loserbob

The reason Im posting this is because I felt totally different when i started this process. So much so that i looked for reasons to postpone surgery dates which I regretfully did once! This is not the hell I thought it was going to be(hell might be too strong). I wanted to do this to lose weight and get healthy even if it meant "depriving" myself of the one comfort I knew I could count on to make me happy, food! I even scheduled my surgery for March(2010) because I wanted to enjoy the holidays. At that time food is what made me most happy and satisfied, dont get me wrong I still love to eat but Enjoyment meant being able to eat 2 full plates of turkey at thanksgiving, Eating what I wanted at Christmas and so-on. Actually most things I do today pretty much involve food, I just dont eat as much and the better choice thing is still a work in progress! Well Im here to tell you I feel like a real idiot now! Enjoyment to me is not eating until Im sick, gorging myself. Its seeing results when I look in the mirror, its buying new clothes at "normal" stores(still borderline, depending on brand of clothing), its taking food home in doggy bags, its hearing people tell me how good I look, its thinking about how I wont have to worry about gaining weight over the holidays, its not having to make excuses to justify my bad food choices, its being off my meds, and most of all its me feeling much, much better about myself as a husband, father, and person. Im not at goal yet, not even close. That changes by the day. My point is I dont feel deprived at all. This is the best decision I have ever made(it ranks near the top). I just want people who are still deciding to know, all the feelings I felt(most negative) before surgery where for nothing because I can still eat what i want(that might change when I have more restriction)and I actually feel more normal now than I ever have! I still have a long way to go(Id like to lose about 50-70 more pounds, Ive lost about 50 so far)but I wish I would have scheduled it last Aughust(2009) instead of last March(2010)! I hope this helps people who are having a hard time deciding, but as always everyone is different and research is the most important thing you can do to help in your decision. Good luck to all of you in whatever your decision is!

The incident with the Koreas this morning might move the timeline up for Israel to do something about Iran. Think about it, you have a poor, very impoverished country in N. Korea who is doing whatever it pleases(killing 40 plus SK military men in March and now the incident this morning)because they have nuclear weapons. Its been proven that NK has sold nuc and missile tech to Iran and I believe Libya and whoever else! What will a fairly rich country like Iran do, theyll hold the world hostage and eventually both Iran and NK will have the missile tech to reach our shores. This missile shield bs is giving me the impression that Obama is content with containment, I hope Im wrong. My only hope is that Israel will not allow Iran to get the bomb!

Now they've applied for federal money from the 9-11 fund! Talk about balls!

No I havent had any problems. I signed in this morning and now I cant even find where to sign when LB page comes up but it still let me post. I wasnt even used to the last upgrade they made. Im not sure if its my computer but Its really fast. Ive been using my laptop alot lately and it is alot different, thats probably what it is

Cleos, read the trib page a-5, its about healthcare. A majority of Americans want congress to keep the new healthcare law and even expand it despite rep claims that they have a mandate from the people to kill it. The post election survey(Mcclatchy Newspaper Marist Poll) showed that 51% of reg voters want to keep the law or change it to do more while 41% want tom change it to do less or even repeal it. The survey also showed that a majority of Americans side with the dems on another hot-button issue, extending the Bush tax cuts for families making less than $250,000.00 a year only. Dont ask rule, 47% favoring repeal, 48% opposing repeal. Healthcare Of the 51% in favor 16% want it to stay the same while 35% want it to do more. Expand---women, minorities and people youger than 45, democrats, liberals, northeasterners, and those making less than $50,000.00 a year. Against 11% want to amend it to rein it in 33% want to rein it in men, whites, over 45, making over 50k, cons, rep, teabags. Independents are even against, 36% for repealing and 12% for restraining it Of the 48% of ind. for, 12% want to restrain while 34% want to leave as is.

I was watching Fareed Zakaria on Sunday. There was a guy on there(rep) who said we need a war to get out of this economic downfall! Fareed laughed and told him "I guess Iraq and Afghanistan arent enough." He said they arent enough that usually after a depression there is a war which helps to get out of depression. Again, another idiot who has never had to go to war and kill people! Why not get more of our peolpe killed and F'ed up for money! Unfortunately after waking up this morning and hearing about the Koreas he might get his wish. Already the stockmarket is down 100 plus because of the fear its causing! It just pisses me off how willing reps are to send everyone elses children off to be killed knowing that their children will be safe!

I am watching Fox and getting upset as usual! Why is Jason Altmire a dem? He's saying he wants to extend all Bush tax cuts permanently. He said he did not vote for Pelosi and will not vote for her in the future. The host actually told him he sounded like a rep. and he said thats how he feels. The reason Im so upset is he's in my area!

Im not trying to sound like a broken record, Im sure you've read this on here many times but the band will do its job of restricting food intake but its still your job to make the right choices! That being said, its not as hard as your thinking(at least not for me). Everyone has felt the way you do. Everyone looks at it differently but you dont have to stop eating chocolate or anything else you like, you just wont eat nearly as much. You'll find that things you once liked you might not care for down the road. Definitely go into this with a positive attitude, it will make it easier. Remember your doing this for yourself, be your own support, go to lapband support groups at your hospital and remember youll always get alot of support on here. "Dont sweat the small stuff"! Just sweat to be small.

I think Obama will be in trouble in 2012 for the simple fact that the hispanics are probably peoed that he didnt get anything done with imigration. I hope Im wrong. Get ready for colored posts I just figured it out!

Hey Patty, Airiscus has been gone for awhile its your turn again!

Heres what bothers me about dems. The headlines in all the papers make it look like Obama has no spine, over the no-trade agreement. What would Bush have done in this siutuation, actually let me rephrase that, what would Cheney have done? He would have used leverage by threatening to pull our troops out of S. Korea(probably the only real deterent against the north). If you think its wrong to do it to "friends", its the way you get things done, we need to look out for our own interests first! What did they do when gas prices were at or over $4.00 a gall., they threatened to drill and OPEC always seemed to lower the price a little. All Im saying is stop trying to be everyones friend, do what you need to do to improve our economy. My next issue is I never hear anybody talk about the energy industry being the real cause of the economy(and the two wars). If gas wasnt $3.00 a gall. everything else would be cheaper. I dont believe that the oil spiked because China uses so much oil. The spike in oil was sudden not gradual. China didnt just start using alot more oil overnight, think about it. Im a plumber, plastic and copper prices fluctuate from day to day. I heard China was buying more copper, I heard Chilean Copper miners went on strike, I heard oil prices raised the price of plastic pipe, I heard one pipe supplier went out of business in turn limiting supply, but the company who told me that still used the same named pipe from the same supplier as always! If you want to improve the economy pull out of the wars and cut energy costs. People dont have the money to spend that they used to because they have to pay $3-4.00 a gallon for gas. They have to pay higher everything because of oil. In turn utilities cost more than ever and these are costs we have to pay. Then you have everyone else joining in, health insurance for instance, they use the excuse of "Obama Care" bullshit, the prices are going up because they know when the Obamacare kicks in they wont be able to raise the prices(as much), at least I hope thats the case. Besides I paid my own healthcare for years and the prices went up rediculously high before Obama was even a thought to be pres. So I dont buy the "Obamacare" excuse! Only the vrich can still drive big cars and own big homes. Again, the middle class have to work longer and harder than ever before. It used to piss me off when I was young and I would hear people say "Japan works longer hours per day than any other country" I was to young to know what that really meant but it still bothered me in some way like it was a knock against our country. Now I would love nothing more than to be able to say Japan works longer hours tha any other country! I guess my point is(even though Im all over the place here)We're(the mid class)getting screwed in every way in this country and we've even lost our say in the matters that affect us most! If I hear a rep say "dont tax the rich, they're the ones who create jobs" I think Ill lose it. Maybe they should take credit for the economy, they aint creating jobs so tax them. You really gotta see the O'reilley interview on "Real Time with Bill Maher", it was great!(Im not checking my spelling or punctuation, Im on my laptop and it seems like everytime I type long posts I lose them before I post)

Another 7-11 guy story! As soon as I walked in this morning to get coffee he told me about a church in my town(Greensburg Pa(again mostly gun hugging, redneck repulicans)that had the "N" word, actually it said "No N", you know the rest, painted on the side! When someone from the parish saw it they were so upset because they never thought this would happen in this day and age, having a black pres. He(7-11 guy)told me that having a black pres just secured his belief that theyre all "N"!!! Then he showed me a picture on his phone of a "retarded boy"(his words), the kid looked like he had DS)and the kid in the pictures shirt said "at least Im not a N", then the 7-11 guy said "I hate retards too". Then I went in again about 1:00 to get coffee on my way home . I told him I couldnt believe he said that this morning about blacks and mentally handicapped people, and he said "well, I wasnt lying, I hate retards and I hate N even more"! I hope I dont offend anybody, Im just showing how much hatred there is and how much racism especially where I live! Oh and hes republican, I made the statement the other day that the reps claim theyre not racist but all the people who vote for them sure seem to be and the "apple doesnt fall far from the tree"!!!!

i listened to Stewart Varney(I believe thats his name)on Hannity the other day. He said the reps ought to agree on a permanent tax cut for the mid class and a three year extension for the rich. Hannity told him they have majority and they ought to insist on a permanent cut for the rich. Varney said the dems would never go for it and he thinks it would be better for the 3 year extension so we can get something accomplished. He said his worst fear is neither side working together because now the reps have majority and would look bad come 2012 elections if nothing changes! Also the Bill Maher show was interesting. He had Oreilley on and pretty much put him in his place.

I dont know much about who is running for what, other than the people who have been there for a while. Isnt it time we get new blood in there(on both sides) so we dont have the "same old, same old" ? If we're not getting what we want why not get new people who might actually put our needs in front of politics. Really, even with the reps winning more seats what has changed. We(dems) were unable to get alot accomplished even with the congressional majority because some caved to rep pressure. In turn we lost and now the reps have more of a voice and since Tuesday(election day) they havent changed their tune. All theyre talking about is how theyre going to make Obama a one term pres and they arent going to work with dems unless they move more right. Were does that leave us, back at sqare one. Its time for some new blood in there!!! Dem voters need there own Tea Party to let the few spineless dems who caved know their days are numbered. Let them know we want people who will stand up for our beliefs. For instance, now there are a few dems who want to extend the Bush tax cuts even though they said differently when they where running for office. Time for them to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel like most running are more worried about the next election than doing whats right. In the mean time you have Obama who I believe sincerely cares and wants to do whats right but has no help from either side.

Im listening to Sara Dumbell on CNN. God Please let her run for president. Why does she always talk about how to be a great American, she like all reps never says what her plans are, just that she has them.

After the reps won the first thing McConnel said was, His job is to see that Obama is a 1 term pres. Trust me nothing has changed with the party of no!!!!

It could also mean you are taking too big of a bite and or you arent chewing enough. I have the same problem. I talked to my dr and he said pain doesnt mean your full. Since talking to him Ive tried concentrating on both and realized I do need a fill because I can actually eat a good amount when I chew well and eat slow. And I feel no pain at all when done properly. He told me to snack in between meals or in place of meals(I dont always eat Breakfast which is a no no)so I dont get really hungry. Its easier to make bad choices when Im hungrier, also I try to eat too fast which is when I feel pain!

I was watching Larry King and Jeff Bridges was on. He was promoting a charity called "No to child hunger. org". I might have it wrong. It was about kids in this country who go hungry. I was wondering why Hannity and the rest of the crew always put Hollywood stars down. Where are all the rich republicans, oh thats right theyll decide what to do with their money, these hungry kids just want handouts!

K. Couric just asked Eric Cantor how the reps. plan on cutting spending. He said "we have to get back to before 2008 spending", again never answered the mfin question. Im so pi$$ed, I cant believe all the idiots who buy this bs. I just want a republican to actually answer a question without working around it!!!

Im not sure who your asking but Ill answer. I had an 11cc realize band on March 10 of this year. I went back to work in 2 1/2 weeks(plumber). I felt like I could have gone back after the first week. I felt a little discomfort the first and second day, I think it was mostly from the meds and gas pains but the 3rd day was totally different, I felt much better the 3rd day. The actual surgery was what scared me most but it was a breeze. Theres really nothing to worry about.

Anybody have any healthy recipes or websites? Thanks

I just posted this to let people who are "on the fence" about it know its not at all what I thought. I thought I would be miserable because I would have to give up eating everything I like. So far I've only given up little while gaining alot(for once Im not referring to gaining weight). I would assume many people feel as I did. So far its been a very easy transition and like I said I still have a long way to go but it hasnt been the doom & gloom I thought it was going to be. I still cant find the motivation to exercise like I should and I dont always make the right choices but Im not the kind of person who can change everything in one day, I need to make gradual changes for it to work. But Its been pretty easy so far.

You seem like an expert with your experience and all but wow, where did you get your info? The failure rate could be true although it seems high to me. I think too many people go into this thinking its a cakewalk. You have to put work into it to get the results you want. Most on here seem to get to goal and beyond. As far as the complications, there are risks with anything you do in life. If you follow the rules your dr gives you it greatly reduces the risks of complications and failure. Most complications are caused by not following the rules. For instance I hear people say they eat solid foods right after a fill. Your body needs 1-2 days to recoop.(amt of time depends on dr). Most important point, your only 20(I wish they had this when I was 20)do it now because it gets harder the older you get. I say do it now, but like someone said, research it until you feel comfortable with your decision you have time. Last point, what are your risks if you dont do something. I dont know your history but we've all been where you are. Young, thinking "Ill lose weight on my own" only to keep putting it off or trying and failing, all the while gaining more and more weight as time goes on. I say do it now because you can greatly increase your quality of life while your still young enough to enjoy yourself. RESEARCH is key, this may not be for you!

Oh, theyre still crying about the stimulus. The funny thing is I still never heard the rep plan. They say they have one but I never heard what it was!

Ive been up for about 2 hours and already im pi$$ed off! Im watching Fox and theyre showing Tea baggers holding American flags. I might be reading too much into it but it seems like theyre trying to say if you dont vote rep(bag candidates) your not American. Dems, there is some good news no, great news. Sara Dumbell said she's ready to run if nobody else steps up! Please, please run for pres stupid!