DeLarla

I'd like purple shirt with black furry fringe and a big curly D in script embroidered over my heart. If that's not do-able, a purple one with black writing, size (this is the hard part without knowing if these shirts are cut big or small) so let's go with 2x at $20 for this Big Fat Loser.

Penni's a liar... she barely eats! I saw you, Ms. Penni. 1/2 cup of Soup? A Gerber size serving of that omlette (that Voodoo and Sachi thank you for, by the way.) What kind of horse are you talking about, a gummy horse, perhaps? An animal cracker in the shape of a horse? I'm putting my money on Penni.

I'm having much more than 10% of mental work. It's like 99% mental to me. My mind is so conditioned that I have 4 good days then boom, right back into bad habits. There's always tomorrow though. I don't seem to have any restriction. Last week was tight as a drum, this week Loosey Goosey, so I need more mental power.

Tera, our bands are very fickle. You can feel hungry one day, then the next day have major restriction. Yesterday I ate 2 bites of a nectarine for lunch because I was too restricted. Today I had to use actual willpower because I could have finished everything on my plate. Restriction comes and goes with the tides, or the stars, or the planets... I just "go with it" because they say the Universe knows what it's doing!

Oops, I fixed my typo! Yeah, and I paid for that service! I was 18, and everyone else was running off to spring break in their bikinis, while I spent my money at the Schick Center for what should have been illegal torture treatment.

Biker Betty, there are plenty of bands to go around!

So, is everyone getting really gassy after eating, or am I dying again?

You can never share too much here! About 100 years ago I went to the Schick Clinic. If anyone's old enough to remember, they used shock and aversion therapy to make you quit smoking and eating. I was only 18, and they had these zappers attached to my wrists and made me chew goodies while they zapped me and squirted fish emulsion into my nostrils, while mashing chocolate in one hand and shoving spoons of salt and sugar in my already overstuffed mouth. (I'd say it was prime time for my band.) Anyway, after the humiliating session as I was bawling & hurling simultaneously, the instructor (Hitler's twin) forced me to wipe my hands on my blouse. I refused. The idiot was trying to make me mash melted chocolate all over my clothes. He said, "what's the difference if you put it IN your body or ON your body? No wonder I'm ready for the funny farm. Years later I saw another shrink who told me to throw away food. He said "it all turns to waste anyway, so why put it through your body, which only hurts you." Now that was a good point.

I go from having major restriction to very little. It's been blazing hot and humid here, which makes me tighter. I also get super restricted before and during my period. My period is over and I'm suddenly hungry. I can't believe I actually wish my period would last longer (did I actually say that?) Some weirdo co-worker eats dinner for breakfast every morning. It's 9:00 a.m. here and the entire office smells like an entire baked chicken meal. Even the boss is bugged by the smell cuz it wakes up our hungry senses, which are usually still asleep.

I had my only fill non-fluoro. I originally said I'd only have them done under flouro, but I hear patients who've had them both ways, and many sucessful people have never had fluoro. I guess it's doc's choice.

What are your symptoms? From what I've heard, you won't be able to get anything down. A lot of us think our band has slipped, but if it did, you'll probably be in a lot of discomfort. Are you sure you don't just have tight restriction?

Purple, black writing "BIG FAT LOSER!" ("So happy to hear of your LOSS" sounds like you're talking about someone else's loss) 2-3x $20

Till this day, only one guy at work knows I had the surgery. Not one person has noticed a change in my eating. I started by looking like I was trying Adkins. They'd look at my tuna and cottage cheese with quizical faces, but nobody said anyting. Then one girl started copying me and showing up with Protein only. Sometimes I put a bunch of stuff in front of me but only eat parts. Yesterday I had carrots, dip and a piece of fruit. I could only eat a few slices of the nectarine. Still, nobody said anything. I've lost 47 pounds and nobody has said a work (except the guy that knows high-fives me all the time.) People are weird.

I had to juice fast 2 days before surgery, then I didn't wheel out of recovery till 4:00 p.m., so I was really hungry. But all they give you the first night is Water to sip. But I brought one bottle of Gatorade with me, and they let me have that the second I was back in my room. It took me all night to sip the one bottle, but it was so good and took away the hunger. They brought me juice and tea with honey the 2nd day, but I was really glad to have that bottle of Gatorade. Pack light. Wear loose clothes (sweats & baggy t-shirt.) Don't bring a bunch of clothes cuz you'll live in a hospital gown. Heck, wear the same outfit there as you wear home. No need to look pretty when packing light will make life so much easier. If you're going to Mexico, check in advance about telephone communication since my cell didn't get reception there. You can buy a $20 phone card at any Mexican pharmacy before checking into the hotel. I was doing a lot of sneezing, and all the drugs made me tinkle a little in my panties, but I had panty liners with me. A couple other friends said the same. Keep the heating pad at home near your bed, and it will be your best friend after surgery for all the back & shoulder aches. Far out, huh? Good luck!

Even (hypothetically) if the FDA bans the bands, we already got ours, neener neener neener. Let them ban cigarettes, breast implants, or tongue piercings - you know, the kinda stuff that has zero health benefits?

Ginny, we're all in the same boat.... that's why we all got banded out of last hope desperation (for me, anyway.) However, when I first got the band I assumed it would work all by itself. Haha, big joke, because I still have to do a lot of work myself. I really wanted some ice cream, and they were on sale, so I bought two half-gallons. One of my flavor, one of hubby's. But after having 2 huge servings, I garbage disposed the rest of mine. Sure, he thinks I'm crazy, and all my friends think I have serious mental issues, but sometimes it's the only way to keep me from eating the rest. I'm learning to throw away food, which used to be like sticking needles in my eyes. But now if there's something tempting, and I've eaten too much, I toss it. My skinny friend once taught me to "ruin my food." She was always watching me struggle with diets, so once when we were at dinner, she saw me do the deep breath thing we do when our bellys are filled to our chests (even though we keep stuffing food in.) Before I had a chance to see what she was doing, she dumped her glass of Water and the container of salt on my yummy plate. I freaked, but she said, "Lisa, you're stuffed." I could have been mad at her, but I really loved her for doing that because she kinda trained me over the years. I still struggle, but I "ruined" my food the other day by spilling water on it and cramming my paper towel over it. So what if it's lame advice - it works for me. Not all the time, but it's an improvement for sure.

When alcoholics get sober, they eat candy and goodies like it's going out of style. It's another form of sugar that helps feed their addiction. Can't that hold true for popcorn once giving up sugar, since it's a carb that converts to sugar in another form? Hahah, listen to me act as if I know what I'm talking about!

I'm a para professional too, only paralegals don't use blades (at least I haven't heard that news story yet.) You should buy a corn plane. They are specifically made for evenly slicing the callouses off your feet and leave the smooth as a baby's behind. Only you have to be dedicated for life, cause once you start, you can't stop... skin grows back worse each time. I did the ugly deed last night and now my incision is a little sore.

Neicy, you just reminded me that I have a surgical appointment at my nightstand. Where's that blade?

Harley lessons on hold till next week... everything got too busy around here, and I'm leaving tomorrow for California. I vow to have my motorcycle license by the Vegas Bash!

I am the Goddess of Sun and Snow and Rain and Mud and Hurricanes and Blizzards... but I can do without earthquakes, tornados and dust. I guess I just like weather.

Snow is awesome! You can ski on it, eat it, melt it, make snow people out of it, throw it, make angels in it, watch it, admire it... There's nothing you can do with dust except scratch it out of your dusty eyes. Snow, snow, snow!

Snow rules. I have no idea how I ended up in this dust bowl.

Wait a second, did somebody say it's cold outside? Is it really cold in Wisconsin? Too bad we can't shoot some of this heat through the internet. We're cooking our dinner on the pavement here! Maybe I'll try something new today, like getting some work done.

That man! His alarm goes off at 3:00 a.m., but I've gotten used to sleeping through it. But today he jiggled me when his alarm went off and said, "honey, I don't have any coffee." DUH. I grunted and went back to bed. When I got up at 6:00 a.m., I found a note from him, "honey, I don't have any coffee." That's EIGHT times. And NO, that bike is purring like a kitten, which is my exact point. How is his absence of coffee my problem?