JanetC

Hey guys! I don't want this to sound like an advertisment. But, I'm sorta selling something. Well, technically not selling, since I'm not making a profit... but... well... At our first lunch, we talked about different products we liked & wondered if we could get them at wholesale prices if we "banded together" (no pun intended, lol). So I called SkylarHaley & am able to get "AchievOne" coffee Protein drinks for $24 / case (case = 12 bottles). It's cheaper then bariatriceating.com has them & as far as I know we won't have to pay for shipping, so I think it's a deal. vanilla. The Cappuccino is fun & the mocha java I use just to have some variety. I think I could do vanilla all the time & be happy, lol. NOTE: They DO contain caffeine, if that's a concern. They taste very similar to Starbucks Frappacino (sp). Anyway, the company's distributor comes up about once a month, so if you're interested, just let me know. I can take cash, check or charge (PayPal) & drop 'em off to you at our next lunch, if that works for you. If you want it sooner, we can try to hook up somewhere within DFW -- we drive across town often. I'm going to go ahead & place an order on Monday. Mikey & I drink about 3-4 cases a month (we're addicted -- they're breakfast). If anyone else wants in (I got a couple of PMs, so I'm counting you already), please let me know! I'm working on Nature's Best (Isopure). I'll let you know if I manage to get something set up!

You can edit your words out... delete 'em all or leave just a <delete> or, or, or, something. :party: And change your username if you don't want to be yourself... then no one would know who posted it. I'm guessing if you want to be totally gone, a moderator could still do it.

That's awesome news!!! Thanks Alex!! (And the other Alex & the other moderators!) Yaaaaayyyy!!! :party:

Oh man, Leener! I just read that you've still got solid-blues. :party: I'm so sorry!! ((Hugs!!)) Hope you've got a good list of mushies!

As a former internet dater, be sure you have friends that know you're going out & at least one that you're going to call at the end of the date. And make your first date short & in a public place. That's just being smart. :party: That being said, you're gonna do great!! It's so awesome that you're working through stuff already! Poor Mikey's gotten himself stuck with all my baggage! Whatever you do, don't settle!! You deserve the best! Make your list of what's important, then STICK TO IT!!

AWESOME!! Thanks so much Penni!

Man, Stacey! Has the bladder infection pain all cleared up? I'm worried about you, girl! You drinking enough fluids? I hope they find the cause fast! I'll be thinking about you this weekend & Monday... let us know as soon as you can! Tammy, lol, love the mid-life stuff! It sums up my life right now, though I REALLY don't think of myself as mid-life! Augh!!

We ended up with 12 of us for April at Friday's: Diane & Brenda, Randy & Joy, Kim & Steve, Anita, Debi, Donna & Mike, Janet & Mikey. Great fun was had by all! Our server was hysterical & enjoyed us, I think. For those looking for the DFWbandster info -- you need a Yahoo ID to use it. (I'm ByrnelB, I think, though I don't write often, I just read.): Isopure ever returns my call. See you next month! Suggestions for venue? I was thinking possibly a potluck at either my house or DonnaB's... speak up now or I'll just decide! I'd like to get a place where we can all hear each other... or mill around easier. Donna's in Arlington/Grand Prairie & we're out in Keller/Watauga. Either way Randy & Joy have to drive! I'll throw up dates... I'm not putting the 27th up, cuz we'll be in Houston! What time would we like? lunch? Early lunch? Late lunch? Early dinner? Dinner? Late dinner? (( Hugs to all & thanks for coming! ))

We're about to head out the door... I called the restaurant & warned them 15-20 folks. See you there!!!

I'm just dreaming now, but I'd LOVE to see a "Mark all thread read" button! I never manage to touch all the threads... so I end up ignoring the flashing lights & bold that signifies unread. But if I could mark everything read & come back anew... I MIGHT read some more, heh. Don't know how hard it is to setup... but it would be a blessing, no matter at what level: all forums or each forum individually. Thanks!

I think the "pouch" is her upper stomach. It looks a bit distended to me, but I don't know what "normal" looks like, so who knows. You can't see the lower stomach because there's nothing in it. (Or that's my guess) These pics are fascinating!

LB, so sorry you're having these issues! And everyone else on the thread! (Heh, I'd missed the 2nd page!) For those learning to slow down... here's what I did last week. It seemed to do the trick (finally!): 0. Get a watch or clock with a second hand. 1. Take a SMALL bite -- try cutting a small bite, then cut it in half! 2. Chew to goo -- then chew a couple more times, just for luck! 3. Swallow 4. Put your fork down & watch the 2nd hand... 5. AT LEAST 30 seconds with your mouth empty! 60 seconds is better when learning 6. Repeat steps 1-5 for EVERY bite! After time, you may learn that with some foods 30 seconds is enough. For some you need the full 60. Sometimes I can sneak by with 15 seconds, but I have to watch it. Good luck!

Lifting a prayer for everyone above (wanted you to know your words aren't going unheard).

I'm with you Dianechef! You never know whose life you're effecting. Both you & Paula touch my life every day. I've never told you that, heh, so you'd never know. I look forward to your posts... I enjoy watching your struggle with your body image (ok, enjoy is the wrong word, but you know what I mean). Ya'll are ahead of me in your weight loss & banding experience, so I like watching what you're going through & hoping that I can deal with it with as much grace as you have! To try to list everyone who has effected me would be impossible... some only post once or twice, but those posts made me cry, or laugh, or think, or smile, or take courage, or get up & exercise... you never know what effect you're having! So to everyone out there... thanks for being a part of my LBT family & for making my life a richer, fuller place! I'm a complete addict!

Awesome!!! I was hoping you'd see this! See you there Debi!

Bariatric Eating has a lot of different RTD (ready to drink) options. I've found Isopure Zero Carb RTD at Vitamin Shoppe. They're at some GNCs to, though not my closest one. I highly recommend the Isopure Zero Carb & the AchievOne -- they taste sorta like Starbucks Frapaccinos (sp). They DO have caffeine, so careful! The New whey liquid Protein is like Jello shots, sorta gross, but you can do it. 25g of protein in 3 oz of "liquid", lol. Can't beat it! Unfortunately, RTD protein is about $3 per bottle, give or take .50. But if it keeps me from grabbing that bag of chips, it's worth it!

(( Hugs all around )) Folks, I love ya'll. I respect your opinions & your right to feel as you feel -- angry, betrayed, alone, whatever. No qualifications. Change hurts. Period. People fear it! And statistics show that most folks can undergo 2 major changes per year without having major stress issues. If your surgery was this year, heh, you've had 1 of your changes! If you've lost more then 10 pounds this year, you've had a major change! For most of us, our change quota is full up. We're working with raw nerves. Could everyone please: 1. take 3 deep breaths 2. stand up & stretch 3. take 3 more deep breaths 4. sit back down 5. repeat to yourself: LBT loves me & I love LBT 6. remember that no one here is out to get anyone!! 7. if you're still feeling picked on or singled out, go back & repeat 1-6 We all feel strongly about our board... it's our friends, it's a part of our world. It's what we KNOW... and change to it is scary. It doesn't really matter if you want the change or don't want the change... someone feels JUST as strongly as you in the opposite direction. So slow down & remember that words hurt & that we love these people & don't want to alienate them! Love ya'll! Janet

I haven't worn a bra since surgery... *sigh*. 2 of my scars are on my bra line & it HURTS! I'm hoping when I finally get the girls smaller I can find a bra that doesn't hurt (once I can buy bras in stores again). I wear a wife-beater tank to make me feel like I have underwear on, lol. It does nothing for gravity, but at least I don't walk around blushing! Underwear: thong of some sort... something cheap from Target (they had some stretchy 9s, wooohooo!!) I wore thongs on a dare 10 years ago... and fell in love! Anne, I NEVER wear nylons! They're the devil! Yeah, they do great things to my legs & stomach, but ewwww!!! The heat! The agony of pulling them on! The itching! (And Mikey doesn't like 'em -- so I married him!) And for those of you I have lunch with in a couple of hours, quit laughing!!

No problem with the English, Betje! Though your food sentence was a touch confusing. Did you mean that you only eat meat? No veggies, Soup or munchies? Or that you only eat soup, munchies & veggies... you don't eat meat? I have a bunch of questions to look at as possible issues: Have you been journaling your food? If not, you might start there as a place to look at what's slowing you down. If you have been journaling, what is your average calorie intake? Are you full between meals? What is your fill level? Are you eating mushies/liquid/soft foods at all? How are you doing fighting sweets? Do you exercise? If you do, what is your average? How many times per week, for how long & what intensity? Are you getting all of your fluids in? Minimum of 64 ounces? Are you taking your Vitamins & Calcium? Are you getting enough Fiber? Are you regular? When you were gaining, did you pause at 225 for a while? How long? If you have access to a nutritionist or physical trainer, make appointments with them for a check-up. It never hurts to just make sure you're on the right track! I'm guessing this is just a plateau. You've done awesome with your weight loss!! Your body may just need time to get used to your new weight & get ready for another push. Take a status check & make sure you're doing everything right. If you are, then just ignore the scale for a bit & focus on your NSVs (non-scale victories) -- clothes that fit better, ability to do things you couldn't before, etc. Good luck & congrats on the 61 pounds gone forever!

Color me jealous, Julie! Except for the wax part, heh, I'm too scared to try one! Congrats on the no chocolate & the SEVEN days of exercising! That's awesome! And a pound to show for it too! Woohooo!! Man, Stacey, I really hope your side ache is something easy to treat! Or that it magically goes away! I'm sending you some white light healing vibe. (I'm not sure exactly what that means, lol, but I'm praying you get better!) Does anyone think that we hit the same plateaus on the way down that were there on the way up? I mean, I paused in my gaining phase at 225 for a LONG time... several months. So I expect to pause at 225 on the way down too (assuming I ever get that far). Hopefully not for months! Anyone else experience that too? My scale broke, so I'm not sure when/if I paused after 225, heh. Guess I'll just have to play it by ear! I do find it really interesting that we all seem to hit plateaus about the same time... it may have something to do with post-op healing... or calorie patterns... or monthly cycle... or motivation. I wonder. (I'm all about analysis, does it show? )

Bummer, Keri! Hope it doesn't cost too much to get fixed! See you next month!

(( Hugs!! )) I'm so sorry you've had to go through this! Be good to yourself & give yourself time to heal! You've got a great attitude!

Hey Moe! Sorry you're having the pain too! I talked to my surgeon Tuesday (4/18). He said, "You're 9 weeks out now, so it really shouldn't be left-over swelling or pain from the surgery. And to be honest, I don't know why you have this pain. Keep an eye on it & let me know if it gets worse." Of course, I'd just told him that it was better then it was, which may have been a touch misleading. I REALLY don't like making a big deal out of stuff. And it IS better... mostly because I'm getting better at dealing with it. I eat as soon as I feel the twinge... and often can catch it before it gets above a 5. But those times that it does go to a 6 or 7... augh! I'm not giving up on my band, heh, so if the pain's coming from the nerve being irritated, it's just going to have to give up & deal with it! I WILL win this time! Let me know what your CT scan says!

Hey Becky! Wow, 1600 calories at rest. I was hoping for more! It sounds like you've got it all under control & know exactly what you're doing! I had my 2nd fill 4 weeks after my first, so that part is ok. About the travelling... that's a personal thing. For me, I chose to get a tiny fill (.4cc). So it's just a touch more... I don't really feel any difference, except I seem to be getting a bit fuller on less. Nothing huge. Perhaps you could get your doctor just to do a touch-up fill? Just so you don't really have a huge difference in restriction while travelling? It's really hard to say, though. How long are you going to be gone? Could you get a fill as soon as you get bacK? Let us know what you decide -- and how long you'll be gone! :happybday::whoo::hug: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAMMY!!!!:happybday::whoo::hug: Heh, I think you let the number slip a few posts back, but I won't bring it up if you don't! :cake: Isn't it exciting to think that for your birthday next year you'll be skinnier then this year? It's so thrilling to me to think my 40s are going to be better then my 30s! Woohoo!! :cake: Enjoy your chocolate cake! Hmmm, I'll have to find some so I can support you with your celebration! Hope everyone's having a great Friday... and a terrific weekend! Oh, and Michelle, if you're already on the way to Disney, hug Mickey for me!

Jenna, you crack me up! VQ, sure, take a break from LBT... take time for YOU! And when you have time later... when things are working more your way... when you want to tell someone of your success (be it in school, work, family, dancing, or whatever)... know that we're here for you & will cheer with you, no matter what!! "NEVER give up, never surrender!" Take time to breathe... and come back when the fighting urge is there! You are loved!! (( Crystal!! ))