In my ex-boyfriend's case, I sort of got taken advantage of physically and then emotionally. Now each time I go out with someone and then they don't call me back I sit there and agonize over what the heck is wrong with me. It's not healthy and I can't figure out how to get over it. Perhaps I'm dating the wrong people. The guy I went out with last night I've been out with a few times, and he's wonderful. I certainly hope he calls me back, but, for heaven's sake, I wish i wasn't such a GIRL (emotionally speaking)! Okay, sorry for the tangent. I'm just saying, I suppose it's all about making goals in life, but with the expectation that we have to do things NOW to be happy. Be happy NOW.

I think you'll love the band. It's been the best investment of my life!

Hey congrats woman! And you're going to be just fine. Just make sure to get that fill doc when you come back and keep up on those fills! You're going to do wonderfully.

Marshall, how's it going? Keep us updated - you're gonna love it!

My doc told me to get in as much as I could and not to worry about loss. It's more important to heal quickly and correctly than it is to lose weight at this point. Get that protein in!

Patience, my dear! But I know what you mean. I lost very little weight even my first 6 months, and then it was slow until month 9. A good lot of my loss has come in the last 8 months! Once you get that restriction you'll start to see it happening, ok? For now, you are recovering. I know we all want it gone immediately, but it just isn't going to happen right away. I was pretty down my first while, too.

I know that my resting metabolism increased by 200 calories a day in the last 12 weeks I worked with a personal trainer doing weight training 3 days a week. What an amazing benefit!

Well well thanks y'all! I bought the thing yesterday and paraded around my house in it so long that I just had to take a picture. Thanks for your kind words! I love my doc! He's a miracle man. And Jacqui, shoot, girl, I didn't really have the money for this either. I'll be penny pinching until I can sell this house and pay the thing off. I may start doing wedding videos again if I can't sell it quick!