TerriDoodle

You naughty, naughty girls are crackin' me up with your sexy talk!! Especially SARA!! .... 'rampant rabbit and now all he has to do is buy batteries'....ROFL!!! :pound: I've got the opposite problem...my hubby is 12 yrs older (61), still wants it often and I never want it. You can imagine the chaos in my bedroom! Menopause severely reduced my libido...and then the extra weight after that killed whatever smidgen was left. Ugh. Well, we'll figure it all out by this time next year, won't we!? By the way I believe that I am the first to be filled....on May 4th...that's Friday! :target:

If you are taking Rx pain meds that is the likely culprit. Call your doctor.

That is a very inspiring post, Lunasa. Thanks so much. It correlates directly with the book I've been reading so i've already thought about (and journaled) these questions. The positive goals I have for myself (the things I am running toward) are: 1) To be fit and strong, making regular vigorous exercise as habitual as brushing my teeth. 2) To be fit and attractive. Ultimate goal is to be a size 10. This is as much for my husband as for myself. I want him to be proud to be with me and I want an improvement in our bedroom. I can't wait to go shopping! These are my goals. Real simple but I want it B-A-D. Because I want it bad and can maintain unrelenting enthusiasm for it, I know I will achieve it.

Tracy - How's work going?? You handling alright? Taking it easy when you get home in the evening?

www.dailyplate.com is also a great place to track calories. I used to be a fitday fan, too, but I like this site a little better...it has a better database of restaurant and name brand food. And yes, you can certainly remain anonymous. Keeping track is highly recommended.

I probably can't be much help, but I'll try. It sounds to me that it is a psychological problem...your brain is so hard wired for survival (which means EATING) that it is having a real hard time allowing you to 'let go'. It is in the most basic of instincts and is not easily re-wired. That's why it's so hard for people to create new, healthier habits....because the brain won't let us let go of the old ones. The old ones have worked pretty good fur us as a species!...now a little too well! So the trick for you is to engage the higher, creative and emotional side of your brain and to keep it engaged long enough so that new neural pathways can be created. The way you do this is to focus on the new and exciting YOU that you want to create. Get happy and excited about all the new things you will be doing when you lose the weight and get healthy and fit! Write a list of all the reasons you want this and remind yourself of how badly you do want it. You've got to want it bad!! Stay positive and forward-looking. Surround yourself with positive images of who you really want to be and all that you really want to accomplish. Set small goals and Celebrate when you reach them. If you have the resources you may want to engage a life coach or therapist with this process. At the very least you probably should read a good book or two about creating a new life and breaking old habits....something along those lines. I hope that helps. I wish you all the best in your journey FORWARD!

Hi February Bandsters - I just came over for a little encouragement. I'm in bandster hell right now ... my eating is 'ramping up'....I feel no restriction whatsoever, i've been exercising diligently and the scale is not moving at all. In my head I know it will get better. I just need someone who's been there to pat me on the head and tell me it will be alright. :ermm: I'll go back a few pages and read up on your experiences....that'll help! Thanks in advance! XOXO

Gal - Maybe we should go visit the Feb or March bandsters!! You sound just like me and we were banded at the same time. Now I understand all those folks when they would be SO grateful for restriction and wanting fills, etc. We get a taste of it for a couple of weeks and think, "Hey, this is easy! I'm never hungry!!" Oops. :ermm: I felt like I ate like a pig today...went over and counted my calories and it totalled "only" 1500. Still good, but way way over what I was eating. All I can do is try again tomorrow. I've been burning 250-300 cals 5x a week and haven't lost any weight in quite a while either. It will get better. We know that. In our heads we know that.

That's just what I've been thinking lately, too! DH and I eat out for 95% of our meals and although I was always trying to make healthy choices apparently there is no such thing on most menus! After eating 800 cals/day for 4 weeks, even w/o restriction...and surviving....I realize just how much garbage I did eat. I am so happy to have this band, and i am even happier that I'm getting filled on Friday. I have really been going hog wild for the past few days and it's gotta stop. I'm gonna go count my calories now...even though I don't want to.

The only state requiring the info right now is New York. The others are all still pending I think.

Laura - You should be able to find recipe books called "3 Ingredient Cookbook" or "4 Ingredient Cookbook"....like that....I remember when I was a youngster like you I had one. Wait...here's a link for one on half.com: http://product.half.ebay.com/Essential-3-Ingredient-Cookbook-4-Ingredient-Cookbook-5-Ingredient-Cookbook_W0QQprZ57160910QQtgZinfo I hate to cook, too. Welcome to the club. I found info about "menu labeling" for restaurant chains....and what kind of legislation is out there. Apparently it has to be legislated by each individual state and some states are more interested in menu labeling than others. (Hell will probably freeze over before Texas does it...we don't wanna know what's in our chicken fried steak!) And, as you can imagine, the Restaurant Association has a large and active lobbying effort against it. I found out which states have bills pending on their website, if you're interested: http://www.restaurant.org/government/state/nutrition/bills_labeling.cfm

Yes, I got the same type of reply when i asked Jason's Deli for their info. I think it should be a RIGHT to know what we're putting in our bodies and the restaurants should be compelled to provide the info. Wonder if there's any legislation out there now? Seems like there should be. We're having a board meeting in our office for the next two days....which, for me, spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Wonderful, rich buffets for bkfst and lunch and cookies set out all other times. Being in bandster hell I am hungry just about all the time and have already blown it today. Two kolaches. I'm not feeling well either (sore throad & allergies) and am tied to my desk while all this food is about 15 ft. away from me at all times. #%*@!!!!!

Laura -- That's what I did when I plugged in my favorite Pei Wei salad! 900-something calories!!! No wonder American are so flippin' fat!! I am so grateful to have the band now. So so grateful. Good for you for throwing it out!! Bravo!

I have an idea....if we can't rename this thread, why dont we ask that this thread be locked and then the last post can refer readers to our new thread...Shrinking Violets of 4/07 (or whatever). I can't wait to get filled on Friday...I haven't even bothered to count calories the last couple of days because I've eaten so much! Well, that's relative, of course. Probably still no more than 1200 calories but it seems like SO much compared to 600-800!! Wierd, huh? Scale is still bouncing between 201-203. Boring Boring Boring.

I dunno... can you change a title of a thread?? Maybe a moderator can. You're just in a smackin' mood, arent you?

Judy - you can ask a moderator to delete the thread if you want...or we can ask to lock this one up....otherwise we'll have to visit two places to catch up on everything!

As far as the May exercise challenge goes, I think everyone should come up with their own challenge, don't you? I mean, what's challenging for one person might not be at all for another....so just set your own goals and you police yourself! Just post in your signature how you're coming with your goal as the month wears on. For instance, my goal for May is to work out 5x a week to burn 300+ cals/day. May has 4.5 weeks. So my challenge is 22 sessions of 40+ minutes on the elliptical and to start weights when doc gives me the OK. During April I my goal was 14 sessions of 30+ minutes.

LUNASA - Chardonnay, girlfriend!! CHARDONNAY! Don't know what a "langer" is...but I can guess!! LOL I think I"m one too! Congrats on the weight loss -- isn't it wonderful?? So happy for you! KAT - Thanks for affirming for us that this is a special group of people. Aren't we just the coolest?? Glad to have you here with us. I am SO sorry to hear things with DH are not miraculously resolving Ya'll are in my prayers!

Most of those tests, dieticians, psychologists, etc. are required by the insurance companies. If you're self-pay many times you don't have to go thru all that. I was like betsyjane....no pre-op anything except for a low-carb diet. I have co-morbidities but not anything serious like diabetes or uncontrolled high BP.

Hi Brenners! Congratulations on getting banded. The surgery is now behind you...that's a good feeling! ....well, it will be as soon as all that stinkin' pain goes away! Ask your pharmacist what he recommends for relief of gas...I'm sure you have good products there, just not Gas-X. Does anyone have their box handy? What's the main ingredient in Gas-X?? I don't have it here. The heart attack feeling you had is probably a bit of acid reflux and/or indigestion. It would help to sleep propped up until you get a bit farther along. Hang in there ...it DOES get much better.

BTW, Anybody from the Shrinking Violets want to join a May exercise challenge? Just set your own goals for the month and update your signature to let us all know how you're coming along! Those of you who are just banded need to be reminded to take it easy (TRACY!!!) but walking is good! Nobody should be doing weights or swimming until you get the clear OK from your doctor. We gotta all get used to keeping these new bodies of ours moving!

Ah yes, the famous Mock Danish! I've had my share of those!! Thanks for the reminder, Tracy...that is a good mushie! Judy - You absolutely crack me up!! "oh honey....my bo-bo's hurt sooooo bad! Can you cook and clean and do the laundry ..." ROFL!! Ok, here's a new one for ya'll.....I'm 3.5 weeks out, right...and my incisions are all healed very nicely....except for one of the little ones that has a tiny bit of a stitch hanging out of it!!!! AAACK! So it won't heal properly and its right at my waistline and constantly irritated. When I go in for my fill I'll certainly ask them to do something about it...but what a pain in the patootey!! Somebody please take note that I reached (exceeded) my exercise goals for April!?! I worked HARD for that! I never used to be an exercise person...at all. But BEHOLD!! I DO A NEW THING!!

Banded on April 4th and have had a picture perfect recovery. No problems at all....outside of normal pain....and am looking forward to my first fill on May 4th!

Shawna - My port is exactly the same way...LOL...yes, and I feel like I could do my own fills too!!

I can only pass along what my doctor told me....no weights or swimming for at least 4 week post op and even then to start off REAL slow. I have been doing the cycle and elliptical in the gym until that time.