argon

but you should see the skanks that work at the bars around here!! LOL

Oh, and BabyGotBack... the fact that you haven't weighed yourself since surgery is AWESOME. Hold out as long as you can!! And keep waiting as long as possible, for as long as you can! I'm guilty of letting my scale decide how my day will go... even though I try my hardest to only weigh a COUPLE times a week. I can't stop myself, but at least its not every day. Once my scale dies, I WON'T get a new one!

Bandiva, Sounds like you're doing good! I'm sure you'll be fine with that fill... if it's not feeling TOO crazily tight now, it'll probably be good for quite a while. Man, you can eat things that some bandsters only dream about! I tried toast and PB a few months ago, for breakfast, mind you, (when its not a good idea for me to have anything), took a couple bites, and ended up licking the melty peanut butter off! I don't usually have a problem with hamburger, or melted cheese, but lots do! Don't think it's a bad thing, you'll have more variety, and that's always good. ( I like this new thing with Ticker Factory showing your BMI now too!! Don't you guys?!) Keep it up, Bandiva!! Mandi

Wow, congrats you guys!!! I too would like to TRY running... I'm such a weirdo, I'm too embarassed to even attempt it at the gym. A couple times when no one was around, I cranked up the speed and trotted for a few seconds. How immature am I? I have this feeling that if I had sunglasses, maybe I could do it outside. I guess because my 5 year old mind thinks that people can't see me with them on?! I will work on that though... maybe in the summer. Dan always wanted me to jog with him, and if I was doing it, I could drag him out with me, and get HIM started losing (more) weight. I have an NSV, which I just remembered today. On New Years Eve, we went to a party at these people from works house. Around... 3-ish, we called a cab, and the 4 of us that live in the same building 'group' left together. Outside there were people smoking, so we (the girls at least) gave them Happy New Year hug, and the last guy PICKED ME UP, and swung me around. (he's a HUGE guy) It was scary, and totally foreign to me. If you recall, I was excited a little while ago when I let Dan pick me up for the first time. I'm sure this guy would have NEVER attempted it even a few months ago... and if he had, I would have done my good old 'turn into a noodle' move, and slid out before he got to! Yay for strange men picking you up and swinging you!!

I shall change that thing under my name to reflect this new status of mine!

*cough* 99. You'll do it, Yasmina. If I can... sheesh. Back several months ago, I was so happy when I passed the 30lb lost mark, cause I've never been able to lose more or stay on something long enough to get past that.

I have the powder Benefiber, and the chewable. Don't get the chewable!!! I got lazy and thought I'd do chewables. But they're gross. There's no reason you can't mix the benefiber into anything you drink, OR eat during the day.. You have to drink at least a couple times a day, right? I for sure take it once a day. More if I remember. I put some in my Water bottle in the morning before I go to work.. and then I start drinking that after I finish my coffee. (can't even taste, or tell its there even in water) I just started, again, so I don't know how well that alone is working. Dame - for sure try the bullet! I used it every time!!! I also eventually got not hungry with the Optifast. I got to the point where I was drinking one a day, because either I wasn't hungry enough, or I just couldn't take it anymore!! I think a combination of the two

Well, you guys... thank you. You did cheer me up and make me feel better. I thought, tonight, that even though I said I'd neeeevvvvvver waitress. Maybe I would now. At a bar or something. Maybe I thought I'd never do it cause I'd never be hot enough to make good tips! Ok, not now... later on down the road. Dan's mom is a waitress at a hotel, and she makes as much in tips as she does in 'wage' every week. I'll figure something out... or cut things out. I had a plan a while ago, I just forgot what it was. Thanks for the support guys!

There's a few of you that need them!! Get on that! We want surgery dates, and weights!

Yeah... if 2 Canadians have already been murdered there... what are the chances that anymore will? At least for a while. I think I'd rather do an all inclusive thing. Who did it lose its appeal to, and why? Yoda, you're awesome.

actually lots of different places have DaVinci syrups. I hunted them down, and bought some at a coffee shop in Saskatoon. That was in my old Atkins days... people on Atkins boards swore by them. I added some caramel and dulce de leche to my vanilla optifasts... a couple times. I still have the bottles, and I don't think I'll ever smell/taste them again without having nightmares of Opti-hell!!

look at you with a new name! I was confused for a sec! That is very nice of you taking pity on those poor mushie eaters!! LOL I just rediscovered french onion soup also, and it's awesome to have something safe like that for whenever I can't find anything on the menu I can eat... most placed have french onion soup! How many people do you have coming so far?

Thanks guys and Dawn, uh... 150 lbs in less time than ME! I'm not YOUR hero! 28lbs left for you! I bet your before and afters would be amazing! *cough, cough - where ARE they?!* And to answer that question - yeah, she does do a different job that me. It's more responsibility, and I'm sure she deserves it and or earns it. At least now, I don't have to feel bad if she has to stay late, or whatever. Just last night, I came home for dinner, and was going to go back to work and help her out... I didn't have to, I wasn't asked to, it wasn't my fault anything was behind. But I felt bad for her. Then I got to comfortable at home, and figured, screw it. She got herself into this mess. I was mad/peeved up til today, because she was being paid LESS than me, doing something with more responsibility, but would NOT say anything about it. She didn't want to give them the wrong impression (I had just found out that she's been paid less, a couple days ago).. or whatever, so was just going to do NOTHING about it. So I figured, whatever, let her suffer if she doesn't have the guts to bring this to their attention. Then, they come to her and tell her that they thinks she needs to be earning more. I think I am making the right ummm...ratio to someone in her position, so I shouldn't have a problem. But she just got there, they made up this job for her, and she's making more!! I'm jealous. I admit it. I lost more inches though... :heh: Ahhh... whatever. I've got some thinking to do.

Congrats Bandiva! 2cc's for your first fill? Wow! That's craziness! no... it's not, but usually from what I've seen, people usually get 1cc to start with. I'm only at 1.5cc! When exactly did you get the fill? And you're not really noticing anything yet? Did he do it under flouro?

Hey green (and everyone!)! Thanks! I've seen a little bit of you in that Rants and Raves!!! Come back here to Canada!!! I can't believe my freakin' ticker says 99 lost... AND only 43 to go. Holy crap. Like I've said before, who knows if 142 is realistic for me, and maybe I wouldn't go that low. BUT man... ONLY 43 lbs... and I still look like this after 99? I guess they say that losses are more noticeable the less and less you weigh. Maybe 40 more pounds would make a huge difference. I talk like its attainable. Is it? I've done good so far... should I let myself think I ACTUALLY MIGHT MAKE IT!? I haven't really believed it so far.. which one of you said you were waiting for the other shoe to drop? Neenagh... Maria? My friend got a raise at work today... the friend I brought here. She got thrown into what kinda ended up being a supervisor role, and jumped up $4000 (a year) more. I was depressed today, about that... cause... geesh... I need more money. When your student loan payments take up 1/3 of your income... that's alot, no? And that's making the lowest payments I possibly can. I'd be flyin' if I didn't have those to pay off. I wouldn't be rich, by ANY means, but... that extra money would be nice. Oh.. to actually save money... what a concept! I was thinking what else I could possibly do. That I just might have to. It's not like I'm making minimum wage.... I can't imagine if I had to get a regular job, and live on minimum wage... I couldn't. Anyone hiring? Pretty good paying jobs, with little training/school needed? Seriously.

I do know of one gal in Calgary who was banded in August. I'll send her your link, and make sure she knows about the meeting on the 31st. If nothing else, maybe I could give you her email address... cause I think she might have had issues with the yahoo groups too! A meeting for bandsters at the Cheesecake Cafe?! haha I wish I was around there to come to it! If it were, say, "The Cookie Factory" or "Cake Barn" (made up names, as far as I know)... then I might only be able to have a little bit... but cheesecake... mmmmmmm... you're one evil lady, Julie!!!! LOL

Ahh... files on us? Fishy fishy! LOL No, PM me all you want, but you don't have to go out of your way to give everyone that website address. Lots of us are here cause we can't stand Yahoo! groups. I'd give you the address to for canadianlapbanders, but I'm sure I've already seen you there. *edit - I realize I said "No PMs necessary" ... I mean, relating to the calgary yahoo group*

hey, you're overweight too!!! WOO!!! There are charts all over the place. http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ I went here for example. They don't have it on this page, but generally, 25-30 is 'overweight', 30-40 'obese', 40-50' is 'morbidly obese', and 50+ is super morbidly obese. I'm sure they have words for above that. I actually watched Medical Mysteries last weekend, and one story was about that 1200lb man in Mexico. They said something like "Manuel is what Dr's call: MORBIDLY OBESE!" I was like, "Hey, I was morbidly obese!!" They make it sound like 'morbidly obese' is the extreme of all extremes. They should have pointed out that you don't have to be 1200lbs to be considered that.

Keep workin' on that, Yoda. :hug: and congrats on the accomplishment! I, am not longer obese... I'm OVERWEIGHT! Woot! Woot! Feels like I've said that before... but I think it was the morbidly obese, to merely obese. I don't know HOW I lost 2 and a half pounds, but I'm taking it. I got on and off the scale 5 times, and it was the same everytime. Stupidly I hopped on again after my shower, and it was up. Shouldn't have done it, but I'll pretend I never saw it.

welcome back, Khrissy!

ha! Yes, definitely get a picture next time. A BEFORE and after picture!! Awesome that you're feeling better. It'll just get better and better.

haha Mookie... glad you're back

I think having this thread here, and at the end of virtually all your posts is enough. I imagine you PM'd everyone who's posted in any of the Canada threads... because I'm no longer anywhere near Calgary, and my profile states that. PM's not necessary.

I forgot to add: I'm off to have a goodbye 'coffee' with a couple from work. The girl of the couple, Maki, is being sent back to Japan. Apparently her having been here in school for the last couple years, and a steady job isn't a good enough reason for her to be allowed to stay. Her and her boyfriend just got engaged over the christmas holidays, and on Thursday he's gotta say goodbye to her for a few months, possibly 6. It sounds like he'll just end up going there, and them getting married, alot sooner that they'd planned... but it'll still take a while for her to be able to come back. She's so cute... I've probably lost HER (in weight).. Everything she talks about is "Oooooh, that's sooooo scaaaary!" Dan does a great impression. So yeah, I'm sad about that.

ehh... who am i kiddin'?