Marimaru

Nykee, I have a suggestion for your juice. I know you are addicted to the stuff, and milk, but it's just an idea. Actually 2 ideas. The first idea is to cut your juice half and half with Water. The juice flavor doesn't get that weak, and you'd be lowering your calories that much more (while getting in some water). The other idea is this stuff called "Water Sensations". It's got no calories, and you just drop it in a bottle of water and it gives it a lot of flavor. They have grape flavor and berries flavor, etc. I ordered it online, and when I use it I get all of my water in for the day. I have read about other people who use the band in such a way that they are pretty much on a liquid diet. That appears to work for you as well, but I think that Alex makes a good point about your nutrition. The milk gives you protien, but you should probably make sure you are taking some kind of multi Vitamin. Also, if you go to the doctor for your wierd sleepiness as of late, you should have them check your blood and see if you need anything you aren't getting. (Regarding your sleep, have your pain pill levels checked, since you have lost weight, you probably shouldn't need as much as you were taking). Maybe you could switch from cheetos to rice cakes or something? They make some pretty good flavored rice cake Snacks these days that aren't too high in calories, and you can eat more of those for the same amount of calories than you could of cheetos. I know you are having a terrible time changing your habits, but maybe if you could change the things you eat with those same habits you would do a little better? I'm having a tough time with the nighttime snacking demon myself lately. :cake:

You have to be just so excited! You better be prepared to share pictures with us!!!

You have a great smile :cake: You have great hair too! Thank you for sharing your pictures with us :cake:

I can't imagine who would take a story like that and tell you it was crap. I think it is absolutely a basis for food disorders. I think it has also probably made you a very strong person. At the very least, I think we can tell that your kids are very well taken care for.

This thread has taken an interesting turn. I think that there is definitely a different attitude take towards people who are dressed up, etc, vs not. I'm not even sure it matters the size in that case. Like Heather said, a slob is a slob. Not that I think not doing your makeup and hair every day makes you a slob. Most days I don't wear makeup and the only thing I've done with my hair is run a brush through it (though I do usually keep my bangs curled so they don't go whacko). But my hair is clean, and my clothes are clean, you know? I really HATE getting to work and finding out that the shirt I am wearing has a stain on it I didn't notice when I washed it last, or hung it up or put it on, and now I am stuck at work in stained clothes. That doesn't happen so much anymore, because my biggest clothes were the stained ones and I can't wear those much anymore :cake:. Ms. Dee is onto something too. At my biggest, most days I wore pajama pants and frumpy shirts. I didn't do anything about my hair, just brushed it, not matter how it looked. After I lost some weight, I started wearing jeans and my sister told me how glad she was I quit wearing those pajamas. One day all my jeans were in the wash and so I wore a pair to run to the grocery store and I stopped and saw myself in a mirror or something and went "Wow! I look like crap!!" It still happens sometimes that I need to run out and grab something from a store so I don't really dress up for it, but it doesn't happen often, and it doesn't happen when I'm going to be out for long. My self esteem is pretty low, but at least I have some pride now, you know?

After I was banded, whenever I would do new things that would move my stomach muscles in a way that it hadn't moved since surgery, my port area would be sore. Even at over a year out I still find one of those every now and then and it's sore for a couple of days. Just watch it carefully, if it gets red, or feels warm to the touch, go to your doctor because then it is an infection. :cake:

Good luck!!!

That happened to me. My last fill was November of '04, and it was perfect at the time, but for some reason around March or so it tightened up. In June I went and had .3cc's taken out and I've been fine since. Dunno what to tell you about a cause though..

It's a step in the right direction. Keep us updated. (hugs)

If anyone were to tell you that you would lose weight if you were more deserving, then you were at my house that day, because I imagine that person would have a severe case of death, quite quickly! You have probably worked harder than most UNBANDED people in order to try and lose weight. There's something to it, and now that someone is listening to you, it's just a matter of time until the find it.

Some doctors wont do a fill any sooner than 4 weeks from the last, but I'd call in and give it a shot. 2 weeks is a good long time to give a fill a chance to 'kick in' as they sometimes do. Just keep in mind those times when you get that pressure in your chest might turn into PB's after you are more restricted, so be careful with that!

I found the tofu noodles on Amazon when I first heard about them, but I have not ordered any. If you have any good Japanese stores out there (Japanese catered, lots of imports, not much English on the packaging) I think you could find some, but the internet might be the easiest place.

Nykee, If you are only drinking and not eating (as long as you get your Protein in, which you probably are with milk), you are probably ok. I think your weight loss is amazing, and if you would rather drink than eat and you aren't starving then the band is working just fine for you in your own fashion, right? I find the same thing as you though, where if there's any decent amount of food in my pouch and I try and drink something it's nothing but problems. As for wanting to drink while eating, I try and chug down a good glass or two of Water or iced tea before my meal. Even to the point of getting a little 'water logged' so I don't feel thirsty.

Crystal, feeling better after being on Thyroid meds is a sure sign that no matter what your 'levels' were at, your Thyroid wasn't working right FOR YOU. I'm so happy you found a doctor that will help you with your problem rather than blaming you. This really sounds like the start of a turning point for you. I imagine that you must be feeling like you don't want to get your hopes up, you are still a bit giddy at the same time. At least, I would be. :thankyou:

I think I fergot to log into this challenge last week. I was up 2 lbs last week and I'm back down to 225, so that equals no change basically. In NSV land... My mom is really happy that I'm getting my old self back. She comments every time she sees my fingernails painted a funky color (blue, green, etc). After my sister's wedding in April she may help me put a few green streaks in my hair. In high school I did all of it teal/green and it looked awesome, but I just don't know that I could do the whole thing again now. But a few select streaks would just look awesome. :thankyou:

That's Great!! Congrats!

If you are over eating you will feel it. If you have good restriction and you can eat more than your pouch can hold, it will sit in the bottom of your esophagus, and that's kind of the 'golfball' feeling that we describe. They don't really know what causes erosion though, because even model bandsters can erode. I don't measure anything other than to know how many calories I'm eating. Beyond that, it's just eating until I'm not hungry anymore.

I'm with the jeans and good bra. The only thing I'll wear these days with an elastic waist is my workout pants or skirts. Otherwise it's jeans jeans jeans. A good bra makes me look better. If the girls are up high, that middle belly roll doesn't look quite so offensive, lol

If you don't mind my asking, how did the floroscope show the erosion? Usually it's detected by an endoscope from the inside? I hope that your removal surgery goes well and that you recover quickly!

Wow. That's all I can say.

I'm so glad you found a doctor to listen to you. I see rabbitness in your future :eek:

The lap band is medical intervention. I'm pretty sure the statistic of 95% points to people trying to lose weight WITHOUT medical intervention. For lots of people, the idea of eating less and moving more will help them lose weight, but the 95% is people who can't stick to that long term and keep the weight off. Dieting doesn't work, because people can't keep to a diet. Why'd you get the band?

Woo! I can't wait to hear that you've succeeded!

The balloon is relatively new I believe, I'm not sure it's ever been covered by insurance yet? Either way, I think most of the people who get the band are able to lose weight, at least for a time, we just can't stick with it long enough to get it all off (at least in my case) and we can't maintain by ourselves what we do off. I can understand why your hubby is worried, because surgery is surgery even if the band is less invasive than the other ones. I think you need to maybe sit down and explain to him that you appreciate that he's worried but you need to do what's best for you and you are the person who knows that best. Let us know where your mind goes with this.

Another thing to mention, is that you might make sure you are careful not to eat right before bed. If the food sits in your pouch all night, since you are laying down it's probably likely that it sits there until morning, which could make you very tight in the morning which might cause problems THEN even if last nights meal seemed fine, you know? Feel better!