Jennie1976

I was banded September 6, 2007... Morning (if I can eat or drink anything) is about 1/2 cup milk Lunch: 1/2 Taco Bell taco (or 3-5 bites of anything) Snack: cheese stick Dinner: 3-5 bites of whatever we're having (usually just the protein) Because I have a disease where I have to have a lot of carbs, and I only eat mostly Protein, I usually eat or drink something like ice cream or something else with lots of carbs so that I don't have an attack. I'm sure I would lose more weight if I didn't have to do it, but it's necessary to keep me out of the hospital.

I was reflecting on the past eight months yesterday. I was sitting in the passenger seat of my car. My legs were crossed (Indian-style) on the seat. I had plenty of room. I was sitting on my bed talking to my husband and looked in the mirror. I looked at a booth seat and had to scoot forward to reach the table. I walked through a crowd the other day. It's still new to me, this taking up less space in the world. I take up less space in bed. I take up less space in the car. There's just less of me! I am 209 pounds as of yesterday. I tried on my husband's size 34 shorts. I could get them over my hips...not quite to buttoning them, but they came up where they were supposed to be. I am in size 18s and some 16s. I have lost over 80 pounds. I may not be where I want to be, yet, but I FEEL normal. I don't waddle when I walk anymore. I think that when I get pregnant, I will LOOK pregnant...not just fat. I don't fear meeting people who haven't seen me in awhile (I'm way smaller than ANYONE has seen in about 15 years!). I don't worry that people are staring at me. I have a flight coming up on June. I KNOW I will fit in the seat. I'm going hiking this weekend. I may not be in good shape, but I know I can do it! I'm planning athletic things (hiking, kayaking, etc) with a new friend...and she's not worried if I can keep up. So much in so little time. Bad things too. I see fat people now and wonder why they haven't gotten the surgery. I see people who are bigger than me and thank God it's not me. I'm so grateful, but also relieved. I'M not the freak anymore. Someone else is. It may not be nice, it may not be good, but it's true. I wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn't gotten so fat.

I was reflecting on the past eight months yesterday. I was sitting in the passenger seat of my car. My legs were crossed (Indian-style) on the seat. I had plenty of room. I was sitting on my bed talking to my husband and looked in the mirror. I looked at a booth seat and had to scoot forward to reach the table. I walked through a crowd the other day. It's still new to me, this taking up less space in the world. I take up less space in bed. I take up less space in the car. There's just less of me! I am 209 pounds as of yesterday. I tried on my husband's size 34 shorts. I could get them over my hips...not quite to buttoning them, but they came up where they were supposed to be. I am in size 18s and some 16s. I have lost over 80 pounds. I may not be where I want to be, yet, but I FEEL normal. I don't waddle when I walk anymore. I think that when I get pregnant, I will LOOK pregnant...not just fat. I don't fear meeting people who haven't seen me in awhile (I'm way smaller than ANYONE has seen in about 15 years!). I don't worry that people are staring at me. I have a flight coming up on June. I KNOW I will fit in the seat. I'm going hiking this weekend. I may not be in good shape, but I know I can do it! I'm planning athletic things (hiking, kayaking, etc) with a new friend...and she's not worried if I can keep up. So much in so little time. Bad things too. I see fat people now and wonder why they haven't gotten the surgery. I see people who are bigger than me and thank God it's not me. I'm so grateful, but also relieved. I'M not the freak anymore. Someone else is. It may not be nice, it may not be good, but it's true. I wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn't gotten so fat.

Oh, and what did HE say!?!?

CONGRATULATIONS! That's the next milestone I'm looking forward to! I"m still about 13 pounds away. I bet it feels GREAT!!! Keep up the great work!

Mine is located in the center of my belly, just below my rib cage. I can feel it with no problem if I press down slightly. It is just below my largest scar.

Wow! Wake up on the wrong side of the bed much? I was using a very simple metaphor to explain a very complex idea. I guess the "metaphor" part of it wasn't clear to you. I was just trying to explain why belief in God to Christians is VERY different than belief in nothing (or something that doesn't exist to them) to atheists. The original poster asked a very simple question and I replied with a very simple answer. Your response was rude and condescending. I do not, and never will, agree with you. But I didn't feel the need to be rude or ridicule you. And Gadgetlady: I agree with everything you are saying. I saw a bumper sticker quite awhile ago that made me laugh out loud. Paraphrasing it (as I don't have the picture to show you) it said, "Right now, even Darwin believes in Creationism". Just thought you'd get a kick out of it :-)

What does that have to do with spanking? I was spanked. I am not going to take my parents off life support "a little early". That's ridiculous. Since when did spanking equate to murder?

Today is my 8-month anniversary, and I can't believe it. I am down to 214 (but I DID see 213 yesterday!). I bought a size 16 this morning, and it fits! Yesterday, I had an amazing NSV. About a year ago, my family went to Foster's Freeze. They had little tables with molded chairs. I BARELY fit in the chairs. My boobs were hanging over the table. The table cut into my stomach. I almost didn't fit. Yesterday, we went again. I had that old familiar feeling of, "Will I fit in those chairs?" I wasn't even thinking of last time! I sat down...and I had a good SIX INCHES in front of me! I could sit sideways, front ways, any way I wanted! It was amazing!!! I am now hoping to get pregnant this month. I want SO bad to look pregnant, not just fat. I had originally wanted to be down to 200 before getting pregnant. And I guess it's still a possibility. I'm know it's rare to get pregnant the first month you try. I am now a size 16 or 18. Walmart's 2x clothes are too big. Their 1x clothes are a bit small (only because I have a huge chest still). I can eat 3-5 bites per meal. PER MEAL! And I'm fine with it. I get compliments all the time. And, anyone I now meet, only knows me at this size, not 290. I really don't even remember being this size. I must have been a freshman in junior in high school or so! I STILL can't believe how much has changed in 8 months. It seems impossible. Anyone who told me that I would be a size 16 or 18 in 8 months I would have called a liar. I am now looking forward to being in the 100s. Each day is another milestone. I just can't WAIT to see what happens!!!

Today is my 8-month anniversary, and I can't believe it. I am down to 214 (but I DID see 213 yesterday!). I bought a size 16 this morning, and it fits! Yesterday, I had an amazing NSV. About a year ago, my family went to Foster's Freeze. They had little tables with molded chairs. I BARELY fit in the chairs. My boobs were hanging over the table. The table cut into my stomach. I almost didn't fit. Yesterday, we went again. I had that old familiar feeling of, "Will I fit in those chairs?" I wasn't even thinking of last time! I sat down...and I had a good SIX INCHES in front of me! I could sit sideways, front ways, any way I wanted! It was amazing!!! I am now hoping to get pregnant this month. I want SO bad to look pregnant, not just fat. I had originally wanted to be down to 200 before getting pregnant. And I guess it's still a possibility. I'm know it's rare to get pregnant the first month you try. I am now a size 16 or 18. Walmart's 2x clothes are too big. Their 1x clothes are a bit small (only because I have a huge chest still). I can eat 3-5 bites per meal. PER MEAL! And I'm fine with it. I get compliments all the time. And, anyone I now meet, only knows me at this size, not 290. I really don't even remember being this size. I must have been a freshman in junior in high school or so! I STILL can't believe how much has changed in 8 months. It seems impossible. Anyone who told me that I would be a size 16 or 18 in 8 months I would have called a liar. I am now looking forward to being in the 100s. Each day is another milestone. I just can't WAIT to see what happens!!!

Wheetsin....I think the issue here is not atheism. I will not got see that movie and, if I had kids, they would not be allowed to see it either. Let me explain it this way: Take morality and faith completely out of the question. Murder is illegal. I teach my children not to do it because they will go to jail. I teach them something because of the consequence. In Christianity, the consequence is hell. I will teach my children that anything except Christianity is wrong because, to me, there is a very real consequence. If you do not believe in hell, you do not believe in that consequence; therefore, you have nothing to teach your children. If they believe as you do, great. If not, oh well. And I know not all atheists are that way. Many believe very strongly against believing in any type of religion. And I'm sure they have their reasons. But that is a different situation. In this situation, Christians are trying to avoid the ultimate consequence: hell. That being said, I am all for people protesting whatever they want. If people want to protest a Christian movie, that's cool too. My favorite quote of all time is: I may not agree with what you are saying, but I will fight for your right to say it! P.S. I'm about as conservative as you can get, and you can bet your bottom dollar I will see the new Harry Potter movie at its midnight showing on the day it comes out!!!

Congratulations! I'm not technically regular sizes yet, but Walmart goes up to 18 in their regular department. When I found that out, I bought every skirt they had BECAUSE THEY FIT! This morning, I had to go back. Why? I NEEDED A 16!!!! Of course, now I feel bad about all the money I spent on 18s!!!

I have a very rare genetic disease which requires me to eat carbs. If I don't, I could possibly die. Consequently, bypass was out of the question. When I heard about this surgery, I jumped on it because I could eat carbs (or even drink them if I have to..as I do sometimes) but only a very small amount. So far, it's working great!!!!

It IS supposed to stay on top. This has happened to me as well. But, I have a different take on it. Because the food is supposed to stay on top, I immediately stop eating when this happens. If I have eaten so much that it is forcing the food through, then I have eaten too much. That is my cue to quit! :-) I don't know if that's right or not, but it my somewhat logical way of looking at it.

I can only tell you of my experience. From what you described, I was there right BEFORE my sweet spot. I got one more fill and the difference was huge. When I'm at my sweet spot, I can only eat 3-5 bites of food without throwing up. It doesn't matter how much I chew, it's the amount of food. If I'm stupid and I eat a milkshake or chocolate bar, I can eat more of it. But, when I'm eating regular food, it's only 3-5 bites per meal. After a couple of months being at my sweet spot, I started to lose restriction. I went in for another fill and am back at my sweet spot. Hope that helps!

I actually CAN'T drink after a meal. It just comes right back up. But, if I drink before a meal, I find that it limits what I can eat even more. I don't know if that's typical or not, but it works for me :-)

I sleep on my stomach and ONLY on my stomach. Normally I'm fine, but I can feel the port and it's uncomfortable if the bed is hard or if I am on my stomach on the floor. But, usually I"m fine :-)

If you want a lot of comments, you might want to post this in a forum. There is scarring, but I have MUCH more stretch marks than scarring. And, having lost almost 75 pounds, I wouldn't change anything for the world.

And yet you missed one very important criteria: the ability to reproduce at maturation. As stated before, you can have a "hunk" of heart tissue. It can grow. It needs nutrients. But it will never reproduce. UNLIKE an embryo. And embryo WILL reproduce at maturation. Thus it is a life.

I must have missed it somewhere. I'll look. Sorry. Actually, no it cannot explain living tissue. Living tissue does not follow those guidelines. Living tissue on its own does not have reproduce upon maturity. Living tissue on its own does not grow. These things only happen if that living tissue is attached to an organism that is alive. Heart tissue, while having cells that reproduce, does not reproduce into a new heart. Muscle tissue, again, while having cells that reproduce, does not reproduce into a new biceps. The first part is true. The second is not. I know of no scientists (or science teachers...of whom I know quite a few) that cannot tell the difference between tissue and an organism. I understand not answering questions a hundred times. And, if you read my post again, you will see (hopefully) that I was not trying to make your arguments for you. I was trying to save time as those are the most often made arguments. But I'm glad you did not fall into that category of people who believe that circumstances or other factors that have little to do with the topic are a rebuttal to an argument. I am unclear as to which procedure you are speaking. If you mean implanting the embryo into the womb, I do not have a problem with it. That is to say I do not know much about it. From my small knowledge, I do not see that they are deliberately killing the embryos. If you are referring to genetic selections, then yes, I am for making it illegal. Anything that destroys a sperm/egg combination, to me, should be illegal. As birth control pills allow the egg and sperm to combine, but prevent implantation, I am also for making them illegal. However, if the birth control pill prevents the egg and sperm from meeting, I am very much for them. I am allergic to all birth control pills and, therefore, have researched them very little. So again, this is from very little background knowledge. I only recently (a few years ago) found out that they DO allow the egg and sperm to meet. Since then, I have spoken out against them as well. To simply this, I am for making any deliberate destruction of a joined egg and sperm illegal. Before they are joined, I don't care. After they are joined, it becomes a live human being. And, in my opinion, entitled to the right to life.

I used to have a size goal of about 180. I figured that might put me at or near a size 14, but I have two different goals now. One is where I hope to be and the other is what will probably happen. My goal is to be a size 12. I can't imagine it, being a size 18 right now. But, I know that I will probably end up being whatever size I am when I have to start REALLY working on it. Right now, I'm eating what I want (but only about three to five bites of it) and losing about two pounds per week. When that stops is probably what I will end up being. I might get smaller for awhile, but, knowing my past history with diets, I also know it probably won't last. And that's okay with me! I'm a size 18. 18!!! That's amazing to me by itself.

YES YES YES YES YES!!! I can't WAIT for it to come out! I wasn't allowed to see the first one as a kid (well, my mom covered my eyes over the end anyway), but I had the books, and I read them CONSTANTLY.

I put this in the "thirties" room, but I'm curious what others who had surgery the same time as me say. Okay, I always used to say my favorite body part was my eyes or hair. But, now that I'm losing weight, I want to focus on parts that weren't worth focusing on before. Now, my favorite body part is my legs. My least favorite (still) is my belly. So, DO NOT SAY EYES, HAIR, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAN'T BE IMPROVED FROM WEIGHT!!! Be proud! What's your new favorite body part!!!???!?!??

Snuffy...I don't know if you are deliberately ignoring my last post, or if you just didn't see it. I'm very interested in your reply to a scientific argument. If you are deliberately ignoring it, then I'm sure you'll continue to do so with this post; however, if you just missed it, then I'm hoping you will go back and respond. Thanks either way!

I know I haven't given my opinion, and I hesitate to do so, but it is so interesting to see how different backgrounds and different countries (Jachut...SUCH an interesting post!) influence what we believe. I am absolutely enjoying reading this thread!