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That's good ! Where are you at anyway? Calories 195, Protein25G, Total Carb. 11G. I took that of the strawberry. I bought 2strawberry. / 2peanut butter choc... Then I emailed her, and bought 2 more strawberry. I couldn't pass it at that price. This way I have about 5 different flavors to go threw, and I been buying this since I was banded, and that's what they told us to drink. Banded 10/31/2006 That's a long time... But these flavors are good, some are lousy like their chocolate, creme brulee yuk! Now there chocolate Milk is very good. It's hit n miss with everything. But if it wasn't any good?? I wouldn't post it. Hope you can enjoy it. Shirley.

Height - 5'4" Weight at start - 253 Weight day of surgery 240 after 3 months - lost 55 pounds (198) after 6 months - lost 84 pounds (169) after 9 months - lost 104 pounds (149) after 10 months - lost 108 pounds (145)

Hi Sharona Thanks for replying. I have never asked how much I have in my band but I will ask when I see him on tues. I have the small inamed 10 ml band. I agree that I feel as though I am still able to eat too much at a meal however I also like the fact that I can pretty much eat everything (as in still eat bread and meat) but I will discuss all of this and my concerns about possibly getting over-filled with my doc.

Hi Queen of Hearts. Thanks so much for your reply. I just went through all of my papers, I have a 10 ml inamed band. I will talk some more to my doc on tuesday. My weight loss is excruciatingly slow at the moment so I am leaning towards getting another fill. many thanks

4leafclover-Really? What time is your appointment? I haven't actually made mine with the aftercare center yet but that is the day of my appt w/ Dr B so I'm hoping to get my fill appt. that day too. I need to get in gear and call to make the appt. I hope to get mine early morning so I can get back to work. We will be doing Halloween preparations that day. Halloween is always a huge competition at my work. Did they tell you that you could start mushies on day 10? That's what they told us even though the sheet says 2 weeks. I'm starting mine this weekend!!! Has your largest incision scabbed over yet?

I am with you CC I have mental wars with my head on what food to eat. I am working on it. I hate HATE logging food. It makes me aware of what I am NOT eatting instead of what I am eatting. It is a mental thing for me. As for working out. I just do it. I dont really give myself an option. How I got started working out like crazy was I set a goal for myself. For me it was to be in the gym 10 times in 2 weeks. If I made that goal I had treats for myself. My friends boxed and wrapped $20 gifts for me. like gift certificates to movies my nails done. Things like that. NON FOOD rewards. So Every 2 weeks I had a gift if I made it to the gym. I started off small like just walking on the treadmill. Then I moved it up to lifting weights along with walking. Now I spend 2 hrs in the gym after work. I go more then 10 times in 2 weeks so this month I changed my goal. but my treat was a personal training session. So I am sore from working out with her. But motivated by doing things I thought I couldnt do. I hope it helps.

Me! :-) Before my EGD, I so wanted to have surgery on July 19. But since then, I have to wait to take another the first week of August and then wait for approval. So, NO, you are not alone.

No, you are not alone. I have considered surgery many times in the past but always decided I wasn't ready to give up trying. Now that I have decided to do this it all I can think about...and I still have 10 months b4 I can get it done!! If I had the $$ today I would schedule it for tomorrow if I could, lol. I keep telling myself I have more time to prepare this way but I just won't listen to myself.

Hey... still here too! Do much more reading these days than posting! I am doing great, during the week! I find weekends I lose complete control. (Which worries me since I am off for the whole summer!!) I am down in the 170's which I haven't seen since before my first child 10 years ago. I also am down from a size 20 to a 12!!!! Yah!! I just think of how great I could be doing if I didn't screw up every stinkin weekend!!!!

I just hate the BMI. I am 10 lbs over being "normal" weight at a BMI of 26.4. But if I lose more it would be with some muscle as well.

I hag my surgery 8/19 and just released to go home 8/22. My hospital experience was horrible. The post op nurse withheld all fluids and refused to activate my pain pump saying I didn't need it. We demanded she check with the surgeon and she said she did and he said no. Finally the charge nurse made her give me ice chips, but only getting one dose of pain meds every 4 hours I never got my pain under control. The surgeon came in the next day and was FURIOUS that she went against orders and she was removed immediately. Apparently she never even asked him about the pain meds or fluids. I got apologies from director of nursing, the hospital patient advocate and the surgeon, who stated my recovery would be "stunted" because of the lack of pain control and now dehydration. It earned me an extra day in the hospital and 3 days of being treated like I was lazy after every shift change for not being farther along in my recovery. I am finally home, but the pain is still horrible. I have gas pain trapped in my left shoulder that is killing me, and the abdomen pain is almost unbearable. I'm getting very little walking in due to the pain and depending on the Dr, I'm pushing myself too hard, or not walking enough. I'm not getting any sleep due to the pain. Even I do walk the pain overwhelms me and I get very nauseous and shaky. I take my nausea meds then spend an hour recovering. I'm feeling so defeated and worn out. I don't know what to do. Any advice or encouragement? Will this pain ever subside?

Hello everyone my name is Ellie and I am about to get a sleeve on September 29! This was all very sudden and unexpected unlike some folks who have researched this for many years and gone through a long qualifying process, I have stumbled onto this procedure through a very roundabout way and in a matter of weeks I was approved. I am 37 years old and I weigh 270lbs at 5.8", I am hypothyroidic, I have sleep apnea and I'm prediabetic at this time. A Little history: In 2007 I weighed 273 pounds! I had mild sleep apnea but aside from that I was relatively healthy. I had the Lap band procedure done mostly because I did not like the way I looked. But the band yielded very little results, despite 13 fills and unfills to adjust, I never achieved an ideal restriction and was always hungry the weight that I did lose was because I was starving and working out and then I plateaued at about 245 pounds. Then I got pregnant in 2009 I decided to take all liquid out of the band (complete unfill) so that I could eat tons of vegetables and fruits. Funnily enough during the pregnancy and the one that followed I actually lost weight!? I guess something to do with the baby and the restriction I felt because the baby was pushing against the the band. At birth I was 214lbs. But as soon as my children came out in 2010 and 2013, even as I breast-fed, I was completely ravenous and the pounds returned at an alarming rate. So I have found myself right back to where I started at 270 pounds. Only this time mother nature has not been so kind... I am prediabetic and my sleep apnea has returned with a vengeance! On a day to day bases I ache and hurt like an old rickety roller coaster! I feel like I am walking through Jell-O all the time everything has just slowed down. Even so, being busy with a three-year-old and a five-year-old and being a full-time working mom I put myself in last place and have not focused much on trying to lose the weight. It's basically been, whatever I need to do to make it to the next day! I have ignored the aching that my body feels on a day-to-day basis and how hard it has become living and getting around at this weight. I have ignored the emotional and social impact of my weight, or maybe ignored is not the best word, more like drowned out with more food. And I experience some of what most mothers will relate to, I don't want to be in pictures with my children because I feel like I ruin the pictures with my presence. But even all this did not bring me to a decision to refill my lapband or do anything about it until a few weeks ago... In unrelated events I twisted funnily and managed to cause harm to my port. I was in severe pain like having stitches after running but the pain never went away. So due to that event, I finally went back to see my bariatric surgeon and upon further examination I was told that my port had ripped out of my muscles and was now flipped. Great! It was then that my surgeon told me that my options were to repair the port and try the band again or do something different. He recommended I try the sleeve because if I was initially unsuccessful with the band chances of me being successful the second time around were slim to none. I had heard about the sleeve before but never really in-depth. I also have gallstones and have had two attacks which I feel is not enough to warrant surgery but my surgeons seem to think differently. They say the gallbladder wall has thickened and that it is a matter of if and not when I will need to have it removed I hate surgery I do terrible with general anesthesia it takes me hours and hours of tortured nauseated foggy horrible sickness and pain to come out of it. And there is nothing I want more than to avoid having to go through another surgery. However My surgeon sent me to other surgeon who specializes in lap band revision who said he could perform all three surgeries at one time!! He would take out the Lapband remove my gallbladder and perform the gastric sleeve. And we are close to maxing out our yearly insurance maximum out of pocket, so if approved these procedures will be completely at no cost to me!! If I have to go under the knife anyways, I reason, I might as well get as much stuff done at one time, so that I don't have to go under the knife several times. I have not had too much time to do research on the sleeve or get emotionally prepared for the journey ahead but I have spent the past few weeks ferociously researching and ferociously reading up on it and doing a lot of soul-searching realizing that given my Freewill to eat, I am killing myself by being morbidly obese. My doctor submitted the proposal for surgeries to my insurance and I prepared for a long wait. However a week later I found myself getting approved by my insurance and my doctors office saying September 29 is available so start your diet now!! WOA????? No time for food funerals, no time for that last binge, no time to take a cruise which I love to do because of all the deliciousness, and no time to deliberate too long. I do have an option of doing it at the next available date in November but that would be very close to holidays and who knows what other circumstances could arise to prevent me from having the surgery at that time. It seems like all the factors have aligned together perfectly... my job is willing to let me go for that period of time the surgery will cost me nothing I can do three in one surgeries and I can have it relatively soon so that I don't have an agonizing time to wait and stress about it. It's like it's now or never. Most reviews I've read have people saying they wish they had done it sooner. I have already started my pre-op diet which means I would've only been on it for 10 days versus 12 like most people. And unlike most people rather than being on full liquids I have been placed on a South Beach supercharged phase 1 diet that includes lean meats, low-fat dairy and vegetables. I am finally wrapping my brain around what is about to take place mentally emotionally and physically. I have stocked up on many things and thanks to all you wonderful sharing caring people that have taken time to share your journey I have had a chance to very quickly catch up on all the information that I will need to be successful. But I'm so scared and so nervous not even about the liquid diet following surgery , (although, my coworker who got the sleeve weeks ago says that she is hungry all the time), or anything like that but of the surgery itself of being under Anastasia, of the pain I will feel when I wake up, and I wonder if I will miss the stomach that God gave me with which I was born...I'm sure all these things have crossed your mind too. And because my Lapband failed I fear that if this procedure does not work for me and I shall be that one anomaly for whom this did not work, there is not much else to be done. And since this is so life altering and Permanent, I don't know where to go from there if it does not work out for me. I know...I know...not thoughts I should be thinking .., but I'm being candid and sharing from the deepest parts of my heart the secret fears that I have, I would never admit to anyone. Any words of encouragement advice, solidarity, anything will be so very much appreciated at this time! Like many of you my weight loss journey is a very personal and private one and I don't have much support from the few friends with whom I have shared this information. I am sorry this has been long, but the welcome letter encouraged that we share details about our experience and I hope that Sharing this much will give you a more in-depth insight into my personal journey struggles and fears. Sending you blessings and green lights, Ellie

Olwen - Please don't equate being tight with the ability to lose weight. I did this and was miserable for about 6-7 weeks. My doc's office really cautions people on their forum to try and leave the band a little looser rather than too tight. I was reading some recent statistics yesterday concerning the band and noticed that between year 2 to 3 with the band the average slippage rate goes to 10%. That is a huge concern to me. I have been tight and have been where I am now and still been able to loose weight effectively. Just because I can eat more comfortably doesn't mean I can eat more in volume. But I sure have more of a variety of foods I can tolerate. It's really important to be able to get your fluids in daily. That was also an issue when I was tight. It was difficult to drink 64 oz in a day. Now, no problem. I can't chug it, but I can take 3-4 medium size gulps with no issues. I am just really concerned with those who choose to keep their band tight. Because it is a really slippery slope in terms of taking chances with a slippage. Good luck to you in your journey!

OMG...Congrats..That is amazing. 10 days post op this is just want i needed to see, what an inspiration. You go Girl, keep up the great work.

It's a common thread I see running around this forum.. people asking why they didn't do this years ago. I'm even young and I'm finding myself asking the same thing. Though I'm only 25.. I wish I would have done it at 18 or 20.. admittedly, maybe I wasn't ready then.. maybe I still needed time.. especially because part of my story is finding out at 24 that I had bipolar II without the usual "standard" symptoms of women docs normally see in their 20's so I was very hard to diagnose and went through a period of about three years where I alienated everyone but my very closest friends because I was so hard to be around -- with a low of winding up needing to be admitted to a psych ward to get it all figured out. I definitely learned who my friends were (and who, surprisingly, weren't...) I am also social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and depression.. so I spent the last year and a half in counseling trying to get my mental self to match the well-put together self I present to the world thanks to years of being on stage growing up. I learned to show myself as put together - graduating magna cum laude and being responsible even if I was falling apart inside. So I needed to deal with all of that first before I felt ready to confront my weight. But finally I was ready. It started about 1 year ago. I had been feeling bad about my weight for a while. I was overweight during my childhood. My grandmothers both grew up during the Great Depression.. so for them.. giving me food was the same as giving me love.. especially high calorie foods. For them eating wasn't about hunger.. it was about enjoyment and thankfulness to have food to eat. (One was thin, one was overweight). But from them I learned to love all the wrong types of food and to love them in gigantic portions.. My stomach was already way stretched by the time I was 7 or 8. I remember weighing 85 pounds in 2nd grade because we did a math thing where we all weighed in front of the class. There was only one student, a boy, who weighed more.. during school I dealt with a lot, I mean a LOT of bullying because I was mature and just different - I'd rather read a book or write a story than go out for recess and I was reading Romeo and Juliet while they were reading Junie B Jones (For the Record I like her too even though she's a huge spoiled brat). Basically I had a generation gap with my peers since my parents were born in the late forties and early fifties and their parents were much younger.. so I was already -extremely- bullied. I didn't make my first non-internet friends until college.. and those were some of the people I found out weren't true blue friends when I went through my emotional break down a couple of years ago... So yeah.. and it didn't help that I was overweight.. that was just something else to give them to make fun of me about. As it turned out.. even though I wasn't doing even as good as I am now in therapy one year ago.. I was doing better than I had been in years and that gave me time and energy to turn my thoughts to the weight I'd been unhappy to be carrying around for years. Before college it bothered me.. but I didn't think about it a lot.. it was in early college when I hit 200 and started having trouble finding clothes that would fit me in your typical stores both like Macy's but also stores that people my age like - Aeropostale, Am. Eagle etc.. that I started to have a personal crisis about my weight and be super unhappy with it. Shopping became my least favorite thing because it was an exercise in taking whatever would fit rather than whatever I liked. And by a year ago I had started to notice I couldn't do or keep up with the same types of activities most people my age do. I love showing my dog Riff in conformation and was learning that I couldn't keep up with her jogging on our down and back (jogging beside the dog so the judge can see his or her movement properly) and that getting on my knees to present her not only hurt but was nearly impossible. I started to be even more unhappy because I couldn't do the hobbies I loved that people my age are doing. And in the meantime for the past 5-10 years I'd been trying every diet known to man.. I didn't feel like any of them were sustainable for a life time because I was unhappy with them. And rather than yo-yoing I just didn't lose. Didn't matter how well I stuck to a diet, I'd find myself losing maybe 5 pounds in 7 or 8 months of hard work.. and finally I gave up.. I was near the point of accepting I was just going to be overweight forever and that was how it was going to be. I knew my issues - I don't eat for emotional reasons, I don't eat when I'm not hungry.. but my stomach was super stretched from years of eating too much and I like big portions and the wrong kinds of things. I could go and polish off a huge plate of food enough for three meals and feel "Just about right" and I didn't have the self control to starve while I waited on my stomach to shrink naturally.. I just couldn't do it. I had heard things about gastric bypass that made me say no way never.. things like "You'll never be able to have any sugar again." or "You'll never be able to have fried foods again." While I'm happy to make lifestyle changes, things like "Never again" aren't something I'm capable of. So I ruled out surgery for a long while. Finally, a year ago I looked into it again and read about gastric sleeve for the first time.. and it was a fit.. not as serious as gastric bypass.. less prone to things like dumping syndrome.. and all about moderation rather than "never agains" more healthy choices.. less bad ones.. but I didn't have to promise I was never eating Pasta or never having a fried chicken leg again - which was something I knew I couldn't agree to. There was less risk of serious complications and it was a plan I thought I could actually live with and be happy and it went right to the root of my issue - shrink my stomach so I can get used to a normal portion size again without having to starve. Something I haven't had since I was 6-7 years old. Within two days of researching I was ready to commit. But of course getting my medicaid to pay for the surgery wasn't as easy as deciding I wanted it - even though I looked over the qualifications and knew I met them - I still had a lot of hoops to jump through. In October I started my 6 month phys supervised diet which only convinced my doctor and I that I needed the surgery even more. I ate 1500 calories a day and walked my dog most days for 30+ minutes (which was a significant step down from what I had been eating and step up from my sedentary lifestyle) and lost only 11 pounds in all that time. And part of it came back! Getting cleared psychologically was a battle too. They wanted a psychiatrist who didn't know me to evaluate me even though my own had already sent a letter of approval.. and the psychiatrist who I did see didn't really want to clear someone who was bipolar.. it was a battle, but finally I got cleared. That by itself took over two months and delayed my surgery which should have been in March 2016. I also had to have blood work, a number of physician check ups by my program's docs and so on. But finally all the hard work paid off.. on the first submission to insurance, I was approved within a week! How excited was I! And my surgery was set for May 31st 2016. However, the roller coaster wasn't over.. I had little contact with my bariatric program from the get go... they share a department, nurses, etc with general surgery.. so calling to talk to someone there is always a nightmare.. it's a 30 minute wait to get a human on the phone, calling to talk to a nurse means a 5 hour or more wait for a call back.. and it also means a very unpersonalized approach.. they're so busy and have so many people through their program that they want everyone to be a cookie cutter mold and don't want to offer people any individualized advice because "others in the program might want the same advice." Well number one - others in the program shouldn't know what -I- discuss with my doctors so how could they want it and number two healthcare isn't supposed to be about squeezing people into a mold and making the exact same treatment work for everyone... so I began to be unhappy with my program from early on.. especially when their psychiatrist and my psychiatrist got into a fight over the phone about whether I was going to get cleared. Their psychiatrist had met me only once and knew nothing about my case history while my own psychiatrist has been working with me for about a year and half.. who do you think was more qualified to say if I was stable or not? But aparently their program couldn't understand that.. However.. I was stuck.. Medicaid wanted me in state and this program was the closest to me and already an hour and a half away.. the only other options were double or triple that commute time (Chicago). So I just kinda had to stick with it.. I've gone on to be further disappointed by them at numerous occasions - namely when my surgeon said that Water aerobics is a joke of an exercise program and only for people who can't do anything else and that I couldn't hit my weight loss goal of 130 pounds doing water exercise of any kind (there's a thread floating around about that). Clearly he's never taken a hard core water exercise class or he would know that is so not true. I took my first one Friday and I was sweating in the water! Finally I did get to have my surgery though! Before surgery I had an 800 calorie diet for two weeks focusing on Protein and lean meats and veggies and reasonable on carbs. It wasn't too hard of a diet to follow beyond getting hungry because my stomach was huge. Surgery day came but I was excited rather than nervous. especially because all of us May 31st sleevers from the forum (there was about 10 of us) made a facebook group so we could keep in touch and that really helps to have other people who are exactly where I'm at in the recovery stage. I didn't have much trouble recovering from surgery. I never had any gas pain and even though I was in pain in general the first three days they gave me lots of morphine and kept me very comfortable. While my program as a whole is somewhat disappointing - I do have to say that the nurses who took care of me in the hospital couldn't have been better. They helped me walk. They helped me get up to go to the bathroom and helped me adjust positions in bed since I needed help doing all that for the first 2-3 days. I brought my laptop to the hospital with me and spent time here on the forums and doing other stuff I like -- even played some Sims. My recovery was uncomplicated and three days later I was able to go home. My internal swelling went down fast and by a week out I was so sick of liquids that I couldn't help but try a little puree and it worked just fine to help supplement and keep me from going nuts. One thing that's been very helpful to me is Fairlife Milk. it's heightened protein milk with 13 grams of protein for a cup. I drink it straight and also add it to my Soups. It helps a lot in getting in my 64 oz of liquid and my 60 grams of protein. I've been using an app called Plant Nanny which lets you grow plants based on how much Fluid you consume then you can plant them in your garden and harvest their seeds to get more diverse plants.. it makes drinking at least slightly more fun. I also wear a fitbit flex and it's synced with My Fitness Pal. I log my calories on MFP and my exercise syncs there from my fitbit automatically and tells me if I've earned extra calories from exercise (though I rarely use those). I was never given a calorie goal to shoot for but I set a goal of 800 for myself based on the pre-opp diet and what I can eat and get in 60 grams of protein without feeling too stuffed/ too deprived. I'm on my own for a lot of it because I've only met with the NUT once for 30 minutes pre-opp about 2 months and I won't see her again until in July so... I just read and do the best I can. So yeah I'm 3 full weeks out from surgery on Tuesday and also down 20 pounds since May 18th (the start of my pre-opp liver diet). I faced the three week stall at about week 2 instead of three and I was down to a new low for the first time in a week today so I'm hoping that it's broken and I'll have a bit of smooth sailing for a while from here. So.. that's my story so far. I don't know if people post in these to update but.. every once in a while I'll post back and let you guys know how I'm doing.

I joined 24 Hour Fitness. I try to go every morning. I usually miss a couple of days a week. Basically if I don't have a morning appointment, I work out. I spend about 50 minutes doing my workout and it's a 10 minute drive each way. I have not had two weeks in a row where I failed to lose at least 1 pound since I began this journey on August 11, 2010. That was the day I started the two week liquid diet (pat on back - I never cheated). My surgery was August 25, 2010. You just have to take the "No Excuses" pledge. Believe me, it pays off. I also think this will be the only way to maintain my loss when I get there. I have finally accepted the fact that exercise MUST be a part of my life if I don't want to be fat.

I am officially the lightest I have been in about 10 years!! I feel like I could do anything right now.

I'm 5'4 and started off much heavier than you, I was 421 pounds. I am now 10 months post op and have lost 166 pounds so far. I won't lie, I have a lot of skin. I look like a Shar Pei naked, it's not pretty. But, my insurance is paying for a tummy tuck because I've lost more than a 100 pounds. I'm also starting to document skin issues on my thighs to see if they'll cover that skin removal, too. But, even if I didn't get the skin removed, I'd still choose being smaller with loose skin over being gigantically obese any day. I still look and feel TONS better.

I have been in the same slow boat. Had surgery on the 2nd and lost 10 pounds in 10 days, but haven't lost anything since! I am trying to be patient and do what the dr said and hope the weight will start falling off soon. But it is hard to not feel the frustration I felt before surgery about doing the right things and not losing!

I have kind of changed my mind. Someone who is extremely experienced seems to think that having very little restriction and not losing much after 10 months is a normal thing with the realize band. If that is true and I have no reason to believe it is not, then, I would want the Lapband period.

Hang in there! My dietition suggested including a variety of 'textures' in the liquid phase. She said that the mouth (and brain) are bored by the same textures and tastes when used over and over. I am still trying to work out exactly what she meant but If you can try some alternative textures through fruit juices and shakes and even Soups - perhaps that will help. Experimentation helps, is all I can say (10 days of liquid to go!). Kristen

Mr. United States, United by Christ, is surging in the polls...and to think, the following is what he believes (he does not believe in evolution): The Bible teaches (in Genesis 1:29-30) that the original animals (and the first humans) were commanded to be vegetarian. There were no meat eaters in the original creation. Furthermore, there was no death. It was an unblemished world, with Adam and Eve and animals (including dinosaurs) living in perfect harmony, eating only plants. Sadly, it did not stay this way for very long. Adam rebelled against his Creator, bringing sin into the world (Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 5:12). Because of this rebellion, Adam, and thus all of his descendants (you and me), gave up the right to live with a Holy (sinless) and just God. God therefore judged sin with death. The Bible plainly teaches from Genesis to Revelation that there was no death of animals or humans before Adam sinned. (Consider just a few of the many passages, such as: Romans 5:12; Genesis 2:17; Genesis 1:29-30; Romans 8:20-22; Acts 3:21; Hebrews 9:22; I Corinthians 15; Revelation 21:1-4; Revelation 22:3.) This means there could not have been any animal fossils (and no dinosaur bones) before sin. After Adam’s sin, animals and people started to die. It was now a different world, one of death and strife. A world that was once beautiful now suffered under the curse placed upon it by the Creator (Genesis 3:14-19). But a promise was given (Genesis 3:15) that God would provide a way for the penalty of sin to be paid so there would be a way for man to come back to God. Why Do We Find Dinosaur Fossils? In Genesis 6, we read that all flesh (man and animals) had ‘corrupted his way upon the Earth’ (Genesis 6:12). Perhaps people and animals were killing each other; maybe dinosaurs had started killing other animals and humans. In any case, the Bible describes the world as ‘wicked.’ Because of this wickedness, God warned a godly man named Noah that He was going to destroy the world with a Flood (Genesis 6:13). God therefore commanded him to build a great ship (the Ark) so that all the kinds of land animals (which must have included dinosaurs) and Noah’s family could survive on board while the Flood destroyed the entire Earth (Genesis 6:14-20). Some people think that dinosaurs were too big, or there were too many of them, to go on this Ark. However, there were not very many different kinds of dinosaurs. There are certainly hundreds of dinosaur names, but many of these were given to just a bit of bone or skeletons of the same dinosaur found in other countries. It is also reasonable to assume that different sizes, varieties, and sexes of the same kind of dinosaur have ended up with different names. For example, look at the many different varieties and sizes of dogs, but they are all the same kind-the dog kind! In reality, there may have been fewer than 50 kinds of dinosaurs. God sent two of every (seven of some) land animal into the Ark (Genesis 7:2-3; 7:8-9)—there were no exceptions. Therefore, dinosaurs must have been on the Ark. Even though there was ample room in the huge ship for large animals, perhaps God sent young adults into the Ark that still had plenty of room for them to grow. Well, what happened to all the land animals that did not go on the Ark? Very simply, they drowned. Many would have been covered with tons of mud as the rampaging Water covered the land (Genesis 7:11-12,19). Because of this quick burial, many of the animals would have been preserved as fossils. If this happened, you would expect to find evidence of billions of dead things buried in rock layers (formed from this mud) all over the Earth. This is exactly what you do find. By the way, the Flood of Noah’s day probably occurred just over 4,500 years ago. Creationists believe that this event formed many of the fossil layers around the Earth. (Additional fossil layers were formed by other floods as the Earth settled down after the great Flood.) Thus, the dinosaur fossils which were formed as a result of this Flood were probably formed about 4,500 years ago, not millions of years ago. Somehow, believing the crap above makes me worried about his ability to be the President. Call me kooky.

Hey! We'll likely be banded on the same day!! I have to do 10 days of full liquids. Broth, strained cream soups, sugar free jello - popsicles - pudding, crystal light, and milk. I also ordered some protein shakes from New Lifestyle.

I am scheduled to have surgery 3/19. My doctors office doesnt require a pre-op diet, but I wanted to start one, because I think it might be easier for me to transition. Is ther anyone out there who has to do one, and if so what do you have to do?

I know someday I will get PS, but I have another 4 1/2 years until I have my lapband surgery paid off so I will have to wait until then unless something else happens.:thumbup: Depressing to know that it will be 5 years before I can get this extra skin taken care of and my breast will keep sagging until then too. I want the headlights back on bright instead of pointing to my toes. I think I would even be happy with my body now if I could have PS. I think I would be able to fit into a size 10 then (I am wearing a size 12 now) and I never even thought about wearing a size smaller than that. I remember wanting to wear a size 16 and couldn't imagine fitting into a size 14. (Don't get me wrong I would rather have extra skin than 100 xtra pounds!!!!) I am getting to the point where I can tell a difference in my shoulders and face. I look in the mirror now and think, "Wow! Is that me?" I think my double chin has practiaclly dissapeared and I have cheek bones. I even wore a tank top when I went golfing with my hubby yesterday!!! That is a NSV! :w00t: While lying in bed last night on my side my hubby started to "caress" (for lack of a better word) my hip bone. Not like when I started to feel my hip bone when I tried, but it is really THERE! I was kind of complaining about being fat last month and DH tapped my rib cage. I told him that hurt and I rubbed the spot and he said, 'That's because I hit bone, not soft stuff." It kind of surprised me that he was right. :biggrin: Another NSV.....I like the way I look in my swimsuit. Now don't get me wrong, I don't have a two piece or anything. It is a solid one piece with a little skirt, but I feel good in it! Who would have ever thought. :eek: This week end has been a bad one for me. I am dealing with a lot with my daughter and I used food. I will be okay. Weekends are the hardest for me. I will be back on track starting now and the scale will keep moving. [ATTACH]126[/ATTACH][ATTACH]127[/ATTACH] High /Surgery/Current/Goal 285.5/ 271 / 182.8/ 142.5 Banded - 10/29/08 Four fills - 4.7cc/10cc