PhotoNut

Good for you Tod! We ordered a treadmill (I've been excitedly telling everyone) and it should arrive on Friday. I have been dragging so badly. So tired all the time, but all I do is sit. Duh. It's been a fact for many a century now - you get back what you give out. Expend energy, get energy. Can't wait to get out of slug-dom and back to the living. And 50 pounds in 5 months! You rock!

Hey Kayla, I just got off the phone with my doc's office and was told the meeting will be from 7 - 8:30. See you tomorrow night! Any other Boise area folks coming??

Come on bandsters! This will only show a true represntation of our group if we all toss in our info. Brand new to old heads, all are encouraged to participate in the "poll". Only takes a second and if you don't want your info on the board, send a PM to dawg. *smiles* Thanks!

Hiyas Sassy.. welcome to the world of nuts and losers! Don't worry about being computer savvy, you'll learn your way around here in time.

Nykee.. do we have to take away your pipe again? LOL

Woohoo! I liked this post and your analogy! Welcome to LBT, Smilo! 65 pounds over the last year is awesome. You go you spinster librarian! I'm betting you won't be a spinster for long once you hit your target weight.. or before You have a great personality that just shines through. I also just hit 277 so I'm right there with ya, with my scuba gear on! *hugs*

The band IS a blessing and a great help. But I think that we need to be giving a lot of credit to ourselves in this too. We could choose to eat around the band, many know how and are struggling to fight the temptations. No, the band alone won't do it for us. It takes a lot of ourselves to get it done. But I will agree that the band is a safety net. When we fall, we don't seem to fall as hard. And getting back up seems easier. I'm still too close to surgery to say it's easy. But I am grateful for that safety net. And about the people who get the band with only 60 or 80 pounds to lose. I used to think that was rediculous.. until I realized just how much my life would have changed had I been able to have this band when I was 23 and hit 200 the first time.

*laughs and laughs* Big Paul.. you too funny. Of course its taking ALL of my will power to keep from making comments about how huricanes can really blow *slaps hand over mouth, eyes wide* oops

*gasps* Kathy said 'screw' *grins* Seriously.. get your arse to the doc!

Oh man.. I am SO offended by YOU!

Grats to SleepyJean for coming up with the winning name!

You are right to see your doctor. Sounds like you might be filled too tight. About the ketchup. I would tend to think it was the burger under the ketchup that's the problem. You don't eat ketchup on your Chinese food do you? But Chinese food does have a lot of gooey stuff in it. Noodles and batters. I have read many bandsters can no longer tolerate breads and hamburger. Breads, even tho chewed a lot, tend to glom together in your stomach and make a big ball of goo that is hard to fit thru the band. Burger and steak is hard to break down into small enough pieces, so often they are hard to get thru the band as well. Until you see the doc, I would recommend getting your butt back on liquids for a while. Get some whey Protein and really up that protein intake. Even tho you said you are trying to eat lots, if it's coming back up, then you didn't ingest the protein.. which is why youre hair is falling out. Get that dr. appt right away and get on liquids. This has to be very hard on your stomach, your esophugus (sp?) and your band. Best of luck to you.

I feel.. 20 pounds lighter! *laughs* Seriously, thank you for asking. I'm feeling great. Better each day. Im in the soft foods phase and having a hard time eating enough because Im too full! I'm excited about my progress. Thankful to have a supportive man at my side who has also lost 33 pounds since we started this adventure together - me with the band, him without. *smacks DeLarla's hand* You can't have him! heh I'm loving the friends and support I've gotten here at LBT. And I finally have some real hope of getting this weight off and keeping it off. Say, it just occurred to me. You might not qualify for the band in the US. You have to be 100 pounds overweight, with a BMI of 45 or higher, or a lower BMI with two or more comorbidities, such as sleep apnea and diabetes. Hm.. have you asked your doc about this in the meetings?

Kathy, First of all *big warm encouraging hugs* Now, just last fall one of my mom's dearest friends and her family were put through bloody hell because the docotors told her she "might" have cancer. They all fell apart. The fear was overwhelming. But after a few more tests, they found she was just fine. Please, please, please understand that just because they say the dreaded "C" word it doesn't mean you are likely to have it. They are just being thorough, which is good. I choose to believe you are raw from the bronchitis and thus the blood. My prayers and firm beliefs that you are fine go out to you and your family. *more hugs*

I've been checking into PS as well and I've read suggestions that people who have gone through a lot of weight loss allow themselves a year after reaching their goal weight for their bodies to adjust to the change. I guess the skin and muscle tone adapts over time. Also, MuffinBirdie had a lower lift (like pulling your pants up higher) which affected her tummy and thighs. She suggested getting below goal weight so you are as lean as you can get before PS. She has some really great comments about it. Check out her site: http://www.myagb.homestead.com/index.html

She's going to be alright.. she still has a sense of humor. *chuckles* And you know.. it might be good for them to solve their own dinner dilemmas! *scratches out 'might be' and replaces it with 'would'*

Wow, Im not experienced with fills yet, but from what I've read it sounds to me like you are overfilled. That's just not right. Anyone else? And Mykidsdad -- That was FUN-ny! DeLarla -- Are you eating lots of Proteins? Proteins take longer to digest than carbs. Which is why people get hungry so fast after Chinese food. It's all carbs. So are those big bowls of veggies you eat. And are you drinking with meals? You might be washing that food right on out. Just a thought.

I think Dawg and DeLarla lied about what they do. They actually post messages on LBT all day long for a living. *snickers*

*laughs* Right on DeLarla!

I agree with Alex. Drinking ice water on an empty stomach will make me feel sick, let alone after exercising. Drink lots of water throughout your exercising but drink cool - not ice cold - water and dont chug it.

Oh my god. When I read what your daughter had said, my hand went over my mouth and my heart just broke. Diane, I see the problem hon.. youre laughing with them. Im sure if they could see the tears these comments cause, they would stop. Surely they dont realize how much they hurt. They only see you laughing. Sounds to me like its time to sit them all down and have a heart to heart talk with them. And Diane? Let them see the tears. Stop trying to shield them from seeing that they hurt you. Yes, they will feel bad about it, but they love you and Im sure they'd rather feel bad about what's been done and then STOP it, than to know they hurt you and you never told them.

Hey Diane, Welcome to our group of crazy but wonderful people. As I read your story, I was reminded of a nurse that I recently spoke with at one of my appointments. For some reason she opened up to me and just started sharing her life with me and told me something that I think might have been for you, so I'm passing it on. She too was the backbone of the family. The cook, the maid, the care giver, the one who saw to it that everyone around her had what they needed to succeed. Then came the day that she wanted some success in her own right. She decided to go back to school and get her degree. Oh man, the roof came off and the walls fell down. None of her family (husband and sons by the way) supported her. They rebelled and tried to thwart her efforts in every way they could. Guilt, complaints, arguments, and just not pitching in to help her. (she was also holding down a full time nursing job when she started back to school) She looked me in the eye and said, "I finally figured it out. They didn't believe I was serious about what I wanted. It wasn't until I put my foot down and told them that I had always supported them and now it was time they support me that they finally did. Now my husband helps with the laundry - and it doesn't kill him. My son actually did the dishes the other night - and he survived! But I know that if I weaken at all, and try to relieve them of any burden, they will not take me seriously anymore and we will be back at square one." She has to stand strong for herself daily. And it didnt' seem to me that she did it in a threatening way to her family. She simply sat them down and told them in earnest. This is what I -have- to do for me, and it's time you all supported me and gave me my chance to succeed. Best of luck to you Diane. You will be in my prayers.

Yay Beanie!! Welcome to bandland.. FINALLY! You made it over the hump.. its all down-scale from here! Wishing you a speedy recovery and no gas! hehe *Cheers*

My peeve is when people's PM boxes get full and I cant PM them. DeLarla, love.. EMPTY YOUR BOX! (Bet she doesn't know how.. *laughs* )

Grats Daddy! Another bundle of joy. How lucky to have a Daddy like you!