TerriDoodle

Go Jacqui!!! LOL TexasRose - I'm sorry that happend to you. Hey, but if it makes you feel any better, that's happened to me twice in my life. Once when I weighed about 175 and the other time when I weighed about 160. (I'm 5'7" so it wasn't like I looked like a pumpkin or anything. The point is that others perceptions can be very messed up and then you add a stupid brain and a big mouth into the mix and you've got trouble. Yeah, it can be real embarrassing, even humbling and enough to ruin your day...IF YOU LET IT. You have so much to be proud of!!! Focus on that and let the small stuff roll off your back. Who cares what some drunk fool in a bar thinks anyway??? He's an idiot.

I went to one class at my gym. I'm 49 and many were about my age, but not much younger. I also found that the workout did not get my heart rate up at all. I have many other options, so I chose to stick with my other routine. HOWEVER, I did hear that the 'other' instructor is very tough and you get quite a workout....so I'll bet good money that his class is full of younger people, and this one happend to be the older group. So perhaps you should just try out different classes and/or instructors...or call around and express your concerns. I love to swim and that DEFINITELY gets my heart rate up....so much so that I have to take a break between laps. So I swim a lap or two then do exercises at the end of the lane either with the 'weights' or side kicks or whatever. That's a great workout for me and the best part is NO SWEATING!

Am I gonna have to come up there and kick your ass???

Calories consumed = the energy you get from food Calories burned = the energy you use to move around and to keep your body functioning In order to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume, so you want a calorie deficit every day of X number of calories. A calorie deficit of about 500/day is considered a safe rate for weight loss. At that rate you should lose about a pound per week. A deficit of 1000/day should result in a loss of 2 pounds per week. Is that more clear?

Pamela - It sounds like you and I have the same taste in books! I've read and loved The Secret Life of Bees and have read Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood at least twice. The movie was pretty good too, I thought. Give me an off the top of your head list of your 5 favorite books of all time! Mine are: Angela's Ashes The Poisonwood Bible Divine Secrets... The Grapes of Wrath Joy Luck Club Oh, Thanks, Michelle!! Lots of good suggestions! I love to BUY books....'cause if I love them I hate to part with 'em....so I buy them cheap on Half.com. Heading over there now to get some of these you and Pamela have suggested! Jenn - I'll bet you DID look really cute in your outfit! Did you take measurements before you started working out? It might be important if the scale is going to be stubborn. Did you get to meet Hillary? Where is TracyKS this weekend?? Hope Kat is having fun! Doesn't she sound like she's got a wonderful life? I envy her .... except for the cows part. LOL After my last post about the golf thing, I just had to get out of here...so I went to the gym then to my mom's. We had a nice day just being lazy. I even took a nap on her couch. Nothing like being at Mom's <sigh>.... it's always been a haven for me. Well, nothing else to report. Ate a bunch this weekend. I am going to have to get my fill checked. I think I've got a leak or something...not feeling much restriction now. I have no idea when I'll be able to do that! Maybe Friday.

The British Open is on. My husband is obsessed. If I hear ONE MORE STORY about golf or golfers I AM GOING TO LOSE MY MIND. :car:

You are in Bandster Hell....and it's called that for a reason! Since the swelling has now gone down but the band hasn't been filled, you are "wide open"....meaning it's just as if you were never banded. Getting going with the fills will change all of that soon enough!! In the meantime, just try your best to make good food choices and keep practicing the eating guidelines....you will be making good use of them after your fill!

I definitely agree that you should try to find another doctor. EW!! I don't like his attitude! Not to mention the fact that he's just plain wrong. Personally, you couldn't pay ME $1 million to hack away on my intestines....the complication rate is way way way too high for my comfort, and irreversible! Keep in mind, however, that this board IS a bit prejudiced! :car:

I agree with everything Jacqui has said but would like to add a couple of things. After your wife has adjusted to her new way of eating (which doesn't take long) she may be quite 'amazed'....even a bit disgusted....by the amount of food that un-banded people can put on their plates and actually injest!! It's like watching people eat a huge Thanksgiving dinner every single meal. My husband is about 25# overweight and would like to lose it. So I find myself suggesting to him all the time to reduce his portions and slow down his eating!! I'm sure he's getting pretty tired of it! LOL The other thing is to mention that it is quite normal to have some feelings of depression around 3 weeks after banding. It has something to do with the sudden weight loss that you experience in those first few weeks and the release of estrogen stored in the now-melting fat cells. There's a hormonal imbalance for awhile....kind of like PMS. As Jacqui said, all in all it's not such a big adjustment for the family. The best thing you can do in the way of support is to encourage her, be proud of her and tell her how absolutely MARVELOUS she is looking! :car: Good luck to you both!

Hi everyone! Judy - I usually use frozen raspberries, blueberries and strawberries with my cottage cheese. They work great! When i pour my coffee in the morning, I also pour my frozen berries in a bowl and by the time I'm ready to eat, they're thawed out. I got my beading area all organized -- again-- and it looks great. You can imagine how difficult that is. I have 250+ different kinds of beads, plus all kinds of wire, stringing materials, hammers, tools, books and findings. My dining room is my 'studio' so to keep in functioning as a dining room it has to be oraganized very well. Sad part is that I hardly ever have time to work anymore! But my daughter loves it, too....and it's something that we do together when she's here. Went to get my hair cut, mani & pedi....then later we're going out to a nice dinner with my good friend & her new beau! Can't wait to give him the once over. But I am SO tired! I haven't slept worth a darn for 3 nights :car: . I'm holding at 192 but I'm not complaining! Michelle - sounds like you're having a blast with your book and the party. I agree that we need pics!! I think I read 20 pages of the 1st book and that is it. I WAS very impressed with her writing - so incredibly imaginative!! I'll have to give them another go. Looking for something fun to read now anyway. speaking of which....ANYONE READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?? No Tom Clancy or Danielle Steele, please! LOL I like believable characters in realistic situations.... love southern fiction, too. Gina - good to be home, eh? what kind of work do you do? Judy - glad your friends liked our little joke....but did you tell them it's not really a joke???? And thank you from me too about saving poor Jetta. I'm a big animal lover too. Had to put our beautiful Golden down in February and we miss her so much. I just love on doggies whenever I get the chance. They built a new bark park not far from here and I can't wait til the Fall and I'll go visit them there. It's so much fun! We don't have any plans for getting another dog for a year or two. We want to do some traveling, and may be moving at some point soon. I'll pray that Jetta finds a forever home real soon. Jenn - Interesting about the need for you to up your calories! I can think of plenty of ways to get them up: Rocky Road, Butter Pecan, Double Dutch Chocolate, Coffee, Peppermint, Cookies & Cream, Strawberry....to name but a few. :car: TracyK - I'm glad I didn't go to Vinton with you! I had money for a mani/pedi today! (Sorry!)

No, Lynn - I wasn't able to get over there on Thursday. The weather was horrible and besides, when I called to make sure he was going to be there over the lunch hour they said I might have to wait quite a while....that he was really busy. No way I could do that. I think the spot is fading now, but when I get a chance, I will go in and bring the pic with me.

I've always had blood sugar issues and do better with 5-6 small meals a day (or 3 meals + 2 snacks) plus most trainers will tell you it keeps the metabolism rev'd up. I have noticed that a lot of post-op diets indicate "NO SNACKING", but I don't understand why. What about you? Do you snack or not? I'd like to make the distinction between snacking for nourishment vs. "grazing" or "head hunger", if you know what I mean. Thanks for participating.

LOL...."Focus, K?" Judy, I hope we can go on a cruise together someday!! Three Hundred Dolla!! Three Large. Three Hundred Smackaroos!! Don't buy too many clothes....they'll be in the Garage Sale Tres soon enough! Didn't go to mom's today 'cause it was too rainy and she didn't want me driving across town. So I went for a 2-hour workout then came home to start organizing my bead stuff AGAIN. It's a constant battle. My daughter really has fun with it but she has the organization skills of a monkey. It's almost done. In two weeks it'll look like a tornado hit the room....again. My best friend called earlier. She lives 4 hours away in Tyler. She just moved there to be close to her dad who is in ill health. She's been practicing tough love with her 26 year old son who has hit bottom and landed in jail. He got out and she let him back in the house 3 days ago and he has a week to come up with a plan. He's either going into the military or into residential treatment. She just started a new and very responsible job. Her previous house hasn't sold and is causing big time money problems. (Stay with me here....FOCUS, K?) Oh, and before she moved she sold her car to my son and she and DH are making do with one until her house sells. Ok. So last night she gets off work and is heading home when she gets a call that her dad has taken a bad fall, might be stroking and is in the E.R. She rushes home to get her son and DH...takes son to A.A. and then she goes over to the hospital. Dad is in ICU, combative, disoriented, pulling tubes out and trying to get out of bed. She sends DH to pick up the son from AA and says she'll call him when she wants to come home. Dad is not doing well and she is very distraught. At midnight she calls for DH to come pick her up because she has 2 very important meetings in the morning and has to get to bed even though she isn't sure Dad is gonna make it thru the night. She goes to the lobby to wait for DH. She waits...and waits....and waits. No answer on his cell and he is not at home. Eventually a police officer finds her in the lobby to tell her that her DH has been in a bad accident and he is in the ER. He was hit from behind by a massively drunk driver and his truck rolled 4 times before coming to rest. He has no broken bones, but possibly a head injury and they send him home at 6:00 a.m. She had to cancel her meetings (bad!), take care of DH, get him some food, talk to insurance agents, line up a rent car, talk to police, make sure son is behaving, take care of the dogs, go back to the hospital to relive her stepmom, etc etc etc etc....and on top of this has a huge paper due on Monday for her Masters degree program. AND YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD A BAD DAY???

Congratulations on your absolutely tremendous success!!! From skeptic to complete convert!! AWESOME! I'm very happy for you!

I'd say the hardest part is not drinking with meals. It takes a lot of getting used to! Especially since I've been so diligent about getting my fluids in, seems like I'm thirsty all the time....I always have a drink in front of me....so it's hard to NOT drink! Sliming and PB's are not a whole lot of fun either, but they are a good learning tool for keeping your eating behaviors in check. Other than that, I really have no complaints.

Here's a thread (there are many) that explains what a PB is: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f7/what-does-pbd-mean-3469/ I had the same experience after my 2nd and 3rd fills....increased PBing and more adjustments to what and how I eat! If you are getting that stuck feeling at every meal you're probably just still irritated from the fill and PB's. Take it easy for a day or so and stick to fluids and mushies. Then introduce solids again, but go very slow. Stay with safe foods like fish, cooked vegetables, melons, things like that. AND CHEW CHEW CHEW....and WAIT WAIT WAIT between bites. I bet you'll be much better in another few days but that first week or two after a fill can be a bit tricky. Remember this next time you get a fill, too!

I'd be real curious to see what would happen if you ONLY did the ROM for a month or two! I find it hard to believe that the gym would make such an investment if the thing didn't actually work (it's the only machines they have!). I've been a skeptic for lotsa years....but usually questioning the status quo! I find this very interesting! Please keep us posted!

Oh Judy! You are feeling naughty today, aren't you!?!?! Actually, I cancelled the 'party' since consciousness is usually appreciated. And I did actually LOL at your comment to Pamela! (We love you, Pammy!!) HAYDEE - I was wondering how all the car washes are staying in business because this is going on 2 months of rain here! I looked at the 10-day forecast and it's all 40-60% chance of rain every day!! My car is pretty disgusting both inside and out and I'd love to go get it cleaned up but I can't even find a car wash that bothers opening its doors!! I did notice a Bubbles Express that was offering $1 outside-only car washes. Wow--they ARE getting desperate. LAURA - You are SO quiet these days!! What gives?? ******WARNING: BORING EXERCISE RAMBLE AHEAD******** Ok. If you recall this about me I have always always always been a picture-perfect couch potato. LIke my whole life. Oh, sure there have been bouts of enthusiastic plunges into sports and exercise programs but they were sporatic and short lived ALWAYS. (I am a Gemini. I get bored. It's a curse.) So this track record of mine - 3 consistent months at the gym - is a totally new experience for me. I REALLY am contantly amazed - every day - at how great my body feels under this layer of fat. Exercise really works!! WOW! Who'da thunk it? Get this: my buns are actually getting tight. Yes! You heard me! My BUNS! My waist is getting trim. My quads are amazing. My abs, not so much....LOL. Point is, I feel so strong and 'tight' and I can't imagine ever giving this up again! This is the point at which one becomes totally addicted. I feel this little sense of 'panic' if I miss one day at the gym! Now, mind you, I do not spend a lot of time there normally....usually an hour or less....so its not like i'm committing my whole life to it or anything, which is good. I wouldn't be able to keep up that kind of commitment for long. This is so do-able. I just hope that some of you can carve out the time to do the same. I KNOW how difficult it is to find it. My circumstances are such that I can do this now, but this is probably the first time in 20 years that it's worked out this way. blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Sorry! I've got the day off today. Going to Mom's, then to the gym, then relax with hubby....maybe even 'party' :hat: Good Luck with your garage sale Judy!!! I'll see ya'll later!

Very cute invitation!! Ya'll have fun and if you're lucky you'll become as close as the April 07 Shrinking Violets! Becoming part of a monthly group is the BEST and looks like you have the start of a GREAT one here! GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU!!

Or were we just little avatars with no bodies???

There are lots of threads that debate the wisdom of telling/not telling. I'm in the 'not telling' camp and I'm really glad I did! I told my kids, my DH and 2 very discreet, trustworthy friends.

Sweet dreams, darlin'!! We love you, too! Well, i went way over 900 calories today, I know that! After lunch I was already at 700. I think I prolly had 1700 calories today!! :eek: I woke up hungry and just stayed hungry all day. Where I BLEW it was at Quiznos! I had 1/2 of a Raspberry Chipotle Chopped Chicken salad. Got back to work and found out that the dang thing has 900+ calories!!!! (No wonder I was so fat...I ate those all the time!) Then I had 1/2 c of SF ice cream. Then I had 1/2 banana and 2 TBSP peanut butter at 4:00p. Then I met DH for a late dinner at Carrabba's....had an italian salad, a cup of chicken soup, bread crust and olive oil! Oh, and a glass of wine!! Oh well, I'll do better tomorrow! Maybe I won't be so dang hungry! Going to visit with my mom who is a chocolate freak and it's all over her house. No, I obviously didn't get HER genes. She's always been 5'8" and 140# no matter what she eats. My daughter got 'em though, thank God! PAMELA - Did your other window bids come in lower? Jenn - What is "Page Ranking" ?? I've seen that a couple of times recently, have no idea what it is. I'm so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open. But I ate so late now I have to stay up til it digests. Also....invited DH to a 'party' in the bedroom later. WHAT WAS I THINKING? :phanvan

Didn't get to the doctor today, folks. Just too much rain and the doc is super busy....1st day back from vacation and all. I'll take the pic with me next time I go in if the spot is gone. I'll go in for sure if it gets worse.

L'Auberge du Lac (I think) -- yes, we went there 2 weeks ago! Had a great time, beautiful pool, great bars & restaurants, etc. The slots were tight as heck, tho. We lost more than a few bucks! We had a lot more fun dancing at the local dance hall in town, "Yesterday's". What a hoot!

:) Too funny!!!! OMG!!! Would you PLEASE post this in the exercise AND general forums?? This question must get asked 20x a day. I've asked it myself!! ...which brings me to a point. There was a time in my not too distant past where I was lifting weights. Oh, I was very enthusiastic! So enthusiastic that I threw my back out after 7 weeks in the program. Well, the point is that while I was working out my weight had massively stalled...the whole time I was working out like a dog! Not too happy, but I stayed with it. Well, then my back went out for a week, then shortly after that went on vacation. I lost 8 lbs in those two weeks!!!....after being stalled for 7-8 weeks! Hmmm. Ya think it was the glycogen leaving my body? YOU BETCHA!