tapshoes

I too did it in stages. I started practicing my chewing (and even typing it, it looks strange) pre-banding. I removed my glass from the dinner table as step 2. Smaller plate - Step 3. Dessert fork not regular fork - Step 5. Since banding I have had my first (and I hope only) painful reminder of the 'chew chew chew' mantra. I am still working on putting my fork down between bites. I am a work in progress, I guess. Chew chew chew.

Congratulations Jamie, that's a great achievement...and it is only the beginning.

Your toaster is toast.

Such great pics! My first challenge will be to find a picture - I was/am very talented in the 'avoid the camera' lifeskill. My second challenge will be to post it; previous experiences in posting pics had them so large you could count the freckles! I shall try.

Welcome officeslave! As babedoe4 mentioned there is lots of information on this board but always remember everyone's experience will be slightly different. You won't necessarily lose weight at the same rate as others, you won't have the same experiences with fills or foods getting stuck, and your body will not respond the same way. I have never thought of myself as competitive, but sometimes I look at the total weight lost in X weeks by different posters and feel discouraged that mine is not keeping pace; compared to others though, I am ahead. Remember the mantra - the band is a tool; use it properly to achieve results.

I feel like proclaiming 'Today I am a bander'! Not because I got my band, but because I passed (suffered??) my first initiation - the rite of the first PB. OWWWWW!!!:eek: I knew about it, had read reams about them, thought I would be able to avoid them because I knew and practiced the rules. I practiced before getting the band, and since banding have passed the other stages (liquid, mushies, bandster hell, first fill, second fill) with nary a glitch. But, alas, the gullet is greater than the fork! Sorta like childbirth - until you experience it, you cannot imagine it. Reading, researching and conversations do not adequately describe it. It is beyond description - although I do recall someone on this forum referring to it as the golf-ball from hell. Gotta say, to me it was more like a flaming soccerball! Whatever you call it, ouch!:thumbup: So, I guess I hereby annoit myself (with slime) - a bandster!

My instructions were fluids for 24 hours, then resume normal eating. The rationale was the same though - to reduce stress on the stomach.

Youse guys, I jus cant git dis tread ou o my mine.:rolleyes2: I believe it is a speech crisis; we are losing the ability to speak! Some more of my peeves: Statistics NOT sta-stis-tics In my own house, in my own opinion etc. The 'my' expresses possession, therefore own is redundant. Paradigm shift - oh dear heavens, please, please, please STOP IT. DH wants to live long enough to see then end of the word 'like' as in "like I was saying, Like you know'. We are too lazy to pronounce final consonants on words but we can add meaningless words into a sentence? Another word that can be retired: awesome! But, oh fellow word afficianados, please, what is the correct pronunciation of Caribbean? DH and I argue this one.

Quote: I had an otherwise perfectly rational friend, who was convinced the entire dinosaur bones/earth is older than 8000 years thing was flat-out evidence of the existence of and direct work of Satan. And she was serious. Jack - I had a friend who was/is steadfast in her opinion that an individual with an extremely high IQ is proof of that aliens co-exist with us. She is very religious, and believes that we were the 'dry run' for other creations; aliens are God's 'new and improved' creation I guess.

As children, my siblings and I were punished, we were never spanked. Do you know what 'torture' it is (for a child) to sit next to the sibling with whom you have been having a rousing good fight, without touching, looking, or talking to each other, all under the watchful eye of my Dad? We called it getting the 'Hairy eyeball' - his eyes would squint, and we would just see this slit of ice blue eyes, and believe me, we sat. We sat still. We sat very still. It seemed the time was interminable, but in reality it was 5 minutes, 10 if we so much as looked askance at our foe. Any offense meant time on the couch (no TV in the room) watched by the never-blinking Hairy eyeball (HE). That became a threat too - watch out, or you'll get the HE. At his funeral, my sibs and I chatted about it, and all agreed, HE worked. We were never hit (with hands or belts or anything else) but we were disciplined. The children of us have had the same treatment - you are removed from the situation, isolated, quieted and observed. Does the state have the right to interfere? At any point when a child is endangered we all have a responsibility to 'interfere' - to protect any child is part of being a responsible adult and caring human. But as for the role of government, I am conflicted. No one solution is guaranteed to satisfy all needs in any situation. Who is to say what is right or not?

Big baby (over 10lbs at birth), but was never fat as a child. I was however positively HUGE compared to my skeletal sister and brother. So although I wasn't fat, I thought I was; an earlier poster stated it - a self-fulfilling prophecy. By the twenties, after university the weight gain started. Slowly at first but then more and more. I would diet, lose some, gain more - most of us know the result. It took my 50th birthday for me to grow up or something and say 'enough is enough'. My skeletal brother and sister still are, and not by intent or diet. They just are. But most times I forgive them this sin.

Kat, you may me spill my after dinner coffee! - Most people own Dust Buster vacuums, I need a Bust Duster....... I'm still giggling, and it is true for me too! Of course, now I've coffee spilled on 'the girls' as well!:rolleyes2: I was quite interested in the responses above and although I have only been on this journey to Band-land since Feb, I am pleased to say I can echo some of the comments. I found my waist (imagine an inside curve of the body instead of an outside one), and am wearing belts. Last week, I tucked in a shirt for the first time in years. :biggrin: The possibilities continue.

Heather - Congratulations! This is a fabulous achievement.

I know exactly what you mean. I finally cleaned out my closet (for this size anyway) and divided the clothes into donation or tailoring. I had beautiful custom made business suits which were still perfectly good - those will be re-tailored to my final size. Other suits and casual clothes I took to a woman's shelter - sometimes it is just the thing someone needs to get them through a first interview for a new job. Nothing was worn, frayed, or stained, and although DH thought I could sell them, I decided the hassles of selling/consignment stores was just not worth the money. Maybe others would (and more power to them) but just not me. But even with those considered thoughts, it was still gut-wrenching (no pun intended) to part with some of my 'comfort clothes'.

I'm exhausted just reading the things some of you do! I walk to and/or from work 35 minutes - and it is a brisk non-stop 35 minutes. I know that I should do more and could do more, but just haven't done it. I checked out Curves, and said, nope. I checked out the local Y (a much better deal financially IMO), but the nice weather is finally here, and, and, and. Have I mentioned I am queen of excuses? What I need is a Jachut motivational CD to play; I am always so impressed with your energy and insights!

'Twas my own fault. You know the 'chew chew chew' command? Do NOT break it! I did not chew my bite of salmon well enough...truth be told, it was more like I just opened my mouth and inhaled it! Results - OUCH!!! :crying: Never again. never never never again.

I had my 'initiation' into band-hood with salmon. But I know it was due to the bite-size (open mouth, inhale!). So far I have learned from that and have enjoyed without difficulty all foods...in moderation, of course. But no food has presented a challenge. I am considering whether or not to have my 3rd fill, as I seem to be losing steadily (not quickly), and am able to eat everything so why tempt fate?

Angie4b1g...wow. 'nuff said.

" It's actually only 35 pounds since surgery. " only 35 pounds - are you kidding? that's phenomenal. Congratulations!!! I

TV and I rarely interact with one notable must-not-miss/do-not-interrupt-while-I'm-watching shows, and that is '24'. I'm with you IMA Snowbird, I am going through withdrawal! Other than that, when I have been forced to watch TV, it is oldies-but-better than what's on now shows such as MASH. NO reality shows. When I heard people discussing the Biggest Loser at work, I thought they were referring to a show about horrid dating experiences!

...be naked! My clothes would fall off if I were suddenly thin! And I don't think that would go over well in the office.:crying: Seriously, if I were to my target weight, I don't know what other thing I would do. I would (I hope) just enjoy them more - dancing, cycling, travelling, etc. Oh, I just thought of something. I would go in-person to a clothing store and try on outrageous outfits just for the fun of it! Imagine slinky little gold lame dresses, or red-carpet worthy gowns...but not in black! Vibrant alive 'look at me' colours!

I was banded yesterday. My husband (bless him) went to the store to stockpile the assorted juices, waters etc. The post-op sheet from the clinic stated I should have something called Endura as a snack; the store didn't know what is was but the pharmacist suggested Ensure. AS the clinic is closed today. I don't know if they are similar...after spending all this money to have the procedure , I am NOT risking even the hint of failure by not being 100% compliant. So does anyone know - are Endura and Ensure equivalent? PS. I 'lurked' for a few weeks before surgery and you were all wonderfully helpful in asking the questions I was too shy to ask. Thanks!!

Fabulous Boo-Boo! Congratulations on your pics, and this NSV. You do all lap-banders proud!

Just when you think you have seen it all - In the car ahead of me, the driver was brushing his teeth! Yes, brushing his teeth. A multi-lane highway at high speeds, and he is performing his morning rituals! Brush brush, swill some Water from a cup and then spit back into the cup. I was flabbergasted, and yet in one of those 'can't take your eyes off of it although repelled' experiences, I kept watching. Part of it of course was to ensure that he didn't suddenly jam on the brakes to floss or something!

I posted in the 50's thread my 'Now I am a bandster' story. I understand completely - you are not delighted that food made a reverse trip up your gullet, but it does confirm that you have a band, and it is working! Once is quite enough; I hope not to repeat the experience. But truly, it is like I passed an initiation rite so I belong, I really belong! Congratulations!