areellady

Leave it to Tracy to be the gory one!!! LOL...Good luck to you FSC...Sounds like quite a bit to deal with. Deanna

I guess there are SOME things that these spoiled, rich people's mommies CAN'T do for them. Too bad she has to do her toileting in front of other people. I bet the officers are getting quite a kick out of the whole thing. I know I would be if I was working in that jail!!! Deanna

I also like doing bellydancing, but just with DVD's. I wondered the same thing!!!! Do post when you find out the answer! Deanna

Hang in there Rhonda...just look at your screen name. That is your goal...You can do it!! Deanna

Excellelent! This is about you!! Just close your ears to negativity and begin your life anew!!! You go girl!! Deanna

Whoops, sorry angeladarling...I didnt see the rest of your name!!

Thank you angel, I believe you can do it!! I had got rid of all of my old skinny girl clothes last year, finally, after giving up I would EVER be able to lose weight and keep it off. I am so disappointed that I did that, but oh well. Exercise all that you can. That I believe is the key to this whole puzzle. Start slow and work your way up. Muscle burns fat faster and more efficient. You can do it!!! Good Luck! Deanna

these stories. So, I was looking through my WW things and found my last weight loss attempt at WW's. That was in September of 01. My starting weight was 279. Then I look at the end progress which was March 02. Ending weight was 244. It took 6 MONTHS to lose 35 pounds!!!!!!!!!:bored I have been at this lap band thing for two months and have lost 40.5 lbs!!! What a difference for me!!! WOW, I was just amazed!!! I love my band!!! I keep feeling better and better EVERY single day!! Deanna

I still have only told a handful of people. DH and two kids, my parents, DH parents, one of my professors and one friend. I don't want any pressure and questions. Right now is about me learning and if I have to explain every single thing to everyone that knows I would go insane. This is such a learning curve that I want to enjoy this time without having to defend my actions. I now wish I had NOT told in laws, but that is another story. My mom is so supportive. She always has been though. She is so great and goes with me to my doctors appointments. My DH is my rock and solid ground. He is my cheerleader. I think that no one needs to know until I DECIDE they need to know. As I have lost 40 pounds in two months starting from pre op diet, I get less and less defensive about the subject though. I am almost to the point where if someone asked me how I lost weight I would probably tell them. I guess I am not as worried about it now as I was two months ago when starting out, but still its about me and MY LIFE and my right to keep it from whomever I want to. Deanna

I LOVED cheese before banding. Now, it just doesn't interest me like it used to. I could eat A LOT of cheese, but now have a light mozarella string cheese for a snack and that is about all I want. Hopefully you will do the same thing. BUT a low fat cheese is full of protein. It is the low fat TASTE that is hard!! Good Luck. Deanna

Well, they were a big hit with me and hubby. DD didn't think they were too special. Oh well!! I am definitely making them again!!! It was almost like having a hamburger patty!!! Deanna

Good luck!!! Welcome to the land of the bandsters!! Deanna

Thanks Travlgrl. I am going to grill them so hope they come out ok!!

Has anyone had good luck with grilled these with some olive oil, salt and pepper? I want to use them like a hamburger patty without a bun. I am trying them tonight, just thought I would see if anyone else had good luck with them. They are suppose to be a meaty texture. I am not a vegan at all, but I do miss my vegetables. In fact most of time i eat my vegetables first so I make sure and get them. I really do miss them. I NEVER thought I would miss vegetables, but I DO!! Deanna

Mark, Thanks!!! Yes, thats what I meant...and that is a great suggestion!! Deanna

Jacqui, I am so glad that you answered me because you are one of my favorite people to read answers from. I am trying to live like you. I don't want to do all protein and no carbs. Although I would love to run, my hubby has bad knees and can't and he is my exercise partner. We bicycle. We are planning on working up to 30 miles at least twice a week by next summer. We have gorgeous mountains here that have very nice places to bike. I always tell my hubby about your posts and how I think you really have it right on the money when it comes to eating good healthy food from ALL food groups and exercising. Thank you for answering me about the weight. It makes sense that it would not all be fat now that you said that. Deanna

Hi all, Does anyone eat this? Is it good? Every time I am at the store I am going to get some and then for some reason I chicken out. I don't know why I just don't end up buying it. This last time it was in my basket and then I took it out. Deanna

Hi all, This is a WW recipe but thought I would share it anyways. 1 TBLS canola oil, divided 1/4 c. EACH minced onion, green bell pepper, carrot, and celery 2/3 c. drained canned white kidney Beans (cannellini) 1 egg, slightly beaten 1/3 c. seasoned dried bread crumbs In 8 inch non stick skillet, heat 1 tsp. of the oil. Add onion, pepper, carrot and celery. Cook over med. heat, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft and moisture has evaporated, about 1 minute. Set aside to cool slightly. Using a fork, in medium mixing bowl mash beans, stir in egg. Add bread crumbs and veggie mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined. Shape mixture into 4 equal patties. Set patties on plate and cover and refrigerate until chilled (at least 20 minutes) In same skillet heat 1 tsp. of oil and add two patties. Cook over medium heat turning once until browned on both sides and heated through. Remove to plate, keep warm. Repeat with other patties. 129 calories 5g fat 5g Fiber

CoachCher, I want to say thank you for posting this. I think a lot of times we expect to be fat then skinny and thats it. But as you have shown us, there is an in between time. We have to watch ourselves closely to make sure we dont become to comfortable in our "new" skin and think that we can then give up the journey. I know I didn't really realize what the band journey meant when I was reading before becoming banded. It really is a journey and we need to embrace it for all its worth so that one day each and every one of us can help someone else who is in the exact same spot. Pass it forward. Thats what I want to say to you, thank you, for passing this forward to all of us. Deanna

Hi everyone, I was looking through my Weight Watchers materials looking for some recipes that might be good and I came across this in one the the pamphlets called Breaking Through from the winning points system. It states: Did you know that, after the initial Water loss that occurs during the first few weeks of losing weight, its just about physiologically impossible for the body to lose more than 2 pounds of fat in a week? Weight losses that exceed this amount usually indicate an excessive breakdown of valuable muscle- a definite negative to your health. Now I started exercising right away after surgery. Like two or three days later I was up and walking and by day 4 or 5 was walking close to two miles a day. I am now wondering if this is true and I have not been losing fat, but muscle? I have lost quite a bit of weight in two months and would hate to think after the initial pre op diet that the rest was not fat but muscle loss!!!!! Does anyone know about this kind of thing? Thanks, Deanna

Abby, I was self pay too. I also wondered if I was going to make it. If I DIDN'T have the surgery I was not going to make it either, not a matter of if, but when. I also worried about complications. I am doing so good as of today down 40.5 pounds!!!! That means 9.5 more and I am down 50 pounds!!!!!!! I cant hardly believe it myself!!! You have to do what is right for you and being healthy is right for you!!!! Just know that you are not alone and that all of the band team has had the same thoughts and worries as you are having. Just remember to follow the band rules. This is very important!!! I think a lot of people don't follow the rules and expect to see results and then think the band didn't work. You still have to work damn hard daily to make the right choices, the band just makes it a bit easier to make the right choices. I have lost my weight without a fill also. I do a lot of cardio, seven days a week for at least 45 minutes, sometimes longer if biking. I have added strength training in as of last week and am feeling like a new woman. In fact, I don't feel like I should be fat. I feel like a skinny person in a fat suit. Hang in there. You will do fine and be so glad you did this!! Deanna

I have lost about 39 pounds as of last week and I have been banded since April 19th. The weight loss is from April 5th, from pre op diet. The one thing that I love the most so far is going to the closet and KNOWING that anything that is in there is going to fit. I had got rid of all of my skinny clothes last year, so I dont have alot of smaller sizes in my closet. Before being banded, I had to hang dry all my clothes so they wouldnt shrink in dryer. NO MORE HANGING DRY FOR ME!!! My clothes dont "fit" really anymore, there are hanging off of me, but THAT is a great motivation to look in mirror and see LOTS of clothes instead of LOTS of fat!! Deanna

This is so cool!! I usually end up driving my routes to see how far I have gone...this will be so much easier. Thank you babyrl

I googled Fobi Pouch and came across this from WebMD..this first paragraph makes me wonder if Roseanne has this... Aug. 11, 2000 -- For those fighting obesity, the "Fobi Pouch" sounds like the greatest thing since (low-cal) sliced bread. The comedienne Roseanne swears by it. Inquiring minds want to know ... what is it? The technique, developed by California surgeon Mathias A.L. Fobi, MD, is a modification of a procedure that's been around for decades: stomach bypass surgery. The basic premise is that your stomach gets smaller, you eat less, and so you lose weight. Fobi says that his version of the procedure keeps patients from regaining the weight, a complaint that many have had about the traditional surgery. Some who have had that surgery gain as much as 25% of their weight back. Critics say they're not sure Fobi's technique is any better than the traditional type of stomach bypass. But don't tell that to Georgia Sarantapoulos, one of Fobi's office assistants. She had the surgery in 1992, when she weighed 315 pounds. "I was 22 years old. I had been obese all my life, but between 19 and 22, it just crept up on me," she tells WebMD. "I went from size 18 to 26. Doing simple things, tying shoes, making the bed, I had to stop and take a breath," she remembers. "My little sister loved to go to the mall, she always wanted to go, but I was always so embarrassed to see my image. ... There are all those mirrors. ...It was very, very depressing to me." She tried diets like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers, as well as diet shots and Water pills, even hypnotherapy: "I would lose maybe five or 10 pounds, no big deal." When she heard about the Fobi surgery on TV, Georgia was sure it was her answer. "I wanted the procedure, I wanted to take care of the problem," she says emphatically. "But my parents said, 'Oh, no, it's too drastic.' The family doctor was totally against it. I said, 'I don't care.'" Indeed, any kind of stomach bypass surgery has risks, and it remains a controversial method of losing weight. But the Fobi procedure worked for Georgia. She lost more than 150 pounds, and today she's still at her new weight of 165 pounds -- give or take 10 pounds, depending on whether she's been exercising or not. Says Fobi: "It's the best obesity operation that exists, and I'm not blowing my trumpet. I've been doing obesity surgery since 1977. The [stomach] bypass procedure is a very good procedure but it has some shortcomings. With the Fobi pouch, I have corrected those shortcomings." Here are the details: In a traditional stomach bypass procedure, surgeons create a smaller stomach by stapling off a large section. The new stomach is called the "stomach pouch" because of its tiny size (about a heaping tablespoon), Fobi explains. When food is eaten, whatever doesn't fit into the pouch bypasses the upper part of the intestines, and thus cannot be absorbed into the body. Excess food goes straight through the gastrointestinal system and is eliminated. A problem with the traditional procedure is that the staples can break down, causing the stomach to regain its original shape -- and patients to start gaining weight again. Also, the stomach opening that leads into the intestines, which in surgery is made smaller to allow less food to pass through, often stretches as the years go by. With his technique, Fobi has eliminated the staples; he cuts the stomach into two parts, then hand-sews them to maintain the separation. He also adds a synthetic band around the stomach opening, to keep it from stretching. Speaking hypothetically of the traditional surgery, Fobi says, "Mary Jones, who can eat only one-quarter hamburger after surgery, can eat a whole hamburger two years later. She's back to gaining weight. [With the Fobi procedure], two years later, Miss Jones can only eat as much as she did right after her surgery." And the results? Fobi has tracked his patients' progress. In one published study of 516 patients, all except one had an average loss of 75% of their excess weight. Four years later, they showed "no tendency to regain weight." Six- and seven-year follow-up results show similar results, he says. That report is scheduled to be published soon, says Fobi. With traditional bypass surgery, the rate of success -- defined as a loss of 50% of the patient's excess weight -- is 85% after two years. Roseanne, who had the Fobi surgery two years ago and lost 78 pounds, has praised the procedure on her talk show. Her daughter had the Fobi Pouch operation two years ago, and Fobi tells WebMD that she's doing great, too. Even Roseanne's nanny, who had the surgery in 1992, has maintained her weight loss, Fobi says. "It's changed their lives," he says. A few more details on the Fobi procedure: Total cost ranges from $15,000 to $40,000 (including hospitalization), depending on the area of the country. Recovery includes a four-day hospital stay, plus three to six weeks at home. Fobi has trained about 50 U.S. doctors to do the procedure, and their names are available through the American Society of Bariatric Surgery. "Ask for listings of surgeons performing the 'gastric bypass with the band,'" he advises. He has not yet received authorization to officially use his name in association with the procedure. As with other bypass surgeries, complications may include vomiting, nausea, Vitamin deficiencies, Protein deficiencies, and rapid weight loss, which can cause dizziness. While patients are counseled about Vitamins and other supplements they will need to take, "rarely is any treatment necessary," says Fobi. "Most patients learn to overcome these side effects, if no other cause is found." Support groups are available. Ideal candidates are people who are at least 75 pounds above their ideal weight. "When we first started out in 1977 [with traditional bypass surgery], we said that patients had to be 200% over ideal weight," Fobi says. "But as we realized more and more how safe the procedure was, we can now say that the best patients should weigh at least 75 pounds above ideal weight. You find that they are the ones who have a difficult time losing weight and keeping it off." Often, this is considered an elective procedure, so insurance will not cover it, says Fobi. "Most patients are paying out of pocket. They do have a medical reason, but insurance has not accepted it as a reason. To say 'I'm depressed and I cannot get a promotion because of my size,' nobody wants to buy that, but those are the true facts." "Now I'm operating on professional people, lawyers, news reporters, policemen, who cannot function in their jobs because of their weight," Fobi says. "I just did a lawyer two weeks ago who said when she goes to court, everybody's busy looking at her, at 210 pounds, instead of listening to her brain. ... She's tried all the diets. She lost 60 pounds on fen-phen before it was taken off the market, then gained it all back. She's shown that she's tried to lose weight but can't. What do you want her to do?" Fobi has his detractors, and he knows it. Colleagues say he is a respected surgeon, dedicated to helping his patients, but they question whether his technique is really an improvement on the traditional procedure. They also say that, across the U.S., there are about 15 different variations on the basic stomach bypass surgery. "People say that the two procedures are the same, but my weight-maintenance figures speak for themselves," Fobi tells WebMD. C. Daniel Smith, MD, tells WebMD that, based on good scientific data, the National Institutes of Health determined in 1992 that the traditional stomach bypass surgery was the best operation, in terms of weight-loss results. That's around the time Fobi began doing his procedure. "I don't want to cast a shadow on the Fobi procedure, but in fairness to our patients, we need to know what's been proven and what hasn't," he says. Smith, chief of general and gastrointestinal surgery at Emory University School of Medicine, in Atlanta, says that he is not aware of any research showing that the Fobi method is better. A more important development is laparoscopic stomach bypass surgery, Phil Schauer, MD, director of bariatric surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, tells WebMD. "It's a minimally invasive surgery performed with a very small incision. We've been doing the laparoscopic procedure for about five years," he says. "The results have been very dramatic. Instead of a week's hospital stay, it's just two days. Instead of two or three months off work, they are off work two to three weeks. Wound healing is minimal." What's the word from Stanford? "I do 99% of my surgeries laparoscopically," Mark Vierra, MD, assistant professor of gastrointestinal surgery at Stanford School of Medicine, tells WebMD. "I think that's going to be a much more common procedure than Dr. Fobi's pouch." For more information from WebMD, see our Diseases and Conditions page on Weight Control. © 2000 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.

Krystal, I just looked at your web page and I must say YOU ARE SOOOO BEAUTIFUL!!!! You have the best facial features and the most beautiful eyes!!! Your animals are pretty cute too!!! Deanna