vinesqueen

Hello Turtles! This is the official thread to track our NSV Challenge! We had talked about creating a challenge, but I never got around to starting the thread for the challenge. ... Doh! I blame it on midterms... Okay, the Challenge is that each week we recognize at least one new NSV. To get the ball rolling, here are my NSVs for the week: 10/27/05 I am offically no longer Morbidly Obese, but simply Obese. Today my BMI is 39.6, so I might not even qualify for the surgery, if not for my co-morbidities, which are all under control. My second NSV for the day is that I have been invited to dance professionally at a Greek restaurant here in town. It will be fun to be able to put on my resume that I'm a Professional Belly Dancer. Please remember to update your personal NSV lists as well as posting them here!

I have the card, but I've never used it for restaurants. Normally when I go out I have dinner with my DH, and he's banded too. We generally split a meal, and no one has ever given us greif over that. When I went to Vegas for the Bash, we didn't hit any buffets, but Christina (I'llsucceed) and I split Breakfast. I like leftovers, so I'm not bothered by the extra food.

Wow, 46 pounds since April is great! You don't even qualify for membership in the Turtle Tribe, excellent work! I know you want it gone NOW, we all do. But you are doing great, so keep it up! Courage!

I haven't heard of these specific videos you are talking about, because I've been fortunate to find classes when I wanted them. I live in a small town in SE ID, ... okay, wait, it's the 3rd largest "city" in Idaho, a wopping 50,000 people... In the second most conservative state in the Union. Belly dance isn't so much about what other people think, it's about what you think, it's about how you feel. I think part of the mysteria about belly dance is because it is a women's dance for women, by women. Many of the movements are designed to help with childbirth. I think men are intreeged by it because it isn't designed for them. Hmmm.

well, if you haven't tried belly dancing, I strongly urge you to give it a go! Check out your neighborhood rec center and see if they offer it. It really is wonderful.

This is what I was talking about when in an earlier post.

No worries. You were probably just swollen from the first fill, very common.

1. Vinesqueen is a very, very geeky name. At one point I knew more about the Banyan Vines operating system in a Windows environment than anybody on the Planet, maybe the Galaxy. (anyone glazed over yet?) 2. I'm currently ready Financial Accounting (oh dear gawd, is the semester over yet?) 3. I'm a full time university student on a full ride scholarship 4. I'm most greatful for my son, my DH and my band. 5. something surprising? I'm a fat professional bellydancer and I've been dancing since I was 19 or so. 6. describe myself? Silly 7 others would probably say... "brainiac" 8 I'd rather play with someone close to my level so there would be a chance either way 9 My favorite movie is "10,000 Fingers of Doctor T" and I love true crime shows 10. something unusual? That would be everything, I don't think there is a usual thing about me.

Okay Heather, come and give us an update.

I had something like that too Judy, but mine was really old. Back before color was invented I find using the palm is an excellent tool, and I'm gettin a new one for Christmas, even if I have to give it to myself

Yup, you need to find the source of that infection, ASAP! Your weight loss is fine, right smack-dab in the average range, good work on that. I don't know why your port would need to be moved, don't know where it currently is. Ask the new doc why the port needs to be moved. I live in a small town too, and this board is where I get 90% of my support. Okay 99% of my support

Wow Karen! Thank you so much for posting this. I'm so sorry to hear that you are going through such a stressful patch! I'm sure the added stress of the band issues is not helping your situation, what a mess! The more stressed you get, the more stress you get. Of course you didn't post to scare, but to get and give support! http://www.csmc.edu/5938.html so it looks like you feel stuck all the time? What a bad thing, and you poor dear!

Well, I'm still gaining and losing the same 5 pounds that I've been working on since July. Long hard slog for me. I am having some fill issues, so we shall see how I much fill I have left when I go home for the Christmas holidays. I'm still going great guns with my NSVs, so that is good for me.

Wow! Amazing and good work, on the 7 chips! That is truely wonderful work there Candy! That showes great restraint on your part, wether it is from the band or from you saying that was all you needed. I do not believe that 7 chips with dip or an occasional candy bar is eating around the band, as long as it is not part of a larger pattern of behaviour. I think part of it depends on what kind of world we want to fashion for ourselves. Do we want to live in a world forever that is devoid of treats to live in an austere world? Or do we want to live in a world where we permit ourselves to have some of the treats that add some variety to our lives? I personally do not want to live in a world that has no room for ice cream. But that doesn't mean that I go crazy for the stuff, but rather I budget my calories for it, I give myself permission to have some now and again. I honestly have no idea why we have such slow loss. I know that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. More in means we have to spend more to show a net loss, but I'm damned if I have figured this out. But I'll let you in on a secret I learned this week at my surgeon's office. They don't know exactly why the band works. They have theories, but they don't know exactly why the band works the way it does. I am filled very tightly right now, I'm currently sitting at 2 ccs, and I'm tight. Maybe I need to be super tight, I don't know, I've tried everything else. You are also doing an amazing job with the yoga. I know it isn't an aerobic workout, but we have to start somewhere. I know that with the increased flexibility yoga will give you will definately make you feel better. And when we feel better, we want to do more. When we can do more, well, we can do even more.

Sally and I had a great time Tuesday! Looking forward to coming home in 3 weeks. Molly you will have to come join us, or maybe we could join you for lunch or something else?

You silly bug! Everyone is welcome to particpate in the NSV Challenge, even if you are just here with your pom-poms! Okay, I'm pretty sure this is an NSV... I seem to be shorter... all my jeans are draggin when I walk, and my favorite bell-bottoms are about an inch or more too long now. Or Maybe I'm not getting shorter, but my legs are getting more trim and there isn't as much bulk being taken up my my glorious thighs Also, the eye doctor paid me the nicest compliment, she said that I didn't have a single wringle or line on my face!

I think that if they had some way of easily hooking up our video games to excersize equipment they would have a gold mine. Maybe if I can figure out how to hook up a recumpant bike to a PC... (I play PC games )

You can get the software for your pilot, which makes it very handy. http://www.healthetech.com/balancelog/ is the more advanced version of dietlog which I used to use (I lost my palm device ) I was very happy with the version of dietlog I used, but it's an old program nolonger supported.

Jacqui, this is more called for in cases where the BMI is higher. The whole point is to shrink your liver so there is more room to work. So, you can either give them more room to work, or they have to pump you more full of gas so they can work. Pain now or more pain later, your choice. Sorry. It probably won't be so much an issue for someone with a low inital BMI, so I wouldn't worry about it. Don't go crazy I didn't do the liquid diet, but i was terribly sick too before my surgery. You will probably be just fine!

Well done Jini! Well done indeed! Not everyone looses during the liquied phase; indeed, it is a time for healing above all else. Once you move to solid foods you will find that the scales lie and tell you that you have gained wieght, when in realiity it is your colon is that full again.

I knew I was forgetting some one! My LBT traveling has been very wonky since my laptop wouldn't store my settings and I would have to logon to LBT in the middle of a post! You too Francesca! I feel so bad that I spaced on you too! You are definately included in the healing lights, thoughts and well wishes!

Well, even with all my pissing and groaning lately, I"m still happy with my band. Without my band I really believe I would be dead right about now.

Okay, Kare <3 Bear, I think I got the message. It is just really hard to be kind to myself, which of course, is why I tell people to do just that. I'm feeling better about my band, I just peridically get so frustrated that I can't stand it. I still haven't lost weight even with this new fill, but I apperently got shorter. Funny that you should mention Sally, I had the opportunity to have coffee with her Tuesday and it was great!

I have PCOS, but the carbs that do me in are corn since I'm sensitive to it. So anything with corn anything can set me off on wanting to eat and eat and eat. Avoiding corn hasn't done anything for my weight loss, but it sure as hell has with my not gaining weight. I don't abuse food, but steroids and other medications have caused me to gain large amounts of weight. This new technique may prove to be very helpful. I know that there are so many people out there that need help too. This is one reason that I'm fairly public with my band, I figure that if I can inform people, then more people with be informed. I think, based on my DHs experience, that the band would probably be a useful tool for people with bad food addictions. He used to weigh 600 pounds, and he's down almost 200 so far. Oh, and he dind't have any issues with steroids or other meds that contrubuted to his weight.. eating 4 super value fast food meals in one sitting did that... I'm sorry Tomorrowsdream that you read Sue as being sarcastic, she is very sincer and not sarcastic as a general rule. She does have a biting sense of humor that I appricate. Unfortunately, Sue is one of the people that the band wasn't the right tool they need. She's been struggling with her band a long time.

Hi Coco, well, you know why it is important to be on soft and much food right now, so you can heal properly. I don't know that you are going to get the answer you are looking for about what a fill feels like, since I think like so many other things about the band, it is intensely personal. I don't always feel full, I think everyone feels hungry because that is part of the human condition. I know that it is very important to not let yourself get too hungry because that is when we get into trouble, we eat too fast, take too big of bites and end up stuck or PBing. You will learn, hopefully not "fullness" but what it feels like to be satisfied with your meals, maybe for the first time in your life. Good luck and welcome to LBT and to the Banded Gentry