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Hi everyone! I'm a May 2006 bandster, and I thought I would join in on the fun. How do I get in on the next challenge? I've enjoyed reading about everyone's NSV...congrats to you all! I used to get UTI's all of the time, and my doc suggested lite cranberry juice...I don't get them anymore-it really works! I SO get the whole hanging tummy problem, after three babies (last one was almost a 10 pounder) and a life long fight with weight it ain't pretty. :/ Thank goodness for plastic surgery!!(I'm hoping insurance might help pay for it...) Here's to a great 2007!!!! Keep it up everyone!

Katie--don't feel bad--I had to ask the same thing when I first joined these boards. The other one I didn't know was NSV--which I found out means Non-scale victory. By the way, PBing is also called sliming sometimes--nasty huh? Thank goodness I haven't had any actually experience with that!

That's a great NSV! Good thing your hubby didnt punch him out or anything tho!heheheh

I am jealous of your weight loss rate. I am still only at 27 lbs, but that is bouncing around a lot. I did have a NSV this morning I thought I would share. I can bring my knees up into my chair to sit down!!! No more fat belly in the way. Well, I still have the belly, just not as much of it!

Hey Maria, Great NSV! One less pill to take, YAY!

That is a MOST excellent NSV indeed!!! :clap2: :clap2: You are COMPLETELY correct...it is all about how you feel on the inside...and it then shines through loud and clear on the outside in spades!!! Yay you!!! This is just the beginning!

Okay so the DH and I decide to take in a movie this evening and I since it was kind of a date I decide to get dolled up. Cute shirt and sweater....makeup....hair lookin totally cute since my new cut....and off we go....me toting my oh so cute Juicy bag and feeling pretty dang good about myself...(can't even remember how long it's been since I actually felt like maybe I looked sort of cute) We went to the movie (Pursuit of Happyness if anyone cares about that part) Anyhoo we're walking out of the theater and there is this guy standing there...I'd say early 30's and I'm 34 so the age was reasonable(this story wouldn't be nearly as exciting to me if the guy was an old geezer) So he's standing at a pillar as I walk by and he nods and smiles and I smile back. I get on the escalator going down in the theater and he smiles again and I smile back and we both kind of look away and then I kind of giggle and DH looks at me with this odd look on his face and I say What! Anyhow DH goes to the biff and I wait in the lobby and this guy walks by me to head out the door and says "You smell nice" What!!??! I'm like " uh thanks"....okay I felt like an idiot and was totally blushing when DH came out of the bathroom. Wow I really veered off on a tangent there but the bottom line is....I think that guy was kind of flirting with me a little and holy shite....it felt really good...I've only lost 58 pounds and I have a loooooong ways to go but I'm carrying myself differently these days and I think other people notice that...okay so I'm done...just thought I would share.

I'm sitting here typing and it has dawned on me that my wedding ring is about ready to fly off my hand. Never before has it felt so loose. I have a scale victory to report as well. I went to the doctor yesterday and I was down another 5 lbs for a total of 37 lbs so far. I'm happy today.

Clarityseeker. Glad to hear from you and know you're doing well. Nice NSV. I was excited to buy some cute lacy panties yesterday! I need some bras to match but I'm not sure of my size anymore. I have to go to Victoria's Secret. They'll measure you. I know I'm not a 42 DD any more as I have them on the tightest hook and they keep riding up. Yay!!!

Hi everyone!! Yoda...............Hmmmmmmmmmm, wellllll yaaaaaa your forgiven:) !! Astrotoes, our breed of sheep are called Rideau-Arcotts, they are known for having mutiple lambs and out-of-season breeding.:huggie: Green, I swear, my husband never goes near the computer. But he walked past and saw the words exotic stuff and he's like, whoa, whats that about. I'm like it says exotic, not erotic stuff!!! So now he's saying, Oooooo ask her where the REALLY GOOD shops are. You may have to PM me with that info. God, I'm so sorry!!:nervous Anyway, thank you for the info. I'm making a promise to myself to come up from underground. I say that every year, then I get to scared. I'm afraid of freaks or maybe I'll get shot, I dunno. But I'm going to make myself go walk around. Thanks again!!! :update: .......Okay, had to go to the docter today for a physical. She was totally impressed with my weight-loss. I think that is the first time ever, I didnt dread getting on their scale. But, 2 new NSV's -my blood pressure went from 147/94 to 125/73!!!! Woo Hoo!!! -my doc cut my asthma medication from 250 mg to 125 mg!!! Woo Hoo!!!

I have been absent from the board for so long -- life intrudes. I got my 3rd fill in early December and it is still a good fill for me. I seem to have found the "sweet spot". My goals for 2007 are to exercise and to achieve my goal weight. My most exciting NSV was when I went to buy new bras. I hadn't bought any since surgery. Well, I went from a 46DD to a 38D. I was totally shocked and thrilled. I have noticed that now that I am wearing clothes that fit correctly, my weight loss is much more noticeable. It's good to hear about everyone and to be back on the board! Jessica

jekbird, Here is my favorite link before I go to get a fill. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/increase-your-chances-t22611.html Grats on the NSV that is awesome!

Hey ya'll I have found that I am getting hungry really fast so I am going in for my 3rd fill on 1/22 at 10:15. Dr. Spivak is my doctor too so if ya'll get together let me know. I have only been walking right now. I want to start with some small weights soon. Okay, because I always forget, what should you eat before and after a fill? Thanks for the help. I had a NSV today! :clap2: Someone at my church came up to me and asked me how much I had lost (she doesn't know about my surgery). She told me I looked great and boy did that feel good :biggrin1: . Best to all,

I actually notice now that I feel a little sense of fullness when I eat. I have to concentrate on the food and make myself aware of my eating though....can't just chew away. I noticed in a lunch meeting today that I had eaten a cup of low-fat yogurt with some granola (mushy) mixed in. Upon looking at that I realized that I had been talking and eating and suddenly it dawned on me that I had that sensation. The soreness I felt was actually in the opening to my big stomach. I have had mushies and liquids since being at the doctors on Monday. My band felt a little irritated when I went in. Had I lived in town I might have rescheduled but I live 3 hours away from my doc in Houston so I drove in the night before and wanted to make it a profitable trip. At least now I know I didn't really need a fill, I just need to get back to basics and work a little harder. I'm not thrilled about the protein shakes....I would rather eat the protein and have to hold back throughout the rest of the day. I just haven't been getting enough protein lately and was living off too many carbs. I also only use them at work. I've got to have a source of protein to get myself through the morning. I don't always get a chance to sit down and eat breakfast (Lord knows I can't get up in time to do it!) so I guess I'll use them for now. By the way...did someone say bread? Oh my gosh, I cannot imagine eating a piece. I took a bite of someone's meatloaf sandwich one day, chewed a billion times and then thought I was going to die! I did find a bread in the frozen foods section.."Ezekiel something" that works in small amounts (eg. half slice.) It is made completely from "grain sprouts" and has no flour in it. I don't know how it works but it tastes pretty good and has low carbs/high protein. Down side...it's over $3.00 per loaf. Thanks ladies for your support and suggestions. I really appreciate it. Oh, one NSV...I walked/ran for 30 minutes last night. One block of running, one block of walking etc. and didn't absolutely die from it. I can actually run over a minute now. Cool... =)

Kim - I am sorry to hear about the UTI. Those are horrible. I get them a lot. Duckie - Great NSV! Keep up the good work! Drews - I am so proud of you not smoking! I can't wait to see how roller derby tryouts go! Missy - congrats on being ciggy free for so long! Marz - I am in a exercise slump too. We can do it!

This week's totals! We did great! we are down a total of 26.5lbs!!! Not to mention all the NSVs! :clap2: TamifromAL – 213/-5 BJean – 181/0 Gonnabethin – 190/0 MimIN – 199/-2 Sandranoelle – 275/-4 Kareyquilts – 203/-4 TrueBlueSue - 174.5/0 LindaN – 218/-1 Lauriegee – 215/-2 Mom of Many – 209/-1 Mariecarmen – 198/-8 Lisalee – 203/+2 Harlito – 371/-1.5 April – 241<O:p</O:p SLHarrison –<O:p</O:p Katt –<O:p</O:p Jodi-T -

bitteroldhag, sounds like we have the same payment plan. it will take years but like you, I feel it's already been worth the $. I feel great! And I have the energy to bake those cakes.I stayed up around the clock the week before Christmas..catching little 20 minute catnaps for 3 days. No way could I have done this before losing this 46 pounds. The nice thing too is that I have absolutely no desire to cheat while I'm cooking all these sweets. not even a taste. Margon9, I wish I had known about your doc. I could have saved about 6K. Does he do free fills? Mine does for a year. And enterprise01..I applaud you for taking care of three of Gods' creatures. Your cats and YOURSELF!!! I'm glad that you have that heart. So many would just put the cat down and be free of it.And you deserve this surgery. We all do. No-one wants to be overweight and we deserve to feel good. I had a NSV this morning. I bought some boots the week before Christmas and they wouldn't zip all the way up. This morning they did!!! yeah!!! I've wanted to wear nice boots for years!!!

Hi ladies, Glad to hear you are doing so well post-op. You will soon be past these soup days. I hope it goes fast for you. I had my first fill on Saturday. Today was my first day of solid food after that fill. It was.......interesting. I had a tough time for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I did get some food in at each meal though. I had to stop eating at breakfast since I was feeling that stuck feeling after a couple of bites of fruit (cafeteria was unexpectedly closed......so no protein available, otherwise I would have tried some scrambled egg). I had that slimey feeling in my mouth -- but never did PB. I stuck with liquids until lunchtime. Lunch was okay......I ate slow, but it was comfortable after the first bite and a few minutes of waiting. I had a couple of bites of chicken tortilla soup before I started eating solids and I think that the hot liquid may have opened my band up a bit before I ate -- I ate the steak and salsa inside a tortilla. I skipped the tortilla as I didn't want to try that today. Dinner was more difficult. I tried to eat little bites of chicken breast and that did not feel good. When that feeling went away, I ate the insides of an apple (did not want to try the skin today). So, I have a bit of work to do on nutrition and getting enough protein......but considering I've been feeling under the weather the last few days and have not been getting many calories (only liquids when I felt up to it), I was just happy to get something down. Anyway, after day 1........I'm convinced that this is hard work. I have a lot of learning to do about this band. Tomorrow I'm going to try to have some hot liquids before I eat and see if that makes those first and second bites more comfortable. Hope I did not make you ladies hungry......It is funny because I wanted to throw in the towel tonight and just eat soup. Then, I realized that all the money I spent for this darn band would just be a waste. I'm dying to eat soup (because it is easy) and you ladies would give anything to eat food . The good news.....I'm not hungry and I've had very small quantities today. The amazing thing..........for the last few days I have hardly been able to get any calories........I had my fill on Saturday which required me to fast a couple of hours before and drink liquids after. Then, I was feeling sick on Sunday and Monday and drank liquids -- but not nearly what I should have since my stomach was really queasy and I was getting afraid of getting sick. Today......I get on my scale and it has not budged since Saturday. Hard to believe, but true. My body is hanging on to every pound right now. Hopefully since I was able to eat some real food today I will see some changes on the scale soon. I did have a NSV today and was able to wear a brand new jacket that I purchased a month ago. It was too small for me at the time and I figured it would take 2-3 months for me to be able to wear it. I was able to put it on and button it up this morning. So, I'm getting smaller even if I'm not noticing it on the scale. I'm going to head to bed soon. I'm hoping to feel better tomorrow morning and get up and go running. I'm hoping that one of you here will hold me accountable and ask me about it tomorrow Kathy

Lisa: You might have gotten bruised from the fill. I would give yourself a little TLC. Platueas suck! I didn't lose any weight for 3 weeks and was getting very discouraged. Hang in there. It will come off! I guess the exercise and protien will speed things along. Notice any NSV's? You're probably getting smaller, ie. in inches. Good luck!

hi friends - got back from the dr today - bad news is I don't get a fill for 2 weeks! He said absolutely no fill until you hit 6 weeks - he says it gives the band time to get scar tissure built up and blah blah blah - seriously I still think he's damn sexy! I know I'm impatient and we talked about my goals and diets and everything I vented to all of you. He said thats exactly what he wanted to hear and he said tell those who ask that first of all you did not have gastric bypass and secondly its none of their business how much weight I've lost. gotta love him! I forgot I had said earlier that I would order pizza for supper - instead I'm having turkey and mashed taters - LOL I'm allowed to eat regular foods and I pick soft ones - BUT wait - I'm making better choices aren't I? NSV!!! Yea!!! I'm working towards my goal! OH and another NSV - when I got home I was really craving something sweet - started reading the little debbie box - omgoodness - don't go there! So I made a cup of madagascar red vanilla tea - a packet of splenda and a dash of vanilla coffee mate and I was satisfied! I learned the hot drink trick from you girls - thank you very much. Kay - I bought myself some mom jeans today at walmart - on sale for $13 so I bought 2 pair - did I go down a size - NO! Still in a 16 but they are so comfortable! They button at my belly button and I love them! I know its kinda stupid to buy stuff now but I had all these gift cards from Christmas, and it was on sale... so I also tried on those jeans that have the tummy control - great idea <--- sarcasm Not a good idea for someone with belly fat - so I pull on these pants get them buttoned turn around and scream! All my fat was pushed up and falling all around the flat tummy band! I couldn't even tuck it in if I had a spatula! The picture on the display is of a girl thats a size 4. So now that you all know I'm insane - I'll leave you and go fix supper. Love you girls.

I visit the site every day as well. I am totally into it. I love hearing all the successes, challenges, NSVs, etc. It is life changing and a great support group.

Oh yeah, and since DH and I are both banded and losing, it's one of my favorite NSVs. And it's a lot more fun then it was before.

At one point in our lives my hubby lost 90 lbs and I lost 50. Let's just say there was "new territory explored"....he gained back the weight and so did I... Now I've lost 90 lbs and he has decided its time for him to get back on weight watchers... Weight loss makes a big difference in how close you can get and the that pesky pad of fat in the genital area Better sex is one of the biggest NSV's...a personal favorite of mine!!!!lol

What's up everyone how's it goin? I had a NSV over the break, I was going in for my 6 month checkup (5 months in) and they had a new gal working working at the front desk. Lap-Band patients have to fill out some survey thing that reports stuff to your doctor. Well she didn't give me one so I was just sitting their waiting, and like 10 minutes later she calls me over and says she didn't know I had the lap-band and gave me the sheet. I'm joining in on the Valentine Challenge, I've been a slug over christmas break. I'll say 210-215 by Valentine's Day. Anyways, I start a pretty hard course load on wednesday so wish me luck. (I'm taking a weight training course too, pretty cool :heh:) Welp, take it easy everyone. Here is a new pic(click for biggie): Also, I'm hoping to hit my overall goal before June 24th (a year from when I originally started my diet, one month before the surgery.)

I am SO PROUD OF YOU, Hamu, for recognizing the problem and getting it under control when you'd only gained 17 lbs. That's an incredible testiment to the band. The last time I lost weight without the band, I lost 91 lbs and then gained 100 back in 6 months. I'm so happy for you that you were able to stop the cycle before you even really changed a size in clothes. You're going to knock 'em dead and be at goal before you know it. Honestly, I think this is kind of a NSV in itself. "Normal" people gain 10 or 15 lbs, realize it, lose it, all the time. Get it under control now and you know what to do. Way to go. I think your post is fabulous!