phyllser

Touching story about your DH. Sounds like a very sweet, sensitive guy. Glad to hear some encouraging news about your Dad. Hope it all goes well.

Sweetheart... it's NOT an easy fix and the weight doesn't just fall off! Please don't go in to this with false or unrealistic expectations. Loss is slower than bypass, so don't get discouraged. It's a much healthier approach than bypass, in my opinion. Really.... 54 lb in one year is not that bad, though most of us lose faster than that. But you must make up your mind to change your lifestyle.... especially the way you've always eaten. I've eliminated all sweets except for an occasional treat... maybe once a week, and a very small portion. I rarely eat bread, potatoes or Pasta, and, again, when I do, it's in very small amounts. Also, exercise is a MUST. Support is very important, too... this website is my support group. But, if you have a local group you can attend, you might want to visit and see if that is something you could benefit from as well. Best of luck to you!

LOL! We all have to eat our words every now and then! I guess it's healthy! Who is pregnant?? I must have missed that!

WELCOME!! Good to have you here.

Beds.... We have sleep number bed both in our condo and in our RV! We LOVE them! Although, since I've gotten older, I rarely meet a bed I don't like! LOL.. seem to be able to sleep anywhere these days!

Yep... 7.4 lb in three weeks is a new record for me! And I am just a little over a lb away from -120 lb, AND... less than 10 lb from ONEDERLAND!! Won't that be ONEDERFUL!! Back on the Wii tonight... first did the walk in place thing with weights on my wrists.. I think it was 7 minutes. Not bad. Need to strengthen muscles before surgery. Felt it in my calves and in my shoulders and neck, so I know I am really out of shape. Have been lazy about doing this for the last month. Didn't do so great in my favorite balance exercises, except for a new high in the downhill skiing (advanced)... just a hair over 50 seconds.

Sharon, Wow! That's a LOT of work! Sense of accomplishment when it's all done, though! I used to help my Mom do that every summer! And DH & I did it one summer... planted FOUR tomato plants in our yard in OK and we had tomatoes coming out our ears! We canned a lot of them and also made salsa. We were both working, and we had so many tomatoes that about every other day we had to either make salsa or do some stewed tomatoes! But I have warm memories of that! Glad you are home and hope things start looking up with your Dad soon! PRECIOUS!

Yes, the cassoulette was WONDERFUL! If you go see the Julie & Julia movie, listen for a reference to cassoulette! I will try it when I can get some time in the kitchen alone!! Like when Earl is at Tracy's cutting the lawn! LOL And I bought a can of chick peas so I can try making some hummus! Did you see that garlic sauce for sale at that little place we stopped at after Eugenia Falls? I bought a jar and brought it home (along with a bottle of the original Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing sauce). Ummmm, good! Has a little bite to it and I think it's perfect to add to the hummus! Plan to try the other on some chicken tonight.... will have to fight my way to the kitchen to do that! Because I always get this "what are you doing in MY kitchen???"

Dumb broad!! (Idiot Behind Keyboard) 3.5 lb was for the weekend..... think I had the flu! But, TOPS weigh in today... last one was 3 weeks ago before my trip to NY/Canada. So I was down 7.4 lb in 3 weeks! I have thought about all those IV fluids, so I'm prepared for a gain post-op. One nice thing about the joint replacement class (besides the sex manual-LOL) was they passed around a copy of the menu I'll be ordering my food off of. So I have a good idea of what my choices will be, and they are many! Looks like I can order an eggbeater omelet for Breakfast. There are lots of good healthy options. That's a GREAT suggestion, Karla! I'm sure a local church would help you. Yeah... isn't it funny how pant legs and shirt sleeves get longer as you lose weight!? Most capris are already long pants on me! I have black cotton knit with real wide legs that should work fine, but I"m not so sure about Tweety Bird and Betty Boop PJ pants! Legs might not be wide enough. I bought a pair of big shorts with wide legs the other day as another option, also cotton knit. I will no more after my pre-op appt on Thurs, but with surgery on Tues. morning, I think I'll probably be going home by Friday or Saturday. I know they take out the morphine pump at 6:30 a.m. the day after surgery no matter what time your surgery was the day before. I know I had it longer than that after the last knee surgery. But... no inpt rehab for knees, only hips, apparently. I was told one month of in home PT and then one month of outpt PT. Hospital has WiFi, so going to have Earl bring my laptop as soon as I'm awake enough! Ouch! yeah... no Oprah bras for right now! I need to look at JC Penney's. Tracy is always finding bargains at our local JCP.

Hi, Sue! I totally agree! Would do it again in a heartbeat and I, too, wish I'd done it sooner! Congrats on reaching your goal. I have a way to go yet, but I'm making progress. Were you ever part of the July 07 thread...Lucky #7's??

Thanks so much! I appreciate you sending me those.

I want to get my thighs done SO BAD!! I hate the way they look. All the other flab I can deal with, but my legs are SO ugly! Talked to three PS offices and bottom line is... they want me at goal and I've got a way to go.

Maybe I should try the OPRAH bra! Have to go look for them next time I'm shopping. At a different Macy's, though! Or maybe Nordstrom's! Surgery is two weeks from tomorrow.... 25th. Several dr. appts between now and then, including pre-op this week, 2 yr lapband followup, sleep study followup with pulm doc, and they advised us at the class to get our teeth cleaned! :thumbup: Hey... look at my ticker!! Lost 3.5 lb over the weekend. I'm having one of those drop like a rock months!

Glad you're back, GREAT... and with no "bear" experiences this time! I sure can relate to the being cold! That's what happens when you lose 100+ lb of insulation!!

Another suggestion.... google "Five Day Pouch Test". It's a great way to get a jump start when you get stalled!

Hi, Katy! So good to hear from you again. Hang in there! You've been through a LOT! Thanks for the kudos! Not bad for an OLD chick, huh! Weight loss goes very slow for me because of exercise restrictions, but it's coming off! Knee surgery in two weeks will help as mobility increases! We miss you!

Great idea! One of my July 07 lapband friends highly recommends doing just that.... make your own broth/soup and strain or pulverize in a magic bullet or something. So much tastier than stuff out of a can or bouillon cube! There are several recipe threads here. Glad you found some good suggestions. Later you'll want to look at the "mushy" stage recipes.

I've found good quality clothes, some brand new with tags still on them, others showing little to no wear.. at Good Will and Salvation Army stores! My favorite is a Salvation Army store in Gilroy CA... stop there coming and going to our winter getaway.

That's what I'm afraid of! Wish my doc would do both at once!

Well, said, Corliss. Last time I went in for a fill....Feb., I got kind of chewed out because I'd only lost 15 lb in 6 mos. I was mad. 15 lb is 15 lb GONE! My weight loss has been very slow this past year, but it's still going down and not up and that's what counts! I often stay at the same weight for WEEKS and then drop a pound or two or maybe four or five and then level off again. I've learned to be content with that and not get discouraged. I'm pretty restricted when it comes to exercise because I need both knees replaced. I'm getting one done in two weeks and then hopefully I can step up the exercise. But we do have to hang in there even when the going gets slow because WE ARE WORTH IT! I'm going in for my two year follow up this week. I'll let you know how that goes!

You're off to a great start and I commend you for your efforts thus far!! It is tough going at first, but you'll get through this with that kind of determination! Hang in there!

So you don't think Tweety Bird OR Betty Boop will work??? Usually... I like to get out of those hospital gowns ASAP! I have wide leg cotton knit capris that might work, and I bought a pair of really wide leg cotton knit shorts today at the Jockey outlet store. And those non-underwire bras I went after.. bought 3 underwire! Two are cotton knit.. same style I had before, but with underwire and in the right size. Third is a cheapo spankz copy, but it has underwire, too. Sort of like a black tank top with built in underwire bra. Should be comfortable and may take it to the hospital. Still looking for a wrap around, soft cushy robe. Mine is a 3X and goes around me almost twice now. Front closures are hard to find anymore! Maybe I'll look online and see if I can find one in my size... which apparently is a 38DDD. I WISH my doctor would do both knees at once!!

Lazy Saturday morning here. Will hit the shower very soon. Then off to the Navy base.. commissary... shopping, then I think it's Costco and/or Walmart, and outlet mall to see if I can get a couple of bras. Got insulted at Macy's yesterday so I won't go back there. Told the saleslady I wanted to try on a couple of casual/everyday type bras... no underwire, and I like cotton. First she comments, "cotton doesn't hold up well." Then she asks what size... told her 38DD. So she picked out a couple and led me to the fitting room. On the way she says, "I think you need a 40!" I said, "well, I measured for a 38 last summer, Dear, and I've lost weight since then!" She says, "They're supposed to hook IN THE MIDDLE! Well, I'll be around in case you need anything!" Like.... when you have to tell me that you need a bigger size. What a jerk! So I tried them on... hooked in the tightest hook. Straps were narrow, sliding off my shoulders, so I didn't like either one but I wouldn't have bought anything from her anyway! The underwires I have are really fairly comfortable, but I do like my cotton Lane Bryant bras for every day... comfy, soft and decent support. Will try there today and see how it goes! I know what I want and can't find them. Five I have from there are 18 mos old, keep coming unhooked because they're too big. Plan to wear bra in the hospital as soon as IV is out and arms are free! Have my hospital wardrobe pretty much all picked out, and I WILL be taking my Elvis T-shirt and some obnoxious PJ pants. Maybe Tweetie bird, maybe Betty Boop. Maybe both! LOL

I started with BMI almost 64! I'm just below 42 now. Slow going this past year, but hoping knee replacement later this month will allow me to ramp up my exercise.... after recovery phase.

Nope- you gotta stop here first. You have to pass right by me on your way to Linda's. Yeah... let's see... Kari's, then Linda's, Karla's, Steph's, then me! Unless we're down south! Then you can drive down there and stop at Karri's on the way! Hey, that pamphlet did have some interesting pictures in it! Julie/Julia movie is delightful... and there is a brief mention of "cassoulet"!