donali

Yes, yes, yes!!! Love this one!

Love the pics!!! Looks like you really live out in the country - I"m jealous! Why are the doggies no longer allowed inside?

What day you think is the most special day of the year? You only get to pick one this time!!!

Checking out the poll thingy!! If you can't choose one favorite, mark more than one!

Hidden by layers Of soft, protective coating My heart becomes hard I sharpen its edge And use this new knife To carve my rebirth Fighting for my life I become less of myself And emerge equal.

Deadly prison walls of shame, love, fear, and safety melt – and then I’m free…

Thoughts of what I’ve lost Are overshadowed by the Rewards I’ve since gained.

Sending you and your sister my very best wishes, Chantal. Please keep us posted. (((hugs)))

I love some of these birthday quotes!! "The years between fifty and seventy are the hardest. You are always being asked to do things, and yet you are not decrepit enough to turn them down." - T. S. Eliot "From birth to age eighteen, a girl needs good parents. From eighteen to thirty-five, she needs good looks. From thirty-five to fifty-five, she needs a good personality. From fifty-five on, she needs good cash." - Sophie Tucker "Here's a birthday spanking, Sent you on a card, One, Two, Three, Put them right on hard, Four, Five, Six One to live on, one to grow on, One to make you fat." - Anonymous Ouch!! I definitely got TOO many spankings!! lol "Every ten years a man should give himself a good kick in the pants." - Edward Steichen I say, why wait ten years?!?! lol "We are always the same age inside." - Gertrude Stein "The heyday of woman's life is the shady side of fifty." - Elizabeth Cady Stanton "Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age." - French proverb "At twenty years of age, the will reigns; at thirty, the wit; and at forty, the judgement." - Benjamin Franklin "The lovely thing about being forty is that you can appreciate twenty-five-year-old men." - Colleen McCullough "Middle age is when you still believe you'll feel better in the morning." - Bob Hope

Yay!!! Thanks for the return of the edit button!!

I think there is a difference between a site being registered with search engines, and individual posts within that site being pulled up. HTML code provides coding for "keywords" or "search words" that allows search engines to find the site based on that, and I know it's possible to submit the site with those keywords to the most popular search engines. At least that used to be the case a few years ago. I don't believe it is necessary to have the WHOLE site contents indexed. I definitely think this site should be found using a search on WLS, LapBand, etc. But finding this site solely based on a user name, or even a phrase from a post, is pretty creepy, what with more and more stalkers and obsessive/compulsive people out there. If there were an option, I would vote to NOT index the whole LBT site, but limit the search engines to finding the site by the keywords provided in the HTML code. However, if indexing the whole site is the only option for people to find us... I guess I'd have to say we should be indexed.

lol... Dang, was I ever 29??? I don't remember ever being 29... That would have been... Ah... 1990... Ah, yes - I was a Texas gal back then... Do you think I'm trying to block that from my memory???

You deserve your own thread as well!! A little wish for you, on this blessed (one day early ) day: "Youth had been a habit of hers for so long that she could not part with it." - Rudyard Kipling Happy, happy day, Youngling!!

Aw... Shucks... *scrapes toe in dirt* You guys are the best! Last day of my 43 year old "wisdom" - nothing but 44 year old stuff starting tomorrow!! lol

I'm sure the 30 minute warning is that you have a 30 minute window to edit your post - after that you're locked out. Yes, sometimes it does take more than a 30 minute window to edit a post - like the daily food log thread, for example - that editing was intended to go on all day. I guess this also means that the thread starter no longer has the right to delete their thread...

Ryan said a couple weeks ago that he's going to be focusing on getting Patty well, and that he might not have much time to drop by for awhile - remember, he's "Dormant 'til Spring"... Can't wait for Spring, Ryan!! Hope all's well with you and yours!! xxoo

So Megan - those fortune Cookies really do know what they're talking about!! I can't deal with not being able to edit my posts, so I'm dropping out of posting on this thread. Can we get the edit privileges back, Ms. Moderators?!?! I have to change my days so much, I really don't want to post it 10 times each day... lol (THAT is my story, and I'm sticking to it!! It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the abysmal choices I occasionally (lately 99%!) make. Really. And today I have a whole birthday cake on my desk, so there really is no point in posting what I eat today... lol )

LOL... Is this how we came up with the saying, "Looks can be deceiving."? Just kidding, DeLarla!!! DON'T throw your shoe at me!!! xxoo

I guess it's okay if this thread turns into a reiteration about plateau "truths" - since the are an annoying part of everyone's journey. But, hey - at this point I hope I AM on a plateau, and not going up anymore!! lol Geez... this advice is all so good... You'd think I would have been able to keep these 30 pounds from creeping on. Saying and doing are so very two different things... sigh... Repeating for my benefit!! http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1545&highlight=plateau Hi Babs - Well, you've already said that not weighing regularly is NOT an option for you, so I can't tell you to throw your scale off a tall building. And as "anti-scale" as I am, I still weigh regularly myself for the same reasons you state - some sort of accountability. You already know that the plateaus are regular, short lasting, and have no effect on your average weightloss per month, but you freak out on plateaus in spite of your own well documented trends that it is indeed only temporary. The trick for me (undoubtedly you've read my very detailed post about my plateau's, their length, and my monthly weightloss average - lol) was to change my attitude about the plateau itself. Since everyone has them, they're obviously "needed" by the body. So I freak out less over plateaus because I tell myself: 1. My body is resting and compacting, doing all the secret body stuff it needs to do to adjust to its new size before it gets smaller. 2. I have an opportunity for my mind to adjust to my body at this size. 3. However long my body needs to readjust itself before it can release more weight is the right amount of time. If my plateaus seem ridiculously long, I evaluate my lifestyle and reaffirm some truths (for me): 1. My journey is about health, not weightloss. If I continue to do healthy things, my body will achieve a normal weight. 2. Am I doing what I need to do to achieve health? Am I drinking enough water, eating enough protein, exercising enough? Is there room for improvement? Am I willing to make some small changes that may aid/speed my health? If I am not emotionally ready to make more positive changes, then I don't, and I accept that emotionally I am not ready to be more healthy, but I also make a mental note of what steps I could take, once I AM ready to make more changes. 3. Above all, I am gentle, loving, and accepting of myself and where I am. I have abused myself physically and emotionally all my life, and I am no longer going to treat myself that way. I am willing to look at myself honestly, accept where I may be lacking in effort, and congratulate myself for how far I've come and validate my journey. I remind myself that there is no "deadline", and that this is for life. This things do not keep me from stepping on the scale and hoping that the number drops, but it does keep me from freaking out when it doesn't, week, after week. Hope something in this helps! You're doing great! Don't let those negative tapes about fear of failure kick in and sabotage your good feelings about yourself! *********** http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1727&highlight=plateau quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by leo Yes these plateaus are really something. Without the band I would have been eating as usual long time ago. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by Alexandra I can get morose about the fact that the scale has not budged in two weeks or more, but I still can't have a huge baked potato. So even if I feel like giving up, throwing in the towel, forgetting the whole damned thing and resigning myself to being fat the rest of my short life (and how many times have I done THAT in the past 40 years?), I STILL have my friend and gatekeeper there to keep me from sabotaging myself until I'm feeling more optimistic. It's the coolest thing ever!! Wow - Alexandra... Big lightbulb moment for me, and my past dieting experiences. With the band, we ARE forced to keep doing what we are doing, regardless of whether we're losing weight or not, which reveals a lot about the normal weight loss journey and plateaus. You are so right that many of my attempts to lose weight prior to the band were sabotaged by plateaus - I was hungry, deprived, and/or missing my old eating habits, so when I didn't see scale results, I threw in the towel and went back to my old ways, knowing they wouldn't help me lose weight, but if I wasn't losing anyway... Now, no matter HOW long I am on a plateau, I can't go on a binge and eat a whole large deep dish pizza, or a whole bucket of fried chicken, or a box of spaghetti. My psyche is now forced to deal with the reality that this journey really DOES take time. I never felt like I had the "time" before - of course, because I didn't want to diet any longer than absolutely necessary... And that mindset in and of itself is so very telling... "I didn't want to diet any longer than absolutely necessary..." Doesn't that phrase scream out that I had no plans to really change my eating habits for life? But now my body has been changed for life, whether my mind was ready or not. I was always "ready" before, but the "for life" part always dragged on waaaay too long... lol This time, I started out emotionally ready once again, and now the band helps with the "for life" part. ********** Without the band, "life" is starting to seem toooo long again... lol

Per the guy I talked to at Inamed when reporting my erosion, it is virtually impossible to get the serial numbers from Lopez of the bands that have been placed, so tracking these things back to a bad batch of Inamed bands seems unlikely, although Inamed should have records of what was sent to Lopez, and I would imagine it could be guesstimated by the number of bandings he's done which batch they were done from, if he by chance used up one batch before starting the next. I was banded 1/23/03 - so if it was a bad batch of bands it's spread out over a long period of time.... My erosion was diagnosed 6/17?/04 at 40%, removal two weeks later over the 4th of July weekend, 2004.

I started at 303, and got down to 200.5 by mid-September, 2 months after my band removal. Than BF moved in, schedules changed, eating out commenced, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine's Day happened... lol Bday is this weekend, then Easter is just around the corner... Aaaack!! lol My plateau info from an old post: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1341&highlight=plateau I think the plateaus are the hardest thing. Maybe we can think of them as what it will be like when we reach our goal weight? Hopefully at some point we will no longer be looking to see that our weight is going down, but just staying the same, day after day, year after year, for the rest of our lives. A plateau is not the time to automatically run for a fill. A plateau is a time to reflect, to regroup and to regather. The body needs it (apparently, since they seem to happen to just about everyone), and the MIND needs it. Really. However, if we are not at goal, there comes a time when the plateau no longer seems to serve a purpose in our minds. At this point, it is time to evaluate. 1. Start tracking on www.fitday.com everything you consume everyday. Be HONEST! Yes, 3 cups of fat free/sugar free ice cream counts, and MUST be logged (lol - that's to me for last night :sick ) 2. Update your stats - your current weight and activity level. Then go to the "activities" section and check out the number of calories you're supposed to be burning at your basal metabolism. Aim to consume that number of calories (and up to 200 additional) everyday. 3. Recently there has been a lot of discussion (my euphamism for "arguments" lol) on other boards about the amount of Protein required each day. Unless you're really short and tiny, it seems the bare minimum should be 60 grams. 4. Make sure you are drinking .5 oz of Water for every pound of body weight. 5. Seriously try to take a 60 minute walk at least every other day. Every day if at all possible. This does not have to be a kill yourself speed. Just walk (winter is a great excuse to walk the mall - just as hot summers are a great excuse to walk the mall - lol). If you are already exercising like the dickens, change your routine. shake it up - do something different. 6. Of the foods you are recording in fitday, be sure that you are eating SOLIDS. 7. Are you eating when you're hungry, stopping when you're full? 8. Are you eating regularly? Do this for TWO weeks. Are you still plateaued? Are you meeting your caloric/water/exercise requirements? Are you hungry/overly full? If you are unable to meet your basal calorie requirements with solid food, your fill may already be too tight. If you are PBing, you are either too tight, not chewing well enough, are eating too fast, or eating foods that don't work for your band (usually bread, rice, pasta). Fix the chewing/speed/type of food. If you are still PBing you are TOO tight. If you are exceeding your basal calorie requirements with solid food by more than 200 calories, it's time for a fill. Chances are, as soon as you start tracking on fitday and make a commitment to walking, your plateau will "magically" be busted.. For enquiring minds, my own stats: 2/10-3/13 - stuck at 281 (31 days) 3/31-4/14 - stuck at 278 (14 days) 4/15-5/6 - stuck at 267 (21 days) 5/12-6/30 - stuck at 262 (49 days) 7-14-8/4 - stuck at 257 (21 days) 9/2-10/13 stuck at 247 (41 days) 12/1-12/29 - stuck at 233 (28 days) Fills dates and resulting fill level: 3/8/03 1.1cc 6/6/03 1.3cc 7/12/03 2.0cc 10/4/03 2.6cc My weight may have fluctuated up/down a couple pounds throughout the time of the plateau, but on the Monday when I weighed "officially" each week, it was the same as the week before. So throughout the year I've been banded, with 205 days of plateau, I have lost 81 pounds (yesterday I was 222). Final words of advice - don't panic, evaluate yourself honestly for two weeks as outlined above, and I bet either your plateau breaks itself, or you find you need a fill/unfill. Good luck everyone!

Hi Heidi - Glad to see you found your way over here. Not sure why there seems to be a rash of Lopez erosions this past year and a half, but you make about the tenth one I know of personally, including myself. I don't have too much to add in addition to the links I gave you, but if you need someone to talk to who understands feel free to email me - click on my name and choose "Send an email" - I usually respond to my email several times throughout the day. (((hugs))), and wishing you all the best...

LOL. Now THAT'S what I call "sneaky" exercise... **hugs**

OUCH!!! lol All of you banded types, please note the difference ALREADY in calories consumed: Megan: 856 Donali: 1496 And Megan is battling with the SNACK monster! lol Oh where, oh where can my little band be??? And I'm STILL hungry... **sniff** Of course, 700 of those calories came from Cookies and chocolate, so I shouldn't be complaining. For 700 calories, I could have had: 16 cups of steamed broccoli - or - 2.18 cups of chili - or - 2.24 servings of lasagna - or - 3.88 cups of lowfat cottage cheese - or - 9.58 cups of BUTTERED popcorn popped in oil... - or - 5.69 LARGE pears - or - 14.28 CUPS of diced watermelon - or - 5.6 LARGE apples.... Sigh...

7am - 2"x2" square of homemade lasagna - chicken sausage/lowfat cheeses 9am - 2 Vday sugar Cookies 12:15pm - 4 Vday sugar cookies 12:15pm - 10oz turkey chili 12:15pm - 2 cups steamed broccoli 1:15 - 3 mini chocolate bars Throughout day: 6 cups hot tea with artifical sweetner & half-n-half 1 quart Water Total Calories: 1496 Total Carbs: 74 Total Protein: 152 Total Fats: 67 Total Water: 64 oz