Band Groupie is our amazing Band Rockstar who has done so well that she truly deserves to be on the cover of a Lap-band book! And hopefully she will be soon, once the BG Band Bible she is writing gets published! (Sorry BG, I'm sure you have a better title in mind.)
Many of us first encountered the endlessly entertaining, always informative, and unbelievably skinny Band Groupie over on lapbandtalk.com. She was awesome there, and she is even more of a force to contend with on her excellent blog, The Sweet Spot.
I always learn something new and helpful whenever I visit BG's blog, which is why I was so thrilled to read her S.O.B. answers. To be honest, I wish I could just permanently implant all of her great advice in my brain somehow.
But since I can't seem to do that, I think I'll just print out THESE pictures and carry them around for inspiration.
100 POUNDS! Could BG look any hotter?
Congratulations Band Groupie! You are such an amazing inspiration and a wonderful role model for us all. Thank you so much!!!!! We heart BG!
BG Speaks:
1. All about You! Tell us a little bit about yourself (age, how long you have had the band, etc.)
Hello my GF's (and BF's, yes we ALL have Boy Friends…thanks guys for putting up with all my female talk)! I'm a 51 year old now SAHM with a wonderful husband who's my best friend and 3 great kids DD (22) living at home while she now waitresses and job hunts (double majors in Marketing and Intl. Business…just in case anyone is hiring), DS1 (20) sophomore this fall in college, DS2 (14) 9th grade this fall. I have an Art Education degree and taught for about 8 years before our first move and my last job was at a Fortune 500 leading Business Process Improvement both internally and traveling to do this with a few of their customers (my creative side made me really good at seeing how to do things a better way…I'm a 'think outside the box' kind of person). We've lived in seven homes and this is the longest (9 years) that we've been anywhere (just North of Pittsburgh). I've always got some major 'project' going at home that keeps me busy and I love trying new things (thus the LB book project now).
After almost exactly a year from my starting research, I got banded 4/22/09...so about 13 months ago now.
2. Your Weight Loss
Please let us know your starting weight and/or size, and current weight and/or size
I started my 6 month pre-insurance diet at 248 lbs. at a BMI of 37.7 and I wore size 24/26W pants and a variety of tops (I think the biggest were 2x or I might have had a few 3x), and I'm about 5'8.5". Now I'm 148 lbs. at a BMI of 22.2 and I wear a size 8 or 10 pant and Med. top.
How long did it take you to get to your goal weight (or first 100 lbs. lost)?
I reached my '10 pound goal range' of 90 lbs. down on 2/26/10 (10 months post-op) and I just reached my 'dream goal of 100 lbs. down on 6/3/10 (so a little over 13 months post-op). I originally set my goal date spreadsheet for 2 years from when I started the 6 mo. Pre-op diet (or non-diet), which would have been this November (11/10/10)…yes, two years sounds like a long time to you, but remember 6 months of that was pre-op (not losing much) and I started in the low or 'Lightweights' BMI group so I expected my WL to be slow, and it was.
As you got closer to your goal, was your weight loss slower?
I lost an average of 1.52 lbs/week post-op up to that 90-pound goal (yes, it slowed way down long before that) and the last 9.5 pounds took almost 14 weeks at a rate of .68 lbs/week. I named my last 25-30 pounds 'Goal Limbo' as you're so close and then everything slows down…it's hard because you're certainly happy with how far you've come and you sometimes feel like a cad complaining at this point when others are just starting out. You can't exactly buy clothes yet and you often flip between frustration with how frustrating the last leg can be and then slip into 'maybe I'm happy where I am' which usually stalls your weight even more…it's just one big 'LIMBO', but if you keep focused on your goal you can get there (even if it's very slowly).
Did you experience plateaus? What did you do to shake up weight loss stalls?
I've been on every diet so I know they're just part of losing weight. The interesting thing for me was that I kept this journey so positive (most of the time) that the plateaus weren't as upsetting to me as they had been in the past (I usually got madder about the scale going right back up after a new low, scale whore that I am, which is all part of this too). My two toughest plateaus were a 4 week one and a 5 week one, so not terribly long. A few times I started counting calories, protein and water for a few days just to check things and that was usually enough to keep me on track. I kept my calories above 1000 and I noticed that adding more water usually helped me.
How did you decide on a goal weight?
Dartboard.
Actually, I picked 158 because I had been about 5 or so pounds more than that (and was that weight for exactly one day; youngest sister's wedding) when we moved here after losing my biggest weight ever on a diet (when I 'only' had 50 pounds to lose), so I knew I'd been close (by starving myself). I was committed to making this a lifestyle change, not another diet, so I wasn't convinced the Band would get me there, since I had so much more to lose. I added the 148 'dream goal' really never thinking I'd ever get there, but it rounded out my figure to 100, so it sounded cool…and 10 ten pound heads just looks nice on my ticker. Honestly, like I always say, if I could have only gotten into the 'Overweight' BMI category and gotten rid of my health issues and been able to KEEP the weight off without dieting or starving…well, that would have been total success in my book too. I'm SO thankful my surgeon never gave me a goal weight, as there's such a mental aspect on reaching goals and stopping.
Is your final goal weight considered "normal" on the BMI charts?
Anyone can tell you I'll never be normal.
I'm so glad this question was asked. Let's face it, as much as you tell everyone not to compare yourself to others, we all do it. As a lower BMI starter (37.7), I found a lot more value in seeing where others BMI's were. I know BMI is certainly not the end all and be all, but it has it's applications…when you're comparing your WL to the others who were banded your same month (we had over 300 in my monthly group), it helps to know the person losing 5 pounds a week while you're losing 1 is at a 50 BMI. Likewise, when other tickers say 200 lbs. to lose I often wonder where that puts them in the BMI chart at the end (I found lots of Docs set their patients goal in the Overweight category as long as their health issues are resolved…getting to 'Normal' doesn't always have added health benefits), but this also means they probably won't be going through 'Goal Limbo' at the end…so don't compare your slow down to them. Finding others who would share this with similar BMI's helped me a lot in setting lots of realistic mini-goals along the way.
I reached a Normal BMI at 167 lbs. (87 lbs. lost) at 9 months post-op. It actually makes me prouder than saying I lost 100 lbs. to say I'm almost at the middle of the Normal BMI category (I'm at 22.2 and the mid point is 21.7). Again, not because BMI means much, but because it gets so hard to lose weight the lower you get (especially for a long-time yo-yo dieter that killed my metabolism).
3. All about Food!
Do you follow any of the band rules religiously? (For example, no drinking with meals, etc.)
I didn't know the Band was a religion, but I guess we're a pretty devout group (and come to think of it I have praised the Band Goddess on many occasions).
Yes I follow them except what I'll mention here (remember I don't have the no caffeine or no carbonation rules, so I partake in both); I don't drink with breakfast or lunch or for about an hour after. Dinner is another story…I've often broken the drinking with/after rule with dinner if we go out (I don't get out much) and as I've gotten closer to goal don't follow this with dinner at home (I really don't find it effects my hunger often as we eat late). I followed the no snacking one very well at the beginning and have eased up on that, as I've gotten closer to goal. I usually have some cheese or some nuts.
Which band rules do you think are most important?
Follow the conductor.
The two rules I focus on every day are the solid protein and water (water has been much harder; the protein is easy for me).
Did you track calories or log your food while you were losing weight? Do you do this now?
No and no.
I tracked a short time at the beginning and for a day or so a few times when I felt I needed to get back on track. I've been on every diet (and hated tracking and logging on many of them) so I have a good idea of what I'm doing anyway.
Did you measure your portions? Do you do this now?
I still measure or weigh my meats and proteins often, and occasionally something else. I often still use ½-cup punch cups to serve myself my sides so that helps keep me in check. I still eat fairly fast, so I never get that 'full' feeling until long after eating, so setting portions in advance is important for me (I know from dieting that small changes in amounts can really add up over time and now that we're eating, so little a small amount of additional food can really add up.).
Describe a typical day of eating for you, both during your weight loss phase and now.
Other than the easing up on the snacks, nothing has changed at all. I still eat my oatmeal/protein/fiber concoction every morning with SF syrup. I have leftovers usually for lunch and I eat what my family is having for dinner. Yes, I eat mostly protein and I take much less of the starches (last night I had 'opposite chili' with a few noodles on top and loads of real shredded cheese; Oh and I strained the chili first with a slotted spoon to make it more solid).
Some lap band practices tell patients to eat only 3 small meals a day; some say 3 meals plus 1 or 2 snacks; some say 5 or 6 small meals. What did you do when you were losing weight, and what do you do now?
My Doc says only three meals. Like I've told you, I've add some snacks recently.
Approximately how many calories per day did you eat during your weight loss, and how many now?
About 1000-1200 and I'm not sure what will happen now at maintenance, but my weight is pretty stable now.
What are some of your favorite band-friendly foods?
Those that smile back at me.
Well, I'm not sure what's meant by 'band friendly'? I think what others sometimes call 'friendly' are sliders for me and I try to avoid them unless I'm having a problem with tightness (shakes, soups, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, refried beans, Greek yogurt, hummus, and carbs that are crispy i.e. chips…all sliders and I get hungry faster). I'll tell you I've added a few things to our pantry; soy protein powder that I add to my morning oatmeal, greek yogurt that we all use now in place of sour cream (I do rarely eat this with preserves as a dessert knowing it's a slider, but on top of a solid protein).
Did you drink protein shakes during your weight loss phase? Do you now?
No and no.
If they told me I had to do these regularly I wouldn't have gotten the Band (to me I might as well have gone on a protein shake diet, but I get now how this works well for many, especially in the mornings). The only time I had these was during healing and after fills (and it was my choice to add a few of these, at the time my orders were 'no protein shakes'). I bought one of those big jugs of fruit protein powder at GNC I would blend up with lots of frozen fruit and there's probably more than half left.
Did you follow any special "diet" plan during your weight loss -- for example, low carb, counting points on Weight Watchers, etc?
NO MORE DIETS J
Check with me in another year, if I've kept it off it's solely because I stopped dieting, or by then I'd be eating around my Band. Deprivation of any kind is a recipe for eventual disaster for me. You all know my motto, since long before banding I've said this…I got the Band to take off the weight (but I can do a big hunk of that myself), but really I got it TO KEEP IT OFF!
Are there any foods you cannot eat with the band (like meat, bread, etc.)?
Black licorice, milky coleslaw with raisins, Waldorf salad, and liver…Oh, I didn't like those anyway.
No…Doc says I should never have this list.
I have to be the most careful with nuts…and I eat way more of them now than I ever have as they're good for you (no problem with peanut butter though, go figure). I am careful with reheated meats that I have some extra sauce or dip so they're not too dry. There's nothing that I can't eat though and that's one of the tests my Doc has for telling if you're too tight. I don't eat asparagus as much after the bezoar (go ask Rebecca 'The Losing Battle').
Yes, I keep my Band loose enough to eat hamburgers and hotdogs WITH the bun, steaks, all fruits and veggies, and even soft breads if chewed properly. Again, deprivation is a recipe for disaster for me…my Band is plenty tight enough to help me stay SATISFIED between meals. Remember, how tight you keep your Band is very much a matter of choice.
What would a “splurge” day be like for you?
Well, if a splurge is a binge…all my trigger foods…dips, and lots of chocolate and pastries. I haven't had one of those 'days', but I've had quite a few splurge meals, and the occasional head-hunger beast binge.
I'd say most of my splurge days are what you would expect; on vacation or some event. No biggie in this new lifestyle plan as skinny people have these days to, as long as they're not often it's just part of normal life (just be wary of the 'every weekend is a vacation' mode where you start losing and regaining the same few pounds every week).
4. All About Fills!
What size band do you have, and what amount of fill do you have?
I have a LB APS (10 or some say 11-12 cc's). *see below for fills
How many fills did it take you to get to your “sweet spot”?
I had no 'primer' fill at surgery and I've had 4 fills (3 + 1.5 + 1.1 + .3 = 5.9cc's) since then (first one did nothing, second I felt a tiny change, third was a big difference and the fourth made it perfect). My fourth/last fill was early Sept. '09.
Approximately how many weeks or months after surgery until you reached the “sweet spot”?
After my fourth fill (last one), I announced it at 4.5 months.
Did you ever have to get a un-fill?
No, thanks to those that have (thank you for your suffering and sharing it).
Thankfully, by reading what had happened to others I thought better about getting another fill when my WL plateaued one time and I already had a visit scheduled to the Doc. I went back to what my Doc says about fills and thought about it (1-1.5 C, follow the rules, am I hungry before 4 hours?) and I realized I didn't need one…'not losing weight' is NOT the best criteria for needing a fill. So those that have been overfilled have saved me from it so far.
Can you drink water and other fluids easily at your fill level?
Wine goes down really well.
I can't chug cold liquids (in the mornings), but I'd say I drink pretty normally.
Do you get stuck and/or slime and/or PB very often?
I almost NEVER just slime it's usually at the beginning or end of a PB and I'd say I have 'episodes' of PB's. I seem to get in a cycle for a week or so (sometimes once a day for almost a week) and then it eases up…I'm learning to baby my stoma more after the first PB and nip this cycle in the bud (I'm a slow learner).
5. Share Your Secrets!
Tell us your best tips for losing weight with the band. What do you think contributed most to your success?
- Keep the journey POSITIVE! You can't reach goals you never set. Set 'shoot for the moon' long-term goals, but make sure you have TONS of short-term goals that are achievable (it breaks my heart when I see newbie's setting crazy goals that would be impossible to reach…yes, you need to work hard for a goal, but it needs to be attainable). Celebrate all those mini-goals and every NSV. This journey can be hard and frustrating at times, but it's also the most wondrous and magical adventure I've ever been on…you can't enjoy the ride if all you're thinking of is the next bump in the road…take the time to enjoy your progress as you go. Be kind and forgiving to yourself…and remember this is a lifestyle…no one is perfect and skinny people sometimes eat junk too…I've had chocolate almost every day since Banding.
- AWARENESS; my whole 'working on my headband'. I know I wouldn't have gotten as far as I had if I'd just treated this like another WL program. Besides the Band itself, that's the piece that was always missing in my past WL programs…yes, I knew about head hunger before and emotional eating, but knowing about it and really doing the work along the way are two different things.
- My SPREADSHEET was an invaluable tool for me. I kept track of my weight, BMI, measurements, fills, events that affected my WL and my restriction. It helped me accurately predict things and helped me in so many other unexpected ways (i.e. Finding something to celebrate when the WL doesn't seem to be going as fast…I often found out it was right on track when I averaged it, or looked at the 10 pounds at a time).
What advice do you have for Newbie's? Is there anything you would have done differently if you could go back to the month's right after your surgery?
Set yourself up for success…have a plan that works for you. Any Bander can tell you there is SO much more to this than your Docs know or tell you. Know that you'll have to make a LOT of choices along the way (i.e. Where your sweet spot is). Sometimes you won't even know you have a choice if you haven't done your homework (i.e. Port placement).
Differently? I would have tell myself to be more patient, don't worry about the weight early on, and I'd eat smaller meals more often during Bandster Hell now that I know more about how complications are MUCH more likely then (OK, you know I wouldn't listen to the 'patient' part either).
Oh, and I'd suggest newbie's ask their Drs. they are thinking about using some very specific questions especially about fill schedules and their approach to using the band (see below).
What is the best band-related advice you received?
Get one.
First I'll agree with what someone else (Amy, I think said here) as my number one…the place you go and the staff there are SO important (remember, you could be seeing them for a LIFETIME). I did realize that and went to three seminars at three hospitals before selecting, but after seeing so many other Banders go through this journey I'd say it's even MORE important than I knew. I've seen way too many Banders struggle unnecessarily with this journey because of their Dr. or the staff there (bad fill schedules, differences in philosophies or diet, etc.). There are way more variables in this journey than you start off knowing about. My Doc has always listened to me…i.e. when I was losing weight during Bandster Hell but told him that it was me doing all the WL, not my Band.
OK, a new one for my second…Well, I'll put this in my own words to simplify it, but I'd say 'Full means not getting hungry for about four hours after a meal'. Sounds simple, but it wasn't for me. If it were up to me, I'd make every newbie recite that three times a day before each meal.
As I worked my way through Bandster Hell and started restriction and was differentiating 'head hunger' from 'real hunger' I kept hearing about stopping eating when you're 'full'…well, at least that's what a lot of our Doc's tell us. The problem with that is that I never felt 'full' while I was eating (for me it took about 30 min. after) unless I was eating over a longer period and usually by the time I felt 'full' I was really 'over-full'. I did a blog almost exactly a year ago called 'Redefining Full' where I used my awareness mantra and decided to start testing amounts of food and when I'd get hungry. I found I could stay satisfied on less food than I was eating. I redefined 'full' as being 'satisfied' until the next meal…it was an important distinction for me. Your band should never be the 'hard stop' you get when you over stuff it…that's abusing your band. It was never created to control your eating in that way (and yes, I've tested that too LOL). The point is not to see how much you CAN eat after each fill, rather it's to see how LITTLE you can eat and still stay satisfied until the next meal. With my Doc, I don't tell him 'I can still eat 2 bowls of spaghetti' or '4 pieces of pizza…I must need a fill!'….instead I say 'I eat 1 -1.5C of food with 3-4oz. of protein first (as instructed) and I stay SATISFIED for 2.5 hours…I need a small fill.'
How did you deal with “head hunger”?
I feed it. Seriously.
It's a beast and it takes awhile to figure it out, but once you do the head work…I mean really do it (have a plan of questions to ask yourself and things to do), you'll know when it's OK to just walk away and when it's better to feed the beast. Sometimes it's better to just have some of what you want and usually it doesn't take a lot to feel satisfied…deprivation can lead to the beast taking control and then you've lost the control you might have had with the amount (the beast takes control and then it's a binge)…and I found that most times it was OK to walk away. You'll find that the more you work through this the less it will happen, but it's always sitting in wait when you least expect it bwah-ha-ha-ha!!!
Did you find the mental aspect of losing weight difficult? (Including, for example, no longer relying on food for stress relief, getting used to seeing yourself as a “thin” person, or anything else)? How did you deal with this?
Well, I probably talk about this now as much as my Band. I recognized that this was going to be something I needed to really work hard on from the moment I caught my first glimpse of that 'Before' photo on the camera and didn't recognize myself (my BDD). It would take too long to explain it all, but the short advice is 'BE AWARE' and then work on what you find out. Many people go through this process with blinders on so focused just on that number on the scale…I fear a little for them when they reach their goal and still have all the issues and bad habits to deal with that got them obese to begin with or that they'll suddenly realize that their world isn't suddenly sunshine and daisies because they lost weight. I think a regain would be much more likely for me if I hadn't built my headband and did the work to change that person who'd rather be Obese inside as I went along. I'm still working on it.
*Gen, I'm taking the liberty of adding one here since I had two people ask me this today.
What was the most difficult/challenging/hardest part of your WL adventure and how did you handle it?
Boy, this is a hard question…This? Kidding.
I know this is kind of a cop-out answer, since it's multiple things, but I guess I'd say getting rid of my old WL habits (losing AND gaining) and truly making this a lifestyle change that would work forever. I think most of this had to happen in my head (yes my beautiful headband that I'm been bedazzling along the way…this girl likes bling…and it's not finished yet!). And it took a LOT of patience for me. I've always said this is the hardest thing I've ever done for myself.
For someone who had been on every diet out there, had been both a successful yo-yo dieter and sometimes a terrible one (some diets just suck), who now had obesity related health problems, and after 30 years of doing all this was just beaten down and tired of it all, the Band was hardest thing I've ever done (and the easiest). There was so much I had to go through at the beginning that it was 'hard' for a long while before I could get to it being 'easy'. I'm a planner (yes, you know I'm almost OCD) and even though I think outside the box I like having rules (if only so I can decided that the rule doesn't make sense and find a better way for me).
Let me explain, I can be a GREAT dieter, I know how to count calories and log everything, etc., I have that all down pat…been doing it forever. Tell me I have to make this a lifestyle change, NOT diet (my choice), exercise doing something you won't get burned out on and can keep up forever (still working to perfect this), and then throw in that I still have to lose weight…yikes! For me this was a major mental change. The 6 month insurance diet was the longest I'd stayed the same weight in a gazillion years (that was actually tough). I'd always used a very strenuous exercise program in the past along with diets to accelerate the WL, but I didn't do that this time as I knew I couldn't do that forever. Then I really had a hard time not using a structured diet or diet foods (I only have a few SF things I keep in the house and no other diet foods or meals). I planned to have a chocolate treat every day (a very new concept during WL for me). I didn't eliminate anything completely from my diet…I even continued alcohol in moderation. I was sorely tempted at times (especially during Bandster Hell and plateaus) to go back to the diets I did so well on (Atkins works very fast for me and I still have boxes of those ketosis dipsticks). It was hard to be losing weight so slowly when I knew I could be losing it 3x as fast if I'd only diet. There were a few times when the scale was going up instead of down that I felt like at least eliminating some things from my diet, but I kept focused on the new strategy 'I'm not going to do anything differently now than I'll be doing in maintenance.' It was my main rule and I worked hard not to break it. I knew for a fact that any kind of deprivation was a recipe for disaster for me. Once the restriction came and started helping me out and I realized 'I wasn't going to be the Bander this wouldn't work for.' (yes, everyone thinks that), then after a few months with working out the kinks in the learning curve it got a lot easier…the WL part at least!
6. The Dreaded “E” Word: Exercise!
How long after surgery did you start exercising?
Well, as my followers know, other than some walking, it took me quite awhile. I finally realized that I was afraid of messing up my 'last chance' with an injury, which put an end to so many other diet/exercise programs I'd been on before (I almost always married an intense exercise program with diets in the past). Once I realized that was blocking my path, I started, but I'm no example in this area.
What kind of exercise do you do, and how frequently?
No and no.
Seriously, I will never be an inspirational Bander in this area (I'm holding out hope that it will be my next phase of this, but I wouldn't count on it). I'm still trying out new classes and tapes and trying to find something I love…I'll let you know if I ever do. I get a LOT of heavy work done gardening and lots of other active things all summer, but winters I tend to be more of a couch potato (I obviously need to move somewhere warm). So my goal now is to find something consistent before winter.
The two things I do the most often are my treadmill and the Wii Fit. Mostly, walking. I'm trying to find my way toward making it more consistent.
Do you think exercise is important to your success?
If you'd asked 'Do I think exercise is important?', the answer would be absolutely yes! You can be skinny and still not be as healthy as you could be if you were exercising, but if success means weight loss I'd have to say not a lot this time. I know I could have lost much faster if I'd exercised more (I know, because I've done it before with diets), but this time was putting together a lifestyle change I could live with forever.
7. Issues with loose skin/plastic surgery.
Have you had any issues with loose skin?
Um yeah, and I've shown pics of most of it; my age and the amount of times I've yo-yoed probably hasn't helped as I'm like a balloon that has been inflated one too many times and is now completely stretched out. Luckily, my stomach was the last to gain weight so other than a few wrinkles and stretch marks at the bikini line (that most women get from having three kids) my stomach isn't that bad…now my bum/thighs are another story.
What are your thoughts about plastic surgery?
If you want it and can afford it, get it…just don't go all Bratz Doll on me so I can't recognize you anymore. Oh…for me? Should I be insulted?
Well, I'm old enough for any Surgeon to have fun doodling all over my body with their sharpie just for aging. My saddlebags have been there when I hardly had an ounce of fat on me and was young and teaching exercise classes on the side daily…if you'd asked me back then I would have lopped them off in a second if I'd had the money. Now…well, I know I have several deflated areas; some that need pumped back up (boobs) and others that need tightened up (bum and thighs), and my face (Where did those new smile wrinkles come from? Must. Stop. Laughing.) and maybe my standards have been lowered or I'm just starting to see how far I've come and I'm accepting the flaws…I'm holding out any decisions for now (I've heard from many that the weight will continue to shift around in maintenance for up to two years), but I find it interesting that it's even something I'd consider now…like WLS it's just something I thought I'd never even consider LOL.
8. Anything else to tell us?
Yes, I want to mention that you have to find a way to stay accountable, and I'd urge you make yourself accountable to someone more than just yourself. We've all gotten good at disappointing ourselves, but disappointing others is usually harder.
For me, this became my blog (if you're not a blogger, set a plan for weighing in with a friend/other that won't enable a regain…i.e. My DH alone wouldn't have kept me accountable, not that he's an enabler, but I'd gotten good at disappointing him with weight regains too). I made a commitment to do everything I needed to for an entire year from Banding to get healthy and I also committed to weighing in and posting it once a week until goal…NO MATTER WHAT. I can tell you that out of my 300+ Banders April month of banding group that started doing this on LBT there are now only three of us that regularly do this still (disappearing online isn't usually a good sign). DON'T hide or disappear when the scale isn't moving…that's the time you need the MOST support and help.
So finally, I want to thank all of you for keeping me accountable…I wouldn't have reached goal without you. I've made so many great friends through this process and I hope I keep them even when we're all just living our lives as skinny people happily ever after.
I also want to thank everyone who suggested all along the way that I write a LB book (and that I laughed at then, yes, you've gotten the last laugh)…and for your patience and support when I finally listened (what is that Oprah says about the world sending you the same message until you finally listen LOL). I know there's only the slimmest chance that it will ever be published (99% never see publishing, so don't be disappointed), but it's given me the outlet I was looking for to at least try to pay-it-forward in a bigger way. After 30+ years of my life being about my weight and the pain of yo-yo dieting I can't express to you the peace and happiness my Band has brought me and there's nothing I want more now than for everyone to find the same success I've had with it.
