Longhorn

Yes, that's the reason we had to go out to watch the game. The place was packed! We were going to go to a sports bar next door but it was already overflowing. There was an article in the paper today that every place in Austin that had satellite TV was packed. Our server told us she had been working at Red Robin for six months and had never seen it so busy. I'm on the side of the cable companies. The NFL Network wants to charge the cable companies $8 per year per customer to carry it. That's more than they pay for CNN and there's only a handful of games per year! Our cable company, Time Warner, wants to put the network on a sports tier that customers would pay extra for if they want it. Makes more sense to me! Why should people who have no interest in football have to see their cable bill go up? Anyway, I'll bet your husband is as excited about the Cowboys as I am! :whoo:

Lumpy: You need to click on UserCP at the top of the page and then on "Edit Signature" and paste the code for your ticker in the signature box and save. You can also preview it first by clicking on the button beneath the box.

Tonight I just cut off the ends with scissors and squeezed each one on the back of my tongue where I could barely taste it. It doesn't actually taste bad. I think that may be the easiest way in the long run. Thanks for the suggestions, though! One of these days, I may just try to swallow them but I'm scared.

I had a great ending to my four-week anniversary! I met my husband and daughter and son-in-law at a Red Robin restaurant to watch the Cowboys-Packers game since we don't have the NFL Network on our cable system. Anyway, after looking over the menu, I decided to get the fried cheese sticks. Now, I know that doesn't sound particularly healthy but I'm still on mushies and everything else came with bread or chips or lots of chunky stuff. Well, out of an order of probably a dozen cheese sticks, I had four! I brought my one-minute timer and waited a minute between bites. When I stopped at four, it was because I felt full, not because I hurt or just thought I should stop. In the past, I could have eaten the entire order and then eaten a sandwich or some other entree! It felt so good to have a treat like that but in a small portion and not feel the least bit deprived! I also had two glasses of wine over a span of about three hours. It's not something I'll do every day but this was a special occasion. And the Cowboys won!

I've only seen them bring back a handful of former contestants. Have all of those people kept the weight off? I seriously doubt it. To me, my band is less of a weight loss tool and more of a weight maintenance tool. There are lots of ways to lose weight and I've already done a lot of them, some with success and some without. But I've never been successful at keeping it off for more than a year. I'm banking on the band helping me keep it off. I don't know why people don't understand the difference between losing weight and keeping it off!

If I get one, it will be December 14. So far, I'm still not really hungry.

Hummus is a kind of bean dip made with chick peas. It's a light yellow/ivory color and very smooth. "Plain" hummus usually has some lemon juice added but you can add other flavors as well. My former son-in-law is from Lebanon and he introduced us to it and it's yummy (and I'm a picky eater!) You can make it yourself (lots of recipes out there) or find it premade at any grocery store these days.

A few years ago, I decided what I needed was some Elfin bread -- that bread the elves gave Frodo and his pals where one bite keeps you full all day? Well, today it was as if I had that bread! I had some butternut squash/pumpkin Soup, pureed turkey, pureed mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, and deviled egg. It sounds like a lot but it was actually only two or three very small bites of each. After we went for a walk, I had a couple of bites of chocolate mousse cake and pumpkin cheesecake. I was perfectly content -- not hungry, not stuffed! If this continues, then I'm in heaven! How about you?

I think so, too! Congratulations! :clap2:

Oops, I'm sorry, Lisa! My fingers must have slipped in that "t"! Welcome!

Please add to THIS list. 1st PattyPoo Nessa3678 brandymom1234 Mom_of_Chuy sanderro Holiwood Longhorn Forestcat Rhea Sades edeva3 Teresajo 2nd lizzie_07 lindata KristinaDawnB lindseyann2u sconie pam726 4th QatarPhil 5th DLW wnt2lose jelbel 6th Wishes4444(Ann) Diva Inside ndmom kandiceb jetti vanessav hollyberries LangleyGirl 7th Goldie1109 susieq125 shadst83 Cota129 Imonmyway7368 MyLady 8th anw5102 dawndannae stranger138 needto ebrow39 Bandstertobe zippykat QUEENMOTHEROF1 Melanie1972 9th Banded4Life neen7171 maccy mariaxoxo4u Kristin1031 Carsons mommy chubbydiva Miztrniceguy 10th Selisejohnson omlagirl jen6740 anitak33 12th suebob Shalee04 Foofy 13th CCFRA Princessannod1 Tralynn222 sschude BandChick64 -acl- (Amy) 14th lightenup! dream'n2bthin Life Change (Eulete) carleah2 emnasmom 15th steph_cn RxTracy Hopping to It- Danna sunshiny Tete2 kickrmom 16th Laurieu sstaab 19th Mrs Smartypants Momto1plus1 MusigalF lisawatch 20th Skinny_Jill blondecz (Crissy) Firebolt (Judy) Cuerposano (Diana) Mysie 21st Bobp 22nd luvmy4boys 23rd FlaLMT and fiance HoneyB-Palomino & mom 26th kuchiegrl1 Motocrossgirly jrsyshoregrl684 (Bypass) BigDoug143 BarBee hungryforchange 27th 731Shawty Cherlita Julie-Ann plump_princess HAJohnson1 28th lukin puppy cagstorm 29th Sassafras TAWHarris McQty close 4mykidzinVale (Surgery in Bend, Oregon) 30th WorththeWeight samorelli

You've got some good advice there! But I am one who used to weigh daily, if not twice a day, and this time, I am only weighing myself when I see the doctor each month. I am not "easily discouraged" but I refuse to allow a number on the scale to be the only important measure of my success, especially when that number is not really a good indication of my progress. It's terribly unreliable due to daily, if not hourly, fluctuations in Water retention and whatever else is going on inside of me. And for that reason, I don't want to use it as a motivator either. I want to be motivated whether the scale says I'm gaining, losing, or no change. It's too easy to use that number as an excuse for bad behavior, too. Yes, I want to see that number go down because, like it or not, that's the "currency" of weight loss. But rather than see all the little ups and downs, I'd rather see a bigger loss once a month. And if there's no loss in a month's time, then I can be pretty sure that it's time to make a change, whether it's exercise or a fill or food choices rather than wondering if I'm on a plateau after three days. Now, that said, I did weigh myself the other day, about two weeks after I was last weighed at my one-week post-op appointment. And I was pleased that I am losing weight, which I already knew based on how I look and how my clothes are fitting. But I have no idea how my scale compares to the doctor's scale so I won't post it or consider it official until my next doctor's visit on December 14. I lost 70 pounds four years ago and it is such a relief for me to forget about the scale and focus on other indicators this time! When I get to the point that I am not seeing the doctor monthly, then I will start weighing myself at home, probably no more than once a week.

I couldn't (and didn't!) say this better! And I think that we need to be clear that this isn't a matter of "blame" or "fault" or "responsibility." I fully take responsibility for the shape I'm in but I do not really believe it is my fault. That is, I -- and most of us, I'm sure -- did not set out to gain weight. I've been fighting it nearly all of my adult life. My husband and kids are sick of me being on one diet after another. But for all of the reasons you stated, I got on the diet rollercoaster and made it worse and that was my responsibility. I tried to educate myself as best I could and but what they're saying now is not the same as what they were saying then. I've told my children many times that if they ever begin to gain weight, DO NOT GO ON A DIET! Instead, make better food choices and exercise. I truly believe that if I had known then what I know now, I might be 20 pounds overweight but not 60 or more. I agree that there are different reasons why some of us are overweight. There are some overlaps of these issues, too, but I've read enough of this and other weight loss boards to see that some people have issues that I have never had or even considered. My heart goes out to anyone who was abused or neglected, especially if he or she is still living with the pain. I don't think any of us intend to judge others for their situation. As Kity said, we're all in this together!

I like the Low-Carb SlimFast shakes and I plan on giving the Atkins shakes a try since there's more flavor variety. I also like the unjury unflavored and chicken-flavored Protein powder. The unflavored can be added to anything, such as cottage cheese, mashed potatoes and pudding. I add the chicken flavored to broth when I'm tired of sweet stuff. Congratulations! Take care!

I told all my family but I haven't told anyone else, not because I care what they think one way or the other but because I don't feel like explaining it to people over and over. As a college professor, I see dozens of people every day and that could get old. Eventually, if I'm asked about how I'm losing weight, I may tell some people if it's someone with whom I would normally confide that kind of personal detail but otherwise, I'll just say I'm eating healthier food and smaller portions.

Please add to THIS list. 1st PattyPoo Nessa3678 brandymom1234 Mom_of_Chuy sanderro Holiwood Longhorn Forestcat Rhea Sades edeva3 Teresajo 2nd lizzie_07 lindata KristinaDawnB lindseyann2u sconie pam726 4th QatarPhil 5th DLW Hungryforchange wnt2lose jelbel 6th Wishes4444(Ann) Diva Inside ndmom kandiceb jetti vanessav hollyberries LangleyGirl 7th Goldie1109 susieq125 shadst83 Cota129 Imonmyway7368 MyLady 8th anw5102 dawndannae stranger138 needto ebrow39 Bandstertobe zippykat QUEENMOTHEROF1 Melanie1972 9th Banded4Life neen7171 maccy mariaxoxo4u Kristin1031 Carsons mommy chubbydiva Miztrniceguy 10th Selisejohnson omlagirl jen6740 anitak33 12th suebob Shalee04 Foofy 13th CCFRA Princessannod1 Tralynn222 sschude BandChick64 14th lightenup! dream'n2bthin Life Change (Eulete) carleah2 emnasmom 15th steph_cn RxTracy Hopping to It- Danna sunshiny Tete2 kickrmom 16th Laurieu sstaab 19th Mrs Smartypants Momto1plus1 MusigalF 20th Skinny_Jill blondecz (Crissy) Firebolt (Judy) Cuerposano (Diana) Mysie 21st Bobp 22nd luvmy4boys 23rd FlaLMT and fiance HoneyB-Palomino & mom 26th kuchiegrl1 Motocrossgirly jrsyshoregrl684 (Bypass) BigDoug143 BarBee 27th 731Shawty Cherlita Julie-Ann plump_princess HAJohnson1 28th lukin puppy cagstorm 29th Sassafras TAWHarris McQty close 4mykidzinVale (Surgery in Bend, Oregon) 30th WorththeWeight samorelli

Two suggestions: Atkins shakes and Low-Carb SlimFast. I haven't had an Atkins shake in a long time but I thought I'd try them again the next time I go to the store. But I do drink the Low-Carb SlimFast. It has 20 grams of protein and only two net carbs (4 total minus 2 grams of Fiber.) They only have chocolate and vanilla, though, which is one reason I want to give the Atkins a try. Good luck!

When I first brought up getting the surgery, I thought my husband would be against it. Now, we have the kind of relationship that even if he hadn't liked the idea, he would never have tried to stop me. But we don't make such big financial decisions without discussing it with one another. When I told him later that I didn't think our insurance would cover me (turns it, it doesn't cover any bariatric surgery for any reason,) he said he thought it was worth the money if it made me feel better. I've been tired and lethargic and he knows how sick I am of looking like this. He also knows that I had researched the surgery and wouldn't do it if I didn't think it was safe and effective. We all have different relationships. I can't imagine not sharing this with my husband but I only walk in my own shoes.

I could not have gone back to work the next day. I was banded on Thursday and went back to work Tuesday and it was doable but I would have loved another day or two. I'm a teacher and on my feet a lot but I have some time between classes when I could rest a bit. A lot depends on your job.

I can't think of anything that I actually needed someone else around for. I wanted to get up frequently to walk so even when my husband offered to get things for me, I declined. I think doing it together is a great idea, but do try to get things ready ahead of time. For example, I hung out in the recliner in my bedroom so I had a TV tray next to it and the heating pad plugged in and ready to go. Just try to anticipate any lifting you might need to do and get those things ready. If you do it within about five days of each other, you'll need someone to drive each of you home. My doctor said I needed to be off of pain meds for 24 hours before I could drive. I was banded on a Thursday and drove to work on the following Tuesday. Good luck!

I was surprised that I wasn't nervous at all! The only other surgery I've had was a tubal ligation 23 years ago and I wasn't nervous for that either. But I remembered that it was a very easy procedure and recuperation, even though I had four kids age five and under. This time, I was a little more sore and tired but now that it's been almost four weeks, I'm amazed at how quickly I felt normal again. It's already getting difficult to remember all the details. Take comfort in knowing that the operation is pretty common now and complications are very rare. You may be uncomfortable at times -- take your pain meds and stay ahead of the pain the first few days. But you'll get better each day and pretty quickly. Good luck!

Sorry, Candy! I'm sure you'll be welcome in the December group. Good luck next week! Please add to THIS list. 1st PattyPoo Nessa3678 brandymom1234 Mom_of_Chuy sanderro Holiwood Longhorn Forestcat Rhea Sades edeva3 Teresajo 2nd lizzie_07 lindata KristinaDawnB lindseyann2u sconie pam726 4th QatarPhil 5th DLW Hungryforchange wnt2lose jelbel 6th Wishes4444(Ann) Diva Inside ndmom kandiceb jetti vanessav hollyberries LangleyGirl 7th Goldie1109 susieq125 shadst83 Cota129 Imonmyway7368 MyLady 8th anw5102 dawndannae stranger138 needto ebrow39 Bandstertobe zippykat QUEENMOTHEROF1 Melanie1972 9th Banded4Life neen7171 maccy mariaxoxo4u Kristin1031 Carsons mommy chubbydiva Miztrniceguy 10th Selisejohnson omlagirl jen6740 anitak33 12th suebob Shalee04 Foofy 13th CCFRA Princessannod1 Tralynn222 sschude BandChick64 14th lightenup! dream'n2bthin Life Change (Eulete) carleah2 emnasmom 15th steph_cn RxTracy Hopping to It- Danna sunshiny Tete2 kickrmom 16th Laurieu sstaab 19th Mrs Smartypants Momto1plus1 20th Skinny_Jill blondecz (Crissy) Firebolt (Judy) Cuerposano (Diana) Mysie 21st Bobp 22nd luvmy4boys 23rd FlaLMT and fiance HoneyB-Palomino & mom 26th kuchiegrl1 Tishbite2 Motocrossgirly jrsyshoregrl684 (Bypass) BigDoug143 BarBee 27th 731Shawty Cherlita Julie-Ann plump_princess HAJohnson1 28th lukin puppy cagstorm 29th Sassafras TAWHarris McQty close 4mykidzinVale (Surgery in Bend, Oregon) 30th WorththeWeight samorelli

I take one in the morning and one in the evening. You can also break them in half. I would start out with a smaller dose and see how it feels. Long before I had surgery, I had to cut back from two at a time.

The main thing I'm glad I brought is a pillow to hold over my belly for the ride home.

I got a lot of information from this board. I emailed a couple of members who were kind enough to share their experiences. I also googled the doctors in whom I was interested and found sites that rate them, such as Obesity Help - Weight Loss, Surgery, Support Groups, Forums, Surgical Procedures. I found a news article about the doctor I ultimately chose -- a patient of his is the food editor of a local paper and her description of him and his philosophy impressed me. Finally, I checked out his website, talked to his office manager, and met with him and I was sold. I never was able to go to one of his seminars but he does have them and I think that's another way to form an opinion.