HeatherO

Oh . . . and by the way, I have no idea what a parrothead is, lol. It must be interesting :0)

I am on FB as well and have many friends that are on this site as well. However, I don't talk about banding on FB and unless people know me from here, they don't know I am banded. If you would like to connect on FB just send me a PM :0)

Hello everyone, I have a fill today which I desperately need . . . thank goodness. Not to mention how timely it is considering Thanksgiving is only 2 short days away.

I am not so worried about the turkey or chicken, I'll just take the trophy :0)

<<<<Judy>>>> I am happy that Bob can perform the services. <<<<Pamela>>>> November is almost over, thank goodness. Laura, good luck with Santa. Some of us have had terrible experiences with that, lol. My son was 10-11 months when he first met Santa . . . he cried like as if he thought he was going to be eaten alive. Needless to say . . . not a good picture, lol. I did get a picture later however. I went to a party and santa was there. I went over without my son seeing him, put him in his lap and kept his attention long enough to get a picture before he looked up and screamed his head off. TracyinKS, welcome back and congratulations on getting your life back. It is so worthwhile to make changes and get "free" Hello to everyone else . . . I hope you all have a really enjoyable week. :0)

Me, me, me, me me :0)

I am still not exactly sure what we are doing for thanksgiving. I have a thanksgiving party on Saturday which I will attend. I have family coming Saturday morning as well. My bother has invited me to come down (2+ hour drive) on thanksgiving which will be held at the moose lodge with around 50 family members. He has been a moose for a couple of years now but I have no idea what one is or how one becomes a moose, lol. We have had several family events there now.

There is almost no benefit to eating the majority of these items (although some are fortified with added Vitamins so if you don't get your vitamins elsewhere it helps a little). Highly processed foods or sugary foods are not very good for the body. However, good carbs such as whole grains, fruits and veggies can and should be eaten in moderation It really depends on what it is . . . a whole grain wrap or an apple can be good for you, a little debbie snack cake isn't contributing much towards your health.

coffee seems to suppress my hunger as well. I didn't drink soda for the first year but during pregnancy when I was unfilled, I started drinking a little here and there because I thought being unfilled, everything flushes through the system quickly and there is less risk. However, sadly, my band slipped while I was in the hospital having my daughter. I had to get my band replaced in September. I had a badly dilated pouch along with a bad slip and the doctor said that the soda contributed to pouch dilation. Anyways, I can now personally attest that there are unfortunate consequences to drinking soda while being banded. Now that I have a new band, there is no question in my mind about whether or not it might be OK to drink soda. The soda never hurt me after I drank it so I thought I was fine. There was no pain with the damage I was doing to myself. I had to learn the hard way . . . please don't follow in my footsteps. It was a mistake that cost me my health and about $9,000 out of pocket. I think I have learned my lesson.

It just looks like you had a lot of bruising and that can be normal for some people. Even with something as mundane as an IV, some people show nothing afterwards and some people have extreme bruising. You definitely want to look for any unusual surface soreness in the red areas or warmth to the area. It seems like there is some yellowing of the skin as well which is good because it shows that the bruise is healing over time. Definitely let your doctor know just in case. It really doesn't look bad to me but you do want to be really careful about any possibility of infection expecially around the incision site.

Hello Chrisann, I am still active on the boards but I post most on the Shrinking Violets April '07 thread. It is very active daily and it was just so quiet over here I stopped checking much. I have lost all of my weight and am in maintenance mode. I had a baby in June and she is doing great. However, unfortunately and sadly, my band slipped while I was in the hospital with the baby. I ended up needing a band replacement in September. I originally had a Realize band and now have the large 14cc size Allergan band. I have only had one fill so far and am struggling with my choices again but my weight is still within goal range. However, I know without the band and fills it wont stay in an acceptable range because my hunger has come back full force. All and all things are well. Even with the complication, I still feel like banding was the best thing I ever did for myself. You look great in your picture and hopefully things are looking up and life has calmed down over the last months. :0)

Hello, hello, hello I got Ayla a new toy yesterday too. It was a teether that vibrates when you chomp it. She absolutely loves it and hates it at the same time. She likes it in her mouth, then she gets excited, starts waving it around and since it is heavier than her other rattles and such she inevitably conks herself on the noggin, lol. Of course by that time she is screaming. Teething is no fun. We get all of the pain and uncomfortable times . . . not to mention tons of laundry because her neck area is constantly sopping with drool even with a bib and I have to keep changing her clothes. She is even having trouble sleeping because of it and there is no sign of any teefers yet. This unpleasantness has already gone on for more than a week . . . how long can it possibly take???

Ewww, lol. I have had a problem in the car a couple of times . . . but never almost reingested it, lol. I keep an empty soda cup in the car for emergencies.

This might seem odd, but pre-banding my trigger food was diet coke. I always wanted to eat junk with my diet coke. I liked the way toasted pop-tarts and other sweets tasted with diet coke. Now there are not many things that are really trigger foods, but more trigger situations. If I overeat something bad, it seems like I have trouble staying on track for the rest of the day. It is almost like since I already screwed up & my day is lost so, what the hay, I'll just continue eating. I try really hard to work on this behavior.

I had really good luck at Kohl's in finding items to fit well and get me through at reasonable prices. There are plenty of places like JC Penny's or Kauffmans as well. You may also want to bring a friend along who has good taste in clothes to help make suggestions. I don't know how it is for you, but for me I don't see myself the same as I see other people. I have gone shopping with friends or my husband a couple of times and bought things I never would have thought to try out on my own . . . but now absolutely love because they are flattering and look good on me. Sometimes after a big weight loss you need a little help choosing because clothing at larger weights tends to be either overly matronly or flashy and it is hard to make that adjustment. Also sometimes we started off dressing to conceal which is a different matter than dressing to flatter. Good luck and happy shopping :0)

I don't think juice will be that good because it is higher in calories but doesn't really fill you up. Something with protein and some substance would be healthier and more filling such as a string cheese stick or a boiled egg. If it were me, I would go low carb for a while for meals (but choose lean, healthy meats). You can also eat plenty of non-starchy vegetables so that you are not hungry. You can lose fairly fast this way and still feel satisfied before you are on liquids for an extended period. Good luck.

I was relatively low BMI being a hair under 40. I lost it all the first year to get into the normal BMI range of under 25 and am maintaining decently. I still fluctuate a little up and down but so far it has been manageable.

Unless you are so tight that you are pb'ing and sliming alot . . . it may not be that much of an issue. No one knows in my case other than my dh and brother. People noticed I was eating considerably less, I said I was trying to lose a little weight, or I had something to eat earlier, etc. People generally didn't ask more than once or twice over time and just accept that you are eating less and they can see the weight loss. It is really very easy to hide if you are casual about it in discussion. The only person that ever could have got an inkling that something was up touched my belly randomly while I was very preggers and just happened to touch the port . . . they said something like, "oh my I can feel the baby is it the foot, or the head?" I just said that I wasn't quite sure and that was the end of it, lol.

I agree with what others have said. Weighing several times a day in the beginning helped to keep me on track and I did not get upset with tiny variations throughout the day. It kind of made me more conscious of my decisions. Times when I stayed away from the scale for a few days or few weeks always included a bit of a gain during that time. It was kind of like "out of sight, out of mind" in that I was either very conscious of weight loss and choices or just kind of ignoring it and allowing the occasional bad decision to slip in. People say weighing yourself often is a bad thing . . . in my case I really don't think it was a bad decision. To each their own, and for me, I need to weigh myself often when I am dedicated to losing.

Judy, i love the picture :0) We were talking about the melting pot at work when we went out for asian food the other day. I haven't been but the consensus amongst many was . . . the meat wasn't that great because you have to cook it yourself and it takes a really long time, but you are already full from all of the other breads, apples, etc so the meat isn't recommended. The Desserts were to die for and it is worth it to just go for dessert alone, especially if you are not in to cheese for cheese's sake. I have fallen off the wagon long and hard. If I don't do something about it soon, I might have to start thinking about moving up a size. I DO NOT want to go there. Yesterday I had a good Breakfast and lunch. I had salad for dinner. Then I ate a few pieces of chocolate from my MBA gift bag (They gave me a gift bag during my final class with a university cup, notepad, alumni car sticker, a card saying congrats on graduation and the whole thing was filled chock full of chocolate, the good kind, and tootsie rolls). That was the beginning of the slide . . . if only I could have stopped after a few pieces of chocolate but it awakened the sleeping hunger beast. Then I had a cupcake with butterscotch frosting and vanilla ice cream drizzled with butterscotch . . . which I then repeated repeatedly. Even after all that, I was still feeling the urge to hit the fridge but just went to bed. I am a glutton for punishment . . . or perhaps just a glutton period. Oh well, enough with the pity party and indulging in my own self guilt. I always feel horrid after I mess up like that. I get my second fill next week . . . thank goodness. I really need it. Some of this is related to my eating demons but most of it is pure, unadulterated hunger that is out of control. It is hard to concentrate on not eating when your stomach is saying FEEEDD MEEEE. When I have full restriction, I rarely think about food and the obsessiveness goes away. I went to the grocery store this morning and bought several bags of steam fresh microwave broccoli, peas, and green Beans. I have decided that until I get another fill, I am giving myself license to eat as much as I want . . . as long as it is green and healthy. That way I am not constantly hungry and not sabotaging myself. I feel that this is an acceptable middle ground.

I didn't get my security deposit back. I got a letter showing quotes from a few vendors for costs to make changes to some items. Basically the letter is saying there wouldn't be any deposit to return because of x, x, x potential expenses. However, I took video and pictures and I know I can fight it in court because the items are clearly frivolous. I checked and it will be easy and only about $40 to file a claim in small claims court. The biggest thing she put on their was new blinds for the front window at around $1,500 which would eat up most of the security deposit. This is to replace white lace drapes that were in the window and are extremely old. There was nothing wrong with them except the thread was so old that the seams started separating between the panels . . . I sewed them and they are fine, just really old. There is no damage to them, they are white and look fine, they are just out-dated. I videoed them opening and closing and a view of each panel. I decided to bide my time for now and am not responding to the letter. By not responding other than the initial letter I sent her a month ago requesting the security deposit back, I think she will assume she is done with me and just become complacent. If she doesn't refund the deposit in 30 days, she owes me double per Ohio law. I also have the phone number and stayed in touch with the new tenant. I thought I would wait until the end of the year and check with the tenant to see if she had done any of the items listed. I am 95% sure she won't do any of it. She already told the tenant that the drapes stay with the house and she wont change them. I figured paying back double is a reasonable penalty for frivolous claims. It also isn't going to look good for her in court if she charged things against a security deposit that were never performed (or were performed directly before a court date after she received notification). Last but not least, once I take her to small claims court and the items are resolved, I am issuing a formal complaint to the housing department for allowing her to rent property that has never passed inspection. The only question I do have is whether I am just one of many that she has done this to . . . and perhaps they chose not to fight it. I hope it doesn't fall out faster, lol. That reminds me of trying sun-in for the first time as a teenager. It turned my hair carrot orange, lol. I wasn't allowed to die it so I couldn't fix it . . . and I had convinced my father that sun-in wasn't die. I had to live with the repurcussions at age 12, lol.

I wish you the best of luck with whatever decision you make. It is a tough road but as long as you make a decision that is based on what is right for you and your situation and you think it through thoroughly, you will get through this and end up stronger for it. There have been a few times in my life when something bad or untimely has happened and I felt like it was the end of the world and things could never get worse. Well, I am here today happy and healthy and would not change a thing about my past. Every bad event helped me along to a better place in the end. There may have been a reason why things happened when they did.

Congrats to you both!!! They are both absolutely adorable and perfect little boys. It must feel great getting to the new mommy stage as opposed to the pregnant and uncomfortable stage, lol.

Jachut, you are awesome and I agree with your answer 100%. Statistics are just numbers, you decide your own fate. I was told I would lose 50-60% on average . . . did I want to be average??? No, I wanted to lose it all until I got to a normal BMI. I lost 100% of my excess by following the rules and remaining diligent. Anyone can do the same if they take responsibility for their actions and try to follow the rules the majority of the time (assuming that there are no other special factors beyond their control such as uncontrolled metabolic disorders). So, do you want to be average or go all the way . . . well it is up to you, you can do it:thumbup:

It is true that there are a lot of variations in the plans. 400 calories seems much too low to me. However, I think sticking with the consistency (clear liquids, full liquids, mushies, etc) during the correct stages is vitally important for the life of your band and future success. Taking a more conservative approach is not going to cause you any harm. You will also find that doctors might step you up a level on the dietary stages if you discuss it with them and seem ready to move on. Just remember, this is just a few short weeks out of your life for something that should be a lifelong change. This stage isn't easy for anyone, but isn't it worth it? As far as your doctors "spiel" about torn stitches or whatnot . . . he is a professional and it won't do you or your doctor any good if you do get torn stitches or cause yourself personal damage. If he prefers a more conservative approach when there is a lack of a dietary standard, how can he be faulted for wanting to maintain your health. He is supposed to have a "spiel" since that is what you or perhaps your insurance company pays him for. Also your body is going through a complete shock. A significant number of us have a stall or plateau for a few weeks in the early stages before a fill. Your body needs to adjust . . . it just takes a little time. Sometimes people don't lose for a while and then the weight comes of in chunks. If you are following the plan, you will lose weight in time regardless if it is 5-10 pounds one week and nothing the next or if it is a stead 1.5 loss a week. Just hang in there and know that this stage will be finished soon. Good luck.