marcyinak

I made some zucchini bread with my greenhouse harvest today. It's yummy! Now, if I could just stop myself from grazing! The kids like it and I'm just going to let them eat it up! See how I sacrifice the kids?! :-) It's Stormy's 2nd birthday today...she wanted popcorn and a "milkshake" for breakfast...ok, why not? I added some protein to the shake and she wasn't able to finish the popcorn! Haha!

Kathy - WAHOO! Congratulations! I love the dress too! You are doing so well! Time to update your photo! Sexy mama! Peaches - I think you only need freak out when YOU feel that you are just not ever satisfied. There are days when the food just goes down easily and days where you just can't get much down at all. It's all about our choices for food and you seem to be doing ok with the choices. Under 1200 calories for the day ain't that bad...considering most of us were probably eating over 3000/day pre-band! Take it easy and keep track of what you're eating...somehow that helps us to stop eating. It's obvious I'm in need of another fill...I can totally eat more than 1 1/2 cups of food at a whack. I've noticed that I PB a lot more than everyone else, but I also start eating my meals with fervor and take big bites and don't chew well enough...I'd say I PB at least twice a week...nothing big, just need to re-adjust the food in my body so it will go down and into my pouch. I've also noticed that when I eat too slow I can shove an unacceptable amount of food in me! YIKES! I try to use the band as a tool, but the tool needs some maintenance for me to continue here. I'm totally jealous of you all that can get fills easily...without all the travel and money involved for me! (I figured that with airfare, the fill appt. and shopping, etc. it costs about $1000 for each fill!) Count your many blessings! I'll start counting calories!

Breadlady - I also get hungry at night. I've never been a late-night eater so going to bed with my tummy grumbling isn't that big of a deal, but I wonder what's really going on if I'm so hungry at night? bluebike - Good for you! I look forward to a "perfect" fill soon...I know I'm able to eat WAY too much! Lynette - I think you missed my anniversary! DH surprised me and took me out to a cabin for the night...then surprised me with a new WHOPPING diamond for my wedding band! He's been planning it for YEARS! Oh, I do so regret all those times I got mad about not taking the trash out! Haha! Well, it's about 50 degrees here in Nome, weather has been CRAPPY this whole week, but the waves pushed a lot of sea glass (pieces of glass rubbed soft by the water/sand) onto the shore so I've been out the past couple of days collecting it. I found some of the coveted blue glass today and that was exciting. My little girl started finding some too. I don't know what's wrong with me. I resolved the other night to just have protein shakes for a few days for breakfast and lunch - which is usually not a problem. So I do that, but then 4pm comes around and I'm grazing (not good choices either) and have a large supper. I tried chicken again and it didn't go down all that well. But last night I was able to eat THREE pieces of pizza! What the heck?!?! I feel like a pig! Excersize has been better for me this week though. We, the family, have been to the pool twice this week and then there's the beach combing (lots up up down, up down) and I went for a killer 50 min. walk yesterday with a friend. I'm hoping to keep it up...we'll see though. Now if I could just keep the crap out of my house I wouldn't eat it! What was I thinking buying Red Fish (Sweedish Fish to some of you)...you just can't stop at one! AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

Hey, on another thread, someone posted a link to an "Adjustments" page...thought it was VERY helpful so I'll post it here, sorry it's so long. How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe This was written by Jessie H. Ahroni, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., C.D.E., B.C.-A.D.M.

Adjustments - for those of you who didn't want to click on the link: How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. Fruit juice is just sugar water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. Cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. Chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. Meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe This was written by Jessie H. Ahroni, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., C.D.E., B.C.-A.D.M.

WOW Dini - you managed to get most everyone covered! You go girl! I'm impressed that you can take care of yourself, your toddler, and your all-consuming job and still have time for all of us! My motivation is suckin' right about now. I downed a good load of Doritos last night and I *still* have no interest in actual excersize (despite the Treadclimber we have and severl tapes I like). I make conscious efforts to play hard with the kids for at least an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon, but no reall dedicated excersize. Oh, I have the time, it's the motivation! I'm headed in for my 2nd fill on Oct. 3rd. I hope it will help...I've been just hangin' around the same weight for too long now. Yes, I know excersize will help, but I've got to work in baby steps here...maybe this attitude is what got me here in the first place? Hmmm...

Here are pictures of the cabin we stayed in - note Andrew's set up at the table! (BTW, this is what an Alaska cabin will look like on the inside, not fancy, but this was a NICE cabin!) And my ring...the diamond is now a full carat! (It was a 1/2 carat - still large for me.) Note the eye-searing gleam!

Denise - I appreciate your comments! No, no more slaughtering for me...not for a while anyway. (Although it's good excersize!) There are some cruises that come to Nome, but they come from Europe - up and over if you know what I mean. If you're thinking about an Alaskan cruise, they normally just go Southeast to Haines or Anchorage...then you can take the train "in-land" to see Denali. I think Southeast (Ketchikan, Sitka, glaciers and the like) is all beautiful and would be a good trip. CC - I checked out your friends' website and I haven't stopped bawling in 20 minutes! I am so grateful for my healthy children! Thank you for sharing!

DH and I celebrated our 10th anniversary the other day. It was pretty low-key, as usual, and we had decided that we'd go out to dinner last night (Fri.) to celebrate. After a day of Andrew not being home and being out doing things with other people, even saying he was at work for a while...I was a little ticked off, but happy to be going to dinner. Then he comes home from getting the babysitter and tells me my car is making funky noises and we need to borrow our neighbor's truck. I was upset at his non-chalance about our only vehicle making funky noises than I was about using Matt's truck! But Andrew blew me off and off we went. Well, I knew something was up when he turned left instead of right and we headed out of town. I kept thinking that maybe we were going to someone's house for dinner (because he'd been complaining about being hungry for a while.). Then we turned onto a dirt road that leads to nowhere and I was a little confused...there aren't any friends or restaraunts out there... So we pull up to a cabin out in the middle of nowhere and he surprises me with a WHOLE NIGHT alone with him. He cooked steaks on the grill, borrowed table linens and candles and set the table all romantic, he even created a romantic playlist for the iPod! Then after dinner he came and sat next to me and surprised me (once again) with a new diamond for my wedding ring. It's not just a new diamond, but a HUGE diamond! He DOUBLED the size! I can totall poke an eye out now! After that we went out and sat in the hot tub for a couple of hours (took a while to get it good and hot) and the weather was just great...stars were out and everything. Torrential rains started after we went to bed and it was gloomy when we woke, but we had some hot chocolate and Andrew made omlets. It was really nice. Apprently, he also arranged for a helicopter ride, but since the weather was bad we have to wait for another day....too bad. Andrew thinks it all just went perfect. I know that MANY folks were involved in the planning of this (the ring took over 2 years to save for!) and I am VERY appreciative! When we got home we spent about 5 hrs butchering some moose we got from a friend. All this free meat, I don't know what to do with myself! I'm planning on just grinding it all so I'll be able to eat it (moose meat is known to be dry and chewy). It's been a LONG day!

Phyll - this totally sucks for you...you could always play the "ditzy blonde spouse thing" that I do sometimes and it works EVERYTIME. Here's what you do...have your DH call and act like HE was supposed to call because you are otherwise busy. Make sure he sounds a little stupid, doesn't know what he's talking about, but needs to get it done...a southern accent may even help since he's a guy and chicks dig it. Have him say something like, "I need to schedule a fill, is that what you call it?, for my wife who's just soooo busy today. She made it sound so important and I really need to do this for her. Can you maybe help me out? ..... no, no, I'll wait for whomever schedules the appointments, I'm out and about today and I promised my little peach that I'd get this done for her". Sounds silly, but works EVERY TIME! Good luck sister! BTW - you're so funny with the tupperware in your scooter!!! I actually have this vision of you...especially your face with the "I'm going to get you back for this" look! Live it up! I, on the other hand, would've set up my grill on the back of my pickup in their parking lot and had myself some grilled halibut, shrimp, crab, etc. !!

Restriction - for me it's when I feel totally uncomfortable in my chest...almost feels like it's not even in my stomach! I have "tested" my band and I have actually felt that good 'ol full feeling, but I don't feel that often. I have to get used to a whole new "satisfied" feeling! NOTE: grazing doesn't do anything...don't get stuck, but I can eat a lot if I eat this way. PBing - a Productive Burp...usually, when I get stuck I get all flushed (like a hot flash and I'm only 34) and then end up in the bathroom. I heave a little like I'm going to vomit, but then just burp and out comes some "slime"...lots of saliva. Sometimes, not often, a little food will come up too - very little, but I ALWAYS feel better after this. NOTE: this is not a good thing...it is a sign that you are too full, ate too fast, or didn't chew well. This can also cause band slippage so be careful!

Denise - I'm self pay too and my surgeon "guarantees" his work for a year...port slips, band slips, etc. My surgeon is in Denver though and I live in Alaska. My fill doc is in Anchorage. He was able to find my port in one shot, just lifted my legs a little and out it popped! He also did not numb me and used a small syringe (usually they use a huge "hubert" needle), he said it just works better that way. He filled me to 1.5cc which was a "good starting fill" as he put it. I need more restriction.

Denise - my

Today is my anniversary - 10 years! I've been hovering around the same weight so I'm going back to shakes for two meals a day...they keep me full, I'm just eating the wrong crap! I'm looking forward to a fill that will at least limit the amount of crap I can consume! I find that I get stuck FAST when I eat too fast...it's like I finally get the dinner plate in front of me (after serving everyone else) and I take 2-3 bites WAY TOO FAST and then...BOOM...no more! It took about 7-10 minutes for me to get back to normal and then I just ate my broccoli and called it a night...it was halibut too, dang it!

My triggers: Hmmmm...I hate to be a blamer, but when someone makes me mad I just eat to "spite" them. I also eat - more like graze - when I'm bored, but I'm getting better at not doing that. I haven't lost any weight lately, I'm going to have my fill doc tighten me hard core when I go to Anchorage in a couple of weeks. I figure since I'll be there for several days I can always have him re-adjust before I come home...sound reasonable?

Brandy - the straw can cause you to take in air...which causes bloating, burping, etc....it's like drinking a carbonated drink.

Oh sweet IndioGirl - I did not grow up doing this! Sure, I learned how to clean fish with my dad, but that's about it...I made the rest up as I went along! I also prefer buying things in the store, but I figured the experience would be great for the kids - and the fact that we have a fenced yard (quite a luxury here) that made it pretty easy. I give everything a try once...why not? (now that would be MY favorite saying)...although, I've "calmed down" a bit since having kids...there's no need to risk my life anymore!

Dini - You missed my chicken slaughter...there's pictures a few pages back...something you shouldn't miss! :-) I'm jealous of your trip to Italy, it's a place I've always wanted to go. My grandmother gave me a trip "anywhere in the world" when I was a teenager and after nixing Russia and Egypt she CONSIDERED Italy until she insisted on Germany so I could utilize my German...needless to say, all I can say in German is "How much is this?" and "Where is the WC?"...see how that trip paid off? I have to say, I have stronger memories of the Hoffbrauhaus than anything else! Haha!

IRONY: it seems everyone else can eat chicken...this is the ONLY thing that CONSISTENTLY causes me issues...what a pain in the butt! Also, soda is not an issue for me...now, I don't gulp it, but I can sip it. Strange...

Good News! I have been keeping in touch with an old high school friend. I keep seeing pictures of her diminishing and kept asking if she'd had surgery, but she never said...until today. Really, with all the weight loss I was sure she'd had a gastic bypass, but NO! She got the lap band a few years ago! She's lost 170 lbs! Not only that, when she got to her goal weight she got a complete unfill and KEPT LOSING! She's not dangerously thin, but apparently just needed a kick-start to where her body really wanted to be! I'm so excited for her...and for us...what hope!

WOW! Where is everyone this morning? Well, it's afternoon for the rest of you, but geez....no posts for today?!?! Strange!

KYteacher - you seem to be filled to the brim...although some people need to be squeezed that tight. I have heard that sometimes there is a leak and I wonder if that's what's happening to you...especially since you were able to eat that whole sub with the bread (bread usually stops us up, or at least gives us a little trouble). I think you should go see your doc and have him unfill and see how much was really in there...it's possible that you SHOULD have 3cc, but may only have 1cc in there. It's worth the time to check. I have a 4cc band and 1.5cc in it (first fill a couple of weeks ago) and sometimes I have restriction and sometimes I can eat whatever! Tonight I had some dry chicken and that was just bad...I have to remember to keep the chicken moist!

Tennille - the card can be a couple of things...an actual card or a note form your doctor. I have my doc's business card with a note on the back that just says that I've had WLS and that I should order off of the children's or senior's menu since I cannot eat so much. I have not had to use my card, I just order what I want anyway (regardless of which menu it's on) and no one has questioned me...I have the card "just in case" though. ssankofa and NewCC - thanks! I thought you all might enjoy the pictures! Oh, do you notice those blue skies? It was a good day in Nome!

AppleBlossom - I have enjoyed crab cakes in the past, but nothing is better than just boiling the legs (in ocean Water preferred) and killing your hands to get at the meat! Makes it all worth it. I don't like Dungeness that much, I stick to King, but Snow Crab can be good too. It's been a LONG couple of days. I've started watching a little girl and this is just NOT the job for me! I informed my friend today that this just cannot be permanent...two little ones is just to hard! I don't know how folks with twins do it! Here are some pictures from the slaughter this past weekend. My 7-year old was my photographer and wanted me to "pose"....notice how my clothes are just hangin' on me! Also, here's a picture of one of my zucchini that I found in my greenhouse when I returned from my trip - imagine if it had been watered for the week I was gone! I'm grilling it tonight! YUM!:hungry:

Nicole - Sitka is WONDERFUL! That's where the Trooper Academy is. The only reason we'd go back there is if Andrew were to teach at the academy and I'm not interested in that....too many hours, not enough pay, and the housing is $pendy! We LOVE the southeast though and hope to get to Ketchikan some day...Andrew's got two brothers there and they are "connected" (one married a girl who's family owns a few lodges and the other is marrying her sister this fall! WAHOO) Now....let's see a new picture, eh! I'll try to post a new one of me!