Great2BThin

Anyone see the front page of today's paper. Article on lap band. Foreign surgeries tip scales to relax U.S. rules - The Denver Post

You had surgery 7 weeks ago, and you are down 23 lbs. That's 3 pounds a week, that's FANTASTIC! and sounds like you are seein the weight in your tummy and butt. When one starts off as large as we who have had surgery start out, it takes a bigger loss for it to become more noticeable. As you lose it will take smaller losses to become noticeable. But 3 lbs a week is great!

You mean you might not be a Packer fan? It's gonna be a tough year to remain loyal with all the Brett stuff going on. My husband and I have a fierce Bronco/Packer rivalry. all I care is that the Packers end the season with a better record than the Broncos. LOL

I needed to read that this morning. Now I know I am not on a real plateau, but like I said yesterday i think, I need to stop weighing daily. I was seeing losses, even if only .2 or something every day. So it got to be fun. Well the scale hasn't moved since last Friday, well it has but up almost 2 lbs. I know this doesn't make a plateau and it's the reason I need to stop. (I vow to on Thurs.) But I know I am doing everything right, I am diligent recording my food intake and exercise on the daily plate site, and it will move. It's impossible to gain 2 real pounds on what I've been eating, this heat could be causing fluid retention. So yes this is a small whine, I just had gotten very spoiled early in this process. I will make Thurs. and Monday my weigh in days. Yes, that's 2 days a week, but it's a start! I am getting ready to leave for my gall bladder ultrasound. I'm a little nervous, but know it's not going to hurt and I doubt I will find anything out today. It's at a different part of the hospital than I've been so hope I find it okay.

Yep that hill seems small. I remember as a kid in gradeschool going on a field trip there and hiking to the top of some observation tower and thinking I was on top of the world. Now I live higher than that and this past weekend was at the summit of an almost 12,000 ft mountain. Instead of calling it Rib Mountain in Wisconsin we resorted to calling it Rib Hill. Am sure you will get that next 100 off in no time. You've had good practice with the first!

Wow!! That is awesome, 100 lbs in 7 mos??? Wowser! Congrats!! Where in Wisconsin are you? I'm originally from Wausau.

Ohio? Michigan?? Please!! WISCONSIN!!! You can take the girl out of Wisconsin but can't take the Badgers or the Packers out of her heart! Besides Colorado isn't real good right now. LOL

I lost 4 lbs last week after my 1st fill, for a total of 44!!!! (10 with WW while researching surgery)

I live at over 5,000 feet altitude and went to the mountains and above timerline to almost 12,000 feet altitude this weekend, and experienced nothing different. I hiked, picnicked, etc. and all was well. Had a piece of KFC chicken so maybe some extra restrction would've been good!

Oh me too, I'd love to be on that show. I do get some good pointers from watching it. I have a hair appt on Tues (week from tomorrow) and am sortta considering doing something different. We'll see. thought maybe the new me needed a new 'do but maybe I should wait til I've lost more weight. Speaking of losing, I do need to stop the daily weighing. It was just so much fun as it was dropping so rapidly but now it's slowed a tad. In fact today showed a gain and I was mortified. Maybe I should stick to Thursdays as that was my banding day, though my fill days seem to be Mondays, heck even twice a week would be an improvement from twice a day!

Ellen, I've already emailed you but wanted to wish you best wishes for speedy recovery here as well. I still can't believe it's you after all this time! We'll have to reunite and go to a dr. Phil show. HA HA!! Janet, You said you had to take more vitamins because you are bruising?? Just curious as I have a bruise that is taking forever to go away. Guess I'll look for some healthy fats to add. I figured I got enough in my meats and stuff.

Good morning! Things going well here. I am feeling so encouraged about the progress I am making with the band, with the Lord's help, of course. I believe he is working on so many other areas of me as the weight comes off as well. Lauralee, welcome! I was in denial for years too. I knew I was over weight but my health was fine so what's the big deal? Then as I got older the joints hurt, the blood pressure went up, and I was just unhappy. God didn't create me to wallow around in self pity, it was time to take action. Waremock, I'm not sure what you mean about this not being a good place for christians to hang around. I find the folks on this thread here to be very encouraging and have also gleaned a lot of info from other areas as well, mainly the 50's age thread and the June bandsters thread since we all got banded at the same time. I even reconnected with a gal I knew 5 yrs ago.

I'm all for Vegas. I live near skiing and still wouldn't ski (bum knee etc.) and you can be beachy in a bathing suit at a pool in Vegas. In fact I think it's the Hard Rock hotel that even has a sand beach at it's pool. Plus it is cheaper to get to generally airfare wise, seems there's always a deal to Vegas. As for gambling, wouldn't have to gamble if you didn't want to. I agree about being more positive. My family comments on that all the time about me. And I am doing things I never thought I would, i bought a bike! I hiked in the mountains. Who is this woman???

Thanks, Janet. I will have to be even more mindful of how I am eating, I think I am but then get distracted or out of habit take a big bite. I do have chewable vitamins and I have the petite Citracal, they are the ones I still have to cut in half, I didn't prefill. I'm taking Biotin as well as I heard it helps with hair loss, I've noticed a lot in my comb lately. But those are smaller and generally go down okay.

I went to the movies tonight and for once the sit wasn't squishy and I didn't have to put the arm rest up to be more comfortable.

Gotta, I have UHC and had to go self pay but it was more to an exclusion that my husbands employer put in the policy than it did with UHC. From what I understand UHC is one of the easier ones to work with, so I hope your letters help. Elayne, sorry no help on smoothies, I'm not much of a cook and definitely not much of a smoothie person, have you checked the food thread? or does your nutritionist have some suggestions? Well, gals, today I am wearing clothes I've not worn in 5 yrs. Yep I keep moving them around in all our moves, getting depressed when I'd see them in the closet, which makes it all the more rewarding that they fit now! Just wanted to check in and say howdy, am off to the movies. DH and DS are seeing Batman and I am going to see Mamma Mia.

Question on feeling since fill: Since my fill on Monday I've been doing great. however, I've noticed sometimes when I eat I get a pain behind my breastbone. It feels like something is stuck. However, it generally passes in about 10 min at the longest. Is this food getting stuck? I'm I eating too fast, too big of bites? I think I am being really careful, this morning it happened on scrambled eggs. I now have to cut my calcium plls in half. Is that normal? I don't feel I'm too tight but yet I don't want to do something that would cause slippage later either.

I am flying in 2 weeks. I hope for the same!! I kept my seat belt extender from last time and hope to give it back for good!

Hoosierpoms, YES!! it feels awesome to do something you couldn't do before. When we first got up in the mountains my husband wanted to check out some fishing stream outside Estes Park, it was abotu a half mile hike in and I said right away, no way! I'll wait in the car. He promised it was flat and a path. Well the path was just beaten down weeds, but I did it and then just built my confidence the rest of the day. I can't believe the mileage you guys put in and am so impressed! Turler, I'm in the 'burbs of Denver, I grew up here, but moved away 25 yrs ago and just recently back. Today was my first time on Trail Ridge as an adult! I love to go up there in the fall too and watch the elk bugle and fight. It's better than the UFC on TV! Areellady, you love mountain passes? going down or up?

Sorry about the headaches. No I didn't get them. Question, have you given up sodas and/or caffeine since then? I gave up my diet Pepsi the week before and had awful headaches then.

Lunabeane, I forgot about the no peeing when I sneeze, I totally relate to that one and haven't done it either!! Oh and today my new smaller capris from 2 weeks ago, were loose!!

Just back from my day in the mountains. It was a gorgeous, perfect day. It was 101 down here and up at the top of the summit of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mtn nat'l park it was 68....AHHHHH!! We stopped several times to walk, take pics of elk, picnic etc. and I was so excited. Last year when we went up there I was out of breath just crossing the street (remember this is at about 11,000 elevation) and this year, I hiked a total of about 2 miles in short spurts and did great! At the summit there is this staircase to the very top of the mtn. and about 12,000+ elevation. Next year, I will climb those stairs! There's been 2 pages of posts since I last checked yesterday so know I am forgetting some, but congrats on the surgeries, welcome to the newbies. Diane, thanks for the friends request! Enjoy Branson! Elayne, I had so many doubts 2 days preop I almost cancelled the surgery, now 6 weeks out I am so relieved I didn't. I am already off my b/p meds, I am down 44 lbs (10 was before) and I am riding a bike, hiking, and doing a little walking (bad knee). My energy level is amazing considering where it was! Janet, thanks for the concern on my knee, I am bone on bone in it. I have gotten some cartlidge type injections that have helped a lot and they say every pound is like 4 lbs on your knees so I have taken off 160 lbs of pressure! BUt I am very careful with it.

Well hubby got his bike and we rode 'his' way and I gotta admit it was better. I was able to ride much longer and enjoyed it so much more. The hill coming home was nothing! I am so excited with the changes I am seeing in my stamina already. Today we went for a ride (car) over Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mtn Nat'l park, saw lots of bikers in the mtns. thought maybe that will be me next year. But also we stopped at a lot of pullouts and did some small hiking to see elk and other wild life and I could do it!! Last summer we went up there and I was exhausted just crossing the road. Yea me!!

I'm at 44 lbs lost but 10 of that was during my research phase of surgeries, so 34 since my 1st appt with the surgeon. My exercise was non existent but recently has really been stepped up. I got a bike and ride that right now about 20 min a day but adding more time/distance all the time. I am also walking with a neighbor and today DH and I hiked in the mtns. I'm trying to move some how every day. And it's working!! Since my fill on Monday I am down 4 lbs! Still have great restriction.

The dr. chose my size as well during surgery. I don't think the 4cc is used much anymore but I am not sure, as it slipped more. My dr. referred to the 10cc as the small and 14cc as the large. During my surgery he started with a 10 but had a hard time with fit, but the 14 was too big, so he used the 14 and put in a prefill of 14cc. He did both types of bands as well (Lapband and Realize) and said he didn't have a preference either way so I went with the tried and true that he was most experienced in.