WLSResources/ClothingExch

The topic comes up over and over. The article, from sparkpeople.com, isn't specific to bariatric surgery, but the problem is universal. I hope that some of you find it helpful. (I haven't read it.) http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=2087

@@teedsg, good suggestions there. Because I heard that so many people find OA helpful, I went to two meetings a few years ago. Fortunate for me that NY has many groups, including one called "Agnostics" for people who can't relate to the higher power notion. Even so, the meetings were too ritualistic for me. It struck me that way at the first meeting, yet it was good to go the second time in case my first impression was wrong for me. Lately I've been thinking of trying it again. YOu never can tell...

It sounds as though you weren't aware that it usually takes a few adjustments for the band to do what you need. You're obviously doing your part, so chin up. You're in great shape.

Sadly, it can take a while to get to an ideal place. It seems to me, however, that your experience is out of the ordinary. Bands neither lose nor gain weight. Your weight gain is most likely because of your own food choices and, if applicable, sedentary living. If you have been eating properly for weight-loss, it's probably time for a general physical exam. Also to consider is that some medications contribute to weight gain either by stimulating appetite or affecting metabolism. Assuming that you know understand what to expect from a band that's finely-tuned to you and your 'responsibility' as the band owner/user , I can only suggest that you make an appt to speak with the NP about your band's behavior. Yikes -- I'll leave all the above where it is, but it occurs to me that 3.5cc after 7 fills sounds especially odd. You may have a leak somewhere in the apparatus. Make an appt to discuss the possibility and what to expect when working with a band -- what's called the "green zone" where all is good.

Yes, I spoke with an admin exec of the facility. She was sincerely concerned and apologetic, the latter of which is less important. One of the people who burns CDs to fulfill requests was working on a few at once, hence, the mix-up in mailing. Upon being notified of the error, they immediately began limiting the task to one request at a time, with each being filled and sealed before going on to the next. I suppose I'm not the only person who called, but it's not unlikely that my records weren't involved. Nevertheless I do believe they'll take extra precautions hereon. I received my own things yesterday of FexEx overnight and another set today by regular mail.

I have a lapband. What I experience with too-cold likwids is pretty common. It must be different with sleeve. It's just that I don't recall anyone having mentioned stomach, but you both have honest faces.

Dear DJ, we won't mention the glasses and the shadows on your little face because it's different this time. You look like an international woman of mystery and deep passions.

That must have been my post. I'm so glad the book helped you sort out all sorts of things. See, folks? When I tell you something, believe me.

It's true that many people experience emotional upheaval. Apart from that, you don't say whether you invited the friend who knows to visit. Since you're that close, why not let her know that her company would be particularly valued now? As some of the others have said, you can take steps to expand your social circle once you're more mobile.

Try drinking it warm or even hot. When I drink cold or, often, room temp Water, it hurts in my chest -- the esophagus, really. I don't recall anyone else feeling it in the stomach, but all things are possible.

It works. I'd rather blame my stomach than my mind. The sunglasses make you look like a whole, new person with a new personality and style. The previous photo was nifty, but this says something else. Do you agree, DJ?

When it comes to being au courant, food has been one of the areas for decades. Nitwits grab onto the next big thing and suddenly would rather die than be caught dead eating the last big thing. Food as status. With that observation, I'd hate for anyone here to be a left-in-the-dust social outcast. Let it be known that I always thought kale over rated and have long been a fan and cook-eater of various greens. I draw the line at carrot tops, though. They simply look destined for the compost pile. (Might I take a taste behind closed doors?) http://www.purewow.com/food/2017-food-trends

It doesn't sound the least dumb. It sounds ambivalent. I think that, if you were "SO ready," as you say, the other things wouldn't be gnawing at you. Three things jump out of your note. -- You imply that, at your current weight, you're unhealthy, unfit, uncomfortable in your own skin and lacking confidence. If another person revealed that to you, what would you think? -- Worry about missing food is something I didn't experience. It occurred to me from the start that I wouldn't mourn either specific foods or vast quantities of food if the result would be getting sick and feeling pain. How or why would a person miss something that becomes thoroughly problematic? Example: If pizza is going to sit above my lapband in the esophagus and hurt like hell for hours, I'm more likely to slap its face and storm off than to cry over it. -- It's okay to be scared of change. What's not okay is to reject it when it can only be for the good. Try scribbling a numbered list of all the reasons you want to lose weight. They can include the soundest to what may seem the most frivolous. No reason is unworthy if it's what you want for yourself. Phrase them in specific/narrow terms so that your list is long as can be. Example: Instead of combining them into one reason/goal, separate "So that my shoulder bag hangs lower" and "So that my cross-body bag hangs lower." Use a notebook and add to it whenever another reason comes to mind. After you have a fairly lengthy list, read through them and see what you think. When I was contemplating surgery, depression had me unsure how much I truly cared about losing weight. It's not the same as your thinking, but I used my ambivalence as a deciding factor: "Even if I don't care right now, why not have a head start in case I care very much six months from now?" Take the time you need to sort it out.

You're describing a situation that has many variations and isn't uncommon around here. What you left out is whether he has been taking Cookies to bed and bringing home two-by-two Snacks only since your surgery. If that's the case, he's absolutely sending a message. You might want to ask him to put it into words so that you know what's going on in your marriage. Often the underminer fears losing the spouse once he/she seems to have better options. That's just one of the usual possibilities. If he claims to being nothing more than funny, you can remind him that nothing is funny after the 28th time. If he was in the junk-food-for-two habit before you ever thought of surgery, nothing has changed. You can sweetly ask him not to munch in your face until you have a good handle on your new way of eating, but it's tough to make it a demand. The general rule of the real world is that the one who makes the change or is the minority is the one who has to adjust to everyone else's carrying on as usual.

Since you're interested in measuring, this article from SparkPeople may be useful. I just noticed it while I was at the site doing my thing(s) (SP is where I track food). At a very quick glance, I got the impression that the measurements article points people to making their records useful in terms of health. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1281

It's your choice. Measure whatever you decide you want to keep on record. No big deal. I never measured before surgery whether I was dieting or not, so I saw no reason to start. That was my own choice.

@@summerset, agreed. In this case, though, you and I seem to have different senses of "dream" in mind at the moment. You're thinking in terms of dreams for what one wants his life to be and figuring out the steps to make it all happen. Did I get it? I mean it more as an unconscious, passive state.

It's so nice to read about your total renewal and recommiting. Yes, the bikini thing is impressive.

@@summerset, of course that's what it's about. It's understandable. Reality nevertheless is a better prom date and life partner than baseless expectations. Reality is grown-up, capable and competent; it gets things done.

Now I'll say it because you're doing yourself a sad disservice. When an unexpected charge appears on a bill, the usual thing is to ask about it; it doesn't have to be a complaint from the outset. Such matters usually are solved quickly and easily. True, you were given some bad attitude and your being annoyed is reasonable. The other side, though, is how much time you've invested in what in the scheme of life and the universe, is minor. You didn't feel that you were being charged for sharing. You were in fact being charged according to the restaurant's policy. Lots of people miss the notice on the menu because the notice often is small and out of the way. Here's my point: Is this battle worth hours, days and ulcers? Not to me. I'm out.

Split fees are annoying and, I think, will become more common. It was a longstanding practice at a well-known NY restaurant, popular among locals and tourists. The place closed New Year's Eve after about 80 years in business. Sandwich prices ranged $20-$30 with a share charge of $3. You might blink at the price tag, but enough meat for about five normal-sized sandwiches went into each one. (Portions on all menu items were horrifying; no one ever left without a doggy bag.) At least the $3 surcharge yielded two extra slices of bread, tra-la-la. @@Hiraeth, I'll agree that the manager could have handled matters better -- such as immediately deleting the charge while adding that he'd be able to do so only that time. I hope the incident is out of your system now. Between the time you discussed it with the restaurant people, your mother, on Facebook and Yelp, with your friends, the owner and here in BP, it seems it had a major impact on you. It's amazing that you knew who the owner's friends and mother-in-law were. Better things ahead. Things can only get better.

@@UnkemptCaptain, no regrets at the time and no regrets seven years later. Before surgery I had planned to do a few "last suppers." It occurred to me, however, that one or three more pig-outs would mean nothing. Eating one more half-quart of ice cream, for example, wouldn't warm my heart weeks or years down the road. It's not meals and food that we remember. I think I can safely say for 99% of people on Earth, the skinny, the obese and the in-between, that no one daydreams about what was on the brunch plate on the third Sunday of February, 2015. People may recall feeling sick from gorging, but what they gorged on becomes notably unimportant. It's people, activities and emotions that become indelible memories.

@@bayougirlmrsc, I wouldn't expect that you would call it either of those two things. Nevertheless, "leverage" is still adversarial and what I call "counter-productive." You see a fight where there is none. No malice was intended. Anyone else still around? The denouement is that I spoke with an executive of the facility. She already knew of the incident, having been informed by the front-line person I spoke with before the weekend. The explanation of the error is most plausible and a simple change in procedure had already been devised and implemented to prevent a repeat. I am satisfied with the response and trust in it. My own images and report have been overnighted.

@@j2m1h, to say that surgery takes weight off is a terrible misconception that, alas, some people nurture because they believe in the Easter bunny, fairies and other forms of magic. (Notice I omit Santa Claus because we're still too close to his day in the sun.) Surgery doesn't lose weight; people do. Those who have surgery do the same things after that they did before: Eat differently and, one hopes, exercise. Surgery is an aid to losing weight. The reality is that it is possible to regain at any time, hence, proof that there's no magic. Maintaining weight loss is a lifetime endeavor. With mindfulness and continuing good habits, it's done.