StephC

Hi all! I haven't had any skin problems but I'm in menopause and you get dry from that so I use oil of olay on my face at least once a day sometimes twice - but I've done that since I was 20 and then my sweet hubster got me 6 bottles of lotions and creams from Victorias Secret for Christmas so thats what I use on the rest of me. Since I tend to get dry and itchy in the winter I take a soaky bath with oil about 2x a week. I remember from WW that they said you need 1-2 tsp of oil every day for healthy skin and hair. So whether you cook your scrambled eggs in it or eat it on toast try to eat some type of oil. I think I was born blessed with good skin - I dont have any stretch marks and I've had 3 kids besides gaining 100 lbs over the past 20 years. But I also try to take care of it, like while I was pregnant I used cocoa butter on my belly every day. I'm still rubbing cocoa butter and vit. E on my scars too. I try very hard to only eat the 1/2 cup of food but there are times I go over. I know 1 cup will last me from meal to meal but the 1/2 cup doesnt, I usually just have a little bit of something - I'm stocked up on ff pudding and coolwhip free - and cheeses - fruit - a half of a banana will usually tide me over. I still get the sweet snack cravings in the evening - I drink a cup of tea with splenda and flavored creamers. The creamora brand is powdered and has 60 cal. for a TBs I only use a tsp so its less then 20 calories. FF fudgcicles are good and when all else fails I get a spoonful of Peanut Butter and 2 hershy kisses and mix them together - yeah I know you're all thinking why not just eat a reeses cup? Answer - I had the kisses left over from christmas baking. Last night we went to Red Lobster - so while we waited an HOUR I had a raspberry margita - so good. I'm sure it went right through because I hadn't eaten for a long time so I know my pouch was empty. Then we ordered appitizers - I ate a few calamari, about 3 stuffed mushrooms and 1 oyster - I think that was alittle over a 1/4 cup. Then the salad came and I dipped my cucumbers and ate them and about 2 bites of the salad - for the meal I ate 1/2 lb of crab legs - which isn't really very much, like 4 of the legs and the claw - a couple of the shrimp scampi and I stopped, took the rice home, hubby ate the rest of the shrimp. I nibbled on a biscuit while we were waiting for food. I don't think I over did it - I felt full and I burped a couple times the next hour so I think it was all working its way through the band. Even tho I don't have a fill yet and I know that food is going right through the band and I know after I have a fill I may not have been able to eat like that I left thinking you know I could eat this way the rest of my life. I didn't eat near as much as I would have pre-band and I didn't eat near as much at the other 5 that were with us but I felt good and sated. The only time I was really aware that I wasn't eating like them is at the salad - everyone ate the whole salad and I love salad so for me to put my fork down and push it away was alittle hard, but I knew I wanted crab legs so I made a choice and I'm pretty proud of myself for it. As for Water - I drink all day, I do wait 1/2 to an hour after a meal but drink right up until I get my food - I think I'll change that when I get my fill, and see how long water takes to go through. I don't follow it so much after a snack but I try to just take sips if I need to. I drink half a glass in the morning then I have decaf tea (I think that would count as a fluid) then I fill a glass and sit it on the table and take drinks all day, refilling as needed. If I'm out for the day I fill a small gatorade bottle that fits in my purse, and a large bottle of water and I drink on that while I'm out. I'm not 100% sure on how much we need is it 64 oz? or more? guess I better pull out my sheet and find out. I think I'm doing ok because I haven't been constipated yet. I try to eat a bowl of some type of Fiber Cereal during the day for that area. I have always been a water drinker so I don't really give it alot of thought. I anxious to get my first fill. I still have 10 days, working on making the right choices until then and not gain any weight.

protein snack - a little lunch meat 97% fat free bunch of protien and its good - tuna, or canned chicken - 1/4 of a cup goes a long way - I am a meat eater - I've always put it first on my list so thats easy way for me to get protein. Beans are also very high in protein.

We're here for you! Good luck sweetie!

Bk - sorry to hear your dad isn't better - we'll keep him in our prayers. Va - dang girl! That needle sticking out kinda got me! My doc does it under fluro so I expect him to hit the port the first time! He said he fills the band until no liquid goes down and then take some out. Then he times it to see how fast it goes through and thats how he knows its the right amount. He said you'll hear us counting, one onethousand, two onethousand. LOL Kay - what a conversation that must have been. She probably thinks you have lost all this weight on sheer will power and that if you can do it why can't the other friend do it too. My pastor said his sister was getting banded - soon I think. I could tell he'd really like to do it too. Hubby gets lonesome watching cops with out me sitting in there with him. LOL Guess I'll go read for a while.

luckygirl - I've read that it can take a few days to feel restriction - let us know it that happens.

Kirsten - I'm anxious to hear from you about your fill! I was just reading on the fill thread about people who dont feel restriction with the first fill. Yuko I'm actually working today - can you believe there are people out there who actually want their w-2's - (me included!) Besides my treasurer is always wanting reports and stuff - geesh don't they know I'm a bandster? So while the W-2's are printing I figured I'd see whats up today. And it doesn't look like much! Where is everyone?

are you freaking nuts?

After having my first baby (22 years ago) we sent pics to all the family, my brother in law called and said Steph you look like a football player. I was 143 lbs when I left the hospital. Needless to say we rarely speak with that one anymore. Total jerk.

Denise to post smiles go advanced - there will be smilies and then you can look at more .. dancing bananas and all those fun ones.

(((((b-man)))) - enough said We went to the movie - he didn't like it much - he didn't like Happy Feet much either - LOL - but he did like Charlottes Web, Kay you and the kids will like it. He loved Over the Hedge so I guess its all in the kid. I took him to BK for lunch - I got a spicy chicken sandwich, took the bun off and ate about 2/3 of it. It was good but I stopped when I was full. I was proud of myself. BUT - always that darn but - I ate popcorn at the movie. Not a bucket like I would have done before but enough to make me wish I hadn't. No I didn't get sick, darn it I never get sick! Just disgusted with myself. I'll talk with ya all later.

B-man - baby I'm sorry I missed your birthday yesterday! I hope you have a wonderful blessed healthy year full of weight loss, healthy living, loving and laughter! You're the best sweetie and we love ya!

Nat - have the damn glass of wine! Its not going to hurt anything. I've drank wine several times - I only have one glass and it didn't hurt anything other then the wasted calories. Think about it - a glass of wine or a peice of chocolate cake - which do you think has more calories. I drink merlot and it sits good with me. BK - we will continue to pray for you dad - and you, stress sucks. Update on my friend - she's out of the hospital and doing good. They got the bleeding stopped. I didn't talk to her so I don't know all the details but I'm sure the bypass and the stress worked together to form an ulcer. My sil is having the gastric bypass today - my neice (who is like one of my own) is with her so I'm picking up my great nephew (who's like my grandbaby) from kindergarten and then I think I'll take him to see Happily N'ever After - anyone seen it yet? He's my movie buddy and I need to get out of the house! I love being laid off in the winter but it does get boring at times. Have a good day! I'll post later.

Hey Grumpy - go home and take a nap! Kidding sweetie - the day will soon be over - take a deep breath and say I love my job 7 times.

the miami ink guys make me think of my brothers - eww or my kid, with all those tats - not sexy

Wowsa on the Vinster!

Mystique - I forgot to tell you sorry you didn't pass but I didn't my first time either and then when we had moved out of state DH failed his too. Don't let it get you down - just go back tomorrow and try again. Annie - When I was on mushies it was slash soft foods so I started eating casseroles and lasagna, spaghetti - my dr said anything you could eat if you didn't have teeth. I heard some say raviolios - the chef boyardee kind - I tried to stick with high proteins, eggs, tuna, chicken, and I just got on regular food yesterday so I ate salad at lunch and supper. I was really craving a good salad. Do you know that the turkey and ham lunch meat that is 97% fat free is only about 60 cals and 13 gr. protein for 2 oz - thats what I put in my salad yesterday for lunch. I didn't go for the pizza - just wasn't hungry for it - yet.

sweethot - thats what I would say. I went to solids aka regular food at 4 weeks. I have felt fine. Dr says now that I'm eating regular food I should stay full longer - not. If I only eat the 1/2 cup I'm hungry again in an hour or 2. I told the dr that waiting for the fill was almost as bad as waiting to hear from the insurance company. He said aw now its not THAT bad - I said yeah thats easy for you to say.

Bk - hows dad? I was eating a cup of food and my dr told me not to. Right now the band is wide open and food is going right thro but when we get filled we won't be able to and its better to eat 1/2 cup more often to develope the proper eating habits. I tried one of Nat's concoctions - chicken, cottage cheese, alittle bleu cheese and some hot sauce - I'm on reg. foods so although this was a mushy/soft food I was able to add some crackers with it - yummy.

Another one - I ran into an old boss (who used to flirt with the 50 lbs thinner me) he said oh I didn't recognize you since... and stopped. I knew he was thinking since you've gained weight. UGH!

My worst was a lady from work, who considers me close enough to tell everything "for my own good" said people were asking if I was pregnant. So yes I laughed it off and it hurt but then a few days later another lady said I guess you won't be going anywhere until after the baby is born. I replied to her, oh I'm not pregnant I'm just fat. (I guess you can all figure what bodyshape I have) Those hurt but they were old ladies, old busybodies and I could forgive. The one that hurt the most was a lady I drive to church, she knew I struggled with my weight, we both read the weigh down book, and she also knows that I'm going thro menopause. So one day she gets in my car and before we pull out of her driveway she touches my arm and says you aren't pregnant are you? I said no just fat. That one hurt - I felt it was malicious, and then I kinda think she's just stupid because she also has said about me getting the band that she doesn't really think wls is the answer and her daughter lost all this weight and she is so skinny but she works out at the gym all the time... my daughters say mom why do you give her rides? My answer? Because I'm a better person then her.

I wonder how many doctors read LBT? Makes me wonder if my Dr.Dreamy knows I think he's Dr.Dreamy :embarassed: Nat - I know! When he said he was quitting his job (which provided insurance for his family) I said well how are you going to live? He said well Trish works, in fact she makes more then I did, well not per hour but after they take child support and stuff out she brings home more then I did. So do you get it? Deadbeat dad Good luck with the new jobs! VA - I'm the queen of rationalizers! But its not good, I really want this to work so we have to change our way of thinking. Just say no - I was really craving sweet yesterday and a cup of hot tea worked.

hello DrC!

Kirsten - I'm glad I chose the band too. Theres alot of bad eating habits that we all are going to have to get over. Like I said before I've been eating this way for the past 40 years and I KNOW I need to change my habits if I want to live healthy. Good job! Luckygirl - didn't you just get a fill? why would you need to go back to fluids? remember this a new way of life not just a diet. Be patient sweetie and give your band time to work.

So wheres Kay? Is everyone back to work/school/life?

Ibrahem - you are welcome. Kay - where are you? Kay is the queen of liquids - she's almost done with her 4 weeks! I don't know how she did it, I was so ready for mushies by the end of 2 weeks. I think variety is really the key. Its been quiet lately - wheres B-man and Kay?