ocotillo

Evening ladies, what a change, a slow day on the thread. Walked 3 miles today....walked from work to the sushi place to meet some friends for dinner. Then my sister gave me a ride back to my car at work. I should be able to sleep tonight. Been working on some cards. Stayed up way too late last night making cards and will try and get another started tonight. Quiet day. Hope everyone has a great night!! Eva

Welcome, my second fill has been very interesting. I am definitely restricted but it's weird about what goes down easily and what gets stuck. It is really teaching me to chew slowly and eat slowly and small bites. I got the fill in September and it's just been last week since it's been giving me BIG signals to slow down. Good luck with your fill...give it time, it will work. Welcome Band Groupie and congrats on the birthday!! You are doing great with your weight loss.

Phyl, there has been a pledge drive on NPR this week so I haven't been listening as much (I donate every year). So what's the big stink on the insurance? I was a self pay because my insurance wouldn't pay for weight loss anything. I have hats too....mostly visors, but one very good sun hat for the desert. When I was not so fat, I looked good in hats...all kinds of hats. I really wish they would come back in style, I think they are cool. Julie, cool on winning at cards. I love to beat the men...isn't that chauvinist of me? Janet, kiosk for spelling. The only reason I know this is because Qwest has kiosks in the malls. Apples, your posts are interesting and entertaining. Unless someone really objects, I'd say post away. I tend to get wordy too. So does your dog have a zillion toys too? Glimmer has one that she really likes....she can actually catch this one if we throw it to her. She is a mutt even if she looks like a lab. She doesn't like Water and she can't catch and does marginally at retrieving. Okay, I walked to the grocery store, about 2 miles away, whet shopping (DH picked me and the 2 pumpkins up), got the last load of laundry in, fed the tortoises and am getting ready to do some baking. I'm making fruit cake for Christmas. They have to cure for a while so they need to be done ahead. My fruit cakes don't have any citron in them and I only use dried fruit, not candied and they taste amazing. So I guess I better stop fooling around and get something done. ee

Wow Janet shopping!!! I get what you said about the people wearing too tight clothes and their fat hanging out. All my clothes are large and lose...I really don't want to show off my fat. It's bad enough being fat let along letting everyone actually see it. So do you go through your old clothes and get rid of stuff as you buy new stuff? I take it you dress up for work too so you need nice clothes. Please chat away, I really enjoy reading everything. Julie, I had to make a place for the tortoise to hibernate. So an earth sheltered "cave" or burrow is what I'm trying to do. Digging in my yard is almost impossible (hence no basements) because we have caliche which is a very ugly rock layer. Our caliche layer is about 4 or 5 inches below the surface and goes down many feet. So I'm building up a pile of dirt on top of an old rinse tub. It's propped up on blocks so Samson can get in and out and now I'm piling dirt on top of it and around the sides. I'll protect the opening with something since it's a small burrow, but I haven't figured that one out yet. My shoulders and back are feeling all the dirt moving I did yesterday. I made a couple of cards last night. My "blank" stock has been depleted and I need to get a supply in. I made 2 birthday cards last night and dug out my Halloween stamps and will make a few of those today. I also need to go shopping for tortoise food and a couple of other things. Hope everyone has a great Sunday. Check in later. Eva

Julie, have fun tonight..hope you win. Our house is on 1/3 acre. This is an old subdivision zoned at 3 houses per acre. All the houses had to be at least 1,500 square feet and made of block, brick, burnt adobe, or that type of material. And I'm in the city limits but just barely. Apples, tile belongs on concrete IMHO. I don't think laying tile on wood sub floors makes too much sense. Wood floors have so many options for finishes and they are much warmer. I'd trade my concrete for a house with a basement, but then I wouldn't live here. My dog, Glimmer, is 10 and getting pretty gray and a little senile I think. She is part of the family and adores DH. She is a great dog though and is very well behaved. I'll post cat pictures some other day when everyone needs a laugh. Janet, hope you are having a great day too. Did you make it to the gym? I got a workout with the tortoise burrow. Geez I'm out of shape. Okay, I'll check in again tomorrow. Have a great night everyone.

Thanks Lori. The view is what made us buy this house....it was a mess and we've remodeled 2/3's of it. We just can't seem to get the 3rd bedroom and dining room done. I've got to go make a turtle burrow so my male has some place to hibernate this winter. BBL

Now inside the house and some tile work I've done. First is the kitchen, then looking north from the kitchen with a view through the house towards the north and same shot different angle...you can see the door to the pantry. There is a hall way going from the pantry door to the 2nd bedroom/office and that is where the mosaic is. The 2nd mosaic is between the living room and my current office/plant room. The floors are different levels so the mosaic broken up the tile line and you can't really tell the difference, then I worked the tiles around the fire place to make a little "tile rivier". So now you see what I do when I'm in better shape for hobbies.

Now house photos....concrete work in front of house, down to street, and view from front porch.

Okay photos...1st is 3 days after surgery, the 2nd is today, and the third was taken sometime between the end of April and the end of May this year. I still have a long way to go, but it's a little progress.

Apples, your house is beautiful and yes, it looks spotless. The white cabinets in the kitchen really help make it look bright and cheery. If you have dark winters, the bright interiors sure help. My kitchen is dark and when I finally put in the back splash it got darker. I'll post a picture of it later. I love your laundry room and have laundry room envy. Lori....congrats on the driving. You have a little freedom now. Tell your DH congrats on the deer too. So does this mean you don't get lunch or shopping today? Does he clean and do all the prep work with the meat he hunts? My Dad used to pheasant hunt in Nebraska....I don't ever remember him actually shooting anything though. I was probably to little to remember if he did. Today is beautiful here too. 1day...sorry about the stress in your job. As Lori said...at least you know (acknowledge) what's going on and can take steps to alleviate the problem. I hope you can let the work stress go and find a way to work peacefully there. Is there another department you could work in that isn't so stressful? I ended up completely changing jobs (same company) the last time I truly couldn't deal with the stress (people). You are welcome to vent to us. I think everyone needs to now and then. Julie, hope you are feeling better again. The PT may be helping in the long run but makes you sore short term. Hope you have a very nice Saturday!! Well, I'm going to go clean the kitchen so I can take a nice picture. I already took pictures of my cat in her Halloween costume. Later, ee

Wow, look at all the new over 50 bandsters!!! I'm very impressed that so many people really want to improve their lives. I've only lost about 37 pounds and it's already made a huge difference in how I feel. Life is far from perfect yet, but it's getting better. My band's restriction is really working right now and boy does that keep the amount of food I eat under control. It takes a while to get into the grove for some of us...remember to be patient and work with your band and you'll be fine. Eva

After all the purse counting, I did a little too. I have 7 everyday purses....but use only 2 or 3. I carry a backpack and my purse lives in the back pack. If I'm just carrying my purse, then my little purse (travel one with room for drivers license and credit cards) lives it in. I have 2 dressy purses and one macrame purse (a friend made it...it's a real hippy purse). I prefer to do like Julie and have a large container and just go shopping with a little purse. I didn't count my shoes....mostly utilitarian shoes and work shoes. I have 3 pairs of dress shoes and several pairs of sandals, but no really cute sandals 'cause they hurt my feet. Julie, my tile floors are on a concrete slab. Since my house was built in 1963 and has had several flooring applications, tile was the easiest and nicest looking option. If you have wood floors, vinyl is probably the way to go. They make such nice stuff these days. My band (or I should say my stomach) has been in full operation the last couple of days. I have been getting semi-stuck just about every time I eat. Wow has that had an effect on my eating. I don't PB, but it's uncomfortable and I slow down. I'm just wondering if maybe this is the meaning of the sweet spot. I certainly can't shove a lot down quickly. Now I just have to make good choices. I am definitely not eating as much. I'm also very tired when I get home from work. I'm really looking forward to the weekend. Janet, I'm glad the furlough will work out for you and you won't be too badly impacted. It's hard when you have to live pay check to pay check and have no cushion. I was listening to an audio book today and got to disc 12 thinking it was the last disc and they had just arrested a cop for killing the bad guy...................and I don't have disc 13. Boy that was crappy. I'll have to go to the library tomorrow and see if they have that audio book and if I missed the 13th CD or if it's missing. Laura K, I lose two or three pounds then don't lose for a week or three, then lose some more. I find if I don't stress about it and really watch what I'm eating, I do fine. Okay...off to an early bed for me. Eva

Julie, I'll come do your ceramic tile entry. I'm very good at tile work, but someone else would have to do the subfloor. I can't nail anything straight. I've tiled the 2nd bathroom floor and bedroom and closet floors. I've also tiled 3 bathroom tub/showers and the kitchen counter and backsplash. I also have some nice custom tile mosaic floor work in my house. I actually have a very nice table tile saw. I couldn't bring that with me...it's big. Apples, gee so you are addicted to coffee are you? I'm beginning to drink more of it lately. My only other addiction that is consistent is food and maybe audio books. Phyll and Janet, maybe I can sneak your direction sometime in November or early December for the weekend. I'm really not that far away. Meredith, sorry about the car problems...just hate when that happens. Okay, off to work...have a great day!! Eva

Evening ladies, Lori, a few posts back you mentioned your skins felt weird and tingly around your incisions....my stomach still feels that way once in a while from the lap-band surgery. It's mostly gone away, but I think they cut some nerves and it takes a while for those to heal. I remember not wanting my DH to touch me on my stomach. He didn't quite get it. Sorry about your family. I didn't grow up with my sisters so there isn't the long history of stuff to deal with. I get frustrated with them because they both think they need a man to "make it" but I think they are learning that isn't the case. Sorry to hear that your Israel trip might not happen....bummer. Hope your Mom takes your hint and gets you that Ann Taylor gift card. Wouldn't that be just too cool. Maybe you should drop the same hints to your sisters and then someone will remember that's what you want. Lilana, good luck with your surgery. Check in when you can. You'll do just fine. Julie, I hope you keep feeling better. You might get the opportunity to not be so stressed when your GD is on normal hours with your daughter. You'll have to get your DH involved in some kind of project to keep him busy when he isn't able to work. Any remodeling need done? The torotises are fine. It's finally starting to cool off again and maybe they'll go to sleep. Yipee!! Arlene, wow a fill instead of an unfill...how are you doing with that? Hope the fibromyalgia gives you a break too. Glad to hear your DH is doing so well. Is he still happy he's gone through WLS? I guess that might be a stupid question, but you have to change a lot of stuff to make any of the surgeries work. Janet, sorry to hear about the changes at work. It would be nice to have an extra day off, but then not getting paid is a pain. I would HATE losing my vacation time. It's one of the reasons I stay with this company. I get 7 weeks off and it's hard to find that anywhere. Hey cool about getting to spend Halloween with your GD. Oh I bet that will be very cute. Apples, my job is with telephone cables, not cable TV cables.....big difference. Cable TV is our competitor. They've impacted our business big time, although I think we are our own worst enemy sometimes. What type of books do you read? Phyll, hope you are enjoying the travelling and having good weather too. There is so much neat stuff to do and see in California along with your family being there. It is frustrating to be in-between sizes. I try and buy elastic waisted clothes in the smaller size, then I can wear them longer. It's weird how one size 20 will be too big and the next too small. 1day...I noticed that sizes are bigger now than theywere a copule of decades ago. Are "they" trying to accomodate the larger American? Laura, sorry Nelson & DH can't make it, but hey they are better off not sharing their bugs and so is everyone else on the plane. I'm sure this has been an eye opener for DH and he will appreciate you for all you do. Your parents really needed you and it's tough to be torn between the two places. I hope you can find some peace in this very difficult time. Linda, sorry about your SD and her refusal to take care of herself. I wonder what makes us do that? I do it with food too but with the understanding that I am doing it myself and it's no one elses fault. Your story about your Mom really touched me. I miss my mom a lot too even though I couldn't make her happy either. Wow living in Fairbanks is tough. My sister used to live there...don't think I could do it. Cheri, hope the seminars aren't driving you too crazy. Meredith....crossing my fingers for you and that house. Sedona is beautiful, but it's a little pricey for me. It's great you can take the physical exercise classes for college credit. I did that too years ago. I took racquetball and weight training. I was kicking butt with the racquetball and it was a lot of fun. Don't think I could do it now without damaging myself. I weighed about 180 then and was in much better shape. All the talking about shopping was very fun. I love to shop when I'm on vacation. It seems to be the only time I have to relax and actually shop. I tend to shop for kitchen gadgetts more than anything. I do love clothes, but at 265, it wasn't fun and nothing fit well. I love classic clothing that isn't particularly stylish but is a style that is never out dated. I love crisp button down shirts (I hate to Iron them though). I like good fitting jeans, haven't done those in a while. However, today I wore a size 22 that I haven't been able to wear in about a year. The last time I wore them I had to unbutton the top button. I did not have to unbutton them today and they were comfortable. I love clothes, I just don't like the way I look in them. I don't wear much jewelry and I don't buy very much because I don't wear it. I have lots, especially earings, but I wear then same few pairs mostly. I like bracelets but don't wear those all that much either. I'm learning to like purses but how many of those can a person have? I love shoes but they don't like me and I'd rather be comfortable and walking than cute. I used to have lots of shoes, but have eliminated a lot of those. Hope everyone has a great night. I'm going to listen to my audio book until I fall asleep. Eva

Just a quick post to say hi before work. Apples, I am a telco engineer. I work for the local telephone company (might even be the same one in your area) and design jobs to put cable and Fiber in the ground or on poles. I'm going to a job sight directly from home this morning so I get to leave a little late. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIE!!!!!!! Hope you have a wonderful day. Eva

Ell1021, Ifyourstomach... has very good advise. Follow your doctors directions while you are early in the process. Learn how the band works for you or doesn't work for you. After you start getting fills, you will find your way. When I go out for dinner, often I just order an appetizer or a salad. I can eat lettuce and find it a great way to get a little extra roughage in my diet. You just learn what and how much you can eat...eat slow, chew thoroughly. You'll do fine.

Week 14 of weekly weigh-in 7-20-09 239.5 10-20-09 228.5 at least it's the right direction

Hey everyone, back from the great state of Texas. This is the first time I've ever left the airport at Dallas/Ft. Worth. We did go to Houston last year for a day and night to see "LUCY" the Australopithecus and I've been to El Paso for a concert, but that's been it in my adult life. We actually enjoyed the area. It has lots of culture and things to do. The wedding was very nice at the Ft. Worth Botanical gardens and the reception at the Stockyards Station. It was fun and relaxed and it seemed most people had a great time. (Of course we did hear some of the gossip about some drunk chick......). The card made it just fine...thank you. I didn't get a picture of me at least not with my camera so if one shows up from someone else, I'll post then. I'm not going to be able to comment on all the posts....as usual, you all are so prolific. Cheri, you'll do just fine with the food during your retreats. I know we tend to beat ourselves up for not eating "right" but the band helps us to eat like normal people and that means eating a variety of foods, not huge amounts. You will do the best you can and it will be right. Apples and Meredith mentioned the place in Florida again and mentioned cooking while we are there. I've done several group trips and what I find is it's great to have the ability to cook because Breakfast is easier "at home", but after a day of playing, cooking tends to be too much work and we all end up going out for dinner. I too will go with the flow however. It seems Orlando is the cheapest place to fly to...I tried several towns and Orlando had more flights, but Ft. Lauderdale had cheaper flight too. That could be a possibility maybe. I love planning for trips. Apples, I open two windows when I reply to posts. I have one for the reply and the other one I read...and jump over to the reply after I read each one. It takes some time but then I don't have to do the quote thing so the post isn't quite so long. Your pictures are incredible. No, you are not too skinny. You actually look just right. If you are comfortable where you are then that is where you should be. AMAZING WOMAN!!!!:cursing: Laura, hugs to you again. I bet your Dad will love to see Nelson and your DH even if he says he doesn't want to. My Dad always said, no, I don't want to see anyone, but every time someone showed up he really enjoyed the visits. Alright, reality is setting in now and I have to get ready for work tomorrow. Hope everyone has a great night. Eva

Hi Linda, nice to see you here again. It is a lot of posting to keep up with. Aren't you glad you had the opportunity to grow up knowing where the food actually comes from? I wasn't skinny even doing all the gardening and stuff. My Mom did focus on food and she did NOT have any weight problem, but she grew up in Germany and lived there through WWII and knew what it was to be hungry. Her focus was to cook for the family. Meredith, glad to hear you are feeling better and took a day off. Sometimes you just have to step back, not only for physical health, but for mental health. How's the house thing going? I really hope you get it. Great job on the size 16....gee, I don't think I've ever fit in a 16. Wonder what that would be like. Where in AZ do your DBF's parent's live? Apples...so that explains your moniker. I have no hips either, just a gut... a very huge stomach. If I didn't have a roll of fat hanging off my lower stomach I wouldn't be able to keep my pants on. I guess I wasn't listening when they handed out waistlines. How you described your weight loss is how I'm losing mine. Face, butt, arms, leggs and a little around the middle. As much cooking as you do, I don't blame you for buying the best appliances you can. I love my KitchenAide. I just bumped up a little and gave my 25+ year old KA to some newlyweds and kept my MIL's bigger newer better one. She doesn't need it anymore so cool, I have a new one now. Julie, welcome back!! Glad you had a great trip and all was well with your grandkids. Congrats on the 1X shirts. I'm still a long ways from that. You know it's really hard to eat right when you are travelling. I try but seldom succeed. You are not on a normal schedule, people always want to go out to eat, you don't eat when you should, and there are many temptations. Don't worry about and get back to your normal stuff now. Lori..sorry to hear your Mom gave you grief over the pill thing. My mom had a strange view of certain people too. She waited on my Dad and any man like a slave. She expected me to do the same. When my DH and I were there and he wanted a cup of coffee, she insisted I get it for him. My comment was "his legs aren't broken". I have a hard time getting over that "women must wait on men" thing. LauraK...sorry to hear about your Mom. I hope she does well with treatment. It's nice you are there for her. Enjoy your vacation day!! Phyl, sounds like you are keeping very busy. Have fun with the football players. Walking up and down sure uses different muscles than level walking. I live in a hilly area and I can really tell the difference when I walk around here as opposed to doing the river walk (level) at work. Take care of that knee. Laura, thanks for letting us know how you are doing. Don't worry about how your posts look. Hugs to you and your parents. Sorry Nelson has to go through this new and unusual experience, but he's young and his Daddy is there with him. Janet....the threat of a pink slip can be stressful, especially at our age. It's not easy to find work sometimes. Do you get a regular retirement at your job? Good for you and the workout. I think the way you eat is actually good because your body doesn't get used to eating the same things every day. One of the diets I was on didn't allow you to eat the same thing more than 2 days in a row. I find the conversation about mothers and sisters/family interesting. Many of us seemed to have some type of issue with the family. I didn't know my relationship with my Mom was so negative until the last 3 months of her life. I loved my Mom to my core, but I still don't like her right now. I really hope I work through my issues with her because I don't want to go through it again. I guess this is part of life and part of the lessons we are here to learn. Well I've been writing this post for hours. I read and write some, then go do more chores. I'm just about ready to jump in the shower since most of my chores are done. I got the wedding card done and it came out alright. The colors are brown, copper, and green. It's interesting and actually pretty cool looking. I make a "box" card for weddings and put money in it. The sides of the box open and the sentiment is stamped on the inside. The lid is decorated with floofy stuff (flowers, bows, that sort of thing). The only problem is transporting the thing on the airplane. Don't want to squish it. I think I'm about ready for takeoff. It will be the first time we ever left the Dallas/Fort Worth airport through the terminal doors. We've flown in and out of there countless times but never have stopped over. Should be an interesting weekend. I'll check in when I get back....hope everyone has a great weekend. Eva Arlene, glad to hear your stomach is feeling better. As for being stiff....well for me that's an everyday thing. I was born stiff. Globally....welcome. Sorry to hear about the twisted ankle..it's just the pitts having a working routine then getting injured. Hope you find that mall or a good gym for you. Food journalling reaaaaaallllllly helps me.

There is a thread called "I'm here to help...." If you want some inspiration, go to the start of that thread and read through it. There are several people that have lost 100+ pounds and are keeping it off. You can do it, but it's work. Keeping track of every bite really helps. That's what I'm doing right now because I'm stalled and it's because I'm eating too many calories.....I graze too. The best to you.

My theory about the experience bandsters is that they are lurking from time to time. There are some on the thread I usually hang out on and they are helpful, but so is everyone. It's interesting to read about people's different experiences. I also think people that aren't doing so well sort of fall off the LBT wagon. They'll come back later when desperate or need help. Also people get busy or bored with the chat boards. These are just assumptions and you know what they say when you assume something....................

Katydid, when I was researching the band one thing came up about this WLS in Europe. The Europeans were going back to gastric bypass because of issues with long term bands. My fill doctor even said that it's a foreign object in your body and sometimes your body just wants it out of there. There is a lot to the band with the port and tubing and all that so it is definitely something to think about. I believe there are doctors that will do band to sleeve revisions, but from what I've read from you, you still have a lot of healing to do before that can happen. You don't have your band anymore do you?

Oh yummmm, my favorite food. I do sashimi mostly but I do eat hand rolls, seaweed and all. Have to be careful with tako....must chew well and take small bites. Guess what I'm having for lunch tomorrow......yipee!!

Ditto, you are healing and should be taking it easy. Don't worry about the weight loss until you start eating real food. Then you need to apply the band rules with healthy eating and exercise rules and you should lose weight.

Do your research and it's up to you where you want to go and who you trust. I went to Tijuana for my surgery and I've been back there twice for fills. I was very happy with the surgery and the clinic. My doctor was Dr. Ariel Ortiz. Do you have someone locally to do your fills? This is a necessary function of the band. Isn't there a fill center in the Phoenix area? For me it was a matter of cost, experienced surgeon, and accessibility. It's an hour flight to San Diego and 30 - 40 minutes to the clinic from the air port. Good luck.