georgia girl

Oh, come on you guys.........there must be something that has gotten better for you. We need to share our victories with each other.

I think one of the biggest hits at our reception was Oriental Chicken Wings. They came from a local Chinese restaurant and were a fairly decent price. I would be careful with really bold flavors though, these wings were very mild. Like laurend said, just arrange them on a nice platter and it looks great.

I drink a shake in the mornings only. I'm not a big breakfast eater anyway. I was using Pro Performance Whey Protein Powder (Chocolate Caramel) from GNC, then switched to Slim Fast after I started eating solids. I think I'm going to go back to using the protein powder because it has more protein and my hair has been falling out.

Also, you could print your own invitations using decorative cardstock paper. You can find very pretty designs on the net. You could cut the edges of the paper using those scissors that make patterns or you could add a little satin ribbon on the invitation as well.

Our wedding cost maybe $1500 including my dress. We were on a tight budget too and I was very fortunate that I have a huge family that was willing to help me. One of my bridesmaids knew someone that owned a nursery and let us borrow a bunch of ferns for free, can you believe that! Also at the time, my husband was a manager at a farm and country store and we borrowed a bunch of poinsettias and returned them the next day (We had a Christmas wedding). So I didn't have to pay anything for flowers and greenery. I used a decorated Christmas tree as my centerpiece for the ceremony and another tree for the reception area. Do you have a friend that could take pictures and another to video? I found a lady that was just starting out with photography, a little risky, but she did a great job and only charged me $100 for a lot of pictures that she put in a very nice photo album. Do you have a friend or family member that could make your cake and let that be your wedding gift? I made my bridesmaids bouquets with silk flowers, they turned out good and cost a lot less than real flowers. My reception was an "appetizer only" reception. My family pitched in and make all the food. We had our wedding in a church that we were members of, so there was no charge for the ceremony or the social hall area. How many guest will you have at the reception? Do you have a place in mind where you want to have the wedding and the reception?

Hey Altspeedy, how's it going?

Sorry, leave it to me to screw something up......

We probably want to steer clear of buffets and fast food, right? I was thinking we need to meet somewhere where we can order an appetizer or something small. I haven't been to a buffet since being banded. Let's see, Tifton has............ Cracker Barrel, Applebee's, Longhorn, Red Lobster, Tokyo (Japaneese), and all the regular fast food joints and buffet places. Am I leaving anything good out? I'm drawing a blank.... The 1st or 3rd Thursday of the month is good for me, what about the rest of you?

Hey littlelove NSV stands for Non scale Victory. I hear ya on the DD's, I hate it too. lol Congratulations on making it to Onederland!!! You're doing great, you'll be at goal before ya know it.

Do you have a date set yet? Just curious to know what time of year or season your wedding will take place. It might help us to know so we can give you more decorating ideas.

Tarheelluv I'm going to Lane Bryant on Wednesday and if I'm not mistaken, they will fit me for one there. I really do need to be sized. I wore the new one from walmart with under-wire all day today, and it did really good. It is surprisingly comfortable.

I agree with everyone about the potluck dinner, not a good idea. If you want to save money on your reception costs, consider having an "appetizers only" reception. You can serve a mix of hot and cold appetizers. Be careful how many you choose, too many appetizers can get expensive. Also make sure it is clear on the invitation the type of reception you are having. You don´t want your guest expecting a full meal. Here are a few ideas: Finger sandwiches Brides cake and Grooms cake chicken salad in small pastry cups Meatballs cheese balls with crackers Mini petit fours Mini quiche bites Wedding Cookies Fruit and Vegetable trays Cheese straws Strawberries dipped in chocolate pin wheels chocolate fondue with fruit or cheese fondue with bread or veggies sausage-cheese balls oriental chicken wings The possibilities are endless. Since you are on a budget, I would stay away from alcoholic beverages. You could serve wedding punch or different kinds of tea. I went to a wedding once where they served raspberry tea and it was really good.

I've seen this in some of the other monthly support group threads and thought we should have one too! I guess I'll start: 1. I've went down 2 sizes on clothes 2. I'm finally starting to see my cheek bones 3. I don't have to struggle when standing up from a chair anymore Oh, I had a new one yesterday. I had to buy a new bra because mine was soooo big on me!

I hope that works for you. I'm going for a fill Wednesday and I'm hoping to finally get really good restriction. Good luck and hang in there, you've done so good and I know you can do this!

I have a Nordic Track AudioStrider 600 and I love it. I was a little skeptical about getting this machine, because some of the reviews were bad. I've had it for about 2 months and it works great. It has a bottle holder for water, installed workout programs (it actually talks to you), a fan, and you can purchase these little chips that have additional workout programs on them. I'm still pretty heavy and this machine is smooth and sturdy. It was regularly $799.99 and I got it for $499.99, which I think is a pretty good deal. Nordic Track is one of the better brands too.

My nutritionist said it doesn't matter to them as long as I get my Protein in. I usually drink one for breakfast too, I'm rarely hungry in the mornings anyway. I love the coffee idea. I can't drink my protein drinks with Water alone, yuck! I have been using skim milk, but I'll have to give the coffee a try. I will probably use 3/4 coffee, 1/4 milk combo.

I'm going for a fill next Wednesday and there is a mall there, so I will definitely go to lane bryant. Thanks

Thanks Julie. Does your surgeon occasionally check the Fluid in your band or did you request it? Mine has never been checked before. I will definitely ask my fill doctor about this.

I bought this one at Walmart for about $40 HealthoMeter Body Fat & Body Water Fitness Tracking Scale - Wal-Mart It has been worth every penny. You can program up to 4 people on it. You can store all of your information on it (height, weight, gender, BMI, goal weight, etc.) and it will track your progress. It also tells you if you are hydrated enough, but I never use that feature. It is very close to matching the doctor's scales. I love it!

Thanks for the reply. I checked out the site but there's not a store near me. The closest was in Dothan, Alabama and I just can't drive that far. It looks like there are a lot of really good bras there, but I can't buy one without trying it on anymore. That was my problem in the past, I didn't want to deal with returning it, so I just wore it anyway. Thanks again.

Jeannie and Dana, what about you guys? How far away is Tifton for you?

Tifton is about 30 minutes from me and Albany is closer to an hour away.

Thanks everyone! I think part of the reason I'm thinking about failure is because the weight melted off of me for the first 2 months, really, really fast. Now is has slowed down tremendously. I think I had an unrealistic idea that it would just continue to melt off really fast. I'm not the most patient person anyway. I was wondering if you guys could answer a question for me. I've had 3 fills and I only have restriction for about a week after each fill, then it's back to being able to eat whatever. Should I be worried that I might have a leak in my band, or is this what happens until you reach your sweet spot?

Actually, Tifton is closer for me too. How long of a drive is Tifton from douglas? How long for those in Albany?

Congratulations Apples!!!!!