SherriWittler

<TABLE class=wide cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR><TD> I saw this post on another WL support site and did find it veryinteresting. Some of the things this guy says really DOES make youthink. I know I AM quilty of several of the things he wrote about.Remember, this is NOT me writing the following stuff ... It is justsomething I copied from somewhere else. I hope reading it can helpUS all out.Sherri*****************************************************Enough is enough... the truth about the bandI've been reading a lot of the posts lately, and noticing a fewtrends. </PRE> I thought I might address them. </PRE> Many of you are not going to like it, and I expect to get flamed. Iam not trying to peeve folks off, but I feel it is time for someoneto post a frank discussion on the band. Take my words with a grainof salt. This is not directed at any one person in particular, butat a general trend of threads appearing lately. If you're pissed atme after this… OK, but then again, maybe you'll get something out ofit in between the anger. </PRE> Here it is… </PRE> Quit your whining. </PRE> The band is not a miracle. It does not magically make caloriesdisappear from food. It is a tool you need to work WITH not AGAINST.If you work against it, you'll fail. End of story. </PRE> Let's clear up a few misconceptions about the band. </PRE> The band is not malabsorptive like the gastric bypass. The GB worksby allowing the patient to eat less, and more to the point, toabsorb LESS calories from the food they eat. The band ONLY restrictsthe QUANTITY of food, not the QUALITY. If you continue to eat high-calorie crap, you'll lose nothing… period. What this means is thatyou DO need to change your eating habits. You need to eat healthierfood, and less garbage. Some folks will lose some weight with theband because of the smaller quantities without changing their eatinghabits, but that loss will slow or stall, and WILL NOT BESUSTAINABLEunless they learn new habits. Face it folks, what we eat is what gotus fat in the first place. If you don't wanna change that, then youcan stay fat, and don't complain that you aren't losing. </PRE> Yes, you can have occasional treats. I am not saying that you haveto live a deprived life with no treats ever again, but keep themoccasional, and keep them small. Dessert every day is NOTOCCASIONAL. Once a week, maybe. Start looking at your favorite foodsand look for ways to make them healthier. Maybe use less fat, orhealthier fats, leaner cuts of meat, more veggies etc. Try to treatyourself with healthier foods as well, fruit instead of pie, bakedpretzels instead of fried chips, try those rice cakes you see in thestore. When you do have a treat… have ONE SERVING. Look at thelabel… if it says that 9 rice cakes are 1 serving… count them outand only have 9, not the whole bag! Use the sugar-free versions ofthings, the lower fat versions, and the lower carb versions… eatmore fresh foods, and less from packages. Yes, I know that freshfood is more work… too bad. You wanna get healthy? Then do it right.Kraft in the box might go down fine, but is it the right thing todo? Make the effort to cook healthier. It takes more time, butaren't you worth it? </PRE> RNY and Gastric Bypass patients need to diet too. If you think thatthey lose faster, you are right. In essence from malabsorbtion, theytechnically starve to lose initial weight, and lose a lot… morequickly than we do. SO WHAT?!?!? The human body is an amazing thing.It is smart, and learns to compensate. If the GB/RNY patient doesnot learn new, healthy eating habits, then they WILL GAIN THE WEIGHTBACK. In the long run, we have the advantage, as we do not lose atALL without new habits. We have to learn from the get-go, and in theend… our system willl adjust with us as we lose… not giving oursmart body a chance to get used to the new "arrangement" andcompensating for it. RNY/GB might look like a miracle, but it isn'teither. You still are the one in control, but the complications forit are much worse. I'm not dissing it, it is the right choice forsome, but for those who which to switch, simply because they havenot been doing the band with TRUE lifestyle changes… well… they arefooling themselves. Wisen up, and realize YOU need to change to makeany bariatric surgery a long-term success. </PRE> Head hunger, and stress eating are real. They are some of the thingsthat got us here. If it happens to you… GET HELP. Don't just standthere and say… duh, I don't know how to stop. Get on a program, seea therapist, join a bandster support group. Don't just cry aboutit…, DO SOMETHING. If you know emotional eating is an issue, thenyou have an EMOTIONAL PROBLEM, best dealt withby a therapist. Guesswhat folks, that is part of a whole weight loss program! Some maynot need it, but if these issues plague you, then get the help! Thatleads me to the next one… </PRE> Yes, you DO NEED TO EXERCISE. If you think you don't, then you arebeing foolish. Exercise does not mean a formal program at a gym witha personal trainer (although that is a GREAT IDEA). It means gettingout there and moving… biking, skating, swimming etc. Move… move…move!!! A sedentary life is another of the things that got us here.If you think sustained weight loss will happen without it, then youare again fooling yourself. Don't forget, that other than ahealthier life, the number 2 reason we got this done was to lookbetter. Folks, diet alone will not give you a better bod, exerciseand diet will. </PRE> This is not a liquid diet. Yes you will have periods of being onliquids, before and after surgery, and right after fills, but thisis not meant to be liquids for life. The band works by allowing asmall amount of food to stay in the pouch for a while, keepinghunger away. If all you have are Protein shakes… well frankly, theypass right thru, and give NO sustained satiety. You'll be hungry.Period. If all you can get down are liquids, then you are TOO TIGHT.It will NOT HELP YOUR WEIGHT LOSS TO BE TOO TIGHT! In fact, theopposite is true. If you cannot eat solid foods you will likelygain, because LIQUID CALORIES ARE MORE DENSE. You have GOT TO eatsolid food. </PRE> Low carb does not mean NO carb. Should you restrict carbs… yep. Weeat too many. This does not mean eat only protein. You cannotsurvive on only protein, you need veggies and carbs too… just lessof the carbs than you have been having. For one, try using healthiercarbs… want a potato? Eat a small baked red-skin new potato, withsome butter spray on it… instead of fries. Try Dreamfields low-carbpasta for Sunday spaghetti dinners, try brown rice instead of MinuteRice. Avoid the carbs in packaged foods… Mac and cheese, rice a ronietc. If you want mac and cheese, make it from scratch with lower fatcheese and Dreamfields or whole wheat Pasta. Use wholegrain bread,not Wonderbread. And… eat carbs last. Eat the protein first, thenveggies, then if you have room finish your carbs. Lastly… eliminatethe sugar… get it out period </PRE> Fast food is bad. End of story. Stay away from it… all of it. </PRE> Is a pre-op liquid diet important? You bet your boots it is. No, Iknow not all doctor's ask for it… but that doesn't change the factthat they should be asking for it. First off, it shrinks the liver,making it easier for the surgeon to perform the procedure. Second,it begins the weight loss process. Third, it speeds up recovery byhaving the body have less solid waste in the digestive tract, itwill work less, and not stress the points where the band is attached. </PRE> Is the post-op diet… liquids… mushies then solids important? Seeabove. This is for healing. Yes you can eat solid food sooner, and Iknow that this varies from doctor to doctor, but that doesn't meanit should. The stomach needs time to heal, and even though you CANeat solids earlier doesn't mean you should. Heal properly first. Asmost docs will say, any weight loss during this phase is a bonus.This is not the time for loss but healing. May folks WILL gain whengoing to mushies. Expect it. If you don't, you are one of the luckyfew… not the norm. Most folsk do not see real weight loss forMONTHS. This is how it is, deal with it. </PRE> You WILL NOT LOSE ALL YOUR WEIGHT IN A COUPLE MONTHS. Especiallythose of you with under 75 lbs to lose. Less to lose, the slower itwill be… that's it folks. If you got the band with 60-75 lbs tolose, do NOT expect to lose as much a month as someone who has200lbs to lose. Won't happen. If the doc told you it did, he lied.Most successful band patients lose 75% of their excess weight in theFIRST 2 YEARS… yep… years, not months. Deal with it… you are notgonna lose it by summer for swimsuit season. This is not intended tobe SPEEDY weight loss… if you don't get that, see #3 above. </PRE> It's OK to go to a foreign country to get my band because it is moreaffordable to me… Hmmm this one is debatable, and I will keep myopinion of foreign docs out of it. First off, when it comes tosurgery for my body, I don't want the lowest bidder, even though Iwas also self pay… but let's put that aside. I see too many folksgoing to places like Mexico for this procedure because they say thedoc is a brilliant surgeon… this is only 10% about the actualsurgery folks! It is the pre and aftercare provided that makes itwork. If you do NOT have an aftercare doc set up locally BEFORE yougo to Mexico for the surgery… then you are making a HUGE MISTAKE. Iam getting tired of seeing folks say…" I just got my band lastweekend, anyone know of any docs I can see for fills around here?"Geez?!@?!? What are you thinking? Didn't you have this all set upbeforehand? How could you have such a procedure done to your body… aprocedure that requires constant attention (and it is not just forfills folks!) and not be prepared before you do it? If this is yourplan, then I am confused on what you are doing. Aftercare with theband is not just fills, and you need access to a band doc locallyfor any problems. Sure you can get the procedure done in Mexico, buthave preparations for aftercare BEFORE they cut you open. </PRE> Look at the whole program. This is NOT just a surgical option. I'vesaid it before and I'll say it again, the surgery is only 1 hourlong… the rest of my life will be losing and maintaining myhealthier body. Nutritionists, exercise physiologists,psychologists, dieticians, support groups, a good fill doc… theseare ALL necessary to lose and maintain our health. If you only dealwith some of them… you'll fail. When you scout out docs to do thisprocedure, see how they deal with ALL of these factors…not just arethey a good cutter. Then, after the surgery, follow through with allof these. </PRE> If you don't know… ASK! The doctor, not the web group. Sure, it'sgreat to get support and ideas here, but I am amazed how many peopleare on here soliciting medical advice… ASK YOUR DOC! If he won'tgive you a straight answer… then he's not a good doc, and you needto seek out a better one. I mean COME ON!?!?! Now that we have thatstraightened out… let's say your doc tells you to do something… likestay on liquids for 2 weeks… DO IT. If he is a good doc, then thereis a reason to do what he says. This is NOT about you making yourOWN… UNEDUCATED judgment calls… he's the pro here… do what he says.If you don't understand why… then we go back to… ASK. </PRE> I'm sure I could say more, but I am also sure that I've pissed offhalf the folks who have read this. </PRE> Just had to get it off my chest. It is HARD WORK. Anythingworthwhile is. If you thought it was gonna be easy, then you wereeither lied to, or deluding yourself. </PRE> Work hard… get healthy… have a good life. We are ALL worth the time,effort and yes money, to be better healthier people. </PRE> __________________ Big Paul Banded Nov. 17, 20051st fill 1/3/2006: 3.2cc 2nd fill 2/7/2006: Removed 3.0cc, replaced 4.0cc 3rd fill 3/6/2006: Removed 3.6cc, replaced 4.0cc Unfill 3/14/2006: Removed 4.0cc, replaced 3.2cc 4th fill 4/3/2006: Removed 3.2cc, replaced 3.8cc 371/236/189135 lbs lost! 47 lbs to go! </PRE> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P>

(Copied this from my MySpce blog .... thought it would just be easier that way) March 5, 2008 - Wednesday <TABLE class=blog cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=30></TD><TD>Medical crap .... Going crazy here!!! Current mood: frustrated I need some prayers (or if praying isn't your thing, some positive vibes), please. I had my LapBand surgery 2 years ago. Everything has been fine ..... Except that I have developed reflux really bad and take pills for it!!! Well, about 4-5 months ago I started 'throwing up' some about 2-3 times a week. These past 4 weeks have been TERRIBLE and this past week has been more than I can take. Yesterday I 'threw up' 8 times during the day and much more during the night time. And most of that was from TRYING to drink liquid stuff ..... Not even food. I could not even sleep last night. I have been worried that my band as slipped or something (things like that DO happen .... I knew all this up front!!). I called my Weight loss (WL) doctors office this morning to talk to them. They want an upper GI done to see if slippage has occurred and then to take some Fluid out of my band to give my stomach a rest. Okay ..... Here is where I am going crazy!!! My insurance will NOT pay for any of this at all. I did know that up front 2 years ago that they do not pay for any WL surgery or complications from it ( I was a self pay patient). So my WL doctor is asking if my primary doctor can have me get a GI Xray here where I live and fax him the results ASAP. I live in a different state than where my WL doc is at. So, I call my Primary doc and she HAS to see me first before she can refer me to a doc for an upper GI?!?! I ask why .... She says for insurance purposes ..... I tell her that my insurance will not pay for it, that the upper GI will be as a cash patient, so why does she have to see me. Now she said she wants to see me so she can have it documented that she saw me and referred me to a doc for an upper GI. WHAT?!?!? So, I ask when is the soonest I can come in. They say Friday afternoon. WHAT?!?! I then ask how long after I come in can I get an upper GI ..... She says it could take 2-3 weeks for them to get me in to a GI doctor!! I tried to explain how I need something ASAP ..... That I am throwing up and cannot hardly eat!! I took the appointment and told them that if I can travel to where my WL surgeon is this week and he can get me in someplace then I may be calling back and canceling that appointment w/ them. I just am so depressed. I have a call back to my WL surgeon's office and am just waiting for them to call me back. I want to get something done ASAP. I hate this waiting game and I am not good at it. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE id=blogComments-2 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=blogCommentsProfile>Sherri </TD><TD class=blogComments width="100%"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=blogComments>Great news!! My WL nurse got me in down at Topeka on Friday ...... Upper GI at the hospital at 10:45 am and then meeting w/ my WL doctor and her at 1:30 Pm to go over X-rays and decide what to do. Posted by Sherri on March 5, 2008 - Wednesday at 4:29 PM </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> March 9, 2008 - Sunday <TABLE class=blog cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=30></TD><TD>UPDATE on my medical crap ) Current mood: okay Okay, here's the update. I went to St. Francis hospital in Topeka, KS Friday at 10:45 am to have an upper GI. They got me all ready and the doctor at the hospital was asking me 'what's going on w/ you that you are having problems?'. I told him about my throwing up for months now and the pain I have been having. He told the tech gal to start me w/ the thinner barium since I am having a hard time keeping things down. He told me to take a drink and to NOT shallow until he tells me to .... He said it will move fast and he has got to be ready to start taking pictures. He tells me to shallow .... I do ..... He makes this really funny face and says, "Um, I have NEVER seen this before ....... Let's have you take another drink and shallow". I do and he says this is really different. Of course, I am freaking and ask him, "WHAT ..... What is happening that is different?!?!". He pulls the 'live motion Xray machine around to where I can see it and points showing me my lapband and then he says all the stuff ABOVE your lapband is the barium that you just drank and not one drop has passed though your band. I asked him was this normal .... He says, "NO, this is not normal .... This is why you are throwing up .... Liquid should be passing ..... Slowly, BUT passing". So now I am freaking ..... My heart really beating fast!! He told the 2 tech's that he wants to get some still images. So, they do all those. An hour later I am done. He tells me that he will get all the images and report done and have them to my doctor's office when I go for my 1:30 appointment that afternoon. Roger and I go to Tallgrass to meet w/ my weigh loss surgeon at 1:30 PM. Him and another doctor have already gone over all my images. Here's the scoop ... I 'must have' irritated my stomach several months ago w/out knowing it and it has been 'festering' all this time building up over ALL these months. The bottom line is I have ulcers and lesions all over the inside of my stomach ABOVE my lapband and all over my esophagus, my 'pouch' above my lapband is SO SWOLLEN that it is a miracle that anything passes though it he said. He said they have to treat it aggressive and that means to take everything out of my lapband!! (*this is when I thought I was going to loose it ..... Take everything out! - - I was freaking thinking they might take 1/2 out and now he's says EVERYTHING!!!*) He said that by him taking everything out of my band that hopefully my stomach can take a rest and we can get all the ulcers and lesions healed up. He said that him and the other doctor did not see any slippage or erosion of my lapband which was a good thing (WHAT - - it's a WONDERFUL thing - - PRAISE GOD!!) So, he goes and gets the nurse and has her come in with a 'procedure tray' to unfill my band. While I'm laying there on the table being stuck w/ a needle that has stuff in it that is hurting and stinging like hell so that the 'procedure' doesn't hurt, part of me is screaming inside, screaming like they are taking away a part of 'my tool' that I need to loose weight!! Roger is trying to make 'small talk' w/ the doc about 'my problem'. When he finally gets ready to go into my band, it is the weirdest filling I fill moving inside my stomach. Of course, Roger told me later that it is a good thing I don't see the BIG needle they use to go into my band with!! (YIKES .... I hate needles!!). After the doc is done and I get wiped off and bandaged up, I lay there for a second. Now the 3 of us (Me, the doc and Rog) are sitting there and the doctor is telling us 'the plan' to get me better. I am taking 4 pills a day that coats and fills in the ulcers and lesions. Two pills for reflux. Stop eating solid foods (Like I have not been eating any solids since last Tuesday!!). liquid diet for 3-4 days, soft stage foods for 3-4 days and then after that to start eating foods that are diced up really fine and to take little bites and to chew the crap out of them before swallowing. If at anytime I have a hard time advancing up to the 'real food', I am to stop and go back to 1st base!! I am to not to drink or eat any food that causes 'burning' ..... Food w/ acid, alcohol, etc ... I am to take the pills for at least 2 months and then he'll decide on a new plan after those 2 months. We are going back on March 21 for a 'check up' and for the doc to see how I am doing. Once I have all these ulcers healed up, then we can talk about getting fills again in my band. The doc said that my goal right now is to get healthy and to NOT worry about loosing weight .... He said I may even gain weight during this time. *I started freakin again!!!* So, that is my update on me. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <HR SIZE=1>

Hey Everybody!! I won the KJO Lifestyle Achievement Award!!! I won!!! I won!! I WON!!!! Just a quick update that they had the awards program tonight ..... I won the KJO Lifestyle Achievement Award!!! I was so freaking excited!!! Here is what all I won: * A $500 gift card to WalMart/Sam's Club * A $200 gift card to J. Michael's * A 6 month membership to Alice's Energy Connection (A local fitness club). Thank you everybody fro voting for me. Sherri

I was worried about this before I entered the contest. I had asked before hand and was told WLS had no bearing on it. :wink_smile:

Vote for the K-Jo 7-Up Lifestyle Achievement Award ****** JUST 2 1/2 WEEKS LEFT TO VOTE!!! ******** Just a friendly reminder about me entering this contest at our local radio station for people who have lost weight. You can read my story, and all the others, by clicking on the link below. Each person can vote only 1 time a day. PLEASE vote for ME (SHERRI) everyday ..... Please!!! It is one vote per day (every 24 hours) per IP address. So, vote EVERYDAY! If EVERYBODY votes that is reading this ... I should be doing pretty good!!! http://kjo1055.com/Vote-for-the-K-Jo-7-Up-Lifestyle-Achievement-Award/1541478 Yes, I am not ashamed to be 'begging' for your votes ..... I want your votes!!! Please feel free to forward this message ...... I want votes!!! :thumbup:) Yes!, I am beging, again!! Thanks, Sherri

I blog on this one site, but it just does not seem very user friendly (or it could just be ME being stupid). If you blog, at what site, what all do you blog about, how often? Sherri

I started out in a sixe 32 and am now wearing a 14. My thoughts on free clothes is, pick out the ones you like and save them for when you can fian;;y fit into them I know I have spent so many $$$$ on clothes going down from a size 32. I would wear them until they were falling off of me. I was always on a look out for SALES to buy clothes. I hated buying big buck for something I would just wear a few months.

Just bumping this up. There is just 5 days left to vote. Thanks you all ..... I really do apprecaite this!! Sherri

Here are a few of my favorites: "There are two choices really. You can either surrender to the pressures of life and the struggles of this particular battle....or you continue the fight...and do so with even more vengence and determination to reach your goals then you did before. I choose the fight.....I know what it will get me." Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~ Marianne Williamson ~ "It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else's eyes."  "Every day you spend drifting away from your goals is a waste not only of that day, but also of the additional day it takes to regain lost ground." Ralph Marston "Real change happens, when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing."

I have a MySpace account. Feel free to add me as a freind ..... just let me know you are from lapbandtalk.com. MySpace.com - www.myspace.com/140028416

Thank you all!! I really appreciate it a whole lot!!!

OLD NAVY St. Patrick's T-Shirts We went to Old Navy Saturday night and they had all their St. Patrick's Day stuff 50% off. My 3 kiddos got the $5.00 shirts for ONLY $2.50 .... GREAT DEAL!! They had lotsof other St. Patrick's Day items, boxers, PJ pants, hats, etc..... Sherri

I know that i probaly would gain all of my weight back of I would ever have my bnd taken out. The band has been a VERY good tool for me and I hope I never have to have it removed. *keeping my fingers crossed!!*

I was self pay and my insurance will not pay for ANYTHING at all .... I had a bunch of trouble just this month w/ my band and I have had to pay right at $1,100 out of pocket.

A BIG Favor ..... please!!! :biggrin:) Vote for the K-Jo 7-Up Lifestyle Achievement Award I entered this contest at our local radio station for people who have lost weight (after much nudging from even the radio station's DJs). You can read my story, and all the others, by clicking on the link below .... you may have to copy and paste it. Each person can vote only 1 time a day. It is one vote per day (every 24 hours) per IP address. So, vote EVERYDAY from any computer you can teehee!! PLEASE vote for ME (SHERRI) everyday ..... please!!! Yes, I am not ashamed to be 'begging' for your votes ..... I want your votes!!! http://kjo1055.com/Vote-for-the-K-Jo-7-Up-Lifestyle-Achievement-Award/1541478 Please feel free to forward this message ...... I want votes!!! :hurray:) Yes!, I am begging, again!! Thanks, Sherri These were the jeans I was wearing the summer of 2005 - I had LapBand April 2006!!

A BIG Favor ..... please!!! :biggrin:) Vote for the K-Jo 7-Up Lifestyle Achievement Award I entered this contest at our local radio station for people who have lost weight (after much nudging from even the radio station's DJs). You can read my story, and all the others, by clicking on the link below .... you may have to copy and paste it. Each person can vote only 1 time a day. It is one vote per day (every 24 hours) per IP address. So, vote EVERYDAY from any computer you can teehee!! PLEASE vote for ME (SHERRI) everyday ..... please!!! Yes, I am not ashamed to be 'begging' for your votes ..... I want your votes!!! http://kjo1055.com/Vote-for-the-K-Jo-7-Up-Lifestyle-Achievement-Award/1541478 Please feel free to forward this message ...... I want votes!!! :hurray:) Yes!, I am begging, again!! Thanks, Sherri These were the jeans I was wearing the summer of 2005 - I had LapBand April 2006!!

I have a friend who had the lapband last August and has lost right at 70 pounds. She now has this BIG knot under her breast area that the doctor is just saying is her port. She has never been able to fill her port up that high before ..... it has always been MUCH lower down. He says as you loose weight that the position of your post can move. Have any of you ever heard this or dealt w/ this first hand. She is very concerned and would appreciate any and all advice. Thanks, Sherri

Alexandra ~ Yes, I do mean PORT ........ crazy me!!

Let me make it clearer .... she has always been able to fill her port -- it just was never in the location it is in now.

My friend and I was talking about the cost of the LapBand surgery ...... I was self pay and I was telling her I bet the cost that is billed to the insurance is a LOT higher than the self pay price. So, would any of you be willing to tell me what the total was that was billed to your insurance company for EVERYTHING (doctor and hospital)? Thanks, Sherri

So, $1600 is the TOTAL for EVERYTHING? Doctor and hospital and the band itself?

Wheetson - Are you saying your insurance then only had to pay $1674.00?! Sherri

Has anyone had trouble eating Chinese food? I had a bowl of hot and sour soup yesterday w/ some 'crunchy' noodles mixed in. Oh my gosh .... I thought I was going to die ..... I ate about 3/4 of it and had to stop ... I was so sick the rest of the day. I had diarrhea so bad I thought I was never going to stop. I don't know if it was the MGN that they put in it or what. All I know is that I am NEVER going to go for Chinese again!! Anybody else ever have problems w/ Chinese? Sherri

Thickness, Please start your own post and don't interrupt someone's post talking about something that has nothing to do w/ the original topic. This is a great group .... we all try to get along ... I think you are blowing things way out of proportion on this. You you want to flame someone you need to send them a private message and not do it on the general board.

I weighed last night before bed ....... since March 16, 2006 I have lost 26 pounds!! I know NOT to expect weight loss llike this all the time ...... it is due to being on a full liquid diet. 12 of those pounds I have lost since my surgery last Monday, April 17. So, all together, since the end of October I have lost a total of 48 pounds!! I am HAPPY!!