riley4183

You are doing totally great Linda!! I love your multiple goals, they really help me to stay motivated! I make them with my weekly support group, and I have not missed one yet :-) My next one is to have lost 100 lbs. by my first 1/2 marathon, which is August 30th . . . looks like I'll make that one too! Love my band. . . Little worried about flying in a couple of weeks after reading your post tho! It's right after I have a fill too, so I guess I'll just do liquids only for 6 hours before I fly???

Tina try the soy slender chocolate! 70 cals/cup I just heat it in a mug for hot cocoa sometimes I slip in a mallow shhhhh

TOTALLY allowed, sister! Just use it to replace some carbs that you would otherwise be allowed later. I still have my venti decaf soy latte (made with sugar-free, low-fat chocolate Soy Slender milk) every single day, sometimes twice a day! 120 cals 15 grams of Protein 7 grams of Fiber, net carbs <2. And I log them in - one at Breakfast, if I have another one later I log it as a snack - and Robin always tells me to stop it but I never do! Not, not giving them up. Hey we gotta live . . .she does say "well, the most important thing for me is that you are on an eatingplan that is going to work for you for the rest of your life." She can't tell me it's OK because I am drinking my calories and, as you know, she HAS TO BE CONSITENT!! But hey, she can't argue with my results :-)

Little sips of water only, and I always eat freeze-dried apple slices before I weight in down there! bring plenty of water with you tho, cause you can start chugging as soon as you weigh in! For the Liz appt., they weight you on the scale in the bariatric office, NOT on the one in the first exam roonm on the right, which is MY personal favorite . . . but still, I was enough under to never be over . . . if that makes any sense! I honestly have been wracking my brain trying to remember her questions . . one was how long after surgery should you begin to excercise, one was when should you start taking vitamins and calcium, one was give me an example of a Stage 3 food, all that kind of stuff! I got like FOUR wrong on my test, I was totally embarrassed but she was SO great about it, I just love Liz. She knows you are in a support group and that makes a 1000% difference for her, she's not going to be worried about you! NO she will not fail you or kick you out of the program. In fact, when I went to my pre-op class, there were 2 girls in there who had questions like, "why does RNY lose weight faster than the lap-band?" "what is a fill?" "will I have a port?" why do I have to take vitamins, why can't I gain weight before surgery, stuff like that. It AMAZED me! It was like orientation all over again. Yet those folks had all gotten through their CM appointments! You will be a ROCK STAR - just know where to look stuff up in your binder. She will especially want to know that YOU know where to find answers to the questions you will have AFTER surgery.

Anyone from Sonoma County or surrounding area (Napa, Mendo, Lake) who might be reading this thread, this is a great BIG support group that meets the 2nd Saturday of every month at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. It is for all kinds of WLS (most folks have had RNY; let's get some more bandsters in here!) and folks who are considering WLS. VERY motivational and inspiring to hear some of these stories! I don't wear mascara to these :crying: Reminder from: SoCoRNYWLSSupport Yahoo! Group Title: Sonoma County RNY- WLS Support Group Date: Saturday August 8, 2009 Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Repeats: This event repeats every month on the second Saturday. Next reminder: The next reminder for this event will be sent in 7 days, 1 minute. Location: WELLS FARGO CENTER FOR THE ARTS Notes: Our weight loss surgery support group meets the 2nd Saturday of each month. We meet at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. We will be in our regular meeting room, the Carston Cabaret. Park and enter through the south entrance. Watch for the signs. This month we will be having general check-in meeting. This is a time where everyone gets an opportunity to share where they are in their journeys. It's a time to share your experiences, give and get support. Pre-op, post-op or just checking out your possibilites, this is a meeting not to be missed! Please feel free to invite your support people to join you. It's a wonderful way for them to gain a better understanding of your journey. We will be having the regular clothing exchange. Please remember to return books that you borrowed from our book exchange or bring new books to share. Steering committee meets at 9:00 a.m., right before the meeting. Anyone interested is encouraged to come. See you there!!

Tamra, do the decaf! I totally failed at cutting out caffeine cold turkey, Dr. Zimmerman (one of the program psychs) told me how to do it, I followed her advice and have never felt deprived atall!

190 this week, fill #4 is scheduled for a week from today But I am only down so much this week because I just got over a stomach flu! Ughs. I did learn this week that my band's efficiency in controlling my hunger is directly related to my exercise . . . when I do 10-15 miles a day, I eat 2 cups at a time and end up doing 4 meals because I'm hungry again in 2 hours. When I get a lot less excercise (like only 2-3 miles a day), I'm OK with 1/2 cup at a time and it lasts 4 hours. So I can either stop excercising and follow my program, or I can go get another fill & see if that helps me stay full longer. I have a feeling that this band is going to keep me on a learning curve the whole way through!! Happy Friday all!

Night Tamra, night all!!! XOXO

Tamra I had to cut out the potatoes, they were just a trigger for me - made me want more carbs!! The name of the game at this point is to lose that weight as fast as you can, so less carbs = best

That port incision stings like mad for a month or more! The kinda dig out a place in your muscle for it, that pocket they make fills with fluid, and it takes your body 4-6 weeks to re-absorb that fluid & the stinging to go away. My surgeon said that's why the have us come in at 6 weeks out instead or 4 weeks out, LOL, so we don't bitch about how bad the port hurts!!

After Ross, my son wanted to go to Arby's and I took him there, and I got . . nothing! I had already eaten my dinner, so I didn't get ANYthing! Man that was weird! Had no $$ anyways, so no big . . . but seriously I kept thinking about how good I looked in that new dress, and how good it felt to look good, and I didn't want to eat and mess up the new body!! I told my friends today that they need to start planning my "100 lbs. gone forever!" party!! It's going to be SOON!!!

Candra, appt. with Liz: 1 on 1, or group appt.? What time of day is it? KNOW YOUR BINDER!!! You will have to take a test and she will review it with you. She will give you your surgery date!!!! OK girls,m I wentn to Ross and got a dress! Pulled a 12 off the rack, took it to the fitting room, sand it fits PERFECT! A little too much cleavage, but OH WELL! It is purple and orandge and gree with black trim and I know that sounds ugsters but its not! It REALLY shows off my new bod, and I love it!!! $16.99!!!! Thanks for thentip on where to shop, cause I'm almost overdrawn - that was perfect.

Tina so glad your band worked for you today! We need to get rid of some of this stress I think. I was back to eating big today; up to about 900 now I Just have to STOP! Evenings are my downfall too, summers I can walk but winter REALLY sucks for not eating! OK Candra you talked me into it, I am walking to Starbucks! Right now!

Thats FUNNY!!!! So what's for dinner??? Must be good!

That's one of the indicators that you're at your sweet spot, when you just don't even think about eating. Me, . . . . not so much. Had great restriction yesterday, but I am right back to eating 2+ cups at a time today! And only staying full for 2 hours. Now me, I think about eating all of the time still! Grrr . . . .

Outside of my weigh-ins during my appointments, I weighed on Santa Rosa Kaiser's big tubbo scale (I was in the 14-week WLS class) ever week. I also went down to other friends' appointments in Richmond with them as a support person, and they always let me weigh then, too! And only recorded it if I asked them to. They also always looked to see if they had any appointments open that day so I could just get my next one taiken care of! Always brought my binder :-) It was cool too, that is how I got to meet the other surgeons (all except Dr. Im)

< ---- Just click on my pic (avatar) to the left here, and it will tak you to my page with the album on it :-)

So Tina, if she has nothing next Friday then I will take the appt. in Pinole on the 20th and give you mine next Friday! I think I can wait now, I am losing a lb. a week and that's probably enough . . . so let me know when you are going to call Kelly, maybe we can do a conference call or HEY let's send her a fax.

OK yall I just uploaded pics from my daughter's wedding - checkout my three beautiful grown-up (sorta) kids!