Fluffnomore

I completely agree with the corrective surgery concept. I am 44 and KNOW I was staring down at the potential of being where you were before you got banded. It might have been 15 years, it might have been 20…or sooner. But my attitude is why waste time when I can fix it now. Inspirational words, and thank you for telling your story.

I too am wondering about this. Part of it is that I am cranky that I've been hovering (not stalling; I don't want to say stalling) at the same weight for about a week. I've lost about 26 pounds since surgery, and that was a month ago. I am having trouble seeing how I will ever lose 10 pounds in a month with a week of hovering. Which makes me, oh, exactly like everyone else.

I'm thinking about Harry Fatter for my brain.

Well, you've stated your concerns and I would watch her carefully. Just remember that phentermine (any speed, legal or not) can also make you short-tempered. I took it twice in the past (under close doctor supervision) and short temper was definitely one of my side effects. I was under a lot of stress the second time but I would fly off the handle at the least provocation. Usually, fortunately, only upon receiving emails from a particularly gnarly boss. But still. I look back and think about the stomping around and anger and wonder what was me and what was medication.

Your surgeon must have known. That smell is impossible to mask. I feel you, though. My husband is a former smoker. His last quitting foray was really successful, but he has been addicted to nicotine gum for 15 years.

She has an addiction to (or need for) speed. I mean, really, these things all are amphetamines or have amphetamine effects. I would be very worried. And also, they're not doing her HBP any favors; they're probably exacerbating it. Does the doctor who is prescribing HBP medicine know about the phentermine? I would bet cash money it's not the same physician authorizing both.

Marfar, I got very sick with chronic and acute gallbladder disease about 5 years ago. I dropped something like 40 pounds with no effort (although it was not pleasant!) and I had your philosophy at that time. It was hard to eat, so I'd take a few bites. I was living on about half the food I'd normally eat and in all honesty (like yours, above) it was not high quality. It wasn't horrible, but I went by what I was craving rather than trying to be healthy because I could eat so little it didn't really matter. So I thought. The problem was that when I started to be able to eat again, about two months after the operation, I naturally went to the cheeseburger, the toast for Breakfast, etc. And I steadily gained weight for the next 4-5 years, with one exception…when I went on Optifast about halfway through. By that point I really think my metabolism gave up on me. And my head didn't help. Somewhere in there, I believe that I have to be desperately ill or depressed to lose weight. I fight this every day. I still don't always believe that healthy choices will lead to weight loss. I wish that I had had the foresight to make healthier substitutions then. I'm in the pureed stage right now and so my eating still feels semi-disordered. But as long as I have this time period where I should be able to lose, I don't want to go back to the old habits because my fear is that more and more food will slip through, or be easier to digest than the Proteins, and I won't get enough out of the baby sleeve. The thing that I would be concerned about is how the sugar in your choices affects your insulin production. Sweet begets craving for sweets. But I also agree that it's not that much food. I think Lipstick Lady has some solid advice there. Good luck to you. I'm pulling for you!

My FIL often makes comments to those of us who live out of town: "You're so BIG!" etc. My husband went out for his 90th birthday and he got called fat about 400 times. It's incredibly sad. It might be the last time they see each other (sorry, we think that every time) and all S can remember is how rude his dad was. I saw him on my own last summer and despite being at my highest weight ever, he didn't say a word to me about it. Probably because he knew I would turn around and say, "Really? You want this weekend to be like that?" I'd look forward to seeing him after I lose weight, except that I don't take him very seriously. His behaviors are crazy, and he's just as likely to say, "Oh my GOD, DON'T lose any more weight!" Can't win with some people. Or coexist peacefully.

None of us like to focus on the risks involved but this seems to be a relatively balanced article/chart that includes some personal experience comments from readers: http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/bariatric-surgery-complications.html

I haven't pooped my staples yet because I'm a tad constipated. Or maybe, just maybe, the staples are preventing my shitteding myself.

Okay, if YOU hate panty lines, you wear what you want to wear. I think manscaping is probably more of a "thing" now, but I know for sure that if I asked my husband to wax the twigs and berries region his reaction would be "Oh HELL no."

Okay, while googling that (pass the bleach) I came across this: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305195/Forget-vajazzle-time-vajacial-50-minute-vagina-facial-new-beauty-essential.html I realize this makes me sound every one of my 44 years, but what exactly is the matter with having pubic hair? I'm not talking down to your knees. It reminds me of another conversation I had with one of my friends, who was extolling wearing thongs. "People should not see your panty lines." I never understood that. What do people have against my choice to wear underpants? And why should I care if they *know* I'm wearing them? SMDH.

That is, in fact, a bedazzled vajayjay. So sparkly is implied. This might be interpreted as NSFW but it's only in the general vajay region. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.vajazzling.com/files/starburst_lips_vajazzle.png&imgrefurl=http://community.babycentre.co.uk/post/a22795555/beware_of_vajazzles&h=611&w=1219&sz=1178&tbnid=igpy4pB8C6BiNM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=180&zoom=1&usg=__J3WatYC2VEYyeuvdGQu4YToO_9A=&docid=0eG4ABI7sjvI4M&sa=X&ei=XpKPUpq7LJKuqAG5nYGADw&ved=0CEcQ9QEwBA

I am not sad about the achievement. I'm sad about having worn this dress twice and having to give it away. Man, this is so strange. If you had asked me if I was attached to my clothes I would have given you a resounding no. I was wrong.

Lynda, I felt myself so tempted to treat my four week post-op appointment like a WW meeting. And that's why I'll continue to weigh every day. I can't play games that way.

Usually one cup. Very occasionally I've had a FF latte in the afternoon if I'm meeting a friend.

Ugh, tried on the purple dress and it just won't work. There are at least 2 inches of extra material on each side of the waist. Boo. (The AP dress.) I have two black ones - a shift and and a-line. With enough floofing, I suppose I can make those festive enough.

Right. Like, "Oh, that poor woman. She obviously can't afford a full length shirt and has to wear her toddler's leavings." LSL Let's just vajazzle you and call it a day.

Sounds like he hates his arteries enough for both of you! :-)

No problem! I know that's why I hesitated to answer when you first posted. I'm one of the 29 views. :-)

I don't think there's a specific calorie goal at this point. I'm 4 weeks out and I have met my protein/water goals most days, and I have rarely gone over 800. Never over 900. Most days it's right between 650 and 750. Hope this helps.

Are you asking people who were pregnant with a band? Or just general pregnancies? I started both my pregnancies at 187. I got up to 212 or so with the first, and 218 with the second (who was 2 pounds bigger!) So, what, 25-30 pounds? What is your OB's guideline for you? 115-132 doesn't seem crazy.

I'm near Chicago…probably not enough time.

I'm four weeks out and have seen a lot of advice to only weigh once a week, but I have to say it has been much better for me to weigh daily. Because I do it that way, it comes across as information or a snapshot. It's not too loaded. I think I would feel like a success or a failure based on a weekly number.

I picked up Panda Express for my kids and me one time this fall and ordered a 2-item combo for the three of us. The kids were upset that I hadn't bought enough, and then we ate. There was plenty there for 3 of us. I used to put away a two-item combo by myself in my 20's when I worked down the street from one of them. It's nothing short of amazing what we consider to be normal portions in this country. I saw it last night too. I made chili for the family and measured out 6 ounces for myself, which I couldn't finish. (Four ounces next time; still feeling my way through this!) The kids probably had at least 12 ounces; I know my husband had more like 18-24. This is by measuring cup, not weight…but the point is I ate half a cup, and they were all eating 3 to 6 times what I was. And they said they were "hungry" afterwards. Being a mean mom I handed them baby carrots and said "Knock yourselves out." Learning new stuff every day.