JustWatchMe

Good to hear from Lisa and Bandista. I've noticed that my arthritis is generally better this year since I made some major f ood changes. I do get occasional (bad) flares, but they come and go pretty rapidly and are, I believe, correlating with stress. Anyway, when I'm not in a flare, I have a much better overall pain level than I did a year ago. What changed? I gave up fried f ood 9 months ago, all alcohol a year ago, and most refined carbs 9 months ago. I'm down over 20 pounds since last September. I'm not at goal but I'm slowly losing. I really wish I could get motivated to exercise. I really hate getting sweaty. There, I've said it. JustWatchMe

My office charges 250.00 if you don't have insurance. Way more with insurance. Go figure. Anyway, my fills were small and steady. I've been at the same level now for a year and it's my "green". Here is my fill history: Fills 08/06/2015 0.10 eighth fill 07.90 03/31/2015 0.10 seventh fill 07.80 02/17/2015 0.10 sixth fill 07.70 12/02/2014 0.10 fifth fill 07.60 09/02/2014 0.25 fourth fill 07.50 0.25 third fill 07.25 2.50 second fill 07.00 4.50 first fill 04.50 JustWatchMe

No court tomorrow. October it is. On a happier note, I saw my LapBand nurse Tuesday and my band is just fine. I'm 25 pounds lighter than when I last went there last year. Living well is the best revenge. JustWatchMe

Illinois. But he's fighting every step of the way. He openly vowed to make it take years. JustWatchMe

Well, those of you who know the sh!tshow that has been my divorce, please send up a prayer for me this week. Waiting for Mr. Wonderful to decide if he will settle this week. If he doesn't, we won't finalize until October. I'm exhausted and broke. This has been by far the most emotionally painful experience of my life. Thank God my girls are doing well and have good support systems. My therapist told me this week I have low grade depression. YA THINK? Seriously though, I was a little dismayed to hear her say that. I've been going to tons of 12-step meetings, increased my therapy appointments to weekly, and have been eating cleanly and haven't had alcohol or any chemical in my body since last year. I guess I'm just flat worn out. And sad about my firstborn moving to Georgia. And broke. Did I mention broke? Life in limbo for over 2 years has finally taken its toll. Well, it can't last forever. Anyway, if his lawyer knocks some sense into his head, my lawyer says we could finalize on 9/1. Everybody wants this over with except the wasband. It's been such a rollercoaster that I'm not even getting my hopes up anymore. JustWatchMe

I'm going to try to post more often. Have a great day, Banders! JustWatchMe

I recently had seltzer and lime j uice in a bar since I gave up alcohol. I didn't think much of the carbonation issue but then I noticed the same shoulder pain I had post-op. I sure didn't expect that 2-1/2 years after banding. Thankfully it didn't last long. No more bubbles for me. JustWatchMe

Get well, Debbie! JustWatchMe

Lisa, I am so sorry about your dad. I hope you get some relief soon. JustWatchMe

I've had to get to the bathroom at work really quickly recently. For me it's always eating too fast and not chewing to mush that gets me there. That time it was raw carrot. Just can't seem to eat carrot sticks. Glad you're okay! JustWatchMe

Sorry about the shingles. My mom had them and said they were very painful. Glad to see Debbie back! JustWatchMe

This post makes me so happy. I'm thrilled for you! JustWatchMe

Every day it's a new attack. The world is filled with rage. And yet there are so many good people. I know many of them. Love must conquer hate. JustWatchMe

People who go on and on about how much you've lost in front of other people who never knew you fat. JustWatchMe

((Hugs to Lisa)). You women here are so strong. I'm proud to "know" you. JustWatchMe

Good for you for turning it around!! You got this! JustWatchMe

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/231247/roasted-jerusalem-artichokes-or-sunchokes/ Tried these for the first (and last) time a few months ago. Oh. My. God. Bar none, the gassiest food I've ever had. No joke -- serious pain. They are nicknamed "fartichokes" for good reason. JustWatchMe

Woot woot!! Congratulations!!!!! JustWatchMe

Sharpie, all I can do is tell you you are loved here on these boards and I am SO sorry you are in such pain. It's NOT fair. It sucks and it is overwhelming. But what I do know about you is that you have a strong life force and you give strength to others all the time. As Liz said, keep the food under control but don't let guilt mess with your head. You have been and are going through more in a few months than most people do over a period of years. Stay connected here and everywhere that you have support. ((((Hugs)))) JustWatchMe

Yep. If I want to keep losing. Don't get me wrong. My eating got sloppy around the one year mark. I was eating greasy fried food and carbs and buckets of movie crapcorn. And drinking wine. And I started to gain again. So I got serious, cleaned up the food, planned and tracked my portions, dumped the alcohol and carbs, and lost what I gained and got back on track. With smaller portions, my band once again felt tighter. So now I have to chew well and eat small bites or I'll get stuck. But don't kid yourself. Eating around the band is very possible and the bigger your meals get the more used to it you get. The good news is that the reverse is also true. I am very grateful for my band and that I learned this lesson early without too much wasted time or without stretching out my insides and causing a slip. The better I adhere to the rules the easier it gets. The more exceptions I make, the harder it is to get back on track. Good luck! JustWatchMe

Lol Julie! Ok I'll post. I haven't seen my surgeon's office (NP) since September 2015. Back then the NP and I decided I would get my food cleaned up and see if that brought some restriction instead of getting another tiny fill. Well it sure did. Here's my dilemma. I'm doing great. I only get stuck if I eat too fast or don't chew well. It does happen about once a week. Since I saw her last, I've lost about 24 pounds. I have great restriction. I really don't "need" an appointment but I feel like I should go and just get checked with the fluoro. Especially since I'll be losing my excellent insurance soon with the divorce finalizing in the next couple of months, and after that, visits will be out of pocket since the doctor is not in the new insurance's network. So, I should go, right? Feels weird because it's like tempting fate. JustWatchMe

Hannah, I'm so sorry. Be very gentle with yourself. ((Hugs)) JustWatchMe

That is, today I am not obese. At least according to the BMI charts. Two years post LapBand. My ultimate goal is to achieve a normal BMI. I don't know if I'll ever get there, but I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. I think the last time I was at this weight was 1992. JustWatchMe

Since I dropped the first hundred pounds, I have been wearing a body shaper every day. I was worried that I was going to be too miserable to wear it all summer. Well, I feel naked without it, and I have worn it every single day this summer so far. Nobody is more surprised than me that I am not hot and miserable. I'll take it! JustWatchMe

I am so sorry for you. Yes our pets give us unconditional love, and they hold such a special place in our lives. Please be gentle with yourself going through this tough time. The decision is hard to make but your heart will know when. ((Hugs)) JustWatchMe