the best me

Good to hear! I'll go look for your post. My fist fill is in a few weeks, it's non-flouro, too. I hope mine goes as smoothly as yours!!

Me, too! I never had reflux pre-band. However, when I had reflux post-band I was super-restricted. Since post-op swelling has gone down and I have settled in with my little band friend, no problems with reflux. It's the only thing that worries me about getting a fill in a few weeks. We'll see. Great NSV, Chicagoboy! I'm so glad for you, too!

Kelly Girl, be sure to hit the link to Jonathan's thread and sign in there...this one will be locked soon to avoid confusion (see Paula's post #22 above, and the link is on post #23). You can do this with no fill! Let's go, wahooo!!

Here's the link to Jonathan's OFFICIAL Summer/Labor Day Weight Loss Challenge Thread. Everyone post your start weight there on Monday morning. Try to take a pic everyone! And NO it doesn't HAVE to be in a bathing suit! but if you do I will be SOOO proud of you! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7810

Yay Jonathan! You are so off the hook with "coding some new stuff" ??? we are here and ready! Add me to your list and see you Monday! Okay, I'd rather not do bathing suits, either, but I do like Crystals idea of having the Before and After pic in the same outfit. If we don't post the pics on Waisting Away, we can at least post them here. I'll get my pic taken this weekend and will weigh in Monday morning. I'm excited!!

Told ya!

I agree with Jamie about adding in another shake. And you ARE normal! And Aileena, that's a great idea about Weight Watchers! I'll get out my old WW stuff. I simply can't do meetings but I think it would be helpful. When you actually get full? wow! Now I feel like I could actually follow a sound meal plan! BTW, it's famine, just so you'll know! Magnolia, WW may be a little soon for you, get through the healing first and move through eating all of your solid protiens, see how you do as you add more foods down the road...you are doing fine! Please don't be discouraged. As the weeks slip by, you will look back and think, wow! what was I worried about?

Try vinesqueen? She always has something witty...seems like she had one like that...???ggod luck! it will pop up here soon.

Figured out what was wrong, the pics were WAY too BIG! I made them smaller, but obviously, not small enough...help!

Adorable pics everyone...keep posting!! I have tried several times to get this uploaded...hope it works! These are my kiddos, some of my fav pics of them!

I am more aware of my port than I am the band. The port is the sore part post-surgery! But mine healed up nicely (I'm 2 1/2 months post-op) and I like my little port. I don't feel my band, just the effects of it! It's there enough to remind me to slow down and chew well, but I feel like me all day now. It isn't wierd at all.

Bathing suit!!! Oh my gosh!!!! Well, I'm wearing one to the beach this summer, may as well wear one here. But! I still need to buy one! I'll hurry!

Splendid Idea!!

I think I'm figuring this out...if you attach more than one picture, it lists them like that. If you do 3 separate posts, you get 3 pics? Anyone please edit as you see fit...

Here's my babies....Pic 1 is my newborn son, he's 2 now, the next is my mom, my duaghter, and her new brother, and the last one is for laughs. omg I look awful...but I really needed that Demerol! That's my sister in the background holding my son.

I just love this thread, everyone looks so great and your hubbies are cute and your kiddos are adorable and your puppies are sweet! It's a great day on LBT!! Here's an old one of me, circa 1987, age 22 or so. the shorts were size 9. sigh. Whoa! It's a bit big, anyone please feel free size it down! Check out the big 80's sunglasses and the 80's hair, which basically is the same cut as I have now, except I don't spend a 1/2 hour flipping it with the curling Iron anymore! Yep, cold beer in hand, headed to a Frat party on campus...ahhh, the good ole days. And I thought I was fat. Kathy 1987.BMP

Time to get off the anti-depressants. I'm not sure those things were meant to be on long-term, just through your difficulty, whatever it is, till you feel you can take the reins again. And I know you can handle life, Tammy! Anti-depressants are a god-send. I KNOW they really do help and I'm a big supporter of taking them when needed. But I also have the opinion (not a medical opinion, btw) that when it's time, wean off and quit them! My father took Paxil for a time and it was great! He was having anxiety attacks. He described it as that feeling you get when you first remember that you forgot something...the panic, the gasp. He would have those all day long. The Paxil really helped it. So he kept taking it, even past his divorce, his business re-structuring, several moves, the construction of his home. After a time, when everything settled down, he got more and more lethargic. Bills past due, he had hird someone to run his business and neglected to keep up with it and eventually had to let his employees go because he wasn't on top of things...he just neglected them! And slept. And he has sleep apnea that wasn't diagnosed at the time and that lack of good sleep sleep was a vicious cycle. So he weaned off the Paxil. He had to re-learn how to deal with stress...he'd get frustrated enough to want to kick something but talked himself through it by recognizing it, and he is doing much much better now. What he went through sounds VERY much what's happening to you. You can't really explain it, but it's almost as if you don't worry quite enough! Time to wean off the anti-depressants. My B-I-L had a similar experience with anti-depressants. Call your doc. THAT'S whats wrong. OH my gosh! I just scrolled down and look at all the posts since I started typing my reply!! I haven't read them yet, but it's looking like you are getting some good advice. Good luck, Tammy!

Ya'll don't forget to take a quick "before" pic this weekend. We can post them later, but at least get it taken. It will be nice to se the difference at the end!

Since having children, I have learned to keep boxes of Kleenex everywhere...on end tables, bedside tables, desks, and, yes, in the car. The other day we had driven through Chick-Fil-A and dropped off lunch to my hubby who was working nearby. I nibbled a nugget and got the tightness in my chest as I was leaving the neighborhood. Thankfully noone was behind me and I was able to stop and even put it in park. Well, by this time the slime was just too much for a tissue or two! I had an empty coffee cup in the car and spit it out in there, thinking.. you know? if this were "chew" I'd have an old coke bottle to spit into...yuck. Once I got rid of the big slime, the tissue was fine for the rest. I raised my arms over my head really high (IN the car) and sat for a bit until I quit sliming, shoved the tissues into the coffee cup and drove home. I never PB'd but I sure didn't nibble anything else in the car! Gross!!

I'm in for 10 in 10! I'm gonna kick ya'lls butts cuz I'm getting my first fill on July 6th! wahoo!! So we are posting start weights on Monday? I'll be here! DeLarla, I think you make a perfectly lovely head-cheerleader. I'll need it because I have all this gumption today and will likely peter out in a few weeks. Keep us driven! Get your whip! (and I know you have one). Jonathan, we'll be here when you get back...

Medium, I recorded the whole first season. Back in the day, I was into Melrose Place. My sister and her friends even had Melrose parties, where everyone would get together on Melrose night, drink wine and laugh. Then there was Ally McBeal, and ER, but the further into the seasons they got, the worse they became and I quit watching. Now, I like What Not to Wear, and the Extreme Makeover shows. OH! Anyone get into The Swan? That one made me feel really guilty!

Fred the Band and my little port. My sister had a huge fibroid tumor removed from her uterus and we named it Fred the tumor. He had about a dozen little brothers and sisters in there, too. It was a stressful time but, as is common in our crazy family, humor got us through. So now, when I think of my band, I just call him Fred. I have no idea what I'd name a band of mine...Kathy and the Refrieds? (I love refried beans) I am SO not musical. I have no clue or a creative bone to think of one! Maybe something with Kate or Katydid?

There are two pics of your puppy dogs on the Mothers argghhh! thread by ~c~. Are they the lost pics?

Ta-da!!!!!! You are on the 7-day countdown! I can't believe it! Doesn't it seem like yesterday when you and me and Eliza were talking on the Summerville thread and you didn't have a date, weren't even done with all your testing...and now, here you are!! I'll be thinking of you and keeping you in my prayers...keep us posted!! Angie's gettin her ba-and, Angie's gettin her ba-and!

Awright, Doll, I was excited to see a pic here but Nooooo! You really have GOT to post one! Great NSV!!!