aubrie

WOW! What a great idea. I hadn't thought of that. My office mate may frown upon this, but hey, it's worth a try. Thanks for the suggestion!!

Overall I feel MUCH better. My knees don't hurt. I sleep better because I'm not choking for air and snoring, so I feel rested. I have more energy and can do more things. But I do have a few things that now bother me. I have little twinges and pains in my tummy. If I overdo my exercise my port area gets sore. I have constant gas and burp all the time. It's embarassing. I constantly battle constipation. those are the irritating little things I now have to contend with, but I would rather have to put up with those things any day than feel like I used to. I'm slowly eliminating my meds, I have a sex life again. Life is good. I'll take a little bit of bad along with the lot of good.

poached fish, yellow squash, refried Beans, guacamole, ricotta cheese, corned beef hash, souffle, custard, whipped sweet potato, mashed winter squash, creamed spinach, salmon mousse, use your imagination. or puree it......

I never really drank a lot of soda. The only soda I ever REALLY liked was ginger ale. I NEVER drink diet soda or anything with artificial sweetners. I consider it all poison. period. If I have a craving for a little sweetner in tea or whatever, 1 teaspoon of sugar at 16 calories per teaspoon or some honey is not going to kill me. I consume it very infrequently, so I don't worry about it. I used to HATE water. Now I seem to have acquired a taste for it, and now actually crave it. I by no means drink the 100 oz. some say to drink but I average 50 to 60 oz. per day of pure, plain water. It makes me feel better. I don't know if it aids in weight loss, but it makes it easier on the body.

this is VERY interesting. I started at 11. I was the second girl in my 6th grade class to get one, and I felt like a freak. This was 1970. I was chunky, but not fat or obese as a child. when I got to junior high I slimmed down a little and puffed back up in high school. My weight had always been like a yo-yo. In 6th grade I NEEDED a bra. My parents were very old fashioned and not from this country, so they thought wearing a bra that young was TERRIBLE. The school actually called my mother and told her not to bring me back to school until I had one, as it was causing a rucus among the boys. She bought me a training bra. She stuffed me into it, as I truly needed full cups. I didn't get a cup bra until high school. My breasts were heavy and as a result of improper support sagged from the get go. I had 35 year old boobs at age 16. Imagine what they look like nowat my age and after a 48 pound loss!!!! DEFINATLEY a surgery candidate. LOL I still resent my parents for that...... Now the comment about girls starting earlier because of more body fat is news to me. I've read NUMEROUS articles that the early onset of menses for girls is due to all the hormones that are put in our meat, chicken, milk and dairy products. There are several movements in effect to have the hormone use banned for that very reason. My niece started her period at age 9!!!!! Poor kid. 11 was traumatic enough for me.... This is also a reason for many parents to shop at health food stores for organic and chemical free meat and milk. These same hormones are also decreasing the semen levels in young men, and thus affecting the motility and sperm count of men trying to conceive. The rate of infertility is now out the roof.

I was depressed and moody for about the first 6 weeks after surgery. Like everyone above has said, it will pass. My doc wanted to put me on antidepressants, but I declined. I wanted to work it out myself, but promised that if it went past two months I would agree to take them. BUT, I have new physical anomolies that are definately hormonal and I'm pretty upset about them. I've always had beautiful skin and been very proud of it. I took meticulous care of it. The hormone changes are ravaging my skin. I now have bumps and discolorations on my face that I've never had before. The texture of my facial skin is like sandpaper. I've started to grow fine, blond hair on my upper lip and have fine blond sideburns. I had a partial hysterechtomy about 4 years ago, so I still have my ovaries. I used to have terrible ovarian cysts that would be very painful at certain times of the month. Now they don't bother me at all. So that's nice, but it also tells me my hormones are NOT the same. My hair is also falling out. Not bad, just thinning. My OB/GYN is a putz. I asked him about all this when I was there for my annual and mammogram, and he basically blew me off. Didn't even order a test of my homone levels. (I guess I need to find a new one) I sure would like to know so I can begin some type of natural therapy with soy, herbs, evening primrose oil or something. I have no idea how much would be needed. Any naturopaths out there?

I get hiccups when I get stuck. I don't usually stay stuck for long, so I always thought it was my body's way of pushing it through..... I don't know. Am I wrong?

I do water aerobics 3X per week. I'd do it more if they had more classes. I hate the treadmill. It's so ^$$#% boring! But I also have arthritis in my shoulders, spine, hips and knees. If I over do anything, I pay and pay dearly. So I can't exercise daily. If I have a really strenuous deep water workout, my joints kill me the next day. So I take a day off. But I go right back after day two. I wish I didn't have this problem, but I do and work around it as best I can.

I went 5 days and was in tears!!

Non scale victories can be anything positive that is not associated with the scale. For example: Walking up a flight of stairs without being winded Not having to strain to shave your legs buy clothes off the regular rack instead of plus size have a member of the opposite sex flirt with you reduction in medication or eliminating them altogether You get the idea. All the GOOD stuff. *wink*

I'm trying so hard to do what you've done. I'm right there.... But at a plateau. I'm 5 months out so I have 4 more weeks to lose the 3 - 4 pounds I need to lose to get to 50 pounds. That has been my goal. I get a fill on May 9th, so that may put me over the top. I'm losing what little restriction I did have and desperately need to be adjusted. KUDOS to you!!!! that is awesome. Hopefully I'll be a member of the club by May 19th....(my 6 month bandaversary)

Kelgirl68... I had to giggle about the gold bond. That's hysterical. I tried on a perky little polka dot sundress this past weekend. It had a little matching bolero type short sweater to go over it. I figured that would cover my mud flap arms. I actually got into a size 16!! It looked okay. But it's been 16 years since I'd worn one last. At age 48 I thought it looked stupid. Now I'm to old to wear them. Damn it.

I have such a variety of clothes. 1X, 2X, 3X. I want to touch base with other bandsters that are having a hard time financially with having to buy new clothes all the time. I want to start a clothes swap for all those who are at different stages and weights, but I don't know where to begin. I think I'll bring it up at my next support group and have a few boxes of things in the back of my Jeep. I've always taken very good care of my clothes, and just can't see myself throwing them away. At present I am right in between plus sizes and regular sizes and it's so frustrating. I went shopping over the weekend and was amazed that I'm in a size 16, which is an overlap size. I tried on a sun dress for the 1st time since 1992. It was like looking at a stranger in the mirror.

I don't know how many of you watch the soaps..... My grandmother had me watch them with her when I was little (back in the 60s). Can you believe some of those same actors are still on there?????? :thumbup: So I still watch when I can. Anyway..... On Guiding Light, they have written into the show that the character, Ashley, will be having Lap Band surgery. I think it's marvelous that they are covering this issue. I just hope they do it justice and don't make it look silly. Sometimes they take things seriously provide some education on certain topics and sometimes they slam things. I hope it's positive. I had to giggle though. I guess because of legal limitations, they referred to it as a (get this..) "GASTRO STRAP". :wink2: I do hope the writers consult with professionals and real people for their story line. The potential to help a lot of people is there. I hope they act responsibly.

I have to say, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. You all are just preceious with your comments. I love this board!!! Laughter is always the best medicine for whatever happens to be ailing you.....

I lost 18 pounds in 4 months on it. It made my hands tremble and it ended up affecting my heart. I already had a sticky valve and a heart murmur and my heart ended up doing flip flops in my chest. It was awful. While, it did work, it didn't make me feel very well.

Ouch!!!! that sounds like it hurts. How's your port area faring with all that sneezing? Sore?

DITTO! Nutrisystem food is the worst. Yes, I lost weight on it, but it was because the food was so bad I threw it back up from gagging on it. Literally. If you're hurling up everything you eat, yes, you'll lose weight, but how nutricious is that? It didn't last long....

I went through a depression very early on. My husband and I were having some communication issues, and the whole surgery thing was overwhelming for me. I had kids leaving for college, the holidays, etc. and it all hit at once. The doc asked me if I wanted an anti-depressant, but I felt I actually had legitimate reasons at the time and wanted to work it out for myself. I promised that if it went more than a couple months I would take the pills. Luckily for me it didn't. It passed and I felt a lot better. But for some it doesn't. Don't mess around with that. Depression can affect you physically as well as emotionally, and you're trying to get healthy right now. If this doesn't pass in a few weeks, CALL YOUR DOCTOR!!! Depression can be triggered from other things as well, and you want to rule those out. ie: thyroid issues, vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalances..... Pay close attention to what your body is telling you. Good luck sweetie. If you need to pout, vent, cry, lament, etc. we are all here for you.

EXERCISE!!! I haven't exercised this much since my early 20s. I go to water aerobics three nights a week after work. I walk or dance in between. WOW what a difference this has made in my life. I feel fabulous. Lots of energy and my mental attitude is much more clear and positive. I'm actually HAPPY most of the time. This has even decreased my lethargy and depression. During the day, I sip water instead of eating. I actually went to the beach last weekend with my husband and read a book. (Came home horribly sunburned as the time just slipped away from me) Didn't even pack the usual snacks. And the best thing???? SEX. Since losing some weight, and not focusing on food, this is better, more comfortable and since I feel better about myself, more frequent. Can't beat that with a stick!!!

I've only had two fills and can tolerate it okay. I worry that as I continue to get fills I won't be able to, and like you it is DEFINATELY one of my favorite foods. BBQ chicken just isn't the same without it!!

I had a problem with this for WEEKS after surgery. Even called my surgeon in tears. He recommended Milk of Magnesia to get things going initially. Worked like a charm and didn't give me the dreaded cramps. I can't do metamucil AT ALL. The gas it creates is worse than the constipation. Doc recommended 4 oz. of prune juice at bedtime, bump up my water intake and to eat three or four PEELED sections of a grapefruit daily. The pithy stuff around the grapefruit sections can give your band a little trouble, so be sure to peel them. This has made all the difference in the world for me. I no longer have problems with this. I don't even have to do the prune juice anymore. The grapefruit is a miracle food.

Coolcrystal. DITTO on the BumbleBee tuna. The lemon pepper is AWESOME!! Here it comes in three flavors. I dind't care much for the basil and sundried tomato. I thought it was a little salty. There is an oriental flavor as well, that I haven't tried yet. I flipped over the lemon pepper and just keep buying that. You're right. You can eat it right out of the can.

At age 24 I weighed 118. I know I will never weight that again at age 48. No matter how hard I try. Would I even want to? I was awfully thin......I am 5'4". I set my goal weight at 130 and ran it by my doc. He felt like even that was a little unrealistic. He set my goal weight at 140. so I stuck with that. If I go a little under, great. If not, I'll be happy.

Read the book, "Synchronicity". It will explain it all. There is no such thing as coincidence....... *wink*