DeLarla

I think you have too much information already. My mamma didn't raise no fool neither.

Every doctor has different guidelines to how we should eat for life. My doctor said to have one Protein shake plus 2 meals every single day without snacking. We are each individual, so not everybody listens to what their doctors say exactly, because some people do better having 4-6 small meals instead of a couple big ones. My plan works really well for me since I'm too restricted to eat in the mornings, so I have my Protein Shake for Breakfast, then lunch around noon, then dinner between 5-7 p.m. Sometimes I have a snack at night... not because I'm hungry, but because old habits are hard to break! Think about a healthy plan that works well in your personal life. I read all these posts, gather all the information, then put it back together to make it work for me. So far, so good. WELCOME!

Time to change your screen name to Peeping Gina, but nice to see you finally! Don't overdue it because then you make the rest of us look bad. Does anyone remember the comedian that did the stand up routine about dieting & exercise? She said every time her phone rang in the middle of her home aerobics she hoped it was the recorded message saying, "the exercise portion of your life has been completed." Then she said, "and you gotta go to the gym cause if you don't some other bitch will." Who was that funny woman?

Fills are such a mystery. What works for one might not work for another. Some doctors fill you up to the top, others sneak up on you. I think I like the sneaking up on you approach, but when you have to travel to a different country, that's not convenient. My doctor gave me 1.8 cc before he removed my port. There are rare days that I'm too restricted to eat anything but mushy, then other days where I can eat quite a bit. I hope it keeps up, cuz I like where it's at.

Sad part is my buddy is going to pick up sushi, which used to be one of our favorite Friday/payday things to do. But I've read several people that PB the seawead. It's just not the same if I can't have my rolls. Can anyone eat rolls with no problemo?

All that teasing and we can't know what you ate? Mouth watering cuz it's 20-minutes-to-carrot time. And don't worry about teasing because you may have eaten your yummy lunch, but I still have my mouth watering cottage cheese to endulge in while you've already eaten!

Such a great post. I don't have any weight loss or size goals. My goals are all related to the way I think about food, so my biggest goal is to stop thinking about it. I refuse to weigh and measure or log in my foods because that's what made me lose and gain so much more in the past. My whole band experience is to try to make me "normal" in the eating department. Normal people occasionally skip meals, normal people occasionally eat too much, normal people get cravings for Dairy Queen and run out and get nutty fudgey things from time to time. Your post gives me hope for working towards being normal and not focusing on food.

How's this? Does it still remind you of Seattle?

Ah, what do I care anyway since baby carrots and cottage cheese are on the menu. Friday paydays should be free calorie day.

Newport Penni vs. Portless. Sounds like an unfair match. Penni, you brute! But step on up and place your bets! Great, now there's a prize from Donali involved. Have I mentioned I LOVE prizes?

Hey, who planted the lunch idea in my head? It's only 10:00 a.m. here. And Donali, aren't we on the same time zone? It is NOT lunch yet, Missy!

I had an amazing counselor that I adored, but I can't afford him. Even though I have dual insurance, the freaks on my provider list can't help me. But the guy I was seeing is actually a hypnotherapist. I never actually "went under" hypnosis, however, he always made me feel amazing when I left his office at $75.00 a session. If I were Susan Lucci (sp?) I'd buy him a house next door.

I WILL outsmart you, Penni. It may take time, but it WILL happen. Damn, can you guys believe she didn't fall for that?

The people we are today came from a lifetime of conditioning. Till this day, I cringe when I throw away food. Food was scarce as a child, so we stole it and horded it. I'd huddle in a corner with as much food as I could hold in my chubby hands... like a wild animal. But the problem is wild animals do it for survival for the days when there's nothing to eat, and the natural balance of things keeps them healthy and stable throughout the year. But with me, when there's an abundance of food, I can't turn off my inner soul. I can't simply turn away from it like normal folk. I always bring my lunch to work and make a very small portion. And I never order my own meal anymore at restaurants. Smoetimes I feel like sitting down with strangers and asking if I could have their leftovers, which would make the perfect size meal, but my husband won't let me do that, and he won't let me snatch a few bites from passing waiters' trays, either. Now I bug everyone around me to share a meal with me instead of ordering separate, but people really don't like sharing! So last week 30 of us had a birthday party at a restaurant, and I didn't order a meal. Instead I just forked at nearby plates, and my friends are so cool about it these days. They love seeing me happy, so there were bites being passed from the other end of the room. My problem always comes when there's an abundance of food. I don't know how to let go of those old feelings of hording it all on my plate and protecting it from the enemy. Make any sense?

Maybe it's not such a good idea to "race for the finish" because that has always meant failure in the past. You know, starving to fit in a bridesmaid's dress or dieting before vacation. Penni, do you think this could backfire?

Letha, you already did. You already did. You already did!

Oh my gosh, that's horrible that everyone avoids your brother. Isn't the odor something that washes away? Is it really anal related? Two or three showers a day seems excessive, but can't that solve or help the problem? Is it a poopy smell?

Ryan, write away, but I've been working on "The Lighter Side of Lap Bands" so you gotta pick another title. Mine is mixing the hell with the humor. I don't have a copyright or anything fancy yet, but what's stopping you considering you've published before?

Sue, you slay me! I learned about the band from a friend who had it done directly through the surgeon's office. I never heard of these "coordinators" or websites till after my surgery. But I do remember several of the girls that had surgery in the same hospital, and they kept wondering "where's the coordinator." I was in Mexico for 3 days and never saw one.... just my observation, which is one single incident, but it sticks out in my head till this day because a couple girls really, really wanted to see their coordinators, who were supposed to be there for them but weren't.

You should change your avatar to a pink thong panty.

Bring it on girls... I just got home from Job Number 2 and am dying to get into the Pringles. But I won't give MZ. PENNI the satisfaction! Oh, and I drank lots more Water tonight, Penni! Bring it on... oh yeah, it's already been brog-ut!

Sorry, Kimber, but the "cranky" goes away... there will be days that you won't be able to stop smiling.

I forgot the most important part. If something is wrong with my band, then the doctors can remove it. However, if something goes wrong after a gastric bypass, it's not easily reversible. If the bypass was just a couple tubes here and there, I'd consider it in the event there's something wrong with my band, but that's just too much of a risk for me to take. Plus, I've heard too much about severe anal odor with bypass patients, and they wear carbon filters in their underwear because the smell is so awful. You might want to read up on anal odor. I know that none of our butts smell good, but some gastric bypass patients have a severe problem.

Something about having the band does make it easier to walk away "most" of the time. I still have bad days, and bad meals, but compared to pre-band, I'm a new woman. The simple fact that I'm finally chewing my food for the first time in my life is a huge improvement. I used to eat in about 7 minutes, and now my meals last 20 or more. My band rocks. I hope it loves me back and tells the doctor good things on my 8/26 gastro appointment.

Sascy, now you're cracking me up. I'm supposed to crawl into bed after my 2nd job and pass out, but I can't resist logging on. And you hit the nail on the head again, because I have the same brick wall holding me back from losing more. The second I start getting compliments I freak out. I mean literally freak. I asked my husband to stop noticing my weight loss because (same with all my weight loss success in the past) it's like something "clicks" when the compliments start, and I run in the other direction. Hubby says things are going to be different this time, since I have the band, but I'm at the exact same point. I'm also at another plateau and keep gaining and losing the same couple pounds. But I wore those size 22s all day and all night, then I unbuttoned them and they sprang across the room. Damn, that feels good! That "pretending" thing doesn't work for me either. My meals are too big this week. I eat past being full. I wish I could have a fill.