Zoe

You bet there's protein in peanut butter cups. And in the yogurt too! Your treats don't sound exactly extreme, and I'm getting a whiff of diet mind wafting from the East Coast... When you pick up two dozen at the Dunkin Donuts drive-through and devour them in one sitting, then we'll start to worry.

I'm one of the Mexico gang, with US aftercare. I'm very happy with both.

What a good-looking family! Have a great trip. And watch out for those glass toilets. . . you never know where they'll pop up.

When I was thinner, for about three weeks I was able to fit into a single Victoria's Secret bra. I only found one style in 38B! So, I'm with DeLarla: to hell with them. And another thing: what about all those catalogs that charge more for women's sizes? Supposedly more fabric is required. OK, but why don't they charge less for petites? Jenna, thanks for the LB catalog explanation. I always wondered why the catalog looked so shabby and never featured the LB store clothes! Debby, there are Kohl's stores in about half the states now. I think Kohl's is part of the old Kohl's grocery store chain in S. Wisconsin, founded by the family of Sen. Herbert Kohl (D-Wis). The guy should run for president!

LOL! Expert Conqueror and Thunderous Demon on the loose! Oh-oh, Crystal. My dad was an ENTJ and a fanatical Myers-Briggs devotee; almost as soon as he was introduced to someone he'd hand over a copy of the test. I hereby cede to you my official ass-kicker status. (ENFP here.)

Kathy, you're just eight days away yourself! Congratulations to all new bandsters.

I've gotta stop... I'm checking LBT while at work and I can't get enough bad photos. Mary Tyler Moore and Bruce Jenner are especially scary. Love this site!

Funny about the Art Institute! Now you can head off to the Museum of Contemporary Art... I haven't attended any of the MIBC support groups; I'm not a group kinda gal. Anyway, I'm not sure I'd be eligible to attend, since Dr. Horgan and company do my fills but did not perform the surgery. He's a decent guy -- a little arrogant, maybe, but that's not unusual in a surgeon! I think he genuinely wants the best for his patients, and I respect his competence. My surgeon, Dr. Rumbaut, served as Dr. Horgan's proctor when H was first studying the band. Rumbaut highly recommended that I contact H for my aftercare. I haven't been disappointed. PS: The Chicago Historical Society is interesting. Be prepared to walk a long way to find parking, though!

Good luck, Isa! Having all three surgeries in one go might work in your favor: if the lower part of your face is sore, you might not want to do more than sip water anyway. Sounds like you're going for a big transformation. Let us know how you feel when you get a chance.

I doubt there's a formula that works for everyone. For one thing, 20 lbs. lost on us taller women looks a lot less impressive than 20 lbs. on a shortie. (No offense to the vertically challenged.) And you can stay exactly the same weight but convert fat pounds into muscle that takes up much less space. Not to mention that a lot of us lose mostly Water weight in the first weeks after banding, and that water might come off our hands, feet, and faces before anywhere else. The good thing about scrubs is you can just keep tightening the drawstring until things get really dire!

ROFLMAO! And the Aussie pups are adorable. Female dogs have it just as bad. My late Lola, a gorgeous chocolate Lab, went into heat the day I brought her home from a rescue. I had no intention of breeding her and guarded her every moment, taking her for only the shortest possible walks. We routinely went past the house of a gorgeous champion Lab, who bored Lola to tears. But she'd throw her entire hind end at little Otto the Chihuahua. He was not interested, and it drove her crazy. After Lola was spayed, she'd growl and issue menacing barks each time she walked past Otto's house; if he was in the yard, she'd stick her head as far under the fence as she could and try to bite his head off! A woman scorned. . .

Some people have all the luck. I'm at work now and I had to throw on a jacket because my cleavage was showing, even in a fairly modest blouse, and I was feeling self-conscious. (We have a very strict office dress code.) But I'm digging it! Estela, if/when I reach my goal weight, I think I'll splurge on one of those Wacoal bras... if I'm not literally reduced to wearing boys' undershirts.

Greetings from another Chicago bandster! You might want to check the "need encouragement" thread here that Jenna started; she had to quit smoking too. How about giving yourself a vacation in the city? Check all museums and landmarks that tourists always manage to see but a lot of us residents miss. Painting a room is a good idea, just 'cause it's something physical, and it's hard to eat when your hands are covered with paint. The liquid fast sucks, but personally I would love to have time off from work and school with nothing to do but amuse myself (and keep myself from going nuts while passing Mrs. Fields and Garrett Popcorn). You can still go downtown -- maybe meet friends at least once a week, even if you're just going to be sipping something. Think of this as a chrysalis period: You're going dormant for just a short while, and will emerge with new wings when it's over. Good luck!

Tanya, you may already be banded as I write this. Please check in with us when you're back home and feeling up to it. Welcome to Bandland!

LMAO! Yeah, that's yet another reason some of us got the band. Weight loss often brings confidence gain -- yes, basic emotional self-confidence, but also confidence in our own bodies. Male or female, coupled or not, straight or gay, it's nice not to fear averted eyes or looks of shock and dismay (even if only in our own heads) once the clothes come off! Thanks for starting this thread, t.

Katie, this whole thing sucks. Yes, your band will be worth it, but your doctor's office has been irresponsible, telling you about the liquid diet at the very last minute, demanding that you go on $200 supplements, then -- only when you insisted -- saying that it was OK to use a cheaper version after all. EAS makes a halfway decent shake (not the clear liquid) in berry and orange flavors, but the chocolate one tastes just as chalky as the strawberry stuff you described. And the Atkins powder is just plain nasty. You WILL get through this. It won't be easy, but we're all here for you. Even those of us who didn't have to follow liquid diets before surgery still had to stick to liquids after banding. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who tried all kinds of horrible liquid diets in (futile) pre-band attempts to lose weight. I like Tina's idea of making this your own personal Fear Factor. . . the band, and eventually a smaller body, will be your reward. You might want to search the food forum for other Protein drink suggestions. Good luck!

Hey Kim, I also started off 40 lbs. heavier, with edema in my feet and ankles! I was lucky (if that's the right word) in that I had no appetite for two weeks after surgery, so I did lose a lot in the first month. Anyway, enough about me. You're doing great!

Hi Lisa -- I agree with Alex. But since you're "21, 5'6 and 250lbs.," the odds are in your favor. You're young and your BMI isn't over 50.

Fantastic news! Just wait to see how great you feel in another few weeks! I see skydiving in your future. . .

Well, Vines, gotcha! 'Cause I'm going to Wisconsin this weekend. And Wisconsin WAS the first place I lost weight (ahem), years ago, back when dinosaurs roamed the plains.

Hey Kyleigh, I'm here, I'm just going incognito in my new push-up bra! I sent you a PM today about the clothes, 'cause I wasn't able to lift anything for weeks so I couldn't carry the box of summer stuff. But now I'm good to go, so please check your PMs when you can sneak away at work (like I'm doing now). Thanks for the nice notes, Crystal and Christina. BTW, I'm in Chicago.

Congratulations! And only 15 lbs. from goal -- that's a real achievement.

[hijack] I just took the Trinny & Susannah test that Bright mentioned. . . One of the funny comments in my result was "Admit it! On a lazy day, you and your elasticated waistband are often seen shopping together." Ouch! [/hijack] I vote for the bronze dress, partly because I look like crap in that color and I think anyone who can wear golds and coppers should do it! The black dress might be good too if you have the chest to wear with it. But I stand by my initial comment about finding out what formal means in your part of the world; sounds like Estela and I are on the same page.

Hey Lauren, congratulations on your great loss! Are you close to your goal weight?

I love Nordstrom, although the retail prices can be kind of high, at least in the stores; I don't know about the online catalog. But what exactly does "formal" mean where you live? Here in Chicago, it means a floor-length dress. Most of the Coldwater Creek stuff, however attractive, would be way too casual for a formal event here. In some places, though, as long as you're wearing a bra and clean teeth you're good to go! Much easier.