phyllser

You are so welcome... and thanks on the new picture. I often have several days in a row when I am quite tight. This week, for example! I'm not vomiting or anything, but uncomfortable after a few bites. Just have to cut back, slow down, wait for it to pass. Let us know what your doc says.

Okay, I went and did the poll thing and now I forgot what else I was going to say! Greek yogurt.... I get mine at Wal-Mart... can't remember what they call it, but it starts with a tz--------- and they have cucumber garlic, sun dried tomato and roasted red pepper. It's good, but CHECK THE EXPIRATION date! I had a problem with that at one Wal-Mart. We're still at our son's, but things not going well! Flat tire on the car this morning, then security guard kicked us out of the parking lot we were camped out in so we had to move over to Earl's brother's house. Then DS was supposed to be in D.C. until Thurs night and he emailed yesterday and said he was coming home today to switch suitcase, refresh his wardrobe... needed his submarine boots, and he has to fly up to WA state tonight. So... after lunch with DIL, BIL & SIL tomorrow, we're headed north again. We were going to stay until Saturday, but DS doesn't even know if he'll get home for the weekend. Figure if we head up north of SF, we know a place where we can stay that is near the Napa valley wine country. I may persuade DH to check out a couple wineries on Friday.

Okay, that's my input! A little nervous because Earl has jury duty July 13!!

Well, it's what we refer to as "first bite syndrome", but I don't know of any solution. Sounds like you are doing everything right... small bites, chew, chew, chew, break between bites. Does it happen at all times of the day?? Sometimes drinking a warm beverage prior to eating will help. You might try that and see if it helps.

Finally able to get to LBT! I guess they were doing maintenance again! Candice..... weekend parties sounds like my Jazz weekend! I kept the food pretty well under control, as I reported earlier, but not the wine!! Especially on Saturday! We took 1 3/4 bottle with us in the afternoon, and before dark, when Stan went back to the house for something, Earl called him on my cell phone to tell him "we're out of wine... bring the BOX!!" He got teased about that the rest of the weekend! In our defense, we were NOT the only ones drinking our wine! But it was NOT good! I don't understand why I had not a hint of a hangover because I deserved one!

If we are doing "True Confessions" on this fine Monday morning, I had a FINE, FUN weekend and WAY too much wine! Did pretty good with food though. Jazz festival was a blast!

Frustrating!! I've been getting posts from most of the threads I subscribe to on my Blackberry, but NOT this one! So I have two pages to catch up on and no time. Going to "Jazz" church in a few, then back to the rest of the jazz festival!CBL

Look for your vitamins/supplements in liquid or chewables. I take Calcium chewables from costco, Centrum Silver Chewables, sub-lingual B-Complex... Wal-Mart has that, Omega 3 in a creamy form... comes in little foil packets... I think RiteAid has them, and sometimes Costco (Coramega). I think Janet (Indio) said her hairdresser told her it was not enough fat in our diets that contribute to that, too!

900 PAGES, PEOPLE!! UNBELIEVABLE!! LOVE YOU ALL! Forgot to say.... we are going to the Three Rivers JAZZ AFFAIR all weekend!! Been looking forward to this for a LONG time! Years, even! Every year I want to do this on our way back home and finally this year it worked out! Starts with dinner/dance tonight.

So sorry to hear this, Denise! Hope things are looking up by now. When I couldn't get online back at the RV last night, I read all the LBT posts on my Blackberry and said a little prayer for all of the needs expressed. And keeping you & your Mom in my prayers today. So sorry to hear that! Our next door neighbor said the wind blew like H.... all night and that it was a good thing we left on Tuesday and didn't wait until Wed!! It's been chilly since we got here and frost on the car this morning! But Jacki has the pool heated to mid 80's so we've done water aerobics anyways past two days. Sunny and mid 60's today, but high 70's tomorrow (yeah, that's what they thought about today, too!) Maybe they'll be right this time. Supposed to be 90 on the weekend! Son, Chris my fly his airplane over here this weekend! That would be pretty exciting! HOLY HANNAH!! You're still alive and well!!! :rolleyes2::biggrin::crying::biggrin::crying: So good to hear from you after all this time!! Yeah! She's one HOT CHICK! Be sure and check out her pictures! She looks GREAT!! Somewhere on one of these pages is a picture or two of her and I and Linda A. But her before/afters are the best! NEVER too old to go back to school or make career change! My friend was just telling me earlier today about a friend of hers who is a choreographer, director, etc. in Hollywood but couldn't get a job at a local college teaching dance because she didn't have a degree. So she got one, and the teaching job she wanted.... at 68 yrs old! I met her about 6 weeks ago and she is a delight, and I would've guessed her to be at least 10 years younger than that! Yeah, Karri.... don't let the stress get you. Five day pouch test is a good way to get a new jump start. That should help you get things back in perspective, but, yeah, don't go anorexic on us either! You need those good cals to keep up your training schedule! So glad your headache is gone and back feeling better! That was on my prayer list last night, too! About the comma, period spaces.... I bet it came about because of texting. I find I only do one space after a period when I'm texting, but I was surprised when you said it was a new "rule"!! I didn't know that, and i'm just guessing, but I wouldn't be surprised if it evolved because of the texting phenomena! I will be using my Wii Fit for a lot of my exercise onece we get home. Earl usually goes to the hot tub at the condo every night for about an hour... that's whne I do my Wii/Wii Fit stuff. I usually do a little with the Wii, then switch to the Wii Fit. Before we left, I was doing the walk around the island thing for 10-15 minutes... which is a LONG time for me to walk! But, it is a good idea to make yourself a rule like that... mine... to get on the Wii when Earl goes to the hot tub. It's a discipline for me to turn off the TV and turn on the Wii, but I make myself do it.

Good Morning! We arrived in Three Rivers mid afternoon yesterday. It's a little chilly, but pool is heated to 94! So, had a nice breakfast... healthy, but I had a few potatoes!! :wub::eek: Earl was still outside!! I just made two copies of the water aerobics CD and we're going to go out and do our routine. Later, Jackie & I going to Costco and to meet another LBT gal from the 60's thread (I think) for lunch at Panera Bread. They have such good soups! Later! OH.... .it snowed in WA yesterday AGAIN!

The band is adjustable. There is a little round port they secure in the stomach which they can access with a needle to add Fluid as necessary. The band is usually empty or with very little in it after surgery. At about the 6 week point you go in for your first fill. It usually takes several to get to your "sweet spot", where the restriction is just right for you... you can eat small portions of hard Protein without discomfort. Suggest you look for threads for your local area to get doctor recommendations.

Ready to hit the road. Engines running and about to pull out! Should be back online tonight. In the meantime, I'll be reading your posts on my Blackberry!!

Yuck.... headache back, aches won't go away and think I have a slight temp. This needs to go away... don't want to hit the road like this tomorrow! Water.... I do well during the week... and down here... because I take a full bottle.. 20 oz, of crystal lite to the pool and finish it by the time water aerobcs is over. Then Earl fills it up with water and I drink the second jug whileI lounge in the hot tub. Then usualy empty it one more time over the rest of the day... well, not today because didn't feel like eating or drinking much of anything. Weekends I kind of slack off. Have to get in to my "home" habits when I get there... so I still get in the water.

Tummy not quite settled down, but a little better..... body aches and chills. You're sad.... I'm REALLY sad!! I'm breaking out in tears about once an hour over really stupid things! I know it's partly because I dont' feel good and mostly because I don't want to leave! It will be nice to see the girls, and the grandkids, esp the little ones... but I SO don't want to leave here! And I'm going to miss my pools, spas, water aerobics SO MUCH! I'm trying to focus on the good things about being home... get to sit in my recliner, watch my big screen HDTV, sleep in my king size bed, ride my scooter around the neighborhood, get latte from my favorite place across the street, go buy Earl hard rolls down the street, ride over to Target & shop, go to our Primetimers at church, etc. We just have more friends here, more social life, etc. Tell me I need to go home because I don't want to!!

Do you go to a support group anywhere?? There was one meeting at Safeway near the Starbucks stand for a while, but too many times I was the only one who showed up. I think I heard there was one meeting in Lake Stevens area now. Do you know anything about that? That's where I live... near the Albertson's in Lake Stevens.

Congrats on getting back on track, Tim!! That's awesome!

OOOOPS!! Sorry... I'm old.... I got you mixed up with someone else, I guess! Janet, That was my Easter bonnet yesterday, but it's just a hat I bought at COD a couple of years ago. Usually, it's pinned up on the wall with a red one that's just like it.

Hi, You've got to get the sweets completely out of your system and out of your house. I stopped craving them once I did that. If we are out... pot luck or something, and there are sweets available... I may allow myself a couple of bites, but that's all, and half the time... it doesn't even taste good anymore. Congrats on the 100 # loss!! That's a really big deal! Did you get presents??? I didn't expect that! One of my band friends made me a 100# shirt... has my picture on it with 10 gold stars around it... one for each 10#! Then my mother sent me $100 check... $1 for each pound! One of my sisters sent me a stuffed animal, another sent me a Red Hat Ladies shirt and watch! One of my TOPS friends got me a dozen red roses!! And my neighbor who does beading, made me a beautiful bracelet. I am spoiled! My next goal is to get under 200 # also, and I hope to do it by my 2 yr band anniversary date in July. That will be a big deal, too. Heck, it'd been YEARS since I'd been under 300# and 200# is a distant memory! I flew a couple of months ago... and was so delighted not to have to ask for a seat belt extender! I fit in the seat quite nicely and could even put the table down FLAT over my lap!

Hey! Good Morning! Busy weekend. Food choices.... sort of okay. Saturday went out to lunch with a bunch of TOPS ladies... had a beef tostada. Most of them were eating huge chicken salads and one had a huge hamburger w/fries! Excuse me.... this is a weight loss group and she was sitting right across from the area captain!?? Evening meal was a Seder Dinner here at the park. Messianic Jewish Rabbi lives here and his Christian/Jewish congregation has been having their Seder Dinner here for several years and they invite us to join them. Catered dinner... lamb and/or chicken, potatoes and green beans. I took the lamb and asked them to give me a little extra green beans and no potatoes. But everything was kind of greasy! Gave a huge chunk of lamb to Earl... way too much for me. Dessert was a small coconut macaroon... I ate it! Sunday... chapel had an Easter Dinner in the early afternoon. Ham and the rest was pot luck... lots of choices, and I sampled a few "white carbs", and I had a few bites of dessert. We both ate too much so we didn't have anything else to eat the rest of the day... except I had a few little cubes of cheddar cheese in the evening. But, then I got kind of sick... unusual, just very bad aches and pains.. especially back, hips, pelvis, and lots of gas pains. Earl had to dig out my Gas X because I was having such pain in my stomach. I think I picked up a virus... around too many people all weekend. Still hae aches and pains this morning. So I should be getting my suit on to go to the pool... for the last time (leaving in the morning), but I'm still sitting on the couch!

Hi, Cheryl, Mrs. Bubba had some complications following her surgery. I believe she said they nicked her liver. Typically, the liver, in those of us who are obese, is quite enlarged. That's one of the reasons they want us to kind of "crash diet" prior to surgery. Apparently, there is a dramatic difference in the size of the liver if we lose weight prior to surgery. My doc wanted me to lose 10% and/or get my BMI under 60... you see, I am 5 ft tall and I was well over 300#. I didn't quite lose the 10%, but I did get my BMI below 60, barely, prior to surgery. The liver is a challenge for the surgeon when they do this surgery because they have to actually move it, from what I understand. If you have the "stomach" for it (sorry for the pun), watch a video of the surgery online and you will begin to understand. Nicking the liver is a very rare thing, but after watching the surgery, I can understand how that could happen. Fruits: I have to admit, I very rarely eat fruit. When we are here in the RV park, grapefruit abounds all winter. Lots of people have trees on their lots and we're always being offered grapefruit and lemons. Last year I did eat the grapefruit once in a while. But this season, I'm much "tighter" and I just don't include fruit because I don't know when I'd have it.. I'm pretty stuck in my habits of what I eat. Milk: We never have milk in our fridge or else I'd probably have Cereal for Breakfast sometimes. See... sharing this stuff has me thinking.... maybe I"m too rigid in what I eat! Maybe I need to mix it up a bit!! :smile::tongue: Not to say I never have milk. I'll tell you how I get my milk... a couple of times a week I have a 16 oz sugar free, fat free latte at my favorite Starbucks (at home I have another favorite place). I think that's 140 calories for the fat free milk. Hope this helps! Have a GREAT day.

Pre-op vs. Current

I did tell her she needed to check in because we were missing her. I did sign up for twitter, but haven't done anything with it yet. Elayne, we'll be keeping you in our thoughts and prayers tomorrow!

The gals gave you some great ideas for eating out. You can usually find something on the menu. Lately, at Mexican restaurants... I look for something ala carte... yesterday... beef tostada... small, protein, lettuce, tomatoes... it was a good choice. Or I will look for a small taco, and not eat the tortilla... I like Carne Asada tacos. A couple of places I go to has them for $2-3. And at that price, you get plenty of meat, a little chopped onion and cilantro.. plop some salsa on there and you're good to go! Love it! Soups are another good idea, or chili. Protein drinks... rarely use them anymore. My exercise all winter has been Water aerobics, and I'll be able to do that as we travel north because we're stopping at friends for several days... they have a pool. Then I'll be making the switch to Wii Fit exercises, and probably looking for something else, too, when I get home at the end of the month. I use Crystal Lite, too, or a store brand of the same... Wal-Mart, Target, Albertson's... they all have their own brand of the same thing in lots of flavors. Once a day, I have Benefiber in it, to fill my fiber needs. Can't taste it at all. For a quick "jump start", I'd suggest you try the "Five Day Pouch Test". Google it... it's back to basics. Start out with liquids and gradually progress back to solid, but mostly protein. Are you able to get all your protein in or are you too tight?? It is possible you are not losing because you're not getting enoug calories... Are you journalling?? You have to be able to get your hard protein in. Give us an idea of what you are eating in a typical day. And are you exercising??

Good Morning, Cheryl, and Happy Easter! It's possible you may need a fill, but I suspect you are not making good food choices as well. For instance, bread is a pretty big no-no for most of us. I very seldom try to eat bread, and if I do, in tiny amounts and nothing soft and mushy. I steer clear of sandwiches except on very rare occasions. Bread tends to swell in your pouch and that's what is causing your problem, I suspect. My DH had his birthday a few days ago and wanted to go to his favorite Italian restaurant for lunch. So of course, there was toasted garlic bread sticks on the table. I broke the end off on that was well toasted and ate it taking very small bites and chewing it to death. If you must occasionally indulge in bread... do it like that.... very carefully, and don't do it very often. In fact, in order to continue a successful weight loss journey, it is pretty important to stay away from "white" carbs as much as possible. Potatoes, rice, Pasta.... not our friends. Follow the bandster rules.... Protein first, then veggies. Then if you have room... a little bit of your carbs, but suggest you don't do that on a regular basis. My daily routine is pretty much like this.... Breakfast is a very small egg beater omelet that usually has a little bit of skim milk mozzarella, a little bit of artificial crab.... if you don't like that, you could use a little ham, etc.... some onion, maybe some mushrooms. It's very small, though... easily fits on a saucer. Lunch is usually a very small salad with a little protein on top..artificial crab, ham, feta cheese... whatever. dinner.... 3-4 oz protein... very often fish.... I only eat beef about once a week, veggies. Once a day snack of 70 cal Jello pudding... i like the rice ones, and usually once a day snack of a little cheese. My bad.... I usually have a small glass of wine in the afternoon. AND.... you MUSt exercise!!