shellyj.

hey jane, go to the bike store in your town. they have bikes that will definitally hold you! you will want to get one with a larger frame, they will help fit you to a bike. michelle

i got my seat at the local bike shop for 25$. this is it exactly: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-BIG-COMFORTABLE-Gel-Foam-Bike-Bicycle-Seat_W0QQitemZ7250229649QQihZ015QQcategoryZ22693QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

i got myself a bike at a yardsale and fixed it up and have been LOVING riding it!!! i have only had it a month and am planning a wedding but have managed to log over FIFTY MILES!!! i just cant believe THAT! the most i have rode at once is 10 miles but i am still testing the waters! i really think i could do more like 20 MILES in a day if i just pack a lunch have a safe route. the safe route is the hard part. we have a 50 mile trail close by but i am afraid to get out of town alone. i have a 'tazer' you know shocker but heck i could shock myself! today i am going out around my neighborhood instead of the trail but i may have to PUSH my bike up the hill to get home! when calvin and i walk it we call it 'heart rate hill' cause your heart feels like its gonna bust out of your chest! wish me luck!

just thought i would give you guys some ideas on low cost ways to get equipment... your local goodwill: when i lived in nashville i called all the local goodwill and while they didnt carry anything in our store, a 20 minute drive across town and i had bought a stairstepper and cardioglide. i got those for $2 EACH! if your in nashville its the goodwill over by the farmers market on 8th ave. FREECYCLE!: do a yahoo search its a great way to get rid of things you dont need or find things you do need for free! yard sales -i bought a TREK bike for $30 at a yardsale. i got a tune up for $50 and a new fat bottom girl seat for $25 and now i am only $105 into my $400 bike! newspaper- some have a free section where if you take it away its free! or you can usually find newer nicer equipment listed in the classifieds but its a little spendier than the other places listed GYMS!- a lot of them will give you a 2 week membership to their gym to see if you want to join or sometimes offer promotions like 3 months $30! the gym i belong to sent me two 2 week passes and when my mom and BF come in town next week i am giving the passes to them to use (a SINGLE visit is $10) last time i got mom a promotional 7 weeks $17 we went 5 days out of 9 but still cheaper than $10 a visit. storage unit sales you know when someone cant pay thier bill and they sell whats in the storage unit...you can find good stuff at the sales, after all the folks wanted it bad enough to pay for storage (only they didnt pay) family and friends have a friend or family member with a a piece of equipment collecting dust? ask them for it! my mom and dad have a $1200 eliptical trainer JUST SITTING at their house. i told them if its still collecting dust in oct. when i visit i am shipping it freight home to ME! c'mon who's got more ideas! michelle

Your political compass Economic Left/Right: -2.63 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.18

hi! you are doing great, halfway to goal!! my grandmother is from peru and my grandfather is from equador. i a huge family over there i would love to meet one day! michelle

i would just like to say WOW!!! i mean WOW!!! its really neat seeing everyones yards and creations! i have been working my BEHIND off in the yard and tomorrow when i finish THIS weekends projects i will take some pictures. we just bought this house over the winter and are finding that nobody has taken care of the yard in QUIET some time! everything is grown up. we are getting married here in a month. it was proffessionaly landscaped by the previous owners but it needed LOTS of tlc. we still have a ways to go but have done a lot. i may need some tips or have questions on what to plant. i hear our soil is very acidic.

ok this is a natural tree in the middle of NO WHERE in the town i am from in TN. its literally on a gravel road in the middle of the WOODS. you can see it from the road but you would have to know about it to ever "look" for it. here it is....the "penis" tree...

heres my thoughts for what there worth! sounds to me like you have some restriction. if i were you and *i* were getting a fill i would not get more than .1 or .2cc. i would make that decision based: *on how much of the time you are physically hungry, like hunger pains and thinking about food all day. *how much solid food can you eat. to me a *part* of a normal meal includes a side dish and veggie and a lot of times they ARE mushy. *how tight are you in the morning? *how often are you PB'ing and sliming? *how comfortable are you with your food levels? have you ever tried eating your meals this way (lunch or dinner): eat your mushy side dish/veggie first and then eat your SOLID piece of meat. to me eating the mushy firsts 'get me going' its like once i am open i can eat a little better with less fear! when i have restriction, eating that way allows me to get my veggies in but also get the fullness from eating the dense protien. once i start eating the meat i fill up quick. *to me* good restriction is when i can eat 1/2 cup mushy veggies, 1/4 cup of a starch and about 3 oz of meat. i am most comfortable when i can eat that on most any given day without *fear* of a pb. you SHOULD definitally be chewing the heck out of solid meat. you will still have restriction because it still will sit in your pouch longer than other foods. you dont want to be getting your meat all saucey though, because that will make it slip on through.

he gets my vote too

ummmm what she said! in the beginning i would go back to solids. immiediatly sometimes finishing my meals. now i dont chance it AT ALL. i have had my band almost 3 years though. everytime i think i 'know' something the darn things (band) proves me wrong again!

i will be married in a month. i work from home, freelance graphic design. i work about 6-7 months a year 60 hours a week and the rest of the year is play! well when i am not working if we are selling a house then i become 'ms fix it' and help out doing whatever needs to be done. calvin works as an accountant and he has rental properties as well. since i work from home when we have 'kid' i will be a working stay at home mom. i found calvin online of all places. i am currently looking into a new business altogether! i am thinking about going into photography, specifically weddings/children. well for $$ weddings and children, for pleasure nature. i would say dont date anyone who isnt FINANCIALLY INDEPENDANT. not saying they must make X amount of dollars to be date-worthy but they must AT LEAST be able to do for themselves!

i am with you vines! the whole reason i went unfilled FOR A YEAR is because my dr's were to aggressive with fills. after i was to tight and had to get unfilled to let my stomach settle when i would get refilled they would put me close to or at the same level as before and i would seal off AGAIN. i was a HORRID cycle of fills and unfills. my dr likes to be more aggressive than i want with fills. i have paid $150 a piece for SEVERAL .1 cc fills (the last 5 months) the whole while the DR is STRONGLY suggesting .3 -.4 cc's. the last fill i got he DID in fact put in .3 cc and what do you know... i am to tight! i have scheduled an appt to take out .1 cc

i love eating my fiber! i am having a snack of hummus....with hummus. just about a 1/2 cup for a fiberous snack thats low cal. to boot! in lastnights dinner i made some enchiladas and added a can of black Beans to my meat mixture, then on the tortilla before i put the mixture i spread a thick layer of refried black beans on the bottom. YU-UM they were good! the refried black beans also make a good bean dip!

banded 8-13-03 starting weight 350 30/32 jeans current weight 225 16 jeans personnal goal- 190 i have lost 125 OR 78% of my excess weight dr's goal- 170 69% of the way there i have not reached my personnal goal but on all accounts i would consider my surgery a success. i have not had restriction for well over 1/2 my banded life. the first 6 months i had problems with my port/tubing no restriction i lost 35. by month 8 i got my first fill that gave me true bandster restriction i was -50. at 1 yr i was -100. month 16 (lowest was -143) i got a small fill that led to me being unfilled for an entire year (had series of too tight fills & ER unfills) i gained quite a bit in the year Month 28 i start to get refills slowly and losing what i had gained now month 30 i am at 78% lost. still trying to lose what i gained back and get closer to my goal! i have gone from a hurtin feet and back, depressed and in a unhealthy relationship, couldnt do anything physical without fear of heart exploding, bustin out of my food stained clothes, hopeless girl (26 yrs) to a...painfree, cute clothes wearing, happy (for so many reasons), in a healthy realtionship (!), confident, healthy (in NORMAL range for all bloodwork) , active (can ride 10 miles on a bike, hike 10 miles, or do an hour on the eliptical) late 20's girl(....ok REALLY late 20's!) i am looking forward to my 3 yr bandiversary THIS AUGUST.... i cant say my weights 'gone for good' because i am a food addict and without restriction i flounder. i do think i am better prepared for going without restriction in the future. but i hope i dont have to go 'there' till i get prego! great thread, fun reading and replying too!

blech...i have to wait till next tuesday! luckily i think i can make it! as long as i dont get any tighter i should be fine. uncomfortable but fine!

LOL! you KNOW i hit Las Palmas when i was in TN!!!! unfortunately all i could have was a side of beans and an order of queso. it'll have to do till fall when i go back!

thanks leatha, luckily the dr i have now in the area, i am very confident in and comfortable with. he def. thinks tighter is better but appreciates the slow approach i have taken with my refills. (his pocket probably REALLY appreciates it!) its nice knowing i have a band dr on each side of the country now! over all i AM doing WONDERFULLY! i cant wait to post my wedding pics! jacqui! i can only hope its weight i wont regain! i know better than to think its not possible! i definitally know i cant lose anymore being this tight. i am already slipping into eating a little *junk* to open me up so i can eat a piece of protien. i am not comfortable with this much restriction as i feel i am only a few PB's or a couple cans of Soup away from a forced unfill.

aaaaaack!!!! well i hope it doesnt tighten up that bad. i was very careful in that i wouldnt even TRY to eat till dinner time because i could *tell* i was so tight. my original band dr is in TN thats the ONLY reason i did not get an unfill before i left. i called to make sure they would still see me if i needed and emergency unfill. since they would i waited it out. if there isnt a band dr somewhere in the area and you do start to get tighter before you leave then you might consider an unfill before you go. once i had to get an emergency unfill in the ER (no band dr's around) those dumbasses put gloves on me and i assisted in the unfill. i was so tight that i didnt care i just wanted relief! NEVER AGAIN will i trust my band to IDOITS. they could have easily punctured the tubing!

hey there bandman, i am to tight as well and am scheduling an unfill tommorrow AM. the reason.... in the AM it hurts to drink. the pain goes away after the first hour but STILL i know i am to tight. i havent been able to eat ANYTHING (but 2 protien shakes) till 5-6 pm and then i can have solids (slowly) if you are having pain the whole time and it doesnt ease up i would DEFINTALLY ask for a small unfill. you shouldnt be in pain from the band (CERTANLY not with liquids) and you should be able to eat 2 solid meals a day. let us know what you do and how your feeling. to me i would rather be to LOOSE that to tight ANY DAY!!! i have been so tight that i had to spit my own saliva cause even that wouldnt go down.

after my last fill i thought it was PERFECT, i was for 2 weeks but the 3rd week it got a considerable amount tighter. i left to go out of town for 2 weeks, i stayed tight (liquids ONLY till dinner, i could have solids for dinner if i was careful and stuck to chicken or fish) i pb'd a few times on vacation (only when i was with my famly LOL) but now i have been home for a week, had my only pb yesterday AM on TEA of all things. i went a month this tight and i cant do it. every AM my first drink HURTS, once i am 'open' if i quit drinking for more than 30 minutes i have to start all over again because i close up. i have done super well with food choice. a (wannabe) protien shake (slimfast optima) for Breakfast and another for lunch with a sensible dinner but i cant do this long term. 1 month has been PLENTY! i am calling first thing in the AM to schedule a .1 or .2 cc unfill. i would rather lose eating solids than be so tight that a slimfast keeps me full for hours! the weight loss has been INCREDIBLE...i have lost 15 pounds in 1 month...but i am not willing to be *this* tight longterm- and besides i *know* from experience its on a matter of time before i turn to the *junk* that i KNOW will slide on through. at least with this unfill they wont be taking it all because i am not at the point where nothing goes down. WISH ME LUCK!!!! i want to lose another 10 by the wedding....6 WEEKS AWAY!!!!!! thanks to all who answered my survey. it really helps me to see where everyone else is with restriction. oh...MAJOR NSV on vacation....my brother wanted to take me bike riding, he was gonna show me some trails that would REALLY kick my butt...i started out saying 'i havent rode in years, not sure i will even be GOING with you but i'll do my best!'..... i rode 10 miles!!!!! and was exhausted but IMPRESSED the heck out of my 'physically fit' brother! i cant believe i was able to ride that far AND KEEP UP. soooooooo the TREK bike i bought at a yardsale for $30 is in the shop getting a tune-up. i had so much fun and i have found a new exercise i LOVE! wait did i just say that?

sometimes fills 'kick in' or get tighter AFTER THE FACT...sometimes 2-3 weeks later. my last fill tightened up on me 2 weeks AFTER i got it. i have *worked* with it but i am scheduling an unfill ASAP! just a little one! good luck. i would go on soups, shakes and mushies while your out of town to prevent any more PB's then when you get home, test the waters with real food again!

ahhhhhh gross!!!! i have done that at a nice restaurant! i was eating, got a bite stuck, getting ready to hurry to the bathroom hiccupped and pb'd ALL over the floor. AWFUL!!!! we left a huge tip and LEFT!!! its good that you were at a table of friends..you'll get teased but thats what friends are for! thanks for a good laugh this morning!

thanks everyone. i like to see where everyone else is with there restriction. keep it coming!

when i first met soon to be DH i had good restriction. about 7 months later i went 1 year without ANY restriction. during that year my burps became AMPLIFIED. i tried to cover it up and excuse myself but there really wasnt much i could do. i would tell calvin that 'its my band' he of course thought it was me being comfortable with him and letting it fly....TO THE TUNE OF A 10 YR OLD! he even started burping louder, his way of showing me that he *knows* i can control it then he would laugh and say 'its my band' *shakes head* he has RNY!!!... lol...so now that i am restricted again i cant burp to save my life and i TOTALLY am giving him hell about teasing me for my uncontrollable burps... now that i am tighter, i AM rumbly in the tummy (like i should have to run to the bathroom) all day but so far i havent *noticed* anything more than usual actually coming out gas wise. i HAVE had problems with constipation like you wouldnt believe but i am 100% positive thats from ATKINS and sugar free CANDY. 2 things i will NEVER touch again!