*susan*

Hi Mary, and congratulations on getting the band. I am glad you are here, you will find lots of great information that will help you through every stage of the process. Check out the stickies at the top of the forums, they will give you a great deal of valuable information. I hope you get to feeling 100% better soon.

Hi Larry and welcome! I posted a long hello on your other thread. We are so glad to have you join us and look forward to getting to know you.

Hi Terry, Welcome to LBT! It looks like you are doing great. I look forward to hearing more from you.

I am so sorry to hear about this. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Hi Larry and welcome to LBT! I am so glad your friend pointed you our way. This is such a wonderful board, you will get lots of support and advice here, as well as make friends along the way. One of the things I suggest is that you read the stickies at the top of all the forums. They are loaded with information that I am sure you will find to be very valuable. I won't lie, the liquid stage is tough. My doctor had me on physician's weight loss liquids only for 17 days. I will say that after about the 3rd day, I did find I wasn't quite as hungry and my headache subsided. I am not one who believes in getting on the scale every day, once a week works for me. However, during the liquid stages I did. I found it very motivating to get on the scale every day and see the pounds literally melting away. It really did keep me going. I also worked very hard at staying away from doing the things that I normally would associate eating food with, such as sitting in front of the tv. Instead, I looked for things to keep my hands busy, such as going to LBT and typing in posts, lol. The surgery itself is pretty much a breeze. You will get to the hospital and they will get the iv in you. Pretty soon they will add the happy juice to the iv and the next thing you remember is waking up in recovery and having a band. Please do not be afraid to ask questions. We are all here to support one another and help each other through every stage of this journey.

Ok guys, we are halfway through the month. How is everyone doing? Where is everyone? My ab lounger arrived yesterday. I can't wait to try it out. That is dh's project this weekend, to put it together for me. I am so not mechanically inclined, lol. I am hoping my elliptical will get here today or Monday. 9/1: None 9/2: Ice Cream instead of exercise, bad me. 9/3: 30 minutes on the treadmill! 9/4: None 9/5: 30 minutes on the treadmill 9/6: 45 minutes packing and moving heavy boxes 9/7: 30 minutes moving boxes and 30 minutes treadmill 9/8: None, was sick all day :sick 9/9: 30 minutes on the treadmill 9/10: 30 minutes on the treadmill 9/11: No exercise, 1 hour washing, vacuming, cleaning out car 9/12: 30 minutes on the treadmill 9/13: None 9/14: None 9/15: 30 minutes on the treadmill

I missed it, what was Oprah about?

It is interesting when you talk about the portions you feed your kids. I remember when I was very young growing up, my mother or father would fill my plate with food. I was always made to clean up everything on my plate before I was allowed to leave the table. Even as I got older, into my teen years and was fixing my own plate, if I put it on my plate, I was expected to eat every bit of it. I am sure we have all heard from our parents the old "children are starving" somewhere thing. Well, I grew up overweight. I decided when I had my kids that just because there was still food on their plate I would not force them to finish it. They know when they are full. If they are full, why should I force them to continue to eat just because their plate isn't empty? I think this is one of the reasons my kids are not overweight like I am. I have allowed them to learn when they have had enough to eat and push their plate away.

Well, I guess the verdict is official. You have a fine a$$ and some seriously painful looking bruises. You poor thing, that must have really hurt.

Mint poptarts??? You have got to be kidding me. Ewwwww :puke:

Congrats! Looks like you are doing pretty darned good! :clap2:

Hi Harley and :welcomeB:! Sheesh, you have been here for a couple of months and just now got around to posting! What the heck took you so long??? LOL, just kidding. I am glad you decided to join in on the conversation. We look forward to hearing more from you and anxiously await the news of your date with you.

Cheryl, you have done absolutely amazing. How wonderful to be able to take a months long vacation with your children and touring like you did, I bet that will be a lifelong, beautiful memory. So, if it is not being too forward, would you mind sharing your before and after pictures with us?

I remember when I went to my first seminar and that question came up. My surgeon immediately answered it can and should stay in you forever. One lady volunteered that she would reach goal then immediately have hers taken out. He then proceeded to ask her if she had been on diets before and succeeded at them and reached goal weight. She laughingly answered that "yes, she had, more than once, but she then gained it all back." He then asked her what would stop her from gaining it all back again if she had her band removed. Good point. Mine is staying forever.

I don't think I ever realized just how many commercials there are about food until I went on my pre-op diet back in April and was doing the liquids only thing. I thought I would lose it every time one of those stinkin' commercials came on! :faint:

Hey Julie, Speaking of being morbidly obese, obese, etc., do you know of a place that has the table with BMI and that so I can determine what weight I need to reach to just be considered "obese"? That may be one of my next goals. Thanks.

Ryanjoey, Many people do not get much restriction with their first fill. I know I didn't. Sometimes it takes as many as 2-3 fills before you get restriction. For me, the magic number was 2.

Personally, no, not now. I have been on WW numerous times in my life though and feel it is a wonderful program, the best out there. However, since getting my band, I have had the philosophy of "no dieting". The minute I tell myself I am on a diet, I feel deprived and start eating everything in site. With my band, I am simply eating what I want, but just trying to make healthier choices. So far, it seems to be working for me. If, in the future, I do need to "diet" again, I would definitely go with weight watchers. Have you checked out the food forum? I believe there are a couple of threads there with people that are doing WW.

How often does your doctor let you have fills? Because, it really sounds to me like you need another fill. Once you achieve proper restriction, you will not be hungry nearly as much. And when you do eat, you will only be able to eat a very small quantity before you are full.

LOL, Carlene, are you insinuating that you drive to the doctor's office to jump on his scale while still naked?

Personality and who they are as a person, (morals, values) are what matter most to me. That being said, I do want a man who looks like a man. I like to see some meat and muscle on my man. He has both and I just love him and wouldn't trade him for the world.

Hi Sis and welcome! You definitely have found the right place for researching the band and asking questions. Check out the stickies at the top of most of the forums. They contain a great deal of information that you will probably find very informative and helpful.

Hi Beth, welcome to LBT. Question, what size band do you have and how much fill do you currently have?

Hi and welcome to LBT! I remember what an exciting time it was during the pre-band stage. I couldn't wait for my date to get here. Anyways, I am glad you found us. Please don't be afraid to ask questions. We are here to support and help one another.

Hi Delia, Your picture is beautiful, you should make it your avatar! And one more thing, 50 is not old!!! I am going to be 40 soon and I used to think of it as old. But, since getting my band, I feel like I am really just starting life.