the best me

Look at us! We might be turtles, but what a difference already!! I'm so proud cuz we are so cute! BTW, I really do smile most of the time. Both my pics are scowls. The first because I was so miserable, the second because it was 7:30 in the morning and I had just woken up I promise to smile for my next pic.

I think screwing the calorie counting is a great idea. I think adding a snack is a great idea, too. I think you are brilliant. I think it's gonna work. Let us know!

Excellent. No problem, then. Wow, it's happening! So glad you like your doc. I hope the insurance doesn't give you a hassle. Keep us posted!

Smooch, if you attach more than one pic on a post, it comes up as a link. I don't know why, but that's why I posted twice, so the pics would show up. I'm hoping "someone" can side-by-side them and I'll delete a post, have it all together. You can make 3 posts if you want, or let Picture-editor-guru Penni fix it I love that B&W of you and BF. Very nice, and he's a real cutie!!! Glad he got his head back on straight.

Ahhh, the saga has a happy ending! Yay Chloe! Thanks for the update. Lisa, aren't you going to visit soon? Vera, so sorry about your bandster friend. What happened? Poor girl, she will really miss her mommy. I'm so sorry.

I did post-surgery. It went away I have a theory about my weight loss, though. 6+ months down the road, I hit plateaus regularly. I find that after a few days of eating really "well', meaning, "less", I get starvin marvin, and since I am actually able to get more down at this point, I eat a bit more, and maintain that plateau. I get hungry! My body wants to maintain it's weight. And I promise there are not-so-good foods that go down just fine. I surely eat less than I used to, and I really do get fuller faster, but I still get the hungries every once in a while and will eat what I shouldn't. This is where the head-work comes in for me. Getting past that starvin marvin mode and allowing more weight loss to happen, rather than just maintaining my loss, is the hard part. It's slow, but it's steady down, so I can't really complain. Good luck!

Yep, he knows he's the cheapest around and can get away with it. It's mighty handy, though, knowing he's there and will fill you. Maybe the other band docs will get a clue? There are plenty of MX bandsters out here!!! I paid it. I'd do it again, too. sigh.

Here I am!! I'm a slow loser, too! Marimaru made a montage of my Before/So-Far pics so I updated the Before/After pics on that thread. Page 4 post #60. Go see! The fat pic was taken in July of 2000 at my high weight (one of several times being there) and to my horror, I found it in someone's photo album. Hundreds of people had no doubt seen it before I stole it out of there. Yuck!!!!!!! I hate this pic. I weighed around 240. And on the right is my Before Summer Weight Loss Challenge pic. I weighed 208...that's 15 pounds less than my surgery weight of 223. It's an improvement! I'm 194 now, but really, I look the same...maybe a little smaller in the belly area. Thanks for editing Penni!!

Wow, Karen, you are really on your way! Wahooo!!

Heads up...Fills just went up by $50. They are now $250 for office non-flouro. Just so you know.

Yay NJChick! You finally got your band!!! Congratulations! Yippeeeee!!! Can't wait to hear from you.

Buyer's Remorse...it happens to the best of us. You are not alone. It didn't take me long to get over myself though. Think back...you are improving a little every day, and it gets better and better. See if you can increase your calories just a bit and that may help you feel a bit better, plus all the advice you have received already. Congrats!!!

A big ole Operatic "Waaaaaaaaa..." $80+ buckaroos! Man, what a great idea, keep those hands free, carry more weight than you could carting hand and ankle weights, a place to put your CD player...great idea! Wow, great find Kare! Buy one for me? (hint, hint) kidding. Too pricey for me, as much as I hate that.

Yes. If it would let me send just that I'd stop typing, but I need 10 characters. Maybe I should just send YES!!!!!!!

Plateau? Here! Yep, that's me! Someone call? HERE!!!! Yooohoooooo! My body liked 208 for a long time, now it seems to like 194. I know I can do better than this, so I'll keep chugging along. I think our bodies just need to take some time at each plateau weight...get used to it...live here a minute. Ah, but it's frustrating waiting on body to catch up with mind and will. Oh, how they argue with one another!!! My fat will NOT win! Arggghhh!

9/5 (week 1) 198 9/12 (week2) 196.6 9/19 (week 3) 197.0 9/26 (week4) 194.4 10/3 (week 5) 194.8 10/10 (week 6) 195.0 10/17 (week7) 193.6 10/24 (week 8) 194.0 sigh. Maybe next week my fill will show up on the scales? sigh again.

I miss WhippleDaddy, too. I wonder how Patti is doing? Anyone heard?

Everyone is updated. I am re-posting the list without the names of folks who haven't shown back up. Here's who is posting pretty much each week and how they are doing! Just a few more weeks gang! The following have posted Before pics so we will be looking for your Afters!!! ******Corinne/251/20 -8 ******the best me/198/10 -4.4 ******banded for life/255/20 -18 *JQPublic/209/19 -2 *****Kare/189/20 -7 **O2BFree/256/26 -1 ******Pavarathi/207/20 -14 **MollyMolly/262/20 -6 **loopylou/259/11 **Daisybelle/350/15 -10 *****PinkMary/229/12 -8 Post a pic if you can, the rest of you!! It's not too late! ******porclndoll/225/10 -3 ****La Madam/170/10 -7.5 ***TraumaNurse/222/12 -0 ******Margo/317/25 -7.2 *divaDeeDee/319/30 -0 ******gordonfamily3/271/15 -14.6 *****juliek/314/25 -5 ******shailin/226/20 -7 *****yellowrose/251/20 -11 *****Anwyn/255.5/25.5 -12 ***ariel2005/228/25 -3.5 **Debbydo/198/20 -8 *laraestokes/224/20 -2 ***Cyndel/219.5/20 -3

It's called Prater-Willie Syndrome and it's usually associated with mental defecits along with this odd always eating/hungry thing. I saw a show about a guy in the UK who had it...maybe that's what you saw, too? Anyhow, people are born with it and you'd know it if you had it. It's not your typical eating disorder. I know a young man that has it and he is also Severely Mentally Retarded. Anyhow, banded eating is a whole new experience. There are lots of thread discussions about Head-hunger, Skinny Eating, Why Are You Fat? is a great one, etc. so plan on some really good reading here. I used to think I didn't eat all that bad, but something was keeping me fat. I'm fighting my metabolism, that's for sure, but I'm amazed at how little food I can get away with eating when I am properly filled. Maybe you will be one who is amazed, not at feeling so full/satisfied, but at how your band will stop you in your tracks and keep you from physically being able to shovel down the unnecessary. It really is pretty amazing most days. good luck!

Harley Nana's mom was banded this year? and is over 60...she'll check in soon, I'll bet. There are more of you, don't sweat it.

AMEN!!! Continued prayers here.

AlGal, go to the Blue Bar along the top of the page and click Search, type in de la Garza and several threads come up with his name mentioned. Several here have been to de la Garza, and I don't know of any complaints off-hand, but dig around to be sure. Good luck!

Another NSV. I can't cook the same. I always like to have leftovers so DH can have a hot lunch if he comes home the next day or two, and I always like to have something cooked and handy, but I keep having to throw them away! Oh no! Hubby's not eating less, kiddos aren't either...I'm just not plowing through leftovers like I used to and it's beginning to become apparent where they all went before...ME! So I cook less food. Isn't that odd? I find that so odd, not sure why. Just one of those moments, I guess. While I'm here, I got my second fill last Wed (few days ago) and it's going well. I did liquids for a few days and then soft mushies and have been adding in regular foods a bit, and boy, oh...I feel it. Doc said I have 2cc now but I think he just filled me tight, then unfilled till the Water I was drinking went through and pulled out the needle. I don't think he has a clue how much went in. So I think it's helping and I may be headed into the 180's after all. Yay! Eating slow and careful now, and DH is on a week-long fishing trip so I'm cooking even less this week! I miss him already, he left this morning. OH! While I was at the doc's office, he siad, "...and when you get down to around 160 or so I'll do your tummy tuck" What? He's no plastic surgeon! Anyhow, he drew on my tummy and showed me what would go, holy moly!!! I took pics of the drawings. And I guess here's another NSV, maybe? My belly is looking really awful. Stretch marks, blubbery, flimsy skin, egads, it's ugly. I'm losing weight there and it's really getting bad, like what you would see on TV bad. ewww. so maybe it's not and NSV? The jury is out on that one. I'll see what my ugly belly drawings look like on the 'puter when I get them loaded and if they aren't God-awful, I'll post them. I hate to promise that...ewwww. Time for baths for the kiddos. Happy NSV's everyone!

Very funny and well-written Poodles. Thanks for the grin...and the heads-up!

Fire away with questions. I had no local support at all either (at the time) and couldn't do this without LBT. Now, there are a group of us that have been getting together regularly, which is nice. It can be done, just don't go far. Welcome to LBT!