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Good Morning Gang... Linda sounds like you had a good day - OMG I don't think I could live in that cold ;0) - Trader Joe's are always crowded -we have 3 one in Palm Springs (20 miles) Palm Desert (10 miles) La Quinta (5 miles) I have never been to Palm Springs store Palm Desert Store in a strip mall - not super big and neither is the LQ store - they are out of my way - I rarely go.. I get some of my dog/cat food at Petco (halo) but the little ceazer I get at Target cuz it's cheaper - Ya unfortunate that SD is an addict - That's a tough one - So Sad - Hugs & Love and glad you are seeing some one... That she's lost one child and can lose another - so very sad and the damage that she did by using while p.g. - but that's an addict - So very hard to understand - we understand addiction - but ours (food) only hurt us.. Your dinner sounds good... Yep it was me and costco - OMG the pigs in those stores act like they have never eaten - let us know how it is - it's always nice to have something on hand when you haven't taken anything out - That happens every now and then - mostly on the weekends when I am busy doing something (out and about) come home and nothing to fix for dinner - Chris - WTG on your NSV (being on your feet) Once you get back to work - things will get better - too much togetherness ;0) Charlene - GF this is what I have been preaching since day one - find what works for you that you can live with for the rest of your life - quit treating this as a diet - it's not - it's about eating healthy - smaller portions - exercise.. 0h ya - next time you go out to bf don't take the muffin home - leave it on the plate no one needs it - Well Not much to report - Had dinner - Fish - Spinach - Rice - SF Ice Cream - Took my vitimans & Calcium (omg that stuff is like alli to my system in the morning tmi :0) Watched tv that I recorded... Up at 6:30 - on 2nd cup of coffee - gym at 10 the normal Sunday Target shopping home -- That's my exciting day :0) CBL

Hi all, I am 4 days post op and have yet to have a BM. I keep seeing people comment on "liquid in, liquid out", so far it's just liquid in for me. Right now i'm sipping on a little prune juice to help stimulate thing. My post op diet is full liquids... but still nothing. I'm not in any pain and I don't have any of the usual constipation stomach cramping, just haven't pooped yet.... any thoughts? Gross I know... sorry

Great job ladies!!! Yesterday I had my Protein shakes and my low carb dinner - and stuck with my workout routine. Yesterday was weigh day for me and (Maybe TMI) I should be starting TOM any day now. I feel bloated and crampy... so this is very hard for me right now!! But even though I should be up a pound or two due to Water weight I didn't gain an ounce - so awesome!! I only hope that means I'm due a good drop once I get over this "issue"... LOL - especially with me doing low carbs and keeping my schedule! I LOVE MY SLEEVE SOOO MUCH!!! :wub:

1. why do I have to wait till the 4th week to eat foods?? I feel like my body can handle them already. So I have been trying, but if there is a good reason for me not to, then I won't. I still only eat half a cup and feel full. SO I am doing ok with quantity. because those are the rule your doctor has set-up for your recovery. he's not trying to sabatoge you by setting unrealistic goals. we've ALL had to follow basically the same post-op diet. you have to give your body time to adjust to having the band around it. do NOT go against your doctors orders because YOU feel like you're doing okay. there are rules for a reason. 2. This is a little TMI but, how often do you guys have a BM? It seems to be once every few days for me, and I don't know that that is normal. this is a problem most of us have had after surgery so there's nothing to be shy about. since our diet has changed dramatically, so will the BM. check with your doctor and see if you can take a Fiber supplement to help you out. 3. will the gas and bloating ever calm down?? yes... i promise, it will calm down! 4. Do I have to take small sips of Water forever?? I am so thirsty I just want to chug water but I am scared to. ALSO I hate the Protein drinks I have (haven't found one I like yet) and I could get through them perop because I chugged them, now I have to sip slowly. Any suggestions?? for now, no chugging. your band is way too new. continue to sip, sip, sip. i'm almost 3 years post-op and i can drink a little quicker now but just remember how tiny your stomach is right now. if you drink too much too fast, it won't have anywhere to go and you'll end up throwing up the water. and that is a big no-no!! 5. Will our serving sizes be 1/2 a cup forever? I mean as long as we have the band?? yes, your stomach will remain the same size so that means the amount of food you can eat will remain the same. i'm sure it probably seems unattainable right now to eat that little basically forever, but it gets easier with time. i usually eat off a small saucer plate and not a big dinner plate. that way my plate looks full.

Hey everyone. Ok so I just got banded on the 18th of Dec. I got through the first week good as far as following the diet and only having liquids. I then moved on to thicker/creamier foods the next week and was doing fine. I am on mushies and throwing in a little piece of chicken (little little) here and there. My questions are: 1. why do I have to wait till the 4th week to eat foods?? I feel like my body can handle them already. So I have been trying, but if there is a good reason for me not to, then I won't. I still only eat half a cup and feel full. SO I am doing ok with quantity. 2. This is a little TMI but, how often do you guys have a BM? It seems to be once every few days for me, and I don't know that that is normal. 3. will the gas and bloating ever calm down?? 4. Do I have to take small sips of Water forever?? I am so thirsty I just want to chug water but I am scared to. ALSO I hate the Protein drinks I have (haven't found one I like yet) and I could get through them perop because I chugged them, now I have to sip slowly. Any suggestions?? 5. Will our serving sizes be 1/2 a cup forever? I mean as long as we have the band?? Any feedback you guys have would be amazing!!! Thank you everyone in advance!

Good Morning Gang... Candice - So glad you are posting ;0) - Phyl is at DS house for a few days... Take calcium w/magnisum everynite (a few of them) should help w/the tmi - did you bring laxitives - I always do cuz traveling I don't drink enough.. Karla - Sound like a plan - I didn't go to bed til around 11 - which is a little late and had to get up to pee a couple of times - that's what I get for drinking my water LOL Hugs on the 5 degrees - I think its like 40 something here - it 66 in the house cuz the heater just came on.. Well off to finish my coffee cbl

omy gosh, I am sitting in the lobby of the hotel... to get wifi servcice..dosnt work in our room??? There is this little family sitting beside me on the sette... their 3yr old is jabbering away in Italian...does it ever sound funny... I can't stop looking at her... so cute... GOD I wish I knew wht she was rattling on about... it soundsbou SO interesting.We board our ship today, but not until this afternoon.. and Typing here, hoping it will bring on a BM... I know too much TMI but, alas that's what I am thinking about this morning. Karla, I have a superb pair of shoes that I brought from Canada... ALso bought the cutest shawl/sweater thing yest. I think it will be cold on the ship... About 45 degrees yest. nice for hiking around and up and down. PB'd on breaky this a.m... had to go back and drink yougurt thingys... they are good, probiotic I think... but really just guessing cause everything is in Italian... ha,ha,ha... calories, no clue!! but with all this walking and no snacking, I think I will be doing o.k. calorie wise.WHere is Phul?? Is she driving?

Good Morning Gang - My keyboard at home would work - the mouse did but not the key board and to reboot takes forever ;0) Charlene - I have mentioned somewhere if I take my calcium (which has mag in it) before I go to bed at night the next morning - I have no problem with the tmi issue ;0) - I loved the whole as the experts - I watched it last nite - I think I am going to take my calcuim home (i have it here at work) and make sure to take it before bed every nite - cuz that's my NY resolution - Take my Vitimans - took 1/1 - 1/2 and this morning !!! Sandy - It doesn't matter if you are banded or not - there are plenty of pple who lose 100+ without the benefit of the band and truly its about making changes in our eating & exercise period. I don't care if you have the band or not - as we all know there are plenty of bander - bypass pple who may lose the weight but gain it all back - why - they didn't make the changes.. WTG on getting back on track... Charlene - I don't think your oatmeal is going to kill your weight loss plan - LOL on warming you up - plenty of other foods that would have done that LOL eggs are hot too ;0) You just can't have starches at every meal.. Well, I got to get to work - sorry about the drive by - it's cold here too... Tina - Hugs hope things get better..

Yep, sounds like we're in the same boat lol. I don't like being constipated, but sometimes I wish I could stop myself up just so I don't have to go potty so much. This might be a little TMI, but my booty is RAW from so much pottying! Enough is enough...I'm 5 weeks post op & it hasn't gotten any better 4 me. So let's hope after 8 weeks I'll be back to normal. Rhonda

Hello Fellow Band-Members! My name is Rueben from San Antonio TX. I'm a new bander going on 2 Days Strong! My surgery date was 12/30/10, what a Xmas and new years present to myself. I'm still in alot of pain and have hella gasses coming out of both openings, I know TMI but it's the truth. I've been drinking protein shakes, sipping on alot of water, doing my breathing excerises and walking around for atleast five minutes! My pain meds don't seem to work or help bur I know within time I'll be a brandnew Man! I'm looking foward for 2011 and the future! Happy New Year! God Bless & Good Luck! My current weight is 6'6 499, my new years goal is 6'6-375. It's going to be a long tough journey, but it's all or nothing! I've come this far, why not step it up and keep going!!!

Hello Fellow Band-Members! My name is Rueben from San Antonio TX. I'm a new bander going on 2 Days Strong! My surgery date was 12/30/10, what a Xmas and new years present to myself. I'm still in alot of pain and have hella gasses coming out of both openings, I know TMI but it's the truth. I've been drinking protein shakes, sipping on alot of water, doing my breathing excerises and walking around for atleast five minutes! My pain meds don't seem to work or help bur I know within time I'll be a brandnew Man! I'm looking foward for 2011 and the future! Happy New Year! God Bless & Good Luck! My current weight is 6'6 499, my new years goal is 6'6-375. It's going to be a long tough journey, but it's all or nothing! I've come this far, why not step it up and keep going!!!

Hello Fellow Band-Members! My name is Rueben from San Antonio TX. I'm a new bander going on 2 Days Strong! My surgery date was 12/30/10, what a Xmas and new years present to myself. I'm still in alot of pain and have hella gasses coming out of both openings, I know TMI but it's the truth. I've been drinking protein shakes, sipping on alot of water, doing my breathing excerises and walking around for atleast five minutes! My pain meds don't seem to work or help bur I know within time I'll be a brandnew Man! I'm looking foward for 2011 and the future! Happy New Year! God Bless & Good Luck! My current weight is 6'6 499, my new years goal is 6'6-375. It's going to be a long tough journey, but it's all or nothing! I've come this far, why not step it up and keep going!!!

Hey Guys! Im at my sisters 6 am 1/1/11 just waking up. Of course i didnt drink last night but it was fun anyway. I went to the nursing home and spent some time with the older folks. A lot of them at this home are in really bad shape. They need round the clock care and have nurses taking care of them so it sure was nice for them to have people there to visit them. My sister took her guitar to the home and sang a bunch of songs...old songs and some of her new songs. They were so excited that a country music star was in there singing to them...how special is that. It was really good for my sister too. She even hung around after helping people get their cake and tea. I was bad last night but there was nothing else to eat lol. I had enchillada's. Homeade. They really didnt have anything else for me to eat here i feel guilty but what was i gonna do? Starve? I was so hungry and i only ate 2 little ones and a spoon of rice. Like i said, i hadnt had a chance to eat all day so i was starving. Linda, You are right, she has taken over my life..however, i sometimes forget in the moment of being angry at her that i let her. I turned my life over to her for so long that now it is a integral part of this relationship. I really cant forget that i let her. That this isnt all her fault. I stopped doing for myself in the midst of depression and let her do everything for me. But now that i want to get healthy, she is still having issues with me gaining my independence. She doesnt think she is, but we had a huge argument yesterday about me driving. She told me im not allowed to drive our car because she thinks i will wreck it...or run it into the shop. I would never do that. She just doesnt want me going anywhere. Then she sais, well "If you can prove to me , you are going where you say you are, then maybe i would let you." Then sais "if you want to drive you need to get a job for gas because im not paying for it. OMG! Im going nuts about this. Im trying to gain more independence but she wont let me go anywhere. Its crazy. My sister thinks its just crazy. I wouldnt go very far and i would never go drink or drug. She is worried i will go get drunk or screw someone else or something (TMI) Idk , its crazy. All i want to do is go to a OA meeting and maybe have coffee with someone. Im trying to form friendships. I met a nice lady at the nursing home who i am going to try to go see once a week or something. Take her food and stuff..talk with her. I need friends so bad. But of course i wont be able to drive myself...ARG! I asked my dad to help me get a car because my mother left me some money when she died and he still hasnt given it to me. Im hoping he will help me out. Plus i told him i need some money for counseling. My ins prob wont pay for my entire therapy bill. We will see if he helps out. He is a huge part of my abuse issues so maybe he will see that i really need counseling. Sorry that i wrote you a book but sometimes i just need to vent and spill my guts....well a lot of the time i do these day Love you guys!!! Laters, Tina

Hi {Family}, First I want to say Happy New Years Eve!!!! And thank you to all that voted in my previous post. I ordered some Vitamins from Walgreens.com (they have an awesome end of year BOGO AND $10 off sale). I just changed my date from Feb 10 to January 22. I needed to kick myself in the butt and in high gear. This morning (in the wee hours) after spending some "romantic" (TMI huh?) time with my husband, I stood in the mirror completely naked. I mean really just looking at myself in a 360 kind of way. Then I began to think: Well maybe I am not THAT big. Maybe this extra chin is NOT a problem. Maybe making love in the dark isn't SO bad. After about 30 mins in the mirror, I had talked myself out of the surgery. I went to bed thinking, this IS the me I'm suppose to be, right? Fastforward to about 2 hours ago, after squeezing into my size 18/20 jeans and looking for my Ashley Stewart card, REALITY hit me {literally in my chest after climbing the stairs}. This is NOT who I WANT to be or am SUPPOSED to be. I make an executive decision {didn't call my hubby until after the call} to move me into the next available slot with Dr. Rod in TJ. So I am going on Jan 22 and I am TOOOOOOOOO excited. I start my pre-op about 10 days before (only need 7 but want to make sure) and cutting up my Ashley Stewart card for good. I will not buy any "new" {exchange doesn't count right} clothes for 6 months post-op. I am ready to make this change. No more listening to the noise around me. As long as my husband supports me, then I am all . I am going to count on you guys to kick me in the bootay {lol} every now and then during pre-op (I know I'm going to need it). Game Plan Jan 1-9 Shop online for all the "Must haves you guys recommended" Jan 10th- Celebrate my 25 birthday and the LAST Birthday as "Big" Anna Jan 11-15 Cook all of the Hubby's favorite foods to freeze. Get all major appts out the way (dentist/ortho, OBGYN, PCP), mimi pre-op Jan 15-22 Pre-op diet Jan. 22 Entering my cacoon! :Dancing_tongue:

Eva, intimacy is great but orgasms are better. Think toys to help jumpstart your libido. Also, my DH is a guitar player and guitar players strum it better. LOL. TMI again, but a healthy sex life fits the Live, Love, and Laugh Yourself Thin motto. And guys, I'm not talking about speaking your mind when I say I put my foot in my mouth. Here's an example. My mom and dad were playing "Catchphrase" with us on Christmas. My dad just plain couldn't get how the game was played. My mother was terrible at giving clues because she can't think that fast anymore or get the words out. So they were both on my team and I said that the next round we shouldn't have them both on one team. The instant it came out of my mouth I knew I shouldn't have said it, and sure enough, my mom brought it up when I was with her the other day. She was hurt to be put in the same category as my father. I just don't think things through before they pop out of my mouth. That's the lack of having a filter. Someone might be showing off their diamond ring and I'll say that I don't really get diamonds. It puzzles me why they're so popular. I never notice them on people because most people can only afford small ones and unless you're in a jewelry store which is lit up specifically to highlight diamonds, they don't really shine. The big ones stick out so far they catch on everything and are constantly dirty (especially with my sweaty hands) so they don't really shine. Now, that's my taste, but not appropriate to mention when someone is showing off their huge diamond ring. So, now you can maybe see why I wish I could band my mouth. LOL. Cheri

PCOS=Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It is a lovely disorder that is named after a symptom instead of what is actually is, which is basically a hormone imbalance. Essentially, when PCOS-ers eat our bodies make MUCH more insulin than a normal persons would, causing 1. more hunger 2. more fat storage. All this insulin and fat causes an excess of testosterone which opposed to popular theory does NOT drive up the libido but causes things like facial hair, acne, more weight around the middle, skin tags (basically moles) and..hence the name...a failure to ovulate fully which can cause small cysts on the ovaries. I don't have TOM for months at a time then will spot for like 3 weeks unless on some kind of birth control. I currently have an IUD which has triggered a weight gain of about 50 lbs in the last 2 years, not that I was thin before!!!. It is treated with birth control pills for period regulaiton and some diabetes medications, usually metformin, but the only "cure" is weightloss, which because of the insulin stuff is VERY hard...I can restrict eating and workout like a crazy person and lose half of what others around me are. sorry may be TMI but I love to educate women about it because there are so many out there with it, this is an incredibly common syndrome, who don't know anything about it until they start trying to conceive. I was lucky enough to have a surprise baby back in 2004, but many struggle with infertility their entire lives.

Wow! I never thought you guys would ever agree to Chicago. How about Labor Day Weekend? I could add a personal day either the Friday before or the Tuesday after. Memorial Weekend is another possibility, less hot usually, but frequently rainy. Of course with all the crazy weather who knows what it'll be like. I'm also free the mid-weeks in July and the first two weeks in August (I think my niece is planning her wedding and the family reunion the last week in July and I'll be in Europe the first week in July and teaching summer school in June. However, I do not teach summer school on Fridays and I do not teach afternoons, so June could work. Woke up this morning to thunder and lightning with pouring rain. Yuck!. Thanks for all the birthday wishes. I went and got a good book and spent most of the day reading or talking to relatives on the phone. Also a little evening delight before my husband went to work. Believe me, he does not mind the extra skin. We had some other issues to work out, though, psychological issues. This is the one where I out passive-aggressived him after a few unfruitful confrontations. Now all I can say at our age is, "a good man is hard to find and a hard man is good to find." TMI I'm sure, but we are all sexual creatures and it wasn't until I found someone safe with whom to talk about my husband's issues that I was able to get that train back on the track. All I can say is, "Choo Choo." However, I have not been able to get back on the Protein train. Too many parties and events and treats in the house. They're pretty much gone now. The damage is 3 lbs out of my range, 5 from the middle of my range which I want to get back to. So, choo choo on that track too. I've been talking to you all about some heavy duty personal issues--mostly my social anxiety. I don't think I've ever fully expressed the impact my ADHD has on my social life before. I really don't think non-ADHD people understand what its like to not have a filter in your brain between a thought and it coming out your mouth. I don't know how many times I've wanted to take something back the second after it comes out my mouth. This has definitely limited my ability to sustain friendship over time. Writing about it stirred up a lot of feelings that seemed to demand chocolate. Hopefully, now that that's out, some of my cravings will diminish. Cheri

Meredith...great minds think alike. When I was posting to LauraK today the thought came over my mind about "posing" so that the extra skin would not be noticed. LOL. (TMI warning). Just be a princess on your back for the initial "induction". Gosh....not only do we support each other with our WLS concerns, we are relationship experts as well. Good thing none of us are prigs. I have always been a dog lover, Meredith. I grew up with a minimum of three dogs in the house. DH grew up in a family where there was a "farm dog". You just threw it the leftover crap from the table and never would ever think about buying dog food. He has been totally in love with the dogs I have brought home. This kills me to say this but the first dog I brought home, he took out in the grove of trees and shot it. Too much of a bother. And, if you think that didn't get me thinking that something was wrong with this man, you are correct. It's just the way they did it on the farm. Never took the time to nurture or train a dog. Dog acted up...dog was gone. A major sin in my book. Well, after that horrible incident and me a forgiving person, I decided that I would "teach" him how to love an animal. Right now he is in his recliner lap top and lap dog on his lap....100lb black lab. Once I showed him that dogs were human, he is sooooooooooooo in love with every dog he meets. Tanker is our "empty nest dog". I missed my boys so much when they left. Had quit my job after working since early teens and it was so lonesome out here on the farm. Heck, Tanker knows everything I say. We have conversations.

This is definitely the question I wanted answered before I was sleeved. My surgery was on Dec. 21st so I am on day 7 today and i feel great! But just yesterday, i was still feeling kinda yucky...day 7 was definitely my sweet spot! The pain was never more than a 2 on a scale from 0-10 at the hospital (good drugs!) and when i got home and i ran out of my precious vicodin , the pain went up to a 5 or 6 at times but only when i overexerted myself (which meant simple things like turning over in bed, getting up from the couch or even washing my own hair). I was also having nausea. I went for my post op appt yesterday...my doctor prescribed me some anti-nausea stuff and that has helped alot (btw, you can ask for a prescription of this before your surgery so you have it ready...it can be in a small pill form...thats what i had). today, i would say my pain is at a .5 when im just sitting and a 1 when i have to move around...i wouldnt even call it pain...maybe just soreness on a couple of the incisions and discomfort because of my constant bubbling stomach. I havent had children so I have nothing to compare this to but i thought it was going to be a million times worse than what it was. But for sure, everyone's experience is different. I was expecting crazy back and shoulder pains from the gas and got none of it. I was expecting soreness and discomfort from the drain tube but the doctor never even left one in. I have to say that my surgeon seemed exceptional in his work and came highly recommended and i think that his expertise also has contributed to a whole lot less pain and side effects. (His name is dr. ganta from austin texas....owner of AIBL if you want to google it). And in the spirit of tmi - i felt so good this morning that me and my hubby had some great sex! oh yeah - day 7 is definitely my sweet spot! Good luck on your sleeve! You'll do great!!

tmi, i bet cum tastes better now that we all arent eating fried shit foods

I'm 1 year out and this is what i can now do that i couldn't do or hardy manage when I weighed 350 lbs. I can now sit comfortably in a airplane seat with 8 inches of seat belt left over AND the tray comes down with lots of space underneath it. I can now clean myself (TMI) without pulling my back I can now tie my shoes without thinking about it or getting out of breath I can now run to the mailbox and back (mailbox is down a hill about 1/4 mile) and feel good about it I can now climb up the stairs and not even realize it I can fit into size 16/18 from 32/34 or L from 4XL I can squeeze into really tight places to retrieve stuff I can finally enjoy my life and I thank God every day for allowing me to wake up to enjoy yet another

I am getting anxious to get back to doing some sort of physical activity too (not walking, I am not fond of it and it is to cold out), but I am just one week post op. I am going to my post op check Wednesday and I will ask. One bad thing I did do is I went back to work today and we had a lot of snow and I shoveled myself out. Not sure if I should tell my doctor I did that, I may get in trouble. A quick question, maybe TMI, I have had diarrhea since I started the liquid diet and I am usually constipated and take miralax regularly ( not since the diet though( so I am kind of don't want to take immodium, should I just wait it out and figure once I start eating stuff it should clear up?

Docs normally say no sexual activity for 1-2 weeks post op. What are the positions to do?. I would think the best are: something where ur stomaches not doing too much work. 1. off the bed 2. missionary but dont have ur partner rubbing ur stomach, have him holding himself up 3. doggy style

With all the food challenges during the holidays, I think I did very well. I am trying to look at life with a band as a LIFE. Not a diet......a diet implies that you can choose to follow it or not. So, I went into the holidays with the mindset of making good choices and not depriving myself. And I think I did very well. Did I have sweets? Yes--but just a taste....not several servings! And not 25 different tastes!! Just one or two. At Chrismas dinner (we did italian food --stuffed shells, meatballs, veggie lasagna) I had a little bit of what I liked. I didn't fill my plate with food I don't really like just to be polite. I had two stuffed shells and a meatball. I didn't have seconds (was full and didn't want any). I still beat myself up........I had some chips and dip.......but the difference....this year, I had a few chips on my plate and a spoonful of dip. Last year, it would have been most of a bag of chips and the container of dip!! I don't know how long before I stop the mind games and start thinking like a thin person. I do have to say, I had more carbs than I normally have and my GI tract didn't like it very much.....TMI...sorry. So, now I am back on track. I have a thing of chili in the crock pot (best thing to have during a blizzard!) My fill appointment for today was cancelled due to the blizzard. I need to call tomorrow and I am sure they will get me in tomorrow. I hope everyone had a good holiday.

Coke (any soda) is a HUGE source of weight gain and retension. Not to mention other bad things it does to your body. The biggest thing about soda is it helps to retain water especially coke. Now I am no doctor just going on what doctors have told me in the past. I started Hot tea day of surgery on my way home from the hospital. i waited 2 days to start regular coffee in moderation and made sure i got enough other liquids so that TMI i know my urine was clear. In the end Coffee should not hurt you if taken in moderation and you make sure to stay hydrated. Obviously you should steer clear of milk or cream unless its fat free and use a sweetner like agave or equal etc... Like i said im not a doctor just offering my honest humble opinion.