BlackBerryJuice

Nice! I would love to be featured one day, too, but at the same time, I want to stay anonymous - I don't think that would happen!

Bfast: banana Lunch: some burrito leftovers (barbacoa, rice, black Beans, lettuce, guac, sour cream, corn, etc) Snack: Protein bar Snack: cheese and crackers, fruit Dinner: sashimi and some coconut ice cream

I haven't had a TV for 5 years now, my hatred of reality TV being one of the reasons for it. I've seen episodes from some of the TV shows you've mentioned, but I find that most of them (like any reality TV show) are too slow-moving, manipulative towards their subjects, etc. I just don't like how a lot of them portray obese people and what's considered to be "healthy lifestyle" (working out til you vomit). That said, I LOVE watching documentaries and exposes about obesity, weightloss, WLS, etc. I'm a member of the Canadian Obesity Network at my university, and we're planning to screen either "FAT - what no one is telling you" or "Killer at Large - Why obesity is America's greatest threat" at our next public discussion. I've seen excerpts/previews on YouTube and they looked quite interesting to me. Maybe you'll check them out, too! http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/fat/index.html <a href="http://killeratlarge.com/main.html">http://killeratlarge.com/main.html

I don't find that I get drunk faster post-sleeve; that said, I get drunk from 1/4 of a 1-oz cocktail, so that's not saying much. I find that I have even less tolerance for acidic drinks (wine included). I used to be ambivalent towards wine, now I can barely stomach it - not only because of the taste alone, but it also seems to make me nauseous after 2-3 sips. Regarding carbonated drinks - I don't like beer, but I've had carbonated cider on occasion and didn't have any problem with it. I just take small sips and pause for a few minutes to let out any burps that may have formed so I don't feel uncomfortable.

Totally! And the other thing you hear that's true is how you might regret not working out, but will never regret a workout!

Has your doctor ever suggested H2 (histamine receptor) blockers? E.g. Zantac. Have you ever done any serious studies, such as a gastroscopy or 24-hr pH monitoring to look for a cause? Also, this could be the result of a surgical error, in case everything else fails and you want to pursue the legal route (although, unfortunately, this won't do anything for your symptoms, of course).

No change in length, unfortunately (size 9.5-10 at 5'5" - URGH), but my feet are slightly less wide. I almost never needed to wear W, but a lot of regular shoes, esp. pumps, were a bit too tight, and now they fit well.

I've been trying to change my avatar, and while my new avatar (the one where my head's painted over in blue) seems to upload just fine and shows up when you click on my profile, it doesn't show up on my posts - instead, the old one (with the red) shows up. I've tried it a few times and it still doesn't seem to work. My new avatar fits within the 90x90 200kb limits and is a jpg file, so I doubt it's something to do with the image itself. Help?

I eat 4-5 times a day.

I assume when you mean mid-abdomen, you are referring to the area above your bellybutton? There are a couple of things that could go wrong in that area, but with sharp pain, it's more likely to be bleeding or leakage of gastric contents (i.e. a perforated ulcer) than anything else (like pancreatitis or whatever). I really think you should get checked, even if you can't see your old family doc anymore!

Hmm, that's a little more than I can usually eat, but maybe you are taller and your sleeve is longer? I'm 5'5". I'd cap out at 6 oz for sure.

I wouldn't bother with a fancy bodyfat/hydration scale, they are not very accurate. I've heard people say their bodyfat measurements can fluctuate by 10% day to day. Save the $ and get something simple. I have a plain ol' dial scale, it works fine. It would've been nicer to have a digital one, but I make do with the dial. Check your local Goodwill or Salvation Army store, they often have scales for sale for like $2.

I'm losing some - not in clumps, but about 2x more than I'd normally lose. I eat more than most people on here, so I can tell you for sure that it's not a malnutrition thing, but a reaction to surgery (telogen effluvium).

I understand that this is a long shot, but has anyone had/heard of anyone who had a Lap-band done in Russia? I live in Canada, but I am originally from Russia and have family there, so this is a very viable option for me , as language barrier is not a concern, the cost is much less, and I'd have relatives helping me out through the post-op period. I've located a clinic that performs these surgeries, but I'm hoping that I could find someone who can share their experience.

My boyfriend and I eat out almost every day. I order things I can take home (i.e. not soup) and things that taste good as leftovers (steak, for example, is mediocre the next day).

SN................Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.....Lbs to Goal Avilda......................275.................187..............177..............10 BlackBerryJuice.........208..........149..............145..............4 Brendasgonnalose...335............233..............225..............8 Cherice95405.......248............... 177............ 164..............13 Chilo1.....................216................160...............154..............6 Coops ...................238................191...............177...............14 Cwalker.................250.................180..............170...............10 Daisy......................237.................138.............130...............8 DJackson..............229.................229..............215.............14 HollyW...................259..................233............215..............18 Ibejjo.....................249..................249............229................20 Juliarh...................230..................219..............215...........4 Kimmes................239..................222..............200............22 Kgremmy.............225.................210..............199..............11 Laylasmojo.........242.................180...............170..............10 LeslieH..................212..................212.............199..............13 LilMissDiva...........235..............231.8.............220.............11.8 Mellifrits...............210.................132..............125..............07 Meriteri................240...................187.............170...............17 MichelleLee..........252..................222................199..............23 MINI-Me...............203..................124.6............125..............0 & holding! Mommy2Girls.......275.................240..............228..............12 Moniluv.................190.................190..............178..............12 MRSKOUBIK........317..................283.............267..............16 pattimomof3nj......203.4..............163.2..........155...........8.2 Sailorgirl.................240.................220..............200..........20 Secret Surgery34..........205.........179............165...........14 Sleeve 4 me.........166..................164.............156...............8 Sweatinitout..........245................170..............160...............10 Yolanda240...........236.................203..............170..............33 PlannerGirl………..…327…..……..…..275……..……..255…………..20 mlr777...........200.8...........174.6............160.............14.6 tlang262 - Texas.....240.......240..............230..............10

Hey, It's a local class. When I started looking for one, I found that there are TONS of adult ballet classes in town. My city's about 1 million people and I'd say there's between 10 and 15 legitimate dance studios offering adult ballet - all the teachers are certified by RAD or Cecchetti so technically they could even teach pre-professional classes. I take classes at my university and at a regular dance studio. There's also a professional ballet school in my town, but due to the location, I prefer not to take classes there - however, they have a summer intensive for adults, which I intend to register for in a few months. Some schools will also let you take syllabus classes with the kids if you show that you are a serious student, so you can proceed according to grade level and take international exams - I'm thinking of doing that next year depending on my school schedule. If you take syllabus classes, you have the potential to go en pointe in 2-3 years, which is a huge motivator for me!