JaxBandster

Sounds like a goal to me!!!!! I'm gonna have to think about that too! Plastic surgery may be my reward! LOL

You know they finally made amenda don't you? LOL I forget what the original feud was about though. Now I'm going to have to Wikipedia it or something!

DANG!! We sure have got a bunch of LOSERS around here!!!!!!!!!! LOL Keep going strong drkel!!

Ouch!! Well that'll learn ya!!!! LOL

Great job Malisa!!!!!!!! You're doing wonderful!!! Keep it up!!!

It's a conspiracy! LOL

Happy Anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know it's going to be a memorable one!!!

Yeah the hug icon is a little odd. LOL To be honest? I don't know if I would wait until April. If it were me I'd be making an appt and asking him why you paid all this money to have an unfilled band inside you. The band won't work if it isn't filled (usually, there are some rare instances where someone can lose weight will no fills but they are few and far between) If you are hungry, if you are eating too much, then I would be demanding (not begging for) a fill. Just to show you have different doctor's are. Mine won't give you a fill if you aren't losing weight! Which doesn't make sense to me either. Doctor's should base their decisions on whether their patients are hungry and how much they are able to eat. Like you, some people are losing weight by shear willpower, but that's not why we got the band. We got it because we need help to lose weight.

So did you have the three smoke WHILE you were walking the twenty miles????? LOLOL

Oh Gibson, that's terrible!!!! Basically that gives you carte blanche to go pig out just so you can get a fill. That's not right. I just want to give you a big hug.

Sounds great candle!!! That's a big fill!! Work that band!

I love it cause I feel like we have our own little niche here where we can mope, complain, celebrate, or just shoot the crap for a while. There are a lot of February bandsters though. More should be posting!!!!!!! (sorry Gibson!) Hurry up and read!

That's great babedoe! I am back on real food today and am amazed at how little I'm eating. Much less than last week! I am struggling to get my calories in right now.

Gibson, when are you getting yours? I'm sorry, I know it has to be hard having to wait. It will be worth it, I promise! You will be on your way soon.

GraceUtah I guess as long as you are losing weight (which it looks like you have done admirably!) then it's all good. I think my doctor focuses so much on carbs because that is what got most people fat in the first place and it's a habit we need to break. I'm not saying I don't every have any carbs. But I have MUCH less than I used to have! There are times when I might have some pieces of thin crust pizza every now and then, but pre-band I would eat ENTIRE medium hand tossed pizza's sometimes a couple of times a week!!!! That's not normal. I consider the way I eat now, much more normal.

Mine didn't hurt at all, they go through the port scar which is numb.

Do you still have restriction?

My doctor says no more than 30 gms a day excluding green leafy vegetables (don't count the carbs in those). That may be too stringent for some but it's working for me.

That's probably where the confusion lies. So many doctors have so many different programs, timelines, requirements and such that I think it IS confusing for many people. Sure wish I knew why that was the case. I have also noticed many doctors recommending potatoes and oatmeal, and other high carb foods especially in the mushy phase. My doctor actually says I can have very moist meat in the mushy phase. <shrug> So I guess you're right in saying that you just need to follow doctor's order so he doesn't yell at you :smile2:

Snowbird, sounds like you are doing perfect!!!!!!!! :smile2:

I hear you, I'm not good at the deprivation thing either and it's a set up for failure for me. I have just started to incorporate some rice and potatoes in my diet (no bread as of yet) and I pretty much just follow the bandster philosophy. Proteins first, veggies second and starches last. I modify it a bit so that I will eat say three bites of Protein, a couple of bites of veggies and a small bite of carbs as I don't like eating just one things at a time. I'm still on the search for that miraculous ice cream that has absolutely no carbs but even the stuff with Splenda in it still has a ton. Cookies are definitely out! Oh and my husband just came back from Pennsylvania and what does he bring me??? Fudge!!!!!!!!!! Not even sugar free fudge!!!! They are cut up in very little squares and I could probably even cut them in half or quarters but still!!!!! Maybe my kids will eat them! LOL Oh and he also brought me a chocolate rose! There's just no winning! I'm going to go make my souped up Protein Drink and pretend I'm having a vanilla shake! It sounds like you are doing well so far. Congrats on giving up the sodas! I know that's hard to do from what I've heard. Tropicana makes some really good sugar free orange ade, fruit punch and lemonade that I like a lot. It doesn't taste diet at all! Hope this helps!

Yeah! Way to go Jaime!!!! My Mom said she noticed my "love handles" were shrinking! LOL:rolleyes:

Hi Jaime Were you asking me or Grace? :smile2:

Do you eat less of things like starches and other, simple sugars? How much of those do you eat per day? For what it's worth, I'm not dieting either. I'm changing my lifestyle.

Hi Jaime! Since you quoted me I'll take a stab at answering you. I will still eat potatoes, rice, etc, but in VERY limited quantities and ONLY if I can "afford" them and take them into consideration in my food count. While some people may not need to be as strict as me in my carb count (30 gms or less a day), eating in excess of 100 gms is going to hurt you. One, it's going to hurt your weight loss, and two, it's going to make you hungry. I am not on a low fat diet, or low calorie. I can eat as many calories as I want and I can have real butter, lean meats, etc. Fortunately, now that I have the band, it limits how much I can eat so usually calories are the least of my worries unless it's trying to make sure I get enough! You said that your doctor says you just need to restrict your sugar intake. Carbs turn into sugar. So it's essentially the same thing. Does your doctor have a nutritionist? Talk to them and see what they have to say. You can definitely have some carbs, but not nearly as much as you are used to having. When I started this process, my husband and I went through our kitchen cupboard and the freezer/fridge and gave everything that was high in carbs to my best friend and her kids. By the time we were done, literally three quarters of the food in our house was gone. We then went out and bought foods that were high in protein and low in carbs. Lots of meat, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, veggies (both fresh and canned), and calorie/sugar free drinks. After going through several days of generally feeling like crap (after I reduced my carb intake) I was suddenly struck by the fact that I wasn't hungry anymore. I also had much more energy and was more clear headed. It was really quite amazing and I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't experienced it first hand. And believe me, I am the biggest carb addict known to man! So anyway, that's my whole take on it. All I know is that when I don't eat carbs I'm less hungry and I am definitely losing a ton of weight. I still treat myself to some potatoes or rice or something every now and then, but they are no longer a regular part of my diet.