BJean

kwhenrykerr: Thanks for the advice. I know you're right. The only time I've PB'ed is when I was really hungry, busily talking with someone else and forget not to shovel it in like I used to. As long as I stay conscious, chew and chew some more, I'm okay. Once I got in a big hurry to finish and went ahead and had a couple more bites although I had a slight tightness at that "spot". In a short amount of time, the old intense pain started coming on, I started doing the slime thing and eventually PB'ed. So the dietician says a meal should take at least 20 minutes - I learned from that experience why it is important to take so long. You might not feel the problem the instant you eat something, but if you don't take the time to realize what's happening, and you eat more when you begin to feel a little tight, you can get into big trouble.

gonnabe: Glad you've found a way to use the Band as the tool you wanted! I'm still working on it, but I'm beginning to think I might get the hang of it soon. After this last fill, I am not experiencing a lot of restriction, but I am not as hungry and obsessed with where my next meal is coming from. (not a joke)

Thanks Green. It sounds like I was just at the wrong site earlier in the week. But then if I was, so was someone else. You are very kind and have such an interesting way of putting things. I always enjoy reading posts by both you and TOM. And of course TommyO! You know I think that if we were all able to use humor as well as you three, we would all be better off. I try, I'm just not as clever as you all. But at least I do try.

Sunta: Some people think that it's God's will that we fight and sin and be ugly and then repent of our sins and take Him as our Lord and Savior so that we can shout to the heavens, "Glory Be Unto God in the Highest!"

It seems to me that the people who may worry about sin the most and who fear hell the most, might be many of the same ones who need to proselytize as often as possible. This is possibly, I believe, because they need to constantly prove to themselves that they are doing God's will by telling the world that they believe that Jesus died for our sins and that by spreading the word of God, they will not only win souls over to Christ, but they will have also discovered an effective way to constantly remind themselves that they are going to Heaven. That may be good and necessary for some people. I am sure that it willl win some souls over to Christ. And I certainly have no quarrel with those who believe that they need to do that. Other people however can go about their daily lives being kind to others, working at being a better person by making more Christ-like choices, and have a belief that caring for their fellow humans is what God wants us to do while we are here on earth. There are scriptures that speak to witnessing to others - in a quiet way, not proud and boastful. I believe that God approves of our taking that approach in this life.

Alexandra- I agree, and thanks for the comment directed my way. Have you noticed that lisah25 has been one of the "softest spoken" people here? She just keeps her cool, enjoys the discussion, and keeps asking questions - very relevant questions. I'm proud of you lisah25. You may not know that you have support here, but you certainly do. Ron: I am glad that we have achieved peace between us, right here on earth.

TOM: You are right. I was wrong. I will do better. I really do not wish anyone ill will. I'm not the only one whose feathers were ruffled. We should all realize how quickly a political or religious discussion can deteriorate into anger and result in hard feelings. We should keep it on topic and not make it personal. Thanks for your feedback. I truly appreciate it. I've prayed on the issue and I am back on track.

Jack posted a great story here that I will probably mess up by paraphrasing, but it was about a friend of his who was a marathon man. He was preparing for an unbelievably long run and when Jack asked him how in the world he was able to run that far, the marathon man said one step at a time.

TOM: That's certainly one way to look at it. I've been writing to friends of ours all over the U.S. and most of the feedback I got was "Hillary for President!" Most of them are conservatives too, so I was very surprised. She must be moderate enough to be accepted by more than just Demos.

Valgal: My doctor keeps telling me baby steps too. He keeps reminding me that this is supposed to be a 2 year program. It is so hard to keep from being impatient and trying to lose weight the way I did when I would go on a starvation diet. But you know what they say about doing things the way you always did and getting the results you always got. I sure don't want to re-gain the way I always did. I need to readjust my eating patterns but that doesn't mean to stop eating. I want to remember to eat the right things so that I don't harm my body (including losing my hair). Sounds like you're on top of things and we're proud of you! Keep up the good work!

Serious: I'm afraid you're right. TommyO: Well said. I am always impressed when someone explains himself by presenting an easily understood picture with some humor thrown in to keep it light. You seem to have a great sense of humor and a keen intellect.

Victoriana: You explained that beautifully. It makes so much sense the way you put it. It is wonderful to read what accepting God in your life has meant to you, and you sound like a person, a child of God, who must fill Him with joy everyday.

Poodles: I have no idea why umbilical cords aren't saved for research. Maybe someone at LBT has information on this. There are some people with medical backgrounds here who probably have the answer.

Serious: Sorry I should have directed my previous post to you!

TommyO: More than once I've been tempted to correct his posts and send them back with a poor grade.

Oops Renee: I moved to fast and didn't look at everything on your signature line. You're already doing well!

rms78645: Congratulations on your surgery. I thought perhaps you hadn't had it yet. Everything going well for you so far? I actually lost most of the weight before I got my first fill. The post surgery diet did a lot. I haven't lost nearly as quickly since everything is healed and the swelling is gone. How much do you weigh and what's your goal?

rms778645: I started at 220, am 180 currently and goal is 135. My surgery was on 9/11/06. Loss of 40 lbs. Just had my 3rd fill. Good luck with your upcoming journey. You're going to get a lot of support here. Let us know how you're doing~!

Take my word for it - not a good idea.

Ron: I define ministry as the service (by a clergy) or the act of ministering religion - not the religion itself. I promised no more snide remarks and I mean it. I was trying to redeem myself and understand the discussion. For you to tell me that I don't understand why God did something is another reality check for me. What I honestly do need to understand is that no matter what I say, you will continue to use insults in your rhetorical style of arguing. I let you use a phrase like "twisted logic" when addressing me in previous posts and I vowed that I would not let you push my buttons again, and I will not.

Congratulations Tami! That's a huge compliment for them to want you for a commercial. Awesome!

My doc doesn't believe in doing fills that way. He claims we need the time to adjust to new eating patterns, etc., plus he says some people have to have an unfill sometimes even if they use a flouro. Frankly, I don't know if he is right. I am tired of going through several weeks of no loss. Then only getting a small fill that I don't even notice. Having holes poked in me isn't fun. And I would like to lose this stuff faster. I'm not getting any younger!

T_O_M: I know you're vacationing from posting right now and I don't blame you. I keep telling myself I should do that. Things definitely went haywire for me at the Anti-Semitism thread. I don't know why my entire life that people who use religion and pomposity to put others down has always been an easy way to get me riled up. That is of course, the reason they do it, and the big pay off is staging an argument since they have spent so much time cultivating pious retorts and put-downs for their arsenal. I am disappointed in myself that I fell right into it. That's not the primary reason I came here; but I wanted to explain myself a little to the people at LBT that I respect and you are on the top of that list. As for this thread, I came across a T. Roosevelt quote from 1915 - that I believe is relevant today. For me, it explains one facet of what we were discussing here. "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all. "This is just as true of the man who puts “native” before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance. "But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as any one else. "The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English- Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian- Americans, or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality than with the other citizens of the American Republic. "The men who do not become Americans and nothing else are hyphenated Americans; and there ought to be no room for them in this country. The man who calls himself an American citizen and who yet shows by his actions that he is primarily the citizen of a foreign land, plays a thoroughly mischievous part in the life of our body politic. He has no place here; and the sooner he returns to the land to which he feels his real heart-allegiance, the better it will be for every good American." Theodore Roosevelt Addressing the Knights of Columbus in New York City 12 October 1915

Geezersue & Green: http://proverb.taiwanonline.org/display.php?about=true

Tami: I knew you were talking about a fill soon. I was too. I got mine Tuesday. I am not at all overfilled. I forgot to ask him exactly how much he added, but I do not have the wild cravings that I was having. Since the fill I've been doing much better. It hasn't kept me from eating anything though, that I've tried. So don't be afraid. Be sure to tell them of your fears. I did and I think that's why I am not overfilled. Good luck! I hope it helps take care of those crazy cravings! You're doing so well! Congratulations on your fantastic NSVs!