*susan*

Woo Hoo, I am so excited! I love Idol and can't wait for tonight!

Wow, what an awesome letter. Like others have said, I could have substituted a few names, etc. and it described my life and how I was feeling prior to surgery perfectly.

I just wanted to jump in and say congrats on your soon to be new arrival and welcome back!

I have never experienced the runny nose sign. My sign is a very loud, obnoxious hiccup (just lovely when dining out or with company). When that happens, I better stop eating or bad things are bound to happen!

You are definitely in need of a fill. I agree with the others, I have never heard of whether or not you need a fill and how much being based on your bmi?!

Ugh, make them go away! It is hard getting to all the other threads for all the polls, lol. :faint:

I have tried, like many others here, so many diets and diet pills that I have truly lost count. I got the band to break the endless unsuccessful dieting cycle I was on. I promised myself that when I got it, I was done counting calories, points, carbs, etc. And, I have lived up to my promise. I do try and make healthier choices and I do exercise. But, I eat what I want, when I want for the most part. My band is doing its job and I am doing my job by listening to it and putting the fork down when I get my full sign (a big hiccup). So far, I have been successful and see no need to change what I am doing.

I never forget it is there, but I am not as far along in my journey as you are either.

I am already saving for a tummy tuck and to have the girls lifted. I want to be a hot babe by Christmas 2007.

This cracked me up. Glad I am not the only one spying on their kids online. I think that just makes us good parents.

I took phentermine in the past as well. I will never do that again. They made me very jittery, irritable, my heart was constantly racing and my mouth was always feeling like it was full of cotton. Meridia did the same thing to me. No thank you, that is why I have the band, to live my life without diet pills and dieting.

Mine is in my sigy.

Fellow Cheetos addict here too! :help: The funny thing is, I didn't much care for them until after I got my band!

You will definitely know when you are ready for your first fill. And, when you are, you will be beating down your doctors door for it. Basically, like Faybie said, you will notice that you can eat more and that you are getting hungry sooner. Your weight loss will probably slow a little as well. It is recommended that we lose 1-2 pounds per week with the band. As long as you are doing that and it is not a major struggle to do so, then you should be good.

Hi, I just wanted to congratulate you on the baby. I see we were banded on the same day. I haven't been in the same situation as you, as I am well beyond having children at this stage of the game. However, when I had both my children, I was already obese. So, I was determined not to use being pregnant as an excuse to eat out of control and gain even more weight. I was just extremely careful and managed to only gain 21 pounds with my first and 24 with the second. Then, I lost all of that right after giving birth. Best of luck to you. I loved being pregnant!

Hi Arria, Welcome to LBT! We are so glad you decided to join us. If you have any questions, just give us a holler. We are all here to help and support one another.

What your feeling is absolutely normal. Most people feel a bit of restriction immediately following their surgery due to the swelling from the surgery itself. However, once that swelling goes down, you pretty much feel like you did prior to getting the band. Right now is a time for healing, not losing weight. The band really isn't designed to work without having a fill, although it does with a few, very rare people. However, once you get your fill and reach proper restriction (which may and probably will take more than one fill) you will definitely notice the difference and you will begin dropping the pounds.

Hi and welcome to LBT! Try posting an introduction on our newbie forums at http://www.lapbandtalk.com/introductions-f18.html . You will get a better response there then in this forum.

I love popcorn and it goes down without a problem. I hear what others are saying about empty calories and such. However, I did not get the band to "diet" and deprive myself. Depriving myself of foods I enjoy when I was "dieting" always ended up causing me to binge. If I want something, and it isn't a problem food for me, I eat it. I believe everything is fine in moderation. And, my band keeps me from getting out of control like I used to. So, as long as you have healthy, well-balanced meals, I say go for it!

My New Year's resolution is to step up my exercise this year (after I get over this darned pinched nerve) and to lose 80 pounds in 2007.

Good luck to all of you. I simply can't give up my carbs, but I don't see that they have hurt my weight loss either. Everything in moderation.

The only time I chew something and spit it out is when I am chewing it and realize there is no way I am going to get it chewed down enough to get it past my band without a pb. I suppose, as long as it doesn't become a habit, it should be ok though.

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to stop by and say hi, I haven't posted on our thread in a while. I don't think I will be able to participate this month. I have been having a problem with a pinched nerve for the past two weeks. The pain in my left buttock (:embarassed: ) all the way down my leg is pretty bad. Sometimes, my leg just sort of gives out on me. Needless to say, I haven't been able to exercise much. I am in therapy and hopefully will be better soon. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and a great 2007. I may not be physically able to join in with you this month, but I am definitely rooting all of you on!

I was on liquids for 10 days, then mushies for a week and then on to full foods after that.

Hi Helen, It is hard to give advice without more specific questions. I would suggest doing a lot of research on this site, and checking out the newbie section, as well as the stickies at the top of all the forums as they offer a great deal of valuable information. Personally, I can tell you that I love my band and it is the best decision I have ever made for myself. If I had to do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat. If you have specific questions, don't be afraid to ask. We are all here to help and support each other through this journey.