Dianechef

Oh Telly - you're so nice! *HUGS* There you go. I felt that hug. I think what makes it harder is when people say to me - "You look so good. I am jealous!" or "Not fair!" One time someone posted on this board that they have now added me to their "I HATE YOU LIST" because I became one of those skinny people. No offense was taken by that comment at all!! However, I truly feel that because I have lost weight & look "hot" I am veiwed so differently. When really, I am the same person inside. I want people to feel comfortable around me. Being fat I think people always felt comfortable because they usually looked better then I did. Somehow that has all changed & am now a threat some how. Am I even making any sense here?!?!

I have been & still continue to struggle with this very thing. I truly don't know who I am right now. I've lost 63 lbs. & really don't look like the same person anymore. I get comments DAILY about my new size & I still am not comfortable with this new person. I am not sure how to react!! I think I covered up my insecurities by being the "FUNNY FAT GIRL!" Everything was a joke & I was the first to make fun of myself. I can't do that anymore & I feel like I just need to get a whole new personality. :tired I have been at the same weight for 2 months & to be honest with you...I'm a little scared to get to a lower weight. I am not comfortable at this weight, how in the heck will I adjust to an even smaller person?!?! Don't get me wrong - I LOVE THIS NEW SIZE!! I feel free. I feel young. I can move. I am thrilled to do so many things I couldn't before. My struggles are within. I'm sure I'll get over it..........soon. :straight I don't think I realized that losing weight would have so many uncomfortabl emotions with it!! I just thought I'd be a smaller, better me & LOVE IT!!

I used Dr. Ortiz & was happy with my experience in every way!! He is very professional & truly cares about his patients. You can't go wrong with Dr. Ortiz and his team. By the way, he's also cute!!

I had the exact same problem & Dr. Pleatman is right on. It is BLOOD!! The only thing that will stop it is to get an unfill. You will feel so much better. Good luck to you!!!

Miper - Dr. Ortiz DOES do his fills under Floroscope. You're in good hands.

Whoot!! Whoot!! YOU DID IT!! Congratulations. I'm so proud of you!! :confused:

Cute picture!! Tell us who everyone is. :confused:

Big hugs to you Audrey!! For all that you've gone through with the death of your Mother & also for the fabulous weight loss. I am so excited for you & the new life you've started. Way to go!! Any pictures you'd like to send over?!?

Hi funny! Thanks for asking about me. To be honest with you, I am feeling very, very frustrated. I can eat everything, and I mean everything!! I tried some bread yesterday just to see what would happen & it went down without any problems. I tried a tortilla & it went down without any problems!!! Can I scream?!?!?!? :Cry: 4 days ago I could barely choke down a protein shake & now I can eat the house. I want restriction!! I haven't gone off the deep end & eaten any bad foods, but I feel like I'm on a diet & I HATE diets. I just want my band to work with me. I'm seriously considering going back to the fill doc & ask to just get .1 put back in. I tried 2.0, then, 1.8.......maybe 1.9 is the magic number!!! Well, there you have it. You probably wished you never asked! :biggrin1:

Tess - you had a new band placed? What did the doctor say caused your slippage? Please explain! I hope you're doing okay. Sounds like you've been through a lot!!

A Mom always knows there's a problem before there really is. I say go with your gut instincts & worry the heck out of everything!! Your love & concern for her could save her life. Even if there was nothing to worry about - it's better then wondering "what if?" You sound like a very kind, caring mother who loves her daughter more then you can even explain to all of us. I wish you the best & hope everything turns out well. :second:

WOW!! How exciting!! I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures.

Well, my name is Diane, but NO, I am not a chef. I worked for the Pampered Chef for 10 years & Dianechef was what I used for my business e-mail address. Pretty soon, that name just stuck & that's what people called me. I can open up a can of crescent rolls & do just about anything with them, but I really am not an expert cook!!

Well, I am back to being able to eat everything!! Last night we went to dinner at a Mexican Restaurant. I ordered some chicken Tortilla soup & ate it all. It was delicious!! I felt like I was starving! I tasted some of my husbands food & then ate a handful of chips & salsa. Then, everyone wanted dessert. I took one bite like a good bandster. But, I never felt full. I felt NOTHING!! I am getting very frustrated. I want a good restriction & can't seem to find it. I only had .2 taken out & can't believe that it would make this big of a difference. My question is this: Do you all feel a good deal of restriction or do you rely on self-control the most? P'Nut - what does full feel like to you? Maybe I am expecting a different feeling then I am getting. I thought I had a good fill for 2 months & to me if felt like I got a golf ball in my throat aftering eating about a cup or so. Now I'm just not sure anymore.

Before I tell you all my NSV, I thought I'd explain something here for those who don't know me. I grew up in a very wonderful, happy but unusual home. I am not ashamed it of at all, I am very proud!! However, I get a lot of people who can't believe it because it is too uncommon. I have 9 sisters & 1 brother. Yes, that number was a 9!! My sisters are all my best friends & we get along great. My mother was a person who just loved kids. (And yes, I promise my 1 brother is very normal. He had 9 maids who waited on him hand & foot!) Every Mother's Day Weekend, my Mother & all my sisters go to a resort, hang out, get manicures, pedicures, EAT & have a blast. No husbands, no kids....just girls!! We just returned & it was so much fun. For the past 6-7 years I have been the biggest one in my family. Every year I was so concerned about our next meal, what our Snacks were going to be when we could stop & get a Diet Coke. This year I could care less about the food & I am now one of the smallest in the family!! :nono: This was HUGE for me!! Here's a picture taken this weekend of my sisters & Mom!! I am the goofy one in the back with curly hair.

Mary! Mary! Mary!! Congratulations on those fabulous 80 lbs girl!! You are beautiful & I am so proud of you. Those pictures of your back are really what's showing us your big change. You're getting your waist back. WAHOO!! I can't wait to weigh 180 lbs!! GO PINKMARY!!

I'm back from my unfill. It was wonderful to chug down a whole bottle of water!! She took out .2 so I am at a 1.8. I came home & fixed myself a little bit of tuna salad with 4 crackers. I slowly chewed, chewed, & chewed!!!! I ate the whole thing & feel very full!! Maybe this is the perfect fill for me!! I sure hope so. Heather - I usually get my fills done under floro, but the last 2 were just done manually. I prefer the flouro, but can't afford to travel back to MX everytime. I have often wondered if not using the flouro is part of my problem!! Actually, I'd like to blame it all on bloating every month. I am always fine until that time of the month & then everything is all messed up. By the way, my fill doctor told me today that I can stop the bloating every month if I take a double dose of acetomenaphine the day before my period & the day of my period. She said it makes it much easier on us with the band. I had never heard this, but will definately try it next time!!! P'Nut - YOU ROCK!! You've only been banded 5 months & have lost 68?! I am soooo jealous. If you're still losing weight, I would consider leaving your band just like it is. Talk to your doctor & get his opinion. You are so awesome!!! Telly - I just love you!! You are so inspiring to us all. I can't wait to see your hot, lean body when you hit your goal. All the bike riding is building those mega muscles. You keep me goin' & I NEED IT!!! (Thanks!)

Stop obsessing over this and go get that stupd fill!!! *grins* Actually, if you are able to do this on will power alone, more power to ya!! I am very amazed & impressed if you can!! Getting filled & unfilled isn't any fun. It's also expensive. However, I need it!! If I don't have the proper restriction, I don't lose weight!! It's taken me 10 months to lose the same 60 lbs. you lost in 6 months! You are doing so well P'nut!! I would be asking myself the same questions if I were you. I feel like the more I mess with my band, the more likely I am to have a slip, erosion.....ect. I'm sure it's just in my head. Well, I don't think I've been any help!! But, at leas you know I feel for ya. *hugs*

Good question P'Nut!! We actually talked about that very thing this weekend!!! One of my sisters kept saying - "Diane, make us laugh! I keep waiting for you to do something to make us laugh!" (I use to be the Funny Fat Girl!") They DO treat me differently except it's like they now have more respect for me. It's hard to explain. They always respected me before, but now I don't have to be doing something wild to get attention. I have their attention by just being myself. It's a good thing!! Actually, several of them have also been motivated to lose weight because of me. I was asked lots of questions about what I eat, exercise & how I feel. Nobody wants to be the biggest one in the family! It's a good, friendly type of competition. :nono: I found a picture of one of our previous Girl's Weekend pictures. This was about 3 yrs. ago & I wasn't quite at my heaviest, but I was still the biggest of my sisters.

Hi Everyone!! Lots of good things happening here!! GREAT JOB!! High 5!! Tricia, I am right there with you on the borderline of 199 -200. I don't want to see that 2 number again!! I hope this new fill works for you!! I'm not sure what I should do with my fills. I had a pefect fill for a month & then had my obstruction & haven't found a good fill yet. I get so tight & can't eat :speechles & then when I get a little bit taken out it's like I can eat everything!! It's Mother's Day today & I wasn't able to eat the wonderful dinner my husband made for us. :nono: I have been on liquids ever since I had my period last week & it never went back to normal. STRANGE!! I feel like I am being strangled inside. Nothing hurts - it's just uncomfortable!! I am very, very tired of Protein shakes. I am going in tomorrow to get a small unfill & I am crossing my fingers that it will be the perfect restriction. PLEASE!! PLEASE!! I just want to eat real foods again, but feel restricted so I don' overeat. I'm only at a 2.0. My perfect restriction previously was a 2.7. Not sure why it keeps changing? Anyone have this? Am I just weird or what?!?! Tricia, we both get adjustments tomorrow!! I'm crossing my fingers & toes that these will work for us!! GOOD LUCK!!!!

Thank you for starting this thread. I thought I was going to go crazy thinking I was the only one who had this problem!!! I originally had a 2.0 fill & could eat quite a bit. I went in for an adjustment & had 2.7 which was PERFECT!! I had the best restriction & loved it!! 2 months later I retained a lot of Water during my period & could hardly drink anything!!! I was on liquids for a week. After the week of liquids, it started to slowly come back but it was still too tight!! It never went back to the perfect restriction!!! I then had an obstruction with a hot dog & had almost all of it taken out. I was able to eat EVERYTHING!! I managed to maintin during that time thank goodness. 6 weeks later I had 2.0 put back in. It was great for 3 weeks & then along come that time of the month & once again I couldn't eat a thing!! Liquids have been gurgling in my mouth!!!! I still cannot eat real food & it is killing me. I know I need to go get another unfill, but I am so tired of paying out $100 bucks everytime. I am praying it will go down on it's own!!! After reading some posts on fills - this is my opinion: Whenever we retain water, whether it be the time of the month, flying in a plane, having surgery, whatever it may be........it does something to the band. For me it makes my stomach really swell & it has a hard time going back to normal after the fact. It really messes me up big time! I just want a good fill & have it stay there for a very, very long time!! :Banane13: Or,....here's a great idea. I want a pesonal fill assistant who will unfill or fill me everyday depending on how I am when I wake up that morning. This assistant would also do all my laundry, dishes & clean all the bathrooms. Oh, and I would love it if they would also cook all my meals for me & make them perfectly healthy & have all the calories counted for me so I don't have to. What do you think!?!? (Do you think my assistant could exercise for me too?!?!?!?!? PLEASE?!?!?!?!)

Great job Dana!! Doesn't it feel good? You're one your way!! :Banane13:

I hit a BIG goal today!!! I'm actually below 200 lbs. for the first time in 10 years!!! :faint: I am so EXCITED!! I think I'll go buy myself a new outfit!! I'll have to put it on & model it for ya'll. Be prepared for pictures soon!!!

Hey Jessie! I answered this question in the GFG Club, but thought I'd answer here too for those who care to know. I have tried tanning beds & they only gave me a ton of freckles. I don't want a "real" sun tan from the sun because skin cancer runs in my family. So, I use the new Jergen's Afterglow lotion & it works great! I just make sure to smooth it in real good all over and I LOVE IT!! I even use it on my face. Tricia - your tan looks great!! So natural. You have beautiful skin!!

Thanks P'Nut!! And Cheri, I am going to assume that being on the "I hate you list" is a good thing!!!! Jessie - I have tried tanning booths & all I get is a ton of freckles. They just didn't work. I've started using the Jergen's Afterglow lotion & it works great!! I am usually as white as a ghost. SERIOUS!!! I put it on every 3 days & it keeps me tan! Thanks for noticing!!!