OH Juli

laura That would be awesome!

D The down side of restriction is feeling like a freaking buelemic. Don't tell me to get an unfill. Tell me to eat more often and not get so freaking hungry...then I eat too quickly. It takes about 6 bites to get to the can I continue or not space....And not big bites but little bites. I'm out of my element and eating on other people's schedules. Today I ate 3 sausage links over the course of 20 minutes just so I could have some calories in my system...which was fine but then there was cake, and the thought to get some calories, any, had me eating a piece of that. I haven't eaten cake since April and not much then. I'm frustrated and annoyed. I know it will get better, I'm just tight. Not too tight because if I make the right choices things are fine. But yesterday I tried rice and failed. Today was lunchmeat. rambling........... For the first time since surgery, today while standing over a toilet in the handicapped stall with 5 good friends sitting at the table in the restaurant, PBing my lunch, which was delicious on they way down, and hungry as a trucker, I thought I hate this bitch ass band. But then I wiped the spittal from my chin, dried my eyes, said a prayer of gratitude that no one heard me and went back to the table. This is what I signed up and I shouldn't be surprised that the band is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

Cool, we look forward to seeing you are both or you...

My feet are smaller now too! That's something else, isn't it?!

Pamela, IT'S YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You look great! Your face is sliming out. FANSTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

D, first of all I hope you're doing fine with your ankle. Second, my heart hurts for your DD. It will work it's way out eventually... but it agonizing for us parents to see. Xo all.

Hey gang, I'm in Madison Wi for a confernce of certified public manangers. I know it's as exciting as it sounds. Don't be jealous. Teal is okay with me. Banded biker babe is good for me. I'd want a 2xl. Alison would need a large. Zoe is a youth large. I don't see me makin a chat for a stupid long time. I can do it on Saturday the 15th....and really not any evening before that. Isn't that some stuff?! Okay, so my people here ask me to go out tonight to a bar and to meet them in lobby. I got there ON TIME and they had already left. So I just came back to the room....bitch ass bitches... I could have followed them there but I got pissy and my feelings were hurt. I'll be happier tomorrow anyway. Drinking just isn't as much fun as it used to be since I've been banded. Ya know?

Skiing sounds COLD to me. I just snorkled for the first time last November. I'd love to scuba....I'm finding my inner adventurer!

JC About the turning leaves, I really hope it's beautiful for you. The PEAK weeks are a week the first two weeks in October so you'll be here at the beginning. But the weather impacts it too... We'll get you up here to cross country ski this winter. I've never done it, but my WOW chicas do and they've promised/threatened to take me out. I might actually be able to buy gear that fits this body! Woo Hoo. As for shirts, any color but black...I love to wear black, but I also like to be seen on my bike. XO y'all.

Settle down there girl. First of all the vitamin is pretty easy to deal with. I did flinstones chewable pre and post surgery. I moved to centrum chewable one those were gone. (Too much vit A, in the kid's vits.) Call your surgeon's office if you really can't sort out what to do. Write your questions down, one after the other with space for the answers on the paper. Make them answer you. They will, it's thier job. Pre op liquid diets, ( I didn't have to do one) are hard but not rocket science. The goal is to shrink the liver by eating very few calories...but you need something to keep you moving. Slim fast may be expensive, but really you'll be spending less than $5 a day to eat for those 10 days, I'm sure you spend more than that now. It's a bitch and hard and did I say it's a bitch? Post op is hard too... Expect to extract yourself from social food settings during the pre and post surgery weeks. You need to be strong enough to get through the 10 days to get through the next 10 weeks, 10 months, 10 years. I know that sounds preachy, but sweetie, you are just beginning the challenge...I don't mean to discount the rough time you've gone through to get to this point, but it's not the top of struggle and all down hill from here. You are part way up the hill. It's like a maze and once you get though one challenge there's another one just beyond. (I'm trying to give you little perspective.) so build those reserves and find that piece of you that can handle anything and handle this. You can do it. Much love to you. Take a breath and get your answers. You'll kick that diet's ass and you'll be banded soon. XO

Tricia P-Town was a great time. Pamela will agree with me. It's so gay/regular. You know where being out, holding your partner's hand is okay. There are no sideway glances when you shop together...No one asks if the check is together or seperate. But it's not "WHEW! WE'RE so GAY" like a pride march either. (I love a good pride march, don't misunderstand..but that's gays on parade...not gays on vacation.) Anyway, God love your Von. My sweetie did the same when I got surgery, she got serious about dropping the extra weight she was carrying around. She went from 175-about 150. And she's annoying as hell about her lumpy ass and sagging breasts. She's gorgeous and flawless by most standards but only sees the imperfections. Who'd had thought a butch girl could be so vain! XO!

HP My regular sitter is 13, to be 14 in November. I trust her. I was going to suggest your younger girl. Mind you her mom is always across the street. But it's early in the day and if she's mature and bossy, I'd be okay with her sitting. I'd rather have someone youger who's into it, than someone who is older and doesn't want to be bothered. Let's talk about it more. As for the t-shirts, what color do you want to get? HP's man and my SO need to be included in the team shirt party too! You can talk me into words, but it don't want the "bitch" word on it...Not a prude but the kid is reading starting to read and I don't want to explain that one. Would we get "my mom busts her butt riding a bike" shirts for the girls? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm at the airport waiting for my flight and avoiding reading my text book. Can I say that I love technology, laptops and wireless connections?

Dude, you kill me. It's a cute idea but I'm not big on the t-shirt with words on it thing. Sorry.

Thanks Mark! Pamela. I'm about 10 pounds down from P-Town. Thanks for you kind words. My fill after vacation really change things up and the weight is coming off again. Whew. Hope your fill has a big impact. You said you had it done at the hospital, was it under fluoro? How are you and S? How's schools? I'll call you shortly. J

Can we bribe her with a gift certificate to her favorite store?

Now JC, if you want to rider further I do think you're on your own. BG's ODB isn't going to do more than that. I don't want to bike for more than 4 hours including travel and break time and HP is just getting to some serious milage. There is that ride on Sunday BG found.... BTW, you realize you are coming up north just as the leaves are turning. It should be beautiful.

I would rider further but I am bringing my daughter and I don't want to be away from her for more time than we are already planning with the 40 mile-er. Yeah, I'm 5'2'' and the XS was too small and S was just right. One measure you should do is when you are on the seat look down past your handle bars to the axle of the front wheel. The handle bar and the axle should line up if the handle bars are way infront of the axle the bike is too small. If it's way behind you're probably over reaching and it's going to feel awkward...but the bike is too big. The seat can move a bit foward and backward on the post too, so know that can be adjusted.... I'm so stoked for you. And I'm jealous you are tall.

Thanks Dana. It's cool to be 6 months out. I wonder what amazing and frustrating things will come to happen in the next 6 months. Make sure you get photos of yourself just before surgery so we can celebraite with you your loses!

I can't wait to abuse you. I know I'll need to line up behind BG. But really..."Rabbits?" "tough and stupid?" .... Me thinks you have a target painted on your back side. Insert evil laughter here.

Hi HP I want to take exception to the handle bars being the only difference between the WSD and men's giant bike. The geometery in the frame should be different too. If you take a woman and a man of the same height, the woman will have longer legs and shorter torso. The specs for the different women's bike verses man's bike are here Giant Bicycles | bikes - women - OCR® 1 w and they accomodate for the differences. Mind you it's really slight when you are looking at size "small" bikes...and I didn't ride a man's giant, so I might be talking out of my ass...but I want to defend the WSD bike as different because I bought one! And I love it. Regardless of my ramblings, I found Giants to be cheaper than Trek too. Also cheaper than Specialized and right on par with Schwinn. And double regardless, I'm pleased as punch that you are out trying on new bikes. Layaway is a wonderful thing for these kinds of purchases. Rock on Chica. And I just talked with Alison and we are still on for Ft Wayne. My camping gear situation has improved too. So WOO HOO. If it rains, however I'll be at the hotel and you can join me there.

I see Eddie's EWWWW and would like to raise it. Don't share water with other people, you just had surgery and you immune system is compromised. It's not worth the risk. I wasn't allowed to bathe until week 4. Shower, yes, but no soaking in water....FYI.

HP, BG Good rides! I wish I were able to get out on the trails. It looks like a week from today is going to be my first opportunity!!!! Unless I find a minute and a bike shop that rents bikes in Madison. I think I'm going to be limited to whatever work out room the hotel has or walking the city. Did I mention that we are sharing the hotel with the "IRON MAN" compitition? How cool is that? Buff people used to make mee feel horrible about myself and I avoided them. Now, they get me stoked, because I want to be buff...I hope to make some small talk with those athletes! You know, it just occured to me that I don't have my preflight stomach ache about having to ask for an extender... I've not needed on the last 2 times I've flown. Thanks for all the kind words about my pics. I know I posted many, but I always want to see more of the other bandsters...It's not that I think I'm hot or anything...well not too much.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/559840-post909.html My 6 months pictures.

if you go pix thread, not just the link, I put some swim suit picutures of me too. Mostly because the shot from behind you can see my cycling enhanced legs.... Thanks for the compliments, JC and GR8.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/559840-post909.html Here are my pics. As promised.