Fenton

Oh, also! Weigh-in day today. Let me update my ticker... Boom! Three more pounds gone...

Haha, Ms. Cathy! Good on you for learning a lesson, and even better for sharing it with us!

I think that "precertified" is a way of saying that they believe you've met the terms that would satisfy the insurance company's requirements. Now the insurance company has to approve you. I was banded at NYU by Dr. Fielding in early March - in the March Bandsters Master Thread, I posted a lot at the beginning, trying to describe exactly what happened as I went through the process. It'd probably be interesting for you to read the thread from 3/5 to 3/20 or so to get an idea of what it's like to go through the NYU sausage factory! I think you made a good decision - NYU is fantastic, with a team that has more experience than any other in the country, I believe, which is absolutely what you want. However, the word is out, so you have experiences like waiting 3 hours to see your doctor. Even so, a few extra hours of waiting is worth it to know that you're getting the best...

Amanda, surely you could throw together some sort of visual representation of what will happen to WCM if she neglects her life as a couple while looking after her brood?

Wow, SBean! You've lost 81 pounds from your high! That's FANTASTIC! And Onederland is just around the corner. I'm sure you'll get great advice from the March bandsters, but watch out for ADub! She's from Australia, and doesn't understand our customs, and you can't understand a thing she says because of the accent... In any case, though, it doesn't look like you need any advice...!

Hmmm. A tough one to call... I'd like to be 2/3 of the way towards goal, more than that, somewhere in the mid-200's. I'd like to be dancing more. I'll DEFINITELY be roller-coastering! Oh, I know! I want to be sore and bruised from my first snowboarding trip in February!

Well then, wcm, you'll be thrilled to hear that there's going to be an ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT movie, Ron Howard directing! I can't contribute to the restriction discussion, as I am unfilled, and can eat anything with minimal restriction.

Tess - I feel like we've congratulated you on your great progress so far, but have we hi-fived you for your FIFTY??? If not, consider yourself hi-fived! If yes, well, uh, nice work!

Haha! The fact is, though, I'm not in any kind of RACE. I don't know how healthy really high speed weight loss is, and I've been maintaining a pretty high rate of loss. So I'm not overly concerned. However, if I'm going to make my 100 by July 19, I gotta get my ass in gear...

So, I got a bit of a lesson today when I plugged in my Bodybugg to update my progress. Just out of interest, I had a look at some of the calculator functions available, and discovered that, given the number of calories I've burned, and the amount of weight I've lost, my average daily calorie consumption for the last month has been... 2650!!! I think there are two things going on here: 1. My Bodybugg is being generous when it estimates calories burned 2. I'm eating too much! I'm going to get strict with the program now - cut out nibbles of this and that, stop allowing myself the occasional caloric splurge. With one exception: Amanda, you'll be pleased to hear that the pan-roasted duck is still on the menu!

Yay, Rhonda! That's MUCH better! It reflects the woman you have become, and the woman you're becoming! Mylah, I think that your food and exercise logs will give your team something to work with, but some bandsters are just slower losers than others. It doesn't seem fair, but there's a big range of metabolisms out there. What sort of exercise are you doing, and how often? As I've said, I'm a firm believer in exercise as the key to weight loss - no matter what your normal metabolism is, exercise will kick it up. And it builds muscle, so the effects are lasting...

TGirl - I think FAMILY GUY is hilarious, just absolutely revolting and hilarious. No matter how much I swear it, the cashier at the Quizno's near me refuses to believe that I'm not the voice of Stewie. I like THE OFFICE too, but 30 ROCK is my current favourite.

And before you complain about my "male metabolism", do you have any idea how much walking I have to do to burn 5300 calories??? Less than you, perhaps, but do you have any idea how much energy it takes to drag this huge carcass all that distance? Well, I guess you do: 5300 calories! But, still!

That's great, Lynn! I think the health benefit of weight loss is SO much more important than the Improved Cuteness Factor! Amanda! I went and looked at that site, and know that at any second I'm going to be busted for looking at photos of teens in lingerie! THANKS! Hilarity aside, that's a cute idea, and looks like a great project - wtg, Amanda's niece! And who knew that knitting was all about the garter belt and stockings?

Tragically, the thing is, I'm pretty sure that I can do it WITH the duck breast! I have to watch the weekends - if I'm not walking to and from work, I get much less exercise, which is the killer for me.

Ach, TGirl! You're doing well - the banding literature talks about aiming for a weight loss of 1 - 2 pounds per week. That next fill may help ease your satiety issues, but in the meantime, you should be proud of what you've accomplished through willpower and determination!

Ruh-roh - I slacked a bit this weekend, and lost 1 pound as of this morning. This means I'm down 90 lbs, with 19 days to lose 10 pounds. I THINK it's doable, but I'm going to have to try a wee bit harder... Damn you, delicious duck dish at the Gotham Bar and Grill! How you savage me with your siren call and absurd tastiness!

That looks like a really fun trip, just perfect. But Harley: I can't believe you have 58 more pounds to lose.

Jeez, woman! I'M STANDING RIGHT HERE!!!

Welcome back, Harley! I SO knew you'd do well on your vacation!

It's not too late for Pride Day! My friend is drumming in a samba band in the parade, and she's just left to go to the meeting place. But DAMN it's a pretty sweet day for a couple of hours in an air-conditioned theater...

I think the port is physically a bit away from your stomach and band, so I don't think that's the problem. My suspicion is that the food you're eating - the turkey wrap - is extremely dry, and may be getting stuck because of that. I can't explain the Water getting stuck a few hours after a meal - I'd have thought the pouch would've drained by then. Are you sipping the water, or glugging it? I know that some bandsters drink from a sippy cup - I'm wondering if you're sending down big boluses of food - the esophagus is about as thick around as a Sharpie magic marker, so a sudden gush of water could stretch it...

By the way (er, "bi the way"?), happy Pride Day to any Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgendered shamrocks out there! It's always a fun day in NYC - the parade is a hoot, one of the best. I understand the Sydney one is pretty huge, too, right, A-Dub? Of course, this year it's so hot and muggy that I'm probably going to celebrate Your Special Day by seeing KUNG FU PANDA or WANTED. (When I say "happy Pride Day to any GLBT shamrocks out there!", I don't mean, specifically *out* out. I meant out there in cyberspace. Consider yourself included!) (IF you're GLBT, I mean.)

I think I have the anatomy part right, but I don't really have restriction experience, so I think Chica's take on it is more useful than mine. Even though her judgement is occasionally thrown by her menstruating all over town. (FAMILY GUY joke - anyone a fan?) (Other than me, I mean.) When I DO get my fill, I think I'll find it very hard to get into the habit of slowing down and chewing thoroughly.

Penny - it's the esophagus AND the stomach. The band sits around the upper stomach, and squeezes it down until the esophagus is flowing into a new, smaller stomach a bit larger than a ping pong ball. There's a functional valve where the esophagus joins the stomach; when that valve is stretched, you'll get discomfort. The valve gets stretched when food backs up from the mini-stomach into the esophagus. If you're getting pain and Water isn't passing, it's probably because food is still filling your mini-stomach. And if food is still filling your mini-stomach, there's a good chance you're not chewing enough - you really have to get the food pureed so it'll slide out of the mini-stomach and into the main one.