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age/starting weight/surgery date/goal weight?

If I don't get my fluids in (I don't say Water, because I do a lot of SF decaf iced tea) my weight loss stalls....good enough reason to keep me drinking!!! Keep sipping away, it will become habit, and get easier! Kat

Welcome to BariatricPal. I commend you for reaching out, asking for help, and being willing to try something new. I don't have experience with regain. I was sleeved on April 20 and have a long way to go, but I have been reading and researching about WLS for sandpit two years. Congratulations on losing the weight you have and for regaining your health and your life. That is quite an accomplishment. All I can suggest if you aren't where you want to be is to go back to basics. Are you getting in all your Protein and Water every day? Are you tracking your food? Have you talked with your NUT lately? Take a deep breath and look at how much you have accomplished. Then, look at one or two things you would like to change or adjust and start today. Be sure and keep us updated on how you are doing. This is a great site for support.

hi, i use IDS New-whey liquid Protein. they come in "test tube" looking vials. they have both 25gm and 42 gms and have about 4-5 flavors. my favorites are the blue raspberry and fruit punch. these and Protein shakes saved my life while i was losing weight. until i found them i had issues with losing my hair. i would use protein shakes but sometimes i couldnt get those down. i still use these when i have a day that i am tight. i also used them recently when i had plastic surgery to insure my protein intake was good. i get mine on A1Supplements.com - Wholesale supplements Nutrition at Low Prices to Build Muscle, Lose Fat with EAS, MuscleTech, BSN and more! but they have a website called :: Innovative Delivery Systems - Welcome to IDS Sports :: they definitely helped me good luck josie

I was banded 8/26/09. Had my first doctor's visit on 9/9/09. He told me to eat anything that i can tolerate, but be really strict about no drinking during meals. He also said I am going to be hungry and able to eat almost normal portions because the band hasn't been filled yet. So, I have lost my weight pre-op, and 7 lbs. post-op, and now I am fluctuating up and down 2 lbs. I get really upset one day because I am up 2 pounds, then the next I am down those 2. My plans are to eat healthy, follow the drinking rules, eat till I am full, and wait for the fill on 9/28. Then I hope the weight starts to drop off. Still, I am down ~25 pounds since I began the whole process, which is 25 pounds better than I was 4 months ago! People are noticing and so are my clothes! :tongue2:

I'm also getting a fill today. I have been going back and forth with my weight also. I have 5cc's in my band and hopefully I'll get more resriction this fill. I was banded 11/20/09 and it has been a process. This will be my 2nd fill.:smile2:

Thank you before the weight gain i was a very well self esteemed 170 and full figure thats what i want again to obtain! Thank you for the support!

I am a 49 yr-old female who had an emergency appendectomy after going to ER Friday night ( surgery didn’t actually occur until 2am Saturday ) They said my appendix was NOT ruptured but was really nasty. They had a really hard time getting IV’s in me and therefore kept a bag of Sodium Chloride? dripping all the time once I got there and even then they had to change out my IV 4 times to different locations. Back on March 11 of this year I had a a gastric sleeve done. No complications at all. Went home in about 17 hours. No nausea or vomiting. I had lost 47 pounds when I went to ER for pain this past Friday. I thought it might have been another Kidney stone, had those in the past or possibly gallbladder ( heard those are common for weight loss patients ) Anyway, after my surgery in wee hours of Saturday morning I still felt very crappy, Doc said they were going to keep me another night or two due to the infection chances from my “Nasty” appendix, but again didn’t mention that it had busted or anything and kept giving me bags of sodium chloride ?? and bags of antibiotics. Sunday morning because I was in sooooo much pain they ordered a contrast CT where I had to drink lots of this lemonade tasting stuff before the test. They said everything seemed fine for someone at this point so soon post -op. My question is should I feel this crappy still ( 10 x worse than Gastric Sleeve procedure ) and MORE CONCERNING, why have I gained 15 pounds in 3 days? I feel like I’ve been punched and beat up severely. I don’t want my surgeon to think I’m questioning him or the results of the CT on Sunday, but is this pain and WEIGHT GAIN normal? I really appreciate your responses I don’t want to proceed with my doc ( which was the ER on call but from highly respected clinic in our area ) unless this seems abnormal. I have a follow-up Thursday in his office because we are leaving for vacation on Saturday, July 5th.

If you graze, you gain. This past week, I grazed and I gained. 9 months after this journey began, I've learned that my relationship with food has not changed at all. When I'm around it, I'll eat. So I'm resolving to not be around is as much as possible. I'm embracing the fact that snacking is just not part of my life anymore. At least, that's the plan. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

You might want to see if you qualify for a tax break next year if you self-pay. It will depend how much the surgery is in relation to your total income. Not as good as having insurance pay, but still something is gained in the process. I was self-pay and I have no regrets. Process was much faster and on my terms.

My ins. co. does the physician monitored weight loss. My problem being if I lose any weight I won't be morbidly obese & I won't fit in the insurance guidelines for surgery. I would then have to be self pay. So, I'm kind of scared about spending the money. Can you please advise?

To gain a little perspective, have a read through the Canadian discussions... we ALL are self pay (our healthcare system & insurance will not cover it, ever) and I think you'll find that an overwhelming number of Canadians agree it's money well spent. Compare the cost to the amount you've spent on dieting (programs, special foods, gym memberships, etc.) and larger amounts of food over the last couple of years... you might find this isn't that big of an investment afterall!

Totally agree with you. It is weird and not everyone understands our little joys that we get from loosing weight!! Keep up the good work!

I knew that at 5ft 10 and about 170lb for a lot of my mid teens, I was always the big fat chick in any group of people - I certainly didnt catch the eye of the boys. At about 16, I made a concerted effort and slipped down to about 154 - better but still far from the petite girl I longed to be. I knew however that 154 is a good, healthy, sustainable weight for me, so that was my initial goal.I also knew I'd want to go a bit further, which I have. But what surprises me is that 154 at my adult weight is WAY thinner than it was when I was a teen - partly perception becuase everyone around me is fully grown now, but also becuase I guess now although I was sporty as a teen, I'm now at a much higher level of fitness and I'm probably more muscle, less fat. As it turns out, I have a fairly slender body type and could easily get down to 140 without getting scary skinny, but I havent managed it and am not sure I could sustain it. 150ish suits me pretty well. I maintain it absolutely effortlessly, my weight never wavers and I'm also almost 43. For me, its a BMI of about 22, for you it will be a point or two higher, and really, what's unrealistic of maintaining a healthy BMI of 24ish? Its not really thin, its just healthy.

Curves is a good workout for beginners who don't need to be held accountable for the amount of effort they put into their routine. In other words, with the resistance setups, you're only going to get out what you put in. Weight machines can really make you lift the 100 lbs, but a resistance machine is only going to make you lift as much as you're putting into it. Here's a prior review I posted. IF you're looking for good feedback, stop reading.

Well good luck, its pretty bad for two days with hunger and a headache and then youre in the groove. Also on liquids, you lose weight fast so you feel like youre on a roll! Good luck! Cali

No, a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat! A pound is a pound. A pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat though. If you have more muscle and less fat than another person of the same height, you will be smaller but heavier. You also do not gain anything appreciable muscle wise from a couple of exercise sessions. For a woman, its a long hard slog to gain muscle, and gaining a couple of pounds of muscle over a period of months is really good going. When you suddenly increase exercise you damage your muscles and they retain water, you gain a pound or two.

Hi All!! In preparation for my plastic surgery consult (and hopefully procedures) this spring I've upped my workouts to try and get into the best possible shape. I hate that even after all of my successes, I still let the number on the scale dictate my moods and my actions. In the past, when I've started working out harder I gave up because the number on the scale actually went UP. Logically, I know this is inflammation, Water retention, possibly not getting enough calories and going into starvation mode...anything but "real" weight gain. BUT, I let it get to me anyway and would stop working out (which of course didn't result in losing a bunch of weight, lol). Currently, I have about 5 more weeks until my consult, and I've just decided to stay OFF the scale. I don't really care what the number is (for the first time in my life I'm happy with my weight) and I know that working out and eating right will get me where I need to be. Right now I'm working out twice per day: waking up at 5am and working out doing either light cardio or strength, and then again when I get home from work, usually more intense cardo training in the evening. So far, I feel great. This is my third week into it...and I haven't given up!! When I go in for my consult in April I'll be looking to do a 360 lower body lift and breast lift. I've gotten some good advise about the lower body lift, and have learned that the better shape your core is in before surgery, the better your recovery will be. I'm going to give it all I've got, and hopefully I'll continue to see positive changes!

I think staying off the scale is a smart move on your part. It sounds like you already know and understand all of the factors associated with a new workout routine that can lead to a stall or even a gain. But you are right that, even when we rationally understand the logic, the numbers on the scale can deal an emotional blow. It sounds like you are doing everything right and I definitely agree that being in the best shape of your life is the way to go into plastics and have your best shot at a smooth recovery.

Hi everyone; I've been "lurking" for the past week, gaining valuable information! Had my first consultation, and today scheduled the psych eval and other tests. Can't get in until late in August which is a bummer because I WANT THIS RIGHT NOW!!! Patience isn't a strong suit, but the weight didn't come on overnight so I guess I'll have to be patient a little longer. I'm truly convinced this is the right path for me. I've been overweight for most of my 36 years of married life. My husband has been wonderful; never complained about my enormous weight gain (90#'s) and has always put up with my crazy dieting patterns. I guess that's what true love is. But now I want to get thin and healthy for him as well as for me. Lulu Dr. Engstrand

not anymore. i did at first because it really wasn't easy to get use to such small bites and sooooo much chewing, but i think i have the hang of it now. it really helps me to eat A LOT less too. that is one great lesson i have already taken away from this, weight loss or not.

What other factors should you be aware of? Your own metabolism and health, for one thing. Your personal behaviors, for another. The band will not do anything all by itself; YOU are responsible for seeing that you allow it to consistently lessen your caloric intake. I don't believe there is any difference in results between the brands of bands; they are designed to do the same exact thing. That's not to say that there can't be problems, of course. But for the most part, people who get timely adjustments and eat sensibly and within band guidelines as much as possible will lose weight at a moderate pace for them. People lose at different paces: Heavier people lose more quickly than lighter ones, men lose more quickly than women, people without metabolic disorders or medication issues may lose faster than those with. Nothing is a sure thing, and I don't think it's worth worrying about every tiny little factor that other people have to contend with. What are YOUR issues, and YOUR concerns? Have you examined your eating behaviors and determined whether the band can help?

Here is my complete list of NSVs (non-scale victories) today. Since I am not seeing any change in the scale, I decided that I needed to review my progress, to see how my life has changed since March 14th, 2005. Because I was so distraught earlier this week because I listened to the damn scale, I decided I needed to list them all in one place. If you are not currently tracking your NSVs, I really want all y'all to start tracking them. Besides, when we are all invited to the Oprah show we need to have some evidence besides what the scale says, right? My most important NSV is that I haven't died from respiratory failure. 03-27-2005, 11:04 AM I finally have an NSV! my rings fit again! And I don't have the terrible edema problem I developed over Christmas any more! Woot! Two NSVs for week two! 03-29-2005, 08:18 AM This is a gi-normous NSV. I haven't used my inhaler in five whole days! As many of you know, I have terrible acute and chronic asthma. Five days before my band installation, I had to be taken to the ER via ambulance. My asthma was one of the main reasons I got the band, that whole prospect of death by respiratory failure just didn't appeal to me. (..."I want a death by misadventure) My book bag doesn't seem as heavy as it was before I was banded. (and I do almost all my walking with that book bag) It doesn't hurt to stand at the sink when I do the dishes anymore. I believe it is because I can get closer to the sink because my tummy is smaller. I've lost an inch from my waist! Speaking of inches lost, I've lost a total of 11 from my entire body. 03-30-2005, 06:29 PM another day, another NSV! I ran up a flight of stairs this evening. I didn't even realize what I had done until after I had done it! And my had my 20 pound backpack on. I wasn't even winded when I got to the top either! New crop of NSVs 4/5/05 Okay, one of the women in my math class wanted to know how much weight I’ve lost. “You’re looking good! How much have you lost?” My purple robe fits me! My jeans slide off my butt! New NSV 5/7/5 Monday will be my eight week bandiversary. All my pants have been very baggy, so today I tried on a pair of pants I haven't been able to fit for 4 years and I could button them! Size 22 black jeans. 05-10-2005, 07:44 AM Sunday night I woke up because I was laying on something hard. I figured that I must have rolled over on a book or something like that. (I sometimes fall asleep reading). I felt around in the dark, but I couldn't find anything that didn't belong in my bed. The hard thing? it was my ribs. 05-19-2005, 11:20 AM the other day the weather was on the wet side, so I zipped my jacked. Just like that, without even a second thought, zuup up the zipper went. And then it hit me. I. Zipped. My. Jacket! No wiggling, no struggling, no thought! Holy weight-watchers Batman! 05-24-2005, 11:56 AM I got a great NSV Sunday night when I got home. My sweet son wanted to know how I was doing, with the band. We've been apart since I got my band 10 weeks ago. He said I looked really good, and that my face was full of life, and that I was glowing. Then I had to chase him down the stairs and out the front door, and around the truck. I RAN down the stairs, I RAN around chasing him until we nearly collapsed laughing! 06-21-2005, 10:09 PM Today I wore a pair of jeans I haven't been able to fit into since 2002. Today I walked 15 minutes to and from the restaurant for lunch, and I wasn't winded, and I didn't need my inhaler. Today I took a walk with my son and he had to tell me to slow down (of course the silly boy wasn't wearing any shoes...) Today I went grocery shopping after work, and then DID NOT collapse on the sofa all night. 06-23-2005, 11:23 AM Another day, another NSV. Today, not only am I wearing for the first time, a shirt I got for Christmas, but I RAN FOR THE BUS. Yes, you read that correctly, I RAN for the bus. It's not like there wasn't another bus in 5 minutes... but I RAN. Me! and I wasn't winded either! Heh, sure, I'm happy with all my NSVs but a part of me is wondering when I'm going to start having some weight loss! 06-26-2005, 09:40 AM And here I was, worried that I'd never have any NSV when I started this journey... Today, I needed a belt! Now, I'm not in any real danger of pulling a Jonathan in the grocery store, but my pants are uncomfortably loose. I didn't even think that was possible! So, I dug out an old belt that I haven't been able to wear and it fit! 1 notch down, 13 more to go! 07-13-2005, 08:29 PM Major NSV time! I had to get a pair of Khakis for my trip to NY this weekend. I was told "brown khakis" which don't really exsist... Anyway, I digress. I tried on a pair of 22, thinking they might fit. Nope, too baggy. I tried on a pair of 20s! They were on the baggy side! I got a pair of 18s, and they fit! I fit into a size 18 today!!!!! Okay, I didn't buy them because they were not pretty, but I could put them on! Oh my gawd, oh my gawd, oh my gawd! A size 18! I haven't been able to squeeze my pretty little self into a size 18 since my baby was small! Oh sure, my jeans aren't a size 20, but still! It looks like I'll be bringing some clothes to the Las Vegas Bash after all! 07-28-2005, 10:17 AM Okay, I apparently gained 3 pounds but I lost another notch on my belt! Woot! Maybe the best one of all... This morning I realized that I will never go hungry again. (it's a wolves thing) 08-07-2005, 11:28 PM This weekend at the Beach I discovered that forgot a jacket. So I had to buy a new one. I picked up a 2x and it fit fine. A little roomy but that's okay. Wait a second... The sleeves are a bit long. Let's try the XL. I know, I know, an XL? That’s crazy talk. Hey! This XL is pretty roomy... but the sleeves fit. So, I had this totally insane idea... What would happen if I try on a Large? oh, it's never going to fit, it won't even zip up. Nah.. I'm too fat for a LARGE. oh my gawd, she's actually going to try to put on a LARGE jacket??? What, is she nuts? Is she a glutton for punishment? No! She's the proud owner of a powder blue fleece Long Beach Washington jacket!!! SIZE LARGE 8-11-2005 I am not hording food anymore. 8-14-2005 I just realized that on my cross country flight to Syracuse NY I did not need a seatbelt extender. Not only did I not need one, I actually had wiggle room in my seat. 8-21-2005 Well, my NSV has to do with my hording. I gave 2.5 big black lawn & leaf bags of clothes to the help house. I was going to bring them to the bash, but I felt that they were more needed here. I got rid of them while packing to return to exile. 8-22-2005 back to school, and I fit into the desks so well my tummy doesn't even touch the table! No squishing into the desks! 8-25-2005 I just realized that I didn't have any trouble with the change in altitude or the change in heat this year. For the last 2 years going from temperate Seattle to the extremes of Pocatello were very hard on me. A week after being here I ran up 2 flights of stairs in the COB without being terribly winded or needing my puffer. I also have been handling the heat just fine. Of course, having an AC sure helps... 8-30-2005 I had to go buy a big skirt for my Middle Eastnern Folk dance class... Yeah, they don't want us to call it "belly dancing" here, they feel it has "negative connotations." Yeah, what ever, it's belly dancing. :mad: I went to several stores trying to find a skirt that would match the requirements, let alone worry about the size thing... So at the 4th and final store I found one, a cocoa dip-dyed skirt. The biggest one was a LARGE, so I wasn't too hopeful. But I was brave and went to try it on. IT FIT! I just bought a size LARGE skirt. Not 2X, not XL, but just LARGE!!! Mind you, when I bought my Large jacket, I really suspected that the label was wrong, that it had been marked Large in error at the factory, an that it was some sort of cosmic joke on me. Sort of like that pair of size 18 pants that I was able to fit into (didn't buy but that's a different story). I felt that was in error as well. Maybe it wasn't an aberation, maybe it's the truth. I feel like I have no restriction at all. I still haven't lost any more weight, but I'll take my size shrinking. My other NSV is a medical one, and has to do with my leg skin graphs. In about 2001 I had a revision of one of my skin graphs from my motorcycle accedent. Every day since the revision, I had to wrap my leg in an ACE wrap to give it support so it wouldn't blow-out. I had such bad edema that if I didn't wrap it, it would buldge out quite a bit because of the nature of the graph. I stopped needing to bind my leg a couple of months ago. I simply don't need to any more, no more edema problem. 9/1/2005 My knees doen't rub together when I walk anymore. My belly roll is squishier and hangs a bit lower. This is an NSV because it is proof that I am loosing fat. 9/12/2005 This past weekend was the Bandster Bash in Las Vegas. I had to tighten the airplane seatbelt. Sure, I've lost 3 pounds since 2/29, but I'm trying soo hard to not focus on that. Focus on needing to tighten the seat belt. At the Bash this weekend, I got several pieces of clothes. Okay a whole new wardrobe. When you wear your own clothes over and over, it is really hard to notice any difference. I mean really hard. I've been working my way into several pairs of pants that I haven't been able to wear in years and they are size 22. Yet at the bash, I found size 18 pants that were comfortable. What gives with that? Anyway, I have a few pairs of size 18 that are comphy. 9/15/2005 I've been looking at my body fat % and my current Fat Free Mass. If I don't put on any more muscle mass, and stay current where I am, I only need to lose 55 to 70 pounds, not 70 to 100 pounds. I think that's counts as an NSV. Of course, if I can manage to put on 15 pounds of muscle like NanaHarly (Pat in Virginia) did, then I only need to loose 35 to 50 pounds! Woot! I know what I'm going to focus on! I was tallking to my DH on the phone and I casually crossed my legs. HOLY SH*T!!!! I CROSSED MY LEGS!!!!! 9/17/2005 As of today, I have had 46 NSVs. That amazes me. Today's NSV is that I dropped a .5% in body fat. 9/27/2005 I had an NSV this weekend of a sexual nature. Let's just say that I'm not as bulky.... My forearems and calves have amazing definition. My low belly is shrinking, and starting to gain some definition. 10/1/2005 My 50th NSV is that I am no longer The Great Crystal Dam in the bathtub. There was room on both sides of my hips in the tub! At this rate I'll have to invest in some rubber duckies... 10/2/2005 Spoke with my mom on the phone last night. She said it has been years since my voice sounded so strong. She said there wasn't any breathiness at all. I guess after years of severe asthma, I'd developed a sort of wheezy -breathy sort of way a speaking. 10/22/05 I had a fitness assessment done yesterday. While my aerobic fitness score wasn't very high, 22 out of a scale of 20-50 (needs work), my over all fitness level fell into the Fair range, and my blood pressure is in the Fit range. (mind you, I've always had good BP, except for the first few weeks I'm back in SE ID due to the altitude and heat change) 10/27/05 I am offically no longer Morbidly Obese, but simply Obese. Today my BMI is 39.6, so I might not even qualify for the surgery, if not for my co-morbidities, which are all under control. My second NSV for the day is that I have been invited to dance professionally at a Greek restaurant here in town. It will be fun to be able to put on my resume that I'm a Professional Belly Dancer. 11/5/05 All my pants are starting to look like giant clown pants, none of them fit in the butt or thighs anymore. If I didn't have this damn thick waist, I would really be in honest size 18 jeans. My black leather jacket is going to have to be retired soon. It's rediculously large on me now. The sleves alone now hang past my finger-tips and it looks like I could smuggle a medium sized ham in each shoulder. So I tried on my big winter coat, and now it really is my huge winter coat. It's about XX too big. It's fully reversable a suede stadium jacket, with lepord fake fur on the other side. I love this jacket, but next year, some other lucky bandster gets to love it. It's important for me that last winter before I was banded I couldn't zip the black leather jacket up. There was a 2-3 inch gap that just wouldn't meet. While the stadium jacket fit, it was pretty snug. Not any more! 11/10/05 Lastnight I was using my laptop. In my lap. This means that I HAVE A LAP!!!!! Woot! 11/14/05 When I sit on the floor or in a hard chair, I feel the bones in my butt. Not only my tail bones, but other bones (probably my pelvic bones?) as well. 11/17/05 Okay, time to bump the thread. Last night while Iwas talking on the phone to an old friend from high school I again casually just crossed my legs. Without thinking about it. I know I've done this before, but it's a mind thing I think. Other NSVs include belly dance stuff. My DH won a few auctions on ebay for me, a couple of B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L belts, a gorgous silk veil and a pair of harem pants. The pants looked impossibly small, even with an elastic waist. I just knew that they were NOT going to fit, but being the glutton for punishment that I am, I attempted to put them on anyway. They fit! They are too shere to wear without a skirt, so that will have to be next on my list of things to get. The other victories around dancing are some of the skinny ones are asking me for help, since they cannot get some of the moves quite right. I'm also getting really excited about dancing at the restaurant. I'll do that once I get home after Thanksgiving, and I complete my costume. I still need a top and a skirt I mean, I just bearly broke out of MO, and I'm going to be a fat professional dancer. What am I thinking? I mean, what am i thinking, other than I'm dead sexy and a fine belly dancer. 11/19/05 Okay, Thursday I passed up free donuts, and this weekend I've been busily working in my yard now that I'm home. Raking big fat soggy leaves, clearing flower beds, and the like. DH is amazined at my level of energy, and so is son. I guess I'm a little amazed too, since for the last several years the only energy I've had at this time of year has been spent trying to breathe or something aerobic like reading or playing video games. I've gotten used to a more active lifestyle in ID with all the walking and PE/dance classes I attend. I routinely walk up several flights of stairs with my heavy bookbag, where this time last year I was using a rolling bag, and needing to take the elevator because my asthma was so bad. 12/09/05 Well, tonight I make my semi-professional debute again! We had our dance department dance review Wednesday night, and pix will be forthcoming. We were great, several people told us that we were the best group on stage, so that was awesome! I went out on stage, in front of an audience of maybe 300 or 400 people, and I OWNED the stage. I wasn't the slightest bit nervous, and I'm quite amazed at that, believe you me! I made eye contact with many of the audience, and I had the biggest smile on my face the whole time. Not only did I look like I was having a great time, I WAS having a great time! The next NSV is my costume... my top was a crop tant top that I've added bead work too to make it sparkle. But the important part of that sentence is CROP TOP! Yes, that's right, I was wearing a belly shirt on stage, exposing my ample belly to the public, with my surgery scars clearly visible! And I did it on purpose! Okay, this next one isn't an NSV, not really, and it properly goes on the "Skniny Bitches" thread, but here it is We had just come off stage after doing our two numbers and we were all still amped up on adrenalline. We were talking about how we had done, bla bla bla. A group of ballet dancers were there, I mean, right there and one of the skinny blond said to another skinny blond the snottiest comment I've heard in a long time. Okay, all the ballet dancers were skinny blonds, but that's besides the point. She said, in a loud voice "well, at least we weren't shaking our Bon-Bons." In the snottiest possible voice mind you. So, I simply said, with sugar in my voice, "well that's because you can't shake your Bon-Bon." And then I smiled so sweetly at her. (then she said that I was probably right, and the group of them walked away) So, I suppose that makes me a fat bitch, but I just decided that I wasn't in the mood to take crap from anyone. So, the next part of the Bellydancing NSV is that I'll be dancing againg tonight at a local restaurant, and yes, I'll be dancing for tips, so Big Paul, you'd better leave now so you get here in time, and yes, you'll probably need to take out a second mortgage So, finally, I'm doing this when I weigh 240 pound and not waiting until I get closer to goal. I'm doing this at size 22/24 and not when I get to my goal of 12/14 12/22/05 I'm less invisible. Last year at this same time I felt so invisible when walking through the halls at school. Now guys hold the door open for me, and men and women smile more at me. Perhaps they just needed a couple of years to get used to me, or perhaps I am more self asured and confident. Confidence attracts confidence. This time last year I could not breathe. I was in and out of the hospital and making near daily trips to the ER, having several nebulizer treatments every single day. Since I've been home just about a week, I've used my inhaler much more often than usual of late. I've used it 3 times in a week. This is a weird NSV, but I finally have doctors seriously trying to figure out why I'm not having the sort of weight loss I should. I guess I had to go on the Supermodel Diet for a month before they would take me seriously. 1/4/6 Today I went skiing for the first time in 5 or 6 years! Woot! It was a lot of fun, and I fit into my ski pants from 5 or 6 years ago. I'm so happy! Okay, this was a MAJOR NSV for the DH too because he went skiing too! Spudboy and I had to talk him into it, but he did it! I'm so proud of him! I didn't use my puffer once while skiing, but was wicked cold because my gloves weren't good ski gloves. Oh, and I didn't have a water proof jacket either... So, 3 for the price of one. 1/13/06 I just got back from several days in DC, for a scholarship symposium and job fair. I have a conditional job offer for when I graduate, if I can obtain a security clearance! Woot! That's an NSV, since it would be a major job! I have a whole string of NSVs, the very most important one is that I went to DC WITHOUT AN INHALER. What's more, I didn't even need it. This is super significant because this time last year, and for several years prior, I couldn't go anywhere without at least 2 inhalers on my person. I had an inhaler in every single piece of clothing that had a pocket. Last year this time I had spent 10 days of the Christmas vacation in hospital, don't know how many trips to the various ERs. I didn't even realize that I didn't have an inhaler until the puddle jumper from Salt Lake to Pokey, AFTER my trip was almost done. I was constantly being mistaken for a much younger woman, and when I would talk about my son, people assumed I was talking about a baby or a very small boy. Oh if they only knew! 1/18/06 In class yesterday I realized that my belly wasn't even touching the desk in two of my classes! 2/7/06 I had two NSVs this week. One is that I went to a party where I only knew one person. Big deal? Yup, big deal since I am terrified of groups people. It's not like they are spiders or kittens or something like that, but I have avery difficult time with groups of people I don't know, I'm very shy. (yeah, who would believe that?) But I went to the party, and I was charming and talked to everybody. I don't think my husband would have recognized me.... The other NSV is that I've accepted that I'm not going to lose weight. Not until this Cushing's thing has been addressed or resolved. But because I've accepted it, I don't have to stress over it. I don't have to beat myself up any more. Oh wait, one more NSV, I need to take my watch to the Jewlers to have one of the links removed from the band! 3/5/6 Well, I haven't had that many NSV's lately, or if I have, they have been lost to me. I need links removed from my beautiful watch, and I can wear more of my rings. I have to stop wearing one of my rings because when my fingers get cold (winters in SE ID are COLD!) it flies off my finger! Woot! So, 3 NSVs for Feb 06!

After being 340 lbs for a while, now the scales are telling me I am done to 326-330. I think maybe fear of food getting stuck is making me avoid certain foods (eg my previous habit of buying a whole chicken and eating the whole lot in one sitting). But when I get on the scales, the reading varies a bit. I bought some new scales Weightwatchers brand, that go up to 400 lbs - so I am not too heavy for the scales. They are guaranteed for 10 years and have carpet feet (and anyway, on a flat kitchen floor, I weight the same on them). My problem is that there is such a range of results. And when I get on, it takes a while to find the right result. It goes, 330, 324, 328, 326, 329, 325, and then sticks on a result. Is it harder for bigger people to get an accurate reading? You have to stand more still than smaller people, don't you? I find it inconvenient that the scales indicate such a range.

my surgery date is October the 6th. I have been waiting for about 4 months now and I did also read and watched a lot about the band. I am looking forward to that. I know I am the one to blame for all the weight gain but you know there are a lot of factors that made me gain weight. Like miscarriages, depression and so on so I look at it as a second chance to make my life better and to be able to move around more without hurting my back or my knees. That alone makes me look forward to it. I hope you will feel better about it.