SpideyMom

These NSVs are all so fantastic! :tongue2: Simone, congratulations on your one-year bandiversary! Lisa, I walk at least a mile a day, but I would like to do more. During the summer, I did water aerobics when the pool was open, and I loved that! I keep saying I'm going to check out the local rec center pool, but life is so busy! I need to make more time for myself, because I certainly know that I feel better when I get more exercise!

I agree with Linda -- buy a fake for now. Believe me, one of the first things I noticed with my weight loss was that my rings were getting loose. Now they just spin on me. Over the weekend I went out and bought ring guards for them. I'll have them sized when I get down to my goal. Good luck... and congratulations! :smile2:

Over the weekend I was at the mall and I found some ring guards at Claire's. They are called "Ring Snuggies" and you get a pack of 5 assorted sizes for $5.50. I thought that was a real bargain! They are clear rubber and they grip very well. :smile2:

371 -- Awesome!! :smile2: Add another skin & bones celebrity to our list. j/k :smile2:

Aw, thanks, you are kind. :smile2: It is nice to put a face with a name after you've gotten to know someone online for awhile. :smile2:

Hey, Tina. Sorry you're having such problems. I go to a rheumatologist, as does my best friend who has fibro. Nowadays, I believe that's where most fibro patients end up. They seem to be the fibro specialists nowadays. Good luck!

Woohoo! So far, we've lost Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen plus Nicole Richie with her post-baby weight! LOL :scared2:

Here, this might make it easier. Simply copy and paste this list, add your name and #s lost, then total. John337 105 SpideyMom 70 TOTAL: 175 We'll do this for a week to see how much we've lost as a team! :scared2:

Good idea, John! I just started a new thread, asking people to weigh in with how much they have lost. We'll tally for a week and see how much we've lost as a team! :mad:

Wow! Everyone is doing SO well! Congratulations!!! This calls for the Dancing Vitamins!!! :scared2::biggrin: :mad:

Congratulations, John and Carrie! Woohoo! :scared2: I didn't weigh in last week (traveling) so in the last two weeks, I lost 3.5 lbs, for a total of 69.5. John, try not to worry too much about those extra 3 lbs. the doc wants you to lose. Think of it as a good buffer.

Thanks, Mamadot! You look fabulous yourself! I see a big difference between the first and third photos. Isn't it an awesome feeling? :mad::biggrin: Keep up the great work! Anyone else care to share their before and after (during) photos? :tongue2:

Aw, thanks, everyone! I feel great. It wasn't until I saw that picture and compared it to my old pic that I realized how much I had changed. Really excited now about how I will look when I get to goal! :tongue2:

Taz, the WLS helped because I don't have as much weight to carry around and cause more pain. Also, I can now exercise, whereas before, I couldn't. It hasn't really changed anything with my meds, except that I take half the dose of Flexeril now and I am about to start taking half the dose of trazadone. The trazadone helps with sleeping. It is a very old antidepressant that's really only used for sleep problems anymore. I have a dear friend who has fibro and Cymbalta did nothing for her, either. For me, it was a God-send! Take good care! :bored:

Want so bad, I was diagnosed four years ago. I am on Cymbalta, Lyrica, trazadone, Flexeril, and Vitamin D on a daily basis. I take Vicodin for break-through pain. I agree with the pp's that this is a progressive disease. I have gotten worse since my dx in 2005. However, I have gotten better since losing weight!!! :bored: My favorite place for info is the National Fibromyalgia Association (National Fibromyalgia Association: Welcome to the national fibromyalgia association). They have some really great advice and if you get on their email list, they will send you all the latest news about medical trials, breakthroughs, etc. Here is a link to a bunch of articles about fibro and relationships. There are some really good ones on here about how fibro affects a marriage. You might want to print some out and have your dh read them. National Fibromyalgia Association: Fibromyalgia and Relationships Good luck!!! :smile2:

Ok, I'm finally ready to show off. :smile2: I went to a wedding this weekend, and I was so pleased with a photo someone sent me, that I thought I would share. The first photo was taken on 4/29/09, the day I started my pre-op diet (size 20/22). The second photo was taken 9/19/09, about 4 1/2 months later and 64 pounds down from that date (size 14). :bored:

Oh, boy, do I know what you mean!!! Good luck! :bored:

WOW! Awesome, everyone!!! :bored:

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions. I will definitely check for the ring guards. Eventually I will get them sized, but I want to get to my goal first. :thumbup:

Carrie and Less of Me, I had the same experience with my first three fills. I would be starving after two hours! I found something called South Beach "Tide Me Over" that helped a little bit. It's a water mix-in that adds fiber and protein to your water. I like the strawberry-banana flavor. It is sugar-free, 30 cals, 5 g. fiber, 3 g. protein. You can find it near all the other mix-in packets at the grocery store, WalMart, Target, etc. However, I did just bear with a lot of hunger until my next fill. Hang in there as best you can! Good luck!!!

Bill, first thing, you are doing the right thing -- asking for help and refusing to give in! Pat yourself on the back for that! Second, not everyone gains during bandster hell. In fact, most people just go through a slow down in weight loss or a plateau. Don't give yourself *any* excuse for a milkshake. That was one thing my surgeon was adamant about before I had surgery -- I had to say goodbye to milkshakes and ice cream because he saw too many people gain back their weight due to ice cream. It is easy to get down (slider food), tastes so good, but is so full of fat and empty calories. It's just not worth it. :drool: You will get through Bandster Hell. You got through the awful liquid diet right before surgery, right? And the liquids and mushies afterward, right? Now it is time to move on to solids. Follow your surgeon's advice. S/he knows what is best. And be sure to exercise as much as you can. It won't be long before you get your first fill, and then the weight will really drop and you'll be so glad you didn't give in to the ice cream. Don't sabatoge yourself -- especially this early on! Also, you may want to start tracking your food, Water, exercise, and weight on a free online tracker such as Daily Plate. It's easy to use and really helps you get a good grasp on what you're eating every day. And come on here for support! Most of us have gone through it and many are currently going through it. We will help you day by day if you need it. Just hang in there!!! Good luck!!!

Have you eased up on exercise? I've found that when I gain weight suddenly it's usually either a Water fluctuation like the pp's said, or it's because I stopped exercising as much. Once I start drinking more water and get moving again, it usually comes off pretty quickly. Good luck! Just keep your chin up and don't throw in the towel. This happens to everyone. Your progress so far is amazing!

Well, good news -- even though my hair is still coming out in my hands, I can feel teeeeny tiny peach fuzz growing on my scalp! hooray! :tt1: I think that taking Biotin and Vit. D for a couple months now has helped. And I just upped my Biotin from 300 mg to 1000 mg (thanks to the tip from Sarahbellz) and hopefully, it will speed up (despite the nearly-platinum blonde highlights I had done yesterday). Oh, and speaking of Biotin, did anyone notice that it is supposed to boost metabolism? My first bottle didn't say that! Hey, a little bang for your buck! :thumbup:

Hey, Happy Birthday, Mac! That certainly is a way to celebrate! That is fantastic about getting off the hbp pills after so many years! Hooray! :thumbup::sad:

John, that is so awesome! :sad: You must have been on cloud nine!