the best me

Atta girl! I liked what Vines said about the mayo...your body needs some fat! Just make it good fat, although I know all about mayo, yummy. But, when you put into the "whipped eggs and oil" words...ewwwww. And french fries making you feel crappy. Hear, hear!!! Thanks for this thread. It's time for me to become a food snob for a while. Stay away from gross crap. Only the best, freshest, healthiest foods!!!!

ROTFLMAO!!!! Yep, it's the "if I don't take care of me noone else will" thinking that keeps you needing the rewards. I haven't figured out how to think around that one yet. It's on my list of things to do

Great, thanks for the update! Chichigirl, we miss you! Stay safe and hang in there. How are the rest of our South Florida folks...who else is in the area? Check in when you can gang!

Oh Staa-aarrr! Yoohooooo!!

Debri85 is in Saudi Arabia and will be traveling to South Africa this Christmas. You can find her in the April 2005 Bandsters thread, or just look her up and PM her? let me know if you have trouble finding her! Good luck!

Time for some investigative reporting. A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a "skinny" friend about her weight maintenence. I said, "I'm always interested in how people who don't struggle with their weight, like I do, think about food, diet, exercise and how they go about keeping their figures. How do you do that?" I have been considering her replies for weeks now and wondered what the LBT family of friends could come up with. So, put on your Geraldo investigative reporter hats (or hairdos) and ask your skinny friends, family, and co-workers how they do it. I think we can come up with some really good "mantras" to get us through our weight loss struggles, maybe change some of the thinking that got us here in the first place. Post the "skinny" replies here and let's see what we can come up with. My guess...it won't be anything new, but maybe something somewhere will click and make a difference for some of us. Go get 'em, gang!

Okay, got another interview today. My friend Susan is a skinny. She says she eats all day long. She generally gets up early in the morning and is in bed around 9:30pm. So she gets up eating, munches on little things all day, some crackers here, carrots there, this that and the other, a sandwich, whatever. After 5pm she may have a snack, but really quits eating after that. She eats the most food earlier in the day, then tapers off. This is kind of interesting to me, not so much about the eating, but the bedtime and sleep. I have a much better success with losing when I go to bed by 11 or 11:30 at night, night after night. If I spend days going to bed at 1am or later (as I habitually do) I plateau. hmmm. I'm going to bed early tonight. Hubby's been out of town all week and will be home at 9pm. Yay!!!! DEFINATELY gong to bed early tonight!! Keep talking to the skinnies...let's get those secrets to their great metabolisms.

Check out www.room42.com and put in your info...it will give you the breakdown for fat, carbs, protien and calories for weight loss for your size and frame. Very handy.

WTG girls! Karen, it will be here before you know it. Ya'll are doing great!!

That's very funny. How ya doing Loulou? I have been thinking about you. WTG Crystal. You Rock!

OMGosh. I hadn't thought of that, but yeah, I guess so! Ouch! Setttle down, Sophie! Watch out for mommy's tummy and be gentle!! hehe. How odd!!!!

I agree with Alexandra. Keep it liquid, (really liquid, not thick), and slow down. Take smaller sips. Your banded belly is telling you to slow down. The hiccups are considered a "soft-stop" for most folks. Listen to you body and let it heal. And here's a good mantra for the next few weeks and months..."just because you can, doesn't mean you should". Pay attention to those signals. You will need that info as you move forward. Congratulations!

Oh yeah, and guacamole...the real stuff made from fresh avocados. You can get a seasoning packet by Concord Foods in the produce sections. Add a little to a smashed avocado...yummy mushy!!! Chew well. Great weight loss! Here's hoping for lots more and soon! Congrats!

Ugh. It's true, the games my body plays are never-ending. For me, though, it's so tiring! No weight loss since my second fill last week. (foot-tapping, eyes rolling, big sigh) I can't figure it out. 3 pounds at this point would mean lots to me. Good job, Heather!

What are you doing to cleanse? I'd like to do something like that... Hey, welcome to the land of turtles everyone! We are starting to hatch this nest, aren't we? Come on turtles! Welcome home!

Praying now! Happy banding! Be blessed and safe, and let us know when you get home!

Wow, Pamela, at least now you know what's up. You are on the mend now! Take care. Lots of rest and sipping and walking. Feel better!!!

AND! My sister had a breast reduction about 5 years ago. She was pretty huge, rashes, a big mess. But in order to have it covered under insurance, she had to go smaller than she really should have. She wears them well now, and can go braless even, but they aren't as pretty as they should be. She just had to go too small. She won't get implants, but could use some small ones, just to round them out. She doesn't regret it because she is SOOO much more comfortable, but after watching her go through that, I'll pass. Give me the tummy tuck! I'll have to ask her about her nipple sensation 5 years out. She got it back, but is it as good as it was? Maybe she doesn't "need" that sensation like I do? I'll ask her and post.

Tonight. Hubby is out of town for the week. Me and two youguns. Got them to bed, got a bottle of Water, turned on the TV, then got up to get a bite. Yummy. Sour Cream and Onion Ruffles (for my daughter's lunch, right?) so I grab the bag and have a seat. Oh yeah, baby. Me time!!!!!!! Munch, Crunch...oops, wow, that's stuck....oh, lemme walk around, oh no, slime, stand at the kitchen sink and spit, spit, spit, ouch, Oh, please unstick! I took a few sips of Crystal Light, burp, ah, well...okay, unstuck then. Okay, lets put those chips away now. Buh Bye! So I had already had dinner, ate well, had no business eating those chips. But it was ME time!!! Pre-band, I'd have finished what was left in the bag. Now? I ate maybe 5 bites of a few chips at a time...too fast, obviously...and my band said "NO!" So I'm happily sipping my water and a cup of coffee. I love my band. I still ate chips. I'll live. And if I hadn't gotten stuck, I still would have stopped long before the bag was done. Not perfect, but better! Good luck with your research. Read lots, it helps.

Wow! That's a good one! Double digits, girl! You get a banana! :banana

Excellent advice. I agree totally. And Kim, you probably do this with Curtis and just need to vent here...but keep up the effort. Sherrie is so right. Yay Curtis! He's going to get his cute little hinny fixed! We are so happy the doctors can help! Excellent perspective. Good job, Sherrie.

I have considered a breast lift. Lots to think about, though. 1. My tummy is worse and effects the way my clothes fit. If I had to pick between the two procedures, I'd do the tummy tuck 2. The lift is complicated...they basically take the girls apart and reassemble them. I dunno. On the one hand, if I had breast cancer, they'd go in a heartbeat. I wouldn't mess around with lumpectomies and all that...just take the whole thing, ya know? On the other hand...they work really well the way they are, if you know what I mean...with hubby. As long as I wear a pretty bra and keep them from slapping him around or sliding under my armpits, they are really useful and "satisfying" in the sack. I'd hate to mess with the sensation I have by relocating the nipples "up" where they belong. So I guess for me, it's a choice between a tummy tuck and boobs that don't really work. I'm going tummy tuck. Another thing to consider...for me, I'm not sure if a lift would work well without implants as well. I don't want implants at all. Nope, unless I lost my whole breast to cancer, no implants for me. Got enough silicone in me now with my band. It's a tough one, but for me, as long as a good bra still works, I'm leaving the girls alone for now. flower, you should record some of those Plastic Surgery Before and After shows. They are really informative. TLC has little 1/2 hour shows on during the day and late at night. There are a few others. You find out alot about how all this is done and they show good pics, too.

Pink, you have lost 46.5 pounds in 16 weeks. That's 2.9 pounds per week! WOW!!! And you are under 100kg now, so no whining! Your weight loss is fabulous. So, no, you are officailly not a slow loser. Nope, can't be one...but this is a good thing! Really!!! LOL

I'm thinking GeezerSue needs to show up here...if she doesn't soon, maybe someone can scare her up? Okay, I will. Let's give her a day or two. Keep this bumped so we see it!

Oh good, please keep us posted. And don't go eating a PB&J just yet...restrain yourself! Stop! Don't do it! Hope all is well.