mousecrazy

I"m one of the new ones, but I am so proud of your two year journey! I think you're right: it is a good sign that you are posting here again, and hope you continue to get better and better! Nice to meet you, Cindy

Judybirdwoman...call your dr. right away! Either you are too tight, or you are eating too fast or not chewing well. This is not the way it's supposed to be. Please let us know what you find out. Cindy

Welcome to LBT and your new life! Be sure to post question or worries here...you'll get an answer! Let us know if we can help you...hang in there! Cindy

Eileen, sorry you are at work...I know the feeling. Betty, good luck on your interview! Patty, great story about Dr. Phil. I do like him, but I have question marks anymore, now that he is so commercial. Of course, I don't blame him for making a buck. Doc, don't feel sorry for yourself...nervousness is one thing, but pity? No, girl, you're brave and courageous! Go for it! Pat - If you move near Orlando, I guess you know who you will have as a house guest?! You might just want to move and not tell me! How exciting to button up your vest! I"m happy for you! And, you might try those Stouffer entrees...at least on the commercials they pass it off as home-cooked. Kinda like that commercial where the mom throws flour around, and acts like she's been working so hard, but she made Rice Krispie squares?! LOL! Hey, whatever works for you! I like cooking, but just dont' always have the time I would like to do it well. Those women who work full time, make perfect meals, keep the house all neat and tidy, AND have time for outside classes, hobbies, and volunteer work just amaze me. I'm doing good to get to work, send a check for DD's lunches, and put just anything on the table for dinner. Everyone else, hope the day is going well for you! I've been sorta stuck on weight for a week or so, so I know it's going to go down soon...but when? That IS the question! Later, Cindy

That's one smart computer, Ira. We've been guessing about where you have been. We thought you had met your goal, and were off doing other things! Cindy

I THOUGHT it was gonna be a pretty day here, but it turned all cloudy and is cooler (I know your NJ chicks are LYBO!). Went to church, had coffee with my sis while DD was in Sunday School, then home for a while, and over to a backdoor neighbor's house for a quilt lesson. She and my mom were in the same quilt guild and quilt group at church, and she is finishing a quilt mom was making for DD. I helped her lay it out. She'll put it together, and the church ladies will quilt it. Also, she is standing in for my mom and teaching DD to hand quilt. She's working on a wall hanging. Sherry, I love the imagery of kicking the little devil to the curb! Can I borrow that one! LOL! Eileen, and anyone, have you ever heard of Super Suppers, or Dinner Station? It's a place where you prepare dishes to freeze; you put all the ingredients together, but they have everything laid out and chopped, etc. My sis and I do this once a month, and we get 3 meals each to take home. I LOVE your idea of cooking once a week, and I've done that some. Just not consistently, like the rest of everything I do! LOL! Pat, are you hanging out at the beach? I've seen a few posts from you, but didn't really see what time you were on...update us, please! Betty, this isn't as good a day to be cruisin' as yesterday was, so you must be getting your house in order, right? You are a really good support-person on LBT...I see you patting backs and holding hands all over the place! You're great! DH and DD are leaving to sell cookies; she's doing pretty good on her goal. This is her 3rd year to sell, so she's getting better at it. I'm going to finish reading all the new posts, and basically hang out for a while before dinner. Gotta get some relaxing in! (Is that bad? Scheduling relaxation time?) Cindy

Anne, hang in there, friend! Everyone's giving you great advice and I hope you feel the love and support you are getting. What is this Volumetric book? It sounds interesting. The diet hot chocolate works for me every time...I've also enjoyed hot tea or chai latte (SF). We can help you through this month, and will! Hugs, Cindy

Just want to say hello, and welcome you to LBT. I hope you find the care and support here that you are looking for; it's a fantastic place to learn and share! Good luck on your upcoming surgery! Cindy

I want to say thank you for being a military wife, and God Bless. You are getting good advice from you NC friends, so I won't butt in on that, but I read your post and want you to know we care, we understand, and we will help you however we can! Cindy

Jan. 8, 2006 B: coffee and Zone Perfect S: Mocha at a coffee place L: Zone Perfect and an orange D: ham/corn chowder Water:16 oz Exercise: Took vitamins/calcium

Doc, I'm just going to wish you good luck on your trip and on your surgery. Keep praying and trust in the Lord. You are going to be okay...better than okay! We are here for you, and will answer any questions you have. We will hold your hand in your moments of doubt and nervousness. You CAN do it. It won't be exactly what you think, either. You will now have the chance to develop a healthy relationship with food, instead of the weird one we are already used to. Let's just get through the surgery and recovery, and then we'll take the next step. Hugs, Cindy

I love it! I'm so happy for you! Cindy

Glad you had a good ride, Betty! Your comment about dinner made me look at the time, and it's almost 5PM! I better think about dinner, too. That's weird...hadn't thought about food in a while... Made some fruit smoothies for lunch for DD and I. I snuck protein powder in there, and she didn't notice!

Good morning! Well, I hit the clutter first thing this morning, and it feels like all I've done is clear out 6 square inches! I am just working on this big mess one little job at a time, and at least that makes me feel like i can eventually do it. Now, I'm hanging out here, reading everything and spreading my (????) wisdom around, which means I'm probably hacking off several people! LOL! Anne, you shake your sister's hand for me, and tell her "Job well done!" Teachers need to educate people on what the job is like these days. The schools of our past are gone, and so are the leaders. The teacher organizations are more about political lobbying (in arenas other than education) so we don't even have that anymore. I promise, I know there are some bad teachers out there, but I do believe that at least 90%, maybe more, are working hard to do what they can with their hands tied behind their backs, and the other side has a 16 year head start! Still, I love kids and that's what keep me going...probably other teachers feel the same way. Way to go, Sis! Eileen, keep your spirits up, girl! You are doing so well, and you can check again in a few weeks. We're here for you! Beanie...you ARE busy if you forgot it was Friday! You are the kind of person who can do whatever you put your mind to! More power to you, and hope you hear soon on the progress of your appeal! Did you ever check JQPublic's threads? He hasn't had the band, either, and has done so well. I hope I didn't forget anyone...Pat, whatcha doin'? Betty, I bet you are out riding today...it's just beautiful. We are gonna be so sad when winter show back up! Have a great day, everyone! Cindy

Hey, John. I LOVE Zone Perfect bars...especially Fudge Graham. They have 16 g. protein, and taste great. I am not sure about the carbs. The hard part is remembering they are a MEAL REPLACEMENT, and not to be eaten inbetween meals. For you, though, you need a few more calories because of how hard you work-out. You might throw a couple in during the day, or before you exercise...see how it works. Try them. They are good. Cindy

I'm just incredibly nosey, so I weigh in the morning and at night. I like to see how much difference there is in my weight at night, then in the morning. I know it doesn't matter, but mayabe it just reminds me about what I'm trying to do. I have tried to drink a Diet Coke, but it just felt weird and tickly, and I didn't like it. Empty calories anyway. I will take a sip of my DH's Dr. Pepper sometimes.

Glad you're here! You'll find this is a great place to learn and have fun, too! Post anytime! Cindy

Thank you for taking the time to post your insights and experience. I think that's what makes this board different...it is so easy to see that we are all different in some ways, the same in some ways, and haven't figured it all out enough to tell if we are the same or different! I have learned something from your post, and the biggest part of the battle is finding the chains, then finding the keys to unlock them. Thanks! Cindy

Leatha, I"m so glad you are healthy and doing good! Sore throats are painful, so take care of yourself! Cindy

I'm in the "tell-all" category. Just for documentation's sake, I do not feel like I am under a microscope at all! All I ever hear is positive feedback, like "Wow! You are really looking good!" If I eat something "non-band" no one says anything, I don't get the feeling that they care. NO one makes perfect food choices 100% of the time. Maybe that's something to think about. We may be somewhat delusional in our expectations of ourselves...too many people think they are failures, just for being human for goodness sake! That being said, just want you closet bandsters to know I support you and you must know why you need to be private, and you should feel fine about whatever way you choose.

If she says it was lots of work to lose the weight, AND she had some kind of WLS, I think she's right. We should know that WLS does not mean losing weight is easy. We KNOW THIS, right? IMHO, people pay way too much attention to these celebrities in the first place. Since we live in a society that will sue for anything, she is probably protecting herself from that possibility. I don't blame her. Does anyone think it's ironic that we don't like people judging us for choosing WLS, but we are doing the same thing to her? I see the difference in being "open" and hidden, but we should respect the choice of each individual in this. I used to use the "fat is beautiful" mind-set, too. We shouldn't indict her on that. Hope I'm not coming off edgy or gripey on this, but we should examine our feelings about this, and see if they coincide with our response to her. Cindy

Jan 7, 2007 B: coffee/coffeemate, Zone Perfect bar L: Fruit smoothie (banana, peach, milk, protein powder, Splenda, ice) S: Chex Mix (homemade), 1/2 cup D: salmon, cream cheese and pumpernickel mini sandwich; pita chips and hummas, cranberry bread (we had a snacky dinner!) Exercise: cleaning out heavy stuff Water: 20 oz. Vitamins/Calcium: yes

HI! Glad you're here! This is a great place to get lots of info on the band, plus support...great, fantastic people! Look and the Before and After pictures, and use the search feature. That'll get you started! Looking forward to seeing you on the boards! Cindy

Great pic1 Where were you guys? Maybe it's because I've (just) crossed the 50-yard line, but I just really don't care what other people (not including my good friends and my family) THINK about my decision. It's mine. That's why I have never tried to hide it. I just admit I have an eating problem, and I am facing it and this is the way I have chosen. The end. I really have never had anyone say, "Why don't you just have some will power and lose the weight w/o surgery?" No one's ever said that. I've only experienced positive responses, support, and interest. Do what is right for you, and don't worry about the others. Cindy

Jan 6, 2006 B: Coffee S: South Beach chocolate bar (kinda like a rice krispie thingie) L. The meat part of a taco salad at Wendy's S: Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks D: Zone Perfect bar Water: 48 oz Exercise: Shopping? Took vitamin/calcium Cindy