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I was just thinking about this old feeling I used to have my entire life. I always felt I was born in the wrong place at the wrong time. I used to dream of being a homesteader and pioneer wife. I was actually very lucky as a child because we always had many different animals, goats, horses, pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, parrots, etc. We had a neighbor that owned 200 acres of ponds, woods, rivers and fields. We kept our horses there and THAT was my playground. I loved to innertube the river, canoe the ponds, catch frogs, lizards and snakes, hunt for treasure, pretend we were cowgirls and chase the cows on the horses (until we got in trouble for driving them thru a fence), we used to build castles in the hay barn, camp, etc. It was amazing. I miss those days. I was actually a vegetarian the first 7 years of my life. My dad was raised on a "dude ranch" in colorado and by the time my parents married and moved to Oregon they were a bit hippyish. We always had a greenhouse full of vegetables and a sailboat we took out on the nearby lake. It was also a bit of a tough childhood because of my parents divorce when I was 8 and being overweight. I went to the same school with the same classmates my entire life. At graduation I was reminded of events that had happened in first grade (peeing the swingset at school and forgetting to put on my bathing suit during swimming lessons. I just walked out to the pool area as naked as a jay bird and had no idea. Of course I was even heavy at that point in my life so I never lived that one down. LOL. Funny thing is, I NEVER see any of those people since graduation. Not even my two childhood best friends. We all just went our own ways. Anyhow enough rambling. I was raised a bit funny I guess.

Thanks Cammy for all the information, I haven't really had the opportunity to ask the questions about the cost of replacement/complications, nor about the cost of fills, but i'm sure the cost would be well worth it! It's great to meet other Aussies who have been banded or that are going through what I am going through, in fact one of my Mum's clients today gave my mum the number of her sister in law who was also banded in January, so I will call her tomorrow and have a chat with her, she only lives on the sunshine coast too. Congrats with the loss too, bet you feel so much better for it? I am into my second week of pre op diet, i'm a vegetarian too so it much it that much harder, am so damn hungry! Deyanne, i think America wouldn't know what hit them if we rocked up eh? I've got enough personality for about 3 people. Although Zoe, that Bandsters exchange sounds wicked.... Vinesqueen, keep in touch when you come over to OZ, which city will you go to?

Noveau means "new" I guess. It is just where I fall on one book's classification list. It is also called Pollo Vegetarian or Semi Vegitarian.

Thanks Jenna, I'll check that out. I'll check out Sam's,too. I don't remember seeing that stuff there, but I'll look. Class 5 Noveau Vegetarian ?? I try not to eat anything that cries out from pain. It just makes me sad...:-(

Tina, I am a class 5 Noveau Vegitarian (also called Pollo Vegetarian or Semi Vegetarian) as well. I do eat tuna, turkey (white meat only) and chicken (white meat only) but I do not eat any red meats or as I call them "funky" meat (duck, rabbit, deer, wild turkey, any animal from a popular disney movie, anything furry and cute, etc etc etc). Nor can ANYTHING be on a bone (including chicken, turkey) I don't eat the "soy" burgers as they LOOK like meat and gross me out. Chicken also has much Protein. I have talked to a nutritionist about the protein issue and she told me that it doesn't have to be "solid" protein just get the protein in your body! Today, I went to Sam's club and purchased a BIG bucket of Protein whey. I will mix them in a yogurt shake. She also said that eggs are a big source of protein as well as many other foods. There was a link that I will borrow from another member who posted that lists protein rich foods.....http://www.highproteinfoods.net/ Hope this helps.... Jenna

Wow, this is a great idea!!! I was so hard on myself when I wasn't losing weight. Looking at the posts here, I wasn't really as bad as I thought. My food was healthier probably even, but, my portions were probably too large. I admit, now that I am doing Nutrisystem with the band, I don't have to count calories as much (they do it for me) Do most of you have to eat at the same time? I do, or I get off track. I wake up around 8:30am I have to take thyroid medicine, so, I can't eat for 2 hours. I have my Calcium bar (90 calories) around 10:30am 11:30 today, I had my Cranberry granola bar-120 calories 2:30p I had lunch chicken salad and melba toast-approx 170 calories 4:30p Lite yogurt-110 calories-no fat 6:30p I have a salad with just lettuce and parmesan cheese and low fat dressing-approx 170 calories? I don't know the calorie content of lettuce. It was a small tupperware type bowl. 8:30p I had vegetarian lasagne (210 calories) 10:30p I have soy sour cream and onion chips (110 calories) If I counted right, 980 calories. I eat basically every two hours. I feel like I am constantly eating, but, since I started this, it jumpstarted my weightloss again. I have lost 15 pounds in less than a month. Before this, I had plateaued for about 8 months. I haven't even started back excercising yet. I had been really lazy in that dept. I know with the lapband, you are suppose to only have 3 meals, but, I found I was hungrier and would eat more when I did eat.

Hello, I stayed at the Lucerna hotel as well and it is lovely. I was also terrified when I went down there. That feeling is not unusual. I did a ton of research and chose Dr. Lopez as well for my surgery but almost immediately after I got home a variety of issues have surfaced about him. He doesn't report any problems to Inamed regarding patient problems, several erosions are occurring. We don't know if that is his fault or simply statistics. Many people had trouble getting a hold of him after their surgeries but supposedly that is improving. I recommend you DO NOT use belighter.com as it is a waste of money. All in all I am VERY happy with my surgery and results but I would have probably chosen a different doctor had any of this come to light earlier. Kuri and Ortiz are also supposed to be wonderful. If you go to the Doctors link and do a search on Dr. Lopez you should see a long thread concerning him. I used the Oasis of Hope hospital and was very pleased with it. I haven't heard of the one your staying in. Does it have a website? Just type in the name and do a search. I took my brother along and he was fine. Your mom should pack some snacks for herself though. I know the hospital I was in was vegetarian only and didn't have ANY vending type foods. Best wishes to you and keep in touch, Teresa

Band obsession is normal, but you might want to keep that to yourself when you're talking to the shrink. Good luck -- you're almost there! PS: Love your vegetarian quote.

Exactly what Pam and Leatha said!!! I love going out for dinner because I'll either make my hubby share with me or I'll get my own and I'll have leftovers for at least another couple of meals. I got the nerve to go to a chinese buffet awhile ago and found I just take a bite or two of each item I wanted and still only ate about 1/2 my plate. At home I use saucers as plates and they work great. One meal I almost always eat consistently for breakfast includes one egg and one Morning Star vegetarian sausage. That will keep me full till lunch. Best of luck to you, Teresa

Hi Cindy, So glad you posted and have to echo what Michelle and Alex said. Protein, protein potein. I do one egg and a vegetarian sausage for breakfast, often 2 chicken legs and 1/4 cup of cottage cheese for a lunch or dinner, I also do cheeseburgers with all the fixings but no bun, etc. I still like my carbs but find I eat them much less often. I might have a bread product every few days rather than several in one day. I do still allow one sweet chocolaty treat a day but I try hard not to eat beyond that. Best wishes to you and keep us posted, Teresa

I'm not, but my daughter is a veterinarian.. I mean vegetarian. She lives on Beans, tofu and seafood, I think. I think eggs is another form of Protein she uses alot. I've seen some vegetarians on some of the yahoo boards, but I've also seen some who reverted back to eating meat like you. As a matter of fact, there is a specific board for vegetarian bandsters. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Vegetarianbandsters/ Maybe that will help!

Is anyone here a vegetarian? I was before getting banded, but I decided to stop because of the "solid protein" rule. But my cholesterol has gone up again, so I'm considering returning to vegetarianism. I'm just wondering if any of you have experience with it and if so, what do you do in lieu of solid Protein? Nancy

hey hopeful 1....you will do great !!! i lost 95 lbs in 15 months and feel great. i don't regret anything.....all of us in canon have learned a lot. my surgery was june 13, 02 and i have 3.1 cc in my band. the band is a very strange thing. some days i am able to eat more & some days not. but the tighter you are the more limited your choices become. i am practically (other than a bite here and there) a vegetarian. the meat doesn't doesn't sit well with me & most other things. i still have my 'bad eating habits' that i have to deal with. like eating to fast, to big of bites and ice cream..... seems like i can always eat A LOT of ice cream. so i really have to watch that. i can go without chocolate, but breyers neopolitan is something else. lol ..... how much weight do you want to lose? we had a lot of people meet their goals with the band.

Thanks Becky and Marie, I know... I am done studying for the night. It gets to a point that it all just goes round and round in my head. At one point I was trying to figure out how I had gotten the correct answer to some homework questions I did the other day. I battled with it for 30 minutes and finally figured it out. That was one of the simpler problems! There are just so many steps and peices its mind boggling. I am going to study for a couple of hours in the morning and then work a few hours and then off to the test. It can't be as bad as some of her past tests... Normally KC and I get along pretty well but he has no sense of responsibility and sometimes it drives me nuts. He was 18 when we got together so we have basically grown up into adulthood together. He never even understands why I am mad about things like this nor does he realize any wrong doing. We are going to the coast this next weekend so maybe we'll get some chatting time. It is hard not seeing him all week. I also want to see about counseling thru our church or something. Don't know, but somethings got to change. I know I'll be making more eventually. Hubby thinks that will be the time he gets the life of leisure... Ha! Yeah right! If he goes back to school, he had best work part time thru it too. Really he is a bigger idiot than you realize. LOL. Since he works at a college, we BOTH get all of our classes basically free there. He has been there 5 years and hasn't taken a single class. Today I ate: 1 veg. sausage 1 egg iced mocha (sugar free) 1 oz jerky 1 veg. sausage 2 chicken legs (no skin) 1/4 cup cottage cheese snacks: 1 cup of cheese popcorn (75 calories) 1 biscotti @200 cals. 1/3 apple Ended up being just under 1000 calories. Not sure if I'll get in to weigh tomorrow or not. I didn't get much excersise today but was surprised I didn't collapse from those stairs. I'll have to try those again. I ussually avoid them and take the elevator. Marie, they sell those vegetarian sausages at Costco. I think it is $8.69 for 24 of them. It is only slightly better priced then the grocery store but I like getting them in quantity. Thanks for the love all and plan on having a better day tomorrow. Teresa

breakfast 1 vegetarian sausage, 1 egg lunch 1 chicken sandwich w/ lowfat mayo and only one side of the bun dinner taco salad without a shell or chips with lowfat sour cream 5 hershey's minis maybe a little roast in gravy depending on what time it gets done baking. Water intake was good all weekend but poor today. I could eat anything all weekend but having a harder time today. Stubborn band... Went to the Portland Zoo on saturday and walked a ton so hopefully that will help. It started to pour a most drenching rain before we left so I got to walk soaked in about 10 lbs of wet clothes for a while. My good deed for the weekend was taking our roommate and child to zoo. We had a grand time. The roommate doesn't have a drivers license so he hasn't ever been able to really take her anywhere, so we have a good time traveling around with them. This was her FIRST trip to the zoo ever and we got some adorable pictures. Don't have a good deed today that I can think of. Since I weighed last thursday I think I am going to keep it on thursdays for a while. Best wishes all, Teresa

Lisa, When you see the records of what we ate: that was only one day. I am not always that good and I doubt everyone else is too. I try more often than not to have good eating days but recall last week where I drowned myself in candy bars... LOL. Trust me, I hit that plateau, knew where I had gone wrong and fixed it. I have been better ever since. That doesn't mean I still don't eat unhealthy foods on occassion. I have the worst problem when I try to justify why I should have that item. For example, last week I ate my 1 candy bar but suddenly I was justifying why I should have 2! I did it all week and I got a clear warning sign at weigh in. Allow yourself some small portion of the treat and put your foot down after that. I know it is hard sometimes. I have found that by moving my dinner back a couple of hours, I am less likely to snack before bed. I don't seem to snack as much between lunch and dinner because I am too busy. Lisa, I would love to chat with you ANYTIME! If you ever call, leave a message if I don't answer and I'll call you back! Marie, you are so blessedly sweet to feed those strays. Are they friendly or skittish? Too bad they can't be caught and adopted out. Marie if you looked at my menu for yesterday the only thing that was homemade was the arm roast in gravy and those were improved leftovers I had made. My husbands kitchen experience is minimal. He cooks good when he cooks but it only consists of a few items. He doesn't bother cooking for the most part. It isn't difficult to sautee sliced zuchinni in a pan. What kind of vegetarian sausage do you eat? I love morningstar. Grew up with the product all my life. My dad was a vegetarian for most of my childhood and he shared it with me. I know I need new pictures. The problem is my mom and husband take hideous pictures and I refuse to be the object of their failings. I have a digital camera so I guess I'll just have them keep taking pictures until I find one that highlights all my good traits. I have beautiful blue eyes... LOL. I know... I'll get on it. I have been terribly depressed lately. On friday I had that final. It took me 4 grueling hours and I left with a horrible headache and sobbed all the way home. I was sure I hadn't passed and my brain was fried. Monday the following segment was starting and the final grades weren't posted. I went to class with the specific intention of hearing I had failed. I didn't even bring my notebook or calculator with me. I found out I passed and had to spend the next 5 hours totally ill prepared and having to deal with chemistry AGAIN! AND since my hubby and I work opposite shifts our schedules are totally by passing each other. For the next 4 weeks I will ONLY see him on weekends. I cried all the way home yesterday at the thought of all of this. TODAY, I thought I was going to miss Water aerobics (the one enjoyable thing in my life right now) and that made me cry all the way home. Blah!!! What is with me!?! I am scared to death of chemistry and this 4 weeks I am going to have to work extra hard. Calculus was the same way for me. I just hated it and never could GET it. I did make it to water aerobics but normally I get there a half hour early to do laps and today only just barely made it for class. I am feeling more positive right now but can't believe I am going to get another 4 weeks of torture. This is the VERY last class I'll ever need for my bachelors and won't be offered again till spring so I am definitely sticking with it. I love the teacher and actually consider her more of a friend but I am student only in class. She did promise to take me crabbing if I pass though. LOL. Anyway chin is up for the moment and hopefully it will stay up from here on out. Got to go, Teresa

I vote to keep the prizes and Marie I'll happily ship yours if you win. Bummed you won't be there. I am joining THIS challenge. food today: 1 egg, 1 vegetarian sausage (morning star) 1 24 oz. iced white chocolate mocha with carmel (all sugar free) 1 chicken soft taco made fresco style from taco bell 1 cup of arm roast mixed in gravy and 1 sauted small zuchini 5 hersheys minatures Having a tough time getting all my Water in but have recently discovered getting kool-aid mix and making it with splenda. Very yummy and no sugar or calories. Not sure if this really replaces water or not but it helps me get more fluids in. Not sure if I'll get on here to do this daily. I just started another grueling 4 weeks of my last chemistry class ever but I'll try to often. I only weigh once a week already on wednesdays and no fill yet and none planned. Happened to glance at my weight while getting a depo shot today and I had lost 1.1 lbs since last wednesday when I had that plateau week but since today isn't my official weigh in day, I am will wait for the official scale reading till then. Best of luck to you all, Teresa

The only protein powder that doesn't gag me is called Milk and Egg Protein. It mixes well with any fruits, frozen yogurts, etc. It doesn't taste like medicine or vitamins. They sell it on line. I found it at Smith's grocery store, but they sell it on line. They also make a brown rice and a vegetarian powder, but I'll stick to my milk and egg one. I make it with frozen pineapple chunks and sweetened coconut and toss in my vitamins. Not bad.

okay so I had no problem eating tons of them before, but I am eating almost no fruits and veggies. They are like the hardest thing for me to eat. well I am also just eating so much less. Well I mean I eat them in smoothies and cooked in stuff, but it seems impossible for me to eat a fresh fruit or veggie that hasn't been blended or cooked to death. I am a vegetarian for crying out loud. Other wise I am feelin good.

I wish I knew what to tell you, but I'm in the same boat - but I've been banded a lot longer and it's only in the last few months that I've really noticed the hair loss. It's getting to be an obsession with me. I know that I never really get enough Protein so I think in my case that may be the problem. I just hate eating protein so much that it's hard for me. What I can't figure out, is why now? I was a complete vegetarian before getting banded. I'm sure I get more protein now that I've started eating meat again (yuk). I have definitely upped the Vitamins since this started. Well, if this continues, maybe we can put our heads together and come up with one head of hair. Good luck! Nancy

My friend, Brad, thinks vegetarians should be shot. He says we have to kill and eat cows because their manure destroys the ozone, while carrots and vegetables growing supply us with necessary oxygen. He also thinks meatloaf if evil. Meatloaf is just a place to hide evil vegetables. He says carrots don't "crunch" when you eat them, that noise is them screaming. Great, now I gotta feel guilty for eating salad.

Teresa, you made me spit out my coffee with that one... lol Yes, the worms have feelings, too! I have alternately fished worms out of puddles to save them, and then turned around and used other less fortunate ones as bait. Some life forms seem lower on the hierarchy than others. I have no problems cleaning fish, but do have pangs of guilt throwing a live lobster into the pot! Yes, I'm with DeLarla on this one. Can we agree to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that all that wonderful meat grew on trees or something? I did give up meat for about two years. Emotionally I'm a vegetarian - physically and socially I crave meat. That old lady with the goats from "Cold Mountain" seemed to have a very balanced view of the whole thing... If I were starving I'd have less problems making my own meat... But being so well fed, I'm grateful there's someone else to do it anonymously on my behalf... :sick

I thank all of you for your concern and advice. I don't think I could possibly go back to liquids now and as I haven't had any adverse effects I feel it is O.K. to continue? I chew the food really well and follow the "rules" about not drinking with food etc. I seem to be able to eat quite a lot though... Today I had to have chocolate and ate 100grams. I felt really sick for 3 hours afterwards but wasn't sick... I have lost 6 kgs in the 12 days since I got my band. That is about 14 1bs. I am eating one crispbread with marmalade for breakfast and a fat free yoghourt with fruit in it but not "bits". For lunch I have been having either chicken or fish with vegetables and vegetable soup. Sometimes followed by some fresh fruit without skin. For dinner I have similar or tuna with tomatoes or cottage cheese and small potatoes.Today I had a small tin of baked beans,3 tiny boiled potatoes and 2 crispbread with cottage cheese and gherkin followed by one fig and apricot. I then kept looking around for things to eat all evening but didn't! Today I have had more carbohydrates than before today but I am getting fed up with the protein as it has never been my favourite and I am virtually vegetarian in that I eat chicken and fish but rarely before this week. Tomorrow hopefully they will take my stitches out as I am longing to get rid of them. I usually heal very well after surgery but this time the wounds are less healed than I would expect at this stage. I think it may be to do with the food. I tried a protein shake but it was really awful and I relegated it to the bin. It is no good trying to have them as if I could do that type of thing,I wouldn't have needed the band in the first place...... The Dr said tomorrow he is going to give me one that is odorless and tasteless so I'll see but I am not keen on so much dairy and definitely not used to sweeteners or added sugar. Until now I have had a very healthy diet apart from the chocolate and have been used to eating that way for many years so just cannot tolerate the very sickly sweet stuff! Likewise the vitamin syrup they gave me...Yuck! I only managed one dose. I will buy some tablets. I know it sounds contradictory to say I had a healthy diet and be this whopping weight but it is only the last 7-10 years I've been gaining and gaining due more to immobility and zero metabolism because of other health problems. Obviously I ate more than I am now and lots of bread and other carbs so I hope this band will help me lose but I am already fed up with it!!!!! I am not immobile by the way but have been a lot of the time.

You took the words right out of my mouth! Fitday is the best and helped me a ton. I don't think anything sounds wrong with eggs, sausage and salsa for breakfast. I was drinking the Slimfast type shakes and those had a whopping 230 calories! At least your eggs would be more filling. I love those morningstar vegetarian sausages and they only have 80 calories per patty and a ton of fiber. For about the same calories as my drink, I could either have 1 egg and 2 vegetarian sausages or 2 eggs and 1 vegetarian sausage. They really do taste good. I am not a vegetarian but my dad was most of my childhood so I got the best of both worlds. Good luck, Teresa

Okay fellows, Here's my take. As I am only 7 weeks out, have not had a fill and am still losing here is my opinion: I have become very calorie conscous. I love fitday and have based my weight loss on my caloric intake which is between 1200 and 1500 calories a day. My meals typically are a 1/3 the size they used to me. Yesterday I had 2 oz. ham for lunch, 1/4 cup of homemade Pasta salad, and 1 slice of cut up cantaloupe. Breakfast today was 2 morningstar vegetarian sausages and one egg. I try to spread my calories out, eat more fruit, excercise a little more and allow myself one real treat a day. I am a chocolate addict so most times I'll allow myself 200 calories towards a special chocolate treat. I don't get anything that is in a bulk package as I probably would cheat but am safe if servings are individually packaged. I am trying to find the perfect calorie count to allow the most comfortable weightloss. Teresa Dr. Lopez 5/8/04 -32 362/330/?