Road Queen

You will love this site. Its great to have the support of alot of people who know what we go through. Welcome. Celeste

I like the phrase 'stomach handcuffed'. That's what my stomach and I needed. Good luck and welcome to bandland.

Waiting to hear from you when you return home. Good luck. Celeste

You are an inspiration to all of us. Keep up the good work. Celeste PS I'm feeling guilty about not finishing my MBA so after this I put it on my todo list to call Monday and get signed up for classes again. I love going to school but my checkbook doesn't...

I love Bucas, I am so bummed I can't be there. Please send me a care package to ND. We don't have any Bucas here...

Sarah, that is so awesome. I am so happy for you that you are able to do this in your 20s and not miss out on so many things through those great years. Good luck and keep us updated. Celeste

I'm sorry that you have to work with him. Maybe you can use this as a learning opportunity to figure out new ways to work with difficult co-workers. Keep us posted. Celeste

Okay, I get nervous about everything. Here's a few of my recent ones: Waking up on the chicken bus in Ecuador to realize there were no other passengers on board. The next couple of guys that got on were carrying machetes (to cut grass) - mental images of cutting me. Riding motorcycle from Salt Lake City to Reno alone and seeing all the signs about the prisons - if you hear gun fire call 911, don't pick up hitchhikers, etc - then having to stop in the middle of the road for construction. Honduras 2003 weed green Beans and almost grabbing a tarantula (one of my loudest girl screams ever). going to the prison to church and finding out the guards are on the outside and I am on the inside with 700 prisoners. oh, and did I mention that the women guards that check you over before you go in were attracted to my thick calves (a sign of sexuality or something there) Opening up my bed in Liberia Africa and finding mouse terds all over in it! Yikes. I know these don't qualify as full fledged scarey but they work for me. Celeste

He** Yes!! I enjoy it just as much if not more. I have always been a fairly healthy eater and continue that still. I am still working through which foods work better with the band but I'm expanding my list of health foods that I like. This week I found a soy canadian bacon that is awesome. I have been having it cold for lunch. This weekend I"m going to cook it crispy, top with a slice of tomato, some kind of cheese (parmesean, gargonzola, ? ) and some herbs or maybe a pesto sauce. A favorite fall food for me is spinach (cut up small), yellow and zucchini squash, mushrooms, garlic, leeks and whatever cooked in a little chicken broth and adding a little spiced up oil to get crispiness s topped with parmesean - sometimes adding in chicken breast. I just ordered some frozen tortilla crusted tilapia - too lazy to make it from scratch. hmmm, sounds like I still enjoy food to me. Celeste

Welcome to the board. From another May bandster. Celeste

Are you okay? Wishing you the best through this storm. Celeste

Good luck. I think some are more sensitive to fills than others. The weather may also be a factor here. Keep us updated. Celeste

Awesome stats. You are an inspiration for the rest of us...the fact that the two of you are doing this together is great. Enjoy your party!!

Patti, those are referred to by bandsters as PBs (productive burps). I get them when I eat too fast, swallow too much in one bite, drink with a meal, don't chew enough, etc. I consider them as a warning by the band to follow the rules. If it was bad (some last longer than others), I go back to mushies for a day. Good luck getting them under control. I consider it part of learning to live with the band. Celeste

Bubbame20022003 - awesome party pictures. I just love the latino custom of celebrating the girls 15th birthday. When I was visiting Brazil a few years ago I couldn't believe how elaborate the parties were. Your family did an awesome job. Good pictures.

I have been struggling with minimal weight loss and what I thought was only a few inches lately but I guess I've been measuring the wrong places. I put on a v neck top today and I looked like a hooker. The V was very low. Then I tried a tank top that I wore about a month ago. It was looking big too. Obviously my shoulders and upper chest are reducing more than I though. I just hope the double chin is going away too!! wonder how I can measure that??!!

I think the weather has alot of influence on my restriction. I can hardly eat when its hot. But once the temperature cools down, I've got little restriction. I don't know that I would have needed the unfill I got if I had stayed indoors. Bodies do change with the weather and as bandsters, I think we are more aware of those changes. Hang in there. The hurricane will pass.

I hope you find your dog but don't over do it. I rode motorcycle around town at 4 weeks and that was all I could handle. I wasn't comfortable doing any more or going out of town/faster, etc. Don't damage yourself or risk having problems. Find help. People are always willing to help if you ask (I know its tough). Good luck - I will have you and your dog in my prayers.

I am losing slowly but the best thing has been coming home from vacation without a weight gain...now I know I'm on the right track. When I have those rare times that weight comes off quickly, I get all excited. But when it is coming off slowly, I also see results (in inches, energy, etc). I am also being forced to develop new good habits - chewing my food instead of inhaling it, small bites, etc. Yes, its been worth it and I know when I finally hit goal I will be doing a big hapy dance.

Okay, this is probably the reason my weight loss is slow. I do have a glass of wine some nights. I was just on vacation for a week with a bunch of friends. we tend to drink, visit, play dice in the evenings. I did have a couple of beers. sometimes they work, sometimes they get thrown out after the first swallow. It does seem to reduce the carbonation if you add ice and/or tomato juice. Mostly, I drank margaritas or wine. Yes, its time to stop and return to band lifestyle!! I hurried home from vacation to start living a healthy lifestyle again. Since I don't like sweet drinks, its Water or iced tea for me.

I love spinach and garlic. Now, I just need to wait for a Super Target to open here.....

Glad to see that more ND people are joining in bandland. This site is a wealth of information as you are healing and going through the process. No matter how well prepared you are, there are always questions. Welcome to Bandland.

You will enjoy bandland and the support you get here. Celeste

I emailed the company this morning about this thread and here's the response I got. Note that if you tell them you found it on this site, they will send extra samples with the first order. Thanks for the idea Ivan. Celeste Hello Celeste, Thank you for you intersest in our products and for your support. We have had many inquiries over the last few days. Thank you for the link - we enjoyed the comments. Please feel free to pass on the following message. When people order, if they will tell us they discovered the product on www.lapbandtalk.com, we enclose extra samples in their first order. We do believe these products will work well for people who have had weight loss surgery. We certainly recommend that you let the dietician/nutritionist working with you know you eating this product and gettheir feedback. We alway encourage all things in moderation and don't forget to drink your water! Finally, we are often asked about the potassium and phosphorus in our products. They are each below 200mg per one ounce serving. We will be sending you a sampler pack to thank you for your efforts - let us know your favorite flavor and we will see to it that you get plenty! (You might also tell what what flavors you DON'T want!) Again, many thanks. :-) Ann Kay's Naturals

Julie, Hope you are doing better. You are already recognizing that time of month, sauce, etc are influencing your band. Time of day and weather does alot too. A few others on the board noted that they were tight when it was hot/humid. I am tighter in the evening but now that it has cooled off I am not nearly as restricted. The band is a learning experience.