KarenG.

I can already tell that 2008 is going to be amazing.

KarenG............215....................207.25 .............205..................2.25

Week 8 - I haven't updated in a while. I am only on week 8 (28 minute run) but am hoping to prgress to the final week in a few days. I go so slowly that there is no way I am actually running 5K in 30 minutes! More like 3K! Oh well, I am doing this 4 mile run on new years eve but am already certain I am going to have to walk 1/2 of it.

Yay! Congrats!

208.25. Also 51lbs from my first goal.

Hi Whos - So cold here - I haven't been getting out as much as I would like. I am on week 8 this week and am hoping to have finished the entire thing by new years! Good job with week 9!

Yes, I was initially told it would go away but I can feel it distinctively on my ribs and have confirmed that it is the port. Not only can I feel it but it sticks out when I stand up. I am going to have it moved when I lose more weight.

I have mens spinning shoes and I am sure you can find those in your size. Also, they are supposed to be snug (they tell me).

This is why I did not tell anyone except a few close friends. Even with them I can't help but feeling them "take note" of how much weight I have lost and how much I can eat. Right now I need another fill so I am eating a tiny bit more than I would have with full restriction and I oddly feel weird when I am eating with people who know - even though I am still eating less than one cup of food!

full clothed without shoes.

Not knowing anything about medicine, I am with Wasa - for one thing, she always has great incite with her medical background. Also, I can't imagine that this happens all that often because as a lawyer and I know that we would hear more about this possibility from the anesthesiologist before we went into surgery because of liability.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Do you mean your band or your port?

My port feels sore if I do exercise that involves my abdominal muscles. Actually, my port feels sore a lot but more if I have used my abs. You DH must have just been using them while he was shoveling.

I am at 210 and have another fill scheduled for January 4th.

I was told protein, then veg, then starches. I find that I don't feel like wasting room on starches these days!

How many of you have had gallbladder problems? If so, how did it start and how long after your lap-band surgery was it? I have been feeling an ache on the right side under my rib cage - at first I thought it was from working out but now I don't think so.

My doctor uses a barium swallow each and every time I get filled to check the flow.

I am almost 50lbs down in a little over 4 months without full restriction. That means I have lost about 45% of my excess weight already. The statistics say that I should only lose like 10 - 20 more lbs and that will certainly not be true in my case! I think that you should know that it can be done but it is not a sure thing - I keep reminding myself of the work that I need to put in too!

I do like them - I can't imagine spinning without.

I have gotten seriously addicted to spinning this past month. I even got a pair of shoes which are $$$. At my spinning studio you rent them if you don't have them - nobody uses regular sneakers. I would think it would be much harder without clipping into the bike. FYI for whoever is thinking of trying it - the butt thing does get much better!

After all this time imagining what i would look like thin - I could be hideous. But I guess in reality no matter what I will look better than I did before - that is - healthy.

I had a thought that maybe I will be really ugly once I lose all the weight. All my life everyone has been telling me I am pretty and that I would look fabulous thin (well my mom) but recently I have been looking in the mirror as I lose weight and I see my nose getting bigger, lines showing around my eyes and all sorts of imperfections. Anyone relate to that.

Thanks, I am looking forward to my nutritionist appointment tomorrow becasue I am finding this all very mysterious ( too loose, too tight) etc. I am really tight today but yesterday was not so tight. Thanks for all of your wisdom - I will definately ask about this omnipaque stuff at my next fill.

I was a little stuck up this morning - apparently I cannot eat scrambled eggs when I am rushing to court in the morning. Anyway it came back up after some pain but now my throat is feeling sore for the rest of the day - not really my throat but further down. Any suggestions or just ride it out?

I don't really know much about the omnipaque - I think I will ask my surgeon about that for my next fill.