DeLarla

Slimfast has lots of fiber, so it might make your belly rumbly. But my regular protein shakes make me very rumbly. I haven't had one in 2 weeks. I drank 1/2 of mine this morning, and my belly is loaded with gas. Too much info? Nope, nothing is sacred once you get a lap band!

I was banded with 6 others, and each one of us received completely different pre-op instructions. A couple people got to pig out the night before surgery. I was instructed to have only Clear liquids the day before my surgery. At first I was jealous of all the Mexican food they ate, but they were all jealous the next day when they had to poop and I didn't! The surgery is a pretty huge ordeal (to me, anyway) plus you're hooked up to an IV on wheels. Getting around the first day or so is no picnic, so having a bowel movement the day after surgery simply can't be any fun. No, no, no. I'm glad I stuck to clear liquids the day before!

Am I the only one crying?

BOOM, my ego just exploded and splattered the walls! Thanks girls! Michelle, I'll talk to you tonight after I practice more U-turns. I dropped my truck off for service this morning and didn't feel like waiting around for their shuttle to get me to work. So I started walking. I figured I'd walk a mile then take the bus, but I ended up walking all 2.8 miles to work in 10 pound boots carrying my helmet, purse & lunch. Penni, you got me workin' it!

I've made great progress because I only weigh once a day now. I was getting on the scale every time I went potty!

All doctors give different rules for eating after getting the band. Some doctors recommend you add Protein powder to your milk to make sure you get enough protein every day. If you count your protein grams by looking at nutritional labels, and you are getting enough protein with food alone, then you don't need the protein. With me, I don't like eating in the morning, and a lot of days I have too much restriction to put any food in my stomach till lunch time. But my body needs protein, so I drink a shake for Breakfast. If you don't want to have a shake, you can have regular protein like eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, chicken, tofu, etc. Or you can eat a Protein Bar. There's lots of options, but there are no stupid questions. The only stupid ones are the ones we're afraid to ask!

Michelle, I put the scale in the garage to keep from daily weighing. The next morning I went into the garage naked and weighed even though the garage door was open halfway... oops. Next, I put Scale high on a shelf. It wasn't pretty getting on a chair naked to weigh myself the next day. I've tried "not weighing" but I failed the scale challenge. The scale rules me, it governs my every breath, I must bow to the scale. I hate that F'ng scale, but she is my queen!

Pam, are you really going to TJ next week? Where do you live? I don't need a fill, but I'd like Dr. Kuri to see my incision. It's starting to hurt me a little... maybe that means it's healing? The area under the incision is all hard like a big cyst. Can't be good... I thought it would dissolve, but it's not getting smaller, and it's still leaking.

Thanks girls, I didn't want to post the before pic, and I was pretty haggard when I took the shot yesterday with wet dripping hair, but there’s the hardcore truth. I called Penni last night to keep from eating (brain fart cuz Penni was my Tuesday appointment.) Tonight I’m calling Michelle because I don’t want to stretch my pouch. I’m still laughing at my sunburned pool - good one! I don’t know how long the job will take, but I’m extremely impressed with the company I chose. They're here first thing every morning making incredible progress. They refused a down payment, so they're motivated to complete the job. And yes, I'm suddenly a biker chick. Not by choice... you must have missed the post where hubby came home with a brand new Harley saying, "better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission." We can't afford it, and my instincts won't let me divorce him so to get even I'm learning to ride it and doing damn well might I add! I passed the written motorcycle test yesterday on my first try and got my permit. Yesterday hubby watched my U-turns and skills and said I'm ready for the riding test, but I'm taking a 3 day course 9/24, so I’ll get my license then. He’s only got a couple more weeks to really piss me off, cuz once I’m licensed I’ll drive off into the sunset on that beast and make his hair fall out. I think he’s having sex with the bike. I think all the men in my neighborhood are having sex with that bike. Even a cop approached us to worship it. MEN! The last thing on my L.O.T.T.D. (list of things to do) was to learn to ride a motorcycle at 41. I'd rather ride a horse any day of the week, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. So riding the Harley isn’t for me, it's for all womankind! *** WAVES RED, WHITE & BLUE BRA IN AIR****

Whip, maybe this will make you feel better. I was really worried that they wouldn't do the surgery because I was supposed to do lo-fat for a week, but I porked out (imagine one of us doing that, unheard of!) But when I told the doc how I ated, they just said, "don't worry, honey, this surgery is going to help you." From your picture, you don't look as large as many people who have been banded. Listen to these smart people and do some more research & talk more to your doc. If they told me to liquid Protein for a week prior to weight loss surgery, they would have had to lock me up.

As far as my going to Mexico for the surgery, I'm getting the craziest responses. So far, nobody cares if they sharpened the tools with rocks - all they want to know is how much a boob job, tummy tuck, dental implants or lipo will cost them. I guess I shoulda brought a menu home from Tijuana.

Gail, I'm still hiding my band. My boss was concerned because I kept having medical appointments, so I did tell him I had stomach surgery because he knew I was having problems with my hiatal hernia. They asked me if I got it repaired and I said, "yep.' It wasn't even a lie, cuz the doctor fixed my hernia during my band procedure. It's really simple. Just tell people that large amounts of food really hurt your stomach. Many obese and normal people have hiatal hernias and ulcers. My hernia made eating extremely painful. Nobody needs to know about my band. But I have slowly told several people. I kinda wish I wouldn't... I envy you because you are still so mysterious while I wear my heart on my sleeve. The way I saw my surgery was like birth and death. I came into the world alone, I'll leave the world alone, and surgery to fix my obesity was only for me... too private, too intimate. The few people I did tell are always asking me, "Hey, you're not allowed to eat that, are you." I shoulda kept my trap shut.

Just wait a minute everyone... what's this powder mixed in Water? I was having a Protein shake every morning, then lunch, then dinner. My goal is not to snack. But I haven't had a protein shake in a couple weeks because I'm always in a rush and they're a pain to make. Where do I get the magic powder? Sounds way easier than the milk & fruit I've been doing. When I'm good, I have one Protein Drink with fruit in the morn. One cup of coffee with real cream & real sugar. Band size lunch (protein & veggies, a couple crackers) Dinner - whatever hubby cooks in small portions. For me, no snacking. Snacking doesn't work for me, it gets me wanting more, more, more. But when I'm being a bad band girl, I eat a lot of Pringles and anything else not tied down.

There was a girl almost exactly the same size as me when I had surgery. She had Ortiz, I had Lopez. She had to do 3 weeks of protein shakes to lose weight prior to her surgery. I was supposed to do one week of low fat. Well, I screwed up and wasn't able to stick to low fat, but they did the surgery anyway. So yes, Whipple, they will ask you to lose weight to shrink your liver. Blah, blah, blah, rules, rules, rules.. I hate 'em!

And while I'm at it, look what they've done to Sachi's swimming pool!

And I can take these jeans off without unbuttoning them, so they're pretty baggy.

Well that's obviously not me. I screwed up, but that's too cute of a pic to delete. That's Voodoo and Chloe. The next pic is me this morning.

Minus 51 pounds.

Before my band.

Are you people trying to tell me that Cat Scratch Fever is a real disease? Am I in Homer Simpson land? I seriously never thought it was for real, even though I'm a big Sweaty Teddy fan myself!

I'm getting BIG on my left butt cheek and MAMMA on the right one.

I'm on a permanent plateau. I'm not giving up, but it sure is hard to keep my motivation up when the scale doesn't move. I'd rather sink into a coma than to count calories. Penni, you hang in there cuz a fill is right around the corner. Sweet, sweet restriction. I crave it! I want it!

That's a helluvalotta fat!

Heck, screw the t-shirts. I'm a biker chick now. Let's all just go to Vegas and get matching tatoos.

Penni: 4/6/04 -- 47 lbs Lisa: 5/5/04 -- 51 lbs TOTAL LOSS -- 98 POUNDS