DonnaB

I think you should get two dogs so they won't be lonely. I'm an indoor-pet kind of person but I really think you need to have a fence. If you can't fence your entire yard you can probably fence an area. I don't leave my dogs outside for long, but they like to cut loose and RUN when they do go outside. Walking is great for you and for your future dog, but they need a place to really run - which not many people can do at their speed. Have you thought about a cat? They're less needy than dogs, are born litter-trained and can be just as affectionate as dogs. My cat's even play "fetch" with me! lol They do.

South coast too! Wait, east coast too. Hmmmm. Should we just rename the country "Mexico II" ?

I disagree, you have to reduce your calories to reduce your fat. Eat enough sugar calories - zero fat - and you will gain weight. Your body stores those excess calories AS FAT. The theory that your body converts calories consummed as fat faster than other calories is incorrect. Unless I'm mistaken, the fat you eat goes through the same process of digestion and metabolism as other calories. This is an oversimplification but essentially correct. The point of the pre-op diet is to reduce the fat in your liver. Your body fat plays havoc with this organ and makes it heavy and brittle. When the doctor places the band he must first retract your liver to get to your stomach. If the liver is to big, or too brittle to move, your doctor will stop the surgery and you will wake up without a band - but with several scars and with a smaller bank account - or pissed off insurance that won't spend the money for another surgery if you want to try it again. Do the diet.

Hey Kim, Carbonation is a gas which expands. You drink it, the gas begins to expand and, if you're not careful, shoots straight back up and out. If you do drink it in small quantities and it goes past the stoma, when it begins to expand you'll feel like a balloon being blown up. I haven't done it because it can cause damage but I've read other post which describe the feeling and, frankly, I don't like fizzy sugar Water enough to go through that. I will say that there are some people here on LBT who drink soda and report not having a problem with it. The doctors says it's bad, people report it hurting, the science supports the expanding balloon theory so . . . pass thanks.

Ouch. Jachut, who usually shoots straight from the hip (which I appreciate and admire), shot from below the belt this time. Again . . . Ouch.

Congrats on beginning. They say the first step is the hardest. For me personally, it's EVERY step after that first one but, hey. LOL It sounds like you're in a better metal state today too - that's really good news. Seriously, you're doing the right thing - and even though it's tough, you'll succeed. I think you should call your doctor's office and ask them how many calories you should be aiming for. Then double it. lol Kidding! It's important to find out what they say because cottage cheese can really add up calorie-wise. Find out what they say and try to stick to it. At the moment of your liver retraction, your doctor will appreciate the effort. About the all cottage chees and yogurt diet - it's better than the all broth and Water diet. Trust me on this one. Let us know how you're doing.

I don't have a problem with fruit except for oranges - the pulp is no problem but that white, stringy outer membrane just can't be chewed up. I do have to be careful with plum and tomato skin though. If I cut them into small bite sized pieces, that takes care of the problem.

Oooooohhhhhh - tough one! Jeez P'nut, you've done so well by being the model bandster. Do you want to risk finding out you CAN eat bread? Once you know you can, you WILL do it again. I'm kinda hoping you'll stay strong and stick with the program. I know it's not fair, and everyone deserves a break but . . . you're my nutritional/moral conscience. If you give in to temptation, how will I ever, when confronted with a tough food choice, be able to say - "What would P'nut do?" Do what you know is right. No pressure here. LOLOLOL! Seriously, do what you think will make you the happiest.

Ululación. Usted tiene ediciones serias de la superioridad. Consiga la ayuda. LOL!

Another thing to consider is that your body has created LOTS of extra fat cells. When you lose weight you don't lose those cells, they just deflate like empty balloons. They're all still there just waiting to fill up again as soon as we take in more calories than we expend. There's a happy thought, huh?

LOL - my dog is losing weight too. Mostly because I no longer feel so mean about refusing to give her extra food if she's already eaten the appropriate portion! I figure if I can live on fewer calories, so can she! I will admit that I slowly reduced the amount of food she was getting so she wouldn't have to go 'cold turkey' with her portion size. I'm just a softy when it comes to my pets! Did you all post pictures of your furry friends on that thread?

In my opinion, the gastric band doesn't help with emotional eating. It may change WHAT you eat when you're feeling whatever it is you're trying to push down. I think the lap band takes a full-on commitment just like any other diet you've ever tried. The difference is this - when you fall off of THIS diet it can hurt physically which will stop you in your tracks. Even if you manage to avoid pain with your emotional food choices, the quantity of your binge is seriously reduced. However, if you graze on bad choices you will not lose weight with a lap band. Reduction in hunger helps when you make a conscious decision to pass on the potato chips (or whatever horrible calorie-fest you're considering) - you may still WANT them, but the ability to justify eating them is eliminated when you must acknowledge you're not hungry for them. Which leads you back to allowing yourself to eat even if you're not hungry. This is a pretty loaded bullet you'll need to overcome. Having said all that, I'm an emotional eater, and I too eat when I'm not hungry. I went through a couple of weeks of feeling depressed and allowing myself to eat what I wanted - and I gained weight. I've worked my way through that and am now back on track with my weightloss and food choices. But it's something I have to consciously decide every single day. This is a tough decision and I hope you're getting some help and support. Good luck to you whatever you decide.

No, it continued a good discussion and was therefore very useful.

Ya, I have to agree that porn is not a step in the direction of cheating. If anything, porn is the 'strange booty' that a lot of people (men and women) want and enjoy, keeping the spice in their real-life relationship. I also think pornography is a safe, non-threatening way for couples to experiment with their sexuality and express desires non-verbally. I just don't see myself being so inflamed with lust after viewing pornography that I'm going to cruise a bar for a quicky. I DO see myself being inflamed with lust and turning to my husband and saying, "You wanna try that?"

-do you ever sneak clothes into the closet and later, if he asks if something is new, you say "no, I've had it for a while". Not yet. Yet. -do you know more about your UPS man then any of your neighbors? Um, well, no. I would, but Ted is very quiet. -do you have purchases sent to work or a friends house? WHAT A GREAT IDEA! Thanks! -do you shop alone, in a darkened room? Only if it's nighttime. -do you tell yourself you can quit anytime, well after the Denim and Co. special this weekend? After Gold Rush too, OK? Thanks for the comedy love Lisa. I realize that this a a serious thread, but you gotta make room for comic relief. I will say in my defense, there was no one who had reported actually being cheated on when I posted my giggle. For anyone who has been cheated on: I'm so sorry. Nothing I say can take away that kind of pain.

OMG - is this a marriage or a prerequisite to joining the FBI?

I had pain at my sternum, front and back, that felt a little like what you're describing. Turns out I had/have esophagitis. Sounds like you should talk to your doctor and possibly start taking an acid pump inhibitor like Nexium or Prilosec. Let us know what you find out.

Oh, poor Kim! I'm sorry things are feeling so overwhelming for you right now. I really can't offer you any help other than to say you'll be alright. You'll make it through this and when you do, you can look everyone in the eye and say you beat the odds against obesity and you did it for yourself ALL BY YOURSELF! What a victory! You're raising, or have raised, three kids - you can do anything Wonderwoman! Hang in there - help is on the way.

If cheating can be defined by participating in an activity you wouldn't want your spouse to know about, I'm definitely cheating on my husband. I'm involved in a torrid affair with QVC AND HSN. I keep telling myself I'm going to give it up, but it just keeps becoming more and more intense. Now I'm moving on to 'the hard stuff.' I'm making regular trips where I drive by the mall and I just know I'm going to crumble and *gulp* GO INSIDE! I'm going to get help. I promise. Now where is that remote control? Or my car keys. (Jeez, am I getting paranoid or do I really have to explain every time I make a joke?) (Even in the lounge.) (Get a grip.)

Dody, I assume that your entire post was not directed to me as I had nothing to do with the revival of this old thread. I agree, it was a long time ago and should have been allowed to drift away from current lapbandtalk circulation. Unfortunately once you've posted on LBT, no matter how your particular perspective, feelings, and circumstances may have changed, or how much time has passed, that post is still out there just waiting to be revived - or hurled at you. I'm not offended or angry. I wasn't then and I'm not now. Your recent post, however, is very typical and a perfect example of why I posted at that time; i.e. I did NOT say that I cringe at everything you say. What I said was: I actually kind of cringe when I see you've posted because I'm always afraid it's going to be negative. which is not the same thing. At the end of that paragraph I put the appropriate smiley-face emoticon so you'd be able to see I wasn't upset or being snarky. I even ended the post by saying I meant it "in the nicest way possible." I don't know how else to imply my post is meant to be read in a friendly 'tone of voice.' The rest of my post still applies: If you don't want to offend people but you still are, maybe it's time to preview your posts or figure out how to say what you mean without it sounding like an attack. Furthermore, I think there would be fewer opportunities for you to be misunderstood if you would consider what a post is actually saying before paraphrasing it. When you rearrange what other's have said and state the paraphrase as if you are quoting that person, you risk raising their ire. Dody, congratulations on being banded. Best wishes for success to you. BTW - what are you thinking even TRYING to swallow pills? lol (It's a joke people) Everyone tests the boundaries but I hope you'll wait until your body has completely healed before testing any more of them - you REALLY don't want to PB at this stage. Now, TO THE POSTER'S WHO ARE UPSET by someone - myself included - defending their position, this IS an open forum. If someone feels as though their words and/or intentions are being misconstrued, whether it is intentional or not, it is that person's right to restate their opinion and express their feelings on the subject. THAT is what makes an open forum open. No one should have to feel as though they are being censured without the right of appeal. Time to move on.

I don't have problems with fish . . . so far. I can't do scallops because I can't chew them up well enough and they're kind of stringy. I can eat shrimp but it can be a bit tricky and must be chewed very very well. Other than that, no problem. Sorry about your stick. I know how you feel 'cause I'll never eat scrambled egg again!

I haven't tried it - how bad is it calorically? Buttered popcorn is HORRIBLE!!!! Maybe I should just stay away from the kettle type popcorn too. *sigh*

What a GREAT letter! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us and reminding us that our lives are what we make of them - that each of us has the ability to shape our own future. Congratulations on your successes so far. I have no doubt you'll reach your goal.

It's weird that you posted this just now Alexandra! Twice now I've made an appointment for a fill adjustment and almost immediately felt a difference in restriction. I've been struggling with esophagitis for a while now. My doctor and I discussed an unfill and decided to wait, then decided to do it, then decided to wait. Back and forth. I had just decided it was time to make the appointment to do the complete unfill and get the esophagitis completely cleared up, and just like that, the esophagitis has gone. I'm not complaining mind you, but, it's weird isn't it? I had never heard about other people experiencing this 'phenomenon' but I'm glad to know it's not just me.

I don't know what angioedema is - swelling of some sort is my guess - angio . . . heart or veins? edema . . . swelling? Hmmmm. I do know that losing weight won't hurt it WHATEVER it is! I guess the only concern is about the surgery, huh? Good luck.