Lioness81970

1. when you drink first thing in the am is it more like: d. none of the above - I am lucky if first thing in the morning I can drink about an ounce or 2 2. for breakfast i eat: PLEASE also list the time of breakfast! e. hmmmph i skip breakfast - I know that is wrong but I just don't have time trying to get the kids off to school and getting ready to go to work. Usually when I get to work I will grab a granola bar or something quick like that.(that's bout 8:30 or 9) 3. do you ever have acid reflux, indigestion? c. never 4. how much can you eat of the following (round-a-bout): protien shake: - I don't like them and really can't stomach them so I don't drink them *chicken (prepared any way BUT not real saucy- just meat!): I can eat about 1 leg or 1 1/2 chicken wings *salad: maybe about 3/4's cup *sandwich (made of reg. size sandwich bread) *chicken, soft veggie, carb or another veggie (i know this varies with the order you eat in BUT please go buy how you typically eat?): 5. are you happy with your restriction? a. yeah! sweet spot baby 6. when you pb why is it: choose all that apply a. because i ate to fast c. because i wasnt paying attention to eating 7. how often do you pb? f. its pretty darn rare but sometimes! 8. how much liquids do you get in in a day? a. i struggle to get in 64 oz. (because of restriction) 9. do you eat in the correct order (protien first, veggies, then carb): d. most of the time i eat in the correct order (70%) but its a struggle 10. do you drink with meals: b. nope

well I didn't respond but I am also taking part in this challenge. I haven't done anything in like the last 3 months. I started Monday getting in at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. For the past 3 days I have done the treadmill at a pretty fast pace and I must tell ya - my calves are KILLING me. But I feel better though and I also notice I sleep more soundly at night. Anyone else ever notice that?

you all would like to see what I look like. I hope I did this right.........

Lisa - I don't know how to resize a pic but if I send you one over the internet do you think you could re-size it for me?

and wish that I could have gone too! Everything was paid for and I am out about $650........but my husband got sick. I don't know if you all remember when I told you that he had lung cancer. Well he was in the hospital for the last 3 weeks and I just couldn't leave him to go off and have a good time with all of you. I do hope that I will be able to go to the next group outing. I could really use it having to deal with 4 children, a sick husband and a mother in law that the jury is still out on. Otherwise yall can all come to Wisconsin and we can do the Dells!!! I'm glad you all had fun!!!

hey Lisa - unfortuantley I don't think that they can do it without surgery. My port flipped back in feb and I had to have it replaced. It was a day surgery and I was really scared. It was piece of cake. It took maybe 15 minutes total - or else I was just out of it and it only seemed to be that short!! Anyways I wasn't in any pain afterwards or anything. I did feel a little discomfort that evening when I went to bed but nothing no where remotely like the original surgery and that Tylenol couldn't cure!!

I won't be arriving until that evening so I won't be able to catch up with everyone until Saturday - but that's ok. I still have all day Saturday to play!!!

Oh how I know what you all are saying. My department is made up of may 25 people and it is an eating department!! I mean there is a pot luck all the time and cookies and donuts and all kinds of other stuff always floating around. I mean when we have a pot luck it is a 12 course meal!!! It is so hard to keep to what I am trying to do with all that food running around. You know what they funny part is? There are about 6 of us in my department that has had wls. I am the only one that has had the band and the others all have had bypass. You would think that we would all be more , I don't know if I would use the word compassionate but maybe knowledgeable about the situation. I mean our department is pretty obese - we're majority women (only 2 men). So you know what I do?? I have a stash in my drawer: beef jerky, pretzels, sunflower seeds and microwave popcorn. When others bring things in and I am tempted to fall back on my old ways, I reach in my drawer and grab a piece of beef jerky. By the time I get done chewing that and working to get through it my jaw is tired from eating and I don't want anything anymore. And if I do I will eat some pretzels or make a bag of popcorn and will be satisfied. What also is a big help to me is that I have pictures of me sitting on my desk. One from my wedding before I had my surgery and one from after having surgery. Anytime I get tempted I look at those pictures and it puts it all back into persepective for me. Now don't get me wrong........there are times when I do give in. But the things that I do are making it so much easier for me to not give in nearly as much as I used to!!!!

You kno what's funny with my band? I have no problem eating bread whatsoever but give me a tortilla and I am in serious pain. I thought that it would be the other way around but I dunno.......go figure. I'm kinda glad though cause I love bread and if I would have had to give up my Panera soup and bread I think I would have died!!!

Yesterday was my 34th birthday and I haven't weighed myself in about 1 month. I just got so discouraged in the numbers that I have stopped looking at them all together. I figure the true test of what I have lost is in how my clothes fit. Yesterday I was feeling pretty down. Money has been really tight, as we are trying to help my mother in law with her finances....she lost her business not too long ago. So my husband and I have decided to move in with her to help her out. So yesterday on top of working I had to move all electronic things to the house as I was having my cable servs transfered to the new residence. So I had a crappy birthday. Well this morning I was getting readly to go to work and I went into my closet and couldn't find any jeans to wear. Fridays are casual days and I was NOT going to go to work on a casual day without jeans on. Well I saw that I had 1 pair of jeans in the closet and these have been my all time favorite jeans ever. They are worn in and oh so comfortable. I had tried them on about a month ago and I could get them up and zipped but if I wanted to breath I couldn't wear them. So I decided to try them on and whatdaya know? They fit!!! Even a little big actually. :( I was so excited I didn't know what to do!! So I looked at myself sideways and realized my stomach is shrinking as well. I am noticing all kinds of little things. I am just so happy to have my favorite jeans back!!!!! I couldn't have wished for a better birthday present than that!!!!!

Hey everyone!!! I just realized something........I have a neck!!! I work for a Time Warner Cable and we are always having special things going on. Today we have a rep from Showtime come in and had a race car driver with her. The driver was signing autographs and taking pictures with employees. So I decided to take a picture with him. Well when I got the picture I compared it to my wedding picture that I have on my desk. Lo and behold.....I have a NECK and have discovered what shoulder blades are!!!! Isn't it the funniest things that you notice when you start to loose weight??

Julie - you have to remember that you are in this for the long haul. You have only been banded fior a short while. It will happen but not over night. I have had a total of 4 fills - been banded since Nov 25th, 03 and I am just now starting to feel the level of restriction that others are or have been feeling. Everyone is different and goes at their own pace. Some may loose 3 lbs a week others may lose 1 lb a week or even still someone else may loose 1 pound every other week. It really doesn't matter except for the fact that you are loosing weight. We are all in this together and some more than others know what you are going through. Don't sweat it- it will happen. But in the meantime that's what this group is for.......you will find more than enough support here if you ever need to talk or just need someone to listen!!!

Megan - I so totally know what you mean!! I am getting smaller on top and loosing just a little on the bottom. I have always had big hips but I didn't have boobs until I started gaining weight. What to do what to do!!!!

Shelly you look AMAZING!!!! You should be proud of yourself!!!!

Just added u to my buddy list - I am the same on everything: AOL, Yahoo, MSN Lioness81970

Today my husband and I were talking. I was telling him about something that happened at work and all of a sudden he stops me in mid sentence and says "Damn........you've lost a lot of weight." I was just so flabbergasted that I couldn't even finish my sentence and lost my train of thought. The reason it meant so much to me is that since I have had surgery my husband has never said ANYTHING to me. Although he supported me he was kind of against me having the band done.........said it was unhealthy and even when other people were saying they could see me loosing weight nothing from him. I am now 8 1/2 mos out and have lost about 65 lbs and he notices. That comment probably meant the most to me than from anyone. I sometimes felt that they felt they were obligated to say those things but he never did..........until now!! I know this is probably a wierd post but it's a little nsv that means alot to me and I just wanted to share with you all!!

1. Pick a t-shirt color, choose ONE of the below: a. Black 2. Statement on back of shirt, choose ONE of the below: b. "So happy to hear of your LOSS" 3. What color should the print be, choose ONE of the below: d. Red 4. Tell us what size you are requesting? 2xl 5. What is the most you are willing to pay for the shirt including shipping and handling? $20 or better yet will get in Vegas

I've been banded for a little over 8 months and have never PB'd..........until yesterday. My in-laws have a picnic every summer for the family. There is always plenty of food!!! So when I fixed my plate I did it the way a bandster would have. I grabbed a chicken leg, 1 rib and a spoonful of spaghetti. Now I have never had a problem eating anything. Well I was picking at the chicken leg eating small pieces of it and then decided I wanted to have a bit of spaghetti. It's never given me a problem before so why not? Ate the first bite and seemed ok. Ate the second bite and again all was great in the world. Ate the third bite and WHAM!!!! The golfball feeling that I have heard about so often but never felt!!! I pushed my plate away and couldnt even look at the food anymore. It was just sheer pain. So I'm sitting there not knowing how to handle this and I'm patting my chest thinking that maybe that will help move things along. Why would I think that?? So then I figured I would try walking around and maybe it would help. All of a sudden I got this salty taste in my mouth and all this saliva and it hit me what was happening. Now mind you I am at the park and the closest bathroom is about 2 blocks away. There is no way in hell I would make it there. So I found the closest tree I could find and hugged it!! I mean this restriction came out of the BLUE!! Yep...that's when it hit me. I'm a true bandster.

I'm with Alex on that one.............but I would love to wear one on our trip to Vegas!!

You guys are too much!! ROTFLMAO!!! Anyways, I had my port flipped. I didn't feel any pain at all and had I not went in for a fill I never would have even known it was flipped. It was fixed during a day surgery - piece of cake!!!

I know I'm late posting this message but I think that's great getting a trainer. I have one - it was quite by coincidence though that I got mine. One of my husband's friends is a personal trainer and we got to talking and so on. Anyways to make a long story short he is doing it for me free of charge. I don't think that if I had to pay for it I would have gotten one cause I don't know if I could have afforded it......but go for it if you have the resources!!!

CHAP STICK!!! You won't be able to have anything to drink before or right after surgery and your lips become soooooo dry. Also maybe a pillow for when you get in and out of the car

HI Latanya - welcome to the board. Yep - we go to the same office. I was banded on 11/25/03 by Dr. Burhop. I hate that they moved the office though. Liked it better when it was on North Ave.

Is anyone from Wisconsin planning on going to Vegas in October? If so let's coordinate something - I'm in Milwaukee. Maybe we could catch a flight up together??

Darcy - actually - this is going to be my absolute very first flight to anywhere so believe me when I say that I know what you mean!!!