musicalmomma

Toni, Jackie - I got the bike...went on a two mile ride...my legs are like RUBBER!! I was huffing and puffing!!!!! But dang it, it was a GREAT feeling!!!!! I need to clear out the kitchen. I'm saving that for Friday. Anyone having trouble with family/friends understanding your decision? My mom is TRYING to be understanding, but it is SO difficult for her!! Today I had to tell her to either support me or agree to disagree and drop it. She agreed to support me. I know it's hard for some to understand, but dang, MOM, she know's me better than anyone...surely she know's I NEED HELP!!! *sigh* Faith...what's the AP band? How does it differ from the regular and/or VG band?

I've taught my kids to respond to statments like that with "Yeah?? and??" I told my daughters from an early age that being called fat is only stating the obvious and that they shouldn't get hurt or offended by it. Now, yes it hurts that someone wants to hurt my child by cutting me or her daddy down, but I will NOT let my kids think they have to ashamed of my obesity! My issues show on the outside...via FAT. Who know's what issues "their" parents have...alcohol? drugs? work-a-holic? cheating parents? neglectful parents? etc... I let my kids know "children like that have parents that have bigger problems than me, so we should feel sorry for them." Fortunately, we haven't dealt with a whole lot of it, but it does happen from time to time and perhaps my approach is a little unorthodox, but I want my kids to know that a fat person is a person with the same value as anyone else.

Personally...I think joggin for 30 minutes at 270+ pounds is a bad idea. Brisk walking, yes, jogging...well, for me, I'd injure my knees, back and hips and I weigh 260 right now. Low impact is the way to go when 100 pounds overweight. As far as faster weight loss...Medifast works WONDERS! It's 5 suppliments and one Lean & Green meal every day. I lost over 20lbs the first month I did it (almost two years ago). It's expensive though, so you'd probably get the same results from the unjury or high Protein shakes. Hang in there...you have time...Oh, and as previously stated drink LOTS of water!!!! :eek:

You go girl!!!! Isn't it funny...we upset people, that supposedly love us, by being overweight...we upset them when we do something about it...ya just can't win...UNTIL, like Edie, we get the last laugh!!!!!!

This is so exciting!!!! I looked at my ticker and saw 10 days til banding!!! Holy Shamoly!!!! Liquid diet start friday...so sweet, dear, darling hubby is taking me to the japanese steak house tonight...it's an hour drive cuz we live in the boonies....he's so sweet to me!!!! I bought a Raliegh, Venture 3.0 comfort bike. I pick that up today...was supposed to get it yesterday, but it wasn't ready yet. I can't wait to get out an ride it!!! Anyone else stop riding a bike because you felt "too fat" to ride or that people would laugh at you because you're fat and riding a bike?? I've let that fear keep me off of a bike for years...NO MORE!!! Welcome to all our new Junies!!! Hottytoddy, Lisa H, Kt 999, & Nvalicia...TEN DAYS!!!!!!! :omg: :faint: <O:p</O:p

Congratulations Terri!!! On both the pregnancy and weigh loss!!! Best wishes for a healthy happy baby :eek:

OK...I originally posted a chart here from: Oil Industry Statistics from Gibson Consulting, but it got screwed up after hitting submit, but apparently Mexico ranks a distant 5th in the line of US oil suppliers...unless there are more updated numbers out there, they aren't our 2nd largest supplier as previously stated.

Congratz!!!! How's the pre-op diet going for you?

BRAVO!!!!! What a great post!!! I got to the point in my life that I just don't give a rip what people think about this decision! This is about taking ownership of my health. I NEED this to aid and assit me in acheiving optimal health. I've bought other tools too! A bike, a YMCA membership, a magic bullet, healthy foods, etc...no one scoffs when I buy these tools...I'm not going to care if they scoff that I'm buying a band that will tell me when I've had ENOUGH to eat! I don't have the idea that this is going to be a cake walk, I know I have to make changes but I NEED this tool to be successful in the long term. I haven't told too many people...only those I know that would be supportive. It's slipped out to other people of course, and I couldn't care less! The only concern that lingers in the back on my mind is "what if I don't lose weight??? They'll (the scoffers) take great pleasure in seeing me fail." But I'm stepping out in faith...faith that this is the tool that will give me the edge I've been needing and faith in my God to help me make right choices. My body will take care of the rest! best of luck to you!

Thanks for posting this! I start my pre-op liquid diet this Friday. I will keep this post in mind when I get tempted!

OH Yeah!!! I'm picking up my comfort bike today!!! We live by lake michigan and there's a six mile bike trail just two miles from my house! My goal is to be able to bike that entire trail, both ways, by October (it gets cold here in Oct.) The kids LOVE to ride and I decided to stop letting "looking fat on my bike" keep me from enjoying this time with my kids!

YES!! I saw a peice on this particular argument...about how deporting illegals will drive up fruit prices because we'll have less harvesters, causing smaller crops, causing higher prices....UM...are there NO prisons near by??????? I for the life of me can't understand why we're not putting prisoners to work!?!?!?! Get them out there harvesting!!! Farmers should be able to submit paperwork requesing prison workers. Most of them would welcome working outside! And I'm sure the guards can guard JUST as well from the field as in the prison yard. Lets make our tax dollars WORK for us...instead of against us!!?? Oh, and, you're on welfare??? We have a nice farm ten miles from you, we'll bring the bus by to pick you up and drop the kids at day care so you can work for your money and have a sense of pride and your kids can be in safe environment while you're away!!! OK....I've ranted enough for one day!

You'll have to crush your pills or get them in liquid or chewable forms. You may want to contact the doc's that prescribed the medications and let them know this, so they can adjust your prescripts accordingly. Best of luck to you on your upcoming surgery

I get heated when I hear about illegal immigrants PICKETING and PROTESTING for NON-EXISTANT rights!!!! The reason?? My husband is a british citizen. It was MANY $$$ and MANY forms and MANY YEARS before his permanent residency was FINALLY issued!!!! He came here on a k-9 (fiance') visa (several hundred dollars and several forms including PROOF of our courship!). We were required to marry in 90 days of his entry into the US! Then he filed for temporary residency which took OVER a year, several forms and more hundreds of dollars!!! THEN after two years of marriage, we had to file for permanent residency...a HUGE chunk of change, several forms, interviews with INS, proving our marriage was legit (I was pregnant, so they took our word for it!) and we still have to let them know within 30 days if we move, he still has to update his british pass port at the US embassy, he can not vote, but he can pay taxes out the wazoooooo! So, when I hear of illegals, making money under the table, sending their kids to school on my tax dollar, getting health care under my tax dollar and WON'T follow proper legal channels????? Well, I have ZERO sympathy for them. I'm not saying send them back, I'm saying MAKE them do it legally and MAKE them learn the language!!!!

WOW!!! This board is HOPPIN!!!! Heather - Thank you SO much for the calendar!!!!! It's a GREAT way to keep up with everyone. I see a lot of pre-op diet talk going on. For me, starting Friday, I am a FULL liquid diet until the 31st in which I am on clear liquids (no red). So I'll be living on Advantage shakes and strained soups/broths. I'm kinda looking forward to it because it's like "the home stretch". I thought I would dread it...but as of now, I'm good with it....let's see how I'm feeling when I'm on it tho!! haha!!! One thing I AM dreading about the day of surgery is...my surgery is scheduled for 2pm and I can't have anything to eat/drink after midnight the night before! That's a LONG time to go without water and I'm afraid I'll get really thirsty!!! Guess I'll be staying up to midnight the night before, drinking my little heart out!

I personally like the medifast products...most of them anyway. they are very low cal, but most of the products do need a little doctoring to taste "good"...for instance, I love the oatmeal with a couple packets of splenda and cinnamon...mmm...BUT it is WAY expensive...and I feel if it's going to cost that much, it should taste great right out of the pack! So, for me, it's a mixed review. It's very nutritionally balanced, you lose weight quickly when you comply with the plan, and you don't feel hungry...BUT I feel after being banded, I need to learn how to eat REAL food in the proper portion size. Doing medifast after being banded, won't teach you that. I liked it for the pre op dieting tho :mad:

Don't sweat it...my surgeon told me that all he's looking for is 1) do you understand the risks and benefits of the surgery, 2) do you understand that it is a life long change, 3) that you don't have any serious psychological disorder that would cause you to harm yourself. He said most obese people have some sort of depression/anxiety and that's a normal thing. So when DH's psych eval came back with stupid stuff about his so-called depression, the surgeon wan't concerned.

Hi Toni!! You're not alone!! I was trying to lose some weight I had gained between appointments...but now that my pre-op appointment is over, I've been eating normally...like you, not crazy, but normally. I have been exercising tho...mainly yard work and swimming. I start the pre-op liquid diet next Friday...until then, I'm going to enjoy bbq and such!

Once I got a call from the "fraternal order of police" asking for Thanksgiving donations so they could put meal baskets together for the needy. Well this was a time that I was seriously down and out, I said "this is great!! I have two small children, their dad just left us, I am working temp jobs until a permanent one comes available, I could really use one of these baskets! Can I sign up for one with you? He said he was only taking donations. I said, "OK, well who can I call to sign up for this basket..." He has no idea! He apologized and hung up. I was totally shocked...now I was MUCH younger and niave then...I sincerely wanted to take advantage of this charity and couldn't even find out how. As a matter of fact, I've never seen a place where I could take advantage of the "collections for the needy"! I don't mind telemarketing calls...but I HATE donation calls!! I always ask how much of my money actually goes to the cause they are collecting for. If it's less than 80%, it's not a charity that gets my money!

Sounds to me like a big rip off too...I think I'd be looking for another surgeon.

chimboree is right, MANY of the reps at the insurance company don't know what they're talking about! I ask my husbands benefits rep in HR if WLS was covered, she said "Yes, when medically necessary". So, I called the insurance company and asked if the surgeon I wanted was in their network, they said "he is, but we don't cover any weight loss treatment". I said, "look again, because I have it in writing from the HR benefits department that it IS covered!" She put me on hold, and came back and apologized because it IS covered. So, I'd contact your HR department and ask the benefits rep there, he/she will know if its an exclusion or inclusion in your policy. Keep your chin up! It's a lot of leg work, but anything worth having is worth working for.

Hi Nyree!! Happy Birthday and congratulations!!!!!

Congratz LadyBlue!!!! You'll have to join us over in the General Forum under the "June 2007" thread!!

I'm a little confused...my surgeon is a bariatric surgeon and part of his practice is the weight loss itself! He has a weight loss program that helps his higher BMI patients lose the weight so they can get surgery. I don't understand a bariatric surgeon that won't even see you until you've lost enough weight to get the surgery! I'd highly suggest looking into other practices. The surgeon and his staff should be helping you lose this weight.

Yep, I just bought my second one...I got one for Mother's day last year and within a week, my daughter and her friend burned out the motor making snow cones with solid ice!!!! They didn't realize that you're not supposed to let the motor run and run and run! Any way, I love it for smoothies and to puree foods...so I got the second one, at a door buster sale ($49), mainly for the post op diet!