NJChick

And this is the AirBake cookie sheets I use. If you want cookies crispy, they will have to cook longer on these. But they are perfect for my thumb prints (The flat square silver one) .

Cindy, glad you are enjoying your fill But I'm so sorry to hear about G'ma. Its just to sad for words. Betty, these cookies are baked with an AirBake cookie sheet. They do not burn and for some reason with these cookies they turn out perfect. Eileen's Thumb Print Cookies 3 Sticks of soften butter (salted) 3 Egg yokes 1 Cup sugar 2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract 3 Cups sifted flour Appricot Jam (I use Palmer) Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees Cream butter, sugar, egg yokes, vanilla and then slowly add in sifted flour. With my pampered chef medium size scooper, I scoop out 12 cookies on each cookie sheet. With your thumb press and make an indent for the jam, don't go thru the cookie but make them deep enuf keeping the sides up. Fill center with Jam about 1 teaspoon, maybe less, you'll see. Bake for 22 minutes until the cookie is golden brown but not "brown" If I remember right it makes 2 dozen cookies, maybe a little more (can you tell I haven't baked these since last year LOL). If you use a different cookie sheet, watch them b/c I'm not sure how much time you'll need to leave in the oven, prob less. Transfer cookie to rack to cool. These are my DH, DD and my favorite. Every year my co-workers beg me to bring them in. You can use Raspberry jam (with seeds) but the appricot works the best. ENJOY !!! This is the pampered chef scooper, they have small medium and large. I use the medium for the cookies. .

Stores have the neatest blow up snow globe that actually has it snowing inside, like you shook it up. VERY cute. I like lights, and lots of them. Some people do each tree/bush a different color, which is pretty or all one color. How about some snowflakes on the trees. Check out your local dollar store, you'd be amazed at the cool stuff they have.

Congratulations and Good Luck !!! I had this in the house: Liquid Tylenol for adults Gas-X chewable Vitamins - chewable Centrum Calcium - chewable viactin First 2 weeks, clear diet: Juice: Apple, Cranberry, Grape - regular not diet Broth: my mom made me home made broth...thank you mom coffee: regular w/skim milk Ice pops, one box of 24, regular sugar Tea's, any flavor (hot) Crystal light, any flavor Week 3 thicker liquids Protein shakes cream of wheat - maple flavor cream Soups... I lived on butternut squash by campbells mmmm mmm good plain or vanilla yogurt Week 4 pureed: Any food you can puree mashed taters mashed sweet taters tuna salad soups, creamed butternut squash Week 5 I'm on this now, regular food Hope this helps, but remember every doctor is different, just follow your guidelines and you'll be fine HUGS !!!

Bet your G'mas turkey is good !! I use alot of butter in my stuffing and turkey juice Lets face it, fat taste good LOL !

No, but it sounds like you just didn't digest #1. What was it that you ate. Is it the first time eating this?

Well, yeah, my belly looks different from my legs and my bat wings. You might be carrying more excess skin than you think. I would suggest talking to your doctor and asking him/her what they think. If you get to lets say 180 and you are carrying around 20 lbs of skin.... bam! your at goal right there 160. Good luck !!!

Yes you should take Vitamins and Calcium every day unless your doc says different. Always discuss it with him/her first. As far as the Protein drinks. There are some days where I'm just not in the mood to eat alot of meat/cheese/dairy/beans to get my protein in so having the drinks available is a great back up

Hi, good afternoon Patty, believe me when I say it goes quick but when your in the midst of it all, running her and there, it goes slooooow !! Your disney trip sounds so nice, it sounds like when your there, the rest of the world and their problems don't exhist I'm looking forward to going to florida some day. Last time I was there was 1971, 3 rides opened LOL. Its gonna be great. We are saving our pennies and its gonna be a 20th wedding anniversary present to each other plus DD will be old enuf. We never went on a honey moon so this will be like our honeymoon + dd I had chicken so far, a few bites of a baked potato and some whole cooked carrots. Ohh and Guiltless tortilla chips w/some chili I'm trying to learn to tast life instead of inhaling it lol. Its not easy thats for sure. I've had 2 M&M's and was so happy. I'm also having diet puddings. Ira, are we interested in recipies???????? do bears poop in the woods LOLOLOL, I love recipies, bring em on !!!! I love cook books and watching the Food network. Surprised??? My mom makes a wonderful potato sausage stuffing that is out of this world, but this year we are making plain bread stuffing. I'm considereing going to the december support meeting. Hopefully that chick won't hog the entire meeting "ME ME ME ME ME" LOL, well if anything I did laugh real good at her. Schmuck !! snort ~

Good Morning Beanie, your vacation sounds like a great one, enjoy. When are you leaving? I must start getting ready for church, today DD gets to do a Thanksgiving dance with the rest of the little girls. Its gonna be so cute, they have black long dresses, like just below the knee and they wear pink footless stockings. Then after the dance for thanksgiving comes the Christmas dance (in a few weeks) and they wear the same outfit but they put a big ol red sash around their waists. Of course I'll be there video taping it. Then its home and I have to start cooking for DH's lunches and our dinners until Wednesday (since thursday we know what we're having lol gobble gobble). Oooop, my coffee has arrived... DH wanted a bagel so he offered me a cup of hazelnut joe.... like I'm gonna say NO HAAA !!! Whats everyone doing today?

Tomorrow I start real food, no mushies, no pureed, real food. I gotta say, I am afraid. I'm afraid of eating to fast, to much, I'm afraid of something getting stuck. I know dry ckn can be a probem, bread and stuff like that so I don't intend on going in that direction. I guess bottom line is... I'm afraid of gaining weight back, especially after struggling these past few weeks. I'm looking forward to biting into something but scared poopless. Thanks for listening. Hugs !!!

Water Unsweetened Iced Tea Crystal Light Fruit 2O

Well during my mushy week, I ate alot of mashed cauliflower, butternut squash and tomato Soup. I tollerated really well. I just hit the 'normal food' stage today and already I've had some salad, carrots w/low fat dip, zucchini and it all went down really well (chew chew chew)... I am almost 4 weeks post-op. Tonight I ate for dinner 1/4 of a ckn breast in a sauce, cooked carrots, and a few bites of a baked potato, and a few bites of my salad. All is good (so far lol). I'm gonna hit some fruit tomorrow

2 a week is fantastic. Thats 104 lbs a year folks, I'd take that in a heart beat. I really can't comment on the losing end b/c I just am under 4 weeks out. I'll let you know in January / February.

You go girl, you dream and don't ever stop !!!!

Hehehehehe !!!! Good For You !!!!

Well we just came back from my first real meal, dinner. I had chicken, baked potato w/sour cream and carrots (the ckn was in a sauce so it was nice and moist) I ate the smallest pieces, you'd think I was feeding a baby. I was eating and eating and Boing!!! I felt a twing in my stomach. I put down my fork and said not another bite, although my brain said keep going. I wasn't "full" just content. This is nice I ate about 1/4 of the meal which was about 1/4 of a piece of ckn breast, 5 small bites of the baked potato, maybe 1/4 cup of carrots.....oh and about 5 tiny bites of salad. All in all about a cup of food. My brain kept saying DESSERT !!!!!!! lol, but I didn't. Thanks again everyone

4 - 5 days I started feeling good. Its been almost 4 weeks and I have days where I just hurt more than others but over all I feel pretty good.

BRAVO !!!!! Good job We're very proud of you :D

Well I can answer some. Normal food after surgery: I am entering week 5 after surgery and I'm now allowed to have normal food. But every doctor's diet is different. Port: My port is right between my boobs under my bra line... yep! Fills: Haven't had a fill yet so can't answer that one. My fill is going to be some time in January, 2+ months after my surgery. Pre-op Diet: I didn't have a pre-surgery diet, I ate anything and everything right to the day b/4 surgery. Time off: Everyone is different on how they feel after surgery. Some people go back in one week. I am taking 6 weeks b/c I have the time to do so and I'm glad I am. Doc diet or me diet: I choose what i want to eat but I'm watching my calories and trying to make healthy choices, I mean thats why I had the surgery...to get healthy.

Glad your home !!

Betty, its good to see you. Don't work to hard today but if you do, reward yourself with something sinful tonight and I don't mean food Pat, your picture on the WL picture thread is beautiful, you really look so different, so pretty and beautiful colar bones Hot stuff. Patty, my surgeon was the one to decide what tests and other doctors I needed to see, my PCP had nothing really to do with it although he did send in a letter to the insurance company...didn't hurt. Most surgeons make you go to a seminar first before they will even see you. The seminar is usually given by the surgeon and they tell you in detail everything about the procedure and even about gastric bypass. If you decide to go with the surgery they (the surgeon) give you a list of things you must do and people you must see before you actually have the consultation with him/her. So this is what I had to do. Seminar Blood Work EKG Chest Xray Nutritionalist Psych Evaluation Support Group Meeting Surgeon Consultation (I had to bring a list of every diet and exercise plan I was ever on in my life, you need to include dates and how long you were on each program/diet/exercise etc., it was 3 pages when I got done, the surgeon needs this to build a case for the insurance company) I had to prove 6 months of a supervised diet by a doctor, I had plenty of that with my PCP's records. After the Consultation I got my surgery date As I got closer to the date I had to see my PCP for a medical clearance and I had to get more blood work done (pre op stuff). So from the consultation to the actual surgery it was 2 months and in that time I waited for my insurance to deem this surgery medically necessary. I got my approval the friday before my monday surgery...talk about chewing your nails to the bone LOL. Every doctor is different, some make you lose weight before surgery, some make you also do a 2 week pre op liquid diet. My doc didn't make me do any of this. Also some doctors will put you thru more medical testing depending on whats wrong with you. Hope I didn't confuse you LOL !!! HUGS !

Take care of Mama first because if Mama ain't happy than nobody is happy. I would suggest losing weight first, you are young and have many years ahead of you for healthy happy babies. Don't let your DH rush you or anyone else. Having babies at a higher weight means higher risks. Plus its harder for the doctors. A benefit of weighing less is having more energy for the baby and believe me, your gonna need it lol. Take care of you first.

Just think, those of you who are scrapbooking about your journey with the band can keep your first PB in one of those cute little bags. ROFLMFAO !!

Ummmmm your brothers? I dunno, thought maybe it was a trick question LOL.