Apples2

Long...we will be flying. Had some airline miles to use. Have the opportunity to fly first class round trip so we will fly. Only bad part about that is that we won't be taking our dog. DS and GF have two and DS says we can have his black lab puppy to train while we are down there. I think momma will take him up on the offer but only for two of the weeks.

If you go under the clearance items in Amazon, you should be able to find soooooooooooooo many things for under $10/item. Thanks for the sympathy on the kidney stones thing. Such nice girls we have on our threads.....It's just part of my life since 1994..at least once a month. They are a killer (not literally but at the time they feel like it). Longest I have every gone with stone is 11 days. Docs have had to go grab them many times (have to be put under). Have had them pounded and took care of them for a bid. Welcome to the new people and to the ones coming back to this thread. I LOVE the positive people of the this thread and the other threads I am subscribed to. I attribute a lot of success to LBT friends. Just to have someone to open up to...talk about struggles, life, etc. Always someone to positively guide a person in the right direction. Life is good!

Hey kids! Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Time for all of us to get back into the routine, I think. VZGH...I found great deal on Amazon.com on capris, shorts and t shirts. If you are unsure of your size, you could always just order capri yoga pants and dress them up. Elastic waist was the way I had to go until I got closer to goal. I lost around my waist at the very last. I swear I started at my ankles and head and the weight loss met in the middle. Allie...love your new photo with your girls. They are very pretty. Oldest one looks just like you. Younger must look like DH? Have had a kidney stone since yesterday. UGH. Hope it passes soon. Got all my Christmas stuff down and put away though. Forced myself. 8 days till we leave for FL. I imagine you can all tell I am excited to get out of here. After 4 weekends of blizzards...hell ya!

Treatment basically sounds just like my DS's friend is going through. They did not wait one minute to start mega chemo on him. Your story is encouraging, JoAnn. Have had a kidney stone since yesterday. It's a bitch (sorry). But name it like it is! I get them about once a month. They are calcium based and just have to deal with them. When my doc suggested I take Calcium supplements, I freaked. Had a bone scan and he made the suggestion. I decided bone health is important and will just have to deal with it if supplement causes more stones. The stones have nothing to do with hydration as I get way more liquid than suggested daily. God just decided that they were mine to have. I have been getting them monthly (or more) since 1994. Fun times. Had them pounded in 1998 and told DH this morning that it's about time to go and have them looked at again to see if I should have the procedure again. Even though I had a stone, I got all my Christmas stuff down and put away. I have such a huge collection but love every bit of it. I enjoy putting it up as much as I enjoy looking and admiring it when I put it away. Bought a new pre-lit Christmas tree a few days ago with 1000 lights on it. Mine is ten years old...has 1000 lights also. Will put the old one in the family room and the new in livingroom. Also ordered one for outside. I am a Christmas girl!!!! Hope everyone is have a nice and relaxing weekend. I will be as soon as I pass this sucker.

I like the way Jachut put it....1/2 a size from fitting in her skin. I feel the same way. The few imperfections that come with the weight loss I have had do not justify plastic surgery for me. Someone else might feel totally the opposite. For the age of 53, I feel very lucky to have come through this and get to goal and beyond without a lot of hanging skin. Just a little. None on arms, butt's OK and tummy is flat. The place I notice it the most is on my upper thighs. I did work out during the entire weight loss process and continue to. I am not sure if working out helped with less sagging skin but the definition of my muscles makes a difference in how I look and feel about myself.

Sorry you have to deal with a gas problem, Denise (Well, guess I feel more sorry for your daughter LOL). It's not funny and I know you have mentioned it b/4. I had gas the first three months and then it just went away one day. I truly believed during that time that I could have self-propelled myself anywhere I wanted to go! I don't think I could function without my protein bar at least once a day. It really fills a void....I feel like I'm getting a real treat and it incorporates protein into my diet at the same time. Have you checked with your doc about being gassy? I guess the first few months it is expected but not continuously? I could be wrong. :tongue2:

Hey Janet...our hotel stay was fun...nice to see everyone from our lake resort. Ready for a new year and ready to get the he!! out of here and head to FL. We leave on the 13th and get back on Feb 16-18. Will be doing a lot of my guards volunteer work from my lap top but that's OK. Has to be done. I have packed already for our trip except for some internet deals I got and waiting till they are delivered. I should have plenty of warm weather clothes now. Ready to be stormed in for yet ANOTHER weekend. Fourth in a row. Crud!!!!!!!!!!! It is actually nice being stormed in sometimes but too many times is a pain. We have a great movie collection and I still have some year end things to do so it will force me to get them done. Everyone have a great weekend and stay safe!

A couple of years ago I gave all of my dishes to my son when he set up a household after coming home from Iraq (In fact, think I gave him most of my furniture too). So...off I went to find a nice set of dinnerware that I could use everyday AND for special occasions. I found a fairly reasonable priced set. Sorento dinnerware is what I ended up with. Bought a set of 36 (when we entertain, we entertain on a large scale). Anyway, what I am getting to is that this set has ramkins which I use for some of my food. Also, the square little dessert plates are just the right size for other things. At first I was embarrassed using these plates in front of others. Now it's the norm. They work perfectly for me. You can get Sorento online and can order one piece at a time. I got the ruby and mixed it up with the celery green also.

Denise...I did some SF products during the weight loss phase and did not notice that they made me crave more sweets. I used SF flavorings in my coffee every day also. Was never a big sweet eater b/4 banding. But, I have noticed that after indulging in sweets over the holidays...I now crave sweets more than ever. I have tried to just grab fruit but do allow one sweet thing a day. (Usually my Pure Protein bar or a small chocolate kiss or something). It's almost like you have to cleanse your body of it and not have it in the house. Yep...the band does not take care of some of those cravings. Darn!!!

I thought it was in you HIGH opinion! LOL..Have to give you crap!:tt2:

Strike...hope your next fill does what it needs to for you. Great that you didn't gain over the holidays. Livin'-our original plan was to take 2 months for FL vacation. Long story but our son moved from FL to GA and will go there a visit also. Decided that next year and continuing years will be for most of the winter. Just not sure if it will be in FL or other states. Don't want to commit to being in one place. Thinking of the motorhome thing for future years. That way we can go wherever we want. No plans for the weekend. Another winter blizzard warning out for tomorrow and Sunday. This is our fourth weekend in a row with storms. Needless to say, we are ready to head south.

Welcome back, Allie. Good to hear you had a great holidays. Always good to get back home again. We are anxious to get out of here for a month. Record snow fall and cold already this winter. Just looking forward to being in our cabin, in the warm weather, in the National Forest. There's hiking trails, etc. and cannot wait to have the freedom of spending time in the outdoors again. We leave on the 13th. Suit cases are all packed (except of internet deals that I got on some clothing that is yet to be delivered). My DH will freak when he sees how much I have packed but not over the limit for the airlines. Guys can get by with so much less than us women. Doesn't every woman need one suitcase designated for shoes?

Mornin' Kids! Sounds like you have had a very successful bandster holidays, Cathy and Linvin. Isn't it a great feeling to make it through the holidays, have some treats and walk away from it with a loss? Good going. Cathy and Long...I am the opposite of you guys. My legs and arms are too skinny. Even when I was heavy it was carried all through the mid section. I wish I carried more on the bottom and legs but I decided b/4 goal that I would just be satisfied with the body God gave me. After losing all the weight I did and getting to goal, there are no negative body issues with me. A lot of that comes with age but I don't pay attention to a little wrinkle or whatever. I lucked out with getting a flat tummy back. My thighs look like melted butter but the only person that sees them is my DH, and, if he doesn't like the way they look, he won't be visiting them much! He's so supportive though. He loved me when I was FAT and he loves everything about me now. He just knew how unhappy I was carrying all the extra weight around and he was unhappy for me. I wear a size 4 pants but have to special order because I need 34-36 inch inseam. All arms and legs and short waisted. There are always ways to dress to pull the eye away from a figure flaw though. Never works for me to tuck in my shirts. Pretty distorted image when I do. Please do not think I am bragging when I disclose size of pants I wear. I am VERY small boned and lanky. Even when I was heavy I could wear a woman's medium pants but was really close to getting into a 4x b/4 I started this process. (I am sure your guys are all drawing this freaky picture in your mind of what a mess I must have been!) LOL. Anyway, my point in all of this is...accept where you end up. Appreciate your shape...love yourself.

I guess I would just try to find a pair of tights. They make the patterned ones now that are so cute. Take your dress and ask a sales lady in a dept. store (hose/sock dept.). They are usually up on the current styles. If you don't like the idea of tights, just buy some black pantyhose. You'll be cute no matter what you do, Strike!

DH and I brought in 2009 with smiles on our faces and nothing but positive aspirations for the new year. Had a great NYE with friends at a hotel and all met for a buffet Breakfast this morning b/4 heading home. I don't do buffets so just brought my Pure Protein bar along and had coffee. Don't get into that heavy eating anymore and do not miss how I used to feel after eating like that. Also happy that most of the holiday food is out of the house or in the freezer. Just don't like the way I feel when eating the "ucky" carbs. Ready to convince DH that he should be eating the healthier carbs with me. He watches his weight and eats healthy at meals but is such a sweet eater. I try to not have any of it in the house but it is around at times. He's not a child and no longer a young pup so pretty hard for him to break the habit. He never seems to put on a pound though....I just want his innards to be as healthy as he looks outside. That's one of my goals for 2009...getting him to kick the sugar habit. Happy New Year to all. Sounds like we are all starting out the year with the right attitude.

How did everyone usher in the NY? We had 15 rooms with 15 different families at a hotel. Was great. Waaaaaaaaay too much food, of course. I grazed and ate more than what I am used to but tried to go for the more healthy foods. We are ready to start a brand new year. 2008 carried a lot of stress for us but we got through it. Nothing terrible or anything....just a lot with managing the farm and business, 2 surgeries, kids buying homes, kids moving, etc. I am packed and ready to hit FL! I had to do some last minute shopping on Amazon though. (Probably not a NEED but a WANT). Just hoping all the goods come b/4 we leave on the 13th. Didn't break the bank though. Found capris for anywhere between $4-$11...not a bad deal. My fav shoes are Born so ordered three pairs of sandals. My 2 pair from last year are stretched from my fat feet. We have this store in our little town. Not consignment but prices of a consignment shop. The owner buys overstock items in higher end brands. There is no item more than $20. I did damage there a couple of days ago. Found a couple of Jones NY dresses, Ann Taylor coat, tops, etc. I was hyperventilating going through the racks. LOL. Me thinks that Long, Allie and myself have that shopping bug embedded in us!

Hey, Addy, welcome. At least you have a loss instead of a gain. Looks to me like (as you said above) you need to measure and weight your food for now until you can gauge what your portions sizes should be. I bought a "Salter" scale about 6mo. b/4 getting banded and started right away with weighing my food. Even though I am at goal, I still weigh the proteins and measure my other foods. Just a habit and helps to eyeball portions when I am eating out. It would be a really good habit for you to get into and then there's no doubt of what your intake is. Take care and jump into the New Year with your new habits!:Yawn:

Living...I knew you seemed special. It takes a certain kind of person to work with Hospice patients. God Bless you for the work you do. We were unable to have our memorial celebration this evening. We have a full blown blizzard. Our third already this winter. We are so looking forward to going south to FL for a month!:wink2:

You're almost there, Long....you should hit your goal within the next 6 months with the rate that you are going. ANN TAYLOR....HERE SHE COMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:wink2:

Hey Strike...how ya doin? Yep..love to have my girls in place and looking straight out instead of at the floor! Congrats on holding steady with your weight over the holidays. I hear ya on just wanting things back to normal again. I will be going to NYE overnight party tomorrow afternoon and taking all the candy, cookies, snacks, etc. and they will not be coming home with me. Even though I am trying to gain a few #'s back...I just don't like the feeling I get when I eat junk. You all have a safe, but fun, New Years Eve. I'll do a little private toast to all my LBT friends! Wishing you everything you wish for in 2009. I also wish you health, happiness and continued friendships.

Yep, Katy, Aussie's have the best sense of humor and are thr friendliest pple ever. We have traveled to your country a few times and we were able to stay for a month each time. I LOVE my Aussie friends. We had 2 exchange students by in 1994-1995 and then they came back to visit many times...often bringing their family. Both girls stayed months at a time when they would come back to visit. One of our girls is will be on a world tour next summer and will stay with us at our lake home for a couple of weeks with her new DH. (not d*ck head!). One of my best friends in the world is one of the girl's mothers. I wish she was my next door neighbor or even lived with us. We are like sisters. Take care, Katy. Will be thinking of you. My son's friend did not get very good news. They started chemo immediately. I want to stay optimistic but the results sound way too scary.

It's nice that your mind is at ease when it comes to where your mother lives and that she is well taken care of, Charlene. One of my best friends is 88 and lives in a wonderful apartment building. Just a call button away. Last time she fell she "didn't want to bother the EMT's" so she got another "old lady" (in her words) to give her a ride to the hospital.

Minnesota state law: It is illegal to cross over into Wisconsin with a chicken on your head. No sh*t!!!!!!

Speaking of bras...After reaching goal decided that I would treat myself to a Geiger red boiled wool coat. The only place to get one within a 100 miles was this high-end store in the mall quite a few miles away. Well, loved the coat and decided to buy it. But, also got talked into two bras. Tried on the Spanx bras but not enough support. Sales lady went and got me what she called "the best and most comfortable bra made". Heck, ended up buying two of them after trying. I would usually never spend $79 on a bra but these things are like wearing nothing and they support and have some padding (which I have never worn padding b/4). The brand name is: Mysterey Rouge. I know I am hooked and will most likely be my bra of choice for life. I have never owned a VS bra...just never had them to fit me. I think I will try and Ipex the next time I am in a mall that has their store. Just for the fun of it and to see what you girls are so excited about! LOL We have a full blown blizzard again today. Cancellations all over the place. I AM A PRISONER IN MY OWN HOME!!!!!!!!!!