shanna

Don't worry, Kim. People will suddenly start noticing and will say something when you least expect it. Chin up - You're doing GREAT - 70 lbs is AMAZING! Keep up the good work!

For the last few weeks DH has been asking if anyone at work has noticed my weight loss (43 lbs). He notices/feels a big difference. I kept saying "No" because no one had said anything.....until last Friday. I guess I wore the right thing (striped pants, slim fitting shirt, pointy 3" boots) because EVERYONE noticed all on the same day. I received comments all day long. It was a great day - I should wear that outfit every day. It's now my favorite thing to wear!

:eek::welcomeB: Glad to meet ya, Billie! You have come to a great place with a lot of very special people that are so helpful and kind. Have a great day!

A victory for 1 of us is a victory for ALL of us! It gives hope to us all and the energy to keep trecking forward toward each of our goals. Thanks for sharing!

:wow2: :confused: :woot: I think with all that :confused: you'll be able to and have a great time without gaining at all. Congrats on your accomplishments! Have lots of fun! (I'm a little jealous) (Oh, ok, a LOT jealous)

I'm on the west coast too. Can't look! But I sure hope Brenna (the nasty New York girl) and Becky (the double mint twin) are OFF. They are really bugging me - very little talent - only made it this far because of Brenna's attitude & Becky's looks. Totally not fair to some others who could have gone far. My opinion. Oh, and Ace....has definitely got it goin' on! Wooo-hoo! Chris is really cute too and sounds great! This'll be a great season!

Weird - I've never heard of that. I didn't have a problem with it, either - Thank God!

:wow2: I feel blessed. I needed that today!:couch2:

"Ditto" to what everyone's saying about it taking a while to see the difference in the scale. I know the thing that motivates me more with exercise is taking a few simple measurements: waist, hips, breast, arms, thighs. You'd be amazed at the inches that come off, instead of your scale going down. And pretty soon, your scale will start going down, too. Take some measurements today and compare them in 4 weeks - I think you'll be amazed. Good Luck!

Oh, what great news! I'm so happy for you! I have a 13 year old daughter and an 11 year old son. I have so enjoyed having a daughter - we get along well and she's pure joy. Congrats!:baby:

It doesn't look like you're getting the answers you're looking for. I'm sorry, but I've not been pregnant with the band, but I have heard of a few that have. From what I remember some had a complete unfill and some kept the fill they had, but got no more. I think it depends on how well you're able to gain the weight you need to with a pregnancy. I also heard of someone who didn't gain at all. That doesn't sound healthy to me, but I'm not a medical professional, that's for sure. Are you pregnant now or just thinking about the future? If you're pregnant now, you should consult your doctor. He/She will know what's best for you. Good luck!

Hi Tammy, I feel you here. For me, if I eat 1 thing sweet I crave more throughout the day so I have been doing this: eating 1 or 2 pieces of chocolate (sweets) per week. I don't make it a particular day of the week so when a situation comes up I have to choose "Do I really want this to be my week's worth of sweets?". It has helped me. Good Luck with the sweet demon. He's a killer of weight loss that's for sure!

Like Donali & Betty, the "no diet" thing has been working for me, so far. I'm not nearly as experienced as they are, but it just makes since. Dieting, withholding, counting, weighing, measuring is what we've been doing for years and has it worked? Not for me. That's why I love my band and am so grateful for every day I have it. Also, what works for me personally (chocoholic here), is limiting my chocolate to 1 or 2 small things per week (preferrably on the same day because when I eat a little I want more, same goes for anything sweet really). It really will get easier after you have an adequate fill. I know when I first was banded I was hungry day of and every day after, until about 3 weeks after my first fill (some require more than 1 fill for good restriction). Until you get to that point it will probably seem really hard - like you're doing it all on your own. But don't give up, this healing time will pass and you will be in the land of the losing very soon. Good luck with your progress!

1. My actual weight is less than that on my driver's license! That's amazing to me because at one point my weight was off by about 70 lbs - yikes! (This probably is a SV, huh - oh well) 2. I'M HALF WAY TO GOAL! I have a feeling that the 2nd half will be much harder than the first half - oh well, I'm happy anyhow!

Tommy, Maybe try your Peanut Butter in the middle of the day and on something like whole wheat crackers - just a thought. That way it's gone by evening and wont haunt you all night. Good Luck! Oh, have you tried the lower fat peanut butter - it's pretty good. I love the stuff, too!

(raising my hand high) Yep, I was a pre-surgery binger, too! But you know what I found out is that I didn't need to be. I have found that after being banded they just didn't appeal to me or I would get very full after only a couple of bites (after a good fill). It really hasn't been a big deal. I don't "miss" anything in particular. It'll be alright - you'll see. But I did have McDonalds french fries the night before being banded-yum! (and cheesecake) I'm sorry you're feeling bad - when are you being banded? I hope it's soon!

Hi, Patty! I'm in Chula Vista. If you're looking for additional support there's a group of bandsters @ yahoogroups.com (sandiegobandsters) that get together 1 Sunday per month at Mimi's Cafe in Mission Valley. I've only gone 1x (Dec). It's been kind of difficult to keep in touch with them because the group has kind of slowed down on the postings - just 1 or 2 per month - so I don't go into the forum enough. Just when I think, "Oh it's probably getting to be time for the next meeting" I go and look and they will have just had one. Oh, well, maybe next month. I think their last meeting was Sunday, Feb. 12th (If that was a Sunday). Good luck to you and we're glad you're here!

What a problem to have, huh! I feel the exact same way. My tummy is starting to droop a bit and like FunnyDuddies my inner thighs, OMG, when I shake my legs, they have a mind of their own like they have their own wave party going on. Ikes! Looks like a tummy tuck and inner thigh lift for me! I am exercising and I haven't given up hope......yet. Good luck to you on feeling better about yourself. You probably feel great with all that cardio going on - easier to get around, huh! Keep up the good work. I'm positive....I think.....I hope.....I pray it will get better for all of us very soon!

My nephew (22 years old) has been living with me, my dh, and kids (13 & 11) for a year now. He has a wife and a 5 month baby girl. I needed to do a load of laundry and they were taking a nap, so I went to take their laundry out of the dryer and lo and behold - marajuana in a baggie. I'm very naive when it comes to drugs so my brother-in-law, who is a police officer, came over and positively identified it. My delima is this: I totally agree with dh that they need to move out. We have kids in the house and we have 0 tolerance for drugs. My dh says they need to leave NOW. I would like to give them a couple of weeks to find somewhere to go. What would you do? If I pushed it with dh, he would allow them to stay for a little while, but is that the best thing? I feel like I'm too close to the situation for clear thinking. I'm so upset - they have a baby - What are they thinking?!? Thanks for any suggestions and sorry for the long post.

Back to work on Monday - wow - sounds like you're doing well. I was so sore for about a week. Glad it was easier for you. Take it easy and WELCOME! The people on these boards are so helpful, kind and knowledgable. You've come to a great place!

Ya, communication is definitely still open. We hugged, we cried and said our good-byes. I have my workout room in my formal dining room: treadmill, bowflex, one of those big balls you work on with free weights and a hula hoop! One of the rooms is our guest room and the other we are turning into my new office - I hope to start a business this summer because the school where I've been teaching is closing - I've worked there for 11 years! Scary stuff!

:confused: That's just crazy! I can't believe she did that to you! I've been in a similar situation, the 17 year old said I'd be fine but I didn't believe her and got out of there early because it started to feel like I was burning. Good thing, too, cause even with the short amount of time, I still got burnt. But not as bad as you!! I've also tried the spray on Mystic Tan - that's the only one for me now! I hope you feel better real soon, sweetie!

Wow - I'm speechless. So many points of view and I can see the validity in each one. I have not been offended by anyones comments. That's what I asked for. This is how it all panned out... After speaking to them on Friday night we let them know they needed to leave the next day (Sat). They were very appologetic and sincerely sorry for putting us in this situation. I also told the wife that if she needed anything for herself or the baby to call me or if she and/or the baby needed a place to stay - we are here for them. I felt that was very fair, I did not feel right kicking her or the baby out with no place to go. She promised she would call if she needed anything. The next morning (Sat), I got a call from my sister in Texas that he is moving there to live with my niece. I can only pray that he gets his life together now and doesn't bring it to her house. They'll keep a close eye out, I'm sure. They left last night at about 11:00 pm and I can't tell you how sad I am to see them go. I watched Maya be born and have been a daily part of her life for her 5 months alive. I will miss her terribly and will worry about her daily. Vanessa's a good mom to her, so I am not worried about her safety and my sister is close by and will make sure she's taken care of. (My sister works for CPS) I really wanted our home to be the place where he got his act together and started being a man. Maybe with our tough love he can begin to see the consequences of his actions. Yesterday I was sad all day - today I've been cleaning out their rooms. It's a fresh start for all of us. Thanks so much to all who commented. I appreciate the support and to those that have gone through similar situations - I am deeply sorry. One thing is certain - DRUGS DESTROY FAMILIES! Even recreational/social drug use can lead to heavier use and more severe drugs. Lots of love,

Princess_n_thep - Thanks for your professional point of view. I guess he would be considered a "mini dirtbag". He does work, but takes days off at a time. He takes care of his family, but has friends Vaness doesn't approve of, etc... Well, we had our talk. He was very embarrassed and was very understanding that he had to be out of the house by tomorrow. He thanked me and Ken for letting them stay this long and said he was very sorry to do this to us. I guess it went pretty well, for what it was. Thanks again everyone for your input today - you have been there for me when I needed it most. Lots of love,

It's been washed and dried, Delarla. You think it's still good? Probably not, oh well. You're very right about where it's headed - the porcelain god will be happy tonight!