LCBBuddies CHIT CHAT

IT WAS FANTASTIC BEING BACK AMONG OUR BUDDIES TONIGHT ... NICK & I HAVE MISSED Y'ALL. THANKS TO MS CHERYL, WE HAVE A PERMANENT PLACE TO CHAT WITH EACH OTHER, HAVE A FEW LAUGHS & GIGGLES, & BE OUR ROWDY SELVES. MS CHERYL & I HAVE DECIDED THAT FOR THE NEXT 3 - 4 WEEKS, WE ARE GONNA BE WEIGHT LOSS BUDDIES & HELP EACH OTHER OUT OF OUR STALLS. WE'RE GONNA KEEP TRACK OF EACH OTHER'S SUCCESSES , MAKE SUGGESTIONS WHERE WE SEE THE OTHER CAN ADJUST SOMETHING & JUST ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER DAILY SO WE CAN STAY REALLY FOCUSED. SOMETIMES YA NEED A "SISTER" TO GIVE YOU THAT EXTRA "UMPH" TO GET GOING STRONG & STAY GOING STRONG. MS BARBARA & HER DEAR HUBBY, MR CECIL, WERE WITH US BUT SHE HAS NOT BEEN FEELING ALL THAT GOOD LATELY; SHE'S IN AN AWFUL LOT OF PAIN & IS ADJUSTING TO NEW THYROID MEDICATION ... SO, WE ALL NEED TO SEND HER OUR BEST WISHES & PRAYERS. MS BECKY HAS THE COOLEST NEWS. SHE & ANOTHER LADY FROM THE BASE, MS PAT, ARE GONNA HAVE SURGERY THE SAME DAY (4/24) & BE SURGERY SISTERS ENCOURAGING & HELPING EACH OTHER THROUGHOUT THE JOURNEY. SINCE PAT'S HUSBAND IS AWAY RIGHT NOW, MS BECKY'S HUSBAND IS GOING TO "TAKE CARE" OF BOTH OF THEM AFTER THEIR SURGERIES. A BIT PAT ON THE BACK TO BECKY'S WONDERFUL HUBBY! MS BRITTY HA**** THE CENTURY MARK ... SHE'S LOST 100 #s & WE ARE JUMPIN' FOR JOY FOR HER. SHE LOOKS FABULOUS! OF COURSE I MOVED HER ON THE SC WEIGHT LOSS LIST TO THE "100 # OR MORE" CATAGORY. MS DONA & HER WONDERFUL HUSBAND, REX, WERE WITH US BUT THERE ARE AN AMAZING 71 #s LESS OF MS DONA!!!!!!!! I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE NICK & I ARRIVED LATE (AS USUAL) & I DIDN'T GET AROUND THE TABLE TO TALK WITH THE TWO OF YOU TO FIND OUT WHAT'S NEW WITH Y'ALL, SO NEXT WEEK, I'LL HAVE TO START WITH YOU TWO!!!!!!! MS DONA GAVE US SOME INFO ON CHEWABLE CALCIUM CITRATE ... YOU CAN GET IT ON ... vitacost.com ... I FOUND A COMBO OF CALCIUM CITRATE & CARBONATE CHEWABLES AT GNC, BUT HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A CHEWABLE CITRATE ONLY HERE IN THE AREA STORES, SO CHECK OUT DONA'S ONLINE SOURCE. SOMEONE HELP ME HERE ... SOMEONE BROUGHT A LIQUID CALCIUM ... PLEASE POST THE NAME & WHERE YOU GOT IT ... IT HAD A VERY GOOD FLAVOR, WHICH MOST DON'T SOOOOOO PLEASE SHARE THE INFO WITH EVERYONE ON THE BOARD ... I FORGOT TO WRITE IT DOWN. SORRY, BRAIN FART. MS TOWANA PLAYED HOOKIE AT SCHOOL FOR JUST A LITTLE BIT & DROPPED IN WITH US ... SHE LOOKS AMAZING AT 80 #s LIGHTER WITH NO STOPPIN' HER NOW. SHE'S GONNA HIT THE CENTURY MARK IN NO TIME. WE HAD 2 LADIES JOIN US FROM WALTERBORO & THEY PROMISED TO COME BACK , WHICH WE ARE THRILLED TO HEAR. MS MARLENE IS 110 #s LIGHTER. SHE HAD WLSurgery ABOUT 8 1/2 MONTHS AGO ON JUNE 28, 2005. MS LINDA HAD SURGERY NEARLY 10 MONTHS AGO ON MAY 11TH, & HAS DROPPED AN UNBELIEVABLE 149 #s. MS CRYSTAL JOINED US FOR THE 1sT TIME SINCE HER SURGERY LAST FEBRUARY 20th & SHE IS DOING GREAT ALREADY LOSING 21 #s. SHE SAYS SHE FEELS GREAT , HAS ENERGY , DRIVES, DOES HOUSE WORK ... THE WHOLE NINE YARDS. I GAVE HER A PRINTED COPY OF YOUR POSTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT ... SHE & MR JOEY ARE REALLY HAPPY THEY DIDN'T LET OTHERS TALK HER OUT OF HAVING THE SURGERY. MS SUUZ & HER HUBBY JOINED US & AFTER HER SCARE THE OTHER DAY, SHE'S ON A HEART MONITOR. IT IS SHOWING ODD PATTERNS WHEN SHE IS SLEEPING SO SHE IS GOING TO TALK TO HER PRIMARY DOCTOR ABOUT GETTING A SLEEP STUDY DONE. WE WERE REALLY PLEASED TO HAVE MS JULIE JOIN US FOR THE 1st TIME. SHE HAS LOST 126 #s & HAS HAD A TUMMY TUCK. SHE'S GOING TO HAVE A SCAR REVISION & PLANS ON A BREAST LIFT AS WELL. SHE BROUGHT SOME AMAZING PICTURES ... BEFORE & AFTER & THEN AFTER HER TUMMY TUCK ... WOWOWOWOWOW ! AFTER SEEING HER PICS, I WANT A TUMMY TUCK NOWWWWWWWW! ALTHOUGH SHE SWEARS THAT SHE IS A HERMIT, I THINK WE TALKED HER INTO COMING BACK & JOINING US ON THURSDAYS. MS SUSANN, OUR DEAR FEARLESS LEADER, COULDN'T BE WITH US THIS EVENING ... AS I UNDERSTAND IT, SHE WILL BE LEAVING ON A TRIP TO FLORIDA EARLY TOMORROW MORNING, SO WE PRAY FOR HER SAFE RETURN TO US! IF I MISSED ANYONE OR ANY NEWS, PLEASE HELP ME OUT & POST AWAY! EVERY STEP FORWARD, EVERY SUCCESS ... EACH BIT OF INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT ... THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO JOINED US THIS EVENING. GOD BLESS EACH & EVERY ONE OF YOU DAWN & NICK THE TOWN CRIERS

I can't thank you all enough for the warm welcome. I fet so out of place when I first walked in...I thought everyone was lookig at me like 'I think she is sitting in the wrong place'!!! I know I may not look big but I sure do feel it. I didn't last summer but this year my old insecurities have slithered back in somehow. I really hope to get over what ever stage I am in....and one day learn to be happy being 'me' and comfortable in my skin. Last night I was trying to figure out why I am so critical of myself instead of being proud for what I have accomplished....I think I possibly came up with a reason!!! I had been large for around 10years...that is 10yrs of feeling very down about myself and having no self esteem....well I think that habit of self critisizm is a very hard one to break. We are our worst critics right? I have had a goal to lose weight for so long that it is hard to feel satisfied....like I can't let the battle go...who knows...I guess I need to work on that more...lol I was so excited when I got home to tell my hubby how wonderful everyone was and how nice it was to finally be part of a support group. He was very happy for me but didn't quite understand why I liked it so much. I think in his mind...I lost the weight and that is that. He told everyone I was going to have the surgery done and it seems that now I have lost so much he doesn't understand why I would still need support...who knows how that mans brain works. Maybe one Thursday night I will get him to join us. Out of everyone...my one big concern I brought home with me was for MS. Cheryl...please please try to start eating more. I am so worried about her. I completely understand where she is coming from..I too was there myself. I got to the point where eating seemed like a chore and I hated food. BUT....you need to take advantage of these times and drink as many protein shakes as you can and sip sip sip tha****er!!! Your appetite will eventually return and then you will be on your own....this is the stage I am in right now. If I would have followed that advice in the beginning I would not be in the situation I am now and still needing to lose 10lbs. I do wish you all my best....as of right now I too will try harder to get in more exercise and more protein. I am just an email away if anyone would like to ask me any questions...I wish you all the best of luck in your awesome journeys. Sorry for the novel.... Julie 265/138/144/130 H/L/C/G (high/low/current/goal)

Julie, I am so sorry I missed meeting you last night. I had to leave early. You have no idea what an inspiration you were to me. I read your profile when I first started looking into bypass surgery. We were about the same weight. You gave me so much hope when I was so scared to have the surgery. I had it 9/30/05 and have lost eighty pounds. I hope that I get to meet you next time Mary

NICK & I GOT THERE LATE, MS MARY ... SO SORRY WE MISSED YOU; IT HAS BEEN AGES SINCE WE SAW YOU & MS KELLY. YEAHHHHHHHHHH ON YOUR 80 #s ... I UPDATED YOUR STATS ... WOW, THAT'S ANOTHER 10 #s SINCE LAST TIME I PUT IN YOUR NUMBERS. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! HOPE TO SEE YOU THIS COMING THURSDAY ... GOD BLESS YOU DAWN & NICK

WELL MS JULIE ... WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE YOU JOIN LCBBuddies. I'M NOT SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN OBESE CAN UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES OF BEING OBESE ... SO, HUBBY MAY JUST BE OBLIVIOUS ... NOT BECAUSE HE DOESN'T CARE, BUT BECAUSE IT IS SO FOREIGN TO HIM. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT A PARAPLEGIC GOES THROUGH. THEY'D PROOBABLY THINK I'M A WHINEY BABY BACAUSE OF THE PAIN I'VE BEEN IN ... THEY'D LOVE TO FEEL PAIN SINCE THEY CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING, YA KNOW. MOST NON-OBESE PEOPLE SEE US AS JUST HAVING A "DIET & EXERCISE" ISSUE, BUT IT IS SO MUCH MORE WHEN IT GETS TO THE OBESE STAGE. I THINK YOU HAVE TO LIVE IT TO UNDERSTAND IT. PLEASE BRING HUBBY ANY TIME ... NICK HAS GONE WITH ME FROM DAY ONE & WE HAVE OTHER SPOUSES WHO COME AS WELL. I SEE THIS AS A LIFE-LONG PROCESS ... I WAS OVERWEIGHT/OBESE FOR NEARLY 27 YEARS, SO I DON'T THINK I'M GONNA DEAL WITH ALL THE ISSUES IN A YEAR OR TWO WHEN MY WEIGHT LOSS IS COMPLETE. SO, I THINK YOU ARE VERY "NORMAL" IN THAT YOU ARE NOW DEALING WITH THE EMOTIONAL ISSUES SURROUNDING OBESITY. DID YOU SEE WHERE MS CHERYL IS IN ONDERLAND? YEAHHHHHH ... SHE & I ARE BEING DAILY WEIGHT LOSS BUDDIES ... SHE'S DOING VERY GOOD ... & I'M SITTING IN NEUTRAL ... AARRGGHH! BUT, THIS WILL WORK AGAIN WHEN MY BODY SAYS IT'S TIME. GOD BLESS YOU DAWN & NICK