Apples2

Do it Long!!!!!! 5 day pouch test. When I get back on Mon or Tues I would LOVE to hear you telling us you made it to the 70's.

Thanks VZ...Nope didn't think you were not accepting where you are at...just making the statement that it would be impossible to compare since we are all so different. Yep...a year ago I was wearing a 3X and not even sure on the bottom. Depended on the elastic. I know I was at least an 18-20 on the bottom. Now a 0-2 and a small top. DKNY, Calvin Klien, NY&Co were not even in my range a year ago. I was drifting around in the large ladies section on the verge of tears.

Thanks for the wishes, Laura. Too bad after troubles with fertility that you have to even deal with TOM. I am no help to you, girl. Have not experienced it for about 5 yrs. I remember after my second child and being told that there were just not going to be any more babies carried in my ripped uterus that I just wished the TOM would not longer exist. Not that lucky. Tubes were tied at the age of 27 right during C-section and accepted the two beautiful boys God gave me (even though the plan was to have at least 5 children). I do consider myself lucky to have had easy and right-on-schedule TOM and also lucky that I hit menopause early at the age of 38 and done with it all by 48. Heading out the door...house is clean, all the farmers meals are made for the next three days. Just have to grab the dog and go! I will be sitting on the lake shore with a book and a dog shaking his wet fur all over me. But, that baby boy can get away with anything!

Mornin' Girls! Well, one year ago today about this time I was heading for the hospital and ready to be a lapbander. Best thing I ever did. It's been a great year and do not know where that time went. No complications to speak of (except losing a little more than I wanted to). I have learned to accept where I am at, feel good and look good. No crap...I could run circles around any 19 yr old. I was on the track team in college and I truly believe I could do it right now at 53 yrs old. I did get a Happy Bandiversary this morning from DH. Want to take this opportunity to let you girls know you are special to me. I know I was not always extremely active on this thread but always felt like coming home when I was looking for support. And....I thank you all for that. Wish we could all find a common meeting ground, meet and spend some time together. Maybe some day. You guys let me know what works for you and I will arrange it. I am thinking we could all meet somewhere in Missouri. Kind of a mid point? Strike...I'll have to get one of those kiddie seats and haul DH behind me on my bike when I get it! Sounds like you are doing the right things. Just need something to kick that metabolism back into gear. Like I told Long on another thread...maybe the 5 day pouch test to give you both that start again. I know it can be frustrating. The closer I got to goal, the more the lapses in weight loss. I would sit for weeks without a loss. Hang in there. VZG...Woohoo!!!!! Water skiing! What a girl! I notice so often how people compare their sizes to what others are wearing. By the sound of it, we are all different shapes and sizes. Not fair to yourself, VZG, to compare your size to someone else's. I am sure you look just great in your size 12's. I am the reverse...long, skinny legs (34-36" inseam), long skinny arms and carry everything in the middle. Lost some of the boobs but still carry enough to make me look out of proportion. But, you know what? I decided going into this that I was going to be sooooooooooo much more accepting of myself and my body. I accept what I have ended up with and am very happy. Allie...congrats on the daughter's graduation. Having a party for her? If you did it like we do around here you wouldn't be finding time to post. We all cook a meal...beef, pork, appetizers, cake, salads, etc. My 28 yr old had 275 at his party and 26 yr old had 490 people. Everyone just shows up to wish them well. Better get going. Bday lunch with a friend today, going to fit a tanning session in, visit my 89 yr old friend (she is actually my best friend in the world and can talk to her about everything) and then back home to pick up my dog and then off to the lake. You all have a great weekend and thanks again for being such a great support system. Love ya all!!!

Thanks Long...not sure where the time went. I know you probably feel the same way. I can't even say that the worst is behind me cuz I feel that this last year was mostly a positive experience. Now...tomorrow...the start of another new year with my band.

What a relief, PJ. So happy you filled us in and what great news. Good lesson for all of us....don't let things go on so long. It would be great for all of us to meet. Just say the date, place and time and I will be there!:wink:

Julie...you can do anything you put your mind to do. You have a wonderful tool (LB) to help you. But we all have a better tool inside us....positive thinking. Our favorite saying to our 2 DS's when they would say something negative or when they were feeling overwhelmed was "Positive people make positive things happen". I find myself still saying it to them even though they are 28 and 26. Try to wake up each day with saying something positive to yourself. Challenge yourself with something like "I KNOW I can do this". Write it down if you need to and put it on the frig. We are all here for you. I am waiting for you to turn that corner after all of your setbacks. I am thinking that your band needs some tweeking as far as fills and you will be able to handle things better and get back on the road to losing again. YOU CAN DO THIS and by telling yourself just that, it will be a step in the right direction. Sending hugs your way!:wink:

OMG, Meredith....you ingested FIVE olives????????? #1...I don't think you will go to hell or anything like that. #2...Just try to be strong. It will all be behind you soon. As I said earlier, I cannot even remember my 14 days of liquids. My doc had me on clear liquids...nothing else. Those olives were just a little bump in the road. Like Janet said, just get to the mindset where you KNOW you will stick to doc's orders after the surgery. So important for healing. I did a lot of baths during the 14 days. Figured I wouldn't be tempted with food in the tub. Also went on a lot of walks...just got away from the temptations. Hang in there, Meredith! We're all with you and check in with us. Julie...the pie social sounds like a huge undertaking...but fun. I LOVE making pies. I make at least 2 a week for my farmers. I have never make ice cream or tasted homemade ice cream. Never was a huge fan of ice cream. I bought one quart a year ago and that took DH awhile to eat. Heading out tomorrow. Having a bday lunch with a GF (her fiance didn't recognize her bday over the weekend...jerk) and then travelling North to the lake until Monday or Tuesday. Hope everyone has a great rest of the week and weekend. Life is good and just have to say I sooooooo appreciate my LBT friends!

Looks good on you...I love them because they are JUST long enough to cover "that" part of the arm. Sooooo funny, I have all colors except black cuz I have a similar JNY black one. Great minds think alike. Have a great day off!:wink:

Wishing the best to your DH and yourself, Charlene. Keep us informed. Hang in there....you sort of know what he is in for but on a larger scale on his end. Prayers are with you both.

Janet...I think I have the same shirt you have on in the photo. Chicos?

Bandiversary is tomorrow, Janet. But, thanks, I'll accept your congrats early!!!!!!! You chicks look pretty hot in your size 2's! Enjoy the remainder of your time together. Haven't heard from PJ and how you are doing after seeing the doc?????????? Just concerned. Long..if you really want to meet your goal, why not try the five day pouch test to give yourself a kick into losing? Might be a way to get to that goal of yours. Boy...do I ever pay for my days away. Hit the ground running at 4:30am and still on the run. We are spraying crops this week and have been in and out of my truck many times already today. Love it though...just don't ask me to calculate the chemical versus water thing. That could be a disaster!!!!!!!

I tan easilly. Never was the young teen on the beach striving for a deep dark tan but now just like to have some color. There are plenty of hills up at the lake and would probably find me dead at the bottom of one if I rode a bike on them. But, there's lots of routes without hills. Funny...mentioned a bike to DH this morning and he just looked at me weird and said "You'd kill yourself on that thing". Guess I'll continue to walk!:bored:

Thanks for the kind words, Laura. I had a lot of people that inspired me in the beginning and am continued to be amazed by all of you. Not sure where that year went but think it flew by because I had my nose to the grindstone. And did I think I would be where I am now??????? Yep is my answer. I just KNEW that with the help of the LB that there was a light at the end of the tunnel!:bored: Best thing I ever did. I am so happy. Mostly with how healthy and active I am. I wish that for all of you.:thumbup:

Hey Gang........Life is good. Got home today about noon. Just in time to make the farmers their meal. Knee deep in laundry, scrubbing, etc. Have a great time with DD, Janet, and congrats on the scale news! Sounds like you are doing great, Meredith. Hang in there and just grab a SF jello when you feel tempted. I love the jello with FF cool whip but not sure if that is included in your diet. Think so? Just adds a little something to it. I will be my bandiversary on Wed of this week. I was also on the 14 day liquids and can barely remember it now. Just think how you will feel a year from now. Try to start with mini goals and you will be on your way! Long.....sounds like you are in the right frame of mind with DD. At her age you kind of just have to be there for her but let her make her own mistakes. Been there and done with with both our DS's. If you feel you did what you could in raising her, she will come around and remember what she was taught. PJ...anxious to hear how you are doing today. Hope things are better. LJV...have fun with your GF's. Sounds like a nice, relaxing vacation. Julie...how was the pie social. Try to put the troubles of last weekend in the past. Just a bump in the road. You did what you should have by apologizing. I notice with myself that I am somewhat more emotional and sensitive this past year after my banding. Think it's just been so many changes, so many new emotions to deal with, so many weird reactions by so called "friends", etc. I just try to stick to what I think is right and go from there. Well, off to try on some dresses that have been hanging in the closet for a couple of months with the tags still on them. Have 5 weddings coming up and going to put on a "style show" for myself. Gotta see how the dresses look with the few new pair of shoes I got to go with them. Hope everyone has had a good day and a good weekend.

Hey Junies!!!!!! Happy Monday! Got home this morning about 11:30. I always run errands on Monday mornings since I am going through town on my way from the lake place. Got the ole' farms fed and then got caught up on all my threads. Takes awhile! Lucy..hope you enjoy the new job and happy you found some clothes that you like. Congrats on the baggy size 14's! Allie...good going on the shopping at NY&Co. I LOVE that store...especially because they carry talls. Your post makes me want to run to NY&Co this week to see what I can find. I was in there a couple of months ago and found ALOT. Trouble is...our store is 2.5 hours from where I live and only make it there once every 6 mo. I was able to find slacks in every color in size zero, tall. (Keep in mind I am VERY small boned, hence the smaller size...no bragging going on...just the size it takes to fit me). They fit to a tee and wash up really nice. Angel...Happy Bandiversary!!!! and congrats on the 9lbs lost. You will get there. Just keep plugging away and be patient. And..........LAY OFF THE MASHED TATORS!!!!!!!! (Just had to give you crap!) Hey Strike....nice to see you post. I love biking but do not have a decent bike right now. Me thinks that DH should buy that for my upcoming bandiversary? We live on a super busy highway with lots of big semi grain trucks. I have visions of me on the windshield but would just ride it up by our lake home. Hey Allie...I was going to sit out on the patio today and tan and read. Oops....no sun to be had today. Darn! Still have not found that tanning bed that I want. I get such a good deal from friend that owns a salon...$50/ 2 months of unlimited tanning. Problem is I have to drive 30 miles round trip just to tan. I promised myself the bed for getting to goal and I keep swaying back and forth on whether it would be worth the $$$ spent. DH says go for it so need to make a decision soon. I am thinking that as long as I waited this long I might just wait to get a good deal this fall. Hey Long......you support grouper! Looking forward to your "Yahoo" here soon! Better get my butt in gear so I can take off again on Wed. I am such a lucky girl to do what I do and actually have this time in the summer that I do at the lake. But, I earned it after busting my butt for almost 30 years on this farm and going to take it!!!!

I stay away from all processed and "white" carbs. I do not like a totally restricted protien diet and incorporate some carbs into my daily intake. I snack on high fiber/high protien cereals, oatmeal with raisins, fruit and veggies. If I feel like having a potato it is usually roasted yams.

Good luck with your PS consult, Allie. Hope you get the results you are looking for. Just please make sure to check out your surgeon's credentials. Good luck with all your plans for a relocation. Mornin' Girls! Off to the lake after I get done running around here like a chicken with my head cut off. Worth it though to be able to get the extra time to de-stress. Have a great weekend.

AWWWWW:tt1:

Evening Gang! Just got in the house from an evening of replanting flowers...yes...replanting. Our wind and chill took care of most of them. Spent the last three hours bent over taking care of my babies. Hopefully, they will survive this time. I babied those seedlings for a few months. Oh well, worth a try and I enjoyed it. Arlene, Joanne, Long...the not noticing, negative comments, etc....sometimes I think it is jealously but try to give the benefit of the doubt and think maybe they just don't know what to say. Then you know what I do??????? I get my head out of my A$$ and know some people just cannot handle change. Maybe it's jealousy, maybe it's our friends thinking we don't have the right to change...not sure. Been there, done that. I don't have any time for it anymore. Either these "good" friends go along with me on this journey or they are coughing in my dust. I just cannot do it and cannot waste any precious time on it. My DH finds it fortunate that some friends have shunned me after weightloss. He says it has made me tougher and no longer someone they can use as a doormat. Never thought I was one to begin with but I guess he was on the outside looking in and could recognize it where I could not. It was so tough at first but now I have peace with the way I feel about all of it. I never called it being back in jr. high (ick) but called them the "Playground Girls"...almost back in 3rd grade. Hey Laura......congrats on those 3lbs..AND even did it while on vacation. Way to go, girl!!! Happy to hear your sister is doing well. Good night, sweet ppl. Gotta go and get my L.A. and NY Times crosswords in for the day. Withdrawl if I miss! Heading back up to the lake tomorrow morning. Hope you all have a great rest of the week and weekend. I'll be walking the dog, reading Ann Rule and more, planting pots, playing cards with friends, baking for our potluck, etc., etc., etc. Sending the love to each and everyone of you!

Becky...noticed a post you had on another thread in the last day and just have to tell you I am so impressed by your weight loss!

Doodlebug...Janet is sooooooooooo right in stating what she did about unrealistic goals. Don't sign yourself up for a task that might not be able to be met. I was bombarded with personal messages daily from LBT ppl wondering how I lost the weight so "fast". Finally, just changed my signature line and explained that almost 1/2 of my weight was lost b/4 surgery. I had surgery June 17, 2008 and was at goal in Oct, 2008. It REALLY bothered me that ppl thought that was the norm. I just decided early on when I initiated this process that I was going to start the weight loss journey and stick to it. #1. It was a way for me to prepare for what was ahead after surgery. Just a head start and it worked for me. Could never stick to a "diet" b/4 that time but could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel this time. I knew I would have the LB to help me throughout the rest of my life. Felt like I was given a new lease on life. #2. My numbers (healthwise and weight) were so out of whack, I wanted to live long enough to see the surgery happen. My point is....you just cannot compare YOUR stats to somebody ELSES stats. If you lined up everyone here on this thread and took a look, you would be so amazed at all the different body types, ages, etc. I look at Long's Bandiversary photos and am amazed. I see photos Janet posts on here and am amazed. I saw Phyll's new photo a couple of weeks ago and am sooooooooo impressed by the difference I see from her photo taken in her cute Easter hat just a few months ago. But, what I see is THEIR progress and can never compare it to mine or any other stage another person is at in their weightloss journey. We all have separate goals due to body type, height, starting weight, etc. My size 2 is someone else's size 10. And, if you lined us up side by side, we might just have the same amount of flesh on our bones. Being very small boned, I cannot carry on my body what someone else can. Anyway, I am sure you get my drift on what we can expect. It all needs to be realistic or the disappointment will override what we expect of ourselves. In my little LB world I believe in well-rounded nutrition first. Get the protien in, some veggies and a very small amount of carbs. Throw a treat in once in awhile...but...plan those treats once a week or so. If you happen to screw up, get right back on the horse. Do meal planning and make sure to always have a back up snack when out and about. Second, double check with your LB doc and general doc as to what Vitamins are recommended. I never miss a day of my vits. Doodlebug...from my perspective...you are doing so well. The feelings you are having are, I believe, fairly normal. Find support where you can...it's so important. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we hope you continue to check in on this thread for support. Not good to feel like you are all alone in this. I don't know what I would have done without LBT and the fine ppl here. I would have felt lost. I find it so interesting to follow the progress of everyone. Just wishing you the best!:thumbup:

KC...challenge taken....donating 136lbs to my local food shelf this week. With the economy the way it is, you could have not thought of a better cause!

PJ...Congrats on reaching your 60lb goal! So sorry you are disappointed about your family's reaction. Maybe they just don't get how important this is for you? I am not giving them any credit for not making the effort...just wondering. You have family here that cares and I speak for all of us...WE ARE SOOOOO HAPPY FOR YOU AND VERY PROUD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS!! KEEP IT GOIN', GIRL!!!!!!!!!:grouphug:

Debe....ditto what Long said! Hang in there. I remember the feelings you are feeling right now. It gets soooooooooooo much better. Just follow doc's orders, get lots of rest, get some exercise (walking, etc.), and visit this site often for support. LBT helped me through A LOT!:grouphug: