PhotoNut

Oh I'm laughing so hard! I'm not touching this one with a 10ft pole Dody! LOL

I have a snack tip. This sounds odd, but for me it really works. Don't knock it until you try it! You know the bagged iceburg lettuce salads by Dole? Well, put a handful of that in a bowl with NO DRESSING and just nibble on pieces like chips. They are sweet and crunchy and wow, I really enjoyed this. I almost ate all of the lettuce before I finished making my salad today.

Today's goals: No walking.. feeling so darn lethargic today. I blame Dawg. Did my food journal entries. Drank 1/2 my water from bottles, the other half in the form of brewed iced tea w/lemon. Cleaned the kitchen and went shopping for a new pillow for Dawg. I did not eat at the table, I ate in front of the computer every time. This is my biggest challenge. I'll keep trying.

I will walk a minimum of 1/2 mile every day. (None yet, but it's not over till the fat lady sleeps!) I will drink 64 oz. of Water every day. (I'm drinking a lot of iced tea with lemon, and about half my usual water. I hope this is ok.) I will write down every bite I put in my mouth - quantity, calories, Protein. (Done - This is really helping.) I will take on one achievable project in my house per day. (It's Saturday and Dawg is home. He is my project for today. Done! *grins*) I will NOT sit on my arse all day doing nothing but fighting head hunger out of pure boredom! (Haven't done too bad, although I was really feeling like snacking today so I popped a 100 calorie bag of Pop Secret and it filled me up nicely.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Penni.. how did the rest of your day go? Are you going to go to sleep with a smile of success on your lips, or is there something evil on your lips tonight? LOL I noticed a few of you started posting with us then faded away.. HarleyNana, LaMadam, DOC, Kellie, Cheri, JustWaiting, Paula, JQPublic, Cynthia... how are you all doing?

I'd be pretty happy with to happy and beautiful boys like yours too! Wonderful pictured, thanks for sharing them with us!

Penni, Im so proud of you! Sorry to hear youre having a crappy day, but you're really doing well in spite of that! So yay for you!! 38 degrees in Cali.. wow, that's amazing. Say, do you like hot teas? Sipping on some of those flavored teas while reading might be a good replacement for those other things that I won't mention again. By the way.. I don't think I'll ever see a snickers without thinking of you! LOL Welcome to the club Carol. I'll get your stats added to the list of members page. I think all of us went through a hard time wanting to eat pre-surgery. It a feeling of hurry up and eat all you can before they take it away, isnt it? I cried over the thought of losing my comfort foods, but I've since found out that I don't really miss them all that much. I actually feel free! Think of your lapband journey as beginning now.. the more you lose pre-surgery, the farther along you'll be when you wake up right?! :confused: Can you pack healthy snack and lunch things to take to your jobs so you aren't tempted to eat out of machines and fast food places? Being prepared for those times when you just don't want to go cook can save ya from giving in to the junk that makes us fat. You'll do fine, just get your eyes on your goals and the reasons why you want to do this.. I think you mentioned at least 4 of them. :eek:

July 2005 March 2006 Wow, Kim, you look fantastic! You should be stinking proud of yourself girl!

I'm on there now! *waves hello to the neighbors*

*laughs* Excellent NSV! Good for you.. and your ribs!!

Congratulations on your banding and welcome to Bandland. I answered your question about changing your doctor on the other thread you posted.

I would think that would depend on a lot of things. Firstly, can you find a doctor who will provide after care when you were banded by someone else. Some will, some won't. If you do find someone who's willing, and if you have insurance, will the insurance company cover the new doctor? The cost of most band surgeries (in the states) includes some form of after care. If your insurance has already paid for that, they may object to the change. If you arent happy with your doctor, you should look around and get the answers to questions like these.

Hiya Jillbean.. Welcome to LBT. 55 pounds is a big loss! Grats on that! One to two pounds a week is a steady and healthy weight loss rate. You're doing well and might see an increase in your weekly loss now that you are feeling more restriction. Best of luck on your next banded year.

Hello Ms Luckey, glad to hear you're feeling much better now. Aren't we humans a fickle bunch? I went almost an entire year with a stomach hernia, thinking I probably had stomach cancer or something, refusing to go to the Dr. Ner. And that hurt! Just think what I'd do for 2-4 pounds a week! LOL

I was swollen all over my stomach for a couple of weeks or more. The first time I looked in the mirror I was shocked at how much fatter I looked than before I was banded! Pregnant just about covers it! LOL Is you port on that side? That usually sticks out quite a bit and is the most tender spot.

Eat some protein Penni. Fill up on that and you won't be fighting real hunger along with the head hunger. Glad to hear you're starting the day right. *hugs*

Warning - check calorie count before eating! I ate over 500 calories worth of pot roast in one sitting yesterday. Sure seemed harmless enough, 6 oz of meat, good protein.. right? Err wrong! 265 calories per 3 ounces! Eeep! I was starting to wonder if I'm really off track, with no weight loss last week and all. So I started journaling my food again, watching my drinking with meals, etc. and I convinced Dawg to let me weigh this morning so I could get a good idea about what's really going on with me and what I need to adjust. I really didn't expect to lose anything, didn't feel like I had, but I'd lost 2.5 pounds. So I'm feeling not quite so "off" now. How's everyone else's week going? Meeting those daily goals? Saying no to stuff that will sabatoge you? If not, get your butt on here and start talking to the club members. That's what we're here for.

You couldnt pay me to try bread! LOL Not after all the warnings and horror PB stories I've read here. I know that a fill can drastically change what, how fast, and how much you can eat. After your couple of days on liquids when you've had a fill, start re-introducing foods back into your diet slowly and cautiously. As a matter of fact, get used to approaching every meal with caution. I've heard many people say that one day they could eat a certain food, but the next day it was a big no-can-do.

Happy Bandiversary! 86 pounds, you must feel like a new woman! I agree.. share your NSVs with us!

Heyas Leener, I know you've been nervous about this for a long time now. Questioning if it's right for you and all. Take a few minutes to drink that nice cup of tea that Vines gave you and reflect on your life's potential if you were suddenly told that the band is not an option for you. Would you be relived, or disappointed? I think you'd be disappointed. And I think you would be taking a bigger risk with your life by not having the surgery. All of the extra weight on our bodies causes it to fall apart, and that is manifested in things such as heart problems, breathing problems, muscle problems, etc. Accept that after surgery you will be sore, it will be a few days of having to nurse yourself back to health, you will even ask yourself, "OMG! What have I done?!" but each day will get better and the time will fly by. I'm already over two months out and it seems like just the other day that I was in your shoes, getting anxious and nervous about the upcoming surgery. Something I really want to stress to you is this. This is not to scare you.. so dont let it. This is to protect you. *hugs* Do NOT rely on the hospital to be 100% on the ball. Tell them over and over again - I have asthma, I'm alergic to this medication (if you are), I have PCOS and am on a heavy period so I'm feeling enemic. Whatever you need to tell them to be sure they follow up properly.. tell them again and again. And if you have a spouse or someone else that will be with you, tell them to keep reminding the medical staff of those things. I filled out so many papers about my allergy to penicillin and yet when I was being prepped for the surgery I told the nurse again and she looked at my chart and said, "Oh, ok, I'll change the Dr's orders on that now." And then she put a big yellow band on my wrist with Penicillin written on it in red. They had me set up for Penicillin in my IV before I went into surgery! I would have died. So just make sure you are watching out for you. Ok?

Looks like two identical originating posts were started on accident. *chuckles* Maybe it would be easier for Jess if we put all the post on one of the threads? http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?p=184477#post184477

PB is productive burp. When a food gets stuck and has to come back up. Check out this link for some other acronyms we use here: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7959

I have been on all sides of the fence in my life. I was the only child of a woman who remarried, which brought a younger step-sister into my life. My father also remarried and fathered another daughter. So I know from the kids view how it feels to try and fit in with a mixed family. Each child having different relatives was a constant reminder that we were not equals. When I first married, I became step mom to two young children from my husband's first marriage. A girl who was 6 and a 4 year old boy. They lived with us for a good portion of the time. After my first child was born, the older two had jealousy issues. Three years later, the son came to live with us permanently. He was 9 when I had my second child, a son. I think because the kids were so young, they all fell into the family mode quite easily. But I know now, looking back on things, that I was indeed easier on my kids and harder on his son. Jump forward 12 years. My daughter is 17, son is 13. I have been a single mother for most of their lives. I meet Dawg online and our world changes. By the time we were married, my daughter was 18 and was moving on in her life. But my son was 14 and going through some very difficult times. It took quite a while for my son to trust Dawg as a father. He already liked him as a friend. But handing over you mother to a stranger, who hasnt been through all the years of family stuff with you is a big thing to ask. I share my background in order to show that I have some knowledge of the subject matter. *chuckles* My advice to you is this: Never, ever contradict your spouse in front of the kids. If you disagree, talk it out later in private. (Unless of course there is an abusive situation that needs to be stopped) Be very open with your love and affection for each other in front of the kids. The more they see that you trust and love each other, the more they will be able to do the same. Be their father's wife, not their best friend. If you try to be a pal, they will not respect you as they should. You can be loving and caring and interested in their lives as a mother would be.. but this leads me to the next point... Do not expect to become mother to those teens. It will never happen. They will grow to love you, but you truly are -not- their mother and shouldn't try to be. When you do, you become a threat to them. Stand back and let their father do the disciplining. They will take it from him much better. Let them see that you and he are in complete agreement on the rules of the house, but he is the enforcer. (This will be different for the young ones. They will be more accepting of his authority.) When you hear things like, 'Youre not my mother' etc.. reply with truth. "No, I am not.. nor do I wish to take your mother's place. But we are a family, and I do love you and want the best for all of us here." If your children say these things to their own parent, 'Why do you let him/her talk to me like that? Why are you letting her/him do this to our family? Who is he/she anyway.. they just came in here and changed everything!' You again reply with the truth, "He/she talks to you like that because we want the best for you and all of us as a family. Your father and I/Your mother and I, believe that your behavior (or whatever) is not helping you or this family. Yes, things are changing, we are all adjusting to that change. But the important thing is, I trust (spouse's name) because I know he/she loves me, and loves you, and wants the best for this family. I think you already know this in your heart. Now, let's talk about the real issues here"... then address the problem that started it all in the first place. The most important thing of all. Never let your children show disrespect for your spouse. At first, the child will feel you are betraying them in support of someone else, but in the long run they will find much more security and peace in the fact that they can trust that person because YOU do. Make sense? Those are my suggestions. Take or leave whatever ya want, and I wish you all the best in your family. It's never easy, but it can be rewarding in the long run.

Heya Vines.. first of all *Big Warm Hugs* I wish I'd have known you were at the airport alone yesterday. I'd have come and hugged you in person! You are always so loving and caring, taking care of those around you. I know you'll be blessed for that. I'm actually very happy to hear that you took the leave from school. I think the reduction in stress levels will be very benificial for you. You've heard the expression, "God doesn't give us more than we can handle" haven't you? Well, I believe that God isn't the one giving us all the stressful, depressing, potentially debilitating circumstances. I believe that He is the one who gives us the strength, and courage, and hope to make it through times like you are facing. I've seen you say that you have searched for the Truth in many faiths and churches. I'd just like to encourage you to look directly to Him. Cut out the middle man, so to speak, and lean on Him. He will hold you up when no one else can. I know you'll be alright. Not because you're a strong woman, which you obviously are, but because someone like you who is so loving and kind just HAS to be special in the eyes of God, so I know He'll be watching over you with extra care. You and your family will be in my prayers. *hugs*

Hmm.. Leener, that makes perfect sense to me. For the last couple of years, I continued to devalue my life to the point of not having one. I spent all of 2005 not living. Oh I ate - LOTS - and I was breathing, but I wasn't living. I'm so grateful for the miracles that took place which brought me to this point. I'm finally living again, and I really believe it is because I have HOPE again. Without HOPE, there is no real living is there? But, even at my lowest point, I never considered suicide. To me, that is the most selfish thing a person can do. Leave everyone who loves you behind with all of the pain and life long heartache over the loss. I've known many family members who end up killing themselves after one of them does. They get it in their heads that they are crazy - must run in the family kind of a thing. Taking your own life to end your misery is not the end of the story. All those people you love, and possibly thought you were helping them be "better off without you" will take on all of your misery, heaped on top of all that normal life has given them to deal with. Nope, I'm sorry if this offends anyone. I know it's a tender subject and some of you may have lost loved ones to suicide. If so, I'm truly sorry for your loss. But those of us who are still alive, with a chance for tomorrow, with people who love us.. shame on any of us who would take that chicken shit way out and leave people behind to deal with the torment.

Some places on the body tend to hang on to the weight longer as other parts get thinner faster. It's odd. My husband and I have lost almost the same amount of weight (he passed me by 2 pounds last week, the dirty rotten stinker! LOL) and he's down from size 50 pants to 44s! Me? Im down from 24s to 22s. Why? Well, Im still over 100 pounds from my goal weight, and he's only about 50 from his. Makes a big difference, just like Jachut said. Hang in there, keep doing the right things, try to be patient, focus on the success so far.. and the rest WILL fall into place. How can it not? :confused: