TexasFire

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This is the only thing you said that concerns me. Your past is something to be considered, but your mindset of today is much more critical. If this surgery is the only thing keeping you going, you are setting yourself up for disaster. This surgery requires dedication, diligence, restraint and lots of work if you are to get to goal. In the past year I have seen, and continue to see, so many folks who went into this knowing that it wasn't going to be easy, yet today it is evident that they did indeed still expect divine intervention to make all their weight disappear. This surgery was the only thing that kept them going...and now that the surgery hasn't provided the miracle they wanted (and was never going to provide), they are distraught. Please, go to your eval and openly discuss your past and present concerns. Dig deep and be sure of your motivations and expectations for this surgery. Don't be one of those who just spout the right answers to get to approval. You will be doing yourself no favors. All that being said, if done with the right motivations and expectations, this surgery can be the most amazing thing you could ever do for yourself! I hope you get in there and come out the other side ready to take this by the horns and get healthy! I know you can do it, just make sure you don't skip any critical steps.

I thought I would post it here in case anyone else is interested. I will warn you, though...this is a crapload of pills! Even though you all already know that I am nuts, this just confirms it! LOL I put the store/brand I purchased if you want to repeat the same. MORNING: GNC's Women's Ulta Mega Active Vitapak (Contains 2 Women's Ulta Mega Active without Iron, 2 Energy Enhancer, 1 Calcium 600 mg, 1 L-Carnitine 500 mg, 1 CLA 1000 mg) 2 GNC Fish Oil 1000 mg 2 GNC CLA 1000 mg 1 Vitamin Shoppe ForsLean (Coleus Forskohlii 125 mg, or Forskolin) 2 Vitamin Shoppe L-Argenine 500 mg 2 Vitamin Shoppe L-Carnitine 500 mg (CarniPure) 1 scoop in any drink Vitamin Shoppe L-Glutamine powder 4500 mg AFTERNOON: All except Vitapak EVENING: All except Vitapak Take them with at least a little something to eat, or you will be burping Fish Oil, which I found is NOT PLEASANT. Most of these are amino acids or herbs.

Okay, folks! My scale actually had me way up on the weight this week. (WAY UP) I really thought getting completely unfilled was a nightmare. However, according to last month's visit versus this Tuesday's visit at the doctor's office, I was only up four pounds. So I guess that's not too bad. I started a new supplement regimen that was recommended by my doc (he's REAL into sports and has a LOT of athletes come to him). The combination of things he has me taking, along with the timing of them with meals, workouts and rest, is supposed to encourage the body to naturally release stored fat for burning. Now, either my scale is completely screwy, or I am dropping weight faster than I ever have before...even faster than my first month after banding. I'm going to monitor it very closely over the next week to see if the last two days' pace continues. It's too fast. The problem is that I LOVE IT, of course! We'll see...

J - Have a blast tomorrow! Can't wait to hear how it goes...and see pics, too! (Of course, I still need to upload mine...I'm so behind this week!) Okay, folks! My scale actually had me way up on the weight this week. (WAY UP) However, according to last month's visit versus this Tuesday's visit at the doctor's office, I was only up four pounds. So I guess that's not too bad. I started a new supplement regimen that was recommended by my doc (he's REAL into sports and has a LOT of athletes come to him). The combination of things he has me taking, along with the timing of them with meals, workouts and rest, is supposed to encourage the body to naturally release stored fat for burning. Now, either my scale is completely screwy, or I am dropping weight faster than I ever have before...even faster than my first month after banding. I'm going to monitor it very closely over the next week to see if the last two days pace continues. It's too fast. The problem is that I LOVE IT, of course! We'll see...

What email? Old people porn...EW...until I get there myself, anyhow! LOL

Oh yeah! I'm great! Since I was unfilled completely, I gave myself "permission" to eat whatever I wanted to for two weeks! LOL It had been so long since I was able to really eat, and I loved it. That all stopped Monday of this week, though. Thank goodness I only gained four pounds! (I think I ate two gallons of Bluebell Buttered Pecan ice cream during that time! :frown:) Seriously, I WAS truly miserable...and when they gave me the scoop and I saw it for myself on the screen, I was given two choices: go on liquids for a month, or get completely unfilled. My surgeon just happened to be there that day and I could tell from the look on his face and his tone that I really needed to go with the unfill, which apparently most are understandably hesitant to do, if at all. I had already planned to get unfilled when I got to goal, so I went for it. Only after I made my decision did the surgeon, NP and tech say that I made the right decision. They let me decide first, which I thought was cool. At one month I go back to check it out. That will be on May 15th. About 50% will heal themselves in one month of being unfilled. If mine does, they can start refilling me. If not, we will wait one more month. If not then, I go back to my doc and consider redoing the surgery all over. I have had six fills (I think?), with almost 7CC in a 10CC band. They say it will take only two fills to get that back. All that being said, I will never redo the surgery. If I wasn't so close to goal, I would redo it in a heartbeat. But I am close to goal and I know now that I can do it on my own. I originally thought I wouldn't get refilled at all, but I will get a little of it back. I can do it completely empty, but life would be easier if I had a little bit of restriction. I will NEVER go back to what I had. I'm too active and my band has been a good tool to make me change my habits for good. I'm hoping that 3.5CC will do the trick, but I will do whatever feels good/right and helps me stay on track. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that I'm all fixed up inside and can get a bit of fill on May 15th and "call it done" for good.

Not sure about the "almost always overeating" statement, but it definitely SOUNDS logical. In my case, I was too tight and stubbornly held off getting an unfill. I did get a slight unfill, which helped...but it wasn't enough. I was still too tight. I got incredibly stuck one night and had a horrible and extended PB session. This is what caused both the slip and the dilation. The symptoms were immediate and pronounced...I flat could not eat...could barely drink. It was like crimping your Water hose to stop the flow of water...that is exactly what my band was doing to my stomach. So a word to the wise: it only takes once! Never delay getting back to the doctor if you are tight!

By itself, I'm not aware of any symptoms for dilation, per se. That doesn't mean there aren't any...I'm just not aware of any. (Big help, I know! LOL) This Friday will be three weeks since I was completely unfilled due to pouch dilation and a minor slipped band. (Oxymoron) The slip was what was causing the symptoms that made me make an appointment. The dilation wasn't discovered except under flouro.

Ah, yes...I think I do remember something about that now. Hopefully the info will "stick" this time and I won't be asking again in three months! Chacha...never heard that one, either...made me laugh. Oh, J! I'm sure that's not true, pretty lady! Yes, but new lows can be fun, no? Especially with THIS group! I say the same thing! Yes, we need shirts! It IS the signature of this group! Without a doubt! A couple weeks ago, this thread had it's own discussion going in the mod forum. Our name really bugs folks! Drives 'em absolutely batty! (To be honest, if I weren't part of this insane group, it would likely drive me batty, too...and I would want to correct it.) Everyone was in agreement to "fix" the name, but I plead our case well and they understood the concept like C said...that it is US! So we are now and will forever remain...BYCYLERS! :cursing: I think we should get together and design our own jerseys. We are awesome and should let the cycling world know it! LOL They should be totally tongue-in-cheek obnoxious...whatever they are. I wouldn't be a good one to come up with verbage for the jersey...there are a few of you that I am SURE can come up with something fitting, cute and obnoxious all at the same time...but I can research cheap blank jerseys, print shops, and graphics.

I'm so confused. I don't know what that pic is of, or why BG says "Poor Allison"...found out what mons is finally...but for panni, all Google returns is stuff talking about potatoes? Weird.

DAG NABBIT, SUZZZIE!!!! Why, why, why...do you love me enough to always call me on the freaking carpet?!?!? LOL No, I actually have no excuse whatsoever...other than I've been super busy. They are actually almost complete, but this week is a mess, so I will finish up this weekend. I wanted to make sure I had pics of all the exercises so my girlies don't hurt themselves! I'm sorry...you know I love y'all!

You are right about the mindset...I still look for those mint milk chocolate covered Oreos that I discovered last summer. Thank dog I never find them! I don't think I could walk away. Everything else, I just don't think about it or I'd have to have everything in sight. Good for you on the wine...I remembered that used to be a real enjoyment of yours and it was holding your weight loss back. Sorry to hear what happens to you now with it, but hey! Whatever works to keep you off the juice, girlie! LOL Yeah, I'm shy and reserved, too. <choke/cough/gag/fart> Gotcha on the ticker/siggie thing. No, you just gotta play with it a lot sometimes. They can be finicky, for sure. I have set many up for folks using a temporary password into their account, then they changed it back to the one they wanted. From there you can click on the ticker and personalize it how you want. I just set one up for a member earlier today, as a matter of fact. I can do that for you if you like and you are comfortable with it. My feelings won't be hurt if you say no! Well, I won't cry for very long, anyhow. LOL

Okay...I have but one word...WOW! You are going to have all that done? That is incredible! I know I could look it up, but it's just easier to ask now...what is a panni and what is a mons and why would they need lifting? I have no clue, but somehow I think that was a dumb question...oh well. Oh I don't think that would be mocking black culture! I had a bubble-butt all my life until I lost all this weight. (I always loved my butt, no matter what size I was!) Now I have a "normal" butt...if there really is such a thing...and I love it still...just differently. It's a lot easier to fit into clothes now, though. I have no clue what Frankin Hooker is, either! But something tells me that my imagination is correct, and I am going to go look it up right now! LOL

Butt implants! Hey, that's a real thing, isn't it? And you are kidding? LOL Okay, BG...fess up, chica, if you are comfortable. (Who am I talking to?!?!?) J - I don't know what a full body lift is, but it sounds scary and wonderful all at the same time! Yeah, you are right on about the hubby thing. I know in my heart that I will get this, but it's an important "tactical" move to have him supporting the process. I'm just wearing him down. Poor guy...he's so good to me, but it does require a certain finesse on my part at times! At the end of the day, I'm just not happy with "my girls". AT ALL. In fact, I'm down right embarrassed in certain circumstances...I'm sure you get my drift. I just have to be patient. Once he gets his new Harley, which should be very soon, I will unleash my best tactics at pushing this along! LOL

BG - I know I've heard y'all talking about it before, and shame on me for not taking you seriously...but how could I, gorgeous? What the heck kind of PS could you possibly need? Are you for real here? :confused2: On that note...I am slowly wearing hubby down regarding the boob job. It is starting to look promising! I'm not one to ever let ANYONE dictate what is right for me, but this kind of thing really freaks him out. He still hates my band. I am so psyched that I may get PS myself!

Oh, BigBaby...I think we must be sisters separated at birth! That is SO what I would do, too! That is a true mentoring action, making her fess up and be responsible for her actions. I swear your very words sound just like me, it's scary! I know you can do this, Rhonda! You have GOT to just make up your mind to do what you know you must...eat right and exercise! And are you staying away from the wine now? You better be! I'll gitcha! And...ummm....ticker? What ticker? You have an invisible ticker? LOL

You're kidding with the little angel act, right? Glad to hear you are feeling better and eating again. We bycylers have to eat to keep our strength up! As much as I would love to make Lansing, I just don't think that is in my future...maybe next time. Hey! I hope my Stars kick your Wings asses!

Okay, I gotta tell you that I giggle about life so often. I had to address a member earlier that reported a post for containing profanity. I completly understand where folks are coming from that feel this way...my sister is the same way and I totally respect it. I would never want anyone to think otherwise. But at the same time, all I could think about is this thread! I felt like such a hypocrite! LOL (Even though I would never fucking cuss, you know. It's BG's fault that we are all corrupt! HA!) It just goes to prove the fact that there is a time and place for everything. While I wouldn't cuss out on an unknown thread...bycylers are just cussers. And I am a die-hard bycyler! Rock on! :tt1: