derbygirl

I was banded in Fort Worth, TX by Adam Smith. I'm envious of you--you're almost at goal. I still want to take off another 100 pounds. What exercise do you do besides kayaking? And don't you get scared when you see one of those gators near you in the water? Denise, thanks for welcoming me and the other newbies. :biggrin1: Off topic: It's flooding here in Texas. My backyard is like a lake!!!! :rain: It's a little scary. I could USE a kayak about now!!

Chrispy, that sucks about the IT guy. And Manatee, I'm sorry to hear about your divorce (or maybe it should be congratulations?). Well, for the record, I'm not a crazy cat lady--I prefer dogs. Hey, JC, you and me were banded on the same day--Oct. 5 of last year! I can't believe it's been so long. Time has really gone by fast. Karla, you look great in the cruise photos! I didn't even know there was a cruise.

JC, you look amazing! I'll bet you have all the girls after you now. Ash, if confidence isn't the problem, what do you think it is? I haven't been out on a date since last fall, just a few weeks post-band. It was just too soon for me--I was still stressing out over the "band rules". Then, I got so wrapped up in the date that I totally forgot that I wasn't even supposed to be eating beef yet and ordered a burger. Thank god it stayed down--that would have made a great impression on a first date. But I was chewing so much that he had to do all the talking. I've adjusted some since then. I've been thinking about getting back out there. But Chrispy's kind of scaring me away from the idea. Just kiddin...hehe.

Chrispy, I'm new here, but your post just cracks me up. Sounds like you're really on a roll. I am liking this thread. I feel at home here.

I'm tired of Dr. Phil, too. I absolutely hate the shows he does on obese people because he acts like they're just stupid because they won't stop eating. I've heard him tell so many people who are 300, 400, 500 pounds that weight-loss surgery is not the way to go. He says they need to lose weight on his stupid plan. I tried his plan. It's like every other plan. It works for a while, but a person with an eating disorder cannot stick to it or any other diet for the rest of their life. The band works because it keeps us in line when we aren't able to do it ourselves. I wish he'd take that stupid book of his and shove it where the sun don't shine.

JC, I just looked at your photo album while I was in another thread. I don't know where you were kayaking, but they were beautiful pics. Congrats on your success.

Holliwags, I'm 8 months out and I still have tiny meltdowns when I'm at a restaurant. You're still going to have some cravings. Sometimes when I'm eating out, I feel really bitter about the fact I can't eat like everyone else. But even though it's hard sometimes--it's never as hard as traditional dieting, I've found. Congrats on your band.

You should just be happy that it's covered. I don't mean to sound bitter but some of us didn't have any option but self-pay. You're lucky.

Yes, I froze all winter. The upside...hopefully my Texas summer won't be so miserable this year!

Poodle, keep in mind that you're not going to be eating very much at a time. Sometimes a meal for me is less than 100 calories. If you have three 200 calorie meals and two 100 calorie Snacks, I don't think your blood sugar will drop. Mine doesn't, but I don't know your situation.

I lose a lot of weight when I stay under 50 carbs per day, but after a couple of weeks, I just LOSE IT and go on carb overload. You start to feel really deprived really fast. And the weight comes back on FAST...like overnight. So even though I have had success by limiting carbs, I'm rethinking my strategy.

I worried a lot about hair loss before being banded and vowed to consume my 80 g. of protein each day, but my hair still falls out. I can't stand to not wash my hair every day, and I always blow dry, too. Fortunately, it's thick so the loss isn't noticeable. I mostly notice it being more "unmanageable" than anything. It kind of has a mind of its own. I think I started noticing it about 5 months out.

Hey! Congratulations!! We're at about the same place (close to same starting weight and about the same lost)! Yay for us! I was just peeking at your blog, and I wanted to tell you that when I first started REALLY exercising, I was going every stinkin' day. And when I quit for a few days, I lost like 4 pounds. And when I DID return to the gym, I was STRONGER. They say your muscles tear during a workout and you have to take a day off here and there so they can repair. Now I never go more than 2 days in a row, but I try to work out at least 4 days a week. When I do that and low-carb diet, I lose about 1/2 pound to 1 pound per day.

What I'm saying may actually belong more in the "Jeaousy" thread, but don't you feel like you have to celebrate in silence with the lapband? Sometimes I'm so excited that I've lost a few pounds in one week that I want to tell everyone I see. Of course, I don't, but it seems like I can't share my happiness with anyone anymore. My weight loss has become the elephant in the room. I don't mention it and neither does anyone else. I think it's pretty bad that I can't share my excitement without it possibly being viewed as bragging. This is a life-changing experience. It's not easy to go it alone in the good times or the bad.

I'm really interested in this as well, but is it correct that after the initial $399/3 months, you have to pay $199 every three months?

That's supposed to say 18 more pounds!

I popped in here months ago, but Twoterville was so far away back then. Now it's getting closer! Only more pounds to go!! Hey, those of you who are low-carbing, do you have any suggestions for meals? I am so bored of the same food all the time.

<p>Thanks Chrispy and everyone else.

Ultimately, this is your decision and your life. Do what you think is best for you and ignore everyone else.

Don't push people to have the surgery. I found it rude when people did that to me. It made me feel like that person couldn't accept me the way I was.

I'm curious if the rest of you have trouble at family gatherings, and I'm not necessarily talking about all the food around you. In my family it seems like we're always waiting on someone to arrive before we eat, and that causes a problem since I have to quit drinking 30 minutes before meals. Sure, it's not a big deal with it's a little longer than 30 minutes, but let me share what happened yesterday... We were supposed to meet at a BBQ restaurant. I had stopped drinking about 15 minutes before I arrived. My sister and her family were AN HOUR late. During that time, my mom and dad ordered onion rings and mozzarella sticks and were drinking sodas. Everyone around is eating and drinking. After about 40 minutes, I was furious. It ruined the entire gathering for me. How do I deal with this? It's not a one-time problem. There have been times when I've finally gotten so thirsty that I drank something and then the people we were waiting on arrived and everyone sat down to eat and I couldn't for 15 minutes. Am I the only one? Is it silly to be stressing about those 30 minutes? Can I disregard the rule in this situation? I honestly don't even know why that rule is in place--it would help to know. It's not like it takes 30 minutes for liquid to go through the band--or does it???

Teehee...thanks, musicalmomma. I can't believe nobody else is commisserating with me on this subject. My family must suck at being supportive even worse than I thought.

I find it annoying that all of the surgeon's rules are so different.

I dunno...that's just one the rules my surgeon gave me. I don't really understand why it's such a long time either. Oh, and musicalmomma, I just almost at my short-term goal. I've only been banded 8 months or so and I have over 100 pounds more to lose AFTER I reach THIS goal. :faint:

I paid something like $300, but it included my consultation, an appt. with a nutritionist and an appt. with a psychologist. I didn't pay upfront. Once I was approved and agreed to the surgery, it was rolled together with the costs of everything else. But the paperwork said if I didn't have the surgery (for whatever reason), that I would be charged for those three appointments.