SpideyMom

Thanks, Sarah! :cursing: Can't wait to see your pics, too!

Yay! I'm so glad it's working for you, Sarah! And I'm so glad to see you back on here! :cursing: I've been wondering how you're doing. I don't think the Biotin is helping me with energy... she says as she sips her coffee. LOL :scared2:

Laura, that's a great idea to buy the flavor extracts! Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out. I have tried stevia, but didn't like it. What brand do you use? I have heard that different brands sometimes taste different. I tried SweetLeaf. I'm reluctant to shell out more money for another box b/c it's so expensive if I don't like it. But, I really like the idea of it much better than anything artificial, so I'm willing to consider trying again. Thanks! :cursing:

The woman at the nail salon told me to take 5,000 mg. of biotin a day to help with soft nails (which I have), and since starting on that dose, not only are my nails stronger, but my hair loss has slowed down tremendously!! :scared2:

These are all SO awesome!! Congratulations! :scared2: I've been buying my jeans at a thrift store because I'm going through them too fast to justify the cost. There's a great thrift store near us where a lot of the clothes are new or nearly new, and I've never paid more than $6.99 for a pair of jeans! Definitely helps out with the budget, especially in this economy.

John, you are doing great! I think I thought you were a golfer because of your ticker. lol You certainly get a lot of exercise in. That's fantastic. How much do you walk each day? I just bought a membership to the rec center, so I'm starting up my Water walking/jogging again. BTW, that's cool that you have a 55 Chevy. Would love to see a picture of it sometime!! :scared2:

Once again, a fantastic week for you all! Rebecca, I'm having your kind of week. I'm actually up 3 lbs. though! :wink2: But I'm here to admit it, because gains are part of the process, and I can't let myself get down about it. I know it's only temporary. I'm joking now, that I'm back to being obese, though... by one pound. *sigh* What's a gal to do? My PA doesn't want me to get a fill, even though I can eat up to 2 cups of food and still be hungry -- yikes! She said I need to stop at 1 cup and just drink more Water in between. As I mentioned on another post, if I could stop eating while I'm still hungry, I wouldn't need the band! lol But, I agreed to try it. Meanwhile... did you just hear that noise? That was my stomach. I'm sure you can hear it several states away. :eek: Keep up the great work, everyone! :scared2::thumbup::w00t:

Thanks for the words of encouragement, everyone! I need them, because I got on the scale today (for Friday weigh-in) and I am up 3 lbs. :wink2: Granted, it's a bad time of month and I've been eating a lot of salty food, but it's still a bummer to see. Yet, I know it is all part of the process, so that's why I am owning up to it! :w00t: Rebecca, if you are hungry like you describe, you definitely need a fill. Don't hesitate to speak up for yourself. :eek: If we stick together, we'll all get there! :scared2:

Ok, since I'm having a plateau week, I need to remind myself of some NSVs to keep me going! :thumbup: Come join me -- tell me yours! :sneaky: Here's one of mine -- I can wear heels again!! :mad: And I love it! Now, granted, I'm not wearing 4" spikes like I used to in my early 20s, but I'm no longer living in my Crocs, either. :frown: Never thought I'd ever be able to do that again. Hooray!

Congratulations, untfluter, that's great! :thumbup:

Yes, it's all a learning process. I'm doing fine now, except now I'm back to not getting full and feeling like I'm eating too much. My PA says she wants me to just stop after eating 1 cup of food, drink more in between meals, and exercise more. A part of me is upset, thinking, if I could stop eating while I'm still hungry, I wouldn't have needed the LapBand in the first place! Ugh. I'd like to go back up .25 cc, but I'm not sure they will let me just yet. This is SO hard and frustrating! And some people think this is the easy way out. Ha! On the Way, good luck with your port replacement! I hope it all goes well. Let us know! :thumbup:

Wow, you look great! Your smile in the last picture says it all! :thumbup: Fantastic work!

WOWZA! Everyone is doing SO well! Congratulations, Rachieroo, EPRESC, and Carrie0322! :biggrin:And John, that's awesome what the doctor said!!! :yikes: I would be nervous too about maintaining, but I'm sure you'll do fine. What do you do for exercise? You play golf, right? Rguay, you did great on vacation -- you had fun and you didn't gain! :thumbup: To determine restriction, are you hungry between meals? If not, then you have restriction. If you feel like you're constantly hungry and eating more than 1 cup at each meal, you probably need a fill. HTH. :biggrin:

Lol, thanks. It does sound funny, huh? I forgot you had the port problems! Oh, I'm sorry that is causing so much of a hassle, but it will definitely be worth it. You shouldn't be hungry like that all of the time. That's miserable. I know, I've been there! It's very hard to resist temptation that way. Glad you got an appointment made. In the meantime, hang in there!! :sad::thumbup:

Wow, John, awesome news about possibly reaching goal!! You have crossed the finish line in record time!!!:wub: Sorry to hear about the port, but I am glad to hear that the port revision is a relatively simple operation. Will insurance pay for that, I hope? Mine is starting to stick out, also, but mine is up higher, so it doesn't cause me problems. I just catch myself rubbing my tummy all the time, like a pregnant woman does. LOL Well, thanks to my unfill last week, I :thumbup: and made it down to the "overweight" category! :frown: Carrie, congrats to you on your awesome loss! :sad: And, less-of-me, it definitely sounds like you are due for a fill. Why can't you take your kids with you? Or is it possible to find a fill doctor closer to your home? I'm sure once you get some more restriction, the lbs will be dropping off! Keep your chin up! :w00t:

I'm doing okay, now, knock on wood! No swelling or reflux this time. :thumbup: It is an awful feeling, isn't it, John? ugh. And to think, some people say that having WLS is taking the easy way out. HA! :sad:

Tina, thanks for the kind words of support! I'm proud of my six years! :w00t: And I wish you luck with the rheumatologist! Mine has been fabulous! My oncologist was the one who recommended I see a rheumy rather than just my family doctor, and I'm so glad she did. Charlene, I have IBS, and it is common among people with FM. If you are having a lot of acid, you should definitely consider a slight unfill. I just had one about a week ago (-0.5 ccs) and it made all the difference in the world. The acid is gone. Hostbody, FM often mimics Lyme disease, which is why most doctors nowadays will test a patient for Lyme before giving them the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. I was tested twice for Lyme.... and for MS, Lupus, and a whole host of other diseases. That's why the diagnosis of FM is considered a "diagnosis of elimination." Unfortunately there is no blood test for FM, so they have to eliminate all other possibilities. And I totally agree with you -- everyone needs to be their own health advocate!!! :thumbup: Oh, and regarding pain meds... I mispoke before... I do take pain meds (Vicodin) for breakthrough pain only, but that is very rarely now. Thank goodness! :sad:

I have tried acupuncture for fibro, and that is wonderful! My insurance paid a portion of it. However, the best things that have worked for me are Cymbalta and losing weight. However, I am also a firm believer in medicine when needed! It saved my life from Stage III breast cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes. So, if it can help me with my fibro, I'm willing to try! If I don't like the side effects, there are enough meds out there that I can just try another one. Life is too short to be in pain. (And when I say I take meds, I'm not talking about pain meds. Those aren't necessary if you have the right preventative medication. :thumbup:) BTW, taz, if my temper can also flare up if I'm having a fibro flare, just like my memory goes out the window. lol

Hey, Tam Tam! Great to hear from you! It's was a nice surprise to see some activity on this thread. I know how busy life can get when you have children -- and I only have one! lol How many do you have? I think keeping up after children is exercise enough! Don't worry about losing slowly -- slow and steady wins the race, they say! I understand how awful it feels to have the band too tight, also. I just went through that a few weeks ago, and felt so much better after an unfill. Before that, I was unable to keep any restriction. I didn't realize you can get "thicker" Fluid. Very interesting! I'm very pleased with my WL, but I must admit, I attribute a lot of it to cutting all sugar and all white carbs completely out of my life. That has made a *huge* difference in my life. (I was truly addicted.) That, plus walking a little every day and not snacking between meals is the difference between this diet and all the other diets I've ever tried in my life. The last I heard from Lili, her partner Lisa got a terrible infection and had to have her band removed. :bored: But, she said she was on the mend. I haven't seen her around the board since then, which was the end of July. I really feel for them. Lili, if you're out there, we're thinking of you and would love to know how you and Lisa are! T, great to hear from you! Keep up the great work! :thumbup:

ACK! I'm scared... last night I didn't get a chance to eat until 8:45, and when I did, I started wolfing down my food. I know, I know -- I forgot because I was so darn hungry! And sure enough, what happens? I got stuck (it was whole wheat pizza) and suddenly I had to make a mad dash to the bathroom to throw up. (sorry tmi) Why, oh why didn't I learn from the darn scrambled eggs two weeks ago???? I'm kicking myself. So now I'm doing liquids today, in hopes that I can avoid swelling.:biggrin: This just makes me realize how careful we have to be at all times! I was feeling SO good after my unfill, enjoying food again, and I let myself get too hungry and bam! Too big of bites, too fast, and I'm stuck, stuck, stuck. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Keeping my fingers crossed that I haven't caused any damage...

Thanks, everyone! I never thought I'd be so happy to be overweight! LOL I got a good laugh about this with my dh and some friends at work, also.

And I've never been happier! LOL :wub: As of today, I have lost 75 lbs., and my BMI has changed from "obese" to "overweight"!!! Or, if you go by the BMI calculator on the Bandster Profile, they call it, "Prone to Health Risks." LOL Either way, considering I started this journey as "morbidly obese" back at my consultation in February, I'm celebrating! drinks and dancing (to work it all off) at my place! :ohmy::tt2::thumbup::martini_shaken: ha ha! :cursing:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I'm so happy for you! You are such an inspiration! This calls for the Dancing Vitamins (not M&Ms)!!! :thumbup: :party::cursing:

I was going to suggest the same thing. I use the Daily Plate (similar to fitday) and it helps me get a very good idea of all the calories I'm really eating. I know the Daily Plate has a calculator that will tell you how many calories you need to consume based on your height, weight, and how much you want to lose per week. It also tracks your exercise and subtracts the calories burned from the calories consumed. Here's a link: Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate Also, are you having any problems eating -- like things getting stuck that weren't before? Any reflux?? If so, you might be too tight and need an unfill. I just went through that. Once I had my unfill, I lost 3 lbs in 3 days. Reflux is a big sign of being too tight. Good luck!! Don't give up! You've come too far. :thumbup:

Thanks, Carrie! I'm really surprised at how quickly this is going. And look at you, girl, you're flying right along with me!!! :thumbup: