Daisalana

DAMMIT! If things aren't expensive enough as it is.. I bought 2 cartons of smokes tonight (mine and DH). I get home, and only 1 carton is there. GRR!!!!!! I called them and told them what happened, they said "Well we can't just give you a carton of cigarettes" I'm like, I saw him bag it, so there should be a bagged carton of cigarettes.. go ask him, he should remember it. And dude left. So they said they'll run the video tapes tomorrow and call me back. I better get my $40 or a carton of cigarettes!!!!!!

Step away from the crap!! I know what you mean, my willpower went out the window a week ago. THROW IT AWAY!!!! You'll thank yourself the next day.. I did!!

You look great Tracy!! That pic with Macy is too funny.

Yeah I'm pretty sure we get ripped off everytime we go.

Good luck Jen!!! Just got back from eye folks.. $700 for me to get glasses and DH to get contacts. That's with a 25% discount. Talk about hosing people

I had to ride in the car 3 hours the next day. I was loopy and in a lot of pain. I would not have been able to drive, as I needed the pain meds.. and do not drive on pain meds! Every bump in the road (I was holding a pillow on my tummy the whole way) and every start/stop.. was miserable.

Dieting sets me up for failure, I can't diet, that's why I needed the band! I did do Atkins for a week to jump start me off of a plateau. But with good restriction, it's very easy for me to make good decisions. Food is a chore, I can't eat a whole lot.. so if I make that little bit count, I lose weight. The downfall is candies, cookies, ice cream.. none of that gets stuck..hrmph. So, I get it out of my house, out of my brain, and if I'm dying to snack on something, it's not going to be a bunch of calories!

I mix benefiber into foods I make, but I also take the Benefiber tablets (mixed fruit ones are YUMMY). I still have no BM's for 7-10 days. I've gotten use to it, which is different. Pre-band I went 1-2x's a day hah hah. I started making sure to get the benefiber in because a few weeks ago (well, always but this one was the worst) a BM felt like I was having a baby. So painful and hard, I was turning red and panting. It was miserable. So I was hoping to stop all that. Haven't had an episode like that since.. My mom says I don't poo anymore because I throw everything up hah

It's normal to feel like you weren't banded after swelling goes down and before you get a fill. You don't have restriction! But for the ice cream, you'll always be able to eat this. GET IT OUT OF YOUR HOUSE!!!!!! My biggest problem is temptation. I can't overcome it. Solution is not to have it. I have to throw out things all the time because I realize I can't stop myself. If you want ice cream as a treat every once in a while, go buy a small serving from DQ or Coldstone, etc. when you want a treat. Don't have it in your freezer where you can grab some whenever you please.

I'm considering myself a big loser since I lost the size of a small person. I make conscious choices to eat 'better'. And it may just be an illusion, but it's working. But vegetable oil.. haven't touched it since banding, I use EVOO for any oil needs now. I have grown a taste more to better seeming foods than before. If I make a salad, I like a little oil and a lot of vinegar.. instead of ranch. I only put mayo on sandwhiches/burgers.. I haven't been able to eat either of those for months, so no mayo for me. Before I had good restriction, I ate burgers off of the bun, with mayo on it. Only because if I tried to eat the bun, I could only have 1 bite.. I'd rather eat a few bites of meat with mayo (and cheese and mushrooms normally), than one bite with bun and potential PB episode. I did do Atkins for about a week last month because I was plateuing and wanted a boost.. and it worked, but I hate doing restrictive diets.. so I'm back to whatever I can get down in a small portion.

I only wear low-rise.. It makes my tummy pooch a lot less. I wear bikini panties with them (from lane bryant). If you bend over, you show butt crack.. just part of it lol. I just make sure my shirts are longer than my pants, so nothing shows.

Well, I wanted to lose weight & quit smoking to have a kid. I didn't have faith in myself to lose weight & quit smoking at the same time. I've got good restriction and if I don't keep the CRAP in my house, I don't eat it. I feel like I'm in control now.. so now time to stop smoking. We got $800 in cash for Xmas. I told DH we need to order it online, its $105 to buy it at the store with RX and $70 at least for doctor (each) our insurance won't pay for smoking stuff. So.. it's $150 per person if I order it online.. little cheaper. So we were spending Xmas cash to get it, but then he said we need glasses first (his are like 3 years old). so just made an appt. across the street. It's going to be so expensive, YET AGAIN insurance doesn't pay for anything. BCBS sucks. It's $64 per exam, $75 for contact exam for him (he wore contacts when we met, he was so handsome.. then he got wire glasses at some point which I don't like.. and he likes me in glasses, but I wanted to get contacts... so he's getting contacts and I'm staying in glasses.. ah love).. and then my frames are like $120 + LENSES.. which are ridiculously expensive, and I don't know cost of contacts.. in any event, there goes all our Xmas money And we're going to wait till end of January after I get my commission check to buy Chantix. Hopefully I can stop smoking, keep losing weight, and by Xmas 08 I will tell you guys how I'm prego

In Alabama, my doc charges a set amount for self-pays. $15,000 for band, $18,000 for RNY. HOWEVER.. that does not pay for the consultations & psych eval.. (another $250 about). And then the hospital he does it at, jerked me around on both surgeries, and charged above and beyond. It's suppose to include $500 for anesthesia in the $15,000. Doc said I was in and out quickly, and it took 32minutes. The $500 is for 30 minutes. They charged $500 MORE for the extra 2 minutes. So when all was said and done I paid $15,750. And then the revision surgery was another $2,500. Phew. I sure hope I get a good tax deduction

Me and DH decided to get Chantix and give it a whirl. Maybe-hopefully stop smoking. We'd save thousands a year if we could quit. I left a message for my gyno asking her to Rx it for me, 3 days and no response. DH has to go to a clinic to get it, so I guess I'll just go with him.

I hope to reach my goal of 180lb in 2008. I think I should be able to do it. I need to start pushing myself with exercise. I think I've lost enough weight that I can do more than walking. But darn, I'm lazy!! Suzie- Driving in snow terrifies me. We don't get snow down here.. and when I lived in Nashville (where they don't get snow either), class wasn't cancelled for a snow warning.. I go 15m to college.. no windows in the class. Halfway through class they announce school is cancelled. Woohoo! We get outside, and it's like 2ft of snow!? We don't get snow, what is this.. and it happened so quick. And since we don't get snow, no snow plowers or salt. I was shaking and bawling, and my car kept getting stuck.. one hill right in front of the school guys were outside pushing our cars up it. I was calling 911 and my mom trying to find out what to do.. I was terrified!! By time I got to the road I live on, I had seen several 18-wheelers flipped over, watched them almost flip over the overpass on the interstate, and seen myself almost get ran into a dozen times. That was the worst experience of my life, and now if it even DUSTS snow, I'm not getting out of my house. Luckily that was a fluke, and I've not had to drive in snow since. Glad you're ok! CTCFriday for me!

Hey Vi's just checking in before I finish dinner and go to bed. We went to 2 malls today checking sizing of Coldwater Creek so I could get that coat they have 50% off online.. ends up in person I didn't like it very much. Mom told me to check out J Jill too, so I did. I go there, and they have a WONDERFUL leather coat, I can't describe it with justice. $399! GAH. I never buy expensive clothes. It's on sale for $219, but they don't carry their plus sizes at this store. So I just ordered it online, still $249 after taxes & shipping. The most I've ever paid for clothes, I'm going to wear it everyday to make up for it lol. We also went to Steve & Barry's. I heard someone on LBT mention it before.. our store is having a liquidation sale, everything is $8. The store was SO picked apart. I didn't see plus sizes like someone said they had.. it's Sarah Jessica Parker's 'Bitten' line. But, I found 2 XL shirts and 1 XXL shirt, and thought.. for 8 bucks, I'll see how they fit. 1 of the XL was actually a little big on me, her sizing is confusing!!! The other XL fit decent.. and the XXL was too small. HUH?! I don't get it.. but hey, 24 bucks and I will grow into the XXL hehe. I'm making MIL's mushroom casserole (without the crust) and 1/4c of Lloyd's BBQ for dinner. In case you guys missed the thread, the pre-cooked Lloyd's BBQ (It's another brand in other parts of country, forget what) is 70c for 1/4c and 7g of protein! And that stuff tastes awesome. I stocked up on 5 buckets tonight lol. I got the Honey BBQ, Hickory BBQ, and Original. Threw out my stocking candy! TTYL

Who said banders don't lose weight? :cry

Dear so-and-so.. You'll never know how much you impacted my life, even though it was a lot of mind games and I resented you for it. I wish I could have seen the look on your face when my boyfriend answered the phone, the last time you dared to call me. The dynamics of that night made me realize I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.

Yeah that's how it should be.. moms 'being able to' fit into their daughters clothes. My whole life was going to stores, we find something super cute & trendy.. and they don't go plus. But my mom could wear them. I know I cried many times about that. I use to try to squeeze into her clothes when I was younger. Before they had the trendy plus size clothes, I remember getting a pair of her jeans under my belly but couldnt zip them.. and I wore it with a huge sweater over it, so you couldn't see the jeans were closed. Dark days lol.

I don't think it applies to certain ages as far as what everyone else sees. I'm told I look 16 all the time at gas stations/liquor stores. My face isn't looking older/younger IMO.. but under my clothes I definitely look older. My skin was tight and despite being overweight my whole life (or maybe that's why) I don't have many stretch marks. But now.. I do. When I look in the mirror, I have a lot of flubbiness.. and stretch marks. I'd rather that then fat though, so oh well.

Oh oh and we got a new press at work, that allows us to have 24 hour turn times (actually DELIVERED anywhere in the US within 24 hours from the order). Very exciting for us.

I wasn't a big drinker to begin with.. but I have had some alcohol. I am definitely a light weight now. At the inlaws for Xmas, they gave me a glass of wine and on our way out the door I hadn't really touched it, so as not to be wasteful, I drank 1/2 a glass all at once. For the first 30m drive home I was giggly drunk and poking at DH lol.

Hah, this Xmas my mom kept talking about how exciting it is when you have young kids, doing the Santa thing. Kicked in my baby fever. I don't know if ya'll saw my other thread, trying to find out about my nausea. So I got a pregnancy test to make sure, I really would have been surprised if I was prego, I take my B/C same time every night, don't miss them, etc. Anyway, I told DH we needed to get a test and see if that's why I get nausea.. and he wasn't upset or anything, he just says "You probably are, you don't take your BC regularly".. I don't know why he thinks that!!! But then I was a little excited. I'm not prego. Baby fever, boo. I'm back on track with eating good. OJ for b'fast, and we went to Taco Hell for lunch.. It is times like that I appreciate my band. DH got a combo meal + crunchy gordita + meximelt. That's like a month of food for me lol. I saw him take a big bite of something and I said "There's my meal". I got an order of pinto & Cheese, and nacho & cheese. Not that hungry, so ended up not touching the nachos.. figured I'd go for the protein. Ate about 3 bites with fire sauce and I was done. <3 band..need to give it a name. I think mine's a girl, she's fickle and demanding.

Congrats! Come back when you're banded and let us know how it went :eek:

Me and all my humble-ness.. hah.. I'm a great gift giver. I pay attention to what people like, things they don't know where to get (I utelize E-bay and the internet). My mom collects the Painted Ponies. She has about 30 of them in her office on a fancy shelf. Every Christmas I find one that is very fancy looking and retired. I got her Showgirl this year, has a plume of feathers on its head. She loved it. My dad is 6'5 and probably darn near 400lbs now (I worry about him). He wears Hawaiian shirts year round, it's his signature look. He loves Tommy Bahamas.. and he has to wear Large size & Tall Size. I found a retailer on Ebay who sells Tommy Bahama 3xLT. My dad was so excited to get it, he wants to visit the shop online now to get more tall sizes from them. Made me feel good :eek: I got DH a fancy telescope and a personalized gift card to Best Buy to pick out Xbox games. Hum.. One thing I was disappointed.. when shopping for MIL, DH said she use to wear a smell from Bath & Body works that they stopped making. He said it was Strawberry something.. but it was just a strawberry smell. So I finally find Strawberry Patch (retired scent.. such a stupid concept). He said that was it! So I got her hand lotion, hand soap, and a few candles. I expected her to be so happy to get them, since it's suppose to be her favorite scent and they retired it. But no.. she just like called out what they were so we could all know, and said "That's nice". I got to remember his family is different from mine. Mine would gush. His brothers literally complained to his g'mas face about the things she got them. Baffles me. Anyway, so I was most excited about giving her those smelly things, and I don't think she was impressed. I think maybe DH is confused about what she liked.