Wheetsin

It's amazing how individually we respond. Any PB remedies (pineapple, papaya, tenderizer, etc.) just ensure that my eventual PB tastes like the remedy, and in the case of colored remedies such as the emzyme tablets, are tinted to boot.

I asked my surgeon the usual - procedures complication rates, etc. I also asked him why he does the band. I also asked him - if he wanted to talk me out of the lapband, what would he say? I wanted to see what he considered to be its weak point. Another of his patients asked, if she were one of his family, which of the two surgeries would he want to do on her, and why.

Hahaha, I posted the above message before I read this.

I probably shouldn't admit this, but I'm just a few rungs below phobia with little people. They completely creep me out. Dwarves much more so than midgets, but both to some degree. I know, shame on me, but I can't help it any more than I can help fleeing from a spider.

Not necessarily a matter of should/shouldn't. Some people (I'm one of them) are able to acheive a good amount of restriction with the band itself. In other words, it causes enough restriction to start getting the job done, deflated. Hence my first PB was 3 days post op. :faint:

I can tolerate bread, but I usually choose not to. And I love PBJs. So... if I have a craving, I stir up a spoon of Peanut Butter and a spoon of jelly and just eat it without the bread. Or I've been known to add peanut butter & fruit to a vanilla base Protein drink. I just saw a PBJ ice cream at the store. May have to give that a try one of these days. :car:

I've never come across a food that won't go down. Some things like bananas, processed eggs, applesauce, slimy strawberries (strawberry shortcake style), etc. go down heavier, but will still pass. I think this confuses my surgeon. He uses food tolerance questions to help gauge how much fill is needed. Can we eat bread, chicken, steak, Pasta... yep! My restriction is based on two things - time of day, and time of month. If I PB, it's 2 - 4 days before my period. Right around the same time the scale starts going up. I consider this my monthly PB. And it kind of doesn't matter what I'm eating, everything is fair game. I no longer eat Breakfast, and lunch is Soup 85% of the time. If it's not soup, then I'm only getting down a bite or two before my warning signs start to go off. So usually, if I can't get a soup, I don't eat. After 5 or 6 I'm pretty much wide open. I still get full fast, but I can eat beyond a typical portion and still feel hungry. I can also drink with meals w/o that "uh oh" feeling, which I absolutely can't do earlier in the day. And likewise, for about 2 days, about 4 days after my period, I'm pretty much wide open 24/7. Then I go back to my "regular" restriction until the following month. So so so so so so much of what I've learned in the past 18ish months has been how to listen to my body, and how to pick up on the patterns. With those two things unlocked, I have very, very few surprises.

Well, going by the BMI/ideal weight at my surgeon's office, I have 45 - 55 lbs to go. Looking at my body it seems like a lot more than that, but I'm not good at the whole spatial relationship thing. I went shopping yesterday and picked up 14/16 tops and "2" bottoms (Lane Bryant has a new sizing system). I'm 1 - 2 sizes bigger on bottom than top b/c of my hips. I wanted to get to 14/16 - on bottom too. :car:

I don't remember my starting BMI... 54, 56... something like that. I'm currently around BMI 34 with about 50 lbs to go.

Sorry, that's my food Network lingo coming out. :waytogo: Sweat an onion is cooking it in some type of fat, lightly salted, so that the moisture begins to "sweat" out. I usually do it visually - when the onionns are soft and have started to go clear, they're sweated. And EVOO = extra virgin olive oil.

We had to spend a lot of time talking about things to get to that point. We knew we really liked each other, and wanted to spend more time together, but also knew that wasn't going to happen with me in the US & him in Europe, seeing each other only twice, maybe three or four times a year if we could both get enough time off. We had to figure out what we wanted. It was too hard (the good-byes, not knowing when we'd see each other again), expensive, and lonely to keep at that "L" of a LDR much longer. We had agreed not to date other people, so that we could have a chance with each other, but didn't know what was next. Then we both hit a point where it was like... Ok, either we say "thanks for the fun, nice knowing you" and continue on with our lives, or we make a comittment to be together. One way or another, because what we're doing right now isn't going to cut it for much longer. Neither of us were ready to not have the other in our life, so someone had to move somewhere. I will still in college, he was done. He spoke English fluently, I was at maybe a 2nd grade with his language. His vocation was easily transferable to our workplace, mine was not there, etc. So I worked 3 weeks ahead in school and flew out there to help him pack. While he was at work wrapping up there I would work on emptying out his townhouse. Then when I flew back home, he came with me. We'll have our 10th anniversary in November. :waytogo:

To be honest, and this is just my personal opinion, the lap-band is not the best solution for people who drink excessively (or consume many liquid calories), mainly because of the pure numbers game. The achilles heel of the band is that people can learn to eat around it, and one of the biggest pain points here is liquid calories. I don't know the numbers but I'm going to guess 200 - 500 calories per drink. If you're looking at an average minimum of 4 drinks per day, that's 800 - 2000 calories per day, just on the drinks. Most bandsters are in the 800 - 1200 range, for their total day's intake. Will the abnd still be able to help? Maybe... almost impossible to say. But I'm not sure you'd see a good ROI.

Absolutely, if it's the RIGHT .5cc! At the start of the year I went from 2.5cc to 3cc. At 2.5 I was fairly wide open, but at 3cc I closed off completely and could not even get my own saliva to pass - had to go for an immediate unfill. I was taken down to 2, wide open. Back to 2.5, wide open. But I was afraid to go to 3. So I split the different and went to 2.75. I've stayed there ever since and think I'm as much at a sweet spot as I'll be able to get. So yeah, in my case a half a cc made the difference between open & emergency unfill. And .25cc made the difference between open & sweet spot. I know peopel personally who have gone from open to too tight in as little as 0.1cc.

Lap-band (used generically but actually a registered trademark of Inamed/BioEnterics/Allergan/whatever) comes in three sizes: 9.75cm/4cc 10cm/4cc 11cm (aka VanGuard or VG)/10cc The first number is the band's internal circumference, the second is it volume. I've not looked into the AP (advanced platform) bands so I'm not sure of its specs, but I'd hope the smaller is still larger than 1cc. :waytogo:

I slowed way down, almost overnight. Now I'm a very bursty (not busty!) loser. I might lose nothing for months, then lose 10 lbs. In fact, between March and August of this year, I lost 2 lbs. But since mid August, I've lost 23 (a good part due to an illness so I'd expect it to come back). Even with that half year stall, and all the months where I lost little to nothing, or just fluctuated the same 5# over & over, my overall loss still averaging out to about 8.5# per month, over the last 18 months. Sometimes I have to step back and ponder than number to keep from feeling like it's a lost cause.

Sorry - just now rediscovered this thread. My gall bladder was attacking me and had to get the hell out. The surgery itself went fine - I was literally out shopping the next day. Had more pain immediately post-op, but slept through that night and woke up feeling great. But somehow, coincidence or indirectly related to the operation I know don't know, I ended up with a severe infection of my small intestine. For a few days they knew I had an infection, but coudn't find it. Then the fever got such that I was ordered to the ER, and I didn't get to leave until they found the source. So I was MIA for longer than planned. I missed my LBT. (But between not eating or drinking much of anything for a week and a half, I am down 14 lbs. I know it will come back, but it's oh so nice to see that number on the scale). :clap2:

On the flip side... To your first, I would question anyone who only ordered a side salad. I would be concerned that they didn't feel well, or maybe needed to borrow money but didn't want to ask, or didn't like the restaurant we had gone to. It matters not if they're fat, thin, or anything in between. I think sometimes we expect certain reactions, and find them even when they aren't there. To your second, IMO, because it's an easily identifiable physical characterisitc. Especially if being stated by two non-fat people. I am fat, and I have red curly hair. Both are physical traits, and for me, equally likely to narrow down a group of people to just me. Why would "the one who's overweight?" bother you more than "the shorter one" or "the black one"? People tend to go for the characteristic that's most obvious and least like themselves (unless it's exactly like themselves, because then they can make an easy comparison statement such as, "like mine but a little shorter" or "about this same color"). As to the third, my firm belief is because they can.

I wasn't always fat, and then was fatter than most people here, so I've definitely seen both sides of it. I can tell you that people now treat me no differently than they did when I was at this point on my way up. BUT, I grew so accustomed to the -- not unpleasant treatment, just lack of anything -- from people, that it now hits a little harder. I wasn't really teased or mocked while MO, but I was ignored, and invisible except for the people who would do a double-take. And not in a good way. I still feel like people are looking at me because I'm so fat they can't believe it. I know that's no longer the case, but it's a head game. Only now when they're looking, they come up and talk to me, or compliment something I'm wearing, or ask how I did my hair. Before, they just looked, then looked away.

Most people lose some restriction over time. Hence more fills. Did you feel the same way with your other fills, or were you tighter? Lots of possibilities. It could be that you're falling into a restriction pattern. For a while I was tight, and PBed a handful of times a week. Then I rather suddenly hit this "groove" where I could see restriction patterns, and they were WAY different than what I'd had before. You could be seeing the results of the fat around your band area shrinking. Picture a tight watch on a fat wrist, then the person loses weight, the wrist gets skinnier, and the watch suddenly fits much looser. I've seen many, many people reporting that they are wide open right after a fill, only have it clench down 1, 2, even 3 weeks later.

I went through something similar during my first year. My surgeon wouldn't want to fill me b/c he was afraid I would be too tight, even though I knew I wasn't. Then he thought maybe my starting weight had been written down wrong, but I had my med records to back it up. However, I never got a cross word from him, just lots of congratulations (after all, it makes him look that much more successful, no?). He also does RnY so maybe the drastic losses don't shock him as much? I don't know. The "worst" I've had was having to compromise on 1/4cc fills when I wanted 1cc, because he was convinced that to lose like I had, I must be tighter than I was indicating. Man, I miss those days!!

I met my husband in Europe. At the time, we were both with other people, but our relationships were a tad on the rocks. We really got along and had a spooky amount of things in common, which never happens for me. None of the daily things like favorite movies, music, etc. -- but all of the stuff that IMO makes or breaks a relationship. We called it our "right person, wrong time" moment. I returned home and life progressed as it does. We both found ourselves single. But living 6k miles apart, what do you do? Letters, obscenely expensive phone calls, and a lot of "someday"s later my college got email, and as soon as I realized that I could email people outside of my own school, things kind of took off. Then came prehistoric tools like ytalk (please tell me someone here knows what this is)... we're talking the days where Mosaic was a hot thing, but Lynx was commonplace. 2 years after we met, I went back to visit him. During those 2 years, we commuicated online almost every day, sometimes for 10+ hours a day. About a year into it he took a job programming for a European phone company that owned their own lines so he could call me for free, that helped. So, even though we didn't meet online, we developed online. Long before online dating was normal or even heard of. My friends all thought it was really weird. How could I have feelings for someone that I had just met? It wasn't like we were "real," we just talked online.

I don't watch much tv at all so I haven't seen this show many times - perhaps 2 or 3, and probably never saw an entire episode. So I understand that I may not get the larger picture of what's going on. Knowing that, the concept of this show really makes me mad. Just like so many shows like it do. They take people who know they have a problem, and (I assume) really want help overcoming it, and then try to sabotage them for ratings. This is probably 2 years ago, at least, but I caught a preview for an upcoming season of this show. It showed people crying while exercising, etc. -- and I remember them showing a long clip of one very large lady bawling and crying like a baby, blabbering out something like I just want food!!! Please just let me eat. I need to eat!!" I thought that was so disgusting. I thought it gave America exactly the picture of obesity they wanted. But I understand it gets the ratings. I have this conversation with the tv crowd I work with (the ppl who can tell you everyone's name and who their allied with, who's doing who, etc.) and they say "But these people know that's going to happen." That's fine, but the idea of trying to sabotage these people's progress still irritates me. I'd rate it along with "Temptation Island."

Don't have the patience to edit so I wanted to add - when I say don't buy silken, that's assuming you want to use the tofu as some type of meat substitute or cook it in such a way that you want it to hold its shape. That's why I specified using silken as a swet substitute, but now that I've re-read, I'm not sure that was clear. :car:

I eat tofu all the time. Here are some tips, and my favorite recipes. (I made them up, so bear with the unexact nature). Tips: Don't buy SILKEN tofu. Not even "FIRM SILKEN". SILKEN tofu is too soft for cooking, and falls apart. Any time I hear something like "I've tried to cook tofu but it just falls apart" I know they're working with SILKEN, which is probably close to Jello in firmness, and it's best as a substitute for wet things like cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream, and soft cheeses. Buy tofu that does not have SILKEN on the package (aka firm tofu). If you absolutely cannot find FIRM tofu, buy the firmest SILKEN you can find (extra firm) and dry it out by placing it between two folded towels or several layers of paper towels, place a try on top to distribute the weight, and place a book or even a few cans on top of the tray. Let sit at least 2 - 3 hours. Even then, you will not get the same firmness as you would from FIRM tofu. (It's not a bad idea to do this regardless, unless you're buying pre-flavored tofu, but to have any chance with SILKEN tofu it's required). Remember that tofu has zero-to-"green" flavor on its own, and needs some help. A friend at work said she tried tofu and hated it. Well yeah, she had just peeled it open and taken a forkful. Recipes: My favorite recipe. Sorry I don't have exact measurements. Slice 1 or 2 packages of extra firm tofu into 1/2" strips. Mix about 2 cups of no pulp OJ, maybe 3 tbls of honey, 3 tbls of brown sugar, 1 tbl of sesame oil, 1 tbl rice vinefar, a few tbls of Thai spicy peanut sauce (I like the Bangkok or Archer Farms brands the best), and a cup - cup and a half of soy sauce. Marinate the tofu slices in the mixture at least 4 hours. Remove the tofu, keep the marinade. Get a skillet hot and add sesame oil, then fry the tofu. It's hard to burn tofu, so I don't have an exact time to fry it, I just do it until it's brown and crispy on the outside. While it's frying I baste it with small amounts of the marinade & add'l peanut sauce. When the tofu is fried, remove and pour the marinade into the skillet. Reduce it until it's a thick, carmelized sauce. If it's not carmelizing nicely, add a bit more brown sugar or honey. It may take a while, bit you'll get the reduction eventually. I eat the tofu plain, and serve it over Basmati rice for DH, with some of the sauce drizzled over. DH's favorite. As above, slice the tofu in 1/2: strips. Mix 2 eggs with a tsp of milk. It's a fat fried dish, so mix up your crunchy coating of choice. I use breadcrumbs (forget the brand but they come in a yellow can and have aged romano mixed in), parmesan, asiago, a pinch of garlic powder, a tiny dash of oregano, and a pinch of salt. Dip in egg, dip in coating, then repeat so they're double dipped. Pan fry in peanut oil. Then I do one of two things - serve it with marina sauce and Pasta, or make bruschetta to go with it. Bruschetta: I sweat 1 medium chopped onion and add it to a hot skillet with EVOO. Salt lightly to draw out the moisture. When it's softened, add 2 cloves of fresh chopped garlic. Then I add in 2 cans of diced tomatoes. I cook this until it starts to get thick, and then I add a can of chicken broth, 1/3 at a time, cooking until reduced each time. Line a baking tray with either hard bread chips, or pre-toasted slices. Top each piece with the tomato mixture and a small heaping pile of cheese (I use a combination of parmesan reggiano, asiago and provolone that I grate up & blend while the chicken broth is cooking out). Bake at 350 for about 20 mins, or until the cheesy is browned & bubbly.

DH & I are planning a family trip to Orlando for 6, our expense. We're leaning toward renting a villa over staying in a hotel. I've found tons of villas online, but I've noticed that most of the owners have UK email addresses and do not offer phone numbers to contact them. Several also require cash, check or MO payment. So my question to you guys - are there known "scams" that locals are aware of, but tourists continuously get trapped in? (Every city has at least one "haha, stupid tourist" pitfall that locals are aware of!) Any rental companies or people that you know, in particular, to avoid? How about any you know are legitimate?