PrtyAntOvrYt

I knew the wedding was yesterday! I was thinking about you! I am glad to hear everything went well. I can't wait to see your pictures!

I forgot about the calcium chews. I take the GNC ones! I prefer them because they are really like candy. I take 2 caramel and 2 chocolate. I put them in my pocket in the morning and just eat one when I feel like a treat! I also do a chewable multivit, chewable echinecea (sp?) with zinc and vit c and an extra chewable vit. C.

I lost a little hair about 4 months post op, but it's grown back, my nails have never been better. They are long and strong and I have to cut them regularly for work. I take 2000mg of Biotin everyday and make sure I get 60-80grams of protein a day. How much protein are you getting each day? I don't drink any of my protein. If I drink a protein drink it's in the very early morning to take my meds with - but I make sure I consume all of my protein during the day.

Deb, I'm sorry to hear about your gain too! Our bodies are strange. They do things that can't be explained. I know I lost 6lbs by Thursday and then I popped on the scale on Friday and had gained 3 lbs. Then this morning, I was down 3.4lbs. Who knows? It's disappointing. Have you tried upping your calories for a day or two and then returning to the lower calories that you eat now? Sometimes, I think our bodies get used to our lower calories and they stop losing. It's just an idea. I do know when I did the Body4Life, they insisted that you had one day a week when you upped your intake. I think anything is worth a try. When you find out when you're coming in Feb, let me know. My schedule is done until Feb14, but I might very well have the date off and can help you! I would love to see you and would be more than happy to pick you up at the airport and take you for your fill! Just let me know as early as you can so that I can make plans.

What side effects are you experiencing? When were you banded?

Were you told to not eat more than 2 oz each meal? My doc says 1 cup to 1 and 1/2 cup each meal. Protein first. I do measure my food because I don't want to stretch my pouch. IF I eat my 1 cup of mostly protein and then an satiated for 4 hours, I know I am in my green zone. IF I get hungry before 4 hours, I eat some fruit and I know it's time for another fill. I was banded 10 months ago and I've lost 125lbs. I've had 4 fills.

That's too bad Nora! I was hoping you'd be there on the 8th! I hope your new job turns out better than mine did! We'll miss you!

It sounds like you have a vagal response. I have two friends who have had that problem. One fainted in the office! The other got dizzy and diaphoretic. I'm glad you're doing better today!

Sorry to hear that! I have no idea why it takes so long to get divorced!!! It just sucks!

Thanks Munchi! I've missed you!!! Is it safe to ask if you're finally divorced? How are the kids (dogs) doing? I'm happy to be back in the NICU. It was like a really bad nightmare!

It's the holidays AND you're going in the right direction! Any loss is better than a gain, even staying even is better! I appauld every one's efforts!

Jaime! My middle name is "I want some Tortilla Chips." "Dee I want some Tortilla Chips Johnson" I wish my mom had named me something else! ARGH! Don't you all hate how easy chips go down? Chips and cookies just go right on down! Chicken Breast, Brocolli and whole grain pasta just gets stuck!!!

Hey Tally! Glad to hear you still have some restriction! Sounds like your band is okay!

Congrats on that Long Sleeved Tee! I love that! I saved the sweater I wore the day of surgery. I can't wait to take my 1 year pic in it! I think clothes are a great way to see a loss! It's proof, we've come a long way!

Thanks Lotza! I doubt it will continue at this rate! BUT I am usually very restricted during my TOM and then I was stressed for 2 weeks and hardly eating. It would be nice if it continued at this rate, but I'm not holding my breath! I'm sticking to the Plateau Buster's diet for now. I'm so proud of myself. My bestfriend asked if I could go to lunch tomorrow with her and some friends and I declined saying that, "I need to stick to my eating plan and it's not easy when I eat out." She understood. In the old days, I would have just gone out and probably just eaten!

Well Mini, I lost 6lbs! I can't believe it! AND it's even that TOM time! I know I hadn't been eating or sleeping with all the worries of the old job! But I think it's the Plateau Buster's Diet that did part of it! I've been on it since Monday.

My goodness Brandy! Bless your heart! Good luck with all your procedures!!

I've read that Dieting causes a shift in the balance between cholesterol and bile salts in the gallbladder. In other words the cholesterol increases and the bile salts decreases. Eating causes the gallbladder to contract, emptying out bile salts, if you aren't eating, the gallbladder doesn't empty out bile salts, causing an increase in cholesterol, which in turn causes gallstones to be formed. Rapid weight loss puts you at highest risk for gallstones. They used to say if you were Fat, Forty and Female your risk for having gallstones was high. Pregnancy is also another cause for gallstones. So I think if you're going to get them, there is not much you can do. I've tried to eat regularly and not skip meals, hoping this will keep gallstones at bay. A girl can hope anyway!!

Mal!!! GREAT!!! I hope you can make it!!

You tell us the date and we will meet! You got it Chickie!!!

Mal, can you come to Red Robin on the 8th of January? Anita? Michelle? Nora? -- anyone else?

Hey Sweet Mal! I've missed you and cutie Buster's face! You're good at working out! Remember the good thing about the Band is you can always return to it! We aren't perfect and unfortunately, we will never be perfect! We will be human! I can't believe my year is almost up too! Remember when I first started? Remember how scared I was to have surgery and then how excited I was to start my journey! Here I am 122 lbs lighter 10 1/2 months later! I feel 100% better and I am so thankful I found Dr. K, my Band and all of you! You've been there since the first day at Red Robin in October 2008! Thanks Mal! If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know!

I just noticed that you're greater than 1/2 of your way to goal! You have done so well! I look forward to meeting you! I think it's so interesting how each one of us is so unique, yet we have one thing in common, food addiction! We have allowed, food to control our lives. All of us has fought that battle! But I love that each of us is here for the same purpose - to win that battle and be victorious! No matter if you have 70 lbs to lose or like me, 270lbs! The battle is the same and we have to find what works for us. We come here for support and friendship. We come here for acceptance and to know we are not alone. This is a good place and I'm glad you're here! I'm also glad your new job is better! The nurse recruiter asked if I wanted to accept the other job I was offered on the same day, but turned down. I said, "oh, I better not! I'm pretty scared now about any new positions!" "I need to return to a place, I know I love." It's sad that it didn't work, but I am so so so thankful that I am able to return to the NICU. I shouldn't have tried to change at such an important time in my life. This is the time that I need to be focused on my weight, on working out and on making good changes that will support my new lifestyle. It's truly not the time in my life to make such a huge career change. I haven't worked out in 2 weeks! I'm so ashamed! And the worst part is I got out of the habit. A habit I had worked so hard to make is gone! I have to start all over again!

Thanks Deb! I am just thrilled!! This is a very happy time for me. I wasn't sleeping at all. I was so unhappy and just so angry at myself. Yeah, Dr. K told me the same, NO WHOLE PILLS! It was right after surgery I asked him how long I had to crush my pills and not just cut them in half. He was adamant! Almost angry that I asked to not have to crush them! He said, "The rest of your life you should be crushing your pills." The Lipitor was so bitter, I wanted a better way. Thank God I don't take the Lipitor or Lisinipril (sp?) anymore. I do have a friend (doesn't everyone?) who used to brag all of the time about being able to take her pills whole without problems. She had finally reached excellent restriction and she took a rather later antibiotic pill. It got stuck and she had to have a complete unfill for it to pass. She was severly stuck for 3 days! It wouldn't disolve or if it had, she had so much swelling that she couldn't even drink water. I know I always have the stories of doom! Sorry! But after that happened, I decided I'd never chance it! I had heard of the Gondi approach! I think I do okay with a bite or two of something as long as I am home and able to drown the rest of the item with water in the sink! Actually, I have found that it helps my craving to just have a bite! But I'm not strong enough to NOT eat the entire thing, if I don't soak it with water in the sink! Actually, they were very sweet. It was the job that was the a**hole! The people were very nice. Completed my first day of the Carb Cycle: It wasn't hard at all. When I woke up at 3am, I was hungry so I drank my Low Carb protein drink, 4 hours later, I had 2 Veggie breakfast sausages - they had 6 gms of carbs and 20 gms of protein in them. Then at lunch I had 3 oz of greek tofu with feta. In between lunch and breakfast I had 2 tbsp of cottage cheese, and for dinner I had an egg with a little LF cream cheese. Day 2 here I come!! :blushing:

I use www.CalorieKing.com I log all of my food to www.fitday.com but have found that their list is not as extensive. Calorie King has most everything I want.