Wheetsin

No restrictions by my doctor before the fill, just after. I opt to go without eating or drinking that day. It really shouldn't matter, they're probably wary of having the stoma irritated, and that impacting the fill. I don't eat/drink because I want the scale to represent my weight, not how thirsty I was or how big of a meal I ate. :Banane10:

Totally for it. Think it should be assistaed by a medical professional or someone else who somehow knows what they're doing. Would hate for the attempt to fail and only prolong or increase the suffering. I was for it even before having to watch 4 family members wait for cancer to do the job. It's hard to see something like that, and not think this is a good idea. [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Death-Confront-Assisted-Suicide/dp/0684801000]Good read[/ame] if you're interested in the topic.

Ayup. I have one of those too. Emphasis in literary naturalism, to make matters worse. :rolleyes I like margaritas if I can't taste the alcohol. The Euphoria from Cheeseburger in Paradise does nicely. By far the best margarita I've ever had. If it needs to be at home, then a rose (Tequila Rose) margarita will do quite nicely!

I've experienced healthcare in a socialized system, not personally, but I've been there as a loved one was, and it was awesome. A lot of people think it wouldn't be because the doctors aren't getting rich, so what's in it for them, but IME it was the total opposite - because the doctors weren't making money hand over foot, they were there for love of the profession. They were so "in to" what they were doing, and their bedside manner was amazing. There was also a lot more medical monradery than I've seen in the states. Don't get me wrong, there was still a pecking order, but it was much less rigorously hierarchical.

Like shit, plateaus happen. I tend to plateau for months and months at a time, and trust me - there's no "sure fire" way to get it moving again. You just have to wait for your body to be ready. Most plateaus aren't plateaus, they're dieters/eaters slipping into old habits and either not realizing it, or not being honest about it. But sometimes the body is just done giving up fat for a bit. BTW, 2 weeks isn't a plateau. It's not even a stall. It's typical & should be expected. Honestly, don't think twice about it.

I have been practicing Aikido for... 6 years now, I guess. Not competitively, I just enjoy it.

Umm, my inner geek is fighting to get out, and I can't keep it contained. Don't ask why I know this stuff. You don't need to tan to promote Vitamin D, you just need full spectrum lighting. You can get this from any lightbulb rated "6500K" (Kelvin). Full spectrum lighting is one treatment used for seasonal affective disorder. Places that see little sunlight for long periods of time have super high suicide rates related to seasonal affective disorder, so to help with this bars, clubs, malls, etc. have started using full spectrum bulbs in their fixtures. Full spectrum doesn't cost any more, and creates a more natural light anyway. 6500K is the temperature of the light produced by the sun, so a 6500k light source is the closest you will get to natural sunlight. It's sooooo easy on the eyes. Any big box hardware store will stock 6500K fluorescent bulbs. Most craft stores will lamps with 6500K bulbs because quilters, sewers, etc. find it's easier to work with. Hell, Sam's Club had them in their office supply section last time I looked. Most of the lamp-sized lights will be compact fluorescents (they look like one bulb that has a few rows of tiny fluorescent lights, or the "curly" tube lights). There's a brand called Lights of America, and I believe they are the leading maker of full spectrum lighting solutions for the home. Check and see if you can find products from them. And tell your doc to quit being a dummy and suggesting that people fake bake when they can slash the UV and use a commonplace, safe & skin-friendly full spectrum lamp instead! :faint:

Recently would be like 2, 4, 6 weeks... not 10 months.

Am I the only American who likes vegemite? And marmite. One of my mother's best friends was Australian. She used to make "fairy bread" for my birthday. Eekghad.

Trying to move a post from this thread, I fat headded it and deleted the entire thread. I'm looking for a way to recover it, but I don't know if it's possible. My sincere apologies to anyone who was subscribed to, or just lurking on, that thread... for making it unavailable (if it can be restored) or for deleting it (if it can't). Bad fathead moderator. :spider:

I have a degree in philosophy. Which means I'm qualified to have a nose ring, purple hair, and barista. :heh:

There are two parts. The first is "I believe be because I'm afraid not to." The other part is, "If I'm wrong, I'm not out anything for having believed." I could never agree with this. Let's see what someone might be out... money, time, an entirely different mindset, friends (I have watched people work to distance themselves from me upon learning that I don't share their faith), arguably more freedom in how you live your life (perhaps including who you spend your life with), a different sense of place in the world and... maybe most things as well. Not saying someone using that argument would miss these things, but they could certainly be out them.

Hasn't happened but I can't drink if my band is stopped up. If I do, I get this moment of "uh oh" tingly feeling, like the odd nothingness sort of tingle you get in the split second between when you stub your toe, and when the pain kicks in. No pain yet, but you know you're in for some badness. Then the pain kicks in. Maybe next time I should just bend over and see if I can get it to flow back into my mouth. That would be preferrable to the pain++. I wonder if Water that has sat on top of esophogeal food takes on any of the flavor...

You don't need to eat any different before the band than after, in terms of lactose. Nothing about the band will require lactose. Even the protein drinks people favor with milk - just use soy milk instead.

Ayup. And all of our dough from a can tastes the exact same. Croissants, pizza crust, bread rolls, garlic breadsticks - all tastes like one generic product (not to be confused with "good"). We've hit a new point of laziness. When the tubes of cookie dough became available, and then the separated pre-packaged Cookies, I "perdicted" it was only a matter of time before you just went to the store and bought a disposable baking sheet that had preformed cookies on it... just peel, bake, toss and done. Well, guess what I saw a commercial for the other day... (why don't I patent these ideas??) If you don't have the time for dough, minibagels (think I saw those suggested), or how about petit toast? My mom uses those for her xmas pizzas and they do a nice job.

Surf shirts, rash guards, dive skins, all the same thing. :eek: Exercise won't make excess skin go away. At most, it will build up the muscles under the skin, giving the appearance that the skin is tighter (just like fat would). Look at www.junonia.com and click the Swimwear link. Under "Solutions" click on "Full Coverage." You will find several high coverage options.

Go to a restaurant serving, or prepare, fondue. I find it's an ideal bandster food while at the same time, fun, provides plenty of time to socialize, etc. You can fondue veggies until they're mushy, fondue the meat and blend it into some sauce for mushy, etc. The young'en can help, or you can give her a separate fondue, say velveeta, or chocolate, on dull popsicle sticks. Oh hell I don't know, I'm not kid savvy, can 2 year olds dip a stick, or are they still eating things like cheerios out of a high chair? I really don't know. If someone cooks a big meal, suggest they do finger foods. Lots of finger foods come in "mushy." Then you can do movies or something.

Why not have the lobster? Per serving: Calories 135 Carbs 0.7g Protein 28.2g Fat 1.3g Mono fat 0.4g Poly fat 0.2g A serving will probably fill you up, and even if it doesn't and you have more, you can't get much better than that. :eek:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f9/go-solid-protien-42057/ for on the go proteins, but much of that you won't be able to get through customs. International travel brings a few more limitations. I don't worry too much about being good when I travel. I'm usually travelling to Florida and Florida's key lime pie is way too good to bother myself with being good. European pizza is probably better for you than American pizza. They tend to use thinner, more wholesome crusts and better quality ingredients. I wouldn't sweat it if that's what you need to eat, just make sure to get a meat topping (many European places use ox, which is leaner than our beef topping). I don't know where in Europe you are, but most places have some type of gyros meat (in the Scandinavian areas they call it "kebab") that is fairly high in protein, esp. if you can get a turkey & lamb blend. You should be able to get a sealed package of protein bars through customs. That's a good alternative to protein drinks.

"Fighting online is kind of like being in the Special Olympics. Even if you win, you're still a retard." Tips to win online arguments. (Yeah, that's totally un-PC, but hey, you get the idea and I'm not the originator. :eek: )

Make sure you buy FIRM tofu, and not SILKEN. Not even FIRM SILKEN. Tofu will brown, but it will not really crisp. At best you'll be able to get a little tiny bt of crispiness on the outside. This is after a very long time in the skillet. It will not melt. Even when deep friend it retains its texture. If you don't marinate the tofu, then it will not have any flavor other than the coating/sauce. Some places sell seasoned tofu, that is flavored as its made in the factory, but it's not good (IMO).

You don't have to start a thread to subscribe to it. You can find the option to unsubscribe in your CP.

You aren't dumping. This thread has more info.

Wtf is :hail:Sunta? I MISS that lady sometimes!

I didn't ask you to share your beliefs (just clarifying since your response to my quote started the way it did), but the example you provided is another one we see all the time. "I don't believe concretely, but I'm afraid of what might happen if I don't, so I will." A perfect example of someone being feared into religion.