imaluckydog

Do this for yourself. I did not tell my Mom. I did not tell anyone except my husband and two adult children 20,and 21. My sister who had By pass surgery 9 years ago has been no help what so ever. I just do not want to answer all the questions. Let it go and do what you have to do to get yourself ready for this amazing journey. Best wishes to you and happy New Year. imaluckydog

Dreams Can Come TURE..... On the 1,2,3,4,5th,6,7,8,9,....12th.....Day of Christmas I was just wondering if my dreams will come true? I have been so good, so willing, almost too good these last six months as my Bandlandia roller coaster has changed my entire life. Full of Emotional ups and downs, Full of Happy and Sad Sad Sad moments, Tranquillity and Frustration to say a few. But mostly JOY, JOY, JOY to the WORLD!!! The CALMNESS is probably the most profound FEELING of all for me I have never been a calm person, I am NOW.....I am at PEACE....with my being... 
I just want to SING out loud and clear for all to hear! OK, yes it has been a challenging some what difficult 6 months, but look how fast these days and months have gone by!!! You can do this!!!!!! I do remember sitting in the psychology group classes before LB and having to think of the one real, THE REAL reason I wanted to lose the weight? LOL does anyone have a REAL REASON? OMG I thought my psychologist was a quack!!! He said in six months there will be some REAL changes. I did not believe him then, I do NOW. I’m going to send him a picture of me skiing. It had to be SKIING. I wanted to go skiing with my family again. I have not done that since they were two years old and I have missed out on all these years of Family FUN on the Mountain. The kids are now 21 and 20!!! I know you are thinking SKIING she is nuts and out of her mind!!!!! You may say, I can think out a million and one more reasons to lose the weight before I go skiing that is for sure!! YES, I must say I have many more reasons too keep losing as well. But the one I felt I could accomplish in 6 months had to be SKIING. It is WINTER in VERMONT with snow I can cross country ski, sled, walk, NOPE I have to go Down Hill skiing with the FAM. My kids have both been to the Junior Olympics they do the BIG AIR and Moguls events. I always had to wait at the bottom because I could not get my over 250 pound out of shape, Fat body to function on skis without killing myself. I could only watch video of theirs runs. I am going SKIING this week! Got the boots, skis, poles, helmet, goggles, an out fit that is a little too big, but hey this is not a FASHION SHOW yet I said yet it may be soon!!! I just want to go skiing. I want to have FUN with my family again together. I do not care how I look yet I just want to be comfortable doing it. My son’s GF and I will take a lesson together that will be FUN. I do know how to ski but to help her ease into it and to refresh my spirit and soul again I am also doing this for me too. It has never been about the numbers but I do think about it a lot. I must let everyone know that I have lost another 9 pounds and a total of 77 pounds since June 29 when my Bandlandia adventure began. I do not own a scale but I dream about being on one everyday. I now wear a teen size and I have been called skinny. I am not SKINNY believe me!!!! When you lose this much weight people see you differently than you see yourself. Car is almost packed so I will say goodbye, I will be back in a week and will fill you all in on my Wild and Crazy Adventures. I’m going Skiing. LB has changed my life and thanks to all me LB friends who have helped and coached me along the way I would not be doing this without you, you will be with me every inch of the way. I’ll be back soon. DREAMS DO COME TRUE!! imaluckydog

Yes, you can do this!! My tastes totally changed after being banded. I do not snack either any more, I just stopped. You can do it!!!! Best wishes. imaluckydog

Hi BG, You are the best. Have a great Christmas. It is all about family and friends. Thanks for being one of mine. I have been busy planning food, food, and more food. I end up being the food person. Funny I can't eat much of it, but I sure can Cook!!!!! Working on a blog I just have not finished it yet. All is well in Bandlandia. Best Wishes to everyone and Happy Happy New Year. imaluckydog

I love your energy and get up and go attitude. I always feel the same way. I would really like to make the Pecan Butter Ball recipe. Will you share the recipe? Great Blog and keep it up we are on the most amazing journey. I am also so tight I did not get another fill today. I will not go back for about 8 weeks now. I hope I will do well. Blogging really helps me so much. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes in the Holiday season. imaluckydog

Best wishes I hope everything works out for your family. They are the most important people in my life. I would not be able to do this if I did not have their support. I will keep you in my thoughts. Happy, Healthy, Holiday season to you and yours. imaluckydog

Hi, I too have been somewhat grieving for the fat bitch but she is gone. I look normal. My family says "you look normal now" I just never knew what normal felt like or looked like. I also have that calmness I never had that before. Is it the band or the fact we have to eat so much less? Maybe it is the healthy foods I must eat? I am perpetually happy all the time, wake up with a smile go to bed with a smile. Like in "ELF" I like Smiling, Smiling is my Favorite. Best wishes and have a great day. imaluckydog

You are doing great keep it up. Happy Holidays and Best wishes. imaluckydog

Hi, I'm a BITCH a female dog. I do not even know where to find the mens chat room, I do the self talk just like you and by the way it is healthy to do this kind of blogging. Keeps my paws out of the cookie jar. I answer all the same questions as you did. I just want to say that what ever you say here my help others "lose" weight, or it my NOT. If you have to lose as much as I do I know I will have "loose skin" I will deal with it when the time comes! I have been banded for five and half months and many day's I feel like "the bitter bandster". Enjoy where you are it is an amazing journey and I miss, truly miss eating the amounts of food I use to. That is when I get bitter. But the fact I have dropped five sizes and over 68 pounds in five and half months is also truly amazing. Being Banded has changed my life in such a healthy way. I must eat slower and chew, chew, chew to beat the band. Playing well with my band is probably the most important thing I have learned on this journey. May your gift to yourself be just as satisfying. Best wishes. imaluckydog

Wow now that is a lot on your plate at once. STRESS makes me sick, my band gets tighter and that is the worst feeling. I am not sure why stress does that to me. A little argument and I cannot eat I need total relaxation at a meal or I have to starve and go eat alone some place. I went out to dinner the other night the band was loud and it was stressful I could not eat ended bring the entire meal home. It sucked. I am sorry about the loss of Man's best friend, this is a sad time. You will need time to morn the loss of your pet. So not fun!!!! I hope your second fill goes better. I do remember my first was a bummer and the second one was a breeze. I am sure it will go well for you. Best wishes imaluckydog

Hi I was not tight until after my third fill. Enjoy this time learning what and how to eat. This is the time to start cutting back on amounts and going slow. I could eat any and everything for the longest time. I still lost weight but when I cut back I lost more weight. I have wonderful memories of when I could eat a lot more than I can NOW. So follow the rules and take care of yourself. It is a Happy, Healthy Journey we are on. Best wishes. I have been banded since last week in June and as of five weeks ago I had lost 68 pounds. I will see my NP on Monday and weigh in again. I am really excited to find out just how much more I have lost. I do not own a scale. But I think about it every minute of every day. I will not get another fill this would have been for my fifth but I did not take the fourth and I will not take this one either. I would not call it a "sweet spot" because I can hardly eat anything. When I do it takes me over an hour to eat. So there is absolutely nothing sweet about it. Dinning out is the worst, because everyone eats so fast and people always notice I have not eaten that much and am so slow they are on dessert and I have finished my third bite. I do not enjoy going out to dinner any more because if I eat too fast it will come up or back I am not able to burp. So I would say practice healthy eating habits because this is what the band wants and I have had to learn how to play with my band. NICELY LOL..imaluckydog

All of this info is all true and all info is from experience. It is up to you to make the best choices for you and your band journey. I am always trying to get all the protein I can get in me. I have had hair loss but not that much. Even if I drink a glass of milk before I go to bed it helps. I wake up with a smile and go to bed with a smile on my face. I am working the best I can with my band. I try to Stay positive and blogging is more fun than I ever though it would be. I do not snack at my computer so I keep my paws out of the cookie jar when I am blogging. Best wishes to you on your journey. imaluckydog

Best wishes to all with this issue men and women as my husband suffered with me the entire way. Been there done both! Took us seven years and well worth all the efforts. At the seventh year we said let's just forget about it and we took a long awaited vacation to San Francisco. I believe in Miracles! One Boy, One Girl Irish twins. They are in college now. I was also told I would never have children. LOL.. So believe in Miracles..... I was banded on June 29 and that was the next best miracle in my life. I have a lot to be grateful for. Best wishes for a Happy Healthy Holiday season to all. imaluckydog

Hi, I hope your weight goal comes true. I was banded in June on the 29. One month before you and I feel great most of the time. I go in to NP on this Monday Dec 21. I am sure I will not get another fill. I stopped getting fills after 3 of them. I have found I am way tight enough. Most days I can just eat enough to keep myself alive. I find most of the time I am eating protein and steamed veggies. I do not enjoy pasta or bread that much anymore. That is probably a good thing. I am going to a few Holiday parties and I pray I make the Best Choices I am able. It can get ugly if you know what I mean when I make the wrong ones. I just had a funny experience. Had to toss all of my underwear away. My husband just said go buy some that fit you. I just never thought much about it and I was wearing panties that were 5 sizes to big for me. LOL This journey has been so amazing I must say. At my last weigh in I had lost 68 pounds. That was over a month ago. Where does the time go. I do not own a scale so I am so excited to see how much more I have lost. I have been fighting off the blues for weeks now I think it has something to do with the fact I cannot eat like I used too and I sooooo miss a good chow down. I am just trying to keep the spirit of the Holiday's and stay as positive as I can. Thanks I enjoyed reading your blog. Have a great day. Best wishes imaluckydog

I think I better up my protein I may not be eating enough of it either. Going to the NP on Monday will ask about this. Best wishes to both of you. Thanks for the info. imaluckydog

Best wishes to you, it is an incredible journey I must say. Thanks for sharing. Keep it up you are an inspiration to all. imaluckydog

I lost hair for just about three weeks as well. It has stopped now that goodness I have started taking something called Biotin. I am not sure that is what helped but I have not lost any more. I noticed it the most about the third month after surgery. I think it also has something to do with the surgery itself. The changes the body has gone thru. Anyway it does slow down at least it did for me. You are not alone on this one. Hang in and Best wishes. imaluckydog who is just hanging on these days. I do not seem to have as much energy as I use to. I am looking forward to seeing the nurse next week.

Thank goodness you can write about it!!! Makes it so much more fun to read about. I just love you.... I know what it is like having children taking exams my two have one on Friday as well and it may be over at the same time or later. I think it is crazy. They have to ask to stay another day in the dorms so they can drive 4 hours home in the day light. Pay all this money for less actual school time and way late exams. Go figure.... I can't wait to see them. Thanks for sharing Best wishes imaluckydog who is hanging in there barely.

Hi, I was banded June 29 so we are June buddies together. I have had three fills so far and I am as full as I ever want to be EVER. I am due back at the Dr.'s on Dec 21, I will not take another fill as it is so hard to eat and it takes me about 1/2 hour to eat all the food I need to eat. I have to eat really slowly so I do not PB. I hate that part. So I go slow and steady and some how get it all in. I really miss eating a ton of food when I sit with my family and everyone is chow'n down. I find myself cutting my food into smaller and smaller pieces and playing with my food more. It helps to pass the time in between bites. At around the three month mark I felt I had lost a lot of hair as well. It has slowed down the hair lose that is. Getting in protein is what helps I think. The last time I got weighed I had lost 68 pounds so I hope I have lost some more when I go back. Best wishes and I'd like to hear from you again. imaluckydog

I am with you. OMG!! I have only been banded 5 month and I did not take my third fill as I was FULL enough. I am still full and due for another fill. I am just not going to rush this wonderful Happy experience I have been having. Your story is true and many will commend you for doing this again. We can be friends. I am sure you have a ton of wisdom to share. Best wishes on your second journey and have a GREAT day. imaluckydog