Zoe

Congratulations, Staci. Yes, your weight loss will slow down, but that's normal. Even if you haven't consumed much since you were banded, probably a lot of your loss is Water. Still, every pound helps. And what a great way to start the new year! When do you move onto mushy foods? That will help take care of your hunger.

Fair enough. Guess I can delete this thread after we anti-Christmas fans have had a chance to vent!

Lisa, one of the reasons I got the PT was because it's a great dog car. Here's an unflattering picture of my dog Sophie (black & white) and her buddy Eli in the back seat. I have a big piece of foam rubber acting as a dog bumper just behind the front seat, so if I brake suddenly the dogs hit the foam, not a hard surface. One month after I got the PT, I took a trip to northern Minnesota and had to sleep in the car for a night. I took out the rear seats, adjusted the dog foam, and curled up with Soph, an 80-lb. lab mix. Not exactly comfortable, but I survived! I test-drove a Mini Cooper before I got the PT and rejected it because the rear windows don't roll down -- terrible quality for a dogmobile. Good luck in your car search, Teresa. My mom has a Taurus, and it's been OK, although it has a high idle that no mechanic has been able to fix.

I love my Chrysler PT Cruiser. Before that, I had a Toyota Camry that was extremely reliable. There are tons of used Camrys out there, and if a medium-large sedan suits you, I'd certainly recommend it. Consumer Reports has good information on-line and in their print issues regarding reliability of various used cars.

Thank you for writing back, Mark. Your son is fortunate to have such a supportive father. Please check in with us to let us know how you are both doing. And Vickie, thanks for your kind words. I ate a lot of holiday goodies, but I'm exercising every day and feeling great.

Stop . . . stop . . . I'm laughing my ass off at work, and someone just stuck her head in my office to see what's going on.

Nancy, I hope your brother is OK. Goa is a former Portuguese colony on the west coast of India, on the Arabian Sea; I think the tsunami affected the southeast part of India on the Bay of Bengal, especially Madras and the rest of the state of Tamil Nadu. Marie's right - he probably can't get to a phone. And even if he could, the phone service in India must be a mess right now, with lines jammed as people inside and outside India try to contact family and friends. The BBC has a bulletin board for for missing persons in India: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/4130343.stm You might want to post a note on the off chance that he can get internet access. Good luck.

Thanks for writing about your son, Mark. I will add my raspy voice to the eloquent chorus raised by Megan, Joanne, and Vickie; my perspective is slightly different than theirs, in that I was a fat kid who was constantly badgered by my parents regarding my weight. Not a penny for my college education, but no diet doctor was too bizarre or expensive for them to open their wallets. Now that I'm in my 40s, I can see that they thought they were trying to help me, but at the time I resented their interference and the implication that I needed fixing -- and that my weight was the only thing that merited their attention. I don't imagine that you have such a severe attitude toward your 17-year-old son, but I thought I'd mention what it feels like to be on the other side of parents who devote considerable energy to solving a child's "weight problem." I bet your son wishes he could just wake up thin one morning (what overweight person doesn't?), his body issues magically gone. And if you ask him "don't you want to be thinner?" of course his answer will be YES. But it's so hard for anyone, especially kids, to be patient with the tiresome process of losing a pound or two a week, as would happen if he followed a conventional dieting program like Weight Watchers. That your son is very heavy does not mean that you and your wife have failed. Unless you are force-feeding him Krispy Kremes, please do not beat yourself up for his condition. I would encourage your son to talk to you, or to another adult he trusts, about how he feels about his weight. Don't judge him or try to direct his answers. If he'd like to make a change, tell him you will support him however you can. If he doesn't want to do anything about his weight, unfortunately nothing you do can make him. I will hold back from making the tempting comparison to alcoholism, but there is one relevant point where addictions and weight issues meet, and that is the total inability of anyone to help someone who doesn't want to change. As much as it may hurt you to "sit here knowing he is killing himself," you can't force him to modify his eating or exercise; if you try, he may simply rebel and in consequence sabotage his own efforts (and wind up even heavier). If your son shows any interest in losing weight, please encourage him to sign on here, or on another Lap Band board where he can be anonymous. It's great that he's interested in exercising with you. It might be unrealistic to expect him to exercise alone, especially if he thinks it's "for his own good" rather than something he enjoys. (It's hard to move a 365-lb. body.) And please, please don't throw him out of the house in hope that he will toughen up. That rarely works, and usually backfires. Keep him close and try to support any good eating and exercise habits that he voluntarily develops. Encourage him to walk to school and on errands, or with the family dog if you have one. Pay attention to the rest of his life: academic achievement, hobbies, friends. Let him know that you are on his side. You can offer him a tremendous gift simply by making him responsible for any decision to change his body. He's almost 18, and with manhood comes the opportunity to seize his own destiny. Good luck.

Greg, I'm impressed by your willingness to sacrifice the safety -- no, the very existence -- of family and community just so you could hop on the scale. If there's a report of a massive fire in Detroit tonight we'll all know who to blame: Meijer's, your neighbors, and your sister! Me, I'm blaming my mother for the inevitable weight gain I haven't been able to face this morning. If she hadn't put on such a remarkable spread of goodies for three straight days. . . oh, hell, I probably would have found them someplace else. But I'm feeling so bloated that I'm actually looking forward to eating like a good little bandster again.

Lauri, we're all wondering about you and hoping you have found both answers and relief. Please check in with us so all your bandster aunts and uncles can sleep at night!

Isn't it great to go into the new year knowing that we'll be able to keep any resolution to lose weight? Think of the millions of people who get discouraged by February and are berating themselves, and eating themselves senseless, by springtime. May your days be merry and bright, everyone! (I'm off for a family celebration -- all adult siblings united for the first time in nearly 20 years.)

Funny, Sue, I cut out that same NYT article last Sunday! It was great to learn the real story behind Festivus. We're all big Seinfeld fans in my mixed-marriage non-religious family, and I've got enough brothers to make the "feats of strength" work. . . let's not even talk about the airing of grievances. Get out the metal poles, and happy Festivus to everyone!

Thanks for your encouraging note, Seanmama! It's great to hear your success story, especially this time of year when we newish bandsters are going through the end-of-year holiday food madness for the first time. You're so close to your medical goal, I'm sure you can make it. Have you bought a whole new wardrobe, or are you waiting for the last 20 lbs. to drop?

About those funny brownies -- yes, if you dip them in enough milk, they'll work fine for the mushy stage, but what'll you do when you crave a pallet of Cheetos afterward? Have to substitute guacamole, I guess. Sounds like Bandstock is a GO! I'll be there, schedule permitting. I hope some other Chicagoans can attend, too -- not that we're planning to recreate the Grant Park 1968 scene. Young whippersnappers, ask a geezer.

No, Jack, and you can leave those funny brownies at home too.

Lisa/DeLarla, you're probably great at housebreaking puppies! Someone in the mushy stage might not be able to dictate to her body yet, though. Pat, what you're going through is perfectly normal -- and Marie's right, don't be surprised if you get the runs next. If you're stuck, I recommend figs. Maybe figgy pudding for Christmas?

Yeah, cleaning your plate is a pleasure when the food's great. But pizza and frozen broccoli? My mom was (and is) a good cook, but she made all kinds of funky vegetables like cauliflower, rutabaga, and brussels sprouts, and we'd have to sit at the dining room table until we finished every bite on the plate. I still haven't figured out how we could have sent the stuff to the starving children in China we kept hearing about. (As Allan Sherman once said, "They're still starving -- and I got fat.")

Welcome, Sharon! There are a couple of other down-under bandsters on the board, and it's always good for us Yanks to get a different perspective. Congratulations on your great success. How much more were you hoping to lose? Any tips you'd like to share?

The roofs are white in Texas and we have only one or two flakes still on the ground in Chicago. What's up with that? I'm another one who feels colder since I've lost some of my insulation. I've only had three hot flashes so far, and I sure could use one about now! For the first time in my life I've bought a space heater. That, plus a down comforter and 80 pounds of dog taking up half the bed, seems to work.

Take that two-week sabbatical, Penni; you've earned it. Nancy's suggestion sounds great. I'd also recommend the little towns south of Playa del Carmen in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula -- stay away from the touristy places (like Playa, not to mention Cancun) and just lie on a hammock letting the warm breezes stir your margarita. I hope you feel better after Christmas. Funny, isn't it, how so many people can't wait for it to be over?

Dec. 21 is the longest night and the shortest day of the year -- seems fitting for the three bandsters who are starting new lives that day. Congratulations, everyone!

Bandstock sounds like fun. Also sounds like it could replace the proposed Chicago bash in late July.

Hi Teresa -- I was rear-ended over a year ago by a kid who was changing a CD in his car and didn't notice that expressway traffic had come to a complete halt. I hope your insurance company is working to compensate you for your car and your medical bills. Get everything in writing, and take thorough notes on what occurred. Don't hesitate to go to a doctor ASAP for that back and neck pain. Not only will it help you feel better, it will establish a paper trail for your medical issues in case you have to sue the other driver. Good luck; I'm just glad that you're OK.

Uh, gee, thanks, Sue, I think -- I'm 47 myself and still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. My photo's too small and underexposed to show my crow's feet and silver hair! Yeah, no one should take their "careers" too seriously. Most of us have a series of jobs rather than a real career, anyway. I feel like I'm going to hit my stride at 50. . . always thought I was a late bloomer, but maybe I've just been gathering life experiences.

FYI, Greg's farting Santas are posted on a Croatian web site. I leave it to wiser heads to find a deep political meaning.