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Very Cool! Your family is adorable! Vera, you are beautiful!! Way to go girl! Thanks for the peek!

Kroger makes an adult chewable multi that I've been using. They don't taste too bad, kinda like "Starburst" chews. I took Alex' sugesstion a while back and am using the Viactiv chews for calcium - yes they are yummy, and a great deal at Costco. I've never heard we shouldn't take multi's with iron, but my understanding is it's an absorption problem with us and iron. I've read we should use ferrous fumerate, and to take on an empty stomach.

Penni: 4/6/04 -- 47 lbs Lisa: 5/5/04 -- 51 lbs Becky 6/03/04 - 53 lbs Denice: 8/12/04 -- 20 lbs Leatha 05/29/03 - 67 lbs Michelle 4/6/04 -- 49.75 lbs Marie 5/26/04 -- 39 lbs Donali 1/23/03 -- 102 lbs Kathy 5/21/04 -- 41 lbs Cindy 7/22/04 -- 40 lbs Teresa 5/8/04 -- 63 lbs Kelly 8/20/03 -- 65 lbs Kyleigh 9/23/03 -- 60 lbs Bright 10/28/03 -- 70 lbs Michelle 6/14/04 - 20 lbs Babs 6/23/03 -- 136 lbs Nancy 8/27/03 -- 55 lbs michelle - shellyj 8-18-03 - 130 pounds Vera 8/14/03 -- 64 lbs Jacky 4/5/04 - 40 lbs Chris S. 9/02/03 - 54 lbs Debra 7/19/04 -- 17 lbs. Janie 5/6/04 -- 41 lbs Denise 5/28/04--33 lbs. Kim 8/23/04 -- 28 lbs. Andrea 9/8/04-- 12lbs. Carol 12/2/9/03 -- 102 lbs. Maureen 3/17/04--49 lbs. Carolyn 2/27/04 -- 61lbs (-81 since 1-8-04) Greta 3/12/04---37 lbs. Anne 8/13/04 -- 20 lbs. Zoe 8/26/04 -- 16 lbs. Kim 9/15/04 -- 5 lbs Mary 3/2/04 -- 62 lbs

Thank you all! I'd put myself on the "pity pot" and I really needed the strokes. I AM doing great. I was just on a "I want the world, and I want it NOW", but am feeling much better about things today. I have been at 219 now for a week - and really what's wrong with that? Under 220!! MUCH, much better than the 277 I was in March!! I've been wearing an old pair of jeans in the last week (that I hadn't gotten into for 4 years) that I'd thought were 18's, but I looked, with my glasses on, today at the label and they're 16's!! Woo Hoo, I really shouldn't be complaining about the way I'm losing, the main fact is I AM LOSING!!! I really appreciate all the support ~ Thank You All so much!

I've felt a bit in the dumps lately as I'd had a "goal" for myself to be pretty much back to "Normal" by the end of the summer - banded March 2nd- I know now that was unrealistist, but have felt I've lost slower than I'd expected. And now I've only lost 2 lbs. in the last 3 weeks. I'm trying to kick myself into high gear here, and feel the positive, a plateau is to be expected, isn't it? I've set a new goal - Christmas - that's not out of reach is it? I have lost 58 lbs - 45 more would be SO wonderful!! 58 lbs gone, I know that's good, but what are you other's experiences with the plateau's? The weight loss will kick back in, won't it??

Yes, I've had some drinks since my surgery. Like Leatha said, it is a trade off because of empty calories and carbs, but life does have to go on! The upside is it only takes a couple drinks to get tipsy! I haven't tried any bubbly stuff though, I stick to vodka and crystal lite.

I was just sitting in a hard chair and leaned forward, and felt the bone in my butt go clunk!! I haven't felt that bone for years!! Woo Hoo...there is a bone under that fat ass!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, I think it might be my food choices, I've gotten in the habit of only eating soft stuff, since I've had some bad experiences with PB'ing (yuck!) and have been afraid of eating anything too solid. I did eat 2 chicken nuggets today,and they did seem to keep me "full" longer. And the liquids - should it really be 1/2 hr. before eating and an hour after? I haven't been too good about that. I will try to be stricter with myself. The hunger has baffled me, since I really haven't felt hunger for 3 months, maybe my body is just adjusting to this new way of eating??

I have only had 1 fill, and am feeling quite a bit of restriction, but I'm finding I'm now getting hungry a lot sooner than I was, even within an hour. I can't imagine being more restricted I can't eat too much now without feeling the tightness, or God forbid, it coming back up - but's what's with the hunger? Do I need another fill? Thanks

Thanks, Neicy, yes the one I am taking is balanced with magnesium, though I am thinking that the 3500 may be too much, I do eat dairy. It may be time to have my bloodwork done to make sure I'm all in balance. How often are you other's Dr's asking for bloodwork to be done for these tests?

Yes, Alex,I know info here is not medical advice. But getting info here from a lot of people that are living with bands I feel is very useful, to get different takes from people themselves, and also what other Dr's have to say. There is no medical reason my Dr says no dairy, and it's not just me, he tells all his patients the same. I think it is because he has done bypass surgerys for so long (25+ yrs. and as we know the band is new) My understanding is bypass people don't tolerate dairy, but that's not true for the band. I don't just totally disregard his instructions, but some of them I feel don't make sense. He says lapband patients should only eat 1 oz of food 3 times a day. No more than a shot glass full - which he handed out at his seminar I was required to go to before surgery. Even Dr Rumbaut said he thinks my local Dr is too strict on amount of food, though I can't eat much at a time, but I don't measure in a shot glass, like he suggests, but probably consume more than 3 oz in a day. The info I get from here I find very valuable, that's why I like this message board. Just because my fill Dr tells me this stuff I'm not going to take it as gospel, that's why I like to get all these other opinions.....and hearing from others about the calcium dose and not seeing that anyone else is required to take anywhere near the 3500 I was told makes me wonder... Thanks for the replys, and I will continue to use this board, and my common sense

Thanks for your inputs. My Dr says NO dairy, maybe that's why he says 3500 mg calcium, but I ignore that little "rule" I have my lattes' (he says no coffee either, there's another rule out the window!) and I also eat other dairy - yogurt, cottage cheese - so I think I will cut back on the supplement. All of our Dr's are so different with their recommandations, I think whatever works for your ownself is the way to go (?) Truthfully, I've gotten more info from this board than I have from the doc!! Thanks, guys

I am taking a lot of supplements, which I think I need as I know I don't get enough with the small amount of food I am now eating , but, my Dr recommends 3500 mg of calcium a day (I think that is an awful lot) I am finding that getting all that down to be tough. I'm using Isotonix - 750 mg in 2 capfuls, so I try to do it 4 times a day. Are all your Dr's having you take so much? Is there another product that would give me more per dose? Can I take it all at once? Some days just getting all the supplements down is a struggle. I am doing good about taking others, multi, C, iron but this calcium thing.........suggestions? Thanks Mary (down 54 lbs !!!!!!!! )