Zoe

I might be able to attend in early April, but I won't be able to be a hostess then. Besides working, I'm in grad school (nights), and the new quarter will have started. But if there's a weekend meeting or dinner for the Spotlight group, I'd give it a shot. I still think a late July Chicago bash might be a good idea... Leatha, let's see what we can work out while you're in St. Louis. Maybe instead of a full-blown bash we could just have a mini-party, and DeLarla can sneak inside Penni's make-up bag.

Actually, the 30th-31st works better for me, too. And I think it will probably be easier to book hotels that weekend; lots of people come into Chicago on the 4th to watch the fireworks at the lakefront. Anyone else for July 30-31? Fran, it was great talking to you! It's nice to know another local bandster. Does July 30-31 work for you? Just think how thin you'll be by then!

We've had a great response to this thread. Anyone up for the Fourth of July weekend (Sat. - Mon., July 2-4)? Or else maybe July 30th-31st?

Here's an idea for the new year that I tried a couple of years ago and plan to do again. Get yourself a cookie jar (or dig out the one that you hid away after you got banded) and put three dollars in it every day, without fail. No cheating. You can use the jar to make change, but do not borrow from it. By the end of the year you will have over $1000 to spend on yourself! I used mine to go to Italy. Next year's stash will help buy a new wardrobe in January 2006, I hope.

My brother from LA is coming to Chicago on Friday, and I don't know how he'll cope. (It's about 15 degrees F today, wind chill -2.) One good thing about the cold -- it's a motivation to walk faster!

No way! You're an effing inspiration! I can only imagine the further transformation this next year will bring you. Happy Christmas and New Year from your Yank admirers.

Michelle, we can all learn a lot from your experience and through your example of speaking up and taking care of your band (and yourself). Thanks for posting your story.

What a great present to give yourself! Let us know how the surgery goes for you, and how you're feeling afterwards.

Theresa, good luck to you and your sister. Remember that the first couple of days after banding are the hardest. By the new year, you should be feeling much better, and ready for your fresh start in life! Welcome.

Y'all want a Christmas song list? Check this out, Buttcracker Suite and all: http://www.comedy101radio.com/playlists/pl121400.htm

Amen to this thread. The only caveats I'd issue to anyone considering surgery in Mexico are: 1. Line up your aftercare before you get banded. Lots of US band surgeons won't care for other US doctors' patients, much less those of us who crossed the border. If you're thinking Mexico, check old posts on this board for aftercare options. Inamed has lists of doctors sorted by state, but you'll have to call each one in your area to see if they'll take you as only a follow-up patient. Your surgeon may have suggestions, too; that's how I found my fill doctor, who was one of Rumbaut's proctored students. 2. If you don't speak Spanish, consider travelling with someone who does. Most of the doctors and their office staff that I've read of here seem to speak English (Rumbaut's fluent), but the hospital nurses responsible for your basic care do not. ¡Buena suerte a todos!

That's a good one. I don't have any songs or cat stories, but I can report that my Lab mix has been up to her usual standard of holiday naughtiness. I had a huge dinner party on Saturday, and did a lot of cooking for about 24 straight hours. Every time I left the kitchen, Sophie Dog stole some of the butter-wrapping paper (you know, with tablespoons marked on it) out of the garbage. When I moved the garbage can on the counter to outsmart her, she just knocked over the can, and I still found little pieces of translucent paper shredded all over the rest of the house, plus I had peelings, shavings, bones and miscellaneous crap knocked all over the floor! At least the butter's good for her coat -- if not for her padded Labby waistline. As the guests arrived, Soph worked her canine mojo, and managed to hypnotize at least six people into giving her slabs of roast beef. She wolfed down all kinds of handouts with no trouble. I hate it when the dog eats better than I do!

Just three more days! A lot of us went kind of stir-crazy just before the surgery, finding it hard to think of anything else. That's normal. And just think how different you'll be a year from now, twelve months into your band journey. I hope you can relax during the next few days, and that you have a quick recovery.

Not having met the notorious Erin, I'm inclined to agree with Audrey, which is why I suggested that she might be asking you and others to join her, to make eating an "acceptable social occasion." Food is maybe one of her few pleasures. She's trying to find a way to indulge herself without embarrassment, and maybe she sees food as a way to make new friends, especially if she doesn't think she has much else to offer. In the end, it doesn't matter if she's maliciously sabotaging your success, looking for a partner in crime, or just plain clueless. You've taken the important step (many times, from the sound of it!) of telling her to back off. Let's see what the next two weeks bring.

Quakergirl, I don't remember seeing your name before, but you are an impressive member of the -100+ club! Congratulations! How low do you hope to go? Do you have any advice for those of us who are in the early stages of banding? Please forgive (and ignore) me if you have already answered these questions elsewhere.

Hey, Greg, did you meet Lisa/DeLarla? Tell all! And don't worry, you won't be the only one with bad scale news on Monday.

I have to admit I feel sorry for Erin, obnoxious though she may be. She might be very self-conscious about her food addiction, and maybe she thinks that having an accomplice (willing or not) will both draw less attention to herself and make eating an acceptable social occasion rather than a round-the-clock obsession. Are you planning on taking any days off this month? It might be interesting to have another co-worker monitor Erin's food habits when you aren't there. I'll make a little wager with you: What do you want to bet Erin tells her husband/partner/friends, "There's this woman Lisa who likes to eat the same kind of stuff that I do, so we're always going out for food"? I imagine that Erin is not consciously trying to sabotage you. Maybe she's not even unconsciously trying, just because she doesn't get it. My unsolicited advice is to take her aside -- maybe while you're out getting salads! -- and tell her yet again that you have taken a big step toward getting a healthier body, that you've lost almost 70 pounds, and that while you love food you're not going to let it stand between you and your goal. You could even say that you respect her decision to eat whatever she wants, because it's her body, but that you are not going to make the same choices. Maybe you can have a truce: You won't ask her to go on walks, eat healthily, and keep her junk food at home, as long as she agrees not to bring you high-calorie Snacks or ask you to run out for fast food. Good luck. This can't be easy. And the holidays are a perfect excuse for anyone, not just foodies, to bring yummy fattening stuff into the office, so this is the hardest time of year to eat well at work.

My father's sister used S&H green stamps to mail her bills, and let the sinks and bathtubs overflow in her house a couple of times a month, so the utility companies routinely cut off her service. She wouldn't let the gas or Water men into the house because she said they would disturb the family of wolverines she claimed was living with her. And another close relative in LA believed that the Masons were conspiring against him by replacing his carpeting, tapping his phone, and circling his building. He refused to believe that the cars going around the block were just looking for a place to park. I feel like I got off easy with just good old chronic depression. With families like ours, who needs Jerry Springer? (We even have him in the mix, thanks to Lisa's story.)

I'm another frustrated bandster on a plateau. . . frustrated mainly with myself, that is. For one week each month I get major PMS; the cramps aren't bad, but I get seriously waterlogged, crabby, and I want to eat anything that isn't nailed down, especially if it's chocolate. Today is one of those days. I've been exercising for about an hour every single day since Nov. 22, working up a sweat, then I blow it. I didn't have to work today, so I went to lunch with a friend and felt no restriction at all. Luckily we split a dessert; I could have wolfed down not just one but several. I think I might need a fill, but first I need more self-control. I thought the band would do a lot more of the work! I'm having a big dinner party here tomorrow night, and I'm already having a hard time staying out of the chocolate. I should have made turnips for dessert.

Hi Frustrated. Congratulations on getting your band! Your weight-loss pattern is totally normal. A lot of the weight that we lose during the first weeks right after surgery is Water. (That's why many of us notice that our water-retaining feet, ankles, and wrists start to slim down first.) Your body can't metabolize 11 lbs. of fat in one week if you're just going on short walks. Think about it: Suppose you burn 2000 calories per day just breathing, sitting at work, short walks. That's 14,000 calories in a week. Now suppose, just for the sake of argument, that you were eating nothing at all. Zero calories. Burning up 14,000. At 3500 calories per pound, that's a loss of just four pounds, with absolutely no intake. But most of us lose more than that in the first week. It's water. So you're still not eating much, yet your weight is staying the same, even going up a little? Now that your body is getting over the shock of the surgery, and the shock of the initial calorie deprivation, it's holding onto some of that water. But you are still burning fat. Gain a pound of water, lose a pound of fat -- your body is much better off, even though the scale measurement is discouraging. I had gas and incision pains for the first couple of weeks, and found that a heating pad gave me relief. Could you use one in your office? Things do get better. The first taste of mushy food will seem heavenly! And the water-weight problem will sort itself out soon. Don't get discouraged if you have plateaus; they're a normal part of being banded, and now you have a great tool to get your weight headed in the right direction!

Go Lauri go! Great letter. Just a couple of suggestions: 1. Make sure you put in clear breaks between the paragraphs to make it easier to read. 2. Include a history of your attempts at weight loss to show the insurance company that you have tried other ways to lose weight. Some people seem to think the band is an easy way out, and that we're a bunch of gluttonous slobs who lack self-discipline. Emphasize the positive things you have done over the years. 3. Mention any other health problems you have (besides sleep apnea) that will be improved with the band. 4. Consider cutting the section from "As much as it hurts" through "burden brought on by my weight." It is all true, but might overload the letter. I'm one of the impatient bandsters who couldn't wait for all the insurance nonsense, so I got a home equity loan. Three months later, I have a new kitchen and a band. If you own your home, this is another option you might consider in case the insurance company won't budge. Give yourself a big banana dance :banana for having the guts to fight this battle! You are brave! You can do it! Let us know what happens next.

Lauri said it: the scary thing is NOT having the surgery. If you're like most of us here, Sonia, extra pounds are already affecting your health, whether it's through diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, joint trouble, high cholesterol. . . the list goes on. And (not to scare you) it doesn't get better as we get older; on the contrary, the risks increase. If you read some of the past threads, you'll see that the health of a lot of bandsters improves just weeks after having the surgery. That certainly was the case for me; my blood pressure, while still high, is going down. I realize that my post is looking at banding from the negative side, that is, how we lose bad stuff after surgery. Truth is, we get a lot of good stuff: not just better health, but smaller clothes, compliments, confidence, and hope.

Sounds like you're doing fine, Steve. Congratulations on the impressive early weight loss! There's a thread on "closet bandsters" from a couple of months back; you might want to check it for tips. If someone asks why you aren't eating much, you can always say that (1) your stomach doesn't feel quite right, or (2) you want to lose weight. Both true!

Tman, I'm sure your surgery will go well, and that you'll be feeling better soon. Congratulations -- and welcome to Bandland!

Babs, with your amazing weight loss you're such an inspiration to all of us. What you are going through truly sucks. I hope that your doctor can give you a diagnosis re: hair loss so that you can work toward a solution. Going through crappy times is hard any time, but especially rough this time of year, when everything around us is telling us to put on a happy face and Celebrate the wonders of family and financial abundance. If you find yourself really stuck -- that is, immobile, hopeless, and despairing -- please consider talking to your doctor or another professional about treatment for depression, whether it's talking therapy, pharmaceuticals, or a combination of the two. I've been there. Anti-depressants aren't for everyone, and they aren't a quick fix either, but for some of us they are literally lifesavers. With luck, by the time you check this thread again, you will feel better. Please know that your friends in Bandland are rooting for you.