ljv52

Apples, Congratulations on your 1 year band anniversary - I missed it last week, so just wanted to say congratulations and thanks for sharing with us newer bandsters and inspiring us. So sorry to hear of your friend's passing Apples and Janet, I will say a prayer for her family. Meredith, I loved your story about your dad -- what a great dad you have -- and now you only have 3 days left till your band day!! You're going to do so great. Julie, hope you can relax now and get some rest. My dept. was celebrating its 10 year anniversary at work - and we had a little party -- cake and punch. Since I work at night and weekends, I rarely see anyone except my immediate co-workers. Several people from different departments told me how great I look and one girl even told me I look younger! I was worried before that I'd look older after I lost weight, but so far so good. I talked to two different people who didn't even recognize me at first -- then all of a sudden they said, "oh, Linda, it's YOU!" That was fun too and the best NSV I've had to date. I brought home the piece of cake they had put on my desk and gave it to my sweets loving DH. Better in he than in me! Have a great day tomorrow everyone. It's supposed to be 105 here in central Iowa -- along with 98% humidity! Linda

Laura, a beautiful story, and again, just reaffirms my faith that everything happens as it's supposed to happen -- it is all out of our hands. I raised my 3 step kids - my DS was already 21 and then I met my hubby and his kids were 3, 8 and 11 -- so I started over again, but it was a blessing and I love them just like they were mine. My precious GD is really only a step GD, but I love her just as much as if she were my blood -- my saying is blood may be thicker than water, but love is all that matters. I always tell everyone that my GD has my smile because she really does -- honestly, if you look at pics of me when I was a kid and then look at her and her smile you'd understand what I mean. LOL. Nelson is very lucky -- as you and your DH were as well -- what a wonderful happy ending for all 3 of you! Linda

Yes, I also have a recipe for Buffalo chicken dip which is what you are describing. This is a bit different from that one because this uses cream cheese. Both are very good.

Thanks PJ. I use the new Kellog's Special K crackers -- they are tasty and low in fats and carbs. Hope you enjoy it. Linda

Yes, let us know what you're eating. If you're eating slider foods that may be why you can eat more. I agree, though, 30 pounds in 3 months is a great result. I've had 3 fills and am scheduled for another in July which I think I'll need as I am still not at my sweet spot. My fills are very small now, less than 1 cc at a time, but even those make a difference in your restriction. Hang in there, you're doing great. Maybe just talking to your surgeon and explaining how you feel would be your best course of action. Good luck and hope you'll come back here for support. This is the best support group in the world. Linda

Oh, Laura, he's so gorgeous! What a handsome young man! Sons are just so special. And now I'm really jealous. Just finished my 2 hour work out and clicked on those pics and boy, does that ocean ever look inviting.:biggrin::tongue::tongue:

Meredith, please don't get discouraged. I only lost a couple of pounds on the 2 week liquid pre op diet. There are probably a zillion reasons why -- first of all, you have drastically cut your calorie intake which your body is probably wondering what is going on and gone into that hibernation mode by retaining all the calories because it thinks you need to store them. You need to be healthy for your surgery which may be why your nutritionist chose Boost for you - it might have extra vitamins, etc. that you will need for your recovery. I didn't weigh myself during that time frame, but I remember being surprised when they weighed me at the hospital the morning of surgery that I barely lost anything. IMHO I think staying off the scale until your first fill would be the best idea (although I know you won't be able to stand it, none of us can). They want you to concentrate on healing the first 6 weeks and although you will probably lose weight, it's not really a true test of your success because of water retention, etc. I didn't lose the majority of my weight until I started to do aerobics which you really can't do until after your surgeon clears you after surgery. So please please hang in there and keep the positive thinking flowing. Trust me, Meredith, if I can do this, YOU can do this, honest. But it does take determination, work and a positive outlook. I know you're going to do great so please don't get discouraged. Take the time now to take your measurements and record them. I did and even though I didn't lose a lot of weight the first month, I lost an incredible amount of inches. Your clothes are already looser and your beautiful face is already thinner -- that's a positive -- stay positive and look at that rather than the negatives at this point. Remember, you didn't put that weight on in a couple of weeks, it will take time to get it off. I know it's tough to be patient, but trust me, just look at Janet, Long, Phyll and you'll have to agree that the work is worth the wait for results. Hang in there, this really was the best decision of your life. You're going to love it in a few months. Linda

Doodlebug, Size 18 is not that big -- it's a normal size! Hooray for you on your success, you're doing a fabulous job. 40 pounds since April 9!! You too keep up the good work. Have a great weekend everybody! Linda

Laura, Thanks for the nice comments -- I've never been modest in bathing suits either cause I love, love, love the water. Hope you and Nelson have a great time at the beach today, I'm jealous. It won't be much longer until you will be out of those 2x, trust me, it went so quick, I can't hardly believe it. It is amazing - I love this band!

Hello everyone! I'm back from my trip and happy to see all of you are doing well. Long, congratulations on another great accomplishment -- I think you already deserve the gold medal, but if Janet is making you do another 10 pounds for the gold, I know you will do it. Such a great inspiration! Julie, hope you have other people helping out making pies and ice cream as it sounds like a lot for just you to do! I'm sure it will be a great time. Sounds like fun. Wish I could be there too. Meredith, just another week! That will go by fast! You're doing great, and I know you'll do great after your surgery too. I loved that you "cheated" with olives. LOL. I too love olives and pickles and crave them sometimes, so I completely understand. I was like you when I did my 2 week liquid diet -- I felt great and was so sick of food by that time that I too was happy to get started with my new life. Pam, so happy that you are feeling better. I also love that your boys said "wow" at last. I think it's true that when we're with people everyday, it is harder to notice the changes. I'm sure you'll get lots and lots of compliments at your reunion. Have a great time. Laura, what a nice experience you had with that woman. It's nice to talk in person to another bandster, isn't it? I have one friend that I met on LBT that had the same surgeon as me and we try to get together after the support group meetings to talk and we e-mail several times a week. I guess we're "lap band sisters." Janet, all I can say is "Wowzeeee!" You look fantastic and soooo skinny -- I'd never ever guess you were ever a fat chick. Love that color of your blouse on you -- so pretty with your skin and hair. Laura, so sorry you are still bothered with TOM. Oh my goodness, that's the ONE advantage of getting old. I don't miss that at all. Charlene, so sorry about your hubby's surgery being postponed, but have faith that it will happen before summer is over. Glad they are so careful so your DH is not in danger. Love your Dr. Garth -- saw some new shows recently - he and his dad are great with their patients. Well, I went to the Lake of Ozarks and behaved pretty well, had a delish margarita one night and a couple of other frozen drinks (someone brought one of those tubs you mix with vodka) and they tasted really great (considering I've had no alcohol since probably Nov. or Dec. LOL. I only had two meals that were not strictly on my plan. One was a chopped salad at an Italian restaurant that has a famous parmesean salad dressing and we went there ESPECIALLY for that salad. But I ordered a small and didn't touch the roll or butter, so that was a victory for me. That same night we met some other friends at a pizza place and the only thing I could order was some pasta with a pink sauce with shrimp, so I ate the shrimp and had a few bites of the pasta and then I offered it to another girl who ate some and so I wouldn't eat the rest I opened the salt shaker and dumped enough in it that would make me not want it. But I was bad and didn't get any exercise in (four days). But the good new is, is that my shoulder which has been bothering me for almost 2 months didn't hurt today when I went back to the gym, so I think that 4 days rest was what it needed to finish healing. So, that's a good thing. I won't weigh until my regular day on Tues., so I hope I did okay. But I had several NSV which I want to share. One of my friends I've always thought of as "thin" gave me an outfit to try on. She said, "it's a little snug on me, but I think it will fit you, so try it on. If you like it you can have it." I said, "oh, I don't think that will fit ME." But OMG, it DID! I couldn't believe it. However, like everyone else, when I look in the mirror, I still see the old me, not the new me when I look in the mirror. Well, after that, there was no stopping me. One of the girls had set up a fashion show at the Dress Barn at the outlet mall and I was shocked at what cute clothes Dress Barn has! Well, to say the least, I spent the most money (by a large margin). I was so busy trying on clothes that I could probably have counted it as exercise (only kidding). But too many cute things and I made it into a size 16 without elastic!! Oh what a thrill! It's been over 10 years since I've had on any pants without elastic. So I'm happy happy now. LOL. And, I was able to wear Large tops and even some mediums. That's a big difference from 3X and 4X I was wearing in January. Just had to share all this good news with my friends here on LBT. Thanks to you all for your support every day. I love you all. Linda

PJ, good luck at the doctor's tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you and hoping you'll be all better by the time I get home. Take care of yourself. Linda

Hi everyone, Just wanted to check in and say hi. Had a busy weekend, but did get all my exercise in. Did both step aerobics and walking Sat. and Sunday. Heading off with my girlfriends (10 in all) to another friend's house at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. I'll return on Thursday. This will be a challenge for me to see how I do away from home and with eating out alot and drinking, etc. etc. If I can maintain and not gain I'll be thrilled. Her house is right on the lake, so hopefully the weather will cooperate (no rain) and I'll be swimming everyday. We'll also be shopping a lot I'm sure (big outlet mall there). Have a great week everyone! Linda

Oh, forgot, that nutritional information I used above was using egg beaters original as well, not eggs. Linda

If you make the recipe with the turkey bacon, 93% lean ground beef, 2% cheddar cheese and the fat free evaporated milk and cut it into 8 slices, you would have 155 calories and 6 grams of fat per serving which is very good for such a tasty dish. All I did to get this information was to go to www.dailyplate.com and click on create a meal and then list all the ingredients and then click on it to add to my plate which then shows the total calories and total fat grams. You just divide that into the number of servings to get the nutritional value for the recipe. Enjoy and thanks for sharing the recipe. Linda

Meredith, I did the full two weeks of liquids. I was able to have tomato soup, broth, yogurt, sugar free pudding and jello, all juices, tomato, orange, apple, etc. plus protein shakes. I made my own and sometimes added strawberries (blended in, no chunks) to it (used non-fat milk). I was told to drink as much as I wanted so I would not get hungry. I also used unjury chicken soup. I found that by drinking lots of protein it kept me satisfied and I really never felt too hungry. Good luck to you, I know you'll be fine. Just try to stay away from people when they're eating and don't cook for anyone else if you can avoid it. That would make it much harder, I think. I just made my DH cook for himself. LOL Good excuse to stop cooking. Janet, enjoy your company. I head out to Lake of the Ozarks with 10 other girlfriends Monday and I'm sure we'll have a great time. Linda

Long, Charlene, JoAnn, you are all so right. I too have noticed the same things with friends and it's sad, but we cannot allow their actions (and reactions) bother us, because we know we are fragile about our weight. Meredith, I'm so very sorry about the things your sister said to you. She sounds like a very selfish person who obviously has insecurity issues. You are a much more secure person than she is, so I know you'll overcome her hurtful feelings. It's so very hard to balance who we are with who we used to be once we lose even a small amount of weight. We feel differently, even look different and that seems to be threatening to many people. When I applied for that other job at work a month ago, I felt so good about doing so, but the person who interviewed me used to work in my dept. and her first comment to me was, "oh, so I see you've decided to do something about your weight?" She was always a very judgmental person (who's never had a weight problem) and I knew right then and there that I did not want that job because I didn't want to work with her again. It also hurt that she didn't follow it up with another comment like, "gee, you've done a good job", or even "congratulations", nothing. We have to develop very thick skin to deal with these kinds of problems. But I'm willing to deal with them, as we all must be, because we want to be the new us, not the old us. Julie, sorry about your friends -- I understand completely how you feel as I have experienced the same type of thing many times. I do think that when we are heavier, we tended to let people get away with things more and act like things didn't bother us as much (for whatever reason, I don't know why, but I think it's true). I think that because we are succeeding in our weight loss battles, it gives us more courage to speak up about our feelings and not let people treat us like doormats. I do believe that we change a lot more than just our sizes when we lose the weight. This would be a great topic for a discussion at a support group meeting. Julie, I know from reading your posts over the past six months that you give a lot of yourself to your church, friends and relatives. If those woman had been your closest and dearest friends, they would probably had not allowed you to do so much work so soon after your illness. They should have done more to help you instead of going behind your back. Yes, they should apologize, but they probably won't because they are too busy being self righteous about your behavior when they should be appalled at their own behavior. I just wanted to chime in and give you all my support and love and hope tomorrow brings sunnier skies, warmer temps and brighter smiles! Linda

Don't know how that posted, I never clicked the post button. I guess I'm done anyway, just wanted to say a quick hello. Apples, have fun at the lake. Have a good Hump Day everyone! Linda

Hi everyone, just a quick note to check in. Doing fine here. Doodles, congrats on your Onederland and BeckyinTexas, you are soooooo AWESOME! Congratulations and I'm so impressed at how hard you've worked and how successful you've been. I cannot imagine how tough these 4 years have been for you. Everytime I think about whining about eating right and exercise, I will think of you and it will get me through. Thanks so much for sharing your story. Wow. Laura, so happy to hear your sister is doing so well and glad you and your family are now having some fun!! Enjoy! Went to my support group tonight and a medical doctor who is also an acupuncturist gave a talk. It was very interesting. Have any of you ever had acupuncture? I have some issues with my leg and back and if my insurance will cover it I'd like to try acupuncture for some pain control, so

Hi, so glad to hear from you Pen and know you're still doing well. Hey, you've lost 20 pounds -- without the band you probably would have stayed the same or even gained weight during the last 6 months, so you are still doign FABULOUS! It sounds like the past several months has been very busy for you -- understand why you can't be checking in more often. Congratulations on graduation -- that's a BIG deal -- so happy for you. But after that's over, then you'll have time to focus more on your eating and exercise. I just had fill 3 -- I only got .5 cc's for a total of 5.5 in a 10 cc band. I don't feel much restriction either, but my surgeon says he wants to go very slow with fills as he doesn't want me to be too tight (me either). Ideally, I think that we should never PB or get the golf ball feeling -- because that is not good to be too tight. Unfortunately what I've learned from the people I stay in touch with on the mentoring page is that you still have to exercise a lot of will power, even when you are at your sweet spot. It kinda sucks, but at the same time, I don't feel the same as I did pre-band. I don't get as hungry and I don't seem to crave the wrong foods -- I stay perfectly satisfied by eating my protein and my veggies and some fruit. Seriously, I do. I used to crave food all the time and think about meals and what I was going to eat and then I'd get hungry and go cook all afternoon -- my favs were pastas and anything with cheese and sour cream. LOL. I really feel like they cut something out of my brain as well. What I had also forgotten (but again you have to constantly re-learn things in life) is that you must make time for exercise. I have been doing a lot of exercise and hope that when I get to goal I'll be able to lessen the amount because I don't see this old lady keeping this up forever. I just went on Youtube to check out Zumba. Wow, what a riot. I can't even imagine trying to do that!! It's wild and crazy (but looked like fun and the music was great). Hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Day and has a successful June. Please stay in touch. Carolina, hope you're doing well, know you're busy, but would love to hear from you. MsKelly hope all is well with your family. Take care everyone. Linda