riley4183

JT so excited for you!! When I hit 100 lbs. it was the most motivating thing EVER!!! And you know how hard those last 12 lbs. are. You go guy!! Groupie, I know you hate your plateaus but when you bust through one, you REALLY bust it! You're gonna be headless soon :w00t: Jersey do you have the same DL issue that I do? I have lied about my weight on that sucker for so long, but the photos don't lie . . so now I am trying to tell them that I need a new DL because I have lost 100 lbs, I don't look anything like that fat pic - I mean, at ALL, I get questioned all the time - and they are telling me I can't get a new one cause the weight has not changed, LOL! That's what I get for lyin'! 169.4, up a lb. this week for no good reason - groupie I caught your plateau :-) Happy friday all!!

Oooooh, I loved Wellbutrin - it made me lose weight!!! You will all be happy to know that the diet jello shots set up perfectly!!! Scale moved only 1/2 a pound yesterday, I was expecting a big drop-off since I gained 4 back over a 2-day period . . . uhm, not so much! Caloriecount.about.com says that I am running about a 1,300 calorie per day deficit, which equates to a 2 lb. per week weight loss - I'm waiting patiently!!! Good morning all, happy Friday!!!!

Maria, mine burned like an SOB for 6 full weeks!! Some folks on here healed in like 4 weeks, but I was bothered by it for 6 weeks. . . . Dr. Baggs said 4-6 weeks is normal. HOWEVER - as you may know, mine got infected, so let me warn you!! If the skin around it becomes red and warm to the touch, get into the Kaiser Richmond ER as soon as you can.

Candra keep that appointment, you can shed 4 lbs. by then!! You KNOW you can if you want to, go on liquids or whatever. My appointment is the next day, and I have to be down 5 lbs from this morning's weight (but only 1.6 lbs from my weight a few days ago before salt-carb days, LOL) and I am confident that I can do it! I may be on liquids for the last 2 days, but I'll do it. YOU CAN TOO!! I just made jello shots for tomorrow night - but don't worry folks, I used diet jello!!! So it's all good; they are carb-free . . . and really, what else do they expect for us to do with all of the leftover 2 oz. cups & lids? :w00t:

Happy Birthday Tamra!!!:w00t:

No, Candra, you were not too harsh! I agreed with you 100% - it's the inappropriate messages that I'd like to see deleted. I would hate to think of what a newbie would think about our thread if they came on and started reading 1 page ago!! No no, you get hugs :-)

Jeepers! I'm going to ignore the ugly stuff, except to say that you can go back and delete your messages/posts if you do it fast enough. Congrats Pat! Awesome date, and right when you wanted it!:w00t: HEATHER I AM TOTALLY PROUD OF YOU Candra you need a big hug, here it comes - wait for it, wait for it - ah! Much better K girls, got to go check in on pof.com - "fish on," as they say! ttfn Riley (yes, I prefer Riley, thanks!)

Jes she gives huge fills! I have one friend that got 7 cc's from Dr. park - it is the only fill she has had, and she's A-OK

RE: Fills if you lose Kaiser - I asked Liz McLaren about this, and SHE told me that once you have surgery, the Kaiser facility where you got your surgery will continue to do all of your aftercare, INCLUDING FILLS WHEN YOU NEED THEM, even if you lose Kaiser coverage. She said that that excluded labs, which can be expensive, but that Kaiser provided aftercare regardless of your insurance. This was less than a year ago . . so I am really confused about what Dr. Baggs said, Tina what exactly did he say?

Yes but . . . not NEARLY as much as I thought I would have! And I'm OLD, with HUGE stretch markes from carrying 3 babies and 130 extra lbs. mostly around my middle. I mean, wow! Amazing what exercise can do for ya! I do have some pannus hangin' yet, but I have 13 lbs. to goal and it has shrank up almost completely in the last 20 lbs - from a 4" hang at 210 lbs to a 1" hang now - so I expect it'll be darn near gone by 154 lbs. or whatever I settle out at. The thighs don't bother me, the arse has come out well enough that I get compliments! The worst part besides the pannus is the girls - they have become ALL skin, so I'm with Jachut - someday I may get some nice new bouncy ones - not bigger, just put back where they are supposed to be - but I might just buy a new leather couch! I shop at the right bra stores :-)

Yes Pammie I have that book too, and her workbook as well! Her and Kessler say the same thing in different ways, Kessler has hard science behind his book - LOTS of research - but I like Beck's simpler terms better. We have a workbook to from this class, that has all of the "D"s in it - I use what makes sense to me! I am sorry to hear about your little hamster . . I love hammies, and I just won't get them anymore because they die!!

Oh my brain re-wiring pontification comes from my materials for the "Understanding Emotional Overeating" class that is taught at Kaiser by my favorite LCSW :-) The one I call my head-hunger class! David Kessler's "The End of Overeating" was the textbook for it, I am taking it again in January - there are 5 or 6 different series. Tomorrow I am going to talk in her 14-week pre-surgery class, I have done it before but this time I told her to get me in early so I can talk to them before they have all already decided to have RNY! Looking forward to that, and in defiance of the stupid "stats" I have now lost 90% of my excess weight - better than your average RNY loss! But really I am going to tell them that they HAVE TO exercise and deal with their head stuff - Bonnie calls it "chow-chow," all that negative head talk that we do - if they want to be successful and KEEP it off. RNYers have a difficult time keeping it off, if they have not changed the head habits by the time they start absorbing calories again at 12-18 months out, they are just going to gain it back!! Heather did you hear back from Fisher? Tina did you hear back from Baggs?

You girls are so funny!!! Crack me UP. Candra I am buying into your theory too. I don't agree with the 1200 the way it is in the binder, either it has too many carbs for me, and trigger foods! But Robin specifically said - to all of us in the pre-op class, which was 1/2 bandsters- that if we ate the Protein first and then the veggie or fruit, if we never got to the carb that would be perfectly fine with her! I also do not agree that I should be eating under 1,000 calories a day, I need to eat 1,200 or Candra you are right - my metabolism STOPS! I work off 500 to 800 a day for Pete's sake, I have to have 1,200 to lose - and I've done a damned good job of it to date, so maybe our theory IS right! Tina yes I LOVE that diet ocean spray juice!! Did you get the cranberry pomogranate? Thats my fave, drinking it right ow! It cleans me out, not the same kind of cleaning as MOM just the liver!! Love love love it

Hey all! Happy Monday :frown: I got time for a nice long post . . . First off the Robin thing. Tina you need to tell Dr. Baggs what she said to you, about how it is up to her whether you get a fill or not. She's not the doc and that's not OK. But quite honestly, I don't have a problem with her at all; I feel like she really, really helps me and I enjoy meeting with her one-on-one. Like Pam, I had an experience early on where I flat out told her that I was not going to lie to her, that would be stupid so don't even think it. She was sort of upset that I thought she was yelling at me - she said she never yells - well no, but she can be condescending. Or she was at first, she never is now. I have made mistakes, I have had "indiscretions," and we talk about what I need to try to avoid it next time. I like the accountability she demands from me. She is well aware that people complain about her "rules" but she has to be consistent too. We have talked about it! Her program with me is NOT one size fits all, because of my food allergies and not eating meat and all my weird stuff! I fax her my food logs before I meet with her, then she is totally prepared and has new ideas and products for me to try, books to read, etc. She knows a LOT about head hunger and can really help! She tells me stuff that I don't want to hear sometimes, and it kinda pisses me off, but I appreciate that she calls me on my st! That's my 2 cents. And I REALLY like Liz!!! :frown: OK, on to EMOTIONAL EATING and feeling out of control when there is food that you want to eat, be it chocolate or cheeseburgers. You CAN learn to break the pattern!! You can, you can! For many years you have been exercising your "giving in" muscle, and it has grown big and strong with all that exercise. You have, quite literally, hard-wired your brain to respond in a certain way when you see or smell a trigger food, or when some other external OR eternal event triggers the food thought. This is scientifically proven folks! You want sources I'll spill them Here's the deal" You have to start exercising your resistance muscle! The more you use it, the easier it becomes to do and the weaker your giving-in muscle gets. You CAN re-wire your brain to respond differently! And you do it just like what Heather is saying - you start by setting a goal ("dare") of practicing your D's 5 times a day for 5 days out of a week, say. A "D" is distract, delay, drink water, do something different, and don't give up. Heather's using the "delay" technique! I use that one mostly, but also drink and do different. If I was still a stress eater, I would be using deep breathing instead of eating to reduce the stress - I have been doing that before I have to give reports in big controversial public hearings, and it REALLY helps me to be calm, focused, and in control. My band cured me of eating when stressed or upset RIGHT away ! it tightens like a noose, and THAT habit got broke real quick! But I digress . . . pick a "D" and practice it! You want that cheeseburger, so wait and see what happens after 5 minutes. Think about how good you are going to feel if you DONT eat it. Dare yourself, make a deal ("if I still want it in 5 minutes, I can always eat it then") Then in 5 minutes, re-evaluate - do you still want to eat it? Make another deal - you are going to go outside and walk around the building, THEN if you still want it you can have it - and so on. The point is to STOP the automatic eating reaction and re-wire your brain to NOT turn to food. Every time you successfully delay, you are exercising your resistance muscle and weakening the giving-in muscle! You are slowly changing the automatic connections that your little neurons are making in your brain, and you are creating a NEW pathway for them to take for the remainder of your life. You WILL feel in control, and that is a great feeling - much better than the feeling after you eat the whole chocolate bar! The more you practice, the easier it gets. This is SO IMPORTANT!! Finally - exercise!! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU GIRLS!!!!!! Woot, woot!!!!

Welcome home Tina! Oh my gosh that sounds yummy, like for Mexican lunch and dinner too! Hey folks, if you are stuck on a plateau, try getting down to the gym for some weights. That's the only thing I have done differently, and it totally changed my metabolism! I've lost 2 lbs. over Thanksgiving, go figure . . . . . and I'm giving away my 12s because ALL of them are too big :Yawn:

For sure check in They will drop you from the program if you don't either weigh in officially or attend a support groip meeting every 2 months. Happy day all, off to gym. Safe trip Tina!

Heather and your little friends will, band and fill - you SO crack me up! I think you should write - you can start with a book about us, LOL! Hey don't ask me how, but the scale was actually DOWN the day after turkey day!! I SO don't get it, but I really really like it! In fact I like it so much that I'm going to the gym now, which I did NOT do yesterday - Caio!

LOL ROFL! I'm in your TA group too! (Rolls in) **Hi everyone, my name is Riley and I ate gravy for all 3 meals today*hic* **

hahahaha! These guys are SLAYING me! Look what Warren from Vallejo emailed me, responding to the pic I have up on that site it's the same as my avatar on here - Donna I am so happy we took that pirate picture, I'm really getting a lot of miles out of it! " arrrrrr that skeleton be grabbing your a*** ! the lucky guy ! .. I know where that is ! i walk there all the time . Warren" Har! Har! Another guy photoshopped a pic of him driving a powerboat, he drew and and colored a pirate hat, earrings, the bandana and everything on himself, and a speech bubble coming out of his mouth that says, "arrrg!" & sent it when he emailed me - THAT got my attention! I love this stuff :-) I just had to share:rolleyes:

Well I'm kind of bummed out about Mark, he sure was busy texting me and calling me until he MET me, now I get 1 little text all day, "it was nice meeting you and your friends, have a nice turkey day." My son says that's a polite guy's way of saying uhm, thanks but no. Rats, I thought it went very well! Maybe it's cause he's only as tall as I am and I was strutting my stuff around in 3" heels? I guess it bothers some guys if you are taller then them - and I definately was in those heels! Oh well he is a nice guy, and I will meet quite a few nice guys before I settle for one :-) Oh and by the way, I have another one that wants to meet me this weekend, he is FUNNY he's cracking me up! I should start posting pics of these guys and you call can tell me what you think, LOL that would be rude of me. This online dating thing is CRAZY, I actually have guys sending me their phone numbers! Suddenly since my pics are up, LOL. I sure get a lot of comments on the pirate-grabbing-my-arse one!! Have to be REALLY really careful tho, for example I have blocked anyone who is looking for "intimate encounter" or whatever, or a whole bunch of other stuff . . . picky picky picky but I'm sure having fun! Argh! 3 new emails on my dating site, got to go . . . . OH! Band is working for me today, too - the only thing I've been able to eat is gravy!!

Tina, YAY! Approximately 2,000 steps to the mile, depending on your stride length - so 10,000 steps is 5 miles, 20,000 steps is 10 miles!!!

I'm making today Friday, because the day after Thanksgiving is a lousy day to have to weigh in!! 168.6 - I am only .6 lbs away from what my drivers license has said for 25 years!!! Happy turkey day full of good choices to you all! And remember, if you fall off you can get back on with the very next bite :-) Riley

Happy Turkey Day ladies!! So . . . . I met a 'new' guy online, and last night I met him in person, with all my friends around . . . OMG he totally fits in!!! They were all hugging him when he left . . . well, I was too :-) . . . . he had been calling and texting like 5x a day, I hope he still does after meeting me and my crazy friends! I like this one!! :-) He started emailing me based on my interests alone, I did not even have a picture posted and my profile was so old that I still had the "overweight" box checked for body type . . . I did send him pics before I met him in person, but still . . . he was contacting me for who I am, not for what I looked like! THAT is COOL. I so struggle with this whole, I'm-only-getting-attention-because-I'm-not-fat-anymore thing, that this guy's attitude was really refreshing. I hope I hear from him today!!

Welcome Cindy! Maria, Dr. Baggs won't be able to tell you how much is in your band exactly until he withdraws it at your first fill - or unfill. They put in what they need to at surgery to make it fit right so it doesn't slip; it is usually around 2 (mine was) but can be as much as 5 (I think that was Christine?). I think you should call Liz for her advice, BEFORE the holiday! At least you can be less worried about it - and I can stop worrying too :ohmy: