Tricia K.

Ha ha...I'm not sure. How about I just give you a small sampling? <TABLE style="WIDTH: 276pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=367 border=0 x:str><COLGROUP><COL style="WIDTH: 118pt; mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 5741" width=157><COL style="WIDTH: 158pt; mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 7680" width=210><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 118pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=157 height=17>Here Without You</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; WIDTH: 158pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width=210>3 Doors Down</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Time To Say Good-Bye</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Andrea Bocelli</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Jesus, Take The Wheel</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Carrie Underwood</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Trad: Carrickfergus</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Charlotte Church</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Storm</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Cirque Du Soleil</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Ulysse</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Cirque Du Soleil</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Africa</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Cirque Du Soleil</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Lansdslide</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Dixie Chicks</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Not Ready To Make Nice</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Dixie Chicks</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>I Could Not Ask For More</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Edwin McCain</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>My Immortal</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Evanescence</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Here For The Party</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Gretchen Wilson</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>There Is No Arizona</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Jamie O' Neal</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>You Raise Me Up</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Josh Groban</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Since U Been Gone</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Kelly Clarkson</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Somethings Gotta Give</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">LeAnn Rimes</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Just Like A Pill</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Pink</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>What Hurts The Most</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Rascal Flatts</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Georgia</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Ray Charles</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Game Of Love</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Santana featuring Michelle Branch</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Born To Fly</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Sara Evans</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Little Goodbyes</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">SHeDAISY</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>What I Got</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Sublime</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 12.75pt" height=17><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; HEIGHT: 12.75pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" height=17>Baby Girl</TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-TOP: #e0dfe3; BORDER-LEFT: #e0dfe3; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e0dfe3; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Sugarland</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

You guys would probably laugh if you knew what was in my ipod. :biggrin1:

Tricia - welcome to LBT and congrats on your upcoming surgery date.

Today, I plan to do the following that I was supposed to do yesterday: 300 crunches resistance bands 1) 100 reverse butterfly 2) 50 tricep curls AND squats/lunges routine 1) 3-way roll-up - 18 2) split squat w/ stretch - 12 3) split squat w/ lateral raise - 16 4) balancing leg raise - 20 5) side lunge w/ punch - 20 30 push-ups 30 reverse (tricep) push-ups ALL DONE!!

Thank you, lins.

LOL...you're so cute. I can (sort of) understand your desire to hide under your clothes as I was like that for a while when I was in my late teens/early 20's. I finally got to the point where I didn't care what people thought of me and started to dress in the clothes that *I* liked. Granted, my shirts were always a little longer to cover my belly and part of my butt, BUT they were somewhat fitted so that I didn't look like I was wearing a sack! I hope you will soon realize that you're beautiful (inside and out) and that you shouldn't hide that body. Plus, once you start dropping more of the weight, you may find that you'll want to show it off. 'm kind of in that stage now. It's very liberating, to say the least. :hug: Keep your chin up, my dear.

Ahhh....ok, that explains it. Where I grew up, it didn't look like a desert either, but because of the climate and soil (sand-like), it was considered a high desert.

Michelle, you're absolutely gorgeous!! I love the outdoor setting and especially the picture of the two of you near the river. You mention that you're in the "high desert" in your first post. Would you happen to be in Central Oregon? I ask because that's where I'm originally from and we call it a "high desert" as well.

GreatDame - I'm happy to be a motivator for you. Even 30 minutes on your treadmill is great. You have to start somewhere, right? BTW - I'm jealous of the size of your workout room. My equipment is currently scattered around the house. Once we move, I'll have a dedicated workout room, but it won't be nearly as big as yours.

Congrats to both of you! Welcome to bandland.

Ha ha..ok! Thanks again. *blush*

Oh yeah, what is a Scheckshy girl?

It certainly does.

The reason I count from my surgery weight is because, at my most recent highest weight of 283, I didn't even know I was having surgery. My all-time high was actually 285 and I always said that I would never weigh that much again. When I saw 283 on the scale, I went on a low-carb, high-protein diet and lost 9 pounds. I stayed at that weight for several months before my husband and I even discussed surgery.

Thanks, Amy. :biggrin1: BTW, I count from my surgery date.

Plans for today: 300 crunches 90 squats - completed 60 lunges - completed resistance bands 200 toe/calf raises - completed

Joyce, you're doing a fantastic job and I'm so happy to hear about how your life is improving. :eek:

Congrats! :eek:

This is a quote directly from Sandy R's response to someone asking a similar question on obesityhelp.com: "You may also wish to contact an excellent banded attorney, Steve Kalman, for help. He has obtained reversals of denials in many cases, (with just a letter or two on your behalf) when an ins. company pays for bypass or VBG, but refuses to pay for banding. Not allowed! They CANNOT require you to have a more dangerous and less effective procedure, when a better and safer one is available, and for far less money! Steve's website: www.BandedLawyer.com"

I have been heavy since about the age of 11 or 12. I started looking into the lap band about 3 1/2 years ago but at the time I was single and living in New Jersey with no relatives in the state. At my heaviest, I was 283 pounds. I didn't have any health problems, other than being fat. I was almost positive that my insurance would cover it but I didn't want to have the surgery and then have no one to help me during recovery. My friends were great but they all had busy lives with marriage, kids and work. I didn't feel right asking any of them to put things on hold to help me for up to a week. So, fast forward to last Summer. I was now happily married and living in Louisiana. My insurance company at the time had a written exclusion for weight loss surgery and/or anything obesity related, including nutritional counseling. So, after discussing with my husband my desire to have surgery and our desire to have a child some day, he and I decided that the best thing for us to do was to obtain a personal loan and pay for the surgery ourselves. I had surgery on September 16, 2005 at the age of 34. I am now 10 months post-op and have lost 84 pounds. I feel really healthy and am very active. We are both happy with our decision and hope to get pregnant with our first child at the beginning of next year.

I was a self-pay patient and my surgeon did not require any program fees. I had several meetings with the nutritionist prior to my surgery at no extra charge. My surgeon also has weekly and monthly support groups (depending upon location), which are also free-of-charge.

My mom's co-worker in Oregon just returned home from having surgery on July 4th with Dr. Joya in Puerto Vallarta, MX. She was very pleased with her decision and is recovering well.

Can I change my stats to reflect yesterday's weight instead??

*crosses her arms over her chest and shakes her head no*

Telly's a hottie!