maryb

In The Woodlands, Texas last Thurday it cost me almost $40 to fill up my Mini Cooper. That was a shocker! I have to use the highest octaine - Super Premium. I think it was $3.19 a gallon.

I have been writing down what I eat since being banded. It helps me keep on track. I wasn't getting enough calories and was feeling bad. I uped my calories to 1200 per day and started feeling a lot better. I then started concentrating on Protein, Fiber, and getting my water in each day. I started using FitDay when I saw LBT recommendation. I love how it tracks everything for me. I have been very satisfied mentally and physically in my new way of eating. Someday when I get the system down in my head and the excess weight off my body, I can stop writing everything down.

Black & White Female's name is Sylvester AKA "Trouble", Grey & White Male is our only son named Mouse AKA "Old Man"; Calico Female's name is Julie AKA "Fat Cat". My first cat was a female Siemese named Panda. She was an adult cat given to me by a friend of my parents. She was a great cat! We had her 10 years when she died of kidney failure. Fortunately at the time we had 8 other cats to console us.

Anesthesia always drains the life out of me for several weeks after surgery! The protein helps tremendously! I like the Atkins Shakes....get them cheap at Walmart.

I tried 3 teeny tiny bites of a toasted bun Friday night. I eat all over my plate, so I don't know if I PBed on the pineapple, the broccoli, or the 3 teeny tiny bites of toasted bun. I probably won't try bread again for some time just in case.

Friday - 1,025 calories Breakfast - Atkins Shake Weight Control Oatmeal Benefiber Lunch - Taco Meat with Tomatoes Sugar Free Pudding Dinner - Appleby's Weight Watcher Chicken Sandwich (took off the bread) PBed on the pineapple slice Snack - Yogurt Sugar Free Pudding Saturday - 1378 Calories Breakfast - Lo Carb Slimfast Shake Oatmeal Benefiber Lunch - Turkey Chili Green Beans Low Fat Cheese Dinner - Stoffer's meatloaf Spinach Yogurt Sunday 1,164 Calories Breakfast - Slim Fast Shake Oatmeal Benefiber Lunch - Tuna Salad Chicken & Veg Soup Dinner - Chicken Black Beans Zuchini Snack - Blueberries Yogurt

fiveholt714, You must mean your flexible spending account. This is money you save pretaxes for medical expenses. cutiern, where are you planning to have your surgery?

I never heard of Fiber Choice Orange Fiber Drops...will look for them. Thanks

Gone for Good Club Spring Challenge Score Card Points earned for Rule 1 For each day that you drink a minimum of 64oz of Water, you earn 1 point. You may earn a bonus of 5 points for a perfect month. 4-26_1___4-27__1__4-28__1__4-29_1___4-30_1___5-01__1__5-02__1__5-03___1_Week's Total__8__ 5-04__1__5-05__1__5-06__1__5-07_1___5-08__1__5-09__1__5-10__1__Week's Total__7__ 5-11__1__5-12__1__5-13__1__5-14__1__5-15__1__5-16__1__5-17__1__Week's Total__7__ 5-18__1__5-19__1__5-20__1__5-21__1__5-22__1__5-23__1__5-24__1__Week's Total__7__ 5-25__1__5-26__1__5-27__1__5-28__1__5-29__1__5-30__1__5-31__1__Week's Total__7__ Bonus earned__5__Grand Total__41___ Points earned for Rule 2 For each day that you exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes, you earn 2 points. You may earn a bonus of 5 points for a perfect month. 4-26__0__4-27__0__4-28_____4-29__2__4-30__2__5-01__0__5-02__0__5-03___0_Week's Total__4__ 5-04_____5-05_____5-06_____5-07_____5-08_____5-09_____5-10_____Week's Total__0__ 5-11_____5-12_____5-13_____5-14_____5-15_____5-16_____5-17_____Week's Total__0__ 5-18_____5-19_____5-20_____5-21_____5-22_____5-23_____5-24_____Week's Total__0__ 5-25_____5-26_____5-27_____5-28_____5-29_____5-30_____5-31_____Week's Total__0___ Bonus earned_____Grand Total___4___ Points earned for Rule 3 For each day that you do not eat foods that contain flour or sugar, you earn 3 points. (sugar substitutes are allowed) You may earn a bonus of 5 points for a perfect month. 4-26__3__4-27__3__4-28__3__4-29__3__4-30__3__5-01__3__5-02__3__5-03__3__Week's Total_24__ 5-04__3__5-05__3__5-06__3__5-07__3__5-08__3__5-09__3__5-10__3__Week's Total__21_ 5-11__3__5-12__3__5-13__3__5-14__3__5-15__3__5-16__3__5-17__3___Week's Total__21_ 5-18__3__5-19__3__5-20__3__5-21__3__5-22__3__5-23__3__5-24___3_Week's Total_21__ 5-25_____5-26_____5-27_____5-28_____5-29_____5-30_____5-31_____Week's Total_21___ Bonus earned__5__Grand Total__103__ Points earned for Weight loss For each pound that you lose during the challenge, you earn 1 point Beginning weight 4-26: 182 Weigh-in weight 5-3: 181 Weigh-in weight 5-10:179 Weigh-in weight 5-17: 176 Weigh-in weight 5-24: 175 Ending weight 5-31: 173 Total lost during challenge: 9 Total points earned for Rule 1: 41 Total points earned for Rule 2: 4 Total points earned for Rule 3: 103 Total points earned for weight loss: 9 Total Challenge points earned: 157

Does anyone else count fiber? I am having trouble getting in 25 grams of fiber per day. Any suggestions?

Thursday Breakfast: Atkins Shake Snack: Oatmeal Lunch: Tuna Salad, Creamed Spinach Dinner: Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Tomatoes Snack: Benefiber, Yogurt, SF Pudding Calories 1120, Fiber 24, Protein 78

Should you tap your 401K for the loan? What is the interest rate and length of your 401K loan? What interest rate would you have earned keeping the money in 401K? Add these together for true rate it cost you. Compare this to Interest paid on loan from Bank, Home Equity Loan, or Cosmetic Loan like Capital One or other.

What Spell Checker do you use? I had to restore my PC and lost my Spell Checker. For everyone on LBT's sake I need a spell checker ASAP... Can't spell worth a ding dang! Thank you

Tuesday - 1st Fill 3 Shakes Wednesday Breakfast - Atkins Shake Snack - Oatmeal Lunch - Vegtable Soup Dinner - Chicken Salad Total 1,000 calories

My best friend was able to get insurance approval from BCBS- CA in three weeks. Her insurance is CA even though she lives in TX. She was told that BCBS -TX doesn't pay for the surgery.

I was banded 6 weeks ago and have lost 25 pounds already, 50 more to go. Gone from size 20 to size 16. My older daughter 22 needs to lose 120 pounds. She is being banded in 3 weeks, she decided not to wait any longer on the insurance company so she got a Captial One Loan. She is very excited about the weight I have lost already. I have a younger daughter 20 that has gained weight since high school. I took her to get her hair cut today. The hairdresser noticed I had lost weight. She ask my daughter what she thought about my weight loss. My daughter said it made her look bad, her Mom looking smaller then her. I was shocked! I had no idea she felt that way. She is shorter then I am and has bigger boobs and bigger hips then I do. She doesn't eat very much, but all she eats is junk. I try to encourage her to change her eating habits.

Most of you have probably seen my bathing suit pictures on the before and after pics thread. Well that is me last September in a size 20 suit. Last October I went bathing suit shopping with my best friend looking for clearance bargins. Well the largest they had left was size 16. I saw a really cute sexy looking one piece in fuschia. My friend said go try it on. Well to my humilation I let her see what it looked like on me. I was oozing out of every opening on that suit. I said there is no way I would ever wear this suit it is way too small. My friend said buy it and wear it for your husband when you swim at night just the two of you. She is very hard to say no to, so I bought it thinking I will never wear this suit! Yesterday afternoon when my husband got home from work, he usually goes straight for the pool, I thought I will lay out and get some sun with him. I went to my closet for my size 20 suit. I happen to see the fuschia one which still had all the tags on it. I thought, I will just try it on for fun. WooooooHooooo! It fit! I couldn't believe my eyes! My husband walked in and said WOW I love the way you look in that suit! So, I walked out of my closet and out to the pool. My housekeeper came out and said Wow you look good! OK it is one thing for your husband to say you look good, but for another woman to say it...that is true confirmation! I haven't felt this good in a very long time!

Thanks HarleyNana...didn't realize Google toolbar had one...I just needed to check the google in my view toolbars. Dah!

Happy Birthday....I Love Cats Too!!!

Congrats on your new life leenerbups! Stingy Controlling Men are not worth two tears in a bucket! You deserve only the best, so never never never settle for anything less!

pinkpanther06, you could try calling the Physicians SurgiCenter of Houston. 713-400-7000 website www.aigb.com PA Marzan did my fill yesterday. They have all the equipment to make sure you are not overfilled.

PNut, I am ready to commit to the Challenge! My biggiest challenge is exercise, so this will kick my butt into action!

:clap2: 25 pounds!:clap2: AWESOME!

The draw back of borrowing money from your 401K is you usually have a higher intrest rate and you do not earn money on the borrowed amount. Most financial agents would advice you to take a personal loan instead because of these reasons. My daughter got a Capital One Cosmetic loan yesterday. $15,000.00 for 24 months at 3.9% interest. They also have longer terms and shorter terms. She called in her application and was approved 2 hours later.

My daughter and I went to the seminar. Scheduled an appointment to see Dr. Collier the following Friday. He said we were both good candidates for the surgery. We talked about insurance and what was needed. I don't understand the wait! Dr. Richard Collier does his surgery at the same surgicenter the Dr. Spivak uses. I was private pay because my bmi was under 40 (impossible to get through on my insurance.) When I decided to have it done, I called his office he does the surgeries on Tuesday. They scheduled it for 2 weeks later and gave me the info for the preop diet for 2 weeks. I also had a paper to take to my primary care doctor for blood work, chest xray, and physical. I did this one week before surgery. My daughter decided to private pay yesterday rather then waiting on insurance. She called Capital One for financing, 2 hours later she had her approval, she then called Dr. Collier's office and told them she wanted her surgery on May 16th (3 weeks from yesterday). They said fine come in Friday to get your paper work for testing from primary care doctor.