Suzzzie.

Happy (early) Birthday Musicalmomma!! OK. I didn't complete my goal for July... So I want to complete that for August. Lol. I think I have 705 minutes left - so I WILL complete 705 minutes for August!! Elliptical Machine - HERE I COME!! (but not tonight... I'm tired and lazy and it's still July. Ha!)

AMEN!! And "I've had cake before, I know what it tastes like, I'm not really missing anything!" <-- thats what my Granny says!!! I try to do that, and it works about 50% of the time. Today I bought ice cream. That is my biggest downfall. Ice cream, then chocolate, then everything else sweet. Hopefully, in giving these things up for 1 month we will no longer crave them. I know that after only a couple weeks of no diet coke and i was not missing it at all. I haven't had fast food since before Lent, and i don't miss that at all either. I've already given up so many vices... I think sweets need to come next. I will NOT lose weight as long as I can consume ice cream. I know this to be true because I know ME! MM, this is a great idea and I'm loving you for it! As for the 12 steps, I think that over eaters annon has 12 steps too. Those might be more up our alley as far as the goals... does anyone know those??

Wow Stef!! I hope you are able to eat better now!! I get my 2nd fill on Aug 16th, I'm excited. I'veonly lost 23 pounds since pre-op! The first week after the first fill I was good - I had restriction - but now I don't. Boo.

I'll get a buring pain just below where my port is. Its odd!! (Port is about 2-3 minches below incision, the pain will be about 5 inches below incision)

THanks HottyToddy! I was wondering! I must've missed where she said she was leaving. Went out for dinner at one of my fave BBQ places (I live in Kansas City - BBQ is a BIG deal here!) and I ordered chicken breast with side salad instead of fries. (used to get this big old pulled pork sandwich on a huge hogie bun.) It was sooo good and I was stuffed 1/2 way through. I'm totally loving this band thing, and the restriction that I have is good - can't wait for my next fill in 3 more weeks!!! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Good luck Nina!! If i Was there I'd at least walk it with you. I wanted to do the one here in KC, but couldn't get anyone to walk with me. :eek:

Hey Lady! I thinks naming this is fun! Before I even had my band I named it 'Stella' cause it's gonna give me my "groove" back! :eek:

Nothing got stuck today! Yay!! I did figure out that its always within the first 2-3 bites that I get something stuck. I sip water before I eat and just eat slowly and I'm fine. Tonight I went to Sweet Tomatoes with a friend and I fixed a salad smaller than I would usually eat - still only ate about 1/2 before I was feeling full!! I did have to have a few bites of their chili though for the protein and fiber, haha, and because its delicious!! And I had 1 bite of their low fat chocolate lava cake. I was (and still am) stuffed. USUALLY when I go there I have a huge salad, a bowl of soup, some chili, cornbread and a blueberry muffin, and whatever the dessert is. I can't even tell you how amazing it is to me that I ate less than 1/2 what I used to!! I didn't even bother trying the cornbread or muffins this time (and they are amazingly good!) and my friend made sad faces for me as she ate hers. Lol. Has anyone heard from Toni?

Stef = I am confused about what restriction is also. I get things stuck, and PBd for the first time last night... but I know it only happens when I don't chew well enough, or when I take too big of a bite. I notice that after a few bites I'm no longer 'hungry' but I'm not 'full' either, so I will keep eating. I'm still able to eat too much. Hopefully my 2nd fill will fix that!

Thats awesome Holliwags!!

Woo hoo. My first PB. Ugh!!!!!!!!!!! I was sooooo grateful when it finally came up. I still feel like something is a little bit stuck. Dang. I was only 3 bites into dinner. I'm not even going to try anything else tonight! I'm going to bed!

Wow!!! How exciting!! Looks great!

Hmm, the flying thing will be interesting when I go to TX in Sept!!

lo2us - I could take them whole before my fill... not sure now as I haven't tried. Hmmm. Lol. I think if I try one now and it won't go through that I may just buy liquid motrin, cause seriously, tylenol will not help my backaches.

Well, I'm still lingering around 20 pounds lost, but no one has noticed mine either. People sure notice that I eat different though!! (The people who don't know about the band.) I have been able to fit into a pair of jeans and a few of my scrub tops that I haven't been able to wear in a year or more!! They're still a bit snug, but I'll take whatever I can get!!

IBUPROFEN - When I went back to see the NP for my post op she told me I could take the small OTC tablets of ibuprofen, just not the big pills. I've had a bad back for about 12 years now and when the pain really flares up ibuprofen is the only thing that helps at all...at about an 800mg dose, sometimes more. NUTRITION - My NP doesn't care if I snack, or have 4-5 small meals a day as long as I"m making good choices and getting my protein in. Again, I think that is just one of those things that everyones doc is going to vary on.

Or you can just open the photo on your computers photo veiwer. Right click on the photo, click 'edit'. That should open it in Paint, click 'Image' (above photo.) then click the 'Stretch/Skew' option. Once there you will have 4 boxes for numbers. Make sure you are in the ''stretch' section and in the horozontal and vertical boxes put in any number smaller than 100. (I usually go with about 50, this will reduce your picture size by 1/2.) Skip the 'skew' option, and click OK. Its not nearly as complicated as it sounds. And its better than downloading an unknown program to your computer.

Faith- Yes. You should always wait 2 hours after iron to take a calcium. I take minewith lunch. I just pack it in with my lunch bag I take to work. And I will confess that on my days off I usually forget to take it, since its not right in front of my face!

YES!!! My doc billed for like $56,000+!! I was shocked since the self pay is only $13,000 there. Insane. Apparently they want the insuance to pick up the slack? Lol. And i was only there for about 11 hours. Insane. Well..... then my insurance sent me a check for just under $2,000! (I have to give it to the doc) but still... I'm soooooo not paying $54,000. Lol. So now the doc office gets to fight with the insurance. Yay for them!!

marga - I know what you mean about taking the time to eat. Fortunatly since my fill on Friday I've not had trouble taking that time!! If I don't, then things get stuck and I slime for ever. This morning I had a biscuit w/ gravy (yes, so nutritious!) and it all went down fine, but I was so scared of having it get stuck (I was at work) thta i took the smallest bites and sat the fork down between bites, and focused on chewing. It was so strange for me. I' really hopingthat I can continue to chew well and take small bites, slowly. It is hard when you've inhaled food your whole life!!

Hey. I'm at 195 minutes. I've begun to realize that for me - this first month - I have over estimated my ability to get to the gym and do the exercise. Lol. I'm semi-pleased with what I have done, but I know I could do better. I know I won't reach my goal, and I'm cool with that. I think for August I'm going to stick with around 500 minutes. Lol!!

Everyone keeps talking about the benefiber. I think I should try some. Haha. Lack of movements ya know... and like someone else said, fiber fills you up longer. I get paid Friday, I'll buy some when I do all my grocery shopping. Today has been good. I had 1 small bite kinda stick for a second...mild sliming, then with some throat and tummy gurgles it passed and I was fine. So weird. Where is everyone? We seem to be missing more than a few of our Junies around here lately.

I haven't PBd yet, but earlier when I had a bite stuck I was HOPING for it just to get it up and out of me!!

Glad you got your fill!! I had lost weight after surgery - and gained back all but 2 pounds when I went in for my fill on Friday. The NP was happy with that. I never expected to be cured overnight. The only way to make me stop eating is to not be hungry - or to get full quickly - which THANKFULLY the fill is giving me! I can't get another fill for 4 weeks, and I'm cool with that. RIght now I definatly have restriction. I know the first fill can be sneaky and only give good restrictino for a few days, and I'm cool with that if it happens. Don't be so hard on yourself, and hang in there, This is a journey. Enjoy the scenery.

LadyHR - Good job with the Oreos!!! Those cookies are my weakness!!! specially the double stuffed ones!!