sue11

I'm hating the liquids today too!!! (fill yesterday) To top it off, I had to go to Costco to pick up some stuff for my daughter (we leave in the AM to take her back to WSU). There were samples everywhere! I took a bite of some yummy smelling toasted cin. bread...really gummy, so I spit it out. Then I came home and went to my freezer and someone didn't shut it tight, so I've been defrosting the giant block of frost. (I know Wendy can relate) Food...food...food, it's everwhere!!! I've got so much to do, and when I get home on Thursday my husband's family will be here, so I have to get my daughter packed and the house cleaned. Oh, and of course, I'm PMSing (can you tell?)!!! OK, I've vented...I can move on now!!!

Mer... I was wondering where you were last night, I was looking for you. We need to WALK!!! Wendy will be home Friday or Saturday and we'll have to get together, maybe we can split a lunch 3 ways (we're such a cheap date aren't we...LOL) Dawn... It's so nice to put a face to the name. I hope you found the meeting enjoyable. I personally need to get together in a support group, it helps me shake that "I'm all alone in this" feeling, and I NEED that. This talk line helps soooo much too! PS...I entered and "new decade" this AM, love to see that scale move from 0's to 9's, even if it was only 1/2 a #. Some day it will move from 200 to 199...ONDERLAND!!! Still aways down the road, but at least I'm traveling! Sue

Mer... Glad to hear things are going well for your daughter. Don't you wish you could flip a switch and change your emotional release to something constructive like exercize. When my DH is frustrated he can't wait to run himself into a good sweat and the last thing he wants is food. I guess opposites really do attract!!! Hang in there...I'm praying for you guys!!! Sue

Mer... Sounds like you're on the right track. I love to sarcastically annoy my children with the little “make good choices” nag, sure is frustrating when that same phrase is nagging at me!!! It’s all about choices, and we’ve made the big one, now it’s following everyday with the constant little choices (listen to me preaching to myself…LOL) Hope to see you soon, are coming to the support group on Monday? Sue PS...glad your loosing b/c I'm stuck...how can the scale say the EXACT number everday!?!

Mer... I'm going to be out in the harbor for lunch today, I'll try to give you a call if I'm free early enough to walk Sue

Most first fills that I've heard of on the 4cc band have been 2cc give or take .2cc, though I have heard some start with only 1cc. I had 1.8 at my 1st (only) fill on June 25, and I'm definitely not there yet, I need more. I go in on the 13th. A friend had 2.2 at the same time and I think she's still feeling pretty good with that.

Mer... Sorry I missed you, I'm sitting here catching up on stuff as my feet throb. We "toured" Seattle today, my DH's cousin and family are here from England so we took them around Seattle today. We went to the EMP, Seattle Center, and the underground tour (lived here all my life and I've never seen the underground). My feet are tired! We're going to Wild Waves tomorrow. My sister-in-law told me today she wants me to come...so she won't be the only fat one there...grrrrrrrrrrr. Wait until next year!!! How's the new fill?

Yes, the August meetings at St Joe's are on the 6th & 20th (1st & 3rd Mondays at 6:45) I missed the last meeting, we were vacationing out of state, I should be able to make both August meetings, hope to see you there!

Mer... I don't want to steal your apointment, good luck on Monday! I've got 2 more weeks, I'm just hungry all the time! :hungry: I'm getting the munchies real bad at night, trying to at least keep my salty cravings to almonds and peanuts, not a great thing to eat, but better than the bag of chips I'd like to have! :faint: Give me a call if you have time to walk on Monday :clap2: Sue

Hey Mer... Good to hear from you. I can relate to the idea of fear. I think I see myself as a fat person and I'm not entirely sure who I am without that part of me. I've always said I'd like to be small enough so that when someone describes me they don't first say (or at least think) "she's that big girl". If I were to describe myself physically that's definitely where I would start. It's a real puzzle, I don't want to be thought of as the big girl, but who else am I? Maybe this idea of "knowing who you are" is just an abstract, does anyone really know who they are? We are constantly growing and changing and that's a good thing! What would life be if we stayed where we are? God created us to be growing beings, we'll never figure it all out...and that's OK...not just OK...it's a GOOD thing! The only thing I know for sure is that I am a child of Christ! Sue PS...How did you get a Monday apointment? I've been calling to try to move my fill (Aug 13th) and they say they are booked until September...lucky dog!!!

I've heard that many banders have to start with warm liquids in the AM, you wake up tight & loosen later in the day. I've also heard many say ice water makes their stomach spasm and tighten down, I prefer room temp or slightly cool water too, not big on the ice.

RiahG... Insurance is a pain!!! I had a "yes" from mine, then after did all the pre-op testing they decided it was excluded...wanted to cry, scream, etc... I ended up self pay. For me the financial commitment has made me more resolute to make this work. You may have a financial commitment or a time and effort commitment (pre-op diets and hoops to jump through for insurance), just look at them as motivation to make it work. It's all hard work, there's no easy way out of what we've done to ourselves. It will be worth it all, I'm starting to notice that I can walk into a room and notice that I'm usually NOT the biggest one in the room. :car: Hang in there, you CAN do this!!! Dawneb... I understand your frustration. I tried to move up my fill (2nd one on Aug 13th) but my Doc is booked until September. I feel no real restriction and am hungry and hour after I eat. Will Power!!! I've almost made it a game to see how loud I can get my tummy to rumble before meals...LOL

new2tch... It's always a mind battle, but if you remove the tummy hunger from the battle it's so much easier to fight the head hunger. Jump in with both feet and make the decision it's going to work! The Mocha drink I use is Champion Nutrition (I get it on ebay) and it's really easy & quick in the AM. I like to add sugar free syrups (favorites are English Toffee & Ameretto) to my drinks for a little variety.

I had my 1st coffee drink yesterday, to treat myself. It had been since early May since I'd had caffine. Headache hit before I was 1/2 done and is just now starting to go away. I reallized after I dropped the caffine pre-op how many of my headaches were related to caffine, if I didn't have enough or too little. Next time I think I'll treat myself to a de-caf! I do have a Mocha protien drink almost every morning, not alot of coffee flavor, but it's nice iced or hot. I'm surprised, I don't really miss it that much :car:

dawneb... Onederland...WOW...you're almost there!!! I'm scared to even set a onederland goal, it feels like things move so slow. I'm averaging just a smidge over 2# a week which is right about where I should be, just seems so slow. It's good to look back once in a while, I'm 1/3 of the way to my goal. I was pleased that I lost 2# this last week on vacation, I was quite nervous as I ususally gain.

I had a "this is soooooo cool moment yesterday. We're vacationing and I took my daughters horsebackriding. On the pre-ride forms they ask the question "Do you weigh more than 240#" I got to check the "NO" box!!!!!!!! I was smiling so big, practically giggling...but no one knew why. I know you all will understand!!!! SO COOL!!!

dawneb... Looking forward to meeting you!!! Been a busy couple of days, even though weather hasn't been great. We were lucky yesterday and scheduled our white Water rafting trip for the one slot of time in the day that actually had sunshine, we had a great time. I skipped the rafting last time, feeling more comfortable with my body now. We went on a couple bike rides today, the longest was 7 miles around the airport on the river trail...beautiful!!! It's so great to want to be active, not so worried about if I can keep up. My attitude is changing, a real NSV for me. One little chuckle on the biking...I had to remind myself that it was a good thing that my upper arms were "flapping in the wind". Has anyone else noticed things getting soft and droopy. I told myself in the beginning that loosing the weight would be good enough, I didn't need to get plastic surgery. I'm seeing my attitude changing on that one, I'm seeing into the future and it seems to be full of flaps, jiggles and droops!!!

Mer... Sound like fun, I really wanted to do the bridge walk. We're down here in Oregon waiting to see what the weather's going to do. We're scheduled to river raft today, but there's thunder storms coming. Oh well, we'll just re-schedule. We're hoping the storms some in tonight, they are fabulous at night!!!

dawneb...I'm so diappointed I missed meeting you at the St Joe's support meeting. I've been to every Monday support meeting since the week b4-banding in May. We're on vacation this week so I missed. Wendy goes too (also vacationing). Maybe I'll see you there in 2 weeks, I'd love to meet you. Did Laura lead the group? She a nutritionist with a Phd in exercise physiology, a great wealth of information. She's the one who helped me figure out my weight loss had stalled b/c I wasn't eating enough. Glad to hear you enjoyed the group. We've talked about possibly meeting b4 group to walk down on Ruston, but it's tought for alot of people to get away at that time of day.

We're heading to Sunriver, OR for a week. We (my parents, brother & his kids, 10 in all) have gone there for 14 years. Lots of opportunity to walk & bike ride, lots to do, or just sit by the pool. Just checked weather...low 80's...that works.

I'd love to walk the bridge, but we leave in the AM for Oregon. Sad note...we just got home from putting down our lab (cancer), now Butch is an only pup.

OK, I need to confess, all this food in this house is showing me why I need another fill. I need some accounability and self control (or internal control via the band). For a while I got by, telling myself I'd get sick if I ate too much or the wrong thing. Now I know that I can eat ANYTHING. I scheduled my 2nd fill for August 13th, I really need to bump it up!

Mer... We need to have a sewing party at your house!!! I never realized how often i pop in to my machine and mend/hem etc. We're redoing my daughter's room, waiting for carpet, so all her stuff is piled in front of my machine...I miss it, & need it. (I'm jealous!)

I've finally broke through my 2 week plateau. I've gaining/loosing the same 2# and I really felt the last couple days that I was ready to start moving again. Amazing enough, I needed to eat MORE! My "baby" turned 13 yesterday, so there's been extra food & cakes and such. I was careful, took small little amounts of things, and didn't really deny myself anything, but just took tastes and nibbles, let loose the reigns a little. I think it kicked my body out of the starvation mode I've been in, eating 500-900 calories a day since pre-op started 8 weeks ago. I'm going to work on eating moderate amounts of good choices. Live & learn!

My 1st fill was 1.8 in my 4cc band on June 25 (4 weeks post-op). Can't really say I'm feeling alot of restriction yet. I haven't PB or slimed, but will power is still hanging in there. I have another fill scheduled Mid August, and I think my will power will hold me until then, but past history tells me there is definitely a limit to my self-control, but that's why I'm here!!!