aubrie

I have two sons in college.... YES, the cost is astronomical... when the second one went away I thought I would die of lonliness. I cried for three weeks. But I got a dog just before he left and that helped. I called a lot, much to his chagrin, and tried to renew old friendships and make some new ones. It will pass, but it took me about 8 weeks to get over it. But I have to laugh. BOTH of them are home this summer and working to save money to pay for next semester. THEY ARE DRIVING ME FREAKING CRAZY!!!! I got so used to having my house the way I want it, I can't stand the mess, the noise, the mountains of laundry, the clutter, the phone ringing constantly, the constant snacking, the beer bottles, the broken stuff around the house, the added expenses, and late nights. I am SO READY for them to return to school. LOL Suggestions? Take a dance class or an art class. Something creative just for you. You'll have something to get you out of the house, of course a bandster always needs exercise, it's positive, fun, you'll make new friends, and it will keep your mind off your lonliness.

I think everyone is different.... It depends on exercise, muscle mass, toning, bone structure, height, etc. But for me.... 15 lbs = one dress size. I've lost 57 pounds and have gone from a 24 to a 16. I have also noticed that I'll find my clothes to be looser, but the scale will show no loss at all. I chalk that up to building muscle from exercising. I don't worry about that to much.

If you have the choice, and your insurance will allow it. Yes, stay in the hospital. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'm gald I did although I had no complications.

Can this disorder come and go???? Some days I like what I see in the mirror and feel like I look normal. Other days, I'm mortified and still see grossly obese. It varies from day to day. I was thinking maybe it was just plain old depression or something. Some days I think I look like an old hag. My weight loss has made my face wrinkle a little and it's really freaking me out to see myself age so fast. I don't know. What do you think?

My doc is monitoring me closely. I've already gone from two to one dose of metoprolol a day. My last check my blood pressure was 114/70. The doc says that's still okay, but if the top number dips to 100 or below, that's when he'll cut the medication, either in half or altogether. So I'm to call him right away if I feel faint, lightheaded, confused, etc.

I went from being as regular as clockwork, to straining and have cronic constipation. It's the pits. I used to go every day, sometimes twice a day and it was loose. Not a problem. Now I go every couple to three days and have to strain to get out something the size of my thumb. I have to eat grapefruit section, prunes and prune juice, etc. If I don't keep up with it I'm miserable. My doctor said if the natural ways don't work to use stool softeners, but I don't want to take those for the rest of my life....

I've only eaten cold cereal with milk a few times. It didn't bother me in any way, but if I'm going to do cereal, I would rather have cream of wheat or oatmeal. I can cook it to a desired consistancy and then add unflavored protein powder to it to boost the protein. Quaker makes a high protein instant oatmeal that is pretty damn good!! It's called weight control or something. There are two flavors. Banana bread and cinnamon. I highly recommend it. I don't get hungry until well past lunchtime.

I can't do ice water. Now that I've lost weight, I'm always cold. Ice water just makes me shiver and my fingernails turn blue. I just drink it room temperature. Not to mention my office is so cold it's like a meat locker. (I wear a coat in my office) Drinking anything ice cold now is not pleasant. I don't do artificial sweetners as a rule. Only on ocassion. It gives me a headache, and when I do ingest a lot of it, my joints ache. As far as I'm concerned, it's a chemical poison. Just my opinion. I like water, so it's not an issue for me.

"When you ask to smell your hubby's brownie before he eats it" I fell out on the floor when I read this one a few posts back!!!! I was laughing so hard the people passing by my office poked their head in to see what was going on. these are hilarious. Here's a few more: When your DH FINALLY stops asking if you want a beer..... When your dog starts sleeping under the table because she KNOWS there will be left overs. when everyone else in the family starts putting vanilla slim fast in their coffee. When there are Flintstone vitamins in every room of the house to remind you to take them. When unsweetened applesauce, slim fast and tuna become standard travel items in your suitcase.

1/2 avocado with crab salad, grilled veggies, poached tilapia in seasoned chicken broth with squash,onions and peppers, shishkabobs with veggies and shrimp curried lamb over brown rice crock pot beans or lentils in a stew. Add left over meats. baked chicken cordon blue (breast stuffed with swiss cheese and lean ham) stuffed eggplant

I was on two doses of metoprolol a day at the time of surgery. I was NOT told to get off the meds right then and there, but I was told to watch. I could tell my blood pressure was going down about two months after surgery. I was then told to only take the same dose once a day. My blood pressure evened out. It's getting lower and lower, but still not low enough to stop taking it. My doctor told me to watch it and the minute the top number dipped below 100 to call him immediately. It's at 110/70 at the moment. My doctor feels I will get off of it eventually, but it's been a GRADUAL process. I suspect in another month or two I'll be done with it. I don't have any swelling in my face, hands, feet or ankles anymore, so my water retention problem is a thing of the past. I think that had a lot to do with it.

skinny vanilla latte.

I thought the weight loss would also vastly improve my self esteem. But at my age, losing weight in the face means my face now sags a bit and I now have wrinkles attacking me at a rapid rate. So now the face I see in the mirror is definitely thinner, but it is also a lot older. I never looked my age. I always looked much younger. Now I look my age and I don't like that much. It's a bit depressing. So I can relate to some degree. But I'm not going to let it change what I do or how I feel about myself. It's just disappointing. Swimsuits?? Ha! Even at my heaviest I also went swimming. I figured, if someone doesn't like it, they don't have to look. Hey I go to the beach and I see old men wearing thongs, and big guys in speedos, and lots of other large women wearing more revealing suits than what I wear. If they can do it, so can I. I refused to stop living just because I was fat. Now there were some things I simply couldn't do anymore because I was fat, but that's different. I loved going kyaking with my DH but had to stop coz I could no longer get in and out of the kayak. Sad but true. It was a fact, not a choice. Keep that chin up. Start a mantra and tell yourself over and over 100 times a day....."I'm worthy, beautiful, and confident." After a while, the self talk sinks in and you begin to beleive it. Self talk is a very powerful thing. You are what you think. the mind is the builder!!!

That is the enamel off your teeth. The enamel is what prevents your teeth from rotting. Yes, I agree. the acid from your vomit is the problem, and you shouldn't be vomiting AT ALL. It's not healthy for MANY reasons and while it's great you lost all that weight, you're just hurting yourself in the end. See a doctor immediately.

Aaawwwww... that is SO SWEET. I'm glad you know have an advocate in your corner. GO STEPDAD!! I'm so happy for you.

Too few calories will actually slow down your metabolism and you will slow down your weight loss. Weird, but true. Be sure to eat a sufficient amount of calories, and try to vary your food choices for optimal nutrition. Milk and yougurt are good, but not if that's all you eat. AND DRINK WATER.

I get an uncomfortable feeling, sometimes an ache in my port. It happens quite a lot. BUT I do also have some uncomfortable feeling near my band. I can feel my band occasionally. It's a poking sensation up under my ribs. My port is down near my belly button, so it's not my port. It is possible to feel it. When I'm stuck and the food finally dislodges and drops into my stomach, I can feel it pass through the band and KerPLOP into my stomach. It's the darndest thing.

Jachut, you work out a lot. If I work out with weights to get them to match, should I work the little arm or the fatter arm harder and more frequently with the weights???? God I sound like such an idiot, but I really don't know. Is my right arm bigger because of more fat, (which is what it looks like) or because there is more muscle underneath? This may be my imagination, but the loose skin and dimpling seems to be worse on the big arm as well. Like I won't have the same sagging skin issues on the two arms. The little arm looks like I may escape that nasty outcome. the big arm, there's no doubt I'm stuck with it. This is really freaking me out.

Just thin it out and it becomes a full liquid. I ate it all the time during both periods. It was winter then and I found it very satisfying. the recipe I came up with was so good, I ended up having to make extra for my DH. Make it with one half water and one half vanilla slim fast. Add cinnamon, vanilla, a touch of salt. After you make it, add a half scoop of protein powder for a little extra protein. It's WONDERFUL. I put vanilla slim fast instead of milk or creamer in my coffee in the morning too. It's very good, and a little extra protein.

Sure you don't have an obstruction of some kind? The gas and the ball in your intestine sounds like something is stuck in there and putrifying. Call your doctor!!!

LOL. I had to laugh at this one. the women in my office say absolutely nothing about my 56 pound loss. It's obvious, but nothing is said. I take it as jealousy and nothing more. That's fine. It's their problem. The men have always been nice, but they are even nicer now. As for my boss? He has been nice to me for over a year, but just recently decided that my Program Coordinator position that is grant funded should only be an officer manager position after the grant is done, and cut my pay in the budget by 25% !!!!!!!!!! WTF??????? I was stunned. So he definately hasn't been nicer, he's more horrible!

I have put away some of my old granny gowns, and have pulled out and purchased some nice and SEXY lingerie. It feels so good. Even if my husband is out of town or goes to bed before I do, I feel totally different wearing this stuff, and love slipping into bed feeling totally feminine. I was wearing a 24 and this morning slipped into a lovely size 16 dress for work. My husband stood stunned in the kitchen and all he could say was WOW.... He gave me a big hug and said, "I'm taking you out to dinner tonight in that dress and showing you off." He's so proud of me, and I'm only half way there, but I do feel totally different. I got on an elevator at the courthouse to go to a meeting, and caught two men glancing at me up and down. It's been YEARS since that has happened. Huge ego boost. I forgot how good sexy feels.

I got an email from an out of state Aunt I haven't heard from in ages just yesterday..... to quote her....."I hear you are sporting a new figure these days!!" the culprit? My mom. what is it with Moms? This only leads me to believe that now my entire extended family knows. Good grief. :cursing:

Doctor told me 6 weeks and I'm glad I waited that long. I had a wierd habit of spitting out my sutures, so my incisions took a bit longer to heal. Just when I thought I was healed, out would come the end of another one. I would be terrified to risk an infection.

Precisely why my surgeon does NOT support a high protien, no carb diet. Well balanced is much better for overall health. There are good carbs and bad carbs. the secret is knowing which are which and sticking to it. I eat carbs. I've lost weight just fine.