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Laura - that sucks about your doctor not being more supportive. Too late to find another one? I'm not saying that they need to pander to you but they should give you more than "duh" answers, like "eat vegetables", duh idiot. Oh and that's nice that Russell asked about your weight gain. That just means he's paying attention. Since you're probably sulking about it. Is he the type to help out with it, and do you even want help with it? Like if you're eating something you're not supposed to can he call you out on it?

DannyBoy, I'm with ya......we need fills!!!! Get one. Btw, how tall are you? Hotty, I wanna believe!! I get to the point where I'm restricted, but I can eat more than I want, maybe 3-5 tacos...then I complain to my fill person that I can eat 3-5 tacos and don't want to be able to....and she gives me that fill....then I am....gak.....closed off. I try to tough it out, get dehydrated, about to pass out......hubby gets worried...and I make the trek for an unfill...so depressing. How do you feel after fill? Are you too tight and then you loosen up? How did you get to the point you are at now? Suz....we need to talk about our Body Bugg! Either you're burning calories in circles around me or I'm over-obsessing about my intake. Either way, I'm not logging in food right now. Now until I get control of my weight gain. Gawd, Stef...where have you gone girlfriend, I miss ya!

I want to say that there isn't a day that goes by that I don't look to this thread for support and encouragement.. Even if I don't post every day, I am always reading and learning from everyone. I am grateful to have found a place of acceptance and encouragement. Thank you to everyone on here for the way that we show respect and friendship... it means soo much!! Fenton- this is for you... (actually all of us) I came across this on the home page and thought it would be a good reflection for all of us as we experience struggles with ourselves at some point or another. Please read and enjoy: Get rid of your Dieter's Mentality MacMadame Published by MacMadame 07-04-2008 Get rid of your Dieter's Mentality How many of us have been "on a diet" for most of our lives? Too many, in my opinion. Not just because it's bad for our health or because diets don't work. It's bad for our mental health too. It leads to something I call "Dieter's Mentality." If you have Dieter's Mentality, you need to cut it out because it's going to sabotage your success. This is true whether or not you have had Weight Loss Surgery, are on your pre-op diet or are doing it the traditional way through diet and exercise. Diet Mentality is evil and it puts you in a bad place! What is Diet Mentality? It has four major components: 1) Putting food into Good and Bad buckets First of all, food is not Bad or Good -- it's just food. Some food is a better choice than others, but even then it's really just all food. If you are getting in enough of the essential nutrients and you account for your calories each day, you are doing good no matter if you have a bite of dessert once in a while or not. All food is bad food if you eat too much of it or only eat one kind. It's just as unhealthy to eat nothing but Protein as it is to eat nothing but birthday cake. A healthy diet is balanced and can even include a certain amount of junk food as long as it's a small amount and it doesn't trigger you into bad behavior. 2) Judging your worth by what you eat Making bad food choices does not make you a bad person. Your self-worth shouldn't be tied up in what you eat. Good people make bad choices all the time. Instead of beating yourself up when you make a bad choice, hating yourself, seeing yourself as a failure and otherwise engaging in destructive behavior, just figure out how to make a better choice next time. It's not easy to be dispassionate about your own behavior, but telling yourself that you made a bad choice and next time you'll make a better one is a good start and much healthier than telling yourself you are a bad person and you'll never lose the weight and you hate yourself. 3) Judging your worth by how much you weigh/how much you've lost this week The scale is just part of the picture. If you get too tied up in the scale, you get a distorted view of the world. Weeks where you lose are good weeks even if someone close to you died. Weeks where you don't lose are bad weeks even if you got a big promotion at work and did everything "right" in terms of diet and exercise. One of the dangers of measuring everything by your weight on the scale is that you can convince yourself that making bad choices is okay because sometimes you can make bad choices and still lose/maintain. You can also convince yourself that making good choices is pointless because some weeks you make all good choices and the scale doesn't move. But clearly making more bad choices than good will lead to weight gain in the long run. Anything thinking that leads you to conclude otherwise is destructive thinking. 4) Waiting until you are thin(ner) to start living Stop waiting until you get to goal to start living or loving yourself. Love yourself now. Live your life now. It's easy to fall into "when I lose 25 pounds, I will start..." type of thinking. It's a fine line between thinking about how you will reward yourself when you meet certain goals and putting your life on hold until you meet certain goals. Many of us have had the experience of thinking we were so fat back when we were in HS or college or a young adult and not being happy. But then we got even fatter and we look at those pictures from back then and we realize that we were actually pretty hot. In fact, we'd give anything to be "that fat" right now. Why not love yourself now while you're living your life instead of waiting until 10 years later to tell yourself how good you had it back then?

Just a little vent about clothing sizes. Spotted a pair of slouchy drop crotch pants on sale online. What size will I need I wondered? Got out out my handy dandy dress maker’s tape measure & checked the size guide. OMG it said I was a MED/large or a size 14 (US 10/12). WTF!?! 😱 Is this the children’s size guide I thought but even if it was I’m only a size 10/12 in children’s wear. Nope, definitely adult sizing. It’s an Aust company I’ve bought from before (XXS fitted knit dress & XS sweaters) just not pants. All my pants are Aust size 4 or 6. How could I be a size 14 in their eyes? I know I had some dessert at Christmas but not enough to cause a weight gain of 4 clothing sizes. 😉 GRRRR!

Thanks Dub, I appreciate it. I was injured at 9/11 and by two drunks in the line of duty. The last crash really almost killed me and made me permanently disabled, so it contributed to my weight gain. So everyday is a benchmark. Merry Christmas.

well, I was divorced before my lapband, but will say it has given that boost of confidence to meet others.. In fact almost 1 year with my someone special.. I didn't tell him about my LB until August...felt the right time would present itself and it did. he has been supportive of my choice and there for me when I struggle. Have to something about my "holiday" weight gain.. but working on it..with the hrlp of my recent 1cc fill.

good morning! The ups and downs of being banded. Well, I am working on getting my weight down again. It is a constant struggle. I am not sure, but I think I would trade my love of food for a decent weight. It just seems wrong for me personally to have spent so much of my life dealing with food and weight. sigh! I find that liquids for a day or so help get my pouch back to size. I have mentally considered a different surgery as well. It is very frustrating! I am not really as negative as this post seems. I still am down from where I was. Even with my recent weight gain of a few pounds, I am still in the same clothes. For me to "catch" myself this early in the weight gain is very good. Maybe I am learning?

No, not intending to lose more weight @Sophie7713 just trying to stabilise & work out that fine line between weight gain & weight loss. For me it’s very narrow. Going back to work as been a bit of a challenge. In retail, you can’t say to a customer sorry have to have my snack & walk away. Bones everywhere. The house we rented had rustic timber bench seats at the dining table. I had to sit on a cushion & have one at my back to protect my bony butt & spine. One of my 6yr old nieces asked why I was so skinny. I said so she could give me really good hugs ... so she did. I’d be ok if I put on a kg or 2 to get me back to a BMI of 20. Love the glorious pxts of flowering plants. Spring is such a wonderful time. BTW you’re looking fabulous, Sophie. Your achievement is so inspiring. Chores done, now relaxing. Think I’ll watch the last episode of Hunters.

Another case of I’m glad I didn’t get rid of these shoes or boots this time. Bought these about 10years ago back when I was in my old usual weight range (before my menopause weight gain). I kept them because they were so lovely even though I thought they were too big at 38.5 (now a 37.5-38) & them being wide around the calf. I decided to put them on yesterday for the hell of it & they fit. A little big but thick socks helped then I remembered they did run a little small. Yes, I can put my hands down the sides but putting them over pants helped. Wore them today & two people stopped me to tell me how much they loved them. One was disappointed when I said they were about 10yrs old as she was going to ask where I bought them to get herself a pair.

Apples, so glad you're back. Wasn't the same without you. Arlene, you're just going to have to pick a color you like and not worry about it. I think Lori does your shade of blue. We just have too many posters. I think I tried turquoise and no one liked reading that. Well, guys, I'm really struggling. It isn't just sweet foods, I am just wanting to eat. I've gained a few lbs as a result and now my band is tight which makes it difficult for me to eat solid protein. So when I can't get enough good food into me I turn to sliders. I also noticed more reflux with the weight gain. The problem for me seems to be my ADHD is really kicking my butt. I can't stay still or concentrate. Food has always been my way of staying in one place in social situations and has always helped me concentrate. I can't concentrate for beans and my restlessness is off the charts--partly because without all the weight I can actually get up and move comfortably. There are nights when I can't shut my mind off either and fall asleep. Sometimes I feel like I'm jumping out of my skin. Don't know how much of this has to do with the grief process, or how much has to do with a difficult situation with my husband, or how much has to do with the stress of teaching where I teach. I just can't seem to shut down. I actually have excess energy that I'm having trouble channeling. There's a lot I can't do physically because it triggers joint pain. I'm limited by my fake knees, too. Also, my friends are work friends or they're lap band thread friends, which means I can't call them up and meet them somewhere for a cup of coffee. Getting involved with a new choir is helping with some of my excess time. You wouldn't think I had any, but I do. You can do a lot of food damage in just a couple of hours with nothing better to do. Even at work, as crazy as it is, I have some free periods where I have trouble focusing and getting anything done--like correcting workbooks or writing down lesson plans. I want food--particularly chocolate--to settle me down and help me focus. With the weight off, I've lost some of my focus and drive for watching what I'm eating. Knowing me and my ADHD I've gotten bored with it. Mentally, I've finished the project. I have terrible trouble sticking with anything for very long. For example, Facebook is getting boring; I just skim it most days. Facebook games got boring a long time ago. I used to do Sudoku till I got really good at it and it wasn't a challenge anymore. I wish I could run and swim whenever I felt like it. If I had an arthritis pool nearby where I could walk and swim laps I'd do that. Swimming might actually help me sleep at night. Most other exercise keeps me awake if I do it in the evening. Anyway, I'm going to do three no or low-carb days in a row. Basically, back to protein drinks for a couple of days with mushies like refried beans. Take a couple lbs off to loosen the band and then start adding solid proteins eaten frequently throughout the day. I wish I had Apples here to cook for me. I really hate cooking. So my food really lacks variety. I need to keep things really simple. I hate food preparation. I like things that are ready in just a few minutes. I don't do anything that takes more than three simple steps. Anyway, enought b!!ching. Gotta do! Cheri

I don't pb on any meats as long as I take very small bites and chew very slowly and swallow very small amounts. I take a longer time to eat my food now. I've lost a few lbs since my fill so am not nearly as tight. Also seems like if I don't want to pb all I have to do is lose some more weight, the band loosens, especially at night, and eventually I need another fill. I have to stick to mostly dense, relatively dry protein to make the band work. Too much moisture or grease in the meat and it turns into just another slider that I can eat and eat and eat. Man, I hate falls. I'm petrified of falling with all my osteoarthritis. Falls have ended up with me needing surgeries and injections and weight gain out of sheer misery. I never wear heals, I'm extemely careful under icy conditions and wear the most grippy shoes I can during the winter. Everyone be very careful. 13 more lbs to goal as of this morning. Food's really good right now. I'm working the band and it works if you work it. Cheri

Got this from Calorie Count - Eat Well - thought some might like it... Drive by post - will catch up later :0) Staying in control of what we eat can be challenging in our world, where tempting foods seem to loom at every turn. "In the past, we’d teach people how to handle predictable food situations, like what to do in a restaurant and how to navigate the supermarket," says Cynthia Bulik, Ph.D., director of the Eating Disorders Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-author of Runaway Eating: The 8-Point Plan to Conquer Adult Food and Weight Obsessions (Rodale, 2005). "But what do you do when you bump into a candy display by the checkout counter at the shoe store? We need a bigger set of skills." Here, Bulik and others offer advice for beating the tendency to binge and improving your relationship with food. Keep a food diary. Recording everything—the ice cream binge as well as the carrots and celery—"makes everything you eat part of the plan," says Elena Ramirez, Ph.D., co-founder of the Vermont Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy in South Burlington, Vermont. "It’s no longer a sneaky bad thing." Keeping track of your calories can help you lose weight, too, as it helps tip you off to behaviors that lead to weight gain. A daily food diary, in fact, is an integral part of The EatingWell Diet (Countryman, 2007). Plan for the occasional piece of cheesecake. Studies suggest that feeling deprived—even if you are consuming plenty of calories—can actually trigger overeating. Making any food off-limits "just increases its allure," confirms Ramirez. If pizza is your downfall, it might be too tempting to keep in your house—but you can learn to enjoy it in a "safe" environment, she notes. "Make a trip to a pizza place, order a slice and enjoy it out in the open. The more you practice this, the more it becomes ingrained behavior." She adds, "You can’t avoid a trigger food your whole life, but you can learn how to eat the foods you binge on in moderation." Give up grazing. While eating regularly helps prevent feeling deprived and hungry, "[grazing] can easily supply a binge’s worth of calories, a little at a time," says Ramirez. Plan four "eating episodes" each day spaced at regular intervals to avoid going long stretches without eating (which can also trigger binging). Eat Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus a 250-calorie midafternoon snack. At each, include a little Protein for additional staying power. Eat with intention. Have all your meals in a designated place without distractions (i.e., not in front of the TV). That way your eating episode has a beginning and an end. Eat slowly, stopping to put your fork down between bites, feeling yourself becoming fuller. Making an effort to be mindful no matter what you’re eating can help break the tendency to binge, experts say. Expect the unexpected. Tempting foods are more likely to trigger overeating when we come across them unexpectedly. Since surprise food confrontations are a given these days, it’s helpful to "be armed with a script when you’re confronted by tasty food," says Bulik. "If you’re handed a sample of Cookies at the supermarket, the line might be, ‘No, thanks. I’ve just eaten.’" Find healthy outlets for emotions. Turning to food to "numb out" emotions like anxiety works temporarily, but after the food is gone the stressful stimulus still remains—along with a hefty dose of guilt. Find ways to experience negative emotions with a response other than eating. Try deep breathing or meditation, calling a friend or going for a brisk walk. "The more you practice these alternative behaviors, the more automatic they become," notes Ramirez. Eventually, reaching for a bag of chips can stop being the default reaction to stress. Hide tempting foods. When office workers were given candies in clear dishes to place on their desktops, they helped themselves to candy 71 percent more often than a similar group that was given the same candy in opaque dishes so that the candy wasn’t visible, according to research by Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab in Ithaca, New York, and an EatingWell advisory board member. "We’re all on the ‘see-food’ diet," he says, "so don’t let yourself see what you don’t want to eat." If you’re going to keep Snacks at home, stash them inside a cupboard; keep the apples out on the counter. Make overeating a hassle. The more stops you introduce in getting a food—such as needing to open a package or having to thaw something frozen—the more opportunities you have to ask, "Am I really hungry?" explains Wansink. Repackage cookies in single-portion bags (or pay more for individually portioned snacks); wrap leftover slices of lasagna individually in foil and freeze. No choice but to serve yourself from a large (shared) portion? Dish your portion onto a small plate. Studies by Wansink and others have shown that when served food in bigger containers, people eat more. Your thoughts.... Do you have a tip for winning the "food fight"? More from EatingWell.com: Quick Pasta recipes Quick Low Calorie Recipes Mexican Food for $3 per Serving

Laura - Tell me who the F gave you a hard time about the coach purse comment !!! I will go kick their freaking butt !!! We know you were just kidding - Hell your DH is a doc & you are PA - so WTF - I got your back gf... I never had reflux prior to banding and hardly any heart burn - but now I get it from drinking Water sometimes- My doc's suggestion is to take pecide daily - I agree w/you that the weight gain is what has made your band tighter.. Yep you do live a very active life - but you gotta find 1 hr for you.. You gotta make healthier food choices. I think you have gotten complacement at where you are at.. If you are happy there that's fine - but I think and know you can do better - Hint Hint - Push Push.. Linda - Making our thread personal I don't think it's doable and l then how would newbies find us - but WTH none of them stay around too long anyway - I know our thread has lots of veiw - and lately with the new site enhanchments - pple are just posting all over the place I agree w/you 100% is they can't post here and join the group - don't send a flaming pm to someone... Charlene - Hugs on the pbing - I have never ever pb or slimed that long - once it comes up and can be anywhere from 1 - 3 throwups - it's done and over with and then band is usually wide ope.. Well I gotta get back to work - No this isn't a furlough friday - I am taking 1/2 day off - Eve/Karen should be here around 2 p.m. on Friday... I think

Tina - Sorry about your relationship troubles. You can not live in constant conflict, I tried in my previous marriage it does not work. I have found there is so much more in life even if it is by yourself. Maybe it is a blessing in disguise. Meaning now you will be able to focus on you and your LB journey. Get back to being happy with yourself and someone will come along that is better for you. I truly believe that. Don't be scared we are all here for you. Great - I am glad things are better for your DD. Tell her to take it easy stay off her feet. I am praying for you guys. Keep us posted. Okay my turn so we all know my job is very physical now, which I love however I woke up this morning with shooting pains from my lower back down both my knees I can't bend over and only can sit for a little bit then have to lay flat. I have been given muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatories to take. I was only taking the muscle relaxers at night due to they make me sleepy. However today I can take them as the script was written 3-4 times a day. My DH is driving my car today so I don't have to worry about driving and I do not go to work until 1pm it is 8:30am right now so I am hoping I get better. It could be a mixture of the weight gain and the hard labor at work. I have to lift 50lb boxes of chicken several times a day. I am very aware of how to lift properly maybe I still need a back brace. I can't lose this job and I really need them to make me full time. They just told us yesterday all the part timers will be going to 20 hrs a week ughhh how can I pay my bills with that. It seems I am having terrible luck with my jobs latley.

Julie...hope that cold you have just turns around and leaves. (Knocking on wood right now)...I never get virus'. Just really never have. I feel fortunate and hope it stays that way. I don't sit much, Julie. Never have. I think that's why I appreiate my newfound energy so much. It was such a depressing thing for me when I was heavy and did not have much energy. I kept pushing myself but everything was a task. I feel as if I have been given this second chance and I am enjoying it. I believe a good night of sleep is the clincher in almost everything we do. We get up early around here (anytime between 4:30-6am) but I usually get my 7 hours. If I don't I try to make it up the next night. I have read so much about women/menopause/inadequate sleep and weight gain. When you are lacking sleep, it's tough to deal with many different things. All I know is that I feel good every day for so long now and do not take it for granted. One week from today we hit the road and will work our way towards FL. As I stated b/4, I have always flown wherever I have traveled and not sure about so many hours in the truck. Will just have to break up the trip every 3-4 hours with stops. My dog will need breaks so he will keep me stopping. DH will sleep and watch movies...I will most likely drive 98% of the miles. I am not a rider. I have most everything packed and ready to go. Just last minute grabbing of toiletries, etc. later. DH just keeps shaking his head as I pack. (Hey...I'm driving a truck...everything fits in a truck). He gave me a look last night and I asked him "How do you think that kitchen sink will travel?" He didn't think it was so funny.

Good morning from blizzardy Denver! I am on my DD's computer and wanted to check in and say hi. All is well here other than I am snowed in, was to go home today but probably not now, I don't want her to get stuck in the snow and start labor or something. She's doing well, off all restrictions. Dr said baby can come any time not but probably won't for about a week. Her gall bladder is bothering her real bad now so they may consider inducing her next week so she can then get that taken care of. I've been reading on my Droid phone so am sortta up to date, just can't figure out responding on the thing. So a few of the things I remember to comment on: Arlene, that must have been quite the stuck episode, never heard of it lasting like that. When I get stuck I usually just have to excuse myself, cough or burp once or twice and get rid of the offender and then usually can go back and finish my meal. Normally it's because I wasn't paying attention to bit size or chewing, almost always happens when I am distracted, talking etc. rarely when I am alone and being a good mindful bander. Have never had to do liquids or anything after, so I feel for you and sorry you had such a horrible episode. Laura, I got your humor about the purse. Heck get 2! LOL Sounds like you really have things figured out though and it makes sense that a weight gain can tighten it if a weight loss can loosen it. I too am one that doesn't have good boundaries right now and over commit, hence the Boundaries book I am reading is helping me in that regard as well. Meredith, take it from an old lady, if you can start saving no now and setting up good boundaries for your time you will save yourself a lifetime of grief. Good for you for realizing it at your young age. When do you start your pouch test? Linda, hope you are feeling better. Eva and Apples, have a great road trip, don't be too much like Thelma and Louise, don't they drive over a cliff or something in the end? Joyce, sounds like maybe the 5 day pouch test might be a good idea for you too to figure out what's what with your band? When you are getting stuck are you eating too fast, too big of bites, etc? Did your DH support the band going into it or has he been against it all along and just wants you to be done with it? It's gotta be tough if you don't have the support at home. Well I hear DD up, upstairs, today we are going to set up the nursery. We went baby shopping yesterday and finished getting all the baby stuff she needed that she didn't get at her showers. It's so cute. It will be a day stuck indoors in this snow storm. I know I won't be seeing my folks today if they didn't want to go out yesterday to see me in the almost 60 degree weather because it was too cold and too far, I know they won't go out today. DS was real hurt as we were to meet him at his Walmart and then go to lunch, he hasn't seen Grandma and Grandpa since they got to town, and DD was looking forward to showing them the nursery. Oh well their (my folks) loss. But when I did see my sisters and folks the visit went pretty well. I stood up for myself when needed, mom got a little ticked but I left feeling guilt free!

There is so much to comment on and I will probably miss people and stuff. Linda, what a sweet baby, both of them, your DGD and Merry. You two are so cute in your matching aprons. Looks like you are having fun. That is an ugly tumor...hugs to you and to Merry. I hope for the best outcome for both of you. Laura, really glad to hear your Mom is doing better. My sister swears by those epidurals. She's on other drugs that have contributed to her weight gain, but I don't know which ones. It doesn't help with her arthritis either, but then I guess it's a balancing act. Sorry your Dad is feeling poorly. Hope he gets some relief. Lots of work with that party, but your parents will really appreciate it. Hi Dee, nice to see you again. How's NO treating you? Joyce, sorry to hear about your DD. I hope she gets the help she needs, unfortunately its tough to do. Phone ringing...bbl

Good Morning All...My guys are trying to get a couple good days in b/4 the freeze (not yet...a good thing) so DS was already here and ready to go a couple of hours ago. I try not to think of them during the day, working in the bitter cold. If all goes well today, they should be able to wrap up their tiling year tomorrow night. Kelly...that dog of yours is quite photogenic...just a cutie. Most of us here are dog lovers. I talk to mine all the time. I spend so much time alone from March thru Dec, I find that I talk to DH like I talk to the dog once he is home for the winter. And, Kelly, good to hear you say that you don't think you will feel added "food pressure" during this upcoming holiday. Planned treats were my friend but made sure I didn't go hog wild. The way I see it....we should enjoy the day but at the end of the day we cannot feel like we have ruined the day by over eating. Make sense. We want to feel like we did OK with our eating and still enjoy and not stress about the food. Holidays are part of life. Birthday parties, weddings, family vacations are all part of life and involve MEGA FOOD. If we can learn to tame the urge within us, we can partake but not overdo. You are doing great. Phyll...damn, huh? Hope your docs can get the meds right for you. And that weight gain...meds, right? Try not to let the scale rule right now. Just eat as you usually do, get through this and things will taper off. Sending loves and hugs. I bet you were IRATE when you got that message about the 20 docs. Let them do their own leg work from here on out. Hope the epidural works. Have been writing this post for more than two hours. Got a text from youngest DS and had to run some stuff to town for him. Got home and got a call to run some stuff to the field. Don't they know how important my morning post to the girls and TX is????LOL

A sliver isn't bad....one average sized slice has about 800 cals. And, I used to always have to have it ala mode. Makes me cringe to think of the mindless eating I used to do. I have been going thru some photos while watching TV. Just so shocking to look at these photos and the not so gradual weight gain from year to year:crying:

Thanks Cheri! That frizz stuff is really helping to keep my hair in place and also shiny. Maybe with Janet's help you can find the right body shaper. Julie......I am so glad you had a good visit with the pain doc. Your family dr .....forget her. Personally, I like the PA at the doctor's office better than my doctor. She listens. My new great niece was two months old that day. I used that pic because she covered my budda belly. lol Laura....such good news....the shots worked. Yep, those pills can really cause weight gain. I attribute xanax to my hunger for so many years. I didn't realize it till I was put on Lexapro. I fear taking xanax now because I will eat everything , but the kitchen sink. So cute about Nels finding the cake.

Good Morning Peeps Judy you crack me up - I love your sense of humor !!! Hope all is well w/the fridge - You aren't the only one home on a Saturday nite :smile2: Gwen - It takes awhile to learn who's who - you will get it I'm IndioGirl but everyone calls me Janet - I don't mind using my real name never have - everyone I know knows I'm banded Some others didn't want to at first since anyone can read this stuff we post here - Apples/Karen - Great/Lori - Charlene/Arlene - JBFlorida/Judy - MsBubba/Julie - Peacorp/Laura - Laurak/Laura (that's why we always say LauraK since we have 2) - NYSparkle/Jodi - Phyllser/Phyl - Ifyourstomach/Cheri - Jodi - The phones worked fine - but I couldn't down load my contacts - but I have some samsung phone - Andrew has a blackberry and his did download to house phone - but he deleted it cuz he's a teenager and doesn't want me to have all his # for some reason - that's ok I can go look at the cell phone bill to see who he calls if need be ;0) He's 19 deserves his privacy - the bluetooth part works well in the house - DS called last night on Andrew's cell - it was like 10:30 - and since I was up I talked to him - it was great - cuz in our house our cell reception sucks - LOL on stuck - yep you most likely ate to fast and didn't chew.. Girl - I am concerned about you and Mr. Vegas - you were so against seeing him - now you are going to - Do you want to show off the weight loss and say look at me now - look at what you missed out on.. That's cool as long as that's all it is - be careful - I am going to have a chock collar on you ;0) Cheri - I agree w/you on Julie's recap - Didn't she do good.. Hell I went to bed at 1 still up at 5:30 - 6 - Fur Babies.. Laura - Glad Nelsons tooth is out - girl you crack me up on worrying so about when Nelson doesn't eat.. I guess it's cuz I'm a grandma and I know that they will eat when they are read to - kids for the most part aren't like us ;0) we make sure we never miss a meal or a snack. Now he's missing the tooth - he's still not going to eat somethings - don't worry so ;0) grandma to mom ;0) Charlena - No bad foods for the most part as long as we eat in moderation ;0) - Even low cal foods that we over eat (like white choc pudding - I love it I eat all 4 serving 70 x 4) aren't good - so I'm like you if it's too good and I can't stop myself - out it goes - I just throw the crap away ... WTG on cleaning out the closet - get rid of those bigger clothes so that you can't slide back into them.. That what I did - I do have a couple pairs of pants that are size 4 but big 4's - I don't even like having them around - to easy to not notice the weight gain - espeicallly now it's hot - I have summer shifts that are loose - I love them now cuz they are cool - but worry I won't notice a weight gain - I don't step on the scales every week - now a days about every 2 weeks.. Phyl - I had those printer issues last weekend (got new printer) I just called HP and they fixed it remotely - Hope you had a great time at the Festival.. Well Gang ... Got gym in a couple hrs need to go read the paper etc - cbl

Phyll...my first thought while reading your post was dehydtration. Were there extremely salty food at your party with adult drinks. I will notice a 3-4 lbs weight gain for a few days after I have overdone it on ham or salty deli meats. You gotta get the Coach. You WERE in Onderland and by the time you get home with that purse, I bet you will be in Onderland again. You GF's have a great time shopping and lunching tomorrow.

Kristi...congrats on your continued weight loss. You will notice that you will have some weeks where the scale does not move a lot but you can tell a difference in your clothing. Normal. You are going great guns. Just keep your patience and follow what has been working for you. Meredith...such a busy little girl. YOU HAVE A YARD???? We have not seen any of our lawn since last Oct. DH and I were sitting out in our 3 season (1season in MN) today and I am not sure if we have ever not seen the horizon at the end of March due to 5 foot snow banks. We will have a late planting season and that is always such a huge pain in the ass. I guess when a person (s) are in a business that relies on the weather, it does not good to complain. Just gotta go with the flow. The flow sucks. I am a planner and relying on the weather does not quite fit my plan. Good thing DH is so mellow. To answer your question. FIL was to have surgery today on his dislocated wrist. Surgery was put off till tomorrow morning. I feel so bad for BIL. They landed in CA yesterday (they are from Seattle) to no luggage. He and his partner spent a better part of the day trying to track down all the luggage. No where to be found. They have little ones (adopted 2 boys ages 3 and 6 from Guatemala )..so went shopping. He gets the call about dad and flies out leaving his partner and kids in Palm Dessert. He is spending his entire vacation with FIL. Tried to convince DH to just fly to AZ tonight and let bro go back to his family and planned vacation. Will wait till tomorrow to see if he is needed. Once FIL gets back here (maybe Sat.) I will be able to see to it that he has everything he needs. As I stated b/4...just tough when he is so far away. And, EVA, thanks for the offer. As I have told you..DH is his clone so I know you would just love him. Dinner with DH, GF and 5 yr old and 8 yr old was great. Sent them home with a box of food and the uneaten Easter candy. DH gained a little more than 15lbs while in Tucson and did not want that for a temptation. He has always been such a little guy and has never had to worry about more than a 5lb weight gain. Must be age. He will be 57 on 4/12 (Eva and DH share a bday and Arlene and my oldest share a bday). Cool. Anyway, DH has taken off all but about 8lbs and eating pretty good meals. He certainly is not sedentary....just loves to eat while on vaca. Not too much going on this next week. Shop work for the guys getting machinery ready. I'm getting into spring (what spring?) cleaning...gotta get it done b/4 I bolt for the lake. On a daily basis...housework sucks...but, when I am under stress, I find it theraputic. Soooooooooooooo..............that said, lots of house work will get done tomorrow. Linda...OMG...the peeling carrots photo on FB was way cute. I could have posted so many stories from little guy (GF's son) just from today alone. What a little character. And, 8 yr old daughter is sooooooooooo mature for her age. Brag. I didn't raise them. Mom and their dad are the best at working together even though they are divorces. I breath a sigh of relief every time she explains going to church together just for the kids. Wonderful parents. Night all.

Hi all, Just caught up with everyone. No comments. Gotta go to bed. Had a meeting after school. Came home for an hour and caught up on e-mail. Left for choir. Came home and caught up on FB and LBT. Getting up at 5 a.m. as per usual so need my sleep. Julie, have you ever thought about not trying to sleep at night? Seems like you overmedicate at night to kill the pain so you can sleep. Then you can't get up in the morning. Maybe just stay up and stay busy until you can't keep your eyes open. Sleep in your chair as long as you can. Then keep busy until you can't keep your eyes open then sleep again, etc. Maybe your body will find its natural sleep rhythm without knocking yourself out with drugs. You didn't seem to have much pain when you were busy with the wedding. What were you doing then that was working? Maybe having all that work to do kept your mind off the pain? Made you tired enough to sleep? Also, I lost weight while taking Flexerall. I doubt it caused your or Arlene's weight gain. It worked on my trigger points which allowed me to sleep comfortably and move freely throughout the day. Remember I'd had that bad fall and it took at least 6 months to heal. All my trigger points were triggered and firing. Moving freely and sleeping well helps you lose weight. Eating the wrong things triggers my appetite and consequent weight gain. Also, there is a stomach bug doing the rounds that may be responsible for some of the band discomfort people are going through. Definitely nausea is part of it. And, as we all know, major gas issues. Apples, I'm really surprised at your Dr.'s choice of laxatives. Hope it all worked out in the end. LOL. Cheri Cheri

Hi Peeps! Lori, glad you made it safe to Denver so you could snuggle with Katelyn......can't wait to see the pictures of four generations. LauraK, sorry you aren't feeling too well. Probably this dang wishy-washy weather. Yesterday was beautiful. Today t-storms and my Fibromyalgia has kicked in. I just don't know why it tightens my band. I ate some chicken an hour ago and just finished pbing. I need a fill, but days like this....no way! Jewel.....I have low thyroid. You can't go to sleep at night and you don't want to get up in the morning. Also, weight gain especially Water weight. I think mine is a little high right now. I get really hot and have a hard time cooling down. Nope....not hot flashes, been there, done that! Hi Eva....come plant my garden......please? lol Apples, you are a busy lady this week. I just took a chicken pot pie out of the oven for a young family at church. The mother of three just got out of the hospital with kidney stones......you can relate. They told her she still has four of them in her kidney. So, tonight it is chicken pot pie, salad, and peach cobbler with ice cream. She is real tiny so she can use the carbs. Sndy.....glad you got a break from caring for dad. Caregivers need time for themselves. Hi Janet and Phy......you too Peaches! Linda, My DH gets up at 4am for work. I did go back to bed for a couple of hours.......feeling achy today, but moving around makes me feel better. I am a morning person. They say when you get older you tend to even get up earlier. They upside is you can get all your stuff done before anyone wakes up(kids). I hope you are feeling better. Well, gotta go deliver a meal. Later!