pink dahlia

ice cream is my kryptonite too. i could care less about soda pop, alcohol or fried foods, but i love anything crunchy or sweet. For ice cream i try to look for a healthier substitute. Weight watchers ice cream, TCBY frozen yogurt bars, or a frozen sf jello pudding cup are all really good. ( maybe once a month i get a DQ mini blizzard, sigh........................) I rarely like salty stuff , but yesterday..............?well, i found a good chip sustitute, Simply7 lentil chips. ( www. simply7snacks), they have 130 cals for 31 chips. Not greasy but crunchy and salty enough to satisfy me. I found them in the snack section at T.J. Maxx ! I know,strange.....................

sorry you have to go through this,but i agree with the others. You need some medical support. Maybe you could call one of those Dr hotlines , usually a 800 #, where you can talk to a nurse ? He/she would be able to answer your medical concerns and put your mind at ease. Maybe look into it ? Good luck, hope all goes well!

Im not a salty food fan usually but just found these today at of all places, T.J.Maxx ! (Yes the clothing store has a small snack section ). They're called Lentil chips by Simply 7. Try looking up simply7snacks.com for locations. I got the creamy dill chips, and they're not bad ! Crispy and a little salty. serving is 31 chips-for 130 cals, not too bad if you need someting salty and crunchy. God luck 1

tmf, i always enjoy reading your posts . i can usually detect a bit of humor in your writings. i hope you take this the right way , but you remind me of my favorite uncle, the one who shares our familys slightly off kilter sense of humor. I can see why you call yourself "too much fun !!"

i wish i could of seen the look on your face ! wow, that must of felt amazing ! Congrats !!

I say GO FOR IT !!!!!! im not even close to the point where i might be thinking of your type of surgery, but the part that got me was that you and i are the same age and both married , but you didnt think you should be even concerned with doing something like a body lift ,etc. Um........... well, why not ??? If you think you need it i dont think age or marital status should have any thing to do with it. How you feel about your body is very personal and if you're not comfy with it , well thats whats most important ! Your self esteem ! After my weight loss is done i will probably see a Dr to get rid of the spider veins etc that came with the weight gain. Do i think its neccesary ?? Damn right i do ! I want to look nice in a pair of just above the knees shorts and not have to hide my legs because of ugly veins . So i think you should do it ! Good luck and congrats on your weight loss !

way to go ! What a great birthday present to yourself ! Now thats a gift that you could never buy in a store ! It's funny because i have the same goal. i was banded Dec,2012 with the hope that i could lose 50 lbs by my july 27th birthday. well, its going to be close ! Im down 47 lbs, and kinda stuck here but hoping i will lose another 3 by my birthday. we will see....... anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!! YOU"RE AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we do salmon on the barbq alot. my hubby is diabetic so he tries to watch what he eats. brush the fish with a mix of low fat mayo , a little olive oil , a tiny bit of brown sugar and no salt seasoning . delicious !

Iim guessing that some people feel fat no matter what because they see and have to deal with their bodies 24/7 and they dont feel "healthy." Feeling " healthy "is just not what i felt 47 lbs ago. I now feel just a little overweight but not "fat" in a bad, negitive way. i think its all in an individuals mindset. i still have about 40-50 lbs to go, but i appreciate the nice compliments i get, and know i feel MUCH "healthier !". Does this make sense to anyone ??In other words i dont feel because i feel so good !!

You will be sooooooooooooo glad you did it ! My only regret is i didnt know about lapband 10 yrs ago. But i do now and im down 47 lbs in 7 months and the time has just flown by ! Good luck to you !

congrats cbarreto ! Way to go ! you're on your way ! And carolinagirl, you WILL get there too ! You did'nt get that weight on overnight, and it wont come off overnight either ! So hang in there !

I just saw your before and after photos ! You look great ! Congratulations and keep up the good work !

My surgery came up a little faster than i expected, but im glad it did. I started my paperwork last Sept 8th, jumped through all the insurance hoops ( they paid 100 % , and yes, im extremely blessed and gratetful to BCBS) and scheduled my last appt w/ the surgeon for Nov 22. After all the paperwork was explained, the Assistant said" How about Dec 27th?" and i heard my voice say "Do you have anything sooner ?" Next thing i know im being banded Dec 13th ! Surprise !!!! I was so ready !!! Im so glad i got it done, the last 7 months have flown by and im down 47 lbs ! I hope yours goes as well as mine did ! good luck !

i have never heard of Boost making someone vomit ! I drink one almost every morning. Could you have eaten something else with the Boost that made you sick ? Just wondering ..............check the health food store for individual packets of a protein powder called ( I think )" Spir u teen" , or "Spirit u Teen" or spelled something like that. They had several yummy flavors and then you could try 1-2 without buying a lot. Just mix with milk . Good luck !

Congrats on your weight loss !!!!!! Im 7 months banded and also down 48 lbs, and while mine has taken a little longer, i'm thrilled too with the lbs coming off ! It sure makes shopping for clothes alot easier , doesnt it ??? What else is easier for you now ? Hope all continues to go well for you, good luck !!!!

And do you reallllllllly think you're the only one who ever cheated and ate something they should'nt have ?? No, most of us just dont tell on ourselves ! A week or 2 out of surgery i could'nt stand one more liquid, so i ate a couple of spoonfuls of tuna mixed with a little mayo. Heaven !!!! Nobodys perfect, we all probably did it, so dont beat yourself up over it. I love my sweets too, so i keep a couple of sf chocolate pudding cups , or TCBY frozen yogurt bars or weight watchers ice cream bars in the freezer for when i HAVE to have ice cream. Having a couple of emergency healthy treats in my house for when the cravings hit has been a big help. good luck !

throw away the scale. its not helping you ! eat right,, exercise and keep up on your fills. When your clothes start falling off then you'll know you're following your Dr.s orders. but get rid of the scale now before it depresses you any further ! a machine is not a measure of self worth ! good luck !

try visiting your local library to check out exercise videos. they're free for 2 weeks and you get a lot of variety. If you dont like a particular video, you have'nt paid money for it. This will give you alot of variety in your exercise routine so you wont get bored and will stick with exercise. i dont care for weight machines but love swim classes at the Y and walking outdoors. I never get bored with those exercises ! Also check your local Goodwill or 2nd hand stores for exercise videos and books. Good luck !

Um..................#1- Youre awesome !!!!!!, #2- way to go on all the hard work !!!, and #3- im right behind you ! I was banded Dec 13th, 2011 at 225 lbs. Now im 177.7 lbs, only 3 more lbs to get to my 1st 50 lbs weight loss ! Go us !!!

i dont have any problems with the already cooked chickens that are in the grocery store deli, you know the hot , smells so good,ready to go whole chicken ? Those go down easy. But thick , dry chicken bites from the deli ? no way, too thick.So try different textures of chicken, because it is a good protein source. Some one asked" how will i know when im stuck ? " Oh, you'll know alright ! Mine feels like heartburn in the middle of my chest, then it goes to my ribs and feels like a baby inside trying to push on my ribs with his feet ! Uncomfortable !

tmf - you can stand on your head ? awesome !!!!

tmf, that was me that said " Im so stinkin' thrilled with my weight loss i dont care what i cant eat !", and i still feel that way ! The protein shake/liquid phase is just that, a phase. But the weight loss/healthy body ? Honey, thats the rest of your life !!! If its any help. im 6.5 months banded, have lost 45 lbs and i still can eat 95 % of what i ate before. I cant eat raw broccoli, dry meats at all and only about 3 bites of potatoes, tortillas, white breads , and chips before they expand and make me uncomfortable. Other than that i can eat anything. The difference is I CHOOSE not to eat certain foods because since i only have room for so much food i have to make it count . So its mostly protein, fruits, veggies and nuts. Every day or 2 i have a treat, but i really dont miss anything. And if i reaaly want it, ill have a little and im satisfied (Ice cream !) Your old relationship with food is what got you here in the 1st place , so say hello to your new ,healthier ,yummy realtionship with food !

tmf, im laughing as i write this................. please tell me you're not refering to what i think youre refering too ! Ahem .................on that note .................( Did anyone else catch mr smartypants's comment ? Hilarious !!!!) Im doing well,down 45 lbs since December , look and feel 100 % better, roughly 40 -65 lbs to go. I exercise 3x a week, eat better and much smaller meals, and all my clothes are literally falling off of me ! (Oh happy day !!) Thank goodness for 2nd hand stores and friends outgrown clothes ! Down from 225 lbs, frumpy size 18-1x, to a cute size 14 ! (Co-worker "your ass looks amazing !!!" Ummmmmm, Thankyouvery much !!! ) I had hope to have lost 50 lbs by my end of July birthday ( my 1st big goal), only 5 more pounds to go ! Best bday present ever !

The reason you're not losing anymore is because you're not supposed to be losing much at this point. The 1st 6 weeks are for HEALING, not LOSING . Your body has had a shock (surgery) , now its in recovery mode. This is all completely normal, and you're right on track for a healthy body, with a healthy weight loss. Big restriction wont come in until you start getting fills. I had steady and slow weight loss since getting banded last December, then I hit the Green Zone with my 3rd fill, that lasted about 12 days. The Tech said that was completely normal, sometimes that happens. I had no restriction with the 4th or 5th fill, but with the 6th ? Muuuuuuuch better !!!! Now i eat smaller amounts, track everything on Myfitnesspal.com, exercise 3x a week, and the weight is coming off, again. Down 45 lbs so far ! I was patient, followed the rules 95 % of the time, got regular fills and watched myself go from 225 lbs to 180, size 18-1x to a size 14. So be patient, and hang in there !

good for you ! Im looking forward to this ( short ) summer too. Im down 47 lbs( about 50 to go ! ) and can really feel the difference as far as how comfortable i am in the heat, the clothes im wearing , and how i feel. This will be the 1st summer in a long long time that i dont feel uncomfortable in alot of ways. Good luck !