notateechanow

I was going to PM you, but would rather apologize publicly. Unfortunately, you can't read tone in someone's message. Had you and I been talking, you would have known that I wasn't trying to be pushy or a know-it-all in any way. I'm sorry for coming off that way. I just really wanted you to reconsider, but knowing you have trip insurance really changes things. I wasn't trying to denounce you for not being a "seasoned" veteran, but pointed out that you're asking people with more experience and hope you'd take it into consideration...that's all. My apologies. Clearly it came off far more harsh than I intended and wanted it to be.

Yes indeed! Can't wait to see you! Phyllis was just asking about you the last time I went--maybe October? :thumbup:

It's held right in the waiting area at the Faulkner--Suite 4420

TOMORROW night is the meeting at the Faulkner. Anyone up for it?

I know where you are!! I finally did it today. I put my scale away in the closet. I just can't deal with it right now. I'm frustrated that I've gained weight and I can't seem to get rid of it. I've promised that I will be kinder to myself this year.....so it starts now. :scared2:

Monday, December 14th at 6:00 at the Faulkner. Would be so great to see you guys!!!

Good luck, Kate!! Keep us posted!

Excellent, Holly. Barring some unforseen work issue, I'll be there! In the event ya'll notice that I've changed my screen name, I thought I'd explain. I had the same screen name as my e-mail address for the longest time.....and some guy I met on line Googled me and came up with THIS site. Not exactly how I want him to find out. I felt rather exposed to say the very least. So...suffice it to say, I decided in case anyone else opted to do the same, it would just be easier to change my name. Hope that doesn't seem crazy!! Enjoy the snow!! :w00t:

I'm really going to do my best to keep busy at night. I realize now that the difference between last year at this time and now is that I used to stay busy at night. I didn't have bad foods in my house and was really working hard at this. My band is too loose and I'm not watching my portion control. Not a good combination. I'd like to go to the meeting at the Faulkner, not the Brigham, simply because of the parking stuff. Anyone else able/willing to go??? Please don't make me go alone again! :w00t:

1) Support--I initially never disclosed my surgery to my family or friends, but that made my surgeon's support group and this website so much more important in my life. 2) Giving myself a break--we've all dieted. We weren't successful. We need to realize that one minor indiscretion does not ruin the entire day/week/year. The scale didn't always demonstrate how hard I worked. I kept measurements to track my success. This isn't a sprint--it's a lifetime of changes we need to make. Realize that we aren't perfect. We will make bad choices. (I wouldn't have been so heavy if I had self control!) The band is simply a tool to allow us to control portions when we're ready. It won't do the work FOR you, but it can help when you use it as intended. 3) Creating a routine---get into the habit of drinking your Water, eating Protein first, and into working out. Routines become your new habits and will eventually replace your old habits. AND I'm adding #4) Counseling--clearly I couldn't eat away my issues any longer. I needed someone to help me work through whatever latent issues I had. I have a degree in counseling and couldn't figure out what those issues were on my own. I needed someone outside of my life who would not judge me to listen to my frustrations, heartaches, and disappointments. In the end....this is the one thing that I truly believe made me most successful. Good luck! I look forward to celebrating your successes with you!!:smile:

Maggie, Would you recommend the Body bugg? I was online looking at one a while ago and considered buying it...but it was kind of expensive. But, if it works, it might be worth the investment. Any feedback to share? :smile: paige

Heidi if it makes you feel better, I've been working out religiously for the past 4-5 days and I'm still holding on to my extra pounds.... I think my post-Thankgiving weigh in went something like this: Stood on the scale. NO F'ING WAY! There must be something wrong. Moved scale to another part of the floor. Clearly the scale was off because it was in a rut between tiles. Got on it again. SAME weight. HUH?! Peeled off all of my clothes. THIS will help. Back on the scale. Nope. Same weight. Went into the kitchen (Naked now, mind you....) and got new batteries. Clearly there's an issue with my scale. Put in new batteries and weighed myself in kitchen instead. SAME WEIGHT. Frustrated because I'm over that "OMG weight"...you know the one where you always think, it's not really that bad unless I hit such and such?! Yeah. Pants are tight for work. I don't own fat clothes any more. One more reason to go walking today. :tongue: Bostonmama, congrats on your date! Very exciting. Makes it far more real, doesn't it?! Hope everyone is having a good week, getting back into the routine. :smile:

Ok, Heidi. You inspired me. I made the tremendous mistake of getting on the scale today and was absolutely horrified by what I saw. I was up 10 pounds from when I had my unfill. Mind you, like many of us, my weight can fluctuate 4-6 pounds on any given day....but it was 2 pounds over THAT weight...you know the one that makes you totally PANIC?! I went and walked...then ran...then walked more. I'm sore. I'm exhausted, but with no work and no family to take care of, I have nothing to do til Sunday night. SO I'm going to commit myself to at least workout each day this weekend to jump start myself. I'm now 22 pounds from my New Year's goal. Not so likely if I don't get off my fat a$$.....! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I'm just a few weeks from my 2 year anniversary and I can't believe that my desire to eat when I'm not even hungry has never gone away. Crazy. I guess my behaviors will never change until I really make some serious changes. One day, one meal at a time. Who is coming to the support groups in December?? :smile:Paige

Nice job, Heidi! :w00t: So I had my quick unfill yesterday. After putting in .25 cc at a time, he took out an entire 1.0 cc. I wasn't happy about it, but sure felt good to have soup WITH veggies today and not have to strain them out. Also a really good night's sleep without reflux. Dr. R's PA was fantastic. I really like her. Hope you guys are having a good week. I'm refocusing on finally losing that last 13 before New Year's......we'll just see how long this focus lasts with the holidays.

That's the Jay I miss......glad to hear you still have your sense of humor. :w00t:

Tova, 2 AM on a school night?! Oh my...I guess you are busy! Hope you're well! I won't be at the meeting until next month, either....and you know how busy December gets. We'll see what happens! Does anyone know where I can buy Isopure? Just an FYI, there was a $1 off coupon in the Globe for Isopure in the Sunday Globe.... I'm headed in for an unfill today. Was hoping to drop some weight before doing it, but the reality is that I haven't been able to keep down solids for nearly 2 weeks. Can't lose weight by eating ice cream and mashed potatoes.... BUT, I do have to wonder---why didn't anyone suggest Zantac to me the last time I had reflux? This stuff is amazing. It's the only reason I lasted through Aruba without an emergency un-fill! Anyone at Dr. R's office today? Have a great week! :biggrin: Paige

How were the support group meetings? Did any of you go?

I'm confused---though it doesn't take much lately. If you had your fill yesterday, how did you possibly do 1.5 days of liquids? It's supposed to be 48 HOURS after your fill...then mushies. I get that pain at times, too. I think it's from stuff just not going down as fast as other stuff does/did/might. Does it change, depending on what you've eaten? Congrats on all of the weightloss! :thumbup:

I'm so glad you decided to go! I think you'll realize that you really wanted someone to say that to you, or you wouldn't have put it out here for us. Wasn't trying to be mean, just supportive and I hope it came off that way. How was your fill? How did it feel? Do you feel any different?

OMG---it's all I ever think about any more. I finally gathered my courage to ask my surgeon for a suggestion for a PS--he's been asking me for the last 10 months if I wanted one. (Wasn't sure if he thought I needed it or if it's like being at the supermarket when they ask "paper or plastic" and simply part of the routine...) I finally did it. Called the PS after looking at the card for a few days and was told they're scheduling consultations for February. Yep. February. I can't think about something for that long. I need a consultation sooner than that. So I'm back to square one... paralyzed in fear. I know how badly I want it. I just don't know if it's "right" for me--on the emotional side. I swore I'd never go this route, but as I said before, it's just feeling so incomplete. Can I ask how much it's going to cost you? I've been saving as much money as possible but don't know how much I'll need. That's why I wanted the consult sooner, rather than later.

Congratulations, Kate. I've been dancing around 205 for nearly 8-10 months and am still technically overweight. I would love to drop another 20, but if it never happens, I'm still happy. I'd love to hear more about your PS as it gets closer. Can I assume you're covered by insurance? I will be completely self paid, but feel like it's the only right way to end this long journey. Keep us posted. I look forward to reading all about it! Good luck!:scared2:

Thinking, I hope you'll still go for your first fill. First, K8 had a bad experience with her fill, but I don't know anyone else who had an experience like that. It's not nearly as bad as I anticipated, and I think many will agree. Regarding being able to eat on Friday---it's HIGHLY unlikely that you'll have a fill that will be noticeable for your first fill. I was able to eat just about anything until my 3rd or 4th fill. Don't let fear hold you back. I still get funky port pain every once in a while and I was banded nearly 2 years ago. (Yes, some are sharp and pretty painful, too!) Hope you decide to go. Even if you did have a lot of restriction from your fill (and I doubt you will....) you have had years of excuses for not doing what you should do. Don't let this be another one. You've taken the first step by getting the band. Work it. There will be many, many other parties. The food will eventually come second to the socializing. I was at a surprise birthday party tonight and spent so much time talking that I didn't bother to eat. Congrats on your weight loss thus far. Keep up the good work!! :scared2:

Appreciate the restriction you have today and stop worrying about what might happen, Tiny!!! If you're not going to the Brigham, I'll likely skip this month---unless I know others who will be there....anyone? anyone??

Jay---it's so go to "see" you! You absolutely NEED to make it to a support group. When I was at wit's end, going really helped. We've all been in your situation, some of us longer than others. The reason Dr. R wants to take fill out is because he's concerned that you're eating foods that slide, rather than those that make you feel full faster---with more bulk. If that's not the case, and it's not to tight, but you're making bad food choices, just tell him that. I did in my last visit. This is when his odd personality is truly a benefit---he's not at all judgmental and didn't give me a hard time. He's not there to judge. He's there to make the band work for you. In the end, the band is there for you when you're ready to use it. I have had months on end when I haven't been able to give it the time and attention it needs. BUT, I know it's there for me when I'm ready to start focusing on it again. I hope you'll come to realize the same. Eating out can be really hard. Working out is even harder. I really enjoy the Smart Ones turkey and mashed potatoes. I can't tolerate any veggies, so I don't buy meals that have them. I also can't eat any pasta. If you at least order meals out that have some kind of meat and try to avoid the pastas....then eat the meat first, you will be better off. Another thing I do when eating out is ordering only an appetizer. Just a warning, though---I can't do sliders. The meat gets tougher than would a larger burger. I just can't tolerate the meat like that. If you can tolerate veggies, try something bulky, like a salad. Even if you don't count calories or exercise, if you at least follow the "rules" of protein first, followed by veggies, then carbs, you'll get closer to making sure you're not eating around the band. Let's be honest----none of us has had any success with portion control in the past, but calories do count. Try focusing on one aspect a month and working with making that change. I think far too often we've all tried to go from eating like the morbidly obese we have been and then tried to move to 1200-1500 calories. That's just setting yourself up for failure. Make small changes and they'll add up. Don't get down on yourself. If it were easy, Oprah would have done it first..... Hope to see you in November. The meeting at the Faulkner is on the 9th (I will be in Aruba....) and the Brigham is November 17th. I guess I'll be at the Brigham this month after all! :sad:

Great to "see" you, Tanya!!! Wondered where you've been. I hope you guys will come out to the Faulkner for a meeting. I just can't deal with parking issues......Please?