enterprise01

Good god, how do you find the time? Seriously. I'm lucky if I get it once a week. The more I learn about you, the more envious I am of your lifestyle. You seem to have so much more leisure time. And you have a family and I don't! All I do is work, work, work. Most nights 'til 2 or 3 am. Where did I go wrong? Anyway, back to the topic of libido. My sex drive took a nose dive when I put on all the weight and it still hasn't come back. I think that's because I don't feel good about myself yet. The weight is gone, but the flabby skin is there. Maybe after I lose 20 more pounds, have plastic surgery, and get a tan, then I'll feel like I look good. The only saving grace is that my boyfriend's sex drive has always been fairly low, so he's just fine with sex once a week. If my libido comes back, he'll be complaining that I'm constantly nagging him for sex.

Last month at an Indian restaurant, I had to run to the bathroom 4 times over a 20 minute period to PB. There was a cleaning lady in the bathroom the whole entire time! It took her forever to clean that bathroom and there were only 2 stalls. I thought about saying something to her like don't worry, I don't have bulemia, it's just an upset stomach, but then I figured she probably didn't care one way or the other. It's not like she knows me.

I'm 5 feet even. At 218 lbs I was wearing a size 18. At 148 lbs I'm wearing a size 12. Actually some size 12 clothes are too big, so I'm pretty close to fitting into 10s. My goal is get to 118 lbs and I should be a size 6 at that weight.

Well, I did it. I exercised yesterday for the first time in about 4 years. I walked 2 miles on the treadmill in 38 minutes. My skin was burning and itching from the sweat, my hands swelled up like balloons, my right foot went numb, and I gained 2 pounds. Exercise sucks. I hate every single moment of it. God how I envy those of you who like it. It's so hard to stick with something that you absolutely abhor. Not to mention the fact that it makes me feel bad physically.

Age does bring wisdom. Usually the hard way. I have a friend at work who is as skinny as can be (close to anorexic), and she's absolutely convinced she has a large stomach. I make terrible fun of her and can always get her to laugh at herself, but how I wish she didn't really feel that way because she's such a beautiful lady and her stomach is not big in the slightest. Socalgal, I'd take the "wasting away" comment as a compliment. She's obviously exaggerating to emphasize how significant your weight loss is. Be flattered that she's noticed. People have made similar comments to me, like "pretty soon if you turn sideways, you'll disappear." I usually respond with something like, "well, that's the plan." Then I tell them that I've worked hard to get the weight off and that I really appreciate that they've noticed. This past weekend I saw a friend that I hadn't seen since before the band, and he didn't notice my weight loss at all. He asked me what I'd been up to this past year, and I told him that I've lost 70 lbs and am still working on it. His sincere response was "You did not. When were you fat? You've never had that much weight to lose." I just laughed and told him he needed glasses. He was so completely shocked. He honestly did not remember that I was fat. I guess that's good, but I kind of like all the compliments (even awkward ones) that I've been getting lately.

Have you tried a prescription steroidal cream that does NOT contain antibiotics? You may even need an oral corticose steroid, like prednisone, for a week or two. It's not uncommon for the body to release histamines in response to a wound, at least for those of us with chronic allergies.

Try not to be so hard on those thin, young women who complain about the extra 2 pounds they are carrying around. That was once me. I was very thin in my early 20s and worked hard on it. Five pounds of extra weight was devastating to me. Sure, I had friends who had real weight problems, but when I looked at them, I never saw them as fat. I always thought they were just fine, but I couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror. It's odd, but being 100 lbs overweight actually bothered me less than being 5 or 10 lbs overweight. At 10 lbs overweight, I had no excuse for not getting control of it and losing those pounds. I mean, after all, it's only 10 pounds. Anyone should be able to lose 10 pounds, right? That's not insurmountable. The fact that I couldn't do it made me feel like a huge failure, which plummeted my self-esteem and eventually caused me to spin out of control. But once I put on a lot of weight, the problem was insurmountable, so I didn't feel so bad about not getting it under control. It's kind of like I wouldn't feel bad about not being able to run a marathon, but if I couldn't even walk a 5K, I'd be ashamed of myself. And let's face it, women in their 20s are usually dating men in their 20s and there are a lot of superficial a**holes out there in that age group. My current boyfriend is the only man ever dated who has never criticized my appearance. Even when I was 100 lbs overweight, he still told me I was beautiful. When I was thin, every boyfriend I had would make rude comments if I gained even a couple of pounds. With that kind of influence, it's understandable why someone with low self-esteem would agonize over 5-10 lbs of extra weight. Believe me, that skinny girl with all those body image issues doesn't even notice or realize that the person standing next to her has a real weight problem.

Hey, Julie -- I have an appointment in 2 weeks to talk to a plastic surgeon. I'm still 30 lbs from my goal weight, though. I plan on having my arms done before the end of the year and then my breasts and thighs after I get to goal. How is the scarring around your nipples? And what about sensation? Did you lose sensation and if so has it come back? When are you planning to do your thighs? I'm also worried about loss of feeling with the thighs. The incision is so close to the genital area, I'm afraid it could affect sensation there, too. Any thoughts about that? What does your dad say about it? By the way, you have given me the courage to have my breasts done. I was so worried about the scars, but your photos inspired me. The scars are so much thinner than I was expecting. Thanks for being brave enough to show us.

I'm 9 months post-op and still can't sleep on my stomach or even my left side. The port area is constantly tender. After 9 months, I doubt it will get better. But the discomfort of the port is much better than the discomfort of being fat.

OK, for those of you who live in Canada or the northern U.S., do you take your shoes off in the summertime? Let's say you had flip-flops on. Would you walk around barefoot in someone else's house?

You know I agree with your position on protein, so I'm definitely not flaming you. I only eat about 35-40 grams of protein a day and am losing weight just fine, even without exercise. Can you elaborate on the "lose your teeth" comment? I've never heard that too much protein can adversely affect your teeth. I thought it was just really hard on the kidneys.

I concur. Talk to your doc and get Valium before you go. When I was 17 and had rhinoplasty, the doctor (thinking I'd be nervous but I wasn't) gave me a Valium to take before my mom drove me to the hospital. I didn't need the Valium, but taking it was quite a ride. I'm sure it will help prevent a panic attack.

This morning I put on a pair of shoes I haven't worn in a year. They used to be too tight and I'd be in agony by the end of the day. Well, today they feel too loose. I'm almost stepping out of them when I walk. Every day I am so thankful for this band. Life just keeps getting better.

Hey Tulip -- Thanks. I can't believe I'm actually a 12 again. It's been a long, long time since I was that size. It almost doesn't seem real. I'm going to Dr. Lior Heller at Baylor Medical Center. He's the plastic surgeon that came to speak at Dr. Spivak's support group a couple of times. I've heard he gives a discount to Spivak's patients. I'll let you guys know the cost after the consultation. Has Audree been around lately? I know she had brachioplasty done some years ago. Audree, if you're out there, could you tell us what it cost you? And do you have some photos of the scars? That's what I'm most concerned about.

Hi, guys. I'm back after a horrible bout of depression (from losing my cat). Finally started feeling better last week. I went shopping for the first time since having the lap-band and I now fit into a size 12. Yay! I couldn't believe it. I made an appointment to see a plastic surgeon on Oct 26. I still have about 30 lbs to go but think I've lost enough weight to consider ps on the arms. I want that flab gone and want to be healed up enough to look good in sleeveless tops next summer (and in Houston summer comes in March). Let's just hope I can afford it. Sunshine, sorry to hear about all your problems, but it's good to have you back. Juno, thanks for starting this thread. The other one had become so long, it was impossible to go back and try to catch up.

1. I only have one phobia. I'm afraid of little people. The oompa loompas (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) and the lollypop kids (Wizard of Oz) terrified me as a kid and I still have trouble watching either of those movies. Oddly, the flying monkeys didn't bother me at all. To this day, my heart skips a beat and I nearly have a panic attack when I see a little person in real life. 2. I'm ultra conservative, but I'm also a closet head-banger. Marilyn Manson is one of my favorites. 3. I think Billy Idol is the sexiest man in the world. 4. I also hate to drink water. (Someone else mentioned that.) 5. I cry during sad movies but rarely cry in real life. 6. I never give to charities that help people -- I only give to animal charities. 7. I'm a fairly happy person even though I hate most aspects of my life. 8. I think a friend of mine killed her husband and I'm not terribly bothered by it.

I've always thought it strange that general plastic surgeons do both the face and the body when the face requires much more delicate work. Personally, I'd only go to a facial plastic surgeon for anything on my face. I've had an eye lift, Botox, Restylane, and several laser procedures done on my face by Dr. Bradford Patt at the Houston Center for Facial Plastic Surgery. He is both an ENT surgeon and a facial plastic surgeon. His office is at Memorial Southwest and his website is www.pattmd.com if you want to check him out. (He's also done numerous ENT surgeries on me and I've always been pleased with the results.) I think the best place to start is by asking friends and relatives if they know anyone who's had work done and who they used. After you've complied a list of 3 or 4 names, make appointments for consultations. Do your research and ask to see before and after pictures, ask about how many years of experience they have and how many procedures they've done. Also ask for client testimonials. Ask what action the doctor will take if you're unsatisfied with his work. Ask if he's ever been sued for malpractice and if so why and what was the outcome. If the doctor gets impatient with you or seems evasive, then that's a red flag.

Thanks, Tulip. I had to put my cat to sleep yesterday. It was really hard on my boyfriend, too. This was his favorite cat. Of course, I resorted to my old standby (chocolate) to make me feel better. I ate about 12 truffles. It's a shame chocolate goes down so easily. I skip breakfast, too. I actually don't get up until around 10 a.m. and then I'm always running late, so I don't have time to eat until later in the afternoon. I've also discovered that the band is just too tight earlier in the day. If I do eat before 2:00 or 3:00, it always comes back up. And I'll never do the protein drinks. Just the smell of them makes me gag. I go to bed around 2:00 a.m., so from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., I probably eat about 6 times. I snack on the South Beach Diet High Protein Cereal Bars, string cheese, and beef jerky. I've found that I can't keep cereal in the house or I'll lose control with that. Cereal (especially granola cereal which is as fattening as butter) goes down easily, and all those carbs are addictive. For awhile, I was eating 3 or 4 bowls of cereal at night, so I just can't buy that stuff anymore. And I love jerky, which is low fat, high protein, but it's so salty that waiting 30 minutes to drink afterward is torture. Anyone have some good suggestions for high protein snacks that I can keep at the office?

Purple - I have the same thing happening with my port when I'm having my period. My port is normally very, very sensitive. I'm constantly aware of it. The port is the only thing I hate about being banded. About 3 days before my period, it starts feeling like the port is trying to push out of my body the swelling and pressure are so great. It's truly miserable. I can't sleep on my stomach or even my left side when I'm having my period. Let us know what the doctor says. I hope it's nothing serious.

McDonald's sausage and eggs may not be good choices for you or me, but it may be a good choice for him. Maybe before the band he was eating 2 Cinnabons, an omelet, sausage, and bacon for breakfast. Cutting down to just sausage and eggs is definitely a better choice. Just remember that it's all relative. He is probably making the best choices he is mentally ready to make at this point. When you've been fat and eating junk most of your life, it's not realistic to suddenly change all your habits overnight and start eating kelp and bean sprouts. It's a process and some bandsters get there faster than others. Some never get there. And while Jachut has a valid point about the dangers of processed food and preservatives and additives, eating fresh, non-processed foods simply isn't possible for everyone. With my lifestyle, I don't have time to prepare my own food or even to go to the grocery store on a regular basis. I manage to make it to the store about once every 6 weeks (usually at 2 a.m.), and fruits and veggies and fresh meat only last about week. So I'm not going to be judgmental of this guy and say he's making bad choices when those may be the best possible choices for him at this stage in his life.

Hiccups. But by the time the hiccups arrive, it's too late. I know I'll be upchucking the food about 3 minutes after the hiccups. I don't have a "soft" stop.

It sounds like he's doing just fine. The scrambled eggs and sausage are Protein, which is good. Yeah, sausage is high in fat, but as long as he's not consuming too many calories, which he obviously isn't, then sausage is fine. Same for the ice cream. In moderation, everything is OK. Now if he's skipping dinner and eating a pint of ice cream every night, that's not good. But if he's eating a balanced dinner and having 1/4 or 1/2 of cup of ice cream every night for dessert, then I don't see anything wrong with that. Yes, he'd probably lose weight faster without the ice cream, but apparently that's a trade-off he's willing to make. By the way, I eat a lot of venison sausage and am pleased with my weight loss.

Good luck, Sula. I work in the legal industry and spend a lot of time in court. I'm a litigation support manager and I do all the fancy demonstrative exhibits during trial. I find that stressful, so I can only imagine how bad it is for the plaintiffs and defendants. I hope all goes well for you. Please keep us posted.

Thanks, Sula. You're right. It all comes down to what's best for him. Last night was a bad night. He's restless and confused and cries out a lot, so I know the time is near. We have a vet appt Saturday and if they can't do anything to make him more comfortable, then I'm going to have to end it. On a more positive note, I've been fostering a mother and baby cat for the SPCA for the past 8 weeks. Mama is getting spayed today and baby is being put up for adoption. I've decided to keep mama kitty and I know she'll boost my spirits some during this rough time. She's a love bug and coos like crazy. Juno -- it's probably best to loosen it up some. I think my band is also too tight and I've been eating around it as a result. And if I don't eat around it, I end up throwing up, which we know is bad for the band. What I don't get is how it is way too tight one day and just fine the next. I might have 3-4 good days where I can eat carefully and moderately, and everything goes down fine. Then I have a week of continually vomiting when I'm following the same rules and eating the same foods. That's when I gorge myself on Cookies because those always go down easily. Although I know rationally that I should get a small unfill, I'm so afraid of not having enough restriction. So, Juno, you're a braver (and smarter) person than I.

Thanks, Juno. I know other animal lovers understand what I'm going through. Good news today -- according to the BMI chart, I am now officially "overweight" as opposed to "obese." Yay!!!!