gowalking

You look beautiful. You also may be one of the lucky few like me who doesn't seem to need fills. I don't even have the plication but for whatever reason, I have the restriction I need.

I am living vicariously thru you and am enjoying your posts immensely. Can't wait to hear about Pompeii.

Oh missy...I'm sure you're disappointed but try to remember the hardest part is over. The band and port are placed...he just has to close it. Wishing you much luck over the next three weeks. Follow the doctor's orders and you will do fine. And remember...we didn't gain it overnight so don't expect to lose it that way either. This is a lifetime change and three weeks won't mean anything a year from now. Keep us posted.

Thanks. I'll PM you with my info. I'm very interested in attending next year.

Wow....that's not many calories. I know the doctors all have their own plan that they want you to follow but I know that I ate about 1,000-1,150 calories a day. I also did no exercise because of limited mobility yet I still managed to lose over 100 lbs. Just make sure you are not putting your body into starvation mode. If you do, you won't lose the weight like you are expecting.

oh dear...is there really no interest? I want so badly to go next year. can we maybe do a survey of sorts to find out why there's no one signing up? Is it just that no one wants to go or is it the cost, or like me...is it because I didn't have enough advance notice? I'm really curious as I love this idea and like I said, I want to really do this next year so I can meet all my friends on this site. Liz

Oh summer...you are beautiful!

Congratulations. Let us know when you are on the 'other side' as we call it. FYI, having the band implanted was the best decision I ever made and I was not keen on it at all. I've gotten my life back and that's no exageration.

thank you for sharing your story.

I loved it. Thanks for posting the link.

Wow gowalking! How much did you lose? How long did it take? I want to lose close to 1/2 my weight also. I started at 250 and want to be at 145 ideally Hi Wendy. Just saw your post. Check out my ticker. It tells you how much I lost and when I had the surgery. All I can say is that the weight goal is something to shoot for if your doctor agrees and wishing you luck on your endeavor. As I noted in the thread, I followed the rules...and I mean I followed the rules. No cheating...no testing the band. I treat myself a little more at this point but always am aware of what I'm eating and how much I'm eating.

Thanks bandito. I've had a couple of those moments as well...folks thinking I was always this way. I have a relatively new friend who calls me her little sister because I'm so much smaller than she is. I've told her and showed her what I looked like before because she assumed I was always a little lady.

OK, so do you want quality or touristy? Not that you can't have both but alot of the best restaurants are not well known outside of the city. As you know, it's Protein first, veggies and then carbs so I would say you should stick with places that can offer you and your sister that option. FYI, I am banded, my sister is not, and we eat out together all the time. If you want great fish, Oceana is terrific as is most Greek restaurants. Fresh and simply grilled. You can't beat it. If you can tolerate meat, one of the most iconic steak houses is The Old Homestead. The meat is top notch and it reeks of 'old New York'. If you want to step into a time warp, Spice Market in The Meatpacking District is amazing. Like you've walked into a 1930's Shanghai bar. The food is terrific as well...especially the cod. If you want small plates...tapas...Alta on West 10th St. in the West Village is the place. This way you and sis can share a few items. The brussel sprouts is to die for...and so is the Sangria...lol. If you want something like pastrami or corned beef, Carnegie Deli is OK but Katz's on the Lower East Side is better and really iconic as well. Just know that the meat is very sodium laden and you will have Water weight gain for sure. I agree that Chinatown and Little Italy are places you should explore and as long as you eat sensibly, you will be fine. Everyone who visits Chinatown should experience a Dim Sum Palace. It's amazing.... If you like 'ethnic' food, I can recommend Turkish, Russian, Italian, Mexican, Spanish...even more exotic like Ethiopian and Afghan restaurants as well. Just let me know how adventurous you are. Feel free to PM with any questions you may have. As Lisa notes...I live here in the city and know it very well. I can recommend restaurants and sightseeing options as well.

Wonderful!

Never watch the food network anymore

I'll give you a ton of options tomorrow.

During a family discussion today, my sister told my cousins that my success with the band is because I 'think' it helps me. She is certain that my appetite suppression is in my head. In other words, the band works because I feel 'psychological' restrictiong rather than physical restriction. She thinks this because I have no fills. I understand that this opinion she has helps her to not face her own demons. She is morbidly obese as I was and she is not ready to take on the challenge of weight loss whether it's via surgery or not. By rationalizing that I was 'ready' to lose weight, she doesn't have to investigate this option because she is not yet ready herself. I don't want this to come between us so I've dropped it but no matter how often I tell her the band helps to tamp down my hunger, she simply refuses to believe it. So what I have is a situation where I try to explain that the band works and she refuses to believe it has anything to do with the band and that I was simply ready to lose the weight. I know it's not true and this is an argument that I just can't win. Where others understand that it's a combination of restriction and willpower (eating healthy, avoiding sliders, stopping when the hunger is satiated), she refuses to hear it. Thank goodness I can vent here knowing that you all will let me and I then I can let it go.

Hey Fiddleman...sorry to go off topic but I just noticed on your ticker that the little man on the snowmobile/ski jet is about to crash into that tree...LOL!

Please keep posting. Am enjoying reading of your trip and the many many nsv's too. I can't wait till I am able to go to Europe as well. Not there yet, but soon I hope.

Jersey Mike's!! Sorry that I'm not a hot guy but I so recognized what you wrote...lol. I lived in Middlesex County for 18 years before moving back to NY. Though I can tell you there is a Jersey Mike's in midtown.

Hey Erin. I see that you want to lose half your body weight. If you are that much overweight, you can't listen to friends who tell you that you don't need WLS. There are many reasons people tell us not to get this surgery and sometimes it's not because they have our best interests at heart. I lost half my body weight and I needed this surgery to do it. I followed the rules, ate around 1,000 calories a day but did not work out because I had mobility issues. Today I'm much better and I exercise in the pool. Here's my before and after pics so you can see what WLS will help you to accomplish...as long as you do your part. It's a tool, you still have a lot of work you have to do as well. Good luck with your decision. and remember...it's your decision and no one else's.

I so appreciate the levity tmf. You don't see it on this forum, but I have a great sense of humor as well. Thanks again.

I do see a therapist shel. I have no problem with people who don't know me when I was heavy. I enjoy the normalcy as much as anyone else. It's the folks who knew me before and just don't recognize me at all now that makes me uncomfortable. And Jim...I am very happy and healthy. I just think I need this part of the process overwith.

Natalie...I had both hips replaced and have chronic back pain along with arthritic knees. I take Water exercise classes at the Y. It's the best thing out there for folks who can't exercise in the traditional way. There is a disabled gentleman who is in a wheelchair that attends the classes. He told me he gets a price break from the Y because of his disability. If you have a Y near you, might I suggest you check that possibility out?