New Hope

Hi Kim! Congratulations on getting your band! Hope you are feeling as good as can be expected. How much weight are you hoping to lose with your band?

Absolutely, Betty! And you enjoy each and every little compliment. You've earned them!

Delarla, Penni, Teresa, and numerous others w/erosions....Dr. Lopez wants to remedy any past problems. Better keep those phone lines open!

Sorry, Greg, you can't jump off any bridges until AFTER January 3, 2005! You have to keep track of our Holiday Exercise thread for us - whether you like it or not! LOL Besides, you have to stick around for that new grandbaby!

Carol, what an ordeal! So glad that you're doing better! Please take care and continue to recoup!

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have a safe journey to and from, if you're cooking - everything turns out Perfect and someone else cleans the kitchen!, if you're shopping Friday - you find just what you needed On Sale!, and NO pbs for everyone! Take care!

This really is the hardest part of banding! But remember, it's temporary and necessary to heal properly. You're still "wide open" and can eat like preband. Try to make wise food choices and keep drinking that water. Find something that you enjoy doing (that doesn't involve food!). Take a walk with the dog, visit a neighbor, Christmas shop, don't watch t.v. (too many food commericials), etc. There is a lot of mental work that we have to do along with the physical. Food's been our constant "companion" and now it's been yanked away from us. You're probably going through a brief mourning period. But as those "too small" clothes hanging in the closet suddenly get "too big", you'll start thinking, "Hey, this IS going to work!" And you'll realize that "Food is NOT my friend!" Best of luck to all of you! You can do this!

Have you done a "search" on your computer for Dr. Himpens? There is a ton of info. available on him. Please be sure that you have your aftercare lined up before your banding, so you don't get any unpleasant surprises. (Like a fill dr. won't touch another surgeon's patient - a quite common problem.) Best of luck to you!

Are you getting all your water in during the day? But not with meals or for one hour following meals? That really makes a difference!

Lainie, what stage are you on now - liquids, mushies, etc.? Are you drinking enough water during the day? If you're dehydrated, that will make you nauseated (and cause other problems - such as muscle cramps, fainting.) Please avoid that happening. I have never been one to be able to eat first thing in the a.m. (even preband). But I can drink o.k. If I wait an hour or two, I can eat then. Hope you get to feeling better soon!

Resistance training tonight - 10 miles bicycling against a steady wind. Huff/Puff

Lauri, you silly goose! :nervous A nail salon will do it for $5 and no purple lip.

Penni, those are darling! I love the multi colored one. Are you using Teresa's pattern?

Sounds good, Betty! -41 pounds! You have done amazing!

Hey, just sharing an "uplifting" moment with you! LOL

Well, I really was Christmas shopping, but I also bought 5 beautiful new sexy bras and 2 pairs of lacy tap panties for under $40 at Ross. My old size didn't have sexy bras available and I wouldn't have worn them anyway. So maybe this reduction thing isn't so bad after all!

Nancy, there really is life after Banding! LOL

And Leatha, did you find any good sales in "hell and half of Georgia"?

Yes, it's a Southern "thang", a lot like a custard pie.

Thank you, Betty Boop!

Christmas shopped for 1 1/2 hours. Not sure how that breaks down - (maybe 40 minutes of walking?)

Kim, how tall are you? Do you know what your beginning BMI was? If you are a regular exerciser, it's possible that you just don't have a lot of fat to let loose of. Also, try charting your foods and exercise on http://fitday.com for a few days. Visually seeing those break-down grafts can help pinpoint your daily habits. Hang in there, girl! You have your band and it is working. How much weight do you think you would have gained by now, without it?

Hi, Kelly Ann, how about tracking your daily food intake on http://fitday.com for a few days? This will give you a good idea of what types of food, calories, how much exercise, etc. you're doing. Congratulations! Losing 23 pounds in one month is great!

Wow, Cindy, amazing job! I know you are so proud! I've been coming up short in the waterload dept. Thanks for the wake up post!

Bravo to all! Great jobs. I lost 1 pound this week. Wow, Becky, no fills! You are doing fantastic!