Dianechef

Here's some answers to the above questions.... I eat about 1500 calories/day. I always drink a Protein shake for Breakfast & then a chili & salad from Wendy's for lunch. (It really fills me up!) I know exactly how many calories, carbohydrates & fat grams are in these so I don't have to think. dinner always varies, depending on what we have going on that evening. I have been eating 3x a day. (Sometimes a snack if I'm real hungry!) I have a large Water bottle that I keep with me all day that has the exact amount of water I should drink every day. Sometimes I only get about half of it down. I really need to do better, but I just don't like having to go to the bathroom all day. :mad: I have been working out at Curves 3x a week for the past 3 months. It's only a 30 min. work out & I'm thinkin' I may need more then that!! John Q - I don't think I could go to 1000 calories a day. I get so hungry with just 1500 calories!! What are you eating & does it fill you up?! La-madam - I have heard of the 3-a-day diet but have never tried it. I love yogurt so that could be a good change for me. I have been watching you & your great success!! I am so impressed with your weight loss. When you were losing the 100 lbs., did you work out? What did you eat?!? Did you have plateaus at the beginning? Hi Kare!! I still can't believe you're as old as you say! You totally look like you could be 25. You are the work-out queen!! I am considering changing from working out at Curves to joining a "real" gym where I could work out longer & get more results. When you work out, what are you doing?!? Do you lift weights, treadmill?!? Thank you ALL for your great ideas!! I LOVE having so many suggestions & helps. I don't feel like I'm all lone in this endeavor!! I am definately going to make some changes in what I'm doing. I need to "CHANGE THE FURNITURE AROUND" as they say. I'm just not sure which furniture to put where. Or, if I should just trash all the old & bring in some new?!?! ha!

Hey Penni! I am amazed at your computer skills!! Can you help my pictures?!?! My before & after pictures are on the before & after thread, but you have to click on them to open them. I don't have a clue how to fix that. Also, I'd love to have my picture on my Avatar. What do I need to do!??! Thank you so much!!!!

Hello Vines!!! (Turtle Spokesman herself!!!) I am quite sure that those who are turtles don't want to be turtles. :mad: However, I feel like I'm going to be in the turtle category if I don't do something fast!! How has the "change up your pattern" been working for you?!? Have you found you've lost weight by doing this?!?! I'd love to know. My doctor told me 3 meals a day too, but I'm thinkin' I might try to several small meals a day & see how that goes. This Halloween candy has been the death of me!! Whipple Daddy - I am not a professional Chef but I do love to cook. I work for the Pampered Chef. We sell kitchen tools!! I've been doing it for over 9 yrs & LOVE IT!! The only problem is that the food we cook is always fattening & not too healthy. But, it sure is good!!! My other problem is that my husband is the owner of a soda pop & snack vending business. His junk food inventory is here at our house!!!!!!!!!!! I have access to any candy bar & soda pop I want at any second of the day. (Isn't that NICE!?!?!) I am proud to say I haven't had one single pop since being banded!!!! All you rabbits out there, what's your secret?!?!? I know, I know, follow the bandster rules. Is that really all there is to it!?!? I'm open to any & all suggestions.

I would definately go with the ball bladder thing. It's really the same & nobody would ask any questions about the liquid stage!!

3 weeks after being banded I got food posioning & threw up over 15 times in one day. (It was disgusting!!) I was scared to death that I was making my band slip or causing some damage. The food posioning was from a local restaurant & only lasted 24 hrs. I survived & am fine. I am now 3 months out & have had no problems.

Yesterday was a terrible, terrible day. It was one of those Calgon - Take me away days!! I just about had it with my kids, husband, the dirty house, my in-laws, my overwhelming responsibilities & life!! I didn't tell anyone where I was going, I just got in the car & took off. I had no clue where I was headed. I just went. Lo & Behold, I ended up at the IN-N-OUT Hamburger place. (One of my old time favorites & I hadn't been there since being banded.) I sware the car just drove me there!!!!!!! I ordered a Cheeseburger & a fully loaded Dr. Pepper. I have not touched a DP since surgery. (3 months ago) I also LOVE their french fries but I knew they wouldn't go down & I'd be PBing the rest of the night. I sat in my car & took a big bite of the cheeseburger & it was good!!! 2 more bites & I was getting that old familiar pain in my chest. I was so freakin' mad!! I wanted to eat the entire thing & let the food fill me up so I could just wallow in my mometary insanity. I tried one more bite & that was all I could eat. I cried & cried because I realized that I could no longer drown my sorrows in food. The Dr. Pepper was one of the best things I've had in a long time. However, after drinking half the cup, I was DONE!! I am feeling much better today & can handle my life. Looking back on yesterday, I am SOOOOO GLAD I have this band. Moments like yesterday could have caused me to go into a week long binge where I gain 10 plus pounds. But, I absoultely couldn't do it!! As much as I was mad that I couldn't finish that cheeseburger, I am very glad today. This band is truly saving my life & it was one of the best decisions I have ever made!!

I'm down 40 lbs & have 60 to go.

My sister suffers from depression as well & I have heard many of the very same things from her as I've read on this loop. I am very lucky in that I have not had to suffer from that. It has really irked me that Tom Cruise has come out with his outrageous ideas about medication. I truly don't think my sister would be alive today if it weren't for medication!!! I read posts like this one & feel so bad for you because I know your suffering is real. If Tom could only shut his face & stop to think about people in this world who truly need this medication to survive each minute of their lives.. Okay, just has to get that out!! No words of wisdom here, but I can tell you that we all feel for you!!!

Hey everyone! I'm an AZ bandster & I've been thinking of getting together a little AZ Bandster get-together. Maybe just meet at a restaurant or something. What do you think?!?! I'm not sure exactly where everyone lives, but if we held it somewhere in PHX that would probably be a central location. I'd love to meet you all!! What do you think?!?!?

Looks great Rene!! Once we achieve the 30 day goal, how do we put them on our signature line? I can't even figure out how to put my picture on!

COUNT ME IN!! I'm all over it. I will do 3 meals a day w/out snacks!! Oh, this is good!! I can't wait to see what these "cute" chips will look like!!! Great idea Delarla!!

I don't know about you guys but I really like chocolate. Did I say LIKE? I meant REALLLLLY LIKE chocolate. I crave it & it's been one of those things I have missed since being banded. But, I've found something that's still chocolate & actually healthy. I can eat it!!! I dip half of a banana in a thin layer of chocolate & let it harden. (I found it in the banana section at the store.) It's only a small amount of chocolate & it really feeds my appetite for chocolate. I dipped 6 of them at a time & freeze them in seperate baggies. I told myself I can have one a day for my snack & I feel like I'm in heaven. The banana is very healthy & it goes down easy without any problems. Just thought I'd share if there are others out there who miss chocolate as much as I do.

Maria, Losing 40 lbs in 3 months in my opinion is ABOVE AVERAGE!! You should be jumping for joy!!!!!! If your happiness is determined by how much weight you lose, then you truly do have more to work on then just your weight. No matter what your weight is, you are a BEAUTIFUL PERSON!! Even though I don't know you personally, I know that there is beauty in everyone. I had my surgery 1 week after you & have lost 30 lbs. To be honest with you, I wish it were more too!!!! It looks like you & I are about the same weight & size. Losing 30 lbs. isn't a head turning weight loss & I've found that not very many people have noticed. As a matter of fact, other people have asked me - "Have you had the surgery yet?" (Some people are RUDE!!!!!) However, I have to remember my long term goal & keeps my sight on that!! We will get there & when we do - WATCH OUT!!! Keep up the great work. We are all pulling for you.

I can eat Macaroni & Cheese very easily. I have a good fill & cannot eat breads & lots of other white flour stuff. However, Mac & Cheese is no problem. I tried a place of spaghetti the other day & I ate about 10 bites & then I was done. I started getting that pain in my chest. I think it's a little different for everyone.

I had my Gallbladder removed 10 years ago & had the exact same thing happen!! 3 months later I was having the same pains that felt just like it did when I was having Gallbladder attacks. It lasted 3 hrs & I thought I was having a heart attack. When I went to the ER, they couldn't find anything! I was very emberassed. I had a few more pains afterwards until they became less & less. I no longer have any problems at all. I think you're right about continuing to develop stones or sludge even after you gallbladders is removed. Good luck. It will go away!!!

I'm laughing so hard I can hardly stand it!! Good ones Anne!! Here's some more: 1) It's so much easier to add our weight loss together. 1+1+1+1+1 = 5 Who wants to mess with 2's or 3's?!?! 2) We want to make sure we go through each size slowly. Who wants to start at size 22 & skip right to 16?!? Not me!! I want to experience ALL the numbers!!! 3) We LOVE the process of losing weight so much that we want this experience to last as long as we possibly can. (And each moment we experience it, we'll have a very BIG HAPPY SMILE on our face.) 4) When the RNY losers walk in the room, they've lost so much weight, people don't recognize them!! We, on the other hand can bask in the joy that we will be definately recognized for a VERY, VERY long time!!

This is going to sound really gross, but it has to be said..... I had the same problem. I kept thinking it would take care of itself eventually. After a full week, I was in EXTREME pain. I had never felt such terrible pain in my life. I called my brother-in-law who is a doctor. He told me to try an enema which did absolutely NOTHING!! He told me if that didn't work that I had a severe blockage & could do one of 2 things. 1) Go to the emergency room where the doctor would have to put a glove on and manually get the "monster" out. 2) I could put a glove on & manually get it out myself. UGH!!!!!!!!!!! I was in such pain I would have done anything!! I chose #2. (Ha, no pun intended!) I felt like I was giving birth. I have never felt so gross & disgusting in my entire life!!! So, lesson learned........it won't take care of itself!! I now take stool softeners if It's been 2 days & no "monster." I also take benefiber regularly & always stay on top of my Water drinking. I can't believe I just told you all this. Nobody but my husband knows about this little incident!!! You all must be my VERY good friends!!

Hey Angie, CONGRATULATIONS!! 40 lbs in 3 months is awesome. I love to read posts like this!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! We are all so proud of you!! You're an inspiration to us all. I can't wait to join the 100 club too! I am smiling so big for you.

I'm down 30 lbs. now!! Did someone mention an October challenge of 10 more lbs? I'm in!!! Who else?!?!

I can't wait to lose weight & FINALLY look in the mirror & see the "real" me that's hiding behind all this STUFF on my body. I feel like I should just be able to unzip this fat body & step out of it all. Why can't I see the real me that is FAT?!?! When I think of myself, I still imagine the "normal" size person that I used to be. My dreams are the same way. I've been overweight for over 10 years & every time I take a picture I say to my husband - "Is that really me?!?" My husband says it means I have a good self-esteem. I think it means I am not living in reality. There's so much that the body inside wants to do, but can't because this fat suit keeps holding me back. My biggest NSV will be the day I can look in the mirror & recognize the person that is looking back at me. I'M GOING TO GET THERE!!! And when I do, I'll send you all the hot picture. Only 80 more lbs to go.....

My recovery was a breeze too!! I kept waiting for the UGH feeling to set in & it never did. I didn't have gas pains & was able to sleep just fine. We are the lucky ones aren't we?

I'd love to figure out how to post my pictures here!!

You're the DADDY!!! Very cool - I am even more impressed. To answer your question about the fills: YES, I went to MX to get my first fill. However, you do not have to. There are nearby doctors who can give you fill in your town. I wanted to get my first fill by the doctors who did my surgery. It was only $100 & they did it under floro. I have only had 1 fill & they hit the SWEET SPOT!! I am very happy I went back. Good luck on your journey! You can do this!!

I've been taking pictures of myself every month of my weight loss journey. The day of my surgery I had my husband take a picture of me from every angle. I had never seen myself from the back & I about DIED when I looked at it. I have the picture hanging inside the door of my office & I see it every day. It blows me away that the whole world sees this side of me the most & I have been oblivious to how bad it really is. Vines, I sure hope you are right about being able to reach my goal faster by having the THIN vision in my mind. La_Madam, when you were size 22, did you ever invision yourself as being thin or are you like Vines? I am wondering if I am the odd ball here!! How about the rest of you? What do you invision yourself to be on the inside? Why is it that our minds & the actual person we are don't ever meet up?