the best me

Keep us posted, Kim!!!! I'm anxious to hear it's done and all is well...tick, tock, tick, tock.

Kim, either is fine, but it may be easier for more folks to make it if it's a quick lunch rather than an all afternoon party. I'd love to do the pool party, but waiting till July or August is fine. The summer is going fast, and we still have 2 days of school left! OMGosh! Anyhow, lunch is great if more folks can make it. We may be biting off more than we can chew with an all day event, as much fun as it would be. The 17th is on my calendar though, I'm ready. Oh, today is hubby's birthday! Nothing big planned, but he needs to work late (6:30 or so) and the kids have "dollar store" presents to give daddy after dinner...I won't be there tonight for the meeting but I know it will be great. I wish Charlotte wasn't such a hike and gas were cheaper...that'd sure make things easier! LOL Let me know how it goes.

Happy bandday tomorrow julie. It's gonna be fine. Whatever happens, you will get through it because you MUST. You can and will do it. It won't be like you think, but it's another life altogether after banding. Your whole perspective changes with the day to day banded living. You can do this! Just wait till the first 15-20 pounds is gone and watch how motivating that is. I'm excited for you! Get you some quiet time tonight. Rest well. And don't go too far from your 'puter. You'll need us! Congrats!

No pool party? What'd I miss? Okay, just lunch is fine...I'm there! TGIFriday's on Harris at 11:30. 10-4.

YES! You all write so much better than I do. So, which is it, Christina? Is he broke because of poor character, or poor business sense? I think your answer to that one may be the answer to your question. I know doesn't seem that simple, but maybe it is?

Wow, I really agree with that P'nut. Well said.

Exactly! You got it. Yes, your band loosens a bit as you lose weight. We have lots of fat stored up on the insides around our organs and as we lose weight, all that loosens up in there and we lose restriction. Then it's time for the next fill. Everybody is different though. Some need lots of fills, some need none or very few. You have to be a good listener to your body. If your band ever "loosens up on it's own" it's usually because it was swollen for some reason (a PB or reflux or just irritated) and the swelling went down, or it's no longer "that time of the month" (some women get tighter with bloating and PMS symptoms) and sometimes you just never know why. Barometric pressure? Storm's a-comin'? Like the "bursitis in the shoulder" my great-grandmother had that always told her it was gonna rain? The band can be fickle. Just pay attention.

You look wonderful Mini! Yes, I can tell you have lost. FAB! But I want to brush your hair so badly. Can I please braid it? Ooooooo, just to play with long soft beautiful hair! So pretty!!!!! I envy your hair! LOL

Happy Birthday Terri! I'm glad you had a nice, lazy day! Good for you! Here's to a great year of weight loss and wonderful NSV's. Yay you!

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3995 This is the link to the food Stages thread I posted about in the NC chat. Me and Melissa are following you around! LOL

vickie, yes, it's standard to concentrate on healing, not losing, before your first fill. Look to guacamole, cottage cheese, and thick soups for mushies. You can try to lower the carbs and that might help, but really, get past this healing stage and you'll be fine. Do you feel any restriction at all? On the Food Forum, there's a sticky with a Food Stages list. It might give you some good ideas of foods to eat in place of high carb stuff. Hang on, your band isn't working to full capacity just yet. Your doc is right on!

3 saltines is not a meal. Not a healthy meal, either. You'd have been better off with your chocolate milk, or that dadgum bowl of ice cream I mentioned. kabeerah, I like "not tight". I was super tight post-surgery and in the past 14 months have had 2 fills. I haven't had a fill since October 2005. Tight isn't right. You are losing beautifully and I'll bet eating properly too. Carla, compare your eating to the food journals of those who are losing well. Not to beat yourself up, your weight loss is wonderful too, but you see how it has stopped. It isn't healthy in any way to be over-restricted. Hang in there. Do the right thing. Take care of your health and the health of your band. I'm a slow loser, true. Part of it is becasue I'm NOT too tight and I eat. When I choose better foods, I lose better. My weight loss isn't showing on the scales lately. But it's showing in the way my clothes fit, for sure. Don't let the scale rule you. Go with the facts. Know what you are eating, choose wisely. Come on, I know you will do it! I'm cheering you on!!!!!!! (where's that pom-pom girl?)

I'll blackmail my son in his sister's bathing suit top when he's a teenager. Muuuuuahahahaha!

Yeah, it's kind of wierd. But I hope I die a very old woman with this thing inside me. I like it there. I need it there. I want it there. That wasn't sounding off, was it?! LOL

NO meat and NO eggs? Girl, go get 1/2cc taken out. I'm looking at your fill schedule and you got your 1cc back, but if you can't eat ANY meat? Too tight. Be super careful, okay? Banded life isn't supposed to be THAT restrictive. You'll loose better when you can eat a wider variety of foods, including hard protiens. You should be able to eat moist chicken breast. Slowly and carefully, but you should be able to eat 2-3 ounces of it. Chocolate milk is yummy. UP your calories by 2-300 a day for 5 days, see what happens.

OMGosh!!!!! A size 12?!!!! Girl, you are doing so great! How wonderful! Git 'er dooooooooone!!!!!

Eat you a dadgum bowl of ice cream...okay, a small cup, every other day for a week and see if that helps. Seriously! I think you need to up your calories just a tad. Freak your body out by giving it something sweet and yummy. WW makes ice cream bars worth 2 points each. It's a perfect snack and feels like cheating. But, I'm a slow loser so you may not want to listen to me! :girl_hug:

Okay, if you are getting stuck alot and PBing (throwing back up the food that gets stuck) then you definately do not need another fill. You may, in fact, need a very small unfill. 1.5cc in a 4cc band is a respectable fill level, but you can't really go by the number since everyone is different. 1cc for you may give the same restriction 2cc gives me. Perhaps you need to adjust your eating habits? Are you "chewing to goo" your food before swallowing? Are you full on 2-3, maybe 3-4 ounces of hard protien, and a cup of veggies? Are you drinking with meals? What kind of foods are you eating and how much? How often? I could give you a better answer with a bit more info. Check out the fills forum here in LBT. There's a thread at the top of that list with info on fills, plus a link to a great webpage with a "do I need a fill?" checklist. That may give you some good ideas about ways to change your eating to make the most of your band. Holler if you need help finding it. Congrats on the 34 pounds! Here's to many more!

Oh you all look wonderful! It's so good to see pics and introductions. LOVE the pics!!!! Thanks!

I'm shaking my head here. Another red flag. And then... sounds as if he has figured out (by your NOT taking his calls) what he'd better say to get you back. If I were looking for a free ride, I'd be MUCH more agreeable, too. And I'd take you to my grandmother's to meet the family. I don't want to be a stick in the mud. This guy may be wonderful and I'm dead wrong. My sister's soon-to-be hubby is a wonderful worker but poor businessman. He doesn't have alot of debt, but years of back taxes. Hello! You gotta file SOMEthing! and was a big red flag from the get-go. She's had 5 years to help him get and keep things going. They own a home and are doing much better. Your guy may be much like my sister's guy, very honorable. Forgive me for being leery. but I have to say, I think you are right to be looking in all directions with this one. Where's Megan? I'll bet she has some great advice.

ahhh, hmmm, it tastes like...aloe vera juice?! really! it isn't sweet. it's cold (duh). it's not tart or tangy but it's sharp. it doesn't smell. some people say it's tasteless but it has a distinctive taste to me. Hard to describe. Not gross, not horrible, but not refreshing or sweet either. Try it! Oh, and it comes in a quart container now flavored with berry. I haven't tried it but I'll bet the flavoring helps.

:amen: yeah, but I really wanna win that lotto. Just a cool Million would be fine. I promise I'd give a BUNCH to the church! Puuullllleeeeeze! LOL Someone buy me a ticket! haha

I think there's a "country club" mentality about church for some folks. It's where you go to do, and be a part of, good things, to GET good feelings, to be around like-minded people. ??? I think when the focus is on "what's in it for me and my family?" and not "is God being honored and worshiped here?" it gets skewed. BeacheeGirl, I loved what you said about "the selfless people who did that, did not want any recognition, they just wanted to help..." and God was glorified for it. AMEN! :amen: It wasn't those people who helped that got the praise, it was God for leading folks to give, and those folks for being obedient. Gotta love it.

I see this, and I agree it's a problem. Maybe it's time to change churches? Church is about the worship of God. This happens in a worship service, in the giving of our gifts both financially and physically, with our time and talents. Inside and oustside the church. I guess, for me, the crux of it is...it's about God. Doing God's will=obeying. The rest is His to decide. I'd like to say more but will hold out for now. This is a huge issue for me personally. I really really reallly hope this thread turns out well, for I'd like to read and discuss. But the second it turns...I'm out. I hope we can be adults here. Wishful thinking?

Uhhh, that'd be me. Dylansmom mentioned it some time last year and I was having trouble with post-op swelling and reflux...didn't have a fill so I couldn't get my band loosened. So I went to Wal-Mart (tummy meds aisle on the bottom shelf) and bought a gallon of Aloe Vera juice, put it in the fridge and drank a few ounces 2-3 times a day, in addition to Prilosec, and it helped alot. It's soothing and healing, and I wouldn't be without it. I don't drink it everyday now. If I have trouble with a PB one day, I'll be sure to drink several ounces at bedtime and it seems to heal things up nicely. I recommmend it to folks who are post-op and anyone having esophogus/reflux problems. But really, it's good just to drink at bedtime to keep everything soothed. I love the stuff! Good luck in August! Yay you!