Search the Community

-pros and cons? There are so many pros and a few cons!!! hahaha so here are all of the ones I can think of on the spot CONS * It's hard not being able to enjoy all of the foods that i want to enjoy. Mostly breads and pastas. * Getting sick takes on a whole new meaning. In the begining I would eat too fast or too much and have to PB which was really embarrasing when I was with friends that didn't know about the surgery. Also needing to PB and not being able to is the WORST feeling!!! * If you get a fill and it's too tight it is a horrible experience and I suggest if you ever feel like it might be too tight just go into your doctor right away! I waited and it was horrible! I ended up puking blood and not being able to swallow for almost 24 hours. * I really can't think of any other cons right now. PROS * I finally have no weight restrictions!!! I can run with my friends, I never have to worry if I will be able to fit onto a rollercoaster or ask for a seatbelt extender on airplanes! * I love being considered skinny! It is a crazy thing to get used to. And it's not even people who knew you at your heaviest that think your skinny even when you think you are still a little chubby. It's when people who didn't know you refer to you as the "skinny one". It's amazing! * I love that food no longer controls me or the decisions I make. I don't always have food on the brain thinking "ok now when am I going to be able to eat next". It's so nice finally being in control of the one thing that always ruled my life. * I have a lot more extra cash now that I'm not spending all of my extra money on food. * Being able to shop in any store I want to shop in! I'm not limited in my clothing options and now have a body where I can have fun with the clothes I wear! -what was your diet like in the begining and what is it like now? My diet before having surgery was horrible and really embarrasing to talk about now. I would eat out for literally EVERY meal! My whole paycheck would always end up just going to food. A normally day of eating for me would be Breakfast from jack in the box, lunch from taco time, and dinner from carl's jr. and in between all of that eating out I would snack on more junk food! Now that I've had surgery it has changed. For breakfast I normally have a glass of orange juice, for lunch I will sometimes make a smal steak or if I buy lunch when I'm working I might have one hard shell beef taco, and dinner can be anything! Normally my dinner will just be some sort of Protein, either steak, chicken or seafood. I do still snack but I try and snack smarter. I will have a few wheat thins and cheese or I try to have some edamame. -how often do you exercise? I am soooooo bad at this! I honestly don't exercise regularly at all! My job is VERY physical though so I normally get a lot of exercise from that. And because I don't exercise regularly I try to keep active with my friends and walk around town or go on hikes. -did you have anyd difficulties? I have had some difficulties with surgery. I reffered to all of them in the con part of the pros and cons question. other than that no real difficulties. -can you drink alcoholic beverages (not a big drinker, just curious)? DEFINATELY! hahaha I'm not a huge drinker either but you definately can! and it's nice because you are always esentially drinking on an empty stomach so you feel it a lot quicker so it definately saves you money at bars! hahaha -did your insurance cover surgery, and if so what did you have to do for them to agree to cover the surgery? yes my insurance did cover my surgery. I submitted my info and at first they denied me but said if I did a 6 month diet they would re-evaluate. I think they covered 60% of the cost but I don't really remember. I don't regret getting this surgery for one second. And I know I say this a lot but it's true, I think this is the best thing I could have ever done for myself. It is worth all of the cons and difficulties that could ever come up. I am so much happier now and I love living my life to the fullest and having so much fun!

I know how you feel. I have found that once I start snacking throughout the day and eating processed carbs it's extremely difficult for me to control myself, and my band seems to become less effective, almost as if all the slider foods cause it to loosen up. On the other hand, when I eat no more than 3 times a day, and I avoid carbs, I feel much more in control. It's probably somewhat of a psychological effect, but it seems like my band will let me overeat when I really want to, but when I eat less often it gets tighter. I know that many people don't like to "diet" after getting the band, and I don't know what your views are on this topic, but I think something like the Atkins induction diet (or at least completely avoiding sugar, white flour, and processed carbs) for a while would help you regain control. I have had lots of slip-ups, and I know how hard it can be to get back on track. Just try not to beat yourself up about it. The important thing is that you're willing to fix this problem before it gets too out of control. I have tried several different eating approaches while being banded, and I have finally admitted that I need a structured eating plan that eliminates both the need to make daily food choices and "trigger foods" (carbs). I wish I could handle routinely eating all foods in moderation, as this is probably the healthiest way to go, but I have found that it really is necessary for me to completely avoid all carbs except for veggies most of the time (I eat junk food once in a while but definitely not on a daily or weekly basis). During my regular schedule I have a can of v8 vegetable juice and an atkins advantage bar twice a day, and for dinner I have Protein and veggies. If I start eating carbs I get completely out of control, but after sticking to my plan for a few days the cravings go away. Maybe you can eat some other whole grains and healthy carbs and do fine, but I know that I am better off sticking to veggies only as far as carbs go. I think using Meal Replacement bars twice a day is a good way to keep calories low, get in your protein and Vitamins, and help you regain control by taking away the need to think about food. Then for dinner have protein, veggies, and possibly one serving of a healthy carb. I know this plan is very rigid, and some people might say it's not realistic to follow it long-term, but I am pretty sure that I will always be following a modified version of this plan to avoid weight re-gain. Some people are complulsive eaters who need to avoid their problem foods (usually processed carbs) almost to the extent that an alcoholic needs to avoid alcohol. I know this is not true of everyone who has lap-band, but it's what I think you should try if you're feeling like a foodaholic. Oh, and exercise can also be very helpful, as I'm sure you already know. I would highly recommend the Bodybugg calorie counting device (www.myapex.com) if you're interested in tracking your calorie intake and seeing how many calories you burn through exercise.

I am a long-term yo-yo dieter (up to 50# at a time). I no longer diet at all. I eat what my family eats and I still drink alcohol in moderation, almost every weekend and wine with an occassional weekday dinner. I've been an obsessive exerciser with past 'diets' and I exercise now about 2-3x a week for 30-45 min....for me this was all about living my new lifestyle from the very beginning. The hardest part...NOT dieting...I'm a good dieter, but who can live that way forever...it's been slower WL than dieting, but I can truly say I'm not going to be doing anything any differently when I get to goal...I've been in the 'normal BMI' range for a month or so now. I'm an open book on my blog: THE SWEET SPOT

No one will lecture you. We're all so very different. I sip with my meals especially when wine is involved LOL. I definitely don't gulp or drink a lot of fluids at all while eating, and it has not made me hungrier, and it doesn't really allow me to eat more food per sitting. I eat way too much spicy food not to wet my whistle occasionally during a meal. And, like I said, I drink a glass of wine here and there, and if I were to not drink with my meal, I'd never finish the glass. And, that my dear friends is straight-up alcohol abuse! ! !

just one other thing i forgot to mention dr. gabriel did not adequately prepare me for surgery. You are not suppossed to drink 6 weeks prior to. I saw this on the pre-op paperwork 11/2 weeks before my surgery during an office visit. I told him i had alot of parties that weekend and would be drinking alcohol, He did not tell me not to . He said start pre-op diet 1 week prior to surgery which was the following Mon.

Candice, I'm with you. I think we get to a point that we say, "Hey, I'm skinnier than I've ever been, so what the heck!" I don't know the answer. I know we all have our food demons, Janet is the only one I know that is able to keep it under control. Last night I was cruising for chocolate, fortunately I don't have any in the house. I can rationalize every fattening bite of food. If I stay totally away from junk I don't have the physical cravings. But the mental desire is huge. I would trade most anything for the ability to eat junk and get away with it or to never desire junk. I know that winter is the hardest for me. Summer I don't think about food. Hang in there. I sometimes think it would be easier to be an alcoholic, at least then I would never have to drink to survive. I hate that food is a necessary part of living.

I've been buying the Fresh & Easy non-fat plain Greek Yogurt and using the SF coffee syrups for flavoring. The texture is so much better than the Yoplait and Dannon yogurts and for 8 oz. it has 9 gms of carbs and 24 gms of protein. It's $1.49 at F&E and takes me about 45 minutes to eat and keeps me full for hours. So far I've used SF French Vanilla and SF Raspberry. I purchased SF Carmel and SF non-alcoholic Kahlua at Sam's Club for variety!

Rick has decided to get back into shape. He is doing exercises every night. Sit ups, and push ups----not me! BUT we did make a pact to begin walking each night after dinner, as soon as the Olympics are over! Following his valve surgery, we walked daily---it helped his recovery and my weight loss---but somehow, somewhere doing it fell away. We decided to do it again. I know I need to do it. I am going to uncover my elliptical today! It really is not covered, but there is a doll house blocking it's ability to spin around, as well as an unused exercise ball!!! Imagine that! Going to find new homes for those items and get with it. He wants his muscle tone back before making such a long ride....and he has a point. Our bike is really heavy, and it helps to be able to control it easier. As soon as I can ride again, core muscles should get a work out again.....til then it is inside equipment....and MAKING myself do it. Anyone want to agree to.....say....even 15 minutes of daily activity---meaning some sort of exercise----to help push me along????? Sorry y'all are feeling bad. My throat is kinda sore, like something is trying to get started on me. I spent the first half of the day yesterday not being able to get too far from the bathroom.....not sure what that was about. I took so much Immodium, I may have other issues!!! LOL Sorry way TMI I know! NM is going through a big battle in regards to the concealed carry permits. There is a group fighting to give us the right to carry our weapons into a restaurant or bar. There is a restaurant group fighting it. I KNEW I was not supposed to have it in the places, but it is usually --if I am carrying---in my purse, and I never think twice about it! Seems so silly----here they are fighting about it, and I would bet anyone who is carrying CONCEALED will keep it that way!!! There are those who get the permit, and then wear a holster so everyone can see they are armed etc--------THEY are the ones to worry about alcohol, and weapons! If you feel a need to let others know you have a gun, then the gun could well be an issue. Going to my weekly lunch with Marie today. I need to make a pot of Soup before I leave. My inlaws are sick, and she informed me that my DIL and grandsons are not feeling well either. They seemed fine, but WTH, I'll make soup. I didn't do it yesterday when the hint was made, but hey I was not feeling good then either, and no one was making me anything!! LOL So....gonna go get busy.

-pros and cons? Pro is I am loosing weight for the first time in my life. I have gained 5-10lbs a year since I was 22 or so. -what was your diet like in the begining and what is it like now? In the beginning I was on a liquid diet, then I progressed to mushies, and now I eat a low carb diet. I eat 5-6 meals of 1 cup or less. -how often do you exercise? I started exercising the day after surgery and havent missed a day since. -did you have any difficulties? Yes, the surgery was VERY painful for me. But I think that was a mixed blessing because I am very careful with my meals because of it. I wont overeat for fear of needing more surgery (slipped band/dialated pouch) -can you drink alcoholic beverages (not a big drinker, just curious)? Yes, I drink. No more than 2 drinks at a time and usually once a week. -did your insurance cover surgery, and if so what did you have to do for them to agree to cover the surgery? Yes, my insurance covered it. Out of pocket costs for me were around $750. But they charged my insurance over $200,000. This worries me because I am a long term employee and have known people who have exhausted their life time cap and been without insurance. -what has been the hardest part with having LAP-BAND®? It is unforgiving when you eat too fast, overeat or eat the wrong foods. And the "wrong foods" are not what we have learned from previous diets. A bag of cheetos will go down no hitch, but fiberous green beans gave me trouble. Also, there is a LOT of aftercare. Lots of visits and fills. Make sure you know who will be doing your fills and make sure you are VERY comfortable with them. I have had issues with my fill person I wont go into on the open forum. I love my surgeon, but his fill person, not so much. :frown:

Hello, I am Ken (Giby97) and I was overweight for over 10 years and finally met my match at 270 which had many sideaffects. Those being: feeling tired all the time, loss of flexibility, loss of self esteem, not wanting to go places with the family, etc. I love to bass fish using a float tube and felt awkward fishing cause I was always the last one to get into the water, bending over to put the fins on was tiring. Anyway my wife convinced me to check the lapband surgery out with the doctor interview on 3 Dec 09. At that visit I decided I was going to do it and set it up for 4 Jan 10. I do not regret it one bit, because after 12 days, the energy levels seem to be never ending for me. I can't pin point it but the energy is there-all day. Just follow the diet plan, and you will loose. I did occasionally drink a beer every now and then but since the surgery, not alcohol or sodas since 3 Jan 10. Suspect after one reaches his/her goal then possibly they could consume some alcohol, but not a lot. Socialize drinking, not binging. I had my surgery done in Korea, and it was simple, no pre-op stuff, just stop eating at 12 midnight on 3 Jan 10 and show up on 4 Jan 10 at 0830. Of course I did not have to wait for any insurance, I paid cash up front, about 6,500.00. I do have a steady weight loss with some leveling out about 5 days prior to my fill dates. Yes I already know when I am expected to go to the doc for fills, it was every two weeks, but I made it three week intervals. Next week on 27 Feb 10 I will go for my 3rd fill, 2 more cc's which will be 6 cc's in my 11 cc band. I know I will feel much restriction, and that's what I want-you loose more. I travel about 4.5 hours one way to get to the doc's office and then wait there for 25 min after the injections, which do not hurt, and try to drink water. You need to be able to drink water no matter what, so that is my #1 check. Once ok, then I am off on my return trip home. After my surgery I had for breakfast, shakes and vitamins, for lunch soups, then for dinner shakes again for a few days. Then on the 4th day I moved to mushy foods-soft foods, mash potatoes, pork and beans, any cooked beans with soup. You need to eat protein foods. Then after a day or so, I went on to fish, chicken or beef, about 2.5 oz. with mac and cheese noodles or mashed potatoes. (veggies 1/2 cup) (Meat 2.5 oz). Did not drink anything for 30 min afterwards. Then when inbetween meals I had a 1/2 glass skim milk with a slice of cheese. At night I had either sugarless jello, pudding, or popsicle. At breakfast I moved up to oatmeal, and or cheese omelet. Lunch was a package of tuna salad with 5 crackers, or Tuna in the special packs at the store-very cheap. I have managed to exercise about 3 nights a week but since yesterday I am on a daily program of riding a stationary bike. When it warms up outside I will walk at night. Plan on doing 1 hour tonight on the bike. The lapbander that commented prior to me is 100 percent on with what she said. Read through all the lapbander's posts and see for yourself how you will improve your life style. There are some pretty interesting stories out there, many of which are valuable support for new banders like yourself. Join the gang and feel wonderful in one year or less. It's your move.

I weighed 267 and in six months I am down 72 lbs!!!! Nuff Said? I took Celebrex for pain in my legs and feet, could not wear high heels, no sexy clothes either! I was border line diabetic, took Metphormin for that and now I take no meds at all, occasional Tylenol and a Multi-Vitamin. I ate a low carb diet in preparation for the surgery, still do it works and high protein! I try to eat small portions no more than 8 oz per meal and I have 5 or 6 small ones a day. I drink lots of Crystal Lite, love it. No sodas they are loaded with sugars and make you fat! You can have an occasional beer or wine, but alcohol the first year is pretty much out. It interferes with your weight loss. It is not hard to stay on a plan, cause you don't get hungry with the band. DO IT! You will never reqret it!

I have been thinking about LAP-BAND®® since 2007, yet I still havent made any moves towards having it done. I was about 240lbs then,and 3 years later I am now 270 lbs. so, I need to do something asap....What's your advice for someone contemplating surgery ..... -pros and cons? -what was your diet like in the begining and what is it like now? -how often do you exercise? -did you have anyd difficulties? -can you drink alcoholic beverages (not a big drinker, just curious)? -did your insurance cover surgery, and if so what did you have to do for them to agree to cover the surgery? -what has been the hardest part with having LapBAND? Any extra info you would like to offer would be great! THANKS!

I have been thinking about LAP-BAND®® since 2007, yet I still havent made any moves towards having it done. I was about 240lbs then,and 3 years later I am now 270 lbs. so, I need to do something asap....What's your advice for someone contemplating surgery ..... -pros and cons? -what was your diet like in the begining and what is it like now? -how often do you exercise? -did you have anyd difficulties? -can you drink alcoholic beverages (not a big drinker, just curious)? -did your insurance cover surgery, and if so what did you have to do for them to agree to cover the surgery? -what has been the hardest part with having LapBAND? Any extra info you would like to offer would be great! THANKS!

I saw that you are willing to be a mentor/buddy, and if you don't mind I'd like some advice and to ask you some questions..... I have been thinking about lapband since 2007, yet I still havent made any moves towards having it done. I was about 240lbs then,and 3 years later I am now 270 lbs. so, I need to do something asap....What's your advice for someone contemplating surgery ..... -pros and cons? -what was your diet like in the begining and what is it like now? -how often do you exercise? -did you have anyd difficulties? -can you drink alcoholic beverages (not a big drinker, just curious)? -did your insurance cover surgery, and if so what did you have to do for them to agree to cover the surgery? Any extra info you would like to offer would be great! THANKS!

I found you on the site and saw you were around my age, so I figured I would ask you some questions, if you don't mind answering them.lol..... I have been thinking about lapband since 2007, yet I still havent made any moves towards having it done. I was about 240lbs then,and 3 years later I am now 270 lbs. so, I need to do something asap....What's your advice for someone contemplating surgery ..... -pros and cons? -what was your diet like in the begining and what is it like now? -how often do you exercise? -did you have anyd difficulties? -can you drink alcoholic beverages (not a big drinker, just curious)? -did your insurance cover surgery, and if so what did you have to do for them to agree to cover the surgery? Any extra info you would like to offer would be great! THANKS!

To me, just cutting out certain foods until I reach my goal has done the trick. I hestitate to call it a diet and it is not a strick regimented diet but in the beginning, I didn't eat pasta, rice, bread, sweets etc. And I follow the no carbonation rules and when to drink liquids between meals very strictly. No alcohol for me either. Now that I am closer to my goal and I am working out very hard on a regular basis, I have let up on my original rules a little. I still don't eat pasta and rice but I just don't really want them. I have integrated some breads back into my eating like whole wheats and grains. I also have a sweet occasionally and found out that I can eat just one piece of chocolate and not feel like I have to have the whole box. Who Knew?

I was terrified right before my first fill and almost cancelled and rescheduled since I had worked myslef up into such a state of panic... Then after the Dr. Swabbed the area with an alcohol pad, I actually reached down and put my hand on the spot and said "wait... I'm not ready" and he was peeved and had to swab me again... After that he made me put my hands under the back of my head... LOL... Turns out it wasn't that bad after all.... He does not numb since that would require two shots and I'm glad of it... Once is enough... He also does not do Floro... It takes about 30 seconds and I'm outta there... Very easy with minimal discomfort... Afterwards, the nurse makes us drink a 4 oz cup of water to make sure we can swallow... This gives us about 15-30 minutes to sit and chat with Prospective and current LB patients in the waiting room and answer questions and just share our story or advice.... It's like an unofficial therapy group, which I like since I have only told 4 people whom I don't even see often... It's my opportunity to talk talk talk about it....

The thing that "hurt" the most was the shot of numbing medication, only because he stuck it in so quickly after rubbing the area with alcohol, so it was the alcohol sting. After that, nothing hurt. I could feel the pressure of him pushing around my port, but not the fill needle. Once putting the needle in the port, he had me stand up, he took out any Fluid that was in there, then filled me full. He had me drink some Water until I could feel it at the base of my throat, then he let out the fluid until the water was able to go through. We went back and forth until the water could quickly go through but there was restriction. I've had two fills so far and go back for my third fill a week from today. I think you will be fine. The sheer nerves the first time is worse than the actual fill.

This has never been a favorite holiday or anything (always felt kind of contrived), but I wanted to journal about how this one went food wise. My husband and I had lunch around 11:30 AM before going to see Up in the Air, which I loved. I wouldn't say the honeymoon is completely over in terms of my sleeve, but it's definitely changing. I ordered an 8 oz. steak and ate 4 ounces with slight discomfort (ate too fast at the end so didn't realize I didn't need the last couple of bites until it was too late). In the past, like last month, I could only ever get in about 2-2.5 ounces of steak at a meal. For dinner, we went to one of my favorite restaurants here in town. They only offered a Valentine's special 3 course selection menu. I got the spinach salad, shrimp and broccoli fettucini alfredo, and strawberry cheesecake. I also ordered my first alcoholic drink (orange crush-vanilla vodka, orange juice, and sprite). My drink came out and I took a couple of really tiny sips, but even by the end of the meal it didn't look like I'd had any because it was so full to begin with. I thought I did pretty well on the salad, but when she took it away it also looked untouched. This was the first time having pasta since surgery and I ate one noodle and three pieces of shrimp and was full (not uncomfortable-I wanted room for dessert). I love our waitress who knows how little I eat so came at the perfect time and took it back to be boxed, but the people next to us kept glancing over...oh well. Now cheesecake use to be MY THING before surgery (discovered I liked it for the first time in grad school and my weight pretty much stayed in the obese category after that). I hadn't had any since surgery and it was so good. I again was only able to eat 2 bites and the great thing is I was so satisfied. I decided not to have that boxed because I could see myself grazing on that all day long. I still weighed in at 147 this morning, so nothing horrible happened I suppose. I ate more than I typically do on any one day and can definitely see why the first 6 months are called the "honeymoon phase." My sleeve tool is still there for me to work, I just think I'll have to be a little more diligent about working it now that I seem to be able to eat more.

I know I already posted about this yesterday, but it just keeps getting better and better. Last night, I had a small bowl of chili at around 6:30pm for dinner and was not hungry at all for the rest of the night. And, I am a big big late night eater, so this is big for me. I absolutely hate going to sleep on an empty stomach, but for once, my dinner actually kept me satisfied all the way until bedtime. This morning I ran out of time to have b-fast so I grabbed a zone bar to have in the car on the way to church and I could barely finish it! Unbelievable!!! Usually I would just eat one of those to keep my stomach from growling. I don't actually get any 'filling' sensation from them even after my first fill. But, w/this second fill, oh yeah! Woohoo!!! I also lost another pound this morning so a total of 21 pounds since surgery on 12/17. Its so so hard for me to believe this is even real that I could lose 20+ pounds in 2 months. And, not even being perfect about it. Usually, when I had done WW, I had to be absolutely perfect to lose anything and many times it would be a half pound or less. Now I have been contemplating my behavior w/the band and how I really have not been working it as well as I could. Specifically, I had started slacking off on exercise and letting more liquid calories (as in cocktails and wine!) slip back into my life. And, I've asked myself is this what I really want... to do the band half-assed? And, the answer is NO! Clearly, its doing its job for me and its time for me to get more serious about doing my part. So, now I think I am ready to make some goals. A friend of mine is getting married on April 2nd and I am making it a goal to lose 15 more pounds by her wedding so I can feel cute dressed up (instead of frumpy). I am 221 right now so that would put me at 206. To achieve this, I am going to: 1) Attend Jazzercise at least 2x per week 2) Walk for 30 minutes at least 4x per week (on the days I don't do Jazzercise) 3) Limit alcohol to only 1x per week Wish me good luck and persistence! :frown:

I know I already posted about this yesterday, but it just keeps getting better and better. Last night, I had a small bowl of chili at around 6:30pm for dinner and was not hungry at all for the rest of the night. And, I am a big big late night eater, so this is big for me. I absolutely hate going to sleep on an empty stomach, but for once, my dinner actually kept me satisfied all the way until bedtime. This morning I ran out of time to have b-fast so I grabbed a zone bar to have in the car on the way to church and I could barely finish it! Unbelievable!!! Usually I would just eat one of those to keep my stomach from growling. I don't actually get any 'filling' sensation from them even after my first fill. But, w/this second fill, oh yeah! Woohoo!!! I also lost another pound this morning so a total of 21 pounds since surgery on 12/17. Its so so hard for me to believe this is even real that I could lose 20+ pounds in 2 months. And, not even being perfect about it. Usually, when I had done WW, I had to be absolutely perfect to lose anything and many times it would be a half pound or less. Now I have been contemplating my behavior w/the band and how I really have not been working it as well as I could. Specifically, I had started slacking off on exercise and letting more liquid calories (as in cocktails and wine!) slip back into my life. And, I've asked myself is this what I really want... to do the band half-assed? And, the answer is NO! Clearly, its doing its job for me and its time for me to get more serious about doing my part. So, now I think I am ready to make some goals. A friend of mine is getting married on April 2nd and I am making it a goal to lose 15 more pounds by her wedding so I can feel cute dressed up (instead of frumpy). I am 221 right now so that would put me at 206. To achieve this, I am going to: 1) Attend Jazzercise at least 2x per week 2) Walk for 30 minutes at least 4x per week (on the days I don't do Jazzercise) 3) Limit alcohol to only 1x per week Wish me good luck and persistence! :confused:

Okay...amazing enough...there aren't that many martinis going around down here. Coffee, tea, crystal light, etc....not too much alcohol yet. Deb, good going on the 6 pounds....you know...it is amazing because you sometimes just don't realize you are eating less when you are. We just met Laura's DH and he's really nice. Nels is a pretty good little boy and very polite. We are talking about a lot of issues with the lap band and stuff we can't exactly post some of this stuff....like comparing our port scars...LOL. Okay ladies, later.

Great article by Melissa Healy(LA Times) - Eating away at binge disorders - a must read! Several quotes in her article really struck home with me: "...Overwhelming feelings of sadness, anger or stress trigger episodes of eating unusually large quantities of food, often when she's not at all hungry..." "...childhood traumas that may drive binge eating and other self-destructive behaviors..." When I was going through breast cancer treatment (10 yr survivor!) I was blessed to be treated at the Mayo Clinic. Their approach was comprehensive - whole body/whole person. I went through therapy and dealt with some of my childhood issues - apparently not as successfully as one would hope as I managed to gain 83 pounds in three years! Nevertheless, one thing my therapist commented on was that she was surprised given my experiences, I hadn't become an anorexic, alcoholic or drug user. I often wonder how many of us out here battling our weight have been using food to comfort ourselves or stuff down our pain or loneliness?

Good Morning Ladies! ok my DIM SUM DILLEMA.. I actually did good considering all the carbs it all had. I had one small shrimp dimsum 2 pcs of small asparagus 1/4 cup or probably less of Tofu with chicken for dinner I had 1 small piece of chicken breast baked and half a banana I've been drinking ALOT OF water and I notice that really helps alot..:scared2: Tonight might be a lil difficult, one of my friends in the military is here for the long weekend and they wanna go out to dinner.. Where ever we go.. i'm stickin with a soup or salad... its just the ALCOHOL part.. I like drinking with friends.. but I feel like i'm on a good roll I don't wanna mess it up.. but in the same token.. I wanna have a drink or 2.. uggh.. We'll see.. I think I might have 1 hard drink. Anyways... HAPPY FRIDAY!! YAY!! LONG WEEKEND IS HERE!!!!