willowcat

Terry posted a link on another forum to Dr. Paul O'Brien on YouTube detailing the 8 band rules. I loved finally finding out how the food actually gets pass the band (I've been thinking the food moves through like sand in an hour glass--it doesn't). After watching all of his videos, I saw a link to an actual lapband surgery (Dr. Massy? I think). I was fascinated by all that went into putting the band in me. How can I take this wonderful tool for granted?! Someone on this forum (sorry, don't remember who) said something along the lines of "act so as to be worthy of the band.". Wow!

Long ago, I heard "You can be right, or you can be in a relationship." You probably need to be in this relationship (with your principal) since your job depends on it. Personally, I wouldn't fight her over this. As far as having a tough class that subs don't want to come to, too bad. Make your appointment during one of the few days you have available to you and go. Getting coverage for your class in your absence is not your problem. Another option is to let them dock your pay for one day's pay (in our district it's the cost of the sub) and add that (in your mind) to the cost of seeing your doctor. Some hills are not worth dying on.

Feeling crummy from the cold can lead to comfort-eating for me! Thanks for the tips and reminders. Best preventative: hand washing!

I would say that for nearly 20 years the numbers on the scale had the power to affect how i felt about myself each day. Now though, I think i'm so much more than the number on the scale--or the number on anything else for that matter (i'm so much more than my age, my height, my income, my shoe size, or my dress size!) For me personally, I find that obsessing about anything does not feel good to me--especially obsessing about the numbers on the scale. I try not to weigh more than once a week and I remind myself that it takes 3500 calories to gain one true pound of fat. If the scale shows a two pound weight gain from one day to the next, does that mean I ate an extra 7000 calories?! No. Water weighs a lot...those two pounds are more than likely water retention. I think bodies are tricky things to try to control...they sometimes have their own agenda/wisdom. If you're exercising and eating right, then eventually the mathematics of what you're doing right will show up on the scale or on the tape measure. Best of luck.

I believe the port is tacked onto an abdominal muscle (not 100% positive about that though). Any kind of stomach crunches still hurts my port site 2 1/2 years later. Sex? Guess it would depend on many different variables. I wouldn't worry about the port pain being a long-term problem, though.

I play about four different "____with Friends" with five different friends, and it can take up a lot of time just catching up on my games every day. I've told my friends that from now on, I will only play when I'm also riding my exercise bike. Today, I rode my bike for 60 minutes! Beats the heck out of sitting on the couch for 60 minutes playing all of those silly games! Haha! )

I easily get in 40-50 minutes a day on my exercise bike this way--and the time flies by! Good luck!

Genetics can be a major player when it comes to high cholesterol for many people...glad to hear that your numbers have moved down along with your weight loss, though!

PMS? Lots of exercise the day before? Not enough food the day before? Not enough protein? Not enough good nutrition? Not enough water? Good luck unraveling what's going on for you. When that happens, I try to drink lots of water...sometimes it works (sometimes a little bit of extra carbs also works for me--careful, though, that's a slippery slope for sure!)

This is going to sound gross, but where do you think the snot is draining to? Your stomach! Mucous is not band-friendly...

I avoid ibuprofen if I can (it is very hard on even a normal stomach), but if I absolutely must, then I only will take a liquid cap. I think the medicine actually has a chance to move more quickly pass the stoma in a liquid cap. I also always try to get any supplements I take in a gel cap--I can open up the gel cap and put it directly in my morning smoothie that way.

Could have typed those words myself!

. Do something to be worthy of the Band Nice.

This is a three-legged stool made up of the band, food and exercise. I LIKE that! Going to have to remember that one! Thanks!

In AA, they say "My insides saw your outsides, so I drank".

Interesting info/thoughts/experiences...thanks for sharing...will keep all in mind for future reference.

Just like in Life, everyone's journey is different.

I've been working my band (following all of the lapband rules), exercising like I used to, and drinking my water all of this week. One of my first thoughts when I woke up today was, "I wonder how much weight I've lost?!"--some of my clothes are already feeling a little less snug. Then, that thought was followed by "What if it was very little? Then what?" I know myself enough to know that that would be discouraging. Then, I thought, "What if it was a lot?". "So what difference does it make? A lot? A little? Are you going to do something different?". I'm thinking, now, that if I'm using the band like it was designed, then what difference does it make how much/little the scale moved? Maybe checking in with the scale is still holding on to the "I'm on a diet" mentality? Just thinking...

You can put all kinds of things in a Magic Bullet and liquefy them...once I even put a salad with curried chicken in the Magic Bullet (with plenty of water)! It was certainly different, but still tasty. Just watch out for those liquid calories--they can sneak up on you.

So, yesterday, I thought, "Oh just get on the scale. It won't hurt and you'll get an idea of how you're doing." stepped on the scale and nothing happened--my husband had taken out the battery to use in something else! Message received and heard! Haha! .