NanaRenan

It is definitely mental. I can feel so full I would surely puke if I took another bite, but my mind -- conditioned from 45 years of eating -- will be screaming at me, as I walk away from the table..."You didn't eat enough, you're going to get hungry!" I'm almost 5 months out from surgery and it gets a little easier -- the physical vs. mental challenge -- every day.

Do NOT underestimate this! I was on the pre-op diet for 17 days -- ONLY because my surgery date kept getting bumped back -- LONG UNPLEASANT STORY, that! Originally, I would have only been on it about 4 days! Despite that, my liver was STILL so large and unweildy that the 20-30 minute procedure took over two hours! My surgeon was SO frustrated that he told my hubby in the waiting room that had I not been sent home TWICE before, he would have stopped the surgery and sent me home to lose more weight. But he didn't think he could do that to me after all I'd been through, so he kept trying and praying and finally, SUCCESS!!! I felt so bad for him!!

Thanks! This is a good reference article to keep on hand! My GP said to me, years ago, that whatever Government official gave his/her seal of approval to the OLD food Pyramid (the one we all grew up with!) should be shot at sunrise for KILLING tens of thousands of people and causing hundreds of thousands more to develop Type II diabetes!!!

Tejas-Rattler and mbsbike -- you BOTH have impressive stats! Way to go!

Hi, Jennifer...I'm in Pearland (South of Houston for the rest of you). And I have the same insurance as you. I was banded in August.

Don't worry -- there's plenty of time to refocus her thinking. You don't even have to wait until you're banded. You can start today.... er ...okay, maybe wait til AFTER Christmas Day! LOL But choose POSITIVE statements -- like "eating smart" and "getting fit". I've always heard it takes 5 positive comments to erode the damage of one negative. Just pay attention to your language a little and it'll be fine!

I am insured with Aetna on a POSII plan. Ultimately it will come down to whether or not your employer's group plan covers you -- not Aetna in general. The surgeon's office submitted my paper work the last week of May. Between then and the last week of July I was denied FOUR times and was on my last and final appeal. (The next step would be to go to my husband's employer and beg them to rewrite their group policy to allow for WLS! -- Can anyone one say "career suicide"?) With the last submission my ANGEL at the surgeon's office requested that someone who specializes in bariatric surgery study my case file. Instead of the customary 15 to 30 day wait, they came back with an answer in about 3 days. DO IT and DO IT NOW!! Hallelujah!!! Best wishes to all of you who are in the trenches fighting for coverage. I'm four months out and we're getting the bills and seeing just want we might've had to pay if I hadn't MIRACULOUSLY gotten approved.......it's terrifying!!!

I, too, grew up in a Democratic home. My parents were old-school, yellow dogs. I married and left home BEFORE I was voting age. By the time I COULD vote, I'd actually listened and paid attention to the topics and found I couldn't possibly vote anything but Republican. So, with the exception of Perot in -- what was it, '92? -- I've voted Republican in every major election since Reagan and have no regrets -- 'cept the Perot thingy!! That said -- at this moment in time, I have NO idea who I would pick out of the gaggle that are running on EITHER platform and only hope and pray someone worthy emerges before it's time to pull that lever.

Hey, LJM....I'm SO excited for you!! I had never considered the possibility of doing a panni-whatever first and a TT later. But I am beginning to have problems....I do every time I lose weight. But danged if the photos on that site didn't take me back some -- at least I'm not 68!!! But I'll be watching and praying!! Go YOU!

I've read that it was, in fact, the EYE that most troubled Darwin about his theory. He couldn't quite reconcile it's exqisite intricacies and precision with the randomness of evolution. I suspect, that were he alive today, DNA would quickly convince him (as it has thousands of scientists around the world) of the impossibility of his ideas and persuade him to the only possible explanation: Intelligent Design

Hi, kathm.....I used to snack away a lot of food in the evenings....Not as in shoveling in great gobs of food, but as in gnoshing on crackers or pretzels or popcorn or Cookies O N E B I T E A T A T I M E for hours! I'm 4 months out from surgery and didn't get my first fill until week 9. I was already relapsing into old habits! Then I got really good restriction with my fill, in October. But I've noticed over the last week that I can -- again - put away more food than I should. And I hear ya being busy during the day -- I keep my 20 month old grandson, a.k.a. Kid Destructo!!! He's like trying to watch a litter of kittens -- 10 directions at once. So I am nearly comatose by the time dinner is over! That's why I'm HEAR right now and not in front of the TV. You and I BOTH need to find OTHER things to do in the evening AND, I think, we BOTH need to call our Dr.s next week and schedule a fill!!!!

That's very wise and probably true Insubordination. And maybe she WANTS to have all her reservations knocked down, CoolCrystal. Just hang there and be ready to bat away at any more misinformation or misgivings she might have.

salsa, you do realize that is a TERRIBLE problem to have!

Quick measure = a small bale of hay or two 2 y/o children Or ten chihuahuas (or 15 if they're the size of the one I have!)

Hey -- I'm here! I seriously underestimated how BUSY I would be this holiday season -- every year I try to pare things down, but still end up busier than a one-legged man at a butt-kicking contest!! I've only made it to the gym a few times, BUT, I've been constantly on the run, so its not like I'm being a couch-potato or anything! BUT, I am ready for the CANDY*COOKIE*CAKE part of the holidays to be OVER!!!:hungry: I'm not even one to be a big sweets eater, BUT, I do find myself nibbling when it's just EVERYWHERE I LOOK!!! Argh! Anyhow, thanks for missing me. And kudos for you hard workers! Stick to it!:clap2:

Congratulations to you both!! Looking forward to seeing some pictures -- LOVE the name! And tell your wife she made the absolute BEST choice for herself AND the baby - to go natural - and she'll never regret it!

LOL Its funny seeing someone else rant over this topic. I moderate on another forum and have a "PARAGRAPHS, PEOPLE!!" thread I resurrect every so often.

Hi Kimberly....we've all been where you are. Anxious to get it started, worried it might NEVER happen. Hang in there -- it will. Take the time to educate yourself and work in the MIND. The band will fix your 'stomach', but doesn't do much for your BRAIN! We're all still HERE because we're still working on THAT organ!

Wow! Gweniper -- that's a LOT of progress since August! I've gone from 26s and a few 28s to 22s...and still a few 24s. I'll probably faint dead away the day I put on something in the TEENS and wear it!

I'm a Cancer, but fairly benign. vbg

Hi, Carole and welcome to LBT! I stayed home with my four, too. (G,B,B,G - how about you?) They're all grown now, but I watch my GrandDoll and GrandBuddy while their mommy works. I had to lose about twice what you're wanting to lose. I'm down 49 lbs. since my highest -- around Easter. Can't wait to break into the 240s -- visited there one Saturday in 2002, before that it was like 1990!!!!

While I hate the demise of smaller stores -- Wal-Mart isn't solely to blame for that. Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc....all the MEGA-stores can share in that blame. Wal-Marts weren't 24-hour and didn't have groceries in them back when I started shopping there in the 70s. Raising 4 kids on one income would've been a WHOLE lot more difficult if they hadn't moved into the 'burbs and put in groceries, too. There are three in the town I live in now -- one on either end and a new one in the middle (where I live! Yippee!) Unless I'm making some new recipe and need an unusual item, I never have to go to any other grocery store to get what I need 99.9% of the time. (Boar's Head deli meats is the only exception to that rule -- gotta go to Kroger to get that!) A lot of the 'ambience' (cleanliness, friendliness of staff, etc.) is the fault of the managers and frankly, corporate needs to be informed. They can't "fix" what they don't know about.

I've lost 29 lbs since being banded August 14th. At times I think that is too slow and wonder if I should have gone with the bypass. But that's fleeting...I just need to get the MENTAL restrictions out of my head and let the BAND restriction do its job in my gut!

But did you at least squat doing it?? LOL I posted my complete lack of exercise today as an NSV.....because unlike the past, I REALLY wanted to exercise, I just didn't have time for it! I've revised my challenge goals for December -- watch my siggie and kick my butt if you see me slacking, 'kay?

Good report, Alexandra. Glad things are going well.