Dianechef

We ALL understand where you're coming from and sympathize & empathize with you!! I DO hope you are able to figure out what the deal is with your weight & WHY IN THE HE** YOU AREN'T LOSING WEIGHT?!?!?!?! Hang in there & come here to rant & rave anytime. We all love the support you give to us & are happy to return that to you!!

The foods you are eating are ALL problems for me. Try something a little softer & ease into it. Give you esophagus & pouch time to adjust. Try a warm drink in the morning & then ease into some chili or minestrone Soup. Good Protein & still easy enough to go down. Good luck!!

On second thought.... I just saw that you lost yet ANOTHER 2 lbs. on the Weight Loss Challenge!! Why don't YOU go ahead & make that cake again for yourself. It just might give the rest of us a chance to catch up to you!! You know we love you Paul!!!!! We're just EXTREMELY jealous!!!

Big Paul, please DO NOT post that recipe!! I used to make a similar one called Pudding cake & it was so good I would sit & eat the entire thing!! Very yummy, delicious, dangerously out of control cake!!!!

Where do you live Carrie? Have you tried www.fillcenterusa.com?

Same problem here!! I thought it was just me. Every thread that I go to will not let me get to the last page. It takes me somewhere else. Very strange!!

The Atkins Advantage shakes just came out with a new flavor - Vanilla Creme! I love them!! I am always on the run & these are ready in a can & I just take them with me as I run out the door. Love um!!

4 months ago I started a thread about my mother-in-law. I am still having problems with her & not quite sure what to do!! I had told my family & friends that I was having Lapband surgery & was TRAVELING to San Diego to have it done. (Which is TRUE!!) My husband & I had struggled with whether to tell our family about my having surgery in Mexico. We decided to be honest & tell the truth. However, we decided it would be best to tell everyone AFTER I had the surgery. 6 weeks after I had recooperated & had my first fill, I told everyone about Mexico. My entire family was fine with it all. My mother was happy for me, my friends had no problems. However, my mother-in-law was a witch about it all. She came over to my house & for 2 hours reprimanded me for lying & told me that my bad example was teaching my children to be dishonest. (There was so much more she said!! I think you get the point!) This is a woman who told me that she would never step foot in Old Mexico or NEW Mexico because she doesn't trust the country at all. She had a fit when we went to NEW MEXICO 2 yrs. ago to visit family. (Yes, I know that New Mexico is in the United States. Try explaining that to her!) So, we chose NOT to tell her about the surgery ahead of time because we knew she would freak out & not be supportive, making our trip miserable. We always planned on telling her, we just wanted to wait until AFTER!!! I believe in being honest & my husband & I felt this was the best way to handle it. It has now been 4 months since that incident & she is STILL not talking to me or my husband. I have written her 2 e-mails & even apologized to her. She has not responded. She un-invited us to Christmas this year & will not answer the phone when we call. My husband has been 100% supportive of me & thinks his mothers actions are wrong. The problem is that we have 3 kids & they LOVE their grandma. They don't understand what's going on & I feel very sad for them. I have said NOTHING negative to them about grandma. Up to this point, our relationship has been on & off. She has always liked me & has told me several times that I was so good for her son. She has told me that I am a good mother & praises my decisions. However, she is very controlling. She likes to be in charge & is VERY, VERY nosey. She is into everyone's business. She is also very overweight. She weighs 400 lbs & is bound to a wheelchair. I don't know if she is secretly jealous of my weight loss or what the deal is. Any suggestions of what you would do?!? All of this was over having Lapband Surgery in Mexico. It's my decision & my life. Why in the world would she act this way? It's been 6 months!!!!

I found this fabulous article about Water & how it helps weight loss. It made me want to go drink all 8 glasses in one sitting. I thought it was worth passing on to the group to read. It's a little long, but well worth the read! (sorry!) Water How 8 Glasses a Day Keep Fat Away Water suppresses the appetite naturally & helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have show that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Here’s why: The kidneys can’t function properly without enough water. When they don’t work to capacity, some of the load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver’s primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. But, if the liver has to do some of the kidney’s work it can’t operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body and & weight loss stops. Drinking enough water is the best treatment for Fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold onto every drop. Water is stored in extraceiiular spaces (outside the cells). This shows up as swollen feet, legs & hands. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a threat & will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus the condition quickly returns. Te best way to overcome the problems of water retention is to give your body what it needs – plenty of water. Only then will stored water be released. If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy – drink more water! As it’s forced through the kidneys, it takes away excess sodium. The overweight person needs more water than the thin one. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the overweight person needs more water. Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract & by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss – shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which pumps the skin and leaves it clean, healthy & resilient. Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss the body has a lot more waste to get rid of – all that metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste. Water helps relieve constipation. When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. But, when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function usually returns. So far, we’ve discovered some remarkable truths about water & weight loss: ~ The body will not function properly without enough water & can’t metabolize stored fat efficiently. ~ Retained water shows up as excess weight. ~ To get rid of excess water you my drink more water. ~ Drinking water is essential to weight loss. How much water is average? On the average, a person should drink eight 8-oz glasses every day. That’s about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 lbs. of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly of if the weather is hot & dry. Water should preferably be cold – it’s absorbed into the system quicker then warm water. Some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories. To utilize water most efficiently during weight loss, follow this schedule: Morning: 1 quart consumed over a 30-min. period. Noon: 1 quart consumed over a 30-min. period. Evening: 1 quart consumed between 5 & 6 o’clock. When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are perfectly balanced. When this happens, you have reached the “breakthrough point.” What does this mean? 1) Endocrine-gland function improves. 2) Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost. 3) More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat. 4) Natural thirst returns. 5) There is a loss of hunger almost overnight!! If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, & you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain & loss of thirst. To remedy the situation you’ll have to go back & force another “breakthough.”

I saw it! They only spent 5 min. on it & I was so disappointed! I wanted to hear more. I am so glad that the band is getting a positive rap. Yeah for Montel!!!

Sleepyjean!!! For not ever having to deal with a MIL before, you sure seem to truly get it! I loved your comment about "her actions are showing that she is more concerned with holding her grudge then us or her grandkids." YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!!! Why do I feel like I need to apologize to her?! I know that I truly did NOTHING wrong. I think I will plan on using your wording of - "We are making the best decision for our family so hopefully you won't upset yourself in the future." HA!! That is sooo perfect. This is HER choice & I need to move one & do what's best for my family. I'm still toying over the bag of poo at the door idea. She wouldn't be offended by that would she?!?! Do ya think?!?!?!?!?

I am DYING here!!! I would LOVE to take that bag of poo to her door & light it up!! Oh.........that would feel sooooooooo good!!!

Great idea about sending cards to grandma from the kids!! As of right now, both of our kids are not too thrilled about seeing her again. Grandma & Grandpa took my kids shopping & to dinner 1 week before Christmas so she could see them. (Drove to our house & honked the horn. She didn't say a word to me or my husband.) My 9 yr. old came back saying she doesn't want to see Grandma ever again. She said that she was mean to her & kept correcting everything she did. This has NEVER been an issue before. I am concerned that her attitude with ME is coming out in bad behavior with my kids. I am very close to saying - "Until you change you attitude, I am not willing to have my kids subject to your rudeness." I am going to have to agree with the jealousy thing. I can't think of anything else it would be!! I will definately be getting my husband involved & hopefully he can whip this woman into shape. This truly is HER problem. You guys are a wealth of knowledge!!!

I can clean my house & FINISH it without getting all tired out. (I say that I CAN, it doesn't mean that I DO!!!) The sex thing has been a problem. My husband can't keep his hands off me!! ROFL!!!!! I can cross my legs! I can fit into a theater seat comfortably!! I can shop at Old Navy because I can fit into their sizes!! WAHOO!!! I FEEL pretty. I LOOK pretty. Hey, I AM pretty!!!!!!

I have a sister who is your size & she looks great at 180!! Big bones are a blessing!! You don't have as much weight to lose!!!!

Not sure if this will help you, but it has really helped me. I drink a low calorie protein shake in the morning & then some chili from Wendy's for lunch. The shake has 190 calories & the chili has 220. I am then WIDE OPEN for dinner & eat until I'm full. Sometimes I get hungry & will have a light snack, but it still doesn't ruin my calorie intake. This is also easy for me because I don't have to count breakfast or lunch, just dinner. I HATE counting calories, but I know I have to do it.

Wendell, I love reading stories like these!! You inspire us all to keep going. Thanks for posting & good luck. You will make your goal!!

I found some great low-rise jeans at Kohl's! I live in AZ, so not sure if they have Kohl's everywhere!

Hi Apryl! I was going to post the very same question!! You sound just like me!! I had my first fill 3 1/2 months ago by Dr. Martinez. I am scheduled to have a fill done by a lady here in my town & she doesn't use Flouro & I'm a little concerned. I was losing pretty good back then. Now my weight loss has started to slow down. I too can eat tortillas, bread & stuff I wasn't able to eat before. However, somedays I can hardly eat 5 bites of a salad. I am so not sure if a fill is what I need. I would hate to be overfilled & go through the terrible pain I've heard about. I can't wait to see more posts on this topic!!!

I walked & walked & walked. As a result, I had very little gas pains.

6 months & 42 lbs. later - I have had absolutely NO PROBLEMS!!

I have been following the South Beach Diet & I truly love it!! They even have a forum for questions, recipes & all that fun stuff at their website. I just lost 6 lbs OVER THE HOLIDAYS by following the South Beach Diet. You can eat fun foods & I didn't feel deprived. Good luck Penni!!

It's been 5 months since I was banded & I have lost a total of 42 lbs. That's an average of 2 lbs a week!! I am thrilled!! :eek: However, it's been a trial & error process along the way & I think I have FINALLY figured out how this all works!! Here's what I've learned so far: 1. The band DOES NOT work alone. I thought that the weight would just drop off without much effort on my part. I read the lap band book & did my homework before being banded. From what I read, I thought that I would simply eat the way I normally do, get full faster which would make me eat less & then the weight would just come off. WRONG!! This band works as my partner. I still need to make good food choices & follow ALL the band rules to have success. 2. There's are LOTS of plateaus you hit along the way & patience is a MUST!! There were 3 weeks when I didn't lose any weight & I was frustrated. However, I stuck it out & the following week I lost 4. I've hit several plateaus since then & I now realize that plateaus are actually a good thing. I am no longer a slave to the scale. 3. Exercise is pretty important. I have never been a very good exerciser in my life. I don't like to sweat & frankly it takes too much time out of my day. BUT.....I have noticed that when I do ATLEAST 30 min. of cardio 3x/week I have much more success. Whether it's taking a walk, play at the park with my little girl - exercise is crucial for weight loss. 4. Support is a must!! I don't have a support group in my area to go to, but I use this forum to ask questions & read about others success. I look at the BEFORE & AFTER pictures once a week to remind me of others who have done well. It keeps me motivated!!! 5. This is a change I am making for LIFE! There is no going back to the days of eating whatever I want. If I want to be healthy I must EAT healthy & that never ends. 6. Food does not have to be my comfort. I have learned that when I'm sad, mad or glad.......I can do something else besides EAT!! I have more energy, more confidence, more quality time with my kids & I feel so much lighter!! I can't wait to see what I'll feel like when I lose 50 more lbs!!

Can I add a #7 to the list?!?! 7. I drink a Protein shake every morning!! I stopped doing it for awhile & realized I wasn't losing as much weight. As soon as I started back up, the weight started falling of again!! It works for me!! I drink the Advantage shakes that have no sugar. They have a new Caramel vanilla flavor. I love it!! P.S. I weighed myself this morning & another pound has melted off. Only 8 lbs 'til I hit the 50 mark!! WAHOO!!

Time for an updated picture! Here's me the day of surgery & me at a loss of 55 lbs!