ReneBean

I understand. I really don't care if anybody thinks I am just Lazy. Screw 'em if they don't like it... but I have a co-worker who isn't telling anybody. I think for me - it was plainly obvious that I needed drastic measures - I was over 350 pounds - but for her, she would probably get more of "those" looks. Heck - maybe I will too after I get down lower. :] Hope your insurance approves you, too.

Hi Michelle I have the 'Big' band - so it took a while before I had any restriction - a loooooong while. Sadly - sometimes not even that 2nd fill does the trick. So - wait for at least two-three weeks just be sure that it doesn't "kick in" later and then go on back. Hugs!!

Congrats RW! Welcome to LBT. Let us know if you have any questions. The great thing about LBT is that if one person doesn't know - another one probably does. Hugs!

I found myself being incredibly rude at Christmas dinner.... my Sister had a plate of Fruit salad and Pea Salad - not a full plate - but probably a cup or more of each. Then she went back for her "real" food. She came back with dinner plate that was heaped over with turkey, stuffing, potatoes - you know the drill. I found my mouth hanging open - and I clearly had a look of horror upon my face - because my poor sis started justifying her giant plate of food. I may not have the portion size thing completely down - but there has been a RADICAL shift in what I consider to be an acceptable amount of food. YOU TOO can be appalled at your family members eating the same amounts of food you used to eat... if you get the band. :] Seriously - After 10 mos - I haven't lost that much weight - but I am going at it very slowly and can barely tell that I am on any kind of an eating plan. I have lost large amounts of weight before... I lost over 80 lbs to get below 200 a while back - but I had to completely OBSESS over every bite of food and every calorie burned. It took an all consuming concentration to lose those 80 lbs - and no time or thougth at all to gain every one of them back - with interest. I decided I didn't want to obsess any more. I just want to live my life and eat less. The band makes that possible. Truly. How many years before this one can I say that I weigh less now than I did before Thanksgiving? That would be NONE. Keep on researching. When you're ready, you'll know. Hugs!

Just do the best that you can and if you don't make it - don't let it ruin a beautiful day. The lace-up back on the dress is a great idea. I know that if you work at it - you will do great! Hugs!!

Well - are you on mushies? Beans are always good. Flan is nice and mushy - but not what you would call "good for you". I guess you could probably eat anything soft. You will just have to CHEW a lot. Hugs and Happy Birthday!!

Hi All Another glorious day in Mortgage Lending... Same as it ever was. 'nuff said. Not much going on here, today. I had a nice, uneventful weekend. We went to Sam's Club on Saturday and to a couple of other stores. Sunday I did many loads of laundry and we watched "The Closer" on TV. DH has been taping it - so we got all caught up. Mandy - Barley is a cute name - and a cute pup. I guess it's going to take some love and attention to turn him into the dog you always dreamed of, huh? Hearts? LOL! You know I never got decorations on my tree. Hearts would look so pretty! Yep - I didn't get the tree down - although I did pack up the rubble from wrapping and such and put most of the small stuff away. Darcy - thanks for the reminder to back up my photos to disk. There isn't anything else that would be a huge loss - but the photos.... Oh I am so sorry! Hugs!! And before I can hit an all-time low, I have to get back to where I was before Christmas... five more pounds to go. *sigh* At least it's coming off, now. Great Job for you and DH getting to the Y. I have yet to make THAT resolution come true. :] Chris - Congrats on getting the heck outta there... Sayonara Psycho Boy. I feel better just knowing that you won't be near him when he explodes into a thousand tiny pieces. Now you can get back to your clogging lessons... :] Eileenie - WOO HOO!!! Maybe Boss Man gets to live another year... BWAHAHAHAHA. I remember last year's fiasco. So glad this year was better. Hugs! and congrats on the raise. Cindy - Just tell your waiter-guy that you want French Nuveau (sp) portion sizes. That would be about right. A big plate with a cucumber slice, a cube of steak and some artfully placed parsley - Manifique! Maybe you will get a great Avatar shot on your cruise... :] Kat - Yeah - I am thinking those outside lights can wait until the weather clears up a bit. No DH on the roof in the snow. That sounds like a recipe for disaster, to me... Oh - and that money thing is the reason I try to avoid things like E-bay and QVC! I'm a sucker for a good marketing ploy... Ooooo. Grrrrrrr. Those children of Grandma Sarah make me so angry!... THEY didn't want to see her - but they were so spiteful and jealous that they wouldn't let YOU see her, either. I hope Karma gets them, but good. Call me uncharitable - but just can't stand it when people are like that. **Kat - I can never right click paste in this site. It has always been Ctrl C and Ctrl V. Betty - sounds like you had a somewhat busy weekend. So your boy is getting his own place, huh? That's pretty momentous stuff. I am with you on giving food instead of money. It sounds like your homeless lady needed that chocolate - and the company. Sherry - I think if I took one of those tests - I would be most suited to being an international playgirl... lol! Of course, I would LOVE to be an editor or something - but I have zero experience - AND I am not sure that the money could compare to the ridiculous sums I get for being a mortgage underwriter. I will get over this Blech feeling and be ok with it again... soon, I hope. Oh - and we might have to have a contest to see who can keep their tree up the longest without DH intervening... LOL! Mary - yep - that's pretty much what I said when the doc gave me the antibiotics - Thank God I went to the Doc. :] Hope you feel better soon! Of course, being sick is GREAT for keeping the appetite down. Now all you have to do is NOT go insane (like I did) when you feel better. Hugs! Oh - and that chair butt is what happens when your behind gets really skinny! I guess that's why skinny girls are more active than us... their butts hurt if they sit for too long! PATTY!!! I wish you had better news, too - but we are just glad to have you back. Don't let the stress of "catching up" keep you from coming out to play. Hugs!!! We'll try to keep you sane while you wait for your insurance peeps to pull their heads out... Well - Lunchtime has come and gone - so I must get back to the old grind. Hugs and Love to All

walking without pain in my knees and ankles...

My port is well below the surface - no problem there. I expect yours will be, too - unless you happen to have a very flat belly. As for the gurglie noises - uh - yeah. Sometimes I gurgle... loud. Mostly only when I eat or drink anything... but Yep - gurgling is pretty normal.

Alas - sometimes I wish more people had more Naive Ideals. It would be a much nicer world. I tend to agree that minorities SHOULD all band together against intolerance and hate - and that those of us who are NOT in the minority should join them whenever and wherever possible. The world has gone straight to hell because most of us just wallow in apathy and wait for somebody else to do something about it. I have been guilty of that myself - but I am trying to do better. It's not just race relations - but crime and education and everything else. I think the founding fathers of this nation would spin in their graves if they could see what we have allowed our politicians to do to the Constitution... but that's another firey debate. We all need to spread a little more love in the world, to speak up against intolerance. To Vote. To ACT instead of waiting to see what happens. Just my 2 cents.

Margo - If you have EVER been on a doctor supervised diet - that will usually fill the requirement for the insurance company. Just get the medical records. I have heard people that have used weight watchers membership and other things as well. I used old history of weight loss. That being said, I had to fight the insurance company for four months to get approved - but not because of that. You can always submit for pre-approval yourself - but that is a lot of work. You can also try another doctor who isn't going to Baa like a sheep when the insurance company calls. If your doc won't be more assertive, you will have to be. Sorry!!

I use the Atkins pre-mixed shakes. I get them at Sam's Club - cause they are cheapest there - but you can find them at Tom Thumb/Safeway or Walmart, too.

Welll - there isn't anything on your list that I CAN'T eat - although the bread would take some concentration and a whole lot of chewing. Don't get too worried - You will be ABLE to eat your favorites - just not in the same quantity. :]

Woo Hoo!! Congrats!!

Well - I can't recall my actual join - date for LBT - you will have to look at the top of this post - but I decided about 10 days into my research here that this was the correct surgery for me. I think it was 1.5 - 2 mos before I could submit to insurance... Then it took me a while to convince my insurance company... about 4 mos. I had my surgery on Feb 6th - so you can get an idea of the time for me from decision to action. Hugs!

Hey Y'All IT'S FRIDAY!!!!! YEE HAW!!! Can you tell I am a little excited about that concept? I have gotten to that point where I am all antsy and weird about my job. I don't actually hate it - it just isn't what I want to do. Of course, I don't really KNOW what I want to do, nor are there any obvious options right now - but I am less than thrilled to drag my ass in here every day. It's very strange. Thank goodness the Water is starting to drop off my body. My ankles are starting to look less puffy and the scale is behaving in a more civilized manner. I credit this to more water and more sleep in the last couple of days. Of course, it could be the new fill, too. :] It took me about and hour and a half to eat about 2 cups of mixed up mashed potato, chicken breast, kale and corn. My plan is to eat my "big" meal of the day at lunch and try to eat less at night. The fill is doing it's thing - now it is just the battle between my brain and my eyes. Somehow, the amount of food that I know is correct, and that would satisfy me, seems WAY too small to my eyes. While I was agog at the amount of food my DS ate at Christmas - I am still not quite to the correct level on the "How much is enough" question. I suppose it is just going to take some more time. Maybe by December 2007 I will have a better handle on that... :] Jules - GREAT JOB!!! I hate the bike butt, that is why I am getting an eliptical machine. I would rather stand than have bike butt. Cindy - Glad you are feeling a little bit better. It sounds like you are having a great time being a full time Mom. Enjoy! I totally agree with the "going slow" theory. I really beleive that half the reason I failed to maintain my losses in the past was because of the shock factor. I mean, the attention was overwhelming when I lost 80 lbs before.. I actually got under 200 lbs and looked pretty good - but I got so many comments... I think it just freaked me out. This time, I am going so slowly that hardly anyone notices. I only have a couple of people asking me "how much have you lost"... Dianne - Dad is 71 - almost 72. He had his first heart attack at about 35 - and has had other incidents with clogged arteries and such. As my Sis Mary said - his heart has been trying to kill him for over 30 yrs. It probably won't succeed any time soon. :]. I am so glad you are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Hugs and more Hugs!! Cass - Oh yeah - the first fill... How cool! If you have the big Vanguard band - you probably won't even notice the fill after the initial swelling goes down. One hint: I made sure NEVER to look at the needles. Just don't look. I know in my mind and from descriptions that they are sorta big - so I knew that if I saw it I would be afraid. So long as I don't look, it is all fine. My doc gives a little numbing shot - then I don't even feel the big needle go in. I have had 6 fills, now. It has taken until now to get GOOD restriction - but every fill has gotten me a little closer. They do mine under fluro - so they just make it really tight - have me swallow the barium and then loosen the band until the barium flows thru. I know lots of docs that sneak up on it and lots of people like that. I am sure it will be fine. HUGS! Oh - and I got a look at the dresses for your wedding. FABULOUS! Mandy - Hi! What name did you pick for your new puppy. Enquiring minds want to know... :] Sherry - somehow I missed it. What class are you taking on Saturday? Betty - Good Job on no Sweets. I can only do that if I lay in a good supply of sugar free popcicles and fudgecicles. So, how was the big meeting? Kat - enjoy the time with your DH. I completely understand! Hugs and have a great weekend! Anne - don't you just hate losing a long drawn out post... I know I do. I use a couple of things to never lose all my work. Highlight all your text every so often while you are typing and hit Control & C at the same time. That copies the text. To paste it back in - Hit Control & V - V for Victory over the Back key... Or some people just type up the whole post in a word document and then paste it into the reply box. Either way works. Highlight what you want to copy and hit the "CTRL" key and the "C" key at the same time. To paste - Put the cursor where you want the text and then hit "CTRL" key and the "V" key at the same time. Love you, too! Well - I am off to enjoy another five hours of employment "bliss". All I can say is that I have bought my lottery tickets for January... *sigh* Happy Friday to All and to All a Good Night...

Well - I don't know much about insurance - but from my experiences in trying to get the initial approval from BCBS - it is NO SURPRISE that your run of the mill person answering the phone at the insurance company doesn't know their own policy. I do know that I knew up front that the Anesthesiologist had to be paid separately and that the insurance wasn't going to cover that part. Since I had THOUGHT I was going to have to pay as much as 20% of the total bill, I didn't really care. Nor did I think to question the Why of it. Sorry I can't be more help - all I know is that it is more than possible that your insurance people don't know their own policy.

Hey John - Been there, done that, won the insurance battle. e-mail me and I will forward the letters I used to fight. Hugs and good luck~!!

Party On!! Congrats on getting your surgery date and welcome to LBT!!! :]

Hey Sophie - Your story and your pattern is familiar to me... Only I did the same thing for another several years and another 100 pounds or so. Lose 20 lbs, gain 30.... I think the surgery is a great thing. While I am not the MOST compliant bandster, I am still losing - and when I get off track - it isn't like it was in the bad old days when I would lose weight and then gain it all back in a month. Now - once the weight is gone, it's pretty much gone for good. It fluctuates a bit - due to Water retention and stuff - but really it is gone. So - even if you just float for a month or two without LOSING - you probably won't gain. (you have to almost work at gaining...) When you are ready to be motivated again, you get to start from where you left off - not from back at square one. Think long and hard - research a lot. Make your own decision. While I think this is a great surgery, and I wish every day that it had been available to me 10 yrs ago - it will only be a good option for YOU if you believe that it will work, and that you will work with the band. Best of luck in your research and in your decision. **Maro - I tossed them on January 1. THROW THEM OUT. Cookies are not your friend. Hugs!

Hi Mandi - Welcome! Congrats on your 11 pounds! I am sending good thoughts for quick healing! Hugs!

Kathy - how happy and beautiful you look!! Great photo!

Congrats to All of us!! We Rock! :]

Tuna mixed as you normally like it and then run thru a food processor until all the lumps are gone. Chili cooked long enough so the Beans are nice and soft. - run it through the food processor to take out any big lumps. Refried beans mixed with enchilada sauce - and queso if you have it. (it's a TX thing...) Pretty much anything you can run through a food processor and still like, go for it. :]

Just like the insurance company - you have to harass the doctor's office, too. I had the same experience - it took weeks to get the stinking letter from my PCP - and then it was practically just a carbon copy of the letter I had written. I could have done better than she did... *sigh* It all takes time - and nobody gives a rat's ass until you actually have insurance or loan approval. THEN you will see the surgeon's office move... Keep fighting the good fight. Good Luck!