BJean

Yup. I hear ya. I lost the same 20 lbs. many times too. Gets to where you are sure your metabolism is shot. Believe me you are sure not the only one who has had self doubts about the surgery! It's a big decision. It's expensive and you want some assurance that it will work for you. That's sane and rational. Hopefully your doc will have the answers that you need to feel confident about your decision. I rocked back and forth for several months. I finally just knew it was the right thing for me. Once I figured that out, the decision was made and I didn't look back. It's a relief when you get to that place. And I hope you do. It gives you the confidence that you need to put yourself first for once. You are so worth it. And the surgery itself isn't much of the battle. Getting your head on right is much more important. I've finally figured out that I am worth the effort to eat properly and I am worth the effort to exercise. This is the only body I've got. I had to make up my mind to save myself. It wasn't going to happen on its own. Hang in there. Ask as many questions as you can think of and think about yourself and your body and the quality of the rest of your life!

Gave up the goat? I'm a little slow tonight.

*Hmmm. Advisors? Maybe we need to think bigger - as in those who run the Republican party.

Well alll righty then.

You'd still have the same people making the decisions.

OMG! My sides, my sides! They're splitting. This thread will never die, never give up, never, never, never give up! It's just too much fun! :heh:

I guess the reason people listen to what she says is because it's so shocking. She's a nut-ball, just like Russ Limbaugh. That anyone believes anything they say and cheers them on just shows that there are a lot of nut-balls out there. If they didn't carry any influence, it wouldn't be so bothersome and we could just laugh at them. But they mix just enough truth in the stories they tell so that people actually believe they're telling the whole truth. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Way to go laurend~!!! Cascadian: Your surgery is coming up soon! Congratulations for getting all those pre-op tests and visits done. Feels good each time you pass another hurdle, doesn't it! You'll probably get a little nervous and wonder about your decision but most bandsters will tell you that they wouldn't trade their bands for anything.

Yeah! 30 lbs. ain't nothin' to sneeze at! Sometimes I look at myself and I'm so excited that I look and feel so much better. Sometimes I look at myself and think, gosh I'm still so fat. When I see thin people I wonder, how the heck do they do it?! I think I'm just at a plateau that I need to break thru and I'll get some momentum back. A friend of mine just started Medifast and I actually thought, maybe I should do that. Then I thought again and realized, no... that's what got me into this mess. Very restrictive dieting. My DD sent me an article today about French people and how they eat and aren't fat. If I were smart, maybe I would taking French cooking classes and get obsessive about it instead of just trying to cut portions of the foods I've always eaten. Because I didn't eat that badly... just way too much. And a glass of wine with dinner would be beneficial too, right? I've never done that. Anyone else considered adopting the French approach? That would mean we would also need to walk more as well. There go my knees. But if I lose more, the knees would hurt less. I'm just thinking aloud here. Any feedback out there for getting me off this darned plateau?

I'll be baack. So change the laws so I can be president.

Elizabeth: I love the "slam and dunk" phrase! How true! :heh:

gonnabe: I'm glad I didn't tell everybody that I got the Lap Band! Right now I'm beginning to wonder if it's still in there!

Crabcake: I have a suggestion, from where I sit 6 months post-op. Think really hard about whether you can figure out a way to lose the weight on your own. Because you will be doing the work yourself AFTER the band too. Yes, it does cause you to eat less if you have the proper restriction. But it is not like a sure-fire method of getting to your goal weight real quickly. It's a two year plan, and it takes a lot of commitment on your part. Most of the people here whose posts I've read would not trade their band for anything. I do know that at this stage of the game, many of us are struggling, trying to stay on track, trying to continue losing weight. What I'm trying to say is that you should be absolutely certain that you don't think that you can accomplish weight loss without serious help. Having a lap band is a life-long commitment and not a cure for obesity. It is only one thing you can use in your quest for a healthy way to deal with food in your life. At LBT, you'll read both ends of the spectrum and everything inbetween. It's up to you to make the wholehearted commitment to do what they tell you in order for the band to work for you. If you are convinced that you want to take this route, then I encourage you. If you think there is some way you can lose the weight without the band, I suggest you try that and see if you can do it without surgery. Whatever you decide, this is a great place for support. The surgery can be scary, but it isn't very complicated and the success rate is very high. Your downtime varies some, but most agree that if you take about a week to adjust and get over the procedure, you'll do just fine after that. Best wishes to you whatever you decide to do!!

I was mad at myself for missing it last night. I plum forgot. Not unusual for me. But today I listened to a commentary on it and to some media people discussing it and I believe the article that gadgetlady posted above pretty well summed up what I heard. Pretty much a non-event, actually. Contrived and sensational, but not a lot of serious evidence.

Jodie: I think that it's great that you are going to talk to someone. I hope it is someone you can relate to. Just remember what I told you and listen, listen really hard. It might be that what Green said is true, you're just a girl who's young and frustrated. But what she also seemed to be saying is that if it is more than that, getting some insight now might save you a lot of grief and help you become a much better functioning person and happier in the long run. We're all pulling for you. It seems that many of us have gone through similar feelings and I think that's why you've had so much input and encouragement here.

I gotta tell ya, Green, it seems that he has redeemed himself for those painful awkward years by marrying a really cool and naturally high chick.

Green-tell that boy that hair is made to be dyed - preferably black! (omg, shades of Elvis) Or he can always put enough slickem on it to make it dark. But he's gotta be ready for the de rigeur tats.

TOM: AMEN. My DH (and perhaps Green's) was too busy being a responsible smart boy and he was definitely a geek! Still is in fact, but I see that wanderlust in his bespectacled eyes.

QT: Your post came off in the begining as complimentary to Bubble and then you jerk it back and smack her on the head with a comparison of her to Ron. Am I misunderstanding? Did you just say that you preferred that people be kind and loving to each other? I'm sure you must not have meant it as a slam.

Mariecarmen: I am floating at the same spot where I've been for a long time. I even got a fill a couple of weeks ago and don't seem to make it work for me. I am at the same weight I was last week. No loss.

Is it just me or do there seem to be more and more rebels coming out of the woodwork these days? Many middle aged and older men are buying Harleys and scooting out to Sturgis and Daytona every year. Sometimes I think it's actually the pressure from work that makes them want to be rebels on their off time! Maybe they were the ones who weren't rebels when they were teens and they just want a chance to be wild boys before they die.

We had a kleenex policeman in our Catholic church in Chantilly, Va. The priest went on a five minute tirade one morning about people leaving kleenex on the pews after mass. (It was winter and cold season was underway.) Now I don't know if I ever did leave a kleenex on a pew, but I have an eye that waters too much so I often carry a kleenex to catch the overflow. After the priest's admonishment, I always figured people who saw me with a kleenex thought I was the main culprit. It did tend to interfere with my feeling comfortable at mass every week.

TOM: Talk about your challenges! Carlene: Yup. Just makes no sense. I'm not doubting that some people can choose to sleep with a same-sex partner, but it sure makes sense that true homosexuals are born that way, not because they made choice to be Gay. A neighbor of mine has been married twice. Tried and tried to be "normal" and please her family. She's is self-employed and has a very conservative practice. She realized what she had been fighting all those years and now has a female partner whom she loves dearly. They consider themselves to be married in the eyes of God. However for all of her happiness and contentment with her partner and in her private life, she has to pretend they are just roommates in public. Her parents would disown her because of their religious beliefs and she would be asked to move her practice. My heart aches for them every time I think of them.

gailannr: How exciting! I know you're probably a little nervous, but before you know it, you'll be on your road to a slimmer, probably healthier you! I was very tense during the weeks leading up to the surgery, but the last couple of days a sense of calm does seem to wash over you and you know that you are doing the right thing and that it will just be good to finally get it done. Those 7 lbs. are your pre-surgical trophy and the liquid and soft diet after the surgery provide wonderful early results that I am sure you will be very happy with. Best wishes for smooth sailing! Be sure to let us know how you're doing as soon as you feel like sitting at your PC! Remember... moving around is very good after you come home.

P.S. Once again for those of you who are upset by these kinds of discussions, please know that some of us can debate these issues and still have respect for all of the other participants and can go elsewhere on LBT and be supportive and helpful to everyone else. This particular area at LBT is the "Rants and Raves" section and when you come here, you can expect to read some ranting and raving.