ARMKAM

So sorry that you're having so much trouble w/ this. It will be a big relief when you finally get banded. I'd ask for a different anesthesiologist also. That's a bunch of crap from him and you're paying him to do a service for you and shouldn't have to put up w/ it.

TravelGirl - When you're right , you're right !!Why DOES the crap go down so easily ?:confused: Some of my healthy foods , I can only take a few bites of, but I can eat 5 or 6 pringles chips or a whole freakin' dairy queen blizzard like it's nothing !!!:help: Willpower is still a big part of this even with the band. I know the band is just a tool and I'm really happy w/ my progress , but my belly still seems SOOOO big to me even tho' I've lost 9 inches around it so far. I just get frustrated sometimes. My next fill is 2 weeks away , but it's been several days since I've lost anything , so I guess I should have scheduled it for sooner. On the positive side , we've all come so far , and I know I couldn't have lost this much and kept it off w/o the band , so we need to be proud of what we've accomplished and keep on keepin' on !!:bounce:

Good Luck NanaRenan , I'm sure you'll do great , and when those lbs. start falling off , you'll be so glad that you made this decision. I will never regret it for a minute and I'm not quite half way to my goal yet. And , your grandbabies will love the new energetic you !!!

Hey Babygirl , I know what you mean about it being harder to lose at home. I love my summers off , but I am ready to go back to work at school since I'm a lot more active there and also do better w/ drinking since I'm singing all day & need to keep my throat wet. Michell , good for you !:clap2: I hate getting started exercising , but always feel a lot better after I do. I shouldn't say it , but I lose about the same amount whether I exercise or not. I just know it's better for my heart and body when I do. How are you doing Zannie ? Hope things are a little better today ! Enjoy the rest of the week-end girls !

Hey Suzanne , I soooo glad to hear that everything is ok w/ the band !!!:Banane21: I'm sure that's a big relief. I KNOW that you can lose 6 lbs in 2 weeks. I've had times where I've lost 4 lbs in just one week. YOU CAN DO IT ! Whatever is going on at home , we're all here for you. Not sure what exercise I'll do today. I'm going to the Dr. to see about having my blood pressure meds adjusted. Right now my bp has been around 95/63 which has me feeling light-headed. I wasn't supposed to go back until Oct. , but I think it's time now. Plus I had a blood test at our county fair last week and my choleterol is still high & I'm not on meds for it.

Well I didn't go walking - too hot ! But I did mop my floors ( we have no carpet ) and sweep out our 3-car garage - so I'm counting that as my exercise today. Tracy - it looks like you"re doing well too ! Babygirl - how are you doing since coming home from vacation - are you back at work or still vacationing at home ? I made a regular version of your jello salad for my family - not sugar free , and they loved it. It tasted like a dreamsicle/orange, but I have my own little container of sugar free for me. The weather is not supposed to let up for at least a week, so I guess it'll be the tradmill and bowflex for me.

Hey cvaden , what's the deal w/ the hot water and meat tenderizer ? I hadn't heard of that one before. Does it clear a blockage ? Oh yeah , I like your haircut - Cute !

Hey Suzanne , Hope all goes well at the Dr. today ! We'll be thinking about you at noon. Did the warm tea help any ? Hopefully your stressful situation will soon be resolved also. I'm sure being at your family reunion as you were didn't help the stress level much, as well as dealing with your little ones on a daily basis. Let us know how it goes. I'm finally in the 230's , WOOHOO !:Banane20: I did my "happy dance" around the scale ! The only downer is the saggy skin I'm getting, but I'll deal w/ it. I think I'll mop my floors today 'cause it's too darn hot to exercise outside right now, I am ready for the fall ,to get back outside more !

Hi , I'm a jr high music and chorus director. I went thru the pre-liquid stage and surgery in february, then a week after surgery had to take 80 kids to see a musical and eat at the spaghetti factory in st. louis missouri. I just had soup. I let my co-workers know and they've been nothing but totally supportive. When school ended in May, they wished me good luck and said they couldn't wait to see how much I'll have lost when we start back in August. We start in 3 weeks. As far as eating at school, I try to stick to things that I know won't bother me and if we eat out together I often order soup or salad. No one really questions what I'm having. We're all too busy socializing. I even let my students know about it and I think they've been my best motivators since I have more energy when dancing and singing w/ them which keeps them interested in what we're working on - or they're just entertained watching someone my age act like a fool trying to do their dance moves. lol:D We do have fun tho' !

Hey Suzanne , I feel pressure in my chest every time that I eat, after a few bites. Sometimes I have to stop there, other times if I just sit and wait for 5 minutes or so or walk around the pressure subsides and I can eat some more. I definately eat way less than when I was first banded. I was just thinking about that the other day, and my dh said he noticed how much less I eat also. I am especially tight in the am and can barely eat 1 soft cooked egg . It sits like a lump right below my throat, in fact I can feel the band tightness while I'm still in bed in the am, but by supper I can eat somewhat more. My nutritionist suggested to drink warm tea first thing in the am before eating to help the swelling go down. I can even feel tightness sometimes when drinking certain flavored waters like tropicana fruit squeeze. Hopefully everything is ok, :)and the flouro will tell you what you need to know. Let us know how it goes .

Ok , I'm ready to give this a try. I'm shooting for level 2 advanced since our walks usually last about an hour. The only problem is I may need to do it on the treadmill instead of outside this week since the weather is in the mid 90's now. I really don't like HOT weather ! I'm more of a fall and spring kind of girl. I'm taking my girls to see the movie "Hairspray" today - something fun in the air-conditioning.:scales: No popcorn for me tho'. I'll probably just take some flavored water w/me. If I can lose another lb, I'll be in the 230's and I'm getting really excited about that. It's been years since I've seen those kind of numbers.

Hi Teacher , It's good to hear from you again. We took a few day trips this summer and every time we did I gained back a few lbs. then had to re-lose them which is frustrating. I do a lot better at home also. Once school starts again in 3 weeks I'll get back on track even better since I'm busy all day singing and dancing w/ my students. I'm ready to go back - I think !! lol I'll bet you're enjoying your retirement tho'. I know my husband is - he retired from teaching 2 years ago and now works at an auto supply store - a good job for him since he loves cars, and we have 3 girls to eventually put thru college. Welcome back !!!

WAY TO GO SUZANNE !!!!!:whoo: Those new sizes feel great ! I took my 12 y/o dd to see " The Lion King" musical in St. Louis Saturday and bought myself a xl t-shirt. I figure if it doesn't fit yet it will soon and it was really cool looking. This is an exciting journey isn't it ! Now I need to start walking again to make sure I get into that shirt. I just scheduled my 4th fill for 8/21 ( my 6 mo. bandiversary) . I'm still losing but I can tell the restriction is loosening and I figure I'll get it done before I go back to work so I won't have to take off for a while.

I take a children's chewable w/iron every day and have been losing a lot of hair for about 2 months now. My weight loss has been pretty rapid , 61 lbs in 5 months and the hair loss is really frustrating. Of course my Dr. is bald, so there wasn't much sympathy from him - lol ! my nutritionist just told me to try to get in more calories each day - So I do try to. Hopefully this will end soon. I still don't regret having the band tho', since I'm really happy w/ my weight loss so far and feel a lot better already.

<p>Well , one more day of vbs. I forgot how busy 3 yr olds can be.:rolleyes:I'm used to teaching jr. high kids at school. These little ones are so full of pep that we have stayed busy the whole 2 hours every night, but it's been fun. I'll need to get back on track w/ my walking after this week. I go back to work in 4 weeks :confused: and am anxious for my friends to see how I've done over the summer. It puts the pressure on , since they all know that I had the surgery and are watching how well I progress - or not ! One friend had gastric by-pass a few years ago and has since gained it all back , and a lot of people talk about her since she is retired now. I DO NOT WANT TO EVER BE IN THAT POSITION ! I am determined to make this work for a lifetime !!!! :biggrin1: So, let's all stay positive and keep up our spirit and will-power because we will succeed ! :whoo: Have a GRREAT week-end !!!!

Hey Suzanne , we live in south-central Illinois about an hour & 1/2 from St. Louis Missouri. We just happened to have a cold front pass through that lasted about a week or so. Usually our summer weather is in the mid-90's. I haven't been getting my walking in this week , but we've been dancing, leading singing and working w/ kids at vacation bible school at church so I guess that counts for something. Boy, you're not kidding about sagging boobs ! It sucks ! I've lost about 5 inches in my chest, but they are really getting flatter. skinnyjeans - I use protien drinks to up my protein , since I'm having a problem w/ my hair falling out - I'm getting a bald spot in the back, as mydd's like to keep letting me know - aren't they nice !:guess Anyway , I also think it sounds like you may want to schedule another fill. I'm planning on getting my 4th in a few weeks before school starts and I have to go back to teaching.

WAY TO GO SUZANNE !!!!:clap2: WOOHOO for you !!! Those fills really help ! Smaller clothes really feel good don't they ! I'm getting ready to help w/ our church vbs and it's a western theme, so we're supposed to wear jeans - which I haven't for about 5 years. The week of my surgery I hung a pair of 18/20 jeans on my closet door and hadn't touched them since. Yesterday I tried them on and "YEEHAW" they fit.:whoo: Of course they are the stretch kind , but that's ok, they still felt pretty good. So, I know how you feel. Today i'm taking 2 of my dd's to the beach to lay out and swim. We'll probably get in our 2 mile walk on the dam there. The weather is in the 70's and it's gorgeous out, so we've gotta take advantage of it. Have an AWESOME week-end everyone !

Yesterday was good for eating, although we went to the drive-in to see Harry Potter, I thought I'd be good and get a cheeseburger - no bun, but I could only eat about 3 bites. What a waste of $. Eating out has lost it's excitement since I eat so little now and it used to be my passion-which is probably how most of the weight packed on. I think I'm too addicted to my scale. I weigh every a.m. when I get up. I also take it w/ me on vacation. That's a habit I need to break, but it also helps me to stay on track and think about my eating choices. babygirl - are you able to handle popcorn ok ? that was one thing my dr. really warned about avoiding, since there's a risk of getting stuck. i almost tried some of my dh's last night at the movies. Hey congrats on hitting the 60 lb. loss mark .:clap2: I'm 1 lb . behind you. Man doesn't feel good tho'? I was putting a 50 lb. bag of dog food in my car the other day and it struck me how heavy it was and how I had been lugging more than that on my body for years. No wonder I was tired all of the time and had heart palpatations and high b.p. I will never regret having the band and only wish I would have done it 10-15 years ago.

My dd and I walked 2 miles again yesterday at our park. I'm glad my kids are getting into the exercise thing w/ me. My 17 y/o/ is a cheerleader and has to run a few miles and swim for an hour before practice every day , but she is only 130 lbs ( sickening, I know ) so that's no problem for her. Hoping to walk again today before picking up my 12y/o at camp - goodbye peace ! lol ! Like I said we're going hiking tomorrow. I found 3 state parks we can stop at w/ trails, waterfalls , etc. Sunday is our 18th wedding anniv., so not sure what we'll be doing then. I've finally lost another lb. this week . probably from all of the walking.

We walked about 4 miles yesterday since the weather was so great. My dd wants to do it again today. Saturday we're going hiking at a place called "garden of the gods", huge cliffs, etc once my dd gets home from camp.

I've watched every episode so far , and the do repeat it a few times later in the week around 10 or 11 pm - not sure which day tho'. My husband thought the boyfriend was crap too ! he's been really supportive no matter what size I am. I'm glad that they finally showed the band. I like seeing the "after" people , but I really don't think I could do the whole "body lift" thing. Too much pain. I told my dh he'd just have to deal w/ me being saggy and baggy, mostly in my chest and belly since my arms amd legs aren't too big anyway.

ok , one more post for today , after my dh and dd came home from Hardees we went for another 2 mile walk together and just got back. I definately am thirsty but not hungry right now. Maybe that'll get some of the lbs. moving again. I haven't lost anything in a week now - which is really pissy ! Time to chill w/ the tv for an hour or so .

Today has been pretty good after all. I had 1/2c. jello salad for breakfast , 3 slices of wafer thin turkeyw/ cheese rolled up in it ( no bread ) 1/2 a cheeseburger (again no bread)w/ 1/2c. salad, and for supper 3 slices of wafer thin ham/cheese roll-up and 1/2 c. jello salad. there has been no pbing or stomach pain so i'm lovin' it. I've also drank quite a bit of water and my dd & I went for a 2 mile walk in our city park. the weather is only 78 today so it was gorgeous out. Now my dh and 14y/o dd went out to eat at Hardees, my 17 y/o dd is working at Applebees and the 12y/o is at camp so I'm enjoying being home alone in silence. Hallelujah !!!!:clap2: That is something that rarely happens since we're all out of school right now ! I hope your work days went better for you all today.

i think we all have to deal w/ assholes at work ! Even tho' I pretty much have total control of my classroom , one of the principals is a whiny-ass jerk who has no idea what he's doing. He only got re-hired this year because of one board members vote. This suprised our superintendent who thought of him as his "golden boy". One teacher said she was quitting if he's back this fall. Well she didn't quit , but she switched buildings to get away from him since she had the seniority to do it. What kind of job do you do babygirl ?50 year olds can be real bitches. some never change. They remind me of my 17 y/o dd at home. Sometimes i just want to call her a "little bitch" but of course I bite my tongue and deal w/ it cause I realize it's just a phase w/ her, and she always gets better after awhile.We've got a 60 y/o at work that drives us all crazy - just hangin' in til she can retire and screams at the poor kids every day. I would not want my kid in her class ! travelgirl - sorry about the positive words , i forgot i was on the bitchin' thread ! lol

I was doing well yesterday until I took my dd to see "Transformers" and we split nachos & cheese. whats up w/ that ? I can't eat 1 whole friggin' egg but I can eat 12 nacho chips ? that really sucks ! Well at least it didn't bother my weight which is the same as yesterday, thank goodness ! Right now I'm trying to eat my breakfast of 1/2 c. jello salad but I'm so tight it's taking a while.