Barb

I've been certified 18 years. I have been diving once in Cozumel since I was banded in August. I didn't have any problems. I don't remember the depths but it was more than 60 ft. We did 9 dives (one night dive) over 3 days. I will pull my dive log this weekend and look. Neither my surgeon nor my fill Dr. have ever felt it would be a problem. In fact, the Dr. who did my Lasik surgery on my eyes a few years ago was more concerned about diving being a problem than anyone has been with the band. I am planning on doing a morning dive in Florida next month. I talked my co-worker into staying over an extra night with me so I could do a morning and get 2 dives in. She doesn't dive so I will be w/o a buddy. My husband and I are going on a cruise in November and will get at least 2 dives in hopefully more. I should be at my goal when we go on the cruise in November (I hope anyway). I will be interested to see what everyone has been told regarding the unfill and what Inamed tells Wheetsin. I have had two fills and don't have any plans for a fill or unfill right now. I am at 7cc. and my band "officially" holds 11cc., but my fill Dr. said he could easily go to 14cc. beacuse of the tubing. It is an Inamed band but not a VG; I haven't found but a couple of other people who have this band.

My experience right after banding was that my body had to "catch up." I have had a good and steady weight loss since my 2nd fill but prior to I would loose quit a bit and then nothing; the pattern would repeat. I would get real excited and then kinda sink. I was also concerned about where I was loosing it seemed to be all in the places I didn't want to loose (i.e. my breast, many years before gaining the weight I paid good money for them). However, I am 10 months out and couldn't be happier with my weightloss. And the added bonus for me this has been very easy. I honestly forget I am even banded most of the time. Small bites, chewing, small quanity just seem to come natural now. Hang in there, it will come.

Weight Goal Stats Current Weight Your weight is 240 lb as of 06/28/2006. Weight Goal Your goal is to weigh 199 lb by 09/05/2006 Goal Progress You are currently 41 lb above the target weight. The deadline for your goal is 69 days (9 weeks, 6 days) away. To meet your goal you need to lose about 4.16 lb per week.

Weight Goal Stats Current Weight Your weight is 240 lb as of 06/28/2006. Weight Goal Your goal is to weigh 199 lb by 09/05/2006 Goal Progress You are currently 41 lb above the target weight. The deadline for your goal is 69 days (9 weeks, 6 days) away. To meet your goal you need to lose about 4.16 lb per week.

I can't change the date but I am journaling for the history. Date 9/17/05 Weight: 240 Waist: 47.5 inches Hips: 58 inches Upper Arms: 17 inches Wrist: 7 inches Bust: 47 inches Calves: 17 inches Mid Calf Thighs: 26.5 inches CHANGES Weight Loss: 11lbs. Waist: 1.5" inches Hips: 2 inches Upper Arms: None Wrist: .25" Bust: 1 inch Calves: 1 inch Thighs: 1.5" Based on this my waist will be about 34" at 145lbs. Yuck, I want my waist to be between 29 and 31 inches!!

I can't change the date but I am journaling for the history. Date 9/17/05 Weight: 240 Waist: 47.5 inches Hips: 58 inches Upper Arms: 17 inches Wrist: 7 inches Bust: 47 inches Calves: 17 inches Mid Calf Thighs: 26.5 inches CHANGES Weight Loss: 11lbs. Waist: 1.5" inches Hips: 2 inches Upper Arms: None Wrist: .25" Bust: 1 inch Calves: 1 inch Thighs: 1.5" Based on this my waist will be about 34" at 145lbs. Yuck, I want my waist to be between 29 and 31 inches!!

Amy, I am sorry that the apron surgery won't happen as planned but how exciting that the band is only a couple of weeks away. Can you get someone to cash a check for the 1K for you and hold the check until you get your payroll check? Congrats and best wishes!

I am going to ditto Kathy; Send them to the Moderators.

I use fitday.com. However, I am going to look at sparkpeople.com. I had never heard of it until today.

Politics, News Media.........Living in a "glass house" I only told 3 people very close to me.

I don't always agree with the laws, regualtions, policies........ But I choose to follow them even when I don't agree with them.

I vote for the delete button to be returned. Thanks!

When I am working out of town: I go shopping; I love shopping in other cities. Manage my stock portfolio Swim Go get a manicure, pedicure or massage. Clean out my briefcase and purse. Have phone sex with my husband. Tonight I missed my flight so I am stuck in this airport until 5:40AM; so, I guess you all know what I am doing....LBT. I should have gone back to the hotel. When I am home I don't usually get bored because I am home so seldom.

Yep, he is good looking.

Hi All, I am 39 and plan to remain 39 for several years!! I was banded in August 2005. Haven't really had any problems. Dr. had a very hard time with my first fill, got to much fill on my second and had to take some out the same day but ended up with perfect restriciton. I have lost 70-something pounds (I don't have a scale) and need to loose around 30ish more to be at goal. I am married for the second time. This year is our 16th anniversary. We don't have any kids and won't be having any. I had a miscarriage in my first marriage and two more during the first 3 1/2 years of this marriage. I don't think it was in God's plans for me to be a mother. I am a COO (Chief Operating Officer) in Corporate America. I love coming to LBT and having some "me" time. I don't get here as often as I would like but try and visit often when I am home. This is a great place for support. Only 3 people know I am banded, my husband, my brother, and my best friend who also happens to be a man.

I am hoping to be ready to start maintianing my weight by fall and would like to hear if any of you have a maintenance plan and if so what it is. I discussed this with my Dr. at my last appointment and we decided that we would start removing small amounts of fill until I was maintaining. This is what I wanted to do but I am having second thoughts. I don't think this will happen for a few more months. Even though I am close historically it has taken me a while to loose the last 20-25 pounds so it is not like it is going to happen tomorrow. I am just trying to think ahead because I have gone to my goal weight twice before in the last 12 years and managed to gain it back. The first time I maintained well for one year and then gained about 12 lbs. per year for the next three and then gained 25 lbs. the fifth year. Lost 61 pounds, but managed to gain back that 61 + another 25 before I stated looking into the lapband. The second time I started gaining it back as soon as I stopped "dieting." I am determined not to do this again so maintenance is on my mind these days. The thing is I don't diet at all with the band. I eat whatever I want; I do Protein first so I get full and don't ever want much else. I don't count calories and I don't use fat-free or low-fat, etc. Two things that were likely big issues to my weight gain in the past were 1) alcohol and 2) Dr. Pepper. I haven't had a Dr. Pepper or any soda for that matter since I was banded on 8-11-2005. The alcohol is another story, right now all I can say is that it is much better.

This is the only board or forum I have ever posted on. It is a friendly place and I have all of you to thank for that.

I take One-A-Day Weight Smart. I break it in half and wait about 10 minutes between halves.

I don't have a scale. I keep thinking I am going to buy one but I have never done it. I find somewhere to go weigh every week or two.

To many. My husband has a Ducati Motorcycle and a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I have a a Chevrolet Tahoe and a Nissan Maxima.

MaryB - would your husband happen to be an Accountant?

When I had lost between 50 and 75 percent of my excess weight I thought my skin was keeping up well and maybe (hopefully) I wouldn't need any plastic surgery. In the last month my body has been toning and "reshaping" itself and I am noticing some loose skin, primarily the arms, which I hate because I wear a lot of suits with sleeveless shirts and sometimes I take my jacket off. And now that it is summer I am wearing cami's and such on the weekends so I am looking at my arms lots. This is round 3 for me of being obese and then loosing to my goal weight (I pray 3 is the charm). My arms were the issues both times before so I started using arms weights everyday to try and keep them in shape. I still work on my arms everyday but I travel (by plane) 50% of the time and just can't put 4-6 pounds of weights in my suitcase and meet the airlines weight limit on baggage. So, I have this set of bands they are like huge rubber bands and I keep them in my suitcase and use them when I am gone. Otherwise, I don't do much excercise unless you consider carrying luggage through airports and hotels with high heels exercise :-). And I have also started swimming in the hotel pools in the evening, I do it more to relax but it is good exercise. I had stopped even taking a swimsuit for years but since I have gotten back in regular sizes I always take one. To answer your question on how much and how loose I will come back and edit in a little while. I am going to ask my husband to help me measure and figure it out.

I think I was more freaked out about all the crap I put in my body by way of my mouth than putting the band in there. I also have several pieces of hardware in my ankle and have for a long time. It just doesn't bother me.

I am with Betty. I eat whatever I want or should I say I can. I always eat primarily protein and salad but I don't say anything is off limits. I get full with very little food so I very seldom eat things that I shouldn't. I can't do breads. I also don't worry about low fat or fat-free (i.e. salad dressing) I only eat enough to use about a tablespoon of dressing so it doesn't really matter.

Waist: 49 Hips: 60 inches Upper Arms: 17 inches Wrist: 7.25 inches Bust: 48 inches Calves: 18 inches Thighs: 28 inches With dieting you can expect to lose roughly 1 inch in waist circumference for each 6 to 8 pounds of body weight loss. If along with dieting you exercise, particularly by lifting weights, you expect to lose even more tummy per pound, although your actual body weight loss may be a little slower. The scale at home is showing between 249-251; this is weighing naked and in the mornings. The scale in the clinic at work showed 266!! This was at 9:30PM and I was fully dressed. There is such a big difference. I think I will shop for a new scale this weekend. I still need to drink more water. I think I am only averaging about 48 ounces a day. I need to get in excess of 64 ounces. I think I would like to get a bit more fill in about another month. Maybe .5. Weight Goal Stats Current Weight Your weight is 250 lb as of 05/31/2006. Weight Goal Your goal is to weigh 199 lb by 08/11/2006 Goal Progress You are currently 51 lb above the target weight. The deadline for your goal is 72 days (10 weeks, 2 days) away. To meet your goal you need to lose about 4.96 lb per week. ******************************************************** Base Metabolic Rate 1,878 * 7 = 13,146 3,500 Calories = 1 lb. to lose 4.96 lb per week = 17,360 -4,214