Anwyn

1/2/06: 220 1/9/06: 221 1/15/06: 221 I'm weighing in a little early this week... I stayed the same weight but I had a good NSV today. I was able to get through almost all of Kare's exercise CD! I skipped 3 songs. I did 30 minutes on the treadmill, 23 minutes on the elliptical, and 5 minutes of cooldown/stretching for a total of 58 minutes. It's probably been about 8 years since I worked out that hard.

Has anyone else noticed that they bruise more easily since surgery? I was getting ready this morning and I noticed 5 or 6 small bruises on various areas. Nothing painful or too ugly, but I did think it was weird since I don't remember being any klutzier than usual... Has anyone else experienced this? Do you think it's Vitamin related? I'm having a full blood workup this week and I'm the first to admit that I'm terrible at remembering to take my daily vitamin.

I loved my boppy (nursing/feeding pillow). I also had a pile of cloth diapers in every room of the house for burping and cleaning up spit-up. I had the car seat papoose thingy that Pat is talking about too and I LOVED it, especially if you're in a cold part of the country. It's like a blanket that fits around the infant carrier and zips up. It keeps them super warm and you don't have to mess with infant winter coats. Those cloth play gyms that you can lay the baby on are great too. I have more ideas, but I don't want to overwhelm you, lol! Is she registered anywhere?

Congratulations on the job and the new clothes! 4 sizes?! Wow. :rofl:

Welcome to LBT Lisa! Congrats on getting your surgery date. :rofl:

Hi Randy, My nutritionist told me not to worry about the type of Protein. As long as I was getting in 60 grams a day she was happy. Are you on mushies yet? Cottage cheese and refried Beans have a lot of protein. He probably recommended the shakes because they're so easy and they have the added Vitamins and minerals.

1 egg 3/4 cup skim milk 1 cup low fat shredded Cheddar cheese (stay away from NO fat cheese or they will turn out rubbery) 1/2 cup quick cooking oats 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp pepper 1 pound ground turkey 1/3 cup ketchup 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 teaspoon prepared mustard In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, cheese, oats, salt, garlic, and pepper. Add the ground turkey and mix well. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with PAM and split mixture into 8 muffin slots (4 will be empty unless you want to make a bigger batch). In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. These freeze great, and are the perfect portion size for me. My kids LOVE this recipe and my son is a very picky eater. You can substitute bread crumbs for the quick oats.

I agree with leaving it to your hubby to talk to her. I doubt that she intends to cut your grandkids out of her life forever. DH should make it clear that the groveling is over (after all, you did nothing wrong and in my opinion it was above and beyond for you to apologize in the first place). He can let her know that you all miss her and when she's ready to re-enter your life the door will be wide open, but the decision is up to her. Take the high road and don't feel bad for your children. The truth is, if she isn't willing to reconcile then they're probably better off without her in their life. NanaRenan is right on - she's jealous and is using this as a way to make you feel bad about making a good choice for yourself. Don't let her get to you.

Let's see... It's been just about 26 weeks since you were banded and you're down 26 lbs... sounds to me like you're right on track! You should be losing an average of 1 to 2 pounds a week, and you are! So give yourself a pat on the back and tell that jerk that professionals aren't supposed to get mad at their patients, they're supposed to calmly discuss problems and offer solutions. I hope the New Year is going better for you!

I was told that my only options were tylenol or narcotics (we were talking about back pain at the time). I would talk to your surgeon... I know some people take ibuprofen very occasionally but you are both newly banded and you want to avoid irritating your stomach right now. IMO, I don't think pain meds will help with the shoulder pain. One theory is that it's caused by gas, another is that it's referred pain caused by the band rubbing on the diaphram. Either way, I think it's just something that you have to let run it's course. Try walking as much as possible and using a heating pad - it's supposed to help. How cool that you were banded with your sister! Hope you're both feeling better soon.

I can sit in kitchen chairs with side arms again. I can fit in a booth again. I can shop at the mall for hours without having to stop and rest. Sex is way better. I carry myself with more confidence and feel good about how I look when I get dressed in the morning. I can cross my legs. Did I mention sex is way better?

I started out walking (very slowly) on a treadmill for 30 minutes. It's one month later and I'm up to 25 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the elliptical. I don't have a pool nearby, but the exercise specialist suggested Water aerobics for people who are just starting a workout regime. Good luck!

Good luck next week!

Eileen, I'm sooooo sorry that I made the crack about your next vacation being far off... What bad timing! I'm sorry you had such a bad day! (((((((HUGS)))))))

Those are both great Nancy. The second one really resonates with me. Thanks for sharing your poetry with us!

It doesn't happen often, but I know there are people out there who never need a fill. I think it's great! Why mess with fills if you're losing at a slow, steady rate. Congrats!

I know several people who have had their ports placed under the sternum too. If your doctor is worried about a smaller port, it seems like this would be the best option. Good luck - and congrats on your weight loss!

Lap just stands for laparoscopic (the method of placement, not the type of band). You can edit your signature by clicking on "quick links" at the top of the page.

Hi MCG! Congrats on your banding date. Before my banding I stocked up on different liquids and mushies and tried out a few protein shakes to make sure I had one that I liked. Other than that, I would read as much as possible on LBT to see the issues that you may be facing (i.e. shoulder pain, gas). The more knowledgeable you are, the better you will cope with things that may pop up. Good luck with your surgery - you're going to do great!

Endoscopy's are fairly common for bandsters... Most band doctors recommend an endo every year after banding because that's the only way to make sure you don't have erosion. That said, I would imagine that an endo is a little trickier with a band, so make sure the tech has experience with banded stomachs.

CONGRATULATIONS BEANIE & PATTY! :clap2: :clap2: Wow! A lot can happen when you don't read LBT everyday... Beanie, I had a feeling you were going to be approved! I just couldn't be happier for you. I'm so proud of you for sticking with it and not taking no for an answer. Patty, congrats on your new job!!!!! :rose: Don't worry - I'm sure the kids at your new school will love you just as much. I know how hard it can be to say goodbye, but great things lie in store for you. Isn't the dietician appointment frustrating? I told my dietician that I knew as much about food as she did. Then I clapped my hand over my mouth and felt really stupid, lol. I was trying to tell her that after years of reading about food, weight loss, dieting, etc I knew all there was to know, but it came out wrong. IMO, most heavy people know more about nutrition than skinny people. We just have a tougher time making healthy choices. Any news on your interview Betty? Good things always happen in threes, right? Sorry that I haven't posted - DD got sick a few days ago and it's been hectic around here. I took her to the urgent care yesterday because I thought it would be quicker than going to her regular doctor's office. BIG MISTAKE! It took us 3 1/2 hours... She has a bad ear infection and strep throat, so we started antibiotics. Poor little bug. So much for enjoying time away from DH, lol. Cindy, how are those eyes doing? Pink eye is such a nuisance. Has your daughter managed to avoid catching it? Are you back to school yet? By the way, it's Anne with an "e" :Banane34: Rene, that's great news about your son! How old is he? My son didn't say his first word until he turned 2 and now I can't get him to stop talking, lol. My DD is the same way, although we may have to do speech therapy for her because it's pretty unusual for a girl to be a late talker. She turned 2 in December and she only has 15-20 words. For now the Pediatrician wants to give it a couple of months to see if she progresses. Sherry, good luck fighting that chocolate devil! I've been struggling with food the last few days so I feel your pain. I still haven't gotten a hang of the whole stress eating thing. The band keeps it in check, but there's no stopping Ben & Jerry's, LOL! Oh well, let's get back on track together! Zan, I hope everything is okay with your Mom! Were the doctors able to give you any answers? Eileen, hang in there! You've almost made it through your first week back to work. Just 49 more weeks to go before your next vacation (sorry, I couldn't resist! LOL) It'll be easier next week now that you're back in the swing of things! I know I missed a few of you, but I hope you're all having a great day!

Good morning everyone! I've been reading, but getting a little overwhelmed at writing back, lol. DH is in California on business this week. He's at MacWorld San Francisco. He works in the basement, so I look forward to his trips. Sometimes you can have a little too much together time, ya know? Questions I am pondering this am... Am I the only one who isn't fascinated by whether or not Star Jones and Oprah and Kirstie Alley have had WLS? I'm glad whenever I see someone lose weight, and I don't really care how they do it. It makes me feel good just knowing it's possible. I don't care if you're a billionaire with a personal chef and a trainer, it's still just plain hard to do. And because you're famous you're required by law to give full disclosure to the public? I don't think that's right... Hop! I'm off my soapbox now... Ow! My knee! LOL Today should be quiet. I'm going to attempt to clean the house faster than my DD destroys it, but it won't be easy. I'm also thinking about dragging out my old Jane Fonda step aerobic tape while she's taking a nap. I also bought a yoga tape that I want to try out, but I want to get some cardio in today. Cindy, I remember having pink eye as a kid. My DS brought it home from school a few months back. Feel better soon! Beanie, that's the exact same dip recipe that my mom uses for potato chips, lol. Good for you for sticking with veggies. I need to work on getting more of those in. Thanks for sharing the pictures with us! Sherry, DH and I took my son to Martha's Vineyard a few years ago. We loved Massachusetts, it's beautiful. I am planning a trip to New Hampshire to visit my girlfriend this Spring. I prefer cooler temps, so I love the Northeast. That's all the time I have right now... I hope everyone is having a great day!

Great job Kellie!!

Jodie & Dody, You need to check with your pharmacists to see if any of your medications can be administered in liquid form. If not, ask if the pills can be crushed. I would think that a pill would have to be pretty small to go through the band.

1/9/06: Weight 221 (up 1 lb) NSV: I exercised twice this past week (for 45 minutes each time). For me, that's pretty good!