Wheetsin

I always thought that was interrupting! :biggrin1:

Oh, and to answer the question you actually asked -- I guess when we'd been together a while, and could still stand eachother, we decided - "Hey, you're better than nothing!" I mean come on, I'd *have* to marry anyone who could tolerate me for more than a year! :ban: And on kind of a different note, DH and I are opposite, but identical in the ways that really matter - in the ways that will make or break a relationship. We're from different countries, we had different upbringings, we don't like the same movies, we don't like the same tv shows, don't like the same music, have different routines, I like to fall asleep reading and he likes total darkness, I like to shower with the bathroom door open and he wants it closed. You name it, on a superficial level, and we will disagree 100%, 99% of the time. Bring it to a deeper level -- our beliefs, our values and morals, what we want out of life, what drives us, what our goals are, and we're like two peas in a pod. Don't get me wrong, we have different opinions on things, but when it comes to the types of issues that end marriages, we're in synch. I think this has a lot of merit... we've been married over 8 years and there are times when we annoy each other, and we've pissed each other off, but we don't fight. And or love stays fresh. We're often asked if we're newly weds, and people are surpised to hear we aren't, because "You guys just seem so in love, you don't normally see that in people married as long as you guys have been." DH picked me up from the airport after a business trip I went on with a co-worker. The next day my co-worker came in and told me all about how cute we were, because as soon as we saw each other our faces lit up and you could "see the love". People change, and you can either change together and be happy or change differently and grow apart... doing one or the other isn't any one person's fault... "You've changed" really means "we've both changed, but we've gone / instead of | |... we haven't changed in the same ways."

I'd heard that was coming. As you can guess, this was a hot topic on an Atkins diet MB I used to frequent. Here was one alleged catalyst to the efforts to have Splenda pulled. Splenda, and any other artificial sweetners, always cause my weightloss to stall big time. :ban:

At 5 lbs in 6 - 7 weeks you're barely under the statistical 1 - 2 lbs/week average, but you're spot on for an overall average. You're doing great, and just think - those 20 lbs are 20 that you'll never see again. :ban: This is an aspect that interests me. From looking at various people's stats, the informal average seems to be about 10#/month. Thank goodness for the first 6 months, eh? :party:

BTW Theresa - I noticed the blank spot next to "4/4/06" on your weightloss tracking -- how did you do?

I thought I saw a post from her not too long ago...? She's the one with the bikini pics in her siggy, right? Not that long ago she posted pics of some kind of civil war re-enactment or something... I remember posting to ask her what it was so it couldn't have been that long ago... ?

Never had it either, and no change with my weightloss, but it sounds like a PITA!

Ladies, what sizes are you guys in now? I'm a tight 26 but a loose 28, which means I will have 28s & higher that I need to get rid of soon. I'm really really hoping to be comfortably in these 26s by mid-May. Are any of you at or near 28, 30, 32? Most of what I have comes from LB (30/32 comes from Avenue or Catherine's). I'll have a ton of nice businesswear (slacks, twinsets, cashmere sweaters, etc.) and some casualwear - mostly jeans... many of which I've never even worn or have only worn once or twice... and maybe even a piece or two of formalwear... leather jackets, coats... Maybe I'll build a clothing swap website we can all use... hmm...

See this thread.

Alex - the 2 year unfill was discussed eithere here or OH, I think... it was a pretty long time ago that I last read about it... and I'd guess here since I see about 1 in 2,000 posts on OH. It can't be a widespread practice or we'd have heard more about it, and if it's not widespread there's probably a good reason for that. Wish I could find the thread(s). :ban:

When are you scheduled for a fill? Is it pure quantity that you're struggling with -- are you making good food choices? It's highly unlikely you've gained 4# of fat in one week. Perhaps you were in ketosis and it broke from carb intake? Breaking ketosis can cause the initial Water weight loss to come back like *that*. Sudden gains are most likely to be fluid-related.

I slept in a recliner the first two nights. The third night I slept on my back in our bed, which killed me b/c I'm a slide sleeper (actually I'm a side-to-side sleeper, so I'm flipping from one side to another throughout the night). The fourth night I could sleep on my right side (most incisions are on the left) if I used a pillow propped under my stomach for support. It hurt to do this, but once I actually got in the position I felt OK. I think it was around my 7th night post-op that I could sleep on my sides w/o pillow, but sometimes I would feel tender in my port area when I first laid down, or if I had been in the same position for too long (e.g. it hurt when I woke up). I'm now over 5 weeks post-op and have been sleeping as I normally would. I think after about the 10th or 12th night I was sleeping normally. Every now and then still my port area will get a little tender during my sleep, I assume because the way I'm laying is putting some pressure on the muscle it's embedded in, but it's nothing that really hurts, and nothing I'm concerned about. I'm not sure what the specs of your post-op diet are so it's hard to give pointers, but as for fluids - have a bottle of Water with you constantly. I have started keeping one in my car at all times, on my nightstand, even in my purse if I'm going out. I'm a water drinker anyway, so this is no problem for me. If you're not a water drinker, try some flavored waters (Danon Orange Splash is one of the better ones, IMO... and Fruit2O strawberry isn't bad). Crystal Light makes 2 Go packets you can just add to a 16.9 bottle of water. There's another brand, something like "EnerFull", that's similar to the Crystal Light only it has Vitamins added... too sweet for my taste though.

Lots o' factors come in to play: someone can be banded and not lose weight because their bodies have reached equilibrium between caloric intake and energy expenditure. This can be considered "maintenance". Someone can be banded and not lose weight, but lose fat. Weight does not equal fat. Someone can be banded and not lose weight because even though they are eating smaller portions, they are also making poor food choices. Someone could gain weight in the same way. Bandster portions are pretty close to "normal" portions, and normal portions of nothing but crap will lead to weight gain. As for a loophole, of course there are loopholes. liquid or soft calories are a huge one. Learning to eat around the band, e.g. drinking during meals are another. This isn't a fail safe guarantee of weight loss, it's something that will help you control your portion size so that in addition to doing the work of healthier eating or "dieting", you can more easily maintain healthy portion size.

Uh... yeah I'd call my doctor.

Here's the thread.

I've never done it. Run a search, I know it has been discussed in length here before. As for price, I bought my mother 4 sessions for her upper lip, chin, and eyebrows for her birthday and it was $950.

Last 2 days post-op diet of clear, sugar-free liquids including Jello, popsicles, broth, SF juices, etc.

I think this is one of the three great subjective questions out there. Ask 10 people, get 10 - 15 different answers, and no one is right, nor is anyone wrong because one's notions of love aren't something that are universally applicable. I have a different viewpoint on love than what's popular, and have to distinguish that I'm talking about "romantic love" and not "love". I truly believe that anyone can make anyone fall in love with them, so to speak, as long as they know what that person needs most in their lives. I don't believe in fate, predetermination, free will, etc. so I would never believe a sentiment like, "we were meant to be" or "soul mates". Though for a lot of people, that is a valid answer. It's that damn subjectivity... (but I think it would be tough to argue that love is, at least in no small part, defined by the experiences of our lives, of our social conditioning (which pretty much defines romance)). As for finding "the one" - who gives you what you need most? A dear friend of mine, divorced and remarried, thought he found "the one" the first time. She was beautiful, smart, and he was looking for qualities X, Y and Z. She had them. Then he learned love cheated on him. So how did he define love the second time? He needed to find someone who he knew would stay faithful to him - he was in search of qualities A, B, and C. That person became "the one", even though quite opposite of the first. His needs changed based on his experiences and lessons. Love is sooo subjective. An abused wife will swear she is in love with an abusive husband. Would someone who has never been in an abusive relationship believe she could trily love that person? Can the ever really know? She will stay with him an endure the physical pain. What can she possibly be getting out of the relationship? Well - she gets attention, and the negative attention of a black eye is better than no attention at all. You might have some fun with this. :ban: From a psy perspective, you may also enjoy this article.

Speaking of exercise, what do you guys do? We recently joined a different gym and switched workout routines. I went from 100% cardio to 75% cardio 25% weights (for toning, not bulk). I do 45 mins on the treadmill, average speed of 3 MPH at 50% incline. Follow this with 5 weight stations - arms, back, legs... surgeon hasn't cleared me for abs yet. That's M, W and F. Saturday and Sunday are off days. T & Th I'm going to start going to the gym during the workday to get an hour or so of laps in the pool - right now I walk a natural trail right outside my office building, but it will soon be too hot for that. I tried the elliptical lastnight but I hated it. It feels like I can't straighten my legs out and that really bugs me. Also tried the stationary bike but the seat hurt my butt - too much weight on such a small area still. :ban:

Younger - her pic made her look about 16 - 18. I've seen her pup up from time to time on OH, I'll see if I can find her name.

Just my thoughts, worth what you're paying for them... In a sitution where the time to get the weight off is truly a life or death matter, I would advocate RNY. I don't say that lightly b/c I'm not a fan of the procedure, but if it's "lose weight in a year or you will die" -- then RNY is probably your best option.

As I read what you've said, you won't owe anything. Here's my info, see if you think it's similar to what you're hearing: As it was explained to me by my insurance co, they have negotiated rates that are much lower than what the surgeon normally charges. His charge is $30,000, they actually paid him $1674. That's the rate they've negotiated. My account is paid in full with no outstanding balance.

What do youmean you have 2 weeks now that you can't eat? Do you mean you haven't eaten in two weeks?

There's someone else I've noticed is MIA, I don't even remember her username but I do remember that when I was lurking & a new poster, her weightloss was always such a motivator. Her avatar was a picture of her in a pool and I thinks he was younger.