soozan

Anyone almost do the band. After the researching and information and Drs visits did anyone decide NOT to go thru with banding and still succeed in losing weight? If so, how long did it take until you changed your mind and went for the banding?

How are you doing Riotgrrl? Can you share some of your secrets? I am having serious second thoughts now. I've lost almost 40 pounds since researching the band and am thinking I can do this myself. Just afraid of another failure. Susan

When I drink water I have to have it very very cold. I try to throw some lemon into it.

Been thinknig about a new tread or a total gym. We had a tread that broke a long time ago. DH gave me the green light to get one or the other. In looking at the total gym I am liking what I see. Anyone have one? What do you think of it? Thanks in advance.

You're going to do GREAT! Next year we can read these posts and see how far you've come!!

I have many of the same fears. Years ago when I was looking into WLS one doc said they think the dumping syndrome that some bypass patients get a good thing in that the patients will avoid the foods to NOT "dump" again. I'm told the dumping is NOT fun by any means. We have all probably had that golfball feeling accompanied with some pain after swigging soda too fast or taking too big of a bite. The tool is to eat s l o w l y and chew chew chew, avoid the breads and such. A pb should not occur. A small number of posters haven't ever pb'd or slimed. We can only be so lucky BUT it is more like;y it will happen. It will be ( for me) a quick lesson and reminder of what I should and should not be doing.

Saw someone mention a Doc here in NJ, in New Brunswick. I googled and found his site. He(instructions on his site) recommends water loading. Drinking it FAST also. This seems to be contrary to everything I have read here and other LB sites. Thought?

Although if I COULD I would opt for a more expensive tread I am leary because I am so much BIGGER now and don't want to break an expensive one. That said, this last week or so I saw treads on both QVC and HSN. One had a slightly better HP motor. Both offer in home delivery. They both had payment plans and one had NO shipping costs. What I like about the home channels are their guarantees. If I see something I like then see it on there I will get it fom one of them.....only for the 30 day guarantee. I loved using the tread but at over 40 I figure I would do better incororating weight training with cardio. On the infomercials "Chuck" shows how aerobic one of the tg circuits can be AND you are building muscle. I would be getting the TG at the website though. Been told that the flimsier models are from the infomercial. Again, don't want to invest $$ in something that will just break. Can't make up my mind. I KNOW I can get good and sweaty on the tread. It's the boredom and lack of muscle building that s making me waffle on this one.

Get a different primary who is in your plan. You can let her know when you ask to have your records sent to the new Dr.

There are SO many to choose from. For me, the Unjury is great and I do not experience an aftertaste. It is different for everyone. On previous tries with protein powders/mixes/drinks I notice I cannot have any with the sweeteners which are stripped down sugar alcohols: any of the ose's sucralose etc. Also maltodextrin, maltitol, mannitol etc cause me upset. Splena kills me. The unjury has aspartame in it. I was a diet coke "addict" for years so the aspartame doesnt bother me. If they have samples of the drinks youwant to try I would suggest getting them first. By volume they do cost more but you save so much not having bought the whole container just to not enjoy it.

For those of you who have attained your "sweet spot", how many calories do you consume on a typical day. Fielding questions now from family members. They have read many posts. I do not have the answers to these yet. I posted early on about malnutrition/starvation and I don't think my true question was worded correctly because it is along the lines of what my family is asking about calories and nutrition. Susan

THANK you so much for the honest answers. I am a little gyun shy of the 800 (for me). The 100-2000 you guys wrote help me temendously answering some ?'s for family. a LOT of the comments I got over the holiday are "of COURSE you are going to lose weight, you are starving yourself...and you cant eat much more than that". One especially unappealing remark was the band being compared to being lockied in a room and thrown in 200-300 calorie meals 2 or 3 times a day..again, OF COURSE you would lose weight. Seeing that near and over 1000 calories a day can be eaten and lose weight(I know it is specific to each person) I can see that a normal but paired down version of a healthy diet is doable. The not being hungry is something I cannot fully understand yet. When I try to drink the shakes and eat a Soup for lunch and Breakfast I am starving an hour or two out. I will ask at the information meeting about the feeling of being full while the larger pouch of your stomach isn't. I'll ask about where the baroreceptors are(it will make sense if they are in the upper portion of the small pouch).

J, I haven't been banded yet but I am LI and was worried about the shakes. I also am sensitive to Sucralose and the sugar alcohol sugar substitutes. Many on this board wrote about unjury. I ordered samples of each flavor plus the unflavored. I like it. It mixes with Water and is a bit thin but tolerable. Tried all but the chicken, that one scares me....lol The great part is I had NO TUMMY TROUBLE.

P90X? That looks like a killer workout in the infomercial. A guy at work did it. He looks yummy! Susan

any trouble with anything on this list? Canteloupe, watermelon, oranges, bananas, plums, honeydew,pommegranite,blueberries,raspberries,pineapple, coconut,papaya,mango, Sweet potato, yams, cauliflower, broccolli,carrots,spinach,tomatoes,cucumbers,radishes,salad greens, chicken, filet mignon,sweet sausage Pasta, brown rice,kashi Italian bread.....I know, I know...... Tiramisu!! Susan

GO WRITE ABOUT IT. Pen an email to yourself, a longer post here, a Word doc saved to your desktop....get it out and on paper. It really does help. One: it will give you something to do Two: you can read it in a few weeks and see how far you've come. Turn on tv if you are home and watch a New Years Special. This is YOUR celebration!!!!!!! You made this decision to be a healthier you. 2008 is coming in a few hours and you are ALREADY healthier!! I hope you feel better!

Photo resizing. For message boards/forums I have only used photobucket. Their interface has changed since I first tried it but it is all explained in the site. The site is free. You upload your photos then resize them. you can cut and paste their code and your pitcures appear in your post. It really is way simpler than i am making it sound. New Posts: I always have just clicked New Posts up top there next to FAQ.

Firstly, PLEASE thank your DH for me for his service. I truly appreciate anyone in the armed forces. I agree about fast food. There's a commercial now and ordering at the drive thru(one of the WORST conveniences for US citizens imo) they are asking for things like "double bubble butt"...etc. Makes me laugh. I was SO irked by that picture that I have become a picture taking fool today. I am MAKING myself get into pictures. I don't hate ME, just the way I look. I am still ME no matter what size. Although I will be happy when my outsides look different I want a lot of pics as a record of a place I do not ever want to be again. About your support. Do you live on base? I know, only from observation that military spouses form strong bonds. Do you have any other military wives around you? Susan PS NOT looking forward to company tonight. Due any moment. I'm hiding in the den. There are too many bad food choices out here tonight. My SIL will also be coming over and I do not want to get into it with her tonight!

I just had the worst uh uh moment(definately NOT an A ha). Snapped a few before shots. Clothed and disrobed. Threw them into photoshop to change file sizes and strategically black out certain areas when I found myself astonished at the size of my ARSE!! Then front then side views made me sad. When did this happen! When I walk around in my daily life I do NOT SEE myself like this. :omg: Freaked me out a little bit. I'll use it as it should be used, motivation. Susan PS I hate my BATWINGS.........

Can there be a sticky for resizing pics? A mb limit? I love to see before and afters of both weightloss and the plastic surgeries. I am the only one left in the world who has dialup. I know, lame, but it takes forever to load such large files. Also, it must be eating up your bandwidth>?? Susan

LOVE Louis and Coach, Spade, Burberry and even Dooney. Had a LV stolen. Pissed me off because DH got it on a business trip for me. Received my first Coach in highschool as a "reward". I still have it. Remember the episode of S&TC about the Birken? LOL I used to have a shoe "thing" too until I needed foot surgery....there went that obsession! I used to LOVE me some shoes! Susan

GREAT ab work without needing to get onto the floor is TurboJam. There's AbJam and even Hip Hop abs. It's virtually all work NOT on the ground. You tuck and do a "crunch" while standing. Susan

Do you know any of the mothers of your kids schoolmates? Do you belong to a church or temple? If so, contact them and inquire. There are sitting referrals to be gotten from them. What do you do? Could you barter? If the population is older, there may be some adult caregivers around. This is something I would not be shy about. Tell your family you ARE getting the procedure and you NEED their help(with the kids). We're talking 1-3, maybe 4 days. The teen will be a lot of help to you and the 8 yo. can do more also. Cooking, light housework and "sitting" is what you really need right? Susan

When exercising after the LB can you do LAT exercises at the gym? At the start and end of the movement you will be stretching wayyyyy high over your head.. Is there a risk of slipping the band? Susan

...but That will go straight thru right? I understand the liquids directly post op for the sake of the healing period. A month or so out though....and a Protein drink goes straight thru the little pouch into the larger portion of the stomach, how is there a full feeling? Susan