TerriDoodle

Yep, I had second thoughts....but I trusted what the people here at LBT were telling me and other newbies. Even people with complications were saying they'd do it again and it was the best thing they ever did. Jeez, if I had a dime for every time I read that phrase! That, and: "I love my band!!!" Nobody is paying us to say this stuff....we're just people and we mean every word! We've been in your shoes (remember?) and we know that this is a serious, life-altering decision. In spite of all that we all sound like a broken record: JUST DO IT!!! :eek:

Oh this is good stuff!! (Losingjusme...you crack me up with your 'snacks') BEFORE: Bkfst: cottage cheese/berries/splenda, 3 coffees w/ cream snack: cheese stick or handful (or two) of peanut M&M's; Diet Coke Lunch: An entire Asian Chopped chicken salad (made for 2) at Pei Wei; iced tea snack: More peanut M&M's or a TBSP of Peanut Butter ...or two; Diet Coke Dinner: 1/2 basket or more of chips & salsa, 2 enchiladas verdes, some rice& Beans, sopapillas (dessert); Iced tea NOW: Bkfst: cottage cheese, berries, splenda and one coffee and cream snack (maybe 3x/week): 6 almonds or 1/2 spoonfull of peanut butter Lunch: cup of soup or 1/4 c. tuna salad and 2 saltines Dinner: tilapia and a salad (last night we went for dinner and I 'stuffed' myself on a cup of soup and a crab cake about 3" in diameter) Went from eating 2500+ calories a day to less than 1100...so less than 1/2. You'll hear lots of us say it makes us 'ill' to see how much other people can eat or to think how much we used to put away. It's true!! It will amaze you, too.

Yep, ...what Jack said!

Good Morning .... Man, it sure is quiet when everyone's out of town!! We all have our war stories, don't we??? It just goes to show you that everyone has endured pain in their lives and has crosses to bear....some more than others. In the end we're all in this together and the journey is so much better when we're arm-in-arm. Don't you love it when you think you've just totally blown your 'diet' then go to count calories and find you didn't do nearly as bad as you think?? Thank you, BAND!! I could have sworn yesterday that I ate like a horse. When I counted up, then subtracted exercise I was at 1100 calories for the day...w/ 97g of protein! Today I plan to do better. I graze when I'm at home all day!! I'm really struggling with wanting a cigarette the last couple of days....don't know why now. But I'm hanging in there. 13 days. I am really starting to stress about the upcoming conflict with my ex-husband, his drinking and other issues and custody of the children. I have a consult with my attorney tomorrow and hopefully he will be served with some kind of papers in the next couple of weeks. It is such a long story and I don't feel like getting into it, but 5 years ago my kids decided they wanted to move in with their dad because they missed their friends, schools, etc. (When I got married to DH we moved to a new neighborhood.) It was a very painful time in my life in that regard but we have made it work and my children adore me....probably because coming to my house is more like vacation than being at home! (I love to spoil them when they're here!) The ex and I have a very good working relationship when it comes to the kids...usually...and he is a good dad with the best of intentions. The problem is that he goes thru periods where he drinks waaaay too much....usually on the weekends when they'll have friends or neighbors over to BBQ....things like that, but sometimes more often. The problem is that he doesn't know when to quit drinking once he starts and gets very sloppy, sometimes angry, combative and even violent. When we were married his rage was always directed at me. When we went to counseling the counselor immediately focused on his drinking which he thought was a terrible injustice and so deemed that the counseling process was a bunch of hogwash. End of that process. When we had children (after 10 yrs of marriage) things got worse between us. I had a busy, busy job, 2 little kids and a husband who was like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. When he raged at me and my little son was staring at him pale and shaking....I said THAT IS IT. NO MORE. I left. Fast forward to today. He's remarried to a nice woman but she has him by the short hairs and runs that house like a manic control freak. He cannot go pee without her permission. Fine, I don't care what goes on between them....but the point is that he cannot rage at HER now. He rages at my children and they are finally telling me the truth of what really goes on in that house. They never did before because they knew that I would FREAK OUT, call him and rip him a new one.....which inevitably would result in getting the KIDS in trouble....get it?? So they kept it to themselves for too long. Now they are at the age where they have a VOICE in the court system and we are going for it. Our goal is to get him into AA or treatment, otherwise for me to get custody. Change in custody would be difficult for a number of reasons, most of all because it would require a change in schools...and my son is a senior in high school and my daughter is in her last (very successful) year of junior high. If he doesn't get into treatment (which he will resist with every fiber of his being--because he doesn't think he needs it) I've got a helluva problem on my hands. The easiest solution I can think of is to rent an apartment in their district and just say that its my address. Damn expensive alternative, eh? All my child support would be going for a stupid apartment....but only for a fewmonths, I guess. Anyway, ya'll will be hearing a lot about this in the coming weeks 'cause the shit is gonna hit the fan!!! I'm going to bead. <sigh>

Next summer I'd like to have a brow lift and eyelid surgery done. There are probably 1,000 plastic surgeons here in Houston and I really don't know how to begin to find a good one. I thought about getting started with a cosmetic dermatologist and get some referrals from them. But I just feel so lost. Obviously if you have somebody working on your FACE you want the best there is!!! HELP! Any good ideas?

Bjean- I have a copy of the Kite Runner ready to take with me on vacation next week! It has been recommended to me several times. Can't wait to get into it. I read a lot of non-fiction and maybe it gets dull for me. Fiction will only hold my attention if it's a REALLY good book. Selling on Ebay is a lot harder than buying! 404 just means I shop there a lot. Whenever I 'need' something, that's the first place I look. I love a good bargain!

* I'm a nursing school dropout....had 6 months to go. * If I could do it over again I'd study psychology or nutrition * People say I have quite a talent for interior design * I wish I knew much more about quantum physics, but I'm not smart enough * I bead and am totally addicted to collecting beads...totally * I have studied metaphysics quite extensively * I rarely finish a book but I read 5 at a time * I have many friends, but 3 best friends that I've known for 30 years. We were pot-luck roommates in college. I freak out when I think of one of them getting sick and/or dying. * I have an Ebay feedback score of 404. LOL * I want to live in Colorado....very badly. * I adore dogs and cats but don't have one now * I fell in love at first sight with my children's father

Hmmm. I never thought about this in these terms...but I definitely started gaining weight after the age of 8, when my father died in a small plane crash. My relationship with him was painful for me. I was always wanting his attention but felt rejected constantly. i annoyed him. Either he had his nose either behind the newspaper, was yelling at me or was at the bar. He was mostly at the bar. When I was 21 my mother told me what a real asshole he was and how he emotionally abused her very badly and cheated on her constantly. Surely I have abandonment issues too....I have a rough who-needs-you attitude, too. How's that for transparency?

I hope you understand that it's NOT that we don't sympathize, dear one. We most certainly do see ourselves in you! We're only trying to give you the benefit of our experience. Sure, go on a 'little tour'...lol...but not every day for 3 weeks!

I definitely see your point Mz Green! May the whore suffer the body odor of 1000 camels!!! :heh:

So get a hold of yourself!!! You know what you have to do, so breathe, commit and do it. You'll be glad you did! I don't mean to sound 'tough' but there will be lots of times on this journey when you have to adjust your behaviors and attitudes....it's time to practice! When folks on here tell you that you don't have to say goodbye to food forever, we mean it! You WILL be able to eat food. There is no need to jeopardize your surgery or to gain 8# right now. This is only temporary!! Breathe!! (I really AM a nice person!)

Isn't that the truth, Allie?? That's why i always tell newbies to stick around here and read all they can. It's like no matter what your issue is with food, the band can help. Well, maybe not THAT clear-cut...but it is a tremendous tool that just about everyone can benefit from.

I'm posting this just so nobody can break my record of FIVE posts IN A ROW!! lol

Oh, and also..... (sorry).... I think about this often.....as I said before, when I was in college I was pretty thin but didn't feel like it. And since I had been ugly and fat growing up (and I'm not kidding about the ugly part!!) I never could understand why such good looking men were attracted to me. Looking back on it, I mean you should have seen the guys I dated!! Not model types, but really cute guys!! Wait, now that I think about it, I did have one date with a model! Ha!! And I always felt so awkward....like what the hell am I doing here??? I'm ugly and fat!! Weird. I even had 2 gorgeous guys, who were best friends, 'fighting over me'....and I ended up marrying one of 'em, my now-ex. I just have never seen me the way other people see me. Never. I still see that ugly 13 year old with mousy brown hair, fat, buck teeth, braces and pimples. Nightmare DeLuxe.

Something that I've been wanting to post about is this perception thing. I am now weighing at the same as my previous high weight. Back in 2002 when I weighed this much I felt like a total fat PIG, went on Atkins and lost 25#. Now I feel like I could be happy at this weight if I had to (but i don't!). When I was 24 and weighed 150 I felt like a pig. When I was 20 and weighed 130 I felt like I could lose another 5. When I lost the other 5 I felt emaciated and gained it back. Apparently I am never happy. Odd isn't it? Never quite comfortable in my own skin. I gotta work on that.

Oh, Tracy....BTW....I am feeling soooo much better since my unfill. Only problem now is that I'm having a bit more hunger. After Vegas I may go in for 0.1cc....but only ONE!!! It is so amazing to me that .3-.4 cc's can make such a huge difference. Going from not eating anything to eating just about everything! What a wild ride. Thanks for asking!

Tracy - I also have 'issues' in that area. And now the Chantix I am taking makes me even more constipated!! Good lawd!! then with the fill problems I was having I sure as heck wasn't getting any fiber from my diet. Yesterday I used a laxative, which I don't mind doing once a month or so. Fiber is essential for good digestive health so you should always strive to get more. But for 'emergencies' I've always heard that prunes or prune juice is the best there is. I don't know why I don't keep some in my pantry!! (Going to put it on my list right now!) Laura - Mornings really are my toughest hunger-wise, and I absolutely cannot have a carby breakfast or I pay for it all day long. Yuck. Here are a few things for you to consider: 1) About the cottage cheese -- get the 4% full fat version, not the fat free. The difference in taste and satiety is sooooo worth the 4 grams of fat. Well, to me anyway. And don't forget to add splenda! Yum! I have eaten this almost every day for 4 years. Be careful about the kind of fruit you use as well. pineapple has a lot more sugar than say, strawberries. Berries are your best bet and they are full of antioxidants. Blueberries are the best. VERY good for you. 2) 2 TBSP Peanut Butter and 1/2 banana 3) cheese and whole grain crackers, like WASA multi grain or fiber rye, with a glass of milk 4) Breakfast taco -- throw away the tortilla!!! 5) make a crustless quiche like Jenn suggested, then you can put whatever you want in there 6) slices of deli meat rolled up with a bit of cheese in the middle...nuke if desired 7) I like South Beach Meal Replacement bars...and they are the ONLY ones I like...and I've tried lots! Peanut butter or PB and chocolate. I keep these in my car for 'emergencies'. You can buy them individually at most drug stores, or by the box at Walmart or the grocery store. 8) oatmeal made with milk, butter, vanilla and cinnamon....and about a tbsp of unflavored Protein Snacks?....about 10:00a I am almost always ready for a snack. I either fight it until lunchtime and load up on Water or cave in and have just a LITTlE bit of cheese, peanut butter or 6 almonds. That usually does the trick.

I tend to think it is a matter of metabolism. I have been rather sluggish and non-athletic all of my life. My children's father is lean and very active. I have two children. My son is like me...tends to be overweight, sluggish and non-athletic. My daughter is lean, active and more athletic! So I believe it is more about how you are hard wired.... if you have a sluggish metabolism, you will tend to gain weight and not be very energetic. I am still a slug at heart, but I make myself go to the gym and I enjoy it because it does give me more energy than I would have otherwise.

Interesting post to say the least, Elaine! Woke me up on this Sunday morning! I don't agree with the concept of 'revenge' at all. It keeps you stuck in the situation when you really should be working on how to move on. My mother always taught me to take the high road in bad situations and so far it has worked for me pretty well. At least I find that I am a forgiving person and don't harbor many resentments, which makes me feel lighter. And I have endured quite a bit in my life. One thing you said did prompt me to write today...and that was that the other woman has been tagged as "the whore". That really has stuck in my craw ever since this thread began....like nails on a blackboard. Why? Because it seems to throw the full responsibility for this situation onto her when it is clearly a 50/50 deal. As if he is some kind of victim and she is the devil personified. We are all just himan beings and we "grow" by trial and error. It's very simple. If the DH were as mature as Zannie his boundaries would have been much stronger. But the DH and 'other woman' were probably destined to find each other and get ensnared in this mess....and everyone involved should be learning very valuable lessons indeed. Everyone in this drama has choices to make and the ones who make the loving choice will be the ones to grow and flourish. If the 'other woman' truly loved the DH then she would let him go. But she is immature and selfish (maybe even mentally ill) and she is learning the hard way. Zannie is being forgiving and trustful (?) because she is more mature and has more at stake ...it is in her family's best interest for her to endure pain, uncertainty and hardship for the sake of others. DH is trying to get there....he is being manipulated not by the other woman but by his own primitive ego (i.e., the Freudian ego). He is no victim.

Thanks Marjorie... I am trying to be patient with myself and focus on the good things that are happening without letting fear take over. So far, i must say, that it has been easier than I expected AND the weight is still coming off. I don't seem to be having too many oral pacification issues.

Oh, you will LOVE the book!! .... or I hope you do. Let me know! Thanks for the kind words...as usual. XOXO!

Hi ya'll! You are 100% perfectly normal to have these fears! 99% of everyone here at LBT had them too! After surgery, then you get the 'what the hell have I done' syndrome! LOL! Be prepared for that too All of that goes away as you learn this new way of life. Everything gets easier with each passing day and after about 3-4 months life is really just about back to normal, except that you are eating much less (and hopefully exercising more). It actually gets back to normal sooner than that, but going in for fills periodically and then readjusting to new restriction causes a few bumps in the road...but then you get to your sweet spot and it's smoothe sailing after that. The way I got over the preop jitters is just hanging around LBT and reading as much as I possibly could, getting to know people, both peers and mentors, and staying the hell away from the complications board! When my surgery day neared I just kept putting one foot in front of the other until I got there. I just trusted ALL the people here who kept telling me to just do it!! I'll be so happy I did, etc. And, of course, they were 100% correct. I love my band and would be VERY upset if I ever had to give it up. I was self pay and it was worth every penny and more. And, yes, I also have kept it a secret. It's not so hard to do. Let us know how we can help. That's why we're here!

I dream about smoking....not so much eating. Addictions...new behaviors...all the same thing, I guess. Brain trying to process WTF is going on! Laura - I try my hardest to eat before 7:00p because I go to bed about 10. I almost always wish I could have a snack at about 9:00 or 9:30 because my 'dinner' is usually very light. And on top of that I used to do most of my smoking in the evening! So the evenings are pretty tough for me and when it starts getting to me I just go to bed. LOL. But hey! I'm getting more sleep now too!! I'm just gonna be so healthy nobody will be able to stand being around me. Speaking of which I just got thru ordering magnesium and fish oil supplements. I remember feeling sooooo good when I took that before. As an added bonus fish oil makes my skin so much more supple and right now it's horrible. Menopause is cruel. Well, off to get DD from the bowling alley. DS is playiing paintball and DH is playing golf. I'm sitting on my butt. I went to the gym this morning and tried the rowing machine! That was fun!....well, it was different, anyway. Good workout!

I VOW to stay on plan today because I promised myself I would. Doing anything less is self-destructive. I'm not into self-destruction anymore.

That's how I think I'd behave, too. And would probably have the same feelings about feeling yucky, etc. Thanks for an interesting post!!