Zoe

Congratulations, Leatha. I predict you'll hit the 170s no later than Feb. 1!

Jonathan, you and your wife are a good-looking couple at any size. I see that you've already lost four pounds -- congratulations! You're already on your way. January 31 will be here before you know it.

Hey, Jonathan, we've ALL been there, brother. It's that same frustration that drew most of us to the band. Just think, this time around you'll have the band to help you not only lose the weight but keep it off. Be careful about posting those buffed-up photos, though -- some of the ladies here tend to get a little wild!

Your joy shines through your message. Congratulations on your new love! Those scale numbers will gradually go back down, but meanwhile -- who cares?!

Congrats, Rachel! That's a big step. It probably won't be long now before you get that wonderful approval letter.

New abbreviation: BBDJ=Big butt desk job. Yeah, I have one too. Surgery Thursday, flew home Saturday, back to work Monday feeling like a truck ran over me. . . so I had to leave mid-afternoon. I told my boss and the HR director that I would have to deviate from the corporate dress code for a week. I showed up that last week of August wearing a floor-length dashiki and muu-muus. At least I was comfortable! The incision on my left side was painful, and I had to lean back in my chair a lot. I also spent about 15 minutes stretched out on my office floor every day. (Luckily I could close the door.) The next week I was pretty much back to normal. So I wish I hadn't tried to be superwoman and had taken at least a couple of extra days off. I'd suggest taking as much time off as you can, unless you heal remarkably fast. How flexible is your schedule? If you take four days off but feel like you could handle a full day after just two days, could you work after all, saving your days off for later?

A good memory? You must be joking -- my brain is a big hunk of Swiss cheese! All I did was read the posts. . . Violet, glad to hear the problem has resolved itself, and that your hair is staying where it belongs.

Here I thought if I jumped on the Water thread I would find inspiration to drink lots of water outside of meals, and what do I find but my nemesis DARK CHOCOLATE! Away, demon, away! My own personal water challenge is not to drink water with food. I don't have trouble getting at least 64 oz. down each day, but it's almost impossible for me to resist at least a sip while I'm eating. I know my weight loss would be better if I broke this nasty habit, but it's even trickier than giving up pastry. Anyone else have this problem?

Congrats on the big day, Samy. Welcome to the Chicago Bandster Society! You'll be in the 200s -- Twonesia, that is -- before you know it.

Ladies, in her second post in this thread Violet mentioned that she had her gallbladder removed. Must be something else -- hope it's just the giant vitamins or ordinary flu.

Hi Jonathan -- I was banded in Mexico, too, and didn't have any special pre-op diet; in fact, I ate barbecued ribs the night before surgery. About the Molding Clinic: Most of the "doctor rating" comments here are posted according to the surgeon's name. Do you know the name(s) of the doctor(s) on staff at the clinic? If so, you might want to search the Doctors and Hospitals threads under "Main Lap-Band Forums" via the forum jump below. Good luck, and welcome.

That's great, Sue! Thanks for introducing yourself. Here's hoping you have more great losses in 2005.

Hi Northerner -- How far north are you? All of the banded people here went through anesthesia, and we're all here to tell about it. You might want to check with Dr. Ortiz for details of his anesthesiology procedure. I've had a couple of other surgeries in addition to the band, and while it's not exactly fun going under, I had no complications, ever. From your first post it looks as if your surgery date is Jan. 5. Is that true? If so, congratulations!

Fabulous! Amazing what a loss of 80 pounds can do. Your pictures are great reminders for me to stay away from the chocolate.

What a miserable ordeal, Ryan. Let us know how Patty is feeling. And remember, you can always vent here. In fact, your written description of the ridiculous steps you took just to get your wife out of pain may prove useful if you need to take legal action against any of the medical professionals (I use that term loosely) for their negligence. When you update us on Patty, let us know how you're doing, too. Thinking of you and wishing for the best.

Glad to help with that Jan. 6 business! Seriously, people across the country are bringing leftovers to their offices this week, or munching on the tins of mass-produced goodies businesses exchange over the holidays, so I think we could use a little moratorium for a few days. Greg, be careful what you ask for. I've got a long-leg black-lace number with a tummy control panel that would look lovely on you.

Sounds like a new PMS challenge! I don't know about the guys, but I'd sure fail big time. The company I work for does a lot of business in Latin America, where the holiday season runs through Jan. 6 (Epiphany, or Three Kings Day). I officially declare that the holiday indulgence period can, at your option, last until then.

Rachel, if you were once athletic, that athlete is still inside you ready to emerge, even if just a little bit at a time. I agree with DeLarla's suggestion: even five minutes is an improvement over zero. I've been gradually building up my exercise time and intensity. Before I got banded, I'd get winded walking at a slowish pace for 15 minutes. Now I can go for an hour and a half and keep up with my average-sized friends. OK, I'm not ready to do the 70-mile-a-day bike trip I made when I was 19, but I'm moving, and feeling, a lot better than half a year ago. I don't know how y'all manage those elliptical machines. I can't imagine getting on one -- but then, my only real exercise is walking (on the ground, that is, not a treadmill).

Great message, Ro. Those of us whose weight loss slowed down over the holidays, came skidding to a halt, or went into reverse are still doing a lot better than we would have without the band. My average holiday weight gain in the last 15 years was about 8 lbs. So I figure I can throw that on top of the measly 2.5 lbs. I've lost in the past six weeks and claim that I've lost 10.5. Greg, fear not -- I'm sure lots of us have girdles you can borrow if you go up a dress size.

Nana, you lost "only" seven pounds over the last six weeks? I say that's a major victory! After going up last week, I'm down to 228.5 this morning -- first time I've seen the 220s in a while. I hope they aren't going to welcome me back big-time, because I don't want to stay long. So I've lost only 2.5 lbs over the course of the challenge, but I've been walking for an average of over an hour a day, and I feel great. I can move pretty fast without getting winded, my back doesn't hurt, and although I haven't loss any impressive poundage, I've lost inches -- my size-20 pants are all too big now. Still, I've gotta get over my bad holiday habits. Walking for an hour and a half in the morning then capping the evening off with a slab of band-friendly cheesecake isn't a great long-term plan! It's been fun, though, to be able to indulge in all the yummy holiday foods, knowing that a fistful of Christmas cookies didn't represent the destruction of my life but just a blip in the bandster path. I am delighted that so many people joined the challenge I posted back in November. I have to admit that my competitive nature helped keep me going over the last six weeks -- that, and the habit of writing my daily exercise in a notebook every single day. I'm going to stay with it for the next two months and see how I do. Congratulations to everyone who joined the exercise challenge, even if just for a short time or sporadically. Greg, let us know who the biggest loser is, and who's moved the most.

Like Sue, I'm a Rumbaut patient. I flew from Chicago to Monterrey and had no trouble with passport control or customs coming or going. The form that US Immigration asks you to complete when you re-enter the US asks what you have purchased. Since I didn't fork over any separate cash for my pain meds -- Dr. R and the hospital include them in the fee -- I didn't declare them. I said my trip was a vacation. Most people don't spend their vacations unconscious and bruised (or do they?), but it was still the truth. I had my surgery in August. Dr. Rumbaut required a cashier's check, which included his fee and the hospital's. My bank gave it to me without a surcharge. Jonathan, there's an old "Mexico misconceptions" thread from the fall (Sept-Oct., I think) that you might want to check out; I think it's in this "General Lap-Band Discussion" forum.

I got an e-mail message saying that there were new posts on the anti-Christmas thread -- but the link didn't work, and now I can't find the thread anywhere. Help!

Instant mashed potatoes, guacamole, and hummus helped get me through mushies. Check out the food forum (go to "Forum Jump" at the bottom of the web page) for some other suggestions. The good news, Staci, is that the return of your appetite means your body is recovering nicely from the surgery!

You're gorgeous, sweetie! And what a beautiful smile! Boy, you sure are right -- if this is what being broke looks like, bring it on.

Audrey, you look fantastic! Your after-picture smile (and Chris's) says it all. Are you at your goal weight now? Tell all of us fans and admirers how you feel!