PhotoNut

This past week seems so focused on the $10million question.. do I need a fill?? I've posted the link to this list in other threads, but thought I'd just go ahead and put the whole thing here for those of us who need reminding. I hope that all of us who are questioning the need for more (or less) restriction will take a few minutes and go thru this list of questions, answering each honestly, and then make an educated decision rather than just walking in to the Dr.'s office and letting them decide for us based on only a tiny bit of the entire picture. Here ya go: Adjustments How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe

As I said on another thread.. When its my TOM, my band opens up and beckons the food supply of the entire world in. I feel as if I can eat anything, and I feel as if I do -- until I write down what I'm actually eating. Then I see that while I may have eaten a bit more, I'm still within a reasonable amount for a bandster. It's best not to make decisions about your fill during your TOM. Seriously. Some women loose the ability to swallow spit while other can eat a house, then start on the garage. Give yourself some time. Once you get past this TOM, go through this checklist and take a good look at what you're doing before you decide whether or not to get another fill. Two additional comments: My first period after surgery was horrible. Worst I'd dealt with in years. I am not against proper restriction. If it takes a full band to get you to the right level of restriction, then that's what you should have. I am against people trying to use restriction in place of self control. A band that is too tight can cause far more problems than a underfilled band.

Awww, Mandy. What a sweet image. What a sweet thought. Awww

Grats and welcome to Bandland! I hope your recovery is speedy and your weight loss journey is a trip to remember!

We didn't really care. We were just being nosey. *grins* Good to hear that you had a nice vacation Ali. I'm very envious of your location. What a gift to have all of that beauty right outside your front door!

Ok all ya losers out there. This past week seems so focused on the $64million questions.. "Do I need a fill?" and "Am I overfilled?" I've posted the link to this list in other threads, but thought I'd just go ahead and put the whole thing here for those of us who need reminding. I hope that all of us who are questioning the need for more (or less) restriction will take a few minutes and go thru this list of questions, answering each honestly, and then make an educated decision rather than just walking in to the Dr.'s office and letting them decide for us based on only a tiny bit of the entire picture. Here ya go: Adjustments How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. fruit juice is just sugar water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of Water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe

I am saying that. I have been unfilled for a month. I too am tempted to get a fill, but now and then I have that pressure feeling behind my breastplate and it makes me wonder if I really need one. I know I haven't been eating as well as I should. I'm not journaling my daily intake. I'm not drinking 64oz of Water per day. I'm not getting 30 mins of exercise per day.. ha! per week.. ha! per month! *laughs* And, I'm drinking about 500 extra calories in wine per day. Who am I to say I need more restriction? How would I know? Until I am doing all of those things, I won't know. If I were doing them, I might be losing 3 or 4 pounds a week. Why would I need a fill?? And how would one fix those things? It won't. Anyway, I replied again to your other thread about this. I think I'm being so wordy because while I'm talking to you, I'm also talking myself through this. So thanks for giving me that opportunity!

Find someone to be accountable to. Someone who motivates you and is serious about reaching goal and staying there. That's part of the problem...I am a SAHM and rarely leave the house and when I do it is to a social event which always involves FOOD! I like staying home, honestly, it's usually when I leave the house that I have problems. Ok, then how about someone online? There are plenty of people here on LBT that would love to have a band buddy to be accountible to. Or join one of the groups that are setting goals and leaning on each other for support and encouragement. The Gone for Good Club has been that for me. I rely on those freaks to keep me in check. Journal your food/calorie/protein intake every day. Get a clear idea of what choices you're making and where you could make some modifications. That's the beauty of it all...my success is lies in the fact that I hate to cook and will eat the samething everyday...Chicken breast and salad..if I stray from that ...TROUBLE! Oo! I'm the same way. I once lost 60 pounds on chicken, rice and green Beans. But this time I'm doing it just slightly different. I picked out a few different options for my days, so I have the luxury of switching around what I eat and when I eat it, but basically one day or one week looks just like the rest. The only thing that varies is when I chose to eat one of my optional foods. Drink a minimum of 64oz per Water per day. I drink that pre-breakfast! I am the water loading Queen. Before each meal I usually down at least one pitcher of water. However, as of late (since my helper left and I find it hard to eat and drink around my kids) I probably not drank as much but I still manage to get in at least 64oz. 64oz is a very admirable start. But if you can manage to do more it would be even better. In this article, I'll give you the link to it, it states that we all need a base of 64oz and then 8 additional ounces per every 25 pounds we are overweight. Here's the link, its a very interesting article. Check it out: http://www.inch-aweigh.com/water.html Do some form of exercize for 30 mins each day. My dh is in the middle of a mid life crisis. He is currently in the selfish stage. He now plays tennis before and after he works and by the time he comes home he is tired. Once I get a new stroller for the baby I will put my foot down (his throat or up his a$$ ) and insist that he drop one of those times from his routine so that he can keep HIS kids and let me finish. You know what he had the nerves to sday to me the other day when I told him my weight loss has slowed down cuz I haven't been excersising? He had the audacity to say, "stop eating so much". Hello, where the heck has he been the past few months? You know how much money I save him on our grocery bill? lol Ok that was funny! hehe! Why not get those darling kids in on the healthy attitudes of getting daily exercise too? Make up a silly exercise routine you can do with them to a favorite music or disney CD they have, or pull out an old exercise tape or CD and have them do what they can along with you. Explain to them how it will make their bodies and hearts stronger and healthier, and it will keep them occupied and out of trouble while you are actually getting in your 30 mins per day! And if 30 mins is too much for one go, have a 15 min morning and 15 min afternoon health break. Get the fried foods, flour and sugar out of the house. These are clearly temptations and your downfall. See these foods for what they are - empty calories that will stop you from reaching your goal. Oh done deal. Those things aren't in the house. The only evil; food I have allowed in is Peanut Butter and I have some strange addiction to it. I was eating bad on vacation. Since I have been back my problem is that I don't eat all day but I eat late at night and wil graze on huge scoops of peanut butter all day. Oh my god! *laughs* I ate a full tablespoon of peanut butter last night. What the hell?? That's not like me but I had to have it! Or so I thought. All I wound up with was too many calories in the day and the knowledge of something I can easily get by my band. Guess what's in the garbage today?? *grins* Be patient with yourself. Almost 4 pounds a week is an AWESOME average. Thank you so much for your support. I really needed it You are so very welcome. I'm happy it helped. Go back over that list I gave you the link to. Really examine the questions to see what truly needs adjusting. Is it really the band? Probably not. I have a lot of things on my plate right now. I haven't even began to tell you, but for some reason I am so comfortable telling you stuff that I might just spill my guts....Ok girl it's the summer and the kids and my friends dh just divourced her...took her kids...kicked her out the country...and then brought them to my house cuz in all his rage he didn't factor in who would raise his kids! Plus, I am the guardian of a special needs kids and did I mention my dh is going thru a mid-life crisis? Wheeee...thanks for lettng me get that off my chest! Wow, you really do have a lot of stress built up. If youre like me, and it sounds like you are, food has been my escape and my comfort in times of stress. Might I suggest going through the list of things that are stressing you out, maybe go thru the list with your hubby, and pick which ones you can eliminate from your life. Such as the friends who think its your job to take care of the mess they've made in their lives. I'm sure you love your friend, and her kids, but that's their responsibility to take care of them. You have your own family to take care of. Not always an easy thing to accomplish, but if you succeed (hopefully with your hubby's help and support) life just might become managable again. If it is, then super, go get your fill and feel great about working with your band to achieve maximum results. But if it is another area that needs adjusting, please don't allow yourself to fall into the trap of believing that pinching off your stomach is going to make up for the short comings in other areas. It will not. There is a balance we need to attain with ourselves in order to succeed. Getting control of the emotional side of eating (counseling), getting control of the quantity we can eat (the band with the proper amount of restriction), and exercizing our bodies (walk, swim, bike, etc) is what will work. I know what a struggle this decision is for you. I'm facing the same one myself. I wish you all the best Kabeerah. Again thank you for your time and grat advice. I really did not want a fill but other bandsters suggested I was not utilising my band to it's full potential. People can only give advice based on what they would do, if it were them. It is our responsibility to take all of the suggested and well intended advice and weigh it against our own personal situations. It's great to have a broad view of those options that you have, but you are really the only one who can narrow them down to the one that's best for you. And again, you're very welcome. :biggrin1:

Actually.. it is! :clap2:

This link will provide you with a list of abbreviations used here at LBT. The first one is PB. I think it's rather brief, but it is the basic idea. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7959 Often PB's are accompanied by large amounts of slime in the mouth as the body tries to get the stuck food lubricated for passage. It is painful, much like the feeling of a golfball stuck behind your breastplate. PB's are usually caused by eating food too quickly, not chewing well, eating foods that are known to be problematic for bandsters, or simply by the band being filled too tight.

I agree with you 100%. A tighter band will not stop you from eating cheesecake, ice cream, chocolate cake.. although it might make you think twice about trying to down a burger or pizza. I know there are many who feel that more restriction is the key to losing weight, however, more restriction could also keep you from eating good solid Proteins and cause you to rely on higher calorie foods. I figured up your weekly loss per week average.. you have lost an average of 3.78 pounds per week since you were banded. This is almost twice the average of 2 pounds per week. Even a pound a week is considered to be a very healthy rate of weight loss. Yes, when we look at the last three weeks of your weightloss we can see that there is a change. And yes, you say you have been hungry. However, in the last three weeks you have eaten far more carbs than proteins. Carbs will create a vicious cycle: eat carbs, carbs burn quickly, body says "Hey, I'm out of fuel! Send down more food!", eat more carbs, crave more carbs, etc. You have seen for yourself that when you are selecting the proper foods that you know will give your body the fuel it needs to function well, you are not hungry or out of control. In my opinion, you're having such a struggle with this because you KNOW that your band has not stopped doing its job. You have stopped doing your part. And you are allowing yourself to wish that tightening down that band is going to somehow take over your mind and make you eat better. Well, it won't. Success with the band does indeed require some logical thinking, some will power, and some determination. It also requires moral support when the long road seems longer than it did when you started. That's why we are all here. Why not try some of these things before you try a fill... Find someone to be accountable to. Someone who motivates you and is serious about reaching goal and staying there. Journal your food/calorie/protein intake every day. Get a clear idea of what choices you're making and where you could make some modifications. Drink a minimum of 64oz per Water per day. Do some form of exercize for 30 mins each day. Get the fried foods, flour and sugar out of the house. These are clearly temptations and your downfall. See these foods for what they are - empty calories that will stop you from reaching your goal. Be patient with yourself. Almost 4 pounds a week is an AWESOME average. Go back over that list I gave you the link to. Really examine the questions to see what truly needs adjusting. Is it really the band? If it is, then super, go get your fill and feel great about working with your band to achieve maximum results. But if it is another area that needs adjusting, please don't allow yourself to fall into the trap of believing that pinching off your stomach is going to make up for the short comings in other areas. It will not. There is a balance we need to attain with ourselves in order to succeed. Getting control of the emotional side of eating (counseling), getting control of the quantity we can eat (the band with the proper amount of restriction), and exercizing our bodies (walk, swim, bike, etc) is what will work. I know what a struggle this decision is for you. I'm facing the same one myself. I wish you all the best Kabeerah.

Ahhahahaha!! Mouse made a funny! I'm still snickering.

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you.. Happy Birthday my hero, Happy Birthday to you! I hope your day was as splendid as you are! :happybday2: :happybday2: :happybday2: :happybday2: :happybday2: :happybday2:

Wow Telly.. I swear girl, you could roll in pig doo and come out looking like a dang supermodel. I love it!! It's downright spunky and shows off that beautiful face even more. Rock on my sexy sister!!

Ok, I'm fed up with myself. I know what my problem is. I know what I need to do. Next week I'm getting my 1cc fill put back in. I -will- start drinking 6 bottles of water, per day, no excuses. I -will- get my flabby butt to the store to buy some clothes for the gym and then my son, the personal trainer, -will- kick my arse for the next 5 months, and I -will- be in a size 10 when I go on that cruise in February. I will! I will! I will!! C 222 (-85 lbs total, +2 this week) I WILL!!!! Grrrr!

Oh quit yer whinning woman. My next one is in December and its the big 5-0. :faint: Sorry you were disappointed with how it went. But I thought about ya, so you should feel all better now. *grins* Love ya girl. Happy Birthday!

This was Ryan's last post here. It was on June 18th of this year. This was on the 'What was your last straw?' thread. In honor of him and his love for others and his love of life.. I'm posting it here. Cheers, Ryan! I pray you've found peace with the man you are and were.

*whispers* Wow.. Life is precious people. Life each day to the fullest. My condolences to the family and all of Ryan's friends here. You will all be in my prayers. PS. Thanks, Lord, for sharing such a special soul with us. Ryan touched the hearts of many people and I'm sure that they feel their lives were blessed by coming in contact with such a caring person. He will be missed but remembered with a smile.

No problems here other than some minor discomfort with my port area. I did have an unfill when I determined that I was filled too tight, but overall this experience has been wonderful. I'm very grateful for each and every day that I live with my band.

I think she's in Greece. *snickers*

If Telly shaves her head.... AND Paul saves his head.... I will.... Point at them and LMAO! You two will look like emoticons!

Awww, had I known you felt that way Wheetsin, I wouldn't have done it. *grins*

Go back to tickerfactory.com change your current weight, copy and paste the new updated code into your signature after you delete the current one. Tickerfactory should remember you and the last ticker you made, so it should just be a matter of changing your current weight. Once you get used to doing this, it only takes a few seconds.

Peanut butter

Mine was very specific at my monthly follow up exams. He asks if I have been throwing up. How am I tolerating breads (trick question I think, I always answer - Wouldnt know, dont touch the stuff. - which is true). He asks how often I eat, how much I eat, and do I snack between meals. He asks if I feel I'm doing this on will power or am I just not hungry between meals. His goal is to give me enough restriction to where I eat 3 times a day, with no Snacks. Each meal should be about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food. I should not be hungry between meals. I should be eating a minimum of 60 grams of Protein per day. If he hears that I'm hungry between meals, snacking, or able to eat large quantities, he suggests a fill. If I am having pains, struggling with eating a good variety of foods, then he suggests an unfill. My Dr. has never based my fills on a time table. It's all about how I'm doing each month, and I'm grateful for that. He's awesome