chocolate_snaps

Way to go Allie! Ive been lurking here on the PS thread for a while and am glad to here you are recovering well. Thanks for all of us who are watching your progress and hoping to be next. Hopefully this time next year I will be in the flat lands as well.

Great NSV!

Its tough but doable. I lost weight over the 2 holiday seasons Ive had with the band. Im rooting for you Mr. RiceGuy! Im trying go 3 out of 3 this year, Since its gotten harder to lose lbs, to help I just bought a BodyBugg, weights, and workout tapes. Im going to shoot for 10lbs!

1. Exercise 2. Sheer will 3. Adjustments

"Hate" is a strong word indeed but what it really is is displaced self-hatred. I have the same problem but I cannot blame "fat people" for it, my feelings are my own. What I hate is how I felt at 340+lbs. I hated my life then, and people who look like I did or look how I felt, engender some really harsh feelings in me. I feel those same exact feelings when I look at old photos, it sucks. When I see other obese people I see weakness, and it pisses me off because I felt weak and like a failure when I was obese. I haven't read this whole thread but if you feel "hatred" maybe it would serve you to explore those feelings and where they really come from. Didn't we ask "normal" people to treat us like human beings when we were fat? Lets not be hypocrites.

Check with your doctor or your manual. Youve come this far try for one more day on clear liquids. Or if you must break the rules, thin out a creamier soup till its almost watery.

its great to hear what you guys think because i just bought 30 Day Shred. Im so excited to start! I will definately report back in 30.

Im getting my BB from Costco! Of all ofthe items on my Black Friday "to buy" list this is the one I'm most excited about. I have never seen a deal on it like this, and I have been watching (and waiting). Im hoping it can help me over these last 25lbs.

Congrats on that -140lbs! You are most certainly not alone. This has been one of the hardest parts, for me. Even still I cannot accurately gauge my size. And frankly I still think I am fat, just "normal" fat which is frustrating. Even though we may intellectually know the truth, our minds are creatures of habit and will sometimes choose to disbelieve the obvious. Its gets better though. I must admit therapy and honest sefl-evals in the mirror have helped me with the head work but it is, for me, by no means done. I just want you to know that you are no alone in this, it is a normal experience for WLS patients. It just feels incredibly surreal.

Congrats EVERYONE!! You all look so amazing!

I had always been fat. LB and regular vigorous exercise melted the lbs away. Keep your head and spirits up, it will happen the second you decide that it will.

I would do it over in a heart beat. I wish I had done it sooner.

My side effects have all been positive. Losing 130lbs, mental and spiritual lightening, I am stronger in body mind and soul all with the help of my band. It was the single best thing I have done in my life. I hear the NYU Dr's are top shelf. My doctor i uptown at St Luke's Roosevelt, Dr. McGinty. Sure he hasn't been on Oprah, but that means he also has less patients. Plus he has a great bedside manner and he's funny. Good Luck on your surgeon hunt!

Honestly, I do feel bigger than I am. I am told that I look normal but my mind just wont believe it. Most times I still feel fat but "normal fat" not hugely obese (like I used to be). I'm sure this is an issue for me because, previously, I had always been overweight. Sometimes your mind can have a tough time catching up to your body. However, I certainly feel sexier than EVER. The mind is a weird place, isn't it.

I don't do pain especially at TOM. Mother nature demands Ibuprofen. Who am I to argue? However, I have been given Maalox to take with them, as it coats the stomach.

First off GOOD JOB! Congrats! I can't wait to be in the flat lands myself.

No, I did not question myself regarding getting banded. And I haven't questioned my decision since being banded. I feel better about myself, my life, and my future than I ever have. Simply put, it was the best thing I have ever done. Regarding exercise...I love it and I exercise regularly. But, the band didn't motivate me to exercise, my desire to be healthy did that. Not just regular healthy, optimally healthy. Certainly, I wouldn't have lost 130lbs if I hadn't (to quote Jachut) "Shut my Gob and Move(d) My Ass". IMOP, losing weight was the bare minimum that I could do to improve my health, not the only thing. But then, Ive always been a "Go Hard or Go Home" kinda person.

I am lactose intolerant and it has not been easy. It isn't a milk allergy so you shouldn't need a Dr to treat it. But you should have to be careful with what you eat so as to minimize your reaction which varies person to person. First I used Soy based products but found out quickly that I was also soy intolerant. The solution came in one word LACTAID. BUT I have found TONS of other lactose free Milk product lines. As far as the queso goes, Cheddar is better because it is naturally lactose free. I too like cheese sticks as Snacks, I like either Sargento's reduced fat cheddar sticks or Weight Watchers' cheddar cheese sticks. These are some ways to cope, but it started with me being watchful and mindful of how food effected my body.

I can walk up 6 flights of stairs nonstop several times a day! 130lbs ago I would've freaked at the thought half that. Its a good thing that I can because we are reno-ing the elevator in my building and we'll have to hoof it for the next 2-3 months. My thighs and bum are gonna be sooo tight by X'mas!

Thanks you so much Lindy! I had no idea how to find those things out. Im going to start searching asap!

My body is a lot curvier. Much sexier.