TommyO

Here is a thought that you may want to consider, make a list of the criteria you believe makes someone a good person. This is a personal list so you don't need to share it with anyone. Next choose a couple of items on the list that you think you could work on. Then define some actions that would seen as verification of the criteria. An example might be on the list you have writen kindness and charity as qualities of a good person and an action that you could take to show those qualities might be to volunteer with a charity. You can then work on becoming a better person by measuring how you are doing against the actions on your list. Being overwieight does not make you a bad person nor am I trying to imply that you need to work on being a better person. But if you want to focus on something focus on being a better person. You will feel much better about youself and your obsession with weight and weight loss will be diminished because you will feel much better about yourself. Just a thought

Paul, you are beginning to sound like that which you profess to appose. Maybe when someone is passionatte about a topic they come across somewhat overbearing. They might even sound like a know it all or appear to be rude and condescending. Maybe we can all try and keep this in mind before we judge others and make assumptions as to who they are talking about. There is this guy at work and I won't tell you his name because I'm a much better person, it's three letters and it starts with a B and ends with a B. Sometimes it is better to talk to the source of your problems you might be surprised want you discover.

Two points Quote: I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. Author: Voltaire 1694-1778, French Historian, Writer Quote: If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all. Author: Noam Chomsky 1928-, American Linguist, Political Activist Geez I thought you Americans were big on the whole idea of freedom of speech J

I am of Irish decent and my family name begins with O' my first name is Tom, so since I was quite young people have called me Tommy O

Last night I was watching the Olympics with my Wife and our Daughter (16) and Son (13) were in here room hangin out and we could here them laughing. Felt real good

My Highest weight was 420, I was banded at 380 in December 05 and I am now at 340, I am looking forward to 300 some day but It will take some time.

Liana,Imagine how confused I was when I first eneterred this forum, All this talk about a first PB or a bad PB. Man how could these people be so hard on Peanut Butter. Donali, beleive me it's not easy being a Six foot Six ex football player who loves musicals. I know most of the words to most of the songs and I love to sing Oh well off I go,, ohohohohohohoOAklahoma were the.......

Hey Vines nice Tat, I need to tell you a funny story. When I was a kid in grade school I went to a Catholic school and every morning we would start the day with prayer. We were told that we were praying for the "poor pagans" little did I know I was praying for you to get a Tatoo. Oh well that was long ago and far away and I bet none of the nuns had tatoos.

Thanks all, I will stop eating the PB at night it won't be easy as this song is aways in my head Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens and Peanut Butter Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens and Peanut Butter Brown paper packages tied up with strings and Peanut Butter These are a few of my favorite things Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels and Peanut Butter Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles and Peanut Butter Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings and Peanut Butter These are a few of my favorite things Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes and Peanut Butter Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes and Peanut Butter Silver white winters that melt into springs and Peanut Butter These are a few of my favorite things

Heather, I really am looking for advice

Susan, it's funny but in my real life I am considerred more of a fun loving guy who likes to keep it light. I am glad that that came through, it's not something I have done a good job communicating in this forum to date, so thanks for laughing.

This is actually a little funny based on some of the statements posted recently but my gagging happens from eating Peanut Butter later in the evening. I purchase the 100% peanuts only kind but I grew up on peanut butter and I love the stuff, I can't shake it. It seems to stay around in my stomach for along time and it backs up when I fall alseep. Next thing you know I have a mouth full of stuff and I am choking. Peanut butter really did have a significant impact on my life and my weight, it's sort of funny how it has come back to haunt me now in the middle of the night.

I think this forum is going through a period of re-definition. By their very nature social groups define themselves and as role definitions begin to shift some members of the group become unhappy. As the heirarchy is adjusted battles are fought for leadership roles and people verify their positions. Many people struggle with change and it tends to have the greatest impact on the members of the society who feel most comforatble with the status-quo. This last blow up was interesting to to watch, many participants became more vocal some have decided to leave and others have continued on in their usual roles. This is not a phenomenum that happened over night, from my perspective it started some time ago, things began to simmer slowly until we hit the boiling point recently. Alliances have been broken and some of these alliances were alliances of convenience. This would be a good case study for the UN to better understand how society changes over time and how power shifts. Oh yah one more thing I am having trouble sleeping at night, I keep being awakened because I am gaging, any thoughts and/or advice would be appreciatted.

The band experience seems to be different for each person. I am happy I did it and I have lost 80 lbs so far, The first 40 I lost getting ready to be banded. The thing that I find challenging is that losing weight is still hard work and although I know I am resposnisble for my own weight loss I was kind of hoping it would be a litle easier. I am not even close to maintenance program but I know that when I get there it will be tough. The band will be a helpfull tool but it will ultimately be up to me.

Thanks, I have copied your recipe, I love pumpkin and squash and turnip. This will be great. I like to leave a pot of soup on the stove over the weekend that way if you get hungry you can grab a quick cup of soup.

Megan, I agree with you and I have no problem if and when someone decides to no longer be involved with this site. I think you are bang on, this is a very personal journey and it's great to have a place to go and share the experince with individauls who are going through the same thing. I just think that we should all expect to meet people with contrary opinions and that's okay. I believe that it's because of the these differences that participating in this board is a valuable experience. I am a Canadian and we as a people are in many ways similar to Americans and in many ways different. Participating in this forum not only provides me with support as I take this banded journey it also allows me to learn about another culture (Bonus). I just don't think that it's a good idea to leave because of a difference of opinion. If you should choose to leave do it for you, not because of someone else.

In some ways I feel bad for those people who have chosen to leave, alternatively I don't think it has any impact and it is a little imature. There are many, many threads and many, many members so the chances of every thread and every member being to your liking is nill. Reading something you find offensive is not a big deal. Running away from it is a little much. To decide to leave but first post a thread blaming others for your decision is in many ways, just another shot across the bow and it appears to me no different than anything that the person/people you are admonishing has done. You learn and grow as a person from challenging your beliefs and listening to contrary opinions. Running does nothing but make one appear as the spoiled child in the playground who takes the ball and leaves when the game is not going their way

I went to the boxing match the other night and a LapBand discussion broke out. Wham!! Just when you thougt it was safe to go back into the Water. I grew up in a large family, 9 kids and I feeling like I'm back at home.

You can not enforce rules about how individuals engage each other especially in an anonymous forum such as this. Whether I agree with what the person say's or how they say it is irrelevant. If you decide to answer my repsonse and tell me what an ass you think I am I have no control over that. I would be foolish to post here and be surprised when that sort of things happen. We all have our own rules of decorum and although they may be similar they are still vastly different. Any Doctor, Lawyer or short order cook should expect that they will get treated in a similar manner. I may disagree with someone and I may not approve of their approach but I cannot define the rules for anyone but myself.

Stop crying and start smilling, tomorrow you begin a great journey that you won't regret. You have made the right decision. Confucius said "A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" go ahead take that step good luck tomorrow you won't regret it

Doctors who are willing to post on this site should be applauded but they should also be preparred to defend their statements. I can honestly say that the doctor who told people to "get over it" should have been prepared for a backlash. I think it's great that any Doctor would consider participating but this is an emotional world full of emotional people and those people have a right to disagree. They are doctors not Gods and if they choose to enter into a discussion they should be prepared to expect feedback that may not be to their liking.

Not that time of the month for me, this has been the best thread I have followed since I started. I think occasianally it's good for everyone to blow off a little emotion and this thread has accomplished that. Hopefully everyone will be able to get over a few of the bruises that may have resulted and we can get back to talking a about sex. Or as P-Nut would say Butt-F--ing

Sounds like my childhood I'm just happy that I discovered bread

Well It was actually peanut Butter that made me fat, temptation made me naked.

Phew! I feel better now, I thought it was me but now that I know that it's everybody I fell much better. I know this post will go unnoticed but I am actually having fun, for the first time in my life I feel invisible. I think I am going to log this in my NSV chart. Weight Loss to date all of me