SpecialK

May 29, 2009 aJoneen.........................-080 pounds lost! Bandana....................... 0 92 lbs lost BrandNewLisa............0 80pounds LOST forever!!! evelas5000...................0 50 pounds Lost Desdemona...................0 Fenton...........................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! HarleyGirl....................-5 85 pounds LOST! Hopeinapril................. 0 55 pounds lost Kpodski......................... Lynnt1215.....................0 NurseNiki......................0 Nycm00........................ Potatie............................0 140 POUNDS LOST!! Scrappy_Friend........ +3 160 POUNDS LOST!!!! SpecialK........................-3 110 lbs GONE forever! Sugarbean....................0 117 POUNDS LOST !!! Sharona.........................0 stellabella......................0 75 POUNDS LOST! Tess415..........................0 Thin2bme...................- .4 100 POUNDS LOST!! WestCoastMom............0 Wishin4...........................0 84 pounds gone!!

Last night's Mt. Carmel Bariatric Support group was led by our program nutritionist as our bariatric nurse coordinator was off on vacation. I have seen alot of interesting postings on this board about the VSG or Gastric Sleeve and I asked her if she knew if Mt. Carmel's surgeons were considering offering that in addition to Lapband and RNY. Turns out Dr. Choban is doing an extensive study and I guess there is a ton of preparation work and certification in the medical field, the nurses, the OR staff, etc. before they can add a new surgical procedure to their offerings. She even mentioned that Mt. Carmel now offers the Realize band as well as Allergan's Lapband which I didn't know. She said it took alot of special preparation to add the second manufacturer's band option to their bariatric program.

BillOH -- you're too funny! Yes, it is easier to laugh at ourselves when we are in the stages of doing something positive to change our lives. The first time we did a gathering at the mall, I didn't want to say look anything indelicate to offend anyone so I suggested we all wear something pink and I'd have a helium balloon to help us find each other! It worked! Now we have a specific corner we sit in so that makes it easier to find us too.

Juli - great to hear you are feeling 100% at 8 weeks -- running and a full spin class -- wow. Good luck on the job opportunity!

I just recently found the pictures I took that day of the lady in the red dress that had lost 180+ lbs and I thought I'd post it to help those of us who have alot to lose to realize it can be done!! I checked out this Jessica McClintock gown on that website and it was pricey but in my opinion really hot!

Last June, I put a challenge out to those who had lost weight at that time that I knew of the Food Bank in Westerville - called WARM - that needs food donations in June especially due to so many children get out of school and no longer have a breakfast or subsidized lunch so parents can especially use grocery help for the summer. I had lost about 40 lbs at that point so I donated 40 lbs of sugar and was shocked at how heavy that amount was to lift. Couldn't remember how I had done that going up and down steps and carrying that 40 lbs all the time. Duh!! Anyway, they are collecting again this June and if anyone wants to bring food pantry or non-perishables donations along to the Saturday lapband gathering at the mall, I will gladly coordinate taking them to my church as one of the drop off points. If you have bags or box of items you want me to get when we are done meeting, I can drive my car to where you are parked. Just let me know. Okay, so how the heck can I celebrate my -110 lbs gone forever milestone as of this a.m.?

Here is a weird food restriction question - I can eat a baked potato (flesh insides) but french fries are a whole another thing! I got a serving of fries with a sandwich out at a restaurant and thought I'd take them home and reheat to snack on some. They were fine reheated in the oven but I only ate about 3-4 fries and was full! as in I can't eat another bite or I will be sorry. So, I guess the lesson is to just let the fries be thrown away next time or just say hold the fries. I usually do try to swap fries with something healthier like coleslaw or a side salad. Anybody else find french fries are a no-no food not just because of calories but because of how overly full they make you with just a few bites? P.S. the Sandwich ingredients were eaten - grilled sausage with peppers and onions and threw the bun away - never considered eating the bread!

Also a warning to those who use a riding mower -- take your Bodybugg off before getting on the mower. It is not smart enough to figure out that the velocity of your body is due to the mower moving and not your body moving! It tried to give me credit for an 1.5 hrs of running and because it was a logged metric on the device, it wouldn't let me correct it to say I was burning calories at the rate I would have been sitting.

I was very faithfully wearing my Bodybugg and logging my food in, etc. and then I went on vacation out of state for a week where I didn't have internet access to upload the data off it or to charge it on the computer via its USB cable and when I got home, it wouldn't upload no matter what I tried. I spent an hour and 15 minutes on the phone with the Bodybugg support guy (call center in Mexico) and they finally decided it was defective and they would send me a new one. So far 10 days and no new Bodybugg has arrived. Getting a little frustrated. Anybody else had similar experience?

Found this on Wkipedia and I am searching for info because I accidentally swallowed a small piece of gum about 2 weeks ago and I've been paranoid about it since then. Can't say I can tell if it has passed through or not but according to this, it will go through but not sure if the stoma is restricted if that stupid gum is taking up room up in my upper pouch. Needless to say, no more gum for me. "In reality, the stomach can't digest the gum matter and it is passed through the intestines along with the other non-processed waste, usually around 48 hours. "

Bill, we welcome a newcomer anytime. We have a varied number each month depending on what's keeping people busy but generally there is about 4-5 ladies and 1 gentleman pretty consistently. Some months we have had as many as 10-15 and we keep sharing that there is this opportunity so if we can get to a consistent size of 10 or so that would be great. We especially need someone to keep Patrick (a self-pay guy who is doing great) company! We have a mix of those who are pre-band and post-band but we're actually getting more of us over a year plus out from banding and some of us are over the +100 lbs mark or are well past losing 50% of our excess weight toward our goal.

Here's a weird food episode. On Memorial weekend, we had burgers grilled out and an ear of sweet corn and did fine. I cut the corn off the cob of the extra ears of corn and tried to eat about 1/2 cup of corn tonight and totally sliming all over even with having chewed the corn very well. I don't know if it was the combination of the hamburger had some grease to help ease things down or what. I think I'm going to use my little food processor and chop that corn up into "creamed corn" because it did taste really good. My Mom and I went to KFC and got a 1 piece chicken meal with 2 sides of coleslaw and I really was more interested in eating the coleslaw first and lo and behold, I got full on 3/4 cup of coleslaw and never touched the piece of chicken. Restriction does seem to vary day to day on some things.

Congrats Christy! I think I remember that you are going to Dr. Curry in Cincy. Wishing you all the best. Post and let us know when you are home.

How is everyone doing this holiday weekend? Hope you are out and having some fun.

Mike, I went to Mt. Carmel's bariatric program and have had great success and I loved my surgeons. I also participate in a locally organized informal support group where we meet at the Polaris Mall and have coffee and help support each other. We represent OSU, Mt. Carmel, Riverside, and Dr. Curry in Cincy (self-pay). I don't think we have had anyone join us from the Barix program but its a nice casual opportunity to talk with folks from all the different programs if you'd like. Look under the Columbus thread and/or a bandster named HeatherA usually posts a thread where we say the next get together will be.

Dr. Curry in Cincy and he has a Columbus office takes patients that were banded other places I believe.

Okay, you asked for it! Are you crazy! Those beautiful children and a lifetime commitment you made to have a lapband put in and you are already off track. Please see your doctor immediately and/or a counselor. They don't want you eating even soft foods early on because your stomach has to heal, the stitches holding the lapband in place have to settle and heal and I am really afraid with the chances you are taking with the eating you describe, that you could be leading yourself to a potential for a lapband slip due to it not getting seated well around the top of your stomach pouch. So yes, kick it in gear for yourself and your family.

Hi there STAR8888 and Ridethewave! I'm now about 16 months out from my lapband surgery at Mt. Carmel. Where are you considering having your lapband surgery at. Come visit us over on the USA Local Groups under Ohio and there is a Columbus thread of those of us who are in the Central Ohio area and support each other and actually meet in person once a month at the Polaris mall for coffee and talking. Kathy

5/22 aJoneen.........................1 75 pounds lost! Bandana....................... 0 92 lbs lost BrandNewLisa............0 80pounds LOST forever!!! evelas5000...................0 50 pounds Lost Desdemona...................0 Fenton...........................0 100 POUNDS LOST !! HarleyGirl....................0 85 pounds LOST! Hopeinapril................. -.4 55 pounds lost Kpodski......................... Lynnt1215.....................0 NurseNiki......................0 Nycm00........................ Potatie............................-3 140 POUNDS LOST!! Scrappy_Friend........ +2 160 POUNDS LOST!!!! SpecialK........................-1 106 lbs GONE forever! Sugarbean....................0 117 POUNDS LOST !!! Sharona.........................0 stellabella......................0 75 POUNDS LOST! Tess415..........................0 Thin2bme................... 100 POUNDS LOST!! WestCoastMom............0 Wishin4........................... 82 pounds gone!!

Sillypuddy - check out www.dailyplate.com or www.fitday.com as I understand they are two free online food tracking journaling web sites lots of us use. I have a similar one I use that is part of my bodybugg site. You just log in and put in breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner, etc. and each has a directory or list of foods they already have you can search from and use and most also let you enter the info off a nutrition label for something specific you like to use and then you can reuse that same item again. Or, the alternative is a piece of paper and/or using a spreadsheet in Excel to log things. Whatever works but I like using the online trackers because you learn about the nutrition and calorie counts of the foods to help you. K

I posted some vacation NSVs and some vacation food downfalls too. Getting back on the BANDWAGON now that I'm home. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f56/columbus-area-42327/index33.html

For all those of us who long to see smaller sizes I had one other NSV while on vacation. We did lots and lots of shopping and I am still trying to be good about not spending good money on nice clothes with the hopes that as I keep losing, I will just need some smaller things. Anyway, there was a neat clearance rack at this store in Florida called Bells and there was a cute red, black and white jacket with about 3/4 length sleeves and the size 16 fit me, buttoned all the way down. I chased my mother and sister down in the store to model it for them. Ha! Ha! They said buy it! I resisted because it was the first day of vacation shopping but by the end of the week it was still there and even marked down a little more so I did splurge and buy it. It was about $20 on sale and even if I can't wear it a long time (if I keep on working out and eating right!) it will always give me the pleasure of knowing it was the first size 16 I have been able to fit into in a very very long time. Actually size 16 was the smallest size in the Plus Size section. That alone is a victory because I used to have to go to the highest or largest plus size they offered on the racks and hope it fit. Just for the fun of it, I tried on something in a 14 (getting greedy on my hopes and dreams) and I could get my arms in it but not button it!

Here is a positive vacation posting about my NSV flying. It is posted over on the Columbus thread on page 33 approximately. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f56/columbus-area-42327/index33.html

I sent HeatherA an email when I got to Florida from my recent trip there because I traveled with my mother and got the middle seat on the plane which would have been very hard for me in the past at +100 lbs ago. I would always pick an aisle seat so I had a little more room and could lean into the aisle some with my upper body to give the middle seat person their fair share of room with my size. I also have needed a seat belt extension for the last several years of flying and that was always a nightmare with the boarding process to have to push the button to get a flight attendant's attention or stop them and ask. Some of the attendants would be discreet about it and others clearly would let you know it was a "bother" to them and they would sometimes say you will have to wait until we get the flight safety instructions done and then I can bring you my demo one. All in all, embarrassing. So now onto a happier note! On the flight down I was in the middle seat with my mother in the aisle seat and I was able to fit in that seat comfortably with the arms down and with enough seatbelt and 3+" of seatbelt to spare. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! and Thank God for my Lapband! It occurred to me on the flight coming home that I should try to take a scrapbook picture of me with this magical seatbelt moment and I was trying to figure out who could take the picture without having to explain to those who don't understand these things why this was so important to me. Then it dawned on me that there were these two young girls that were taking a picture of themselves by just holding their digital camera at arms length away and just experimenting with the pictures until they got one they liked. So that is what I did! I tried to get a picture that shows the seat belt buckled with room on the belt to spare! The last picture is labeled Tray Table Down! Yes, that silly table that would never be able to fold completely down to hold my drink actually did come down in the middle seat actually better than the aisle seat I was in but regardless, I didn't have to hold my drink in my hand because it couldn't be set on the tray table. It still shows there isn't much room to spare between the table edge and my body, but it wasn't uncomfortable using the tray table. Can't wait until the next time I get to fly on a plane with maybe more seatbelt slack! That next trip I want to take overseas or to Hawaii on a long flight will be much easier. :rolleyes2::tt1::thumbup:

Greg, Lyn and Sarah -- good to hear how you are all doing. I just got back from a week of vacation in Ft Myers and Naples, Florida and I ate way too much high calorie food because family was doing it and we were eating lots of meals out (Chinese, Greek, Italian, Steaks, Seafood) Ugh! I thought with all the walking and swimming I was doing I would be okay but the scale says +1 lb this a.m. here at home so that is a bummer. Still struggling to only order the amount of food I can really eat and its so wasteful throwing away half a meal. We would take leftovers home to the condo where we stayed and I just couldn't eat them before we would be out for another nice meal. My biggest downfall and tempation is my mother loves ice cream and we were going somewhere every day to get her ice cream and even with me skipping every other day and trying to be good, it is hard to see them eating and not want some too when it is 95+ degrees out. I'm at home now and promising myself to get back on the BANDWAGON! No more excuses.