Zoe

So do the rest of us -- nothing creepy about it! Lurk all you want, and if you ever feel like posting something, jump on in. You might want to check out the thread called "THE moment" (http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3530); lots of amazing stories there about what made people decide to get banded. Welcome!

Glad you're feeling better, Avery. No offense taken by the all-caps message!

Love the health & fitness facts! I've gotta pass them along to some friends who have been arguing that sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and grease are the four basic food groups.

Penni, watch out, or you just might get an ass-kicking Fat-O-Gram (see http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3639) telling you to stop beating up on yourself. Fat-O-Gram International, Inc., has lots of enthusiastic workers eager to kick the ass of anyone who insults or denigrates a LapBander -- even ourselves. I'm with Lisa and Kim: 30 minutes is just fine. Could you have walked for 30 minutes easily before being banded? I didn't think so . . .

Thanks, Marie. Of course my walking companion might have been asthmatic for all I know, but I'll take whatever NSVs I can get. I bet your upper arms are flapping much less now that you've lost 50 lbs. That's a great milestone!

Hello Ryan -- 1-1/2 days down, 12-1/2 to go? Look back two weeks and think how fast that time flew. We know you can do this. The liquid diet after the band is a piece of cake (sorry, poor choice of words) compared to the pre-surgery regimen, when there's nothing restricting your hunger or appetite. But look, you're already down 14 lbs.! With no in-laws at Thanksgiving! Now that's something to be thankful for. Good luck -- you have everyone at LBT in your corner, and we'll be thinking happy liquid thoughts for you over the next 12 days.

How horrible to lose dear animals after already going through so much. You seem like a very compassionate and strong person. I am sure you can get through this, although it can't be easy. I hope you can walk your grief away.

Elizabeth, you might want to check out the "scale challenge" thread on this board. Between Water weight (regular and hormonal), constipation, and lord knows what else, weights can vary a lot just over 24 hours -- and that's not even taking the band into consideration. Try not to weigh yourself every day. Another thing to keep in mind is that there is no way that those 19-20 pounds you lost in ONE WEEK were pounds of fat. Our bodies simply can't metabolize fat at that rate, even if we're eating next to nothing. I lost lots of weight during the first two weeks after banding -- but most of those pounds were water. I'm sure that's why my ankles and feet were the first things to slim down. As my body started to heal, even though I was burning fat, naturally some of the water came back, so my weight did not change and even went up a couple of times. For those of us who are focused on those scale numbers, this can be incredibly frustrating. My advice is: chill out and don't be discouraged. These fluctuations are normal. Remember, during the time between your surgery and your first fill you should concentrate on healing your body, not weight loss. (Of course that's easy to say and hard to do.) Your fat cells are shrinking even though that scale might imply otherwise. Before you know it, no matter what the scale reads, your clothes are going to be looser, a sure sign that fat is going away -- forever. Regarding travel, let your own comfort be your guide. Sitting in a tight airplane seat for hours might be more of a strain than figuring out how to get around the prepared meals. You can always just sip water or juice and tell anyone who asks that you aren't feeling well. Good luck!

Katie, the water aerobics class sounds great! Just another two weeks and you'll be able to swim (or just relax in a Jacuzzi). Here in Chicago, our glorious early fall weather is over; we're starting the cold, gray, rainy season. I've still been walking the dog for an hour each morning, though! Last weekend I walked through a dog park with an average-sized woman about my age; after we climbed a small hill, she was winded -- and I, the classic couch potato, was breathing normally! Of course my thighs were still jiggling when I stood still.

Our first recruit! Look out, world.

Fat-O-Gram's corporate office sez: You're hired! And I really am laughing this time. Here I thought MY family was wacked out. We're little leaguers. By the way, Fat-O-Gram, Inc., allows its employees to kick ass in the costumes of their choice.

DeLarla, I don't know whether to laugh or cry or both after reading your post. But you've given me an idea: So many of us get crap from co-workers, family, doctors, and so-called friends that I think we should start a fat-o-gram service. In person or on the phone, seven days a week. Someone messes with a LapBander's mind, he/she gets his/her ass kicked. I have been blessed with support from family and friends, but it pains me to read of the garbage so many banders have thrown at them. Who's up for going to Belgium to storm Bright's doctor's office? Next stop, WhippleDaddy's workplace!

Hi Bright -- I'm a new bandster so I have no advice. Your message reminded me of an old Monty Python bit where a smarmy game show host offered a prize for the best insult to Belgians, and one of the winners was, "I can't think of anything worse than 'Belgian.'" I intend no offense to the home of Hercule Poirot! Yes, 70 pounds is a lot -- but I can see why you're discouraged if you've been coasting at the same weight for a while and plagued by those haunting diet-head thoughts, especially if your cold-fish (is that poisson froid? ) of a doctor offers absolutely no help or support. I love reading your posts and learned a lot from you before I was banded. I hope your new fill is making a difference. Let us know how you're doing.

Here's something sent by a friend in Belfast: 1. Why does your gynecologist leave the room when you get undressed? 2. If you own a piece of land do you own it all the way down to the core of the earth? 3. Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer? 4. Why does mineral Water that 'has trickled through mountains for centuries' have a 'use by' date? 5. Is French kissing in France just called kissing? 6. Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, 'I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink whatever comes out'? 7. What do people in China call their good plates? 8. Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is? 9. Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup? 10. Why is it that when someone tells you that there are over a billion stars in the universe, you believe him, but if he tells you there is wet paint somewhere, you have to touch it to make sure? 11. Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out of the window?

Fat-free Fudgsicles for everyone! I'm with Darcy -- I can't keep cartons of ice cream in the house. Ben & Jerry are my two favorite guys, now that Ernest & Julio are out of the picture. I have a relative who got through his first year of AA by eating a pint of vanilla ice cream every night, and soon found himself hooked for life. (Thirty years later, he's still sober, but had a quadruple cardiac bypass last year. 'Nuff said.) Ice cream is a perfect example of how the band is just a tool, not a quick and easy fix. We have to work on our food choices, and for most of us it ain't easy. Now I'm going out for a salad before I get carried away.

Hey, LoveMe, do you have the Inamed LapBand, a Swedish band, or some other kind? I'm asking only because you had your first fill less than two weeks after surgery, and your second fill two weeks after that. Every doctor has a different protocol -- but yours is very sped-up for the Inamed band. Most of us don't get the first fill until six weeks after surgery. Congratulations on your loss!

Great hat! I think you could make a small fortune selling them. . . put me down for one, extra-large (why should my head be any different from the rest of me?), extra-floppy for use on bad hair days. . . you will have enough spare cash to buy yourself a new small-size wardrobe by the time winter is over!

Hey Will, remember your insurance company is trying to spend as little money on you as possible while extracting the highest premium from your wallet. Check out the insurance threads on the board. Lots of people here have been incredibly frustrated by their insurers -- but they kept fighting. Some of us were so fed up that we decided to pay for the band ourselves rather than haggle with insurance. Some kept hounding their insurance company until they got a response. Your insurance company wants you to walk away. . . so it doesn't have to pay a cent. Unfortunately for most insurers it's just a financial calculation. Will they come out ahead in the long run if they pay for your surgery? If the company's already shelling out money for you on obesity-related illnesses -- diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, joint trouble, etc. -- you might have an easier time persuading someone to approve your application. If you truly believe the LapBand is the right thing for you, don't give up. You will find a way. Good luck -- and let us know what you do next.

Great post, Gina! I'm not sure I'm headed for that pony-tail holder, but it sure is an image to ponder.

ROFLMAO, Penni! I was always self-conscious when that Queen number came on the radio back in the old days. . . I've been taking three- to six-mile walks with the dog every day for the last five days. Will probably burn a lot of calories with nervous energy watching the election returns tonight!

OK everyone. No matter what shape you're in, or where you are on your band journey, you can join in this challenge. Walk, run, or bike to your polling place today. Cast your ballot. And here are a few ways to burn some extra calories: 1. If you have to wait in line, do a few stretches or walk in place, imagining what it would be like to live in a country where you had no voice in choosing your leaders. 2. If your voter registration is questioned, don't punch out the election official; quietly flex your arm muscles. 3. If you have to use an electronic machine and it doesn't work, take several deep breaths, then talk to the election judge, keeping your stomach tucked in: Abdominal toning and democracy in one simple move. Don't forget -- if you don't like the results of the election, you can always make a punching bag, attach the picture of your choice (doesn't have to be a candidate; Karl Rove or Michael Moore will work just fine), and slug away, thinking of the great muscles you're developing. The polls are open all day. Get your Nov. 2 workout!

Good for you -- both for talking to Erin and for bringing fruit! That's two victories in one day. I wonder if Erin will be asking you about your band someday; yeah, it sure sounds as if she's out of control. (I say that because she reminds me of me.)

I'm 47, and my two post-band periods have been lighter than usual. It might be age, it might be the surgery, it might be my slight weight loss -- whatever the case, I'm delighted!

Excellent news, Lainie! And mushies will seem like a real thrill. There are a couple of threads in the Food section with lists and recipes when you get to that stage. Meanwhile, congratulations.

Blossom, I'm glad to hear the testing went well. I hope you can keep yourself amused before Friday, because it's easy to go stir-crazy while waiting for the surgery day. Let us know how everything goes for you; you've learned so much about the band, I'm sure you'll be a model patient!