LittleOleMeinFL

Linda~ Congrats on the fill and the loss! That is so awesome! It is great that your surgeon will do tiny fills. I have no doubt you will reach and surpass your goal weight!

Bugs~ congrats on deciding to have surgery! We wish you the best of luck! What to Pack For the Hospital: Comfortable pajamas/gown- muumuu (loose fitting is best) Socks and slippers Glasses & glasses case Outfit to wear home (something loose is best, also make sure it won’t rub on your incision) Underwear although truth be told I didn't wear any for a while after surgery, too hard to pull up! Toothbrush and toothpaste, deoderant,Hairbrush Your pillow (if you don’t sleep well with a pillow other than your own) A list of your current medications Your cell phone and a charger (some hospitals still charge for phone calls) Entertainment such as books, music, Ipod, portable DVD player, magazines, laptop (so you can let us know how you are doing via LBT) If you are one who gets hot, bring a small fan.

Janet~ Thanks. I hear you. Some days I FEEL it definitely when lying down and can feel my hip bones... or putting an old pair of pants on that finally fit. I know the visual will change eventually. But you are right... until the pooch is down it is a hindrance in the visual. Even before your coffee, I get you. Good morning gang~ Last night I had my first PB in a LONG time. I had only had 3 bites of dinner- fish (grilled grouper), steamed broccoli, 2 of nelson's frenchfries. I have had a couple fries in the past (oreda steak fries) and done ok. I think I didn't chew well or something. OMG.... pain, like you wouldn't believe. Then SLIME... like you wouldn't believe. Then more pain, until tears were coming out my eyes. Went to the BR just to spit and take some deep breaths, but no go. What was so bad this time was that instead of literally a PB, this was the first time since surgery that I vomited/felt my stomch really twisting. I was nauseated the next couple hours. Finally about 3 hrs later I was able to drink sips ok, then had a 1/2 Cup of Soup. Hour later a yogurt. BIG SIGH. It's funny in a way, b/c I was JUST about to make an appt for a fill! Then an episode like that tells you you might not need one. I feel ok this morning. Well, 2 more lbs down this morning. Not so sure it is real weight though after dinner's episode or some dehydration. But nevertheless the scale said 243! And the ticker says 69 lost 68 to go!!! woohoo, half way!!! Lowest in a LONG LONG time! And here is the clincher.... I WEIGH LESS THAN MY HUSBAND!!!!!!!! He is 245. His highest was 279 at the time of my surgery and he has been losing slowly but surely, but slowed down these last few weeks. He won't say, but I almost think, he was slowing down for me! Back from the gym. Did only 15 min. on my step tread and then an hour long POOL-ates. (like Pilates) but in the pool! It was nice, but sun was hot. Only problem with outside Water class in Florida! Yeah, Apples where are you?! CBL! Laura

Down 59 lbs since surgery on March 2, 2009! 69 down since Feb 1 when I scheduled the surgery! Feeling soooo much better! Half way to goal! I gave myself a very conservative goal- but I have a feeling I will pass it! Good job everyone!!! Keep up the good work!

Janet & ifyourstomach~ I too NEVER let my weight get in my way. My ability to post photos in my underoos even while morbidly obese, is one of the many things I feel no modesty in doing. Actually there is some interesting data out there regarding motivation and ones ability to lose weight, eat healthy and lead a healthy lifestyle. (I will post the source when I get to my home computer). But the basic concept is for obese people to get healthy...that if you are too dissatisfied with yourself (extreme self hate)- then you will have very little motivation to change things. On the opposite side of the bell curve- if you love yourself (extreme self satisfaction) and your weight doesn't stop you from doing things- then likewise you have very little motivation to change. But if you have a happy balance of being generally happy but hating the weight- then you will have higher motivation and thus willing to do the things it takes to be healthy. Over the last 10 years I had 4 admissions to the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center. Diet & Fitness Center - Duke Diet & Fitness Center - DukeHealth.org Anyway, it was there that one of the psychologists said "you need to be a little less satisfied with your obesity." I had never had it put that way and it did help me change the way I viewed things. It's also one of the reasons I take the photos instead of relying on weight alone to see changes. Just as I had a hard time really seeing my obesity- the same issue remains, that if with an almost 70 lb weight loss, I don't see a big change in the mirrow. It really is a type of distortion. I guess the reverse of an anorexic? We've talked about it before- if they could band our heads we would be set! 3 days of being REALLY honest with my food diary and down another pound!:wub:

phew! just returned from the gym. Did 30 minutes on the step treadmill at 3.4 miles/hr. I alternate between the min and max step... I get my HR up to 150s and then rest a min and then back up. I burned 360 cal. Today for some reason I sweated more than usual! My shirt was soaked!!! Then I went to do my circuit with weights and then sit ups and planks and pushups. I was there for 1.5 hrs. Just pooped now. My trainer is in the hospital... she has to have her spleen out d/t a platelet disorder (ITP). So, not sure what I am going to do now. We leave next Monday for vacation for a week, so when I return I might have to find someone else for a while, as she will be out 3 weeks or more. Julie~ So good to hear you are doing ok. Congrats on the weight and sooooo close to the 100 mark!!! yippeeee. It's not as hot here as some of you are reporting with 100+, but it's still HOT! Time to go get some work done! CBL! ~peasout

Good morning gang! How is everyone?! Janet~ WTG on the gym! I was just debating whether to go this morning... and I think that sealed the deal. I know I will feel better after. Meredith~ I am so proud of you! And trust me regarding the wound. It bugged me too! Mine wasn't open, but rather would grow like a tumor with serous fluid! He almost was going to open it, but it started going away on its own. Think of it like an internal blister. It's your bodies way of protecting a sore area. As your heel would do from too tight shoes. : ) It WILL go away, I promise! Linda~ So sorry to hear about your best friend. It's so sad when such horrible diseases invade people that are so sweet and have dedicated their lives to helping others! Where's the justice?! And I hope they figure out what is going on with your DGD. Good luck with your fill and hope you reach your sweet spot!!! I never even thought to do a one pot wonder with that recipe! It's one of those meals that my DH grew up eating and perhaps the presentation is important. I have all but stopped cooking since surgery and sometimes I feel bad for him. He cooks 75% of the time now! He is a good cook. I always tell him if he decides to leave medicine, he will still have a career! :thumbup: I am on the fence about whether to have another tiny fill. It's been about a month since my last one. At Breakfast I am tight and can barely get in a yoplait 100 cal yogurt. lunch is still a little tight and if it is soft I can get in 1/2 cup of food. But come dinner time, I feel as if I don't have a band! So, wonder if it's just how it will always be? I am ok with small amount of calories in the morning. Although of course I would rather the restriction be the other way around! (loose in a.m. and tight at night!) I have only lost 6 lbs this month (my slowest month yet) and it concerns me. What do you guys think? Time to get Nels off to camp and my butt off to the gym! peasout!

Per Janet's request: "Koosa Mahshi." This simple, but delicious, Middle Eastern dish is fairly easy to prepare and well worth giving a try. First you will need a special tool for hollowing out the zucchini. This could be found in any Middle Eastern grocery store inexpensively. It's similar to an apple corer, but longer - say about 6-8 inches. If you can't find one, I guess you could use a similar type tool, like an apple corer. You want to choose small squashes. You can also substitute other vegetables- peppers, tomatoes or eggplant. Koosa Mahshi (Stuffed Zucchini in Tomato Sauce) 2 lbs. small zucchini ½ cup rice 1 ½ cups ground beef 1 T. olive oil 1 tsp. salt 2 T. Dried mint ¼ tsp. black pepper ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. all spice sliced tomatoes 1 cup tomato sauce 1 can petite diced tomatoes 1 cup hot Water 2-3 coarsely chopped garlic cloves Wash squash, cut off stem tips and, using corer, hollow out. Be careful not to break squash. Set aside. Mix rice, meat, and spices together. Stuff mixture loosely into squash - do not pack too tightly or the squash will burst as the rice expands during cooking. Arrange stuffed squash (and tomato if you've chosen to stuff them also) in a sauce pan (I use a pressure cooker - takes 8 minutes that way!). Add sliced tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Add enough hot water to cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat and cook for 25 minutes, until squash is tender. Voila! A delicious, healthy meal! Sahtain! (Arabic for "bon appetit!") I add the chopped insides of the zucchini to the sauce to add more veggies and not waste it.

Julie~ OMG!!! How are you feeling?! What an ordeal! A whipped kitten?! IMHO, that sounds like an understatement. Gosh, I hope you feel better soon. Please take care of yourself... rest... stay hydrated... and let your body heal. An open cholecystectomy is much tougher to heal from than a Laparoscopic one. Add the blood loss and resulting low blood pressure. Wow! Sounds like you are one lucky gal... and resilient I might add! So glad the surgery is over. Also glad they left your band filled. But if you find yourself not able to eat, you may need to have an unfill. You can sometimes have a lot of swelling after surgery. Thinking about you. <hugs> Happy Tuesday to everyone~ Welcome to the new faces, HH, Bugs. HH, I was thinking about your post. You are right, for many the added benefit of the malabsorption is what they need to reach maximum benefit from the "tool". Just like anything, it needs to be tailored to the patient's specific need. Some of the gals on this thread have proven through time that the band can be successful. Nothing is successful 100% of the time. I went to my support group last night and there were 4 RNY patients who had lost 90-100% of their weight and after 2 years had gained it back. All of the WLS have to be a tool added with major lifestyle changes. You cannot rely on malabsorption alone to fix the problem of food addiction. At some point the body overcomes it and you are back to square one of needing to exercise and eat healthy. My sister had RNY 6-2 and I had the band 3-2. Although we started about the same weight, she has already passed me by 10 lbs. It is quicker and for some that is essential. Glad it worked for you! Best of luck. For the support group everyone decided to have a clothes and recipe exchange. Everyone brought TONS of clothes! The only problem was, hardly anyone wanted to take any! I brought 30 items (nice JJill clothes, 4x and 3x) and left with 3 shirts and 1 pant. The problem it seemed was that most of the clothes were large! We had a lot of 4x and what people needed were 1x and 2x and down! At least the clothes won't go to waste... the rest will go to Goodwill. It was so inspiring to see all these thin healthy people there! Great success stories like we have on this forum. Just wonderful. DH was on call last night and is off today, and I decided to let Nelson stay home from camp. We will have a nice relaxing family day. Plan on a swim this morning. Making a Middle Eastern recipe of Koosa Mahsi (stuffed Zucchini with tomato sauce). I bend the recipe to make it higher Protein. Instead of 3:1 Rice/meat, I do it 1:3, actually almost 1:4! I started keeping my food diary again! Yesterday and this morning I am up to date! I had almost 1300 cal yesterday. And in my head I was having a low cal day. Which means that in the previous days I was likely up to 1500+ and thus the reason I was plateauing. Time to tighten up the belt! peasout~

Charlene~ Sorry your son did not make it for BL. Perhaps this will be the time for him to see his dr and get some fills. Kinda like a new start, especially with your DH having surgery and starting fresh! I will certainly keep your DH in my prayers. We will anxiously await your news. Laura

"Hell, I might even put them on my refridgerator door if I ever am feeling out of control." I had to laugh... when I first read it, I thought you were going to put MY pics on YOUR fridge! LOL. I am glad they/it helped. I recommend it to anyone losing weight. Also do measurements. Not sure if your dr. did them initially? But do your neck, arms, chest, abdomen, hips, thigh. It really is cool to see the inches come off even when the lbs slow down. And your wording is so true regarding my niece. It's so tough to see her and know that, other than being here for her, there is nothing I can do really. That is one of the things that always frustrated ME the most about myself. I had a health related degree, had enough time to exercise and eat healthy, and could afford a gym membership... so what kept me from taking the reins of my health?! I KNEW what to do.. just couldn't DO IT. And now as I get deeper in this band journey, I realize that so much (most) of the problem is in my head! As Janet once said... if they could band our heads we'd be set! Scared about food? hmmmm.. Not so much scared about food per se, but scared that eating regular food would cause me to stop losing or gain weight. In the beginning I had very little restriction and once the swelling wore off it was will power until about fill #2. Did they prefill your band at all? It wasn't until hard solid Protein and several fills before I had my first stuck. One thing you should do Meredith, (if you aren't already) is keep track of everything you eat/drink. Either on paper or online. Which band did you get? Realize comes with a code to use their website which I love. You are doing great! Keep it up! WTG!!!

Janet~ You are so right about others and their eating habits around you. I guess I have not been around that many people who are not eating healthy since my surgery. My whole family, parents and husband, have adopted the new lifestyle. My Nelson could care less if he ate. Day of his dentist, I said only some apple juice this morning, no eating and he said "yippeee". LOL. But I too find I have an intolerance to seeing people gorge around me. At restaurants it almost makes me sick. Perhaps it is because I know I was on that side of the fence before. Yeah, we have no dental insurance! it sux. It just appalls me that a group of physicians have such shitty insurance! They had an exclusion for my band surgery and no dental. Get this... we have a $6000 family deductible! It's ridiculous. Where are you going in Canada? We are leaving for Quebec on the 20th!!! My DH, DS and I are going for a week. It's our 8th wedding anniv. on the 21st and we just wanted to do something different. I have never been to Canada and am looking forward to it. We are staying at a place that has lofts with full kitchens. I really don't want to rely on restaurants like I did in Charleston. It made me feel horrible.. emotionally and physically. I just cannot handle the way they cook things, even nice restaurants the veggies are covered with oil. So we will eat out once a day and then have something in the apt the others. Eating out used to be such an enjoyment before the band. Now I find ways to NOT eat out..LOL. Meredith~ Hope you are feeling better today. Like Janet said, we do all have fat days. One thing I did that REALLY REALLY helped me... is I took a photo before surgery, one 45 days later and then one 3 months later. Whenever I feel like I don't look like I have lost any... i pull them out. It really helps straighten out the mind FU@&. I have no shame nor modesty. I will attach them to this posting. Lord have mercy if they ever make it to the paparazzi..LOL... i will never have a political career! HAH. Seriously though, let us know what the doctor says tomorrow. It may be a seroma. I know mine was larger on one side and harder... felt like a baby's head! When I looked down I looked pregnant! It WILL get better, I promise! ok guys, rents left this morning. Short but sweet trip. So much cleaning to do. We walked this morning ~ 2 miles, DS, DH and me. And then I wanted to ride my bike. Accidentally ripped out the part of the tire where you put air in! New tire purchase tomorrow!:frown: BTW, down one more pound today!!! hip hip.... horayyyyy I wish I had taken a photo at 312#. Unfortunately i only have one at 304. First pic, 2-20-09 pre-op, 304 lbs 2nd, 4-17-09, 45 days post op, 272 lbs (- 30 lbs) 3rd, 6-30-09, 4 mo. post op, 250 lbs (-62) 4th 2-20-09 rth 6-30-09

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/calling-all-march-09-bandsters-we-need-name-86511/index51.html Meredith... use this link or go to page 181 of this thread to see my discussion of seromas. WOW... I joined you guys back at 181!!! : )

Hi Everyone~ Janet~ <hugs> Sorry to hear about work. I know this is NOT the same... I worked for several years as an ER nurse (in the same hospital I had been born in, my mother worked as a nurse and where I had worked as an ER tech for 2 years) and was leaving for the Peace Corps, they did NOTHING! It's not like I was leaving for a new fancy job.. I was going to a 3rd world country! Not even a card! Again 3 years versus 30 years! Geez Louise! That would really upset me too. Hope you are feeling better both emotionally and physically. I hate hangovers. Meredith~ I had a HUGE horrible seroma after my surgery. They drained it every week x 2 and then every two weeks x 2. It slowly got smaller and smaller. That may very well be what it is. They are very common. Also, if you don't have any signs of infection, as Janet said (redness, swelling, fever, pus)... that might be it. Charlene~ good luck for your son! WOW! that would be so cool!!! Let us know what happens. Tonight we have a babysitter and are going out to dinner and to a movie. I feel a little guilty b/c Nelson wanted to go with us. But it is so necessary to have adult time. His teacher is going to be his sitter and he LOVES her, so he will be ok. Nels slept for 12 hours last night after his dental surgery yesterday. He had vistaril and nitrous oxide and the whole ordeal wiped him out. Since my sister left, the scale has not moved! I know I need to start keeping a food diary again. I need to see exactly what I am doing with calories and Protein, etc. Ever since vacation when I got out of the habit, I have had a hard time sticking to documenting everything. I hate that. I am exercising. But it makes me feel somewhat "out of control" when I am not keeping track of my intake. TOMORROW I will start again. My sister was 246 when she arrived at my house and yesterday she was 239! She said that being so good (eating on plan and exercising) here at my house really helped her! I am happy for her. My niece so worries me. When we went to the grocery store they have one of those big scales at the entrance. I hopped on. The scale only goes to 250 so for the LONGEST time I couldn't weigh on it!!! I was sooo happy to finally be on there! Anyway my niece got on and I was shocked to see her at 209! She was 140 at my wedding in 2001. And only recently in the last 1-2 years put on the weight. We went clothes shopping and she was so bummed about her size. She was had to get 18s. I used the opportunity to talk to her about how I know how she was feeling, etc. I tried to motivate her with all the usual pep talks. That night after dinner she ate a whole Häagen-Dazs sorbet (i think it was a pint, said 3 servings at 150 cal each), then 2 bowls of Lucky Charms, a regular coke and then 2 ice cream sandwiches. I did NOT have this stuff in the house, she had gone to the store and bought it. It broke my heart to just watch her eat and eat. We have all been there. At one point she said "don't anyone say anything to me". So, what do you say to that?! She is 26, educated, has watched her mother and aunt deal with morbid obesity and is clearly not wanting interference. Her boyfriend that she lives with is really upset with her weight gain. They were together a year before moving in together last January. He even asked her to "promise" she would lose weight. I don't know is she is subconsciously trying to see if he will leave her... to test him?! I want to tell you guys more about my sister's visit. Will do it tomorrow. Have a good weekend everyone!

Hi Everyone! I just did a quick read of the posts! WOW! I take a few days off and you guys add like 20 pages!:drool: Had a GREAT visit with my sister and my niece. They left yesterday. I have been busy cleaning the house and getting caught up on all my work. My parents are coming tomorrow! They just decided last night to come down. They are going to Europe for two months in a few weeks and want to see Nelson one last time. awwwwww :thumbup: (and they have some work to do on their condo in West Palm) So, had to change all the linens in the house.. wash all the linens in the house.. clean.. shop... etc. etc. etc. I will write more about my sis' visit. Nothing like another WLS patient to help keep you in check. I found myself really trying to be extra "good" to be an example for her. I had been slacking on my food diary and it's amazing how it shows. more later... Nelson is having some dental surgery tomorrow. Poor kid! We are OCD about his teeth and he keeps getting cavities. The dentist thinks it is more genetic/lack of prenatal care from the birth mother than what we are doing now. It will be another $1000 for 4 fillings! Geez! So much going on with you guys! Julie~ GOOD LUCK with your surgery! I will be thinking about you. I had mine out in 2005 after having attacks for 3 months. I felt a million times better after. Meredith~ SO proud of you! You are doing great. I hope the drainage is ok. Let us know what your dr says. I would insist on seeing him asap. PJ~ Hope you are feeling better. It's horrible to be too tight. I know you are bummed that so much had to come out. Once the swelling goes down you can get some back in. Don't fret. Welcome to all the new friends! ifyour, your blog sounds interesting.. i will check it out this weekend. more later... just wanted to let you all know I was ok. peasout~

:smile2::thumbup: 1 day~Congrats!!! Woohooo! We are so very proud of you! Keep up the good work. : ) Doodles~WTG!:thumbup: Half way there is such an awesome accomplishment! And I am with you on the nothing for a couple weeks and then KABOOM! Congrats! blklab~ Wtg with paying it forward! Moochie, she is right.. you have come to the right place. These girls have helped me more than most resources. But it takes a team. Make sure you continue to keep in touch with your surgeon and his office, support group, and others. It is also a MUST that you have a fail proof exercise program. I found that I HAVE to have a class or trainer. Then I cannot flake on exercise. It's so easy to get off track. Best of luck to you! Joann~:cool2: Wow, Janet and Apples would be so proud of you right now! You are spot on. Moochie- listen to this woman, she knows what she is talking about! Best of luck to you. And WTG Joann on throwing out the icecream! Julie~ I am so darn proud of you! You are really doing great! Isn't it a nice feeling to feel like you have a grasp on this THING!? I don't know how you do with... burgers and brats and cherry pie! I still cannot go to those kinds of functions. It's just not fun for me. I either feel terribly deprived or I overeat. Thanks for the happy 4th wishes! Meredith~ Congrats on the 20 lbs!!!:thumbup::smile::smile::smile::thumbup: That is so great to hear! You are on the right path! I love your positive attitude! You are going to do so great! Thanks for the lentil Soup idea. I have a great recipe actually. To Janet & Apples~ Hope you guys are having safe travels. And to everyone else who is home or traveling... happy 4th! I am down 3 lbs this morning after what seemed like an eternity at the same weight! I don't know what they call it when you go under 250.. it's basically like onederland for me.. b/c I haven't seen that in sooooo long! 247 feels sooooo good right now! Holy cannoli, I was 312lbs 5 months ago! My older sister and my niece arrived last night around 7pm after a 12 hr drive from NC! I had made a copycat recipe of Wendy's Chili that turned out AMAZING! My sis had roux-en-y June 2, and is doing so good. She was able to handle the chili just fine. Having her here is making me sharpen my habits as to be a good example. For example last night I was having a severe case of head hunger after dinner.. If no one was there I would have eaten something. But with her here, I waited and the feeling passed. We are going to go walk by the river this morning and maybe to the beach this afternoon. Nelson is soooooooo excited to have is auntie and cousin here! He got to sleep in his playroom last night on the futon! A dream come true for a 5 year old. :ohmy: Nice of him to give up his room for his cousin. ok guys, Happy 4th! Good luck with eating healthy and celebrating her birthday! GO USA! peasout!~~~

Janet~ Good idea about soup. Maybe I can even have a couple different ones made that have lots of good bypass friendly foods in them. She told me that she has to be careful that sugar grams are in single digits per serving. She so bad wants to go out to a restaurant, but I was feeling the same way you were-- see how she does at home first. I would hate for her to have her first dumping at a restaurant! My niece is 26 and coming along for the ride. She has gained a lot of weight in the last two years. Went from 160 to 202. She desperately wants to buckle down and get healthier. (I fear she is heading the same direction as her mom was). So maybe being around us will be a positive experience. I have lots of little activities planned that will give us some exercise and allow her to see my town; downtown riverwalk, stuart oceanographic institute... I loved hearing about your road trips! I was the youngest of 3 and always got the roll away bed too! Back then my mom used to put a sheet in the back of the station wagon and sprinkle Cereal and peanuts and jelly Beans. We would each get a turn to lie down in the back and have a snack! LOL. Seatbelts were optional back then. I have fond memories of us doing the NC to New Hampshire trip 2 times a year to see my mom's family. Apples~ I will have to try the soynuts- have never had them. I love the Kashi Go Lean Crunchy. I add a little to my yogurt when I need a crunch! CBL~peas

PJ~ Foxfire is a web browser. Janet was having trouble with the forum through AOL. Wishing all of you guys a Happy 4th of July also! Janet and others who are traveling- be safe! I will be staying put. Sis is coming. She's so cute- emailed me a grocery list of things she needs/wants. (after meeting with her nutritionist yesterday). What's funny is to see her list you would think she was eating for 4! She can only have 1 oz of each thing she is asking for, so I am betting we will have tons of leftovers. It's hard explaining to her that she CAN eat the same thing twice. She just started soft food and wants to TRY TRY TRY, since she has been on liquids and mush for over a month & 1/2. It should be interesting. : ) Question for you guys. If you had to think of a restaurant (either type or chain) that would be the most gastric bypass friendly to try and eat lunch out. She's on soft/normal diet. Just want to show her she CAN eat out, but has to be picky. I was thinking: Bonefish Grill | Seafood Restaurant OK friends. Have a good day! peasout!~

There she is!!! We were all worried about you GF! WOW.. only 2 incisions?! I have heard about the single incision.. so I guess the main surgery was one incision and the port was the second. That's great! I look like a bad stab wound patient, but it's ok, he went in to my old gallbladder scars anyway. FYI a "foley" is a foley catheter for urine to get out of the body! I only stayed one hour in recovery and then home. (It was my choice since I was cash paying). In hindsight I might have opted to stay. What type of foods are you allowed to have now? Just try to get in your Protein shakes and liquids. Staying hydrated is the MOST important thing. :thumbup:soooooooooooo proud of you!!!

Ok Ms. Janet~ Time for a dose of your own medicine. WTG on going to the gym!!! :cursing: It's ok if you were tired and maybe didn't workout as HARD as you usually do. The point is- you were tired and went ANYWAY! That is usually when I flake out. So often we have an all or none mentality, and it shouldn't be. You did it! YEAH! You guys got me thinking during all this talk of body image, body acceptance and PS. I was one of those fat chicks that was sooooooooooo proud that I didn't have wing flaps yet! I was like woohoo, no flaps for me! Until I lost 60 lbs! Now they are flapping..LOL. I guess I was soooooooo good at filling them out before that they weren't there. Also, I am noticing that as the top layer of fat leaves... the layer underneath is globular. I was lying in bed the other night and I made my husband feel my upper arm (I thought it was a lymph node). He smiled at me, so loving and warm, and said "Honey, that is fatty tissue. :tongue2: Learn something new every day. I guess because it was always filled out so nicely.. and smooth with nice new fat, that I hadn't noticed the lumps. On another note... before my surgery we did have a talk about PS. The gold standard being, one year of keeping off the weight, after reaching normal BMI. My DH said whatever I wanted to do, I could do.. do PS or no PS. He just wants me to be happy. I guess it will depend what I look like in 100 lbs. At 42, it may be too late and too long for the skin.. it may not be able to bounce back! I don't think I would ever do extremities (b/c of the scars and such) but I would consider a tummy tuck. A close friend of mine who had 5 kids (one set of twins) had one recently. It was literally the only part on her body that was bothering her. She feels 100% better and looks it too. So, we will see. So much work to do first! I am tired this a.m. But... I think I will go to the gym, even if it is 1/2 ass. : ) <hugs to Janet> Writing Truvia on the grocery list. CBL~peas

WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!:thumbdown::w00t::blush: WTG and Congrats on the climb! You look AMAZING in that photo! I am not sure what looks better... your healthy, thin body or the look of pride and accomplishment on your face! Thanks for continuing to be such an inspiration! Linda~ I still struggle with amounts. I was told at my last appt that weighing food wasn't as important as volume. Dr. said my meal should not be bigger than what can fit on a coffee cup plate (the plate for a cup of coffee to sit on)! I was using the salad plate before. And then he handed me two medicine cups and said the Protein should not be more than that. 2 of those tiny medicine cups! But I think most people say 1/2 cup to 1 cup is what we should be able to eat at a meal. And they should be high protein, low carb, low fat, etc. Julie~ I don't think you are silly at all! As a matter of fact, I think that was a great message! I think we can all have some take away from that. Thank you for sharing. :thumbup: ok guys~ Hope everyone is ok. We haven't heard from Meredith, huh? I hope she is doing well. I will CBL... off to get Nelson to camp for the morning, then to the gym, and then racing home to meet a plumber to fix the tub faucet and a broken toilet! FUN FUN!

What an inspiring story about your son! R/C airplanes are cool too! I think flying has kept my Dad healthy. He had NIDDM and every year he has to pass his physical to fly. I honestly think that he stays in check for that. Nelson wants to be a pilot and a doctor! LOL. Maybe he will be a flight surgeon. I am having a frustrating day today. For some reason I am sooo hungry today! I think it's b/c we ate out last night- all the sodium?! My feet were even a little swollen today. An hour after lunch when I was hungry, we went for a swim! Not sure it was a good idea, Nelson's scabs all came off and his nose is sore. poor thing. CBL

Hi guys~ I am up early this Sunday morning helping my parents get ready for their trip home to NC. They are early risers these days! But also when flying a small plane in Florida, you have to leave before all the rain clouds wake up! So making sandwiches/packing a snack for them. coffee time! Help them load the car. We had a good time, although it wasn't long enough (never is). I got a baby sitter last night. Nael and I took my parents out to dinner (nice Chinese place) and to a movie. I shared Nael's dinner and a bite of Mom's and I was done! LOL DH joked that I am such a cheap date these days. We saw the Denzel Washingston/John Travolta movie. (pelham 123) It was a bit on the violent side, but ok. It's hard when you need to find a movie that will please the ages and sexes! What else did we do: Saw some friends, went to the beach (forgot my camera- can you believe it?!), hung out at the house- swimming in the pool, talking, watching Nelson play. We didn't really do anything too exciting. Sometimes just BEING is all you need. : ) They leave and then my sister and her daughter will come Friday! It will be my sister's first time away from home since surgery. It's always nice when that time can be to a "safe" place. : ) Hope everyone is doing well. Hang in there Mrs Bubba and Linda and anyone else who is frustrated! It will happen! You are doing great! Keep chuggin (see my train!!!) LOL

Linda~ Hope your GD is ok. It's so scary when kids have strange rashes. So often it is a "viral exanthem" or a skin outbreak caused by a virus. It's impossible sometimes to tell the difference. It's good that they are checking to rule out the more serious causes. It will give you peace of mind if nothing else. I always think it hurts more for the family to see the blood drawn, than how the kid feels. <hug> Thinking of you. Doodlebug~ Congrats on your new old clothes and your positive outlook- even with staying the same. The last two weeks I have been on a plateau and it drove me nuts. I lost the least amount of weight this past month than any of my others. This too shall pass! Good luck with your next fill!!! Let us know how it goes! Janet~ Got your FB request. You look absolutely STUNNING in your photos! I love all the fun things you have been doing with your new health and energy. I have said this before and I will say it again... Thanks for being here (and the others too) for us. This is by far the best thread on LBT! And I think it is paying it forward in ways you have no idea of. Sometimes I will pass tid bits of wisdom on to others or to my sis... and it will help her and maybe someone in her support group. Just amazing. For all you successful bandsters, in case we haven't told you lately.. thanks and we are so proud of you guys! CNN Sanjay Gupta talk about WLS~ Dr. Gupta was talking about the new "transoral gastroplasty" (TOGA) which is still in trials. Basically they are going through the mouth and stapling the stomach. (similar to the vertical sleeve but no incision sites). He states this morning on CNN that initial results are better than the gastric band. Hmmmm... I would love to see the LONG term studies of this. Could a stapler down your throat fight fat? – Paging Dr. Gupta - CNN.com Blogs OK guys~ off to spend this beautiful day with my family. The grams are only in town until tomorrow morning. : ( Hope everyone is doing great! Meredith... we are thinking about ya! Laura PS Finally down 2 lbs after a plateau for two weeks!

Hi guys~ Long time no see. It's great to hear how wonderful some of you guys are doing! Good job! It's been slow and steady for me. This last two weeks in particular were tough for me. I found out that if I do NOT document what I eat, then I definitely eat too many calories. Plain and simple. I am strict with working out. Minimum 3 times a week weights and 4 times a week cardio. I am not someone who ever LOVED exercise. So I guess I need to just learn to live with it. : ) My biggest fear is a port complication. My last fill he had a heck of a time still finding it. My surgeon said it is still firmly in place, but just that it settled closer to my belly button than usual. Peace to everyone! Laura