Apples2

My doc put in the 14cc band. When they got in there he was not going to put the band on me and just close me up due to the fact that my heital hernia was extremely large and he didn't think the band would stay in place. He said the band had to sit where the hernia was. He did give me my band based on the fact that I had worked really hard to get over 50lbs b/4 surgery. To this day I have had no problems. Had a number of hernias repaired 3 month after band surgery and same doc said band looked great and in position just like it should be. Have a total of 5.5cc's in band after 2 fills

I get it at WalMart. Comes in container about 5oz. Oikos is the brand name that I use. I buy the fat free because that is all I can get. Has 15gr protein. I love it. I am usually tight in the morning and I have my coffee about 6 and get the yogurt in about 9. I use it as a snack once in awhile also. It is thicker than reg yogurt and keeps me fuller longer.

Cathy...by the way...now not driving to FL. Going to fly. Main reason being is that we will only spend a little over a month there instead of two. My son moved from FL to Atlanta last week. We are just going to rent a car for a month and drive the 8 hours a couple of times to go see him. (We didn't want to spend our entire 2 months on the road!) So, will not be traveling thru TN. Maybe next year. Gotta see where we pick our vacation spot for next year. Not sure if it will be FL. Long will be down visiting her folks the same time we are there. Going to try really hard to be able to meet up with her. I was looking forward to meeting you. Darn!!!!

Hey Cathy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! About time you showed yourself around here again!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Having a hard time remembering WHO started this thread. Oh yeah...YOU! LOL Sounds like you have had your share of keeping busy. I, too, am getting the house ready for Christmas. I am OC when it comes to decorating for the holidays. Love, love, love it.

Market...your best bet is to start a thread asking if there are any other celiac banders.

I also ate about 600-700 cals a day and was very active. But, everyone is different. I now need at least 1200-1500 cals a day to maintain. Actually, during the weight loss stage I felt wonderful and had lots of energy. I think getting adequate Protein was a huge factor. Like Jachut, I am long and lanky and took off about 120% of my excess weight. By staying active I was able to keep muscle tone (well as much as a 53 yr old woman can have!) My doc was fine with the extra 20%. I carried sooooooooooooo much of my excess through my torso and the extra 20% took care of that problem. Wishing you luck. Follows your doc's rules and you should do just fine.

Charlene...smart to go to doc and let him know what is going on. Hope an unfill helps!

Denise..sounds like things are working for you with the reflux problem taken care of. My wish for you is to be able to get your fills without the problem coming back. I am sure you are somewhat paranoid about getting fills but gotta try it. I have been so lucky. I have had two fills, eat my regular portions and no hunger for up to 4 hours. Everyone is so different and hard to give advice on fills. I have been stuck twice and both times was on deli meat. That's off my menu! Please keep us informed as you get your fills and how you are doing. JoAnne...THIS IS YOUR BIG WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!! As I have said b/4, you have a great attitude going into this and have done your homework going into this. You will do just fine. Just remember to be patient in those first six weeks b/4 your fills. I kept SF Jello on hand, popsicles, etc. to carry me through. I could have never given up my coffee either. In fact, I am brewing a pot right now. I have a stainless steel (inside and out) pot that I put it in and it keeps it so fresh and drink throughout the day. Once in awhile put SF DiVinci syrup in for a treat. Happy to hear that Abbie is out at least a bit and running and playing. Hopefully she will get back on her food and become stronger. I know exactly where you are coming from...my puppa is EVERYTHING to me. He replaced my boys when they moved out 10 and 8 years ago. Love, love, love my dog. (My boys too!) DeeDee...you were asking for samples of what others eat... Typical day for me is: B-Greek yogurt with Splenda and small amount of Fiber One L-3.5 oz of protien. Salmon, chicken, steak (hamburger of any kind does not sit well) Veggies or fruit D- Same as above S-Always treat myself each evening to 100 cal pack of popcorn and throughout the day will have SF Jello or 100 cal 1/2 cup FF icecream. I do two snacks a day. My doc is very stern on no snacks. Just 1/2 cup three times daily. Went below my goal weight and had to throw the snacks in. Did not have any snacks while in the weight loss mode. Stuck to doc's rules during that time. I am just careful that everything that goes in my mouth on most has good nutritional value. I do treat myself on special occasions and have bday cake, a bar, etc. Can't totally cut everything out and feel deprived. As far as exercise...I walk the treadmill about 4 miles 5xweek when it is cold outside. Otherwise, same amount of walking outside. I also run my two sets of stairs in my house for extra exercise for about 20 minutes a day. We live 15 miles away from anywhere so do not want to spend my time on the road to go to a gym. (I work out of the home). You will do just fine. Take a listen to what others are doing and cut the foods out that you feel are holding you back some (if there are any). Bump up the physical activity up a bit if you feel you are not doing what you should. It really does not take a lot of exercise to make a difference. I am not telling you not to exercise. But, if it is not your thing, try getting at least a 30 minute walk in a day. And...never feel inadequate if you are losing a bit slower than someone else. Be proud of everything you have accomplished. K

When I was 20 I ended up in a hospital for close to three months. (Pancreatitis caused by physical injury). Gastric tube, etc. and was bedridden most of the time in hospital. I was a young and vibrant woman prior to becoming ill. I could not believe how being bedridden ravaged my young body. Where I used to have calves, the skin hung. I was a volleyball player in collage and also on the track team prior to this. My arms actually hung. It took me 9 months of hard work to get back to where I was to begin with. I cannot be convinced that plopping into a bed for a knee injury would be advice that a doc (any doc worth his salt) would give.

Been missing you girls. Away for a couple of days and have not caught up on everything on this thread. Boos...Thanksgiving did not throw me for a loop. I know why...I am around the equivalent of Thanksgiving meals every day since I cook for my farm gang. Baking, cooking, canning, etc. I do know what you girls are talking about though with the temptations. It was a huge adjustment for me in the beginning to quit sampling my wares!!!!!! We had a great TG with friends. Stayed over night, shopped the next day. Stayed clear of any malls or huge stores like WalMart. Hit main street and all the exclusive little shops. Was great. Didn't buy any Christmas gifts but purchased the rest of the serving dishes for my Sorrento dinnerware. Didn't break the bank but have been putting off buying them cuz they are a little spendy. Just bit the bullet and got it done. They were 30% off so a good time to do it. Snowing here...huge flakes. My guys are still working in the fields. Out in the wind, snow and cold. Finishing up repairing tile intakes. Today should be their last day. I finally get my DH back after months of workaholism! :thumbup:

Hey Denise...have been meaning to ask you if your unfill completely took care of your acid reflux problem. Also, have you had any fills after? I have been away and not keeping up with my threads, so if I missed it, sorry. Just concerned on how you are doing.:thumbup:

Beth...there are studies relating sleep deprivation with weight gain, especially in menopausal women. Some studies state that with sleep deprivation comes stress. With stress comes eating because of stress. (Sorry, don't have those studies at my fingertips to quote). I gained an enormous amount of weight during menopause and I was sleep deprived due to extreme hot flashes. I do not agree with OP though on staying in bed and letting the weight fall off. Gotta move in any way that a person can. If I sat on my butt during weight loss stage, I would be afraid to look in the mirror to look at my saggy a$$. It was difficult at first to exercise but with pushing myself came the ability to exercise more with each phase.

First of all...want to send thanks to your DH for defending our county and to you for everything you are going thru because of your DH's deployment. Hang in there. I know what a tough job it can be for you. I am not a spouse but both my boys are in the service and my oldest was a gunner in Iraq for a year. I befriended a lot of the young mothers in our unit and know it is not an easy job to keep things in tact during deployment. My oldest son is out of the service now and does not have to go back with his unit when they deploy in the spring. I am co-chairing our family readiness group (started 3 mo. ago). At least I feel like I am doing SOMETHING to help out. My youngest son has been in the service for nine years and has 4 remaining. Anyway, "hugs" to you and your family. Just doing what you have preparing for your DH to leave is very stressful. As you said, you didn't lose but you didn't gain either so you are keeping yourself on track under the circumstances. You do have the right attitude about getting busy now that your DH is gone and making a difference b/4 you see him again. Something you aim for. I admire your determination. That's what it takes! God Bless you and your family.

Happy Thanksgiving Junies!!!!!!!!!!! It's been nice to have you guys for support and just someone to visit back and forth with. Enjoy your turkey!

To my special LB friends. Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. You are all so great. That soft spot to go to when you need someone to understand. A most special thanks to Janet for the time you take every day to help. I have never seen you turn anyone down or turn them away by being too harsh. You are one fantastic lady!

Whisper....first of all I would talk to my doc and ask his advice on what he feels a healthy BMI would be for you. My doc and I discussed this early on in the process and came to an agreement which we were both happy with. You have to be happy with the end result. I reached goal in Oct and am really getting tired of the "too thin" comments. My BMI is 22 (normal range). I fell wonderful and am happy with where I am at. I think part of it is that a lot of people who are making comments have not seen me since I started this process and are shocked when they see me at the weight I am now. I am by no means too thin. My answer to them is: "I am not too thin, I am finally healthy". It's tough to hear it most of the time. I have worked so hard at this to get to goal. I think "Why can't people just be happy for me and proud of what I have done?" I know most people mean well but then there are those few friends where I think the green eyed monster has taken over and the comments can sting. (It's usually friends that are over weight). Hang in there. Find a weight where you think you will feel happy and healthy. This is all about you, girl!!!!!!!!!!!!

Janet...yep, I'm a calorie counter. Learned a long time ago that when keeping things in check...count calories. I don't do it daily because I am so used to estimating with what I eat now and have been more concerned about nutritional value since I got the band. When I cook or bake I usually know what the cal count is per 3-4oz serving. Sounds like you have a busy weekend. I cannot wait to have grandchildren to spoil and to spend time with. I just borrow the neighbor's children for the time being. Your sf pie sounds wonderful. I make one similar but do it in cake pan and cut in squares. Have a great weekend!

Allie...you will get back on track. Just think about how your sister will react the NEXT time she sees you when you have all your weight off. Keep that in the back of your mind to keep you focused. Happy Thanksgiving you and all the Daily News girls. Sending love your way:wub:

Evening Girls.... Nope, Janet, I do not eat sweets but when I do baking and cooking, I try to do low fat and and bake as much as I can with splenda and whole wheat. You would not believe what fat free sour cream can do for whole wheat muffins and bars...makes them so moist you cannot tell there is whole wheat in them. My DH and the other guys don't even notice I am not baking with sugar. Hope everyone had a good day. If I forgot to congrat you on your last scale victory, Long, sorry. You are doing so well. Just hope everyone gets through Thanksgiving without getting down on themselves. A treat once in awhile is a good thing. But, what's even better is the power to get right back on track. I know we all have things to be thankful for this season. The one thing that I am most thankful for is getting my health back to where it should be. I was truly scared a year ago. I think what keeps me on track is thinking back to that time now and then. It reminds me to never go back.

I was like Lulac....avoided the mirrors at all cost. I did the LB mostly because I felt like CRAP ALL THE TIME. The first thing that would go through my mind in the morning and the last thing at night was how awful I felt and looked. 15 years ago I was 130lbs...felt wonderful and looked wonderful. Today I am 130lbs....feel wonderful and look wonderful. Anything I went through in the last year was sooooooooooooo worth it! I have always had the ideal life with my DH and two sons. But, because of my weight I felt everything was out of control because I could not control my hunger. I was born hungry. Now I only think of food for nourishment. I do not miss: The disgusting sweat under my boobs and lower stomach. Even if I had just showered, I felt unclean. Taking ten minutes just to roll over in bed. Having a huge stomach between me and my DH (who has always been in shape) while making love. A persistent cough while laying down because my upper body weight was choking me. Not being able to walk more than 50 feet without getting winded. Aching EVERYWHERE...sore knees, sore joints, aching muscle. All the aches and pains left with the first 40lbs. Having to buy horribly ugly clothes because that's all I could fit into. Tshirts and elastic waist pants. 20 years ago was voted best dressed by our Chamber of Commerce. It sucks the big one to wear a tent for 15 yrs. when I knew what it was like to pride yourself in how you looked. Looking good is just a perk in this whole deal. Always being on the run cuz I feel so great is the biggest benefit. Not avoiding people that knew me b/4 the "tent stage of life". Having people come up to me and say "The old you is back" just about makes me cry.

OH OH:unsure: Am I going to get a lecture from Janet for posting the noon menu????????????? I'm scared. Don't make me wait Janet...

JoAnne...so sad about the news of Abbie's test results. Just cuddle her up and be the mom you always have to her. I am sure she knows she is loved. Our baby is a 100# black lab that sits on my DH's lap in the recliner every night. They snore in unison. He is EVERYTHING to us. We got him when we became empty nesters and he filled a huge gap. I hope Abbie is comfortable and has many happy days in her future. "Hugs"

Janet...thanks for the reminder of Phyll's bday... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAL PHYLL HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi gang...have not posted much the last couple of weeks. Something needs to give with my volunteer jobs. I am busy full time four days a week plus still have all my farm and business bookwork to catch up on. I am ready for a break. It's so difficult to give up any of it because I love it. I am going to give up the scheduling part of it though. I schedule all of the volunteers at the hospital and it is a thankless job. I get waaaaaaaaay too many calls at home from little old ladies that panic because they are not in the same spot they were last month. Can only put so many in the 10am-12pm slot when there are only 5 days a week!. I figure when I wake up during the night worrying about it and I have calls at 6:30am over this scheduling....it's time to give it back to a PAID person at the hospital to do it. Whew!!!!!!!!!!! Having a good week. Been doing some baking (special little cookies, candies) to take to our friends for Thanksgiving. Going to dear friends, staying over and shopping the next day. Have NEVER ventured out on the biggest shopping day of the year. Will give it a try. My friend does not cook or bake so I will be doing some cooking also. And....I literally need to take all the serving dishes I have cuz she does not own any. She never entertains. I talked her into at least looking for some the day we shop. It's still difficult for me to get in all the calories I need for the day. I am trying really hard and most days get what my body needs. I know I am not too tight but pretty difficult to get quality calories in a half a cup. I'm doing OK but it seems like more work than figuring out what to eat when I was losing. It will all work itself out with time. I just really want to maintain and realize this will be a lifetime job. Hope everyone is doing well. Thinking of you JoAnne and Sooverit and your upcoming surgeries. Anyone else??????? Hope I didn't leave anyone out. Have not taken the time to catch up on my threads. First time ever. Well, better get ready for the guys coming in for dinner. I think I only have six today. Menu is: Taco/rice hotdish made with Italian sausage, homemade faccocia bread, banana pineapple bundt cake. OOOPS...hope I didn't make anyone hungry...actually it was kind of a tease!!!!!! Nasty me!!!!!

Hey Allie...try not to get disgusted with yourself but don't wait until AFTER Thanksgiving to get your ass in gear. Turn it around today and it will be easier for you to make good choices and avoid the goodies on Thanksgiving. If baking is something that triggers eating things you should not....QUIT BAKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck getting back on track. Do it today!!!! "Hugs"