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Catching up (briefly--sorry for those I missed--but I am at work--sshhh:wink2: Karen--it is frustrating--hang in there with your hubby too:smile2: Could it just be water retention from excercise? Lee Anne--sorry about your mother--you are in my prayers Leigha--great job on the plateau kick Denise--channeling positivity about your BP Stacie--SUPER onederland!! Amy--sorry about the pics--can you get some from family and friends? Betsy--question about pantothenic acid--I know you take a supplement--do you find it helps with water retention as research and NUT suggested? I have bad edema around ankles and broken vessels. Trying hard to reduce my sodium to 1000 mg, get plenty of protein, keep my carbs/sugar down/add whole grain, get my veggies and fruit, keep it low in fat, exercise, and get up and walk at work during the day to reduce swelling, and get in 64oz of water to help with my water retention--AND THEY HAVE A NERVE TO SAY WLS IS THE "EASY" WAY OUT:confused:

Down 2lbs-cranked the exercise up, so expecting a little more, but I am definitely not complaining!:thumbup:

Way to go! What a great accomplishment. Almost about to reach the same milestone, so you're my inspiration.:cursing:

Anne, so sorry you did not have the surgery. I know how disappointing that could be. You have some tough decisions, and I am no expert on either surgery, but I have to agree with Karen. The gastric bypass, with it's rapid weight loss seems unecessary when you are under 200lbs. I would definitely get a second opinion

For me they not the same--in fact my definition of mushy was things that did not require chewing--my stage was called pureed, then soft solids like eggs, cheese, fish etc then finally regular food. Follow what your doctor or nutritionist says.

My daily acid reflux pill, two huge crates of clothes, and working on my BP meds--hoping when I go back to my regular doctor in a few months, they will be gone too!! I also got rid of the terrifying thought that I would just keep getting bigger and killing myself.

Lol, thanks Bob--actually, I am a lot larger than I look--can't put it away yet but I am on the right track! I carry my own because some airlines do not have but a few on board--better safe than sorry!

I fly alot--I have never been asked to buy an extra seat--do not worry. I did, however, purchase my own seatbelt extension so that I do not have to ask the airline for one.

LOL Leigha on the animal:lol: I mean really! Thanks Leigha for compliment on pics! I actually run a reading program during the summer so I get about week off right after school gets out and a week before school--I know crazy, but I need the extra money for all my purchases! lol BTW--I do not think you are giving up. You look phenomenal and better yet, you are healthy and more physically fit--to me that is success!!! Bobbie--Go girl Stacie--way to go on vacation--that is a big deal Karen--Yeah sweetspot!! Good for you and work that bathing suit!!!! Thanks for the compliment. Thanks to your guys, I am really working to change my life and outlook about eating Amy--hang in there Hey to everyone I missed and welcome any newcomers!!

A Vitamin Shoppe is getting ready to open, so I am going to go try the shakes--I eat the protein bars now, but the store does not have the shakes:biggrin:

If you do DVD's, I use "The Firm" they have one just for core and abs--www.thefirmdirect.com Your weight loss is great! :biggrin: We are kindred soul--started at the same size and have lost about the same amount, except my 80 something lbs includes 30lbs on the six month supervised diet. Thinking of getting a personal trainer this summer--did you find it helpful?

I fixed it--the formula was filled down in your cell. Yeah down 5.2! I am so glad since no loss last week. If I have good loss this week I am going to go back up to 20lbs as my goal. TOM is here so I am hoping that it is even more than 5.2lbs:thumbup:

Yep that is all you have to do--tomorrow is our second weigh-in, but you still have six weeks.

bumping spreadsheet for those who have not saved it to their favorites

No Dottie--I am laughing now--my bolting across the sanctuary in an apron and my stabbing the chicken before throwing it in the trash because it was just sitting on that plate mocking me:lol:

Okay had my first stuck/PB episode so I guess I have been initiated into true bandhood! I have read hundreds of post on PBing but oh my goodness, when I it happens to you!!!! It happened at church--good thing because I thought I was going to die and meet my maker, and praying that I would not vomit. I could not breathe and thought oh well they could eat and just go right into my funeral although the apron I had on was not what I planned to wear for that final day. Let me tell you, because I was serving at a luncheon, I broke two band rules that I have followed THAT I WILL NEVER DO AGAIN. One I was trying to eat and still move around instead focusing on the food and sitting and eating (I was still serving and just was going to eat a piece of chicken breast to just get a little Protein until I could sit down and eat). The next rule broken instead of concentrating on chewing, I was talking. The pain that hit me, then shortness of breath--I knew this was bad. I bolted to the bathroom all the way in the back because the other was where the luncheon was going on. Call me Flo Jo, because I made it to the back in seconds! Now explaining to my husband and sisters what PB ing was harder lol Enough about me-I guess you can tell I have been traumatized lol but in a good way--Lesson learned! Dottie--glad to hear you are doing well Crystl--thanks Bobbie--:thumbup: back at you

That reminds me of some advice I gave a friend who threw it back in my face last week. I said to her one time "Dare to think thin." She had loss down to 165, but was still shopping plus size when she did not have to like getting 12w instead of going to regular size and she told people she weighed close to 200lbs still when they asked her her weight. I told her that sometimes she thought she had to still think she was really obese or she would get relaxed and gain the weight back. Embrace your new lifestyle that you eat and exercise to live a fuller life. She threw that back at me when I was too scared to get a dress that was too small for me that I want to wear in October for a cruise--I could get it in it but could not zip it all the way. She smile and said to me dare to think thin--you will no doubt lose the weight by then, embrace your lifestyle remember? So to everyone, "DARE TO THINK THIN" Congrats Crystl--coming from the spouse, it does seem to mean more AnneGG--your doing great, ditto what Leigha said!

Okay I am assistant principal and my staff for weeks has been saying look at the school website's picture again--"you really do not look like the same person." Well I finally did because I have always detested the fact that I have to have a picture posted for all to see, so I have not looked at it since last August. Well take a look (I am to the far right): And my recent photo-op: I went from happy, sad, happy, sad, back to happy/overjoyed. Happy because they were right, sad that I had let myself reach that point, happy that I at least had a cute haircut, sad that at that point I had already lost weight and was not even at my heaviest, happy that by then I was getting my LAP-BAND® and overjoyed because I know my weight loss is here to stay.:thumbup: untitled.bmp

Congratulations to you:biggrin:!!!!! Awesome!!!!! I just hit twoderville at the end of the Mother's Day challeng--it had been since 1997 I believe since I been at twoderville. Be very proud of yourself--you're doing GREAT!

Livestrong--the daily plate is great www.thedailyplate.com they have very specific foods and brandnames and restaurants--even off-brand names of food example Kroger yogurt

Leigha, HB, Katie--it is a stressful time? I have not had a good night sleep in a week. I am an Assistant Principal--between budget cuts and shifting of administrators, so I definitely can relate Been 2 days since my fill--so very tight this morning--having to drink my shake slowly--the first tiny sip gave the signal pain! This tightness is new--but the band is a soap opera!

Yeah when I went back--I laughed too--truthfully had skimmed the thread--hard to keep up now!!:w00t: Heck Bob/mark/brian has been gone so long--he may need a welcome to thread again! It has only been in the last week or two when I have zero restriction that I have done solids. Go figure--drinking shakes anyway since just got fill, so it does matter "As the lapband turns..."

I take a brand found at Walgreen's called Opti-source for Post-Bariatic surgeries. They are chewable and taste like an orange sweettarts. Gastric band patients take 4 a day, Lapband patients take 2 so they last for 2 months. One tablet has 2000% of B-12, so I get plenty and half it not all of other nutrients. I take Vitamin D because I was already deficient prior to surgery.

Welcome to Kate, Ron, Mark Welcome Lee Anne--agree with Leigha--you have a great outlook and understanding of the journey Karen--"Eff" Mr. Plateau lol good for you. I can't wait to use my BB--I had a fill today so I decided I better wait to when I was back to normal eating Way to go Betsy on the calorie deficit. My second fill went okay. My port is still awkard, but not as deep, so still some soreness, but nothing like the first fill attempt. I got 2.5 ccs for a total of 5.5. I am hungry, so that was not a good sign sweet spot wise, however, I went in ravenous because I had had no food--just shakes. Hope for more restriction at least I have a question--I seem to lose better when I have a protein shake versus solid food for breakfast although I get the same amount protein. I did not do shakes for breakfast last week and I did not lose. I drank one for breakfast and lunch today and dropped a pound since yesterday when I weighed at the doctor's office? Is this just coincidence? I noticed it has happened before and have read other posters have had the same experience.

I have the same problem--good problem, but inconvenient. I now only have 4 pair that I can wear to work. I have no casual pants and only 4 pairs of capris that look descent.