Great2BThin

Good morning! I survived a camping weekend with no bear stories! I was pretty nervous the first night and a little less so the 2nd. We had an awesome time, it was wonderful getting away just DH & I and get to recharge our batteries. Though I think I came back more tired than when I left. Laura, awesome pics! You can really see the difference. Arlene, best wishes to DH for his surgery this week. Also, sorry your son didn't make Biggest Loser, I used to dream of making that show. Then when I watched it woudl get so mad at the few contestants that didn't take it serious. I think it was Janelle or something like that this year, here thousands try out and then to have one make it that didn't take it serious made me mad. LOL I'd always pick a contestant at the beginning of the show that was closest to either my weight or age and then root for them all season. I got way into that show. Janet, bummer about the boss and the anniversary thing. DH's 32nd anniversary went unnoticed too. I think companies anymore just aren't used to having long term employees anymore, so sad. Meredith, hope your drainage is getting better. Soon you get mushies! YIPEE!! Scrambled eggs and refried beans never tasted so good when I got them.

Welcome home Allie!! Congrats on one pound from goal! You are doing awesome. Okay so I know we hit 100 lbs lost at the same time just about but since then you have really gone down fast! I am down 26 since then but nothing like you. Have you changed things up since then? 160 sounds wonderful but for now I am shooting for that 169 and normal BMI status first. I just got home from another camping trip, no bears this time!! Had a great time just DH & me. It is just so beautiful up there at Rocky Mtn Nat'l park, I feel very fortunate to have that so close. Though DH wants to go somewhere else next time as it's just so crowded and takes away from the wilderness experience when you are so close to other campers. I did however, very much enjoy having flush potties and running water nearby!

Is there a new challenge going now that this one has ended? I know there's been a Labor day one all along but didn't like doing that one as you have to go to another website, etc. to update your stats. I like the format of this one.

Catchin up, I got way behind on this thread. I am for the most part a stay at homer as well. I went back to work part time last Dec. but work early mornings at my rec center and am off work at 830am so have most of the day free. Try to get a short nap in there. My take on WW. I went to WW for years. They are pretty anti surgery and tend to view it as the easy way out. AFter surgery I continued to go for several months. I am not sure why, I think after having invested so much money I wanted to reach my lifetime status, but I never told them I had surgery. Finally I quit all together. I really wasn't getting much support, and I felt like a fraud by not telling them, but knew telling them wouldn't be received real well. I tended to follow their Core program (they call it something different now in their annual rewrite of the program) and it's basically South Beach and a lot like what we are supposed to be eating like. I saw so much abuse of the point system when I was there. Folks would blow their points on unhealthy foods and then say they were on plan because they ate the right amount of points but ate the wrong foods and not balanced at all then complained they weren't losing. I think their old exchange or selection plan was much better where you got so many proteins, so many veggies etc. in a day. I get most of the support I need from the message boards and do attend a support group. For me the support I got at WW wasn't much. Maybe it was just my group but they tended to not be real supportive of the losers and enjoyed complaining more about their not losing, though to be honest, there's some of those in WLS support groups too. So if you go and it works for you, great! But if you disclose your surgery, be prepared. I understand on the WW website there are message boards and I've seen posts here about how hostile they WW boards were to WLS folks. I think that's wrong, we are all fighting a battle to be healthier some just take different paths than others, no one way is right for everyone. Heck even in surgery we all have our bias about which surgery (band, bypass, sleeve, etc.) and even which band what's right for you might not be right for me and vice versa, but we should all support one another.

Ocotillo, Great advice. The band and even bypass, sleeve, etc. are all just that TOOLS, that is what they stress at my hospital/dr anyway for all types of weight loss surgery. That one will be as successful as they use the tool. No type of surgery is the miracle cure, they all take work. So many folks think when they hear you had weight loss surgery that you took the easy way out, that couldn't be further from the truth. Bypass and sleeve take less work in the beginning but all do take work. With the band we just have to keep on top of fills etc. from the get go. Congrats on your band, with that type of attitude you will be successful. I've lost 126 lbs in one year with my band and couldn't be happier.

Good morning. Funny Tuesday was DH's 32 yr anniversary at his job. It is unusual today for folks to have been at one job for that long. Finally a day to myself. I just have to get some camping supplies (hope the bear doesn't like them this time) and am meeting DS for lunch at the new McD's, it's my McNugget day LOL And hopefully at 230 am going to go workout. PJ, glad you are feeling better after the unfill. Meredith, great job on being around the pizza!

I'm back. I had my folks in town for a week and limited computer time. Just caught up on 3 pages of posts. Julie, I had my gall bladder out 2 mos after my band, it wasn't too bad but mine was laproscopically and I was home in a couple hours. Your's sounds much more invasive with the big incision. I will tell you I fetl 100% better afterwards though. Good luck to you. PJ, hard to say what you should do. You could just be swollen from a stuck episode and it could get better??? I'd listen to the professionals though. I know when it happened to me, they took .50cc out of my band and I was freaking out that I would gain. Well I lost that month quite well. I've gotten half that fill back and haven't lost in 2 mos. GRRRR But am very close to goal and not exercising like I was. Sometimes I think I need that other .25cc put back but am afraid of the reflux happening again. 1Day, I gurgle a lot too. LOL Some days more than others. Arlene, glad DH is cleared for surgery. I hear you on the not losing. maybe we are at our first plateaus?? Can't remember who posted about the sodas and cravings. The best advice I have is to not allow it in the house. Go back to the beginnning, remember why you got banded and what you wanted to accomplish and get your head back in the game. My head is what gets me all the time, I know I am not physically hungry but my head can convince me otherwise and once I give in once it is much easier to give in again and again. Well gang, guess who is going to get back on the horse so to speak? I am going camping again this weekend, to the same place we had the bear. I am freaking out somewhat but also want to face my fears. It's a large campground at Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park. That dang bear better leave our food alone! There are 'bear boxes' to put your food in, think we will make better use of those this time.

Thanks, LIvn, you are probably right about my hating on my legs bit. I tried on some smaller capri pants yesterdy and they would've fit if only they'd fit in the calves, stuff like that just reinforces my calve issues. Oh well, I would so much rather put up with my calves than have the 126 lbs I've lost so far back on me!! Where in Utah are you going? I lived in Sandy for a total of about 13 yrs (in a few different stints). It is beautiful there but I didn't like living there. Hunzi, congrats on the 2nd fill, hopefully this one will give you more restriction. Why so long between fills, did you have good restriction with your first one?? Exercise I think is key. My exercise has been slacking lately and the scale has stopped moving. Connection???? I am sure so.

Greetings, I have had my folks in from out of town and very busy so have been behind in keeping caught up here and trying to at least read. This post caught my eye however, since I experienced this last April. Turns out it was because my band was too tight. I was having no issues until then and then suddenly I was having the same issues every night and especially if I ate anything past about 6pm. I mentioned it at my 9 mos post op check and they said it meant the band was too tight, they took out .5cc's and it went away, I could even eat up until bedtime after that. A few months later they put .25cc of that unfill back and I've had no problems. They did tell me it was dangerous for the reasons Phyl posted but also that if it goes on for too long can cause the band to slip, so please don't ignore it if it continues.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! Just think, last year at this time we were at various stages recovering from our June surgeries. What a difference a year makes huh? This board has been really quiet, I hope that is because everyone is out and enjoying their new bodies and new lifestyles. But come back and check in once in a while. I miss ya! Have a great weekend.

HAPPY 4TH!!! Hope everyone has a great weekend. I am having about 20 folks over for a BBQ tomorrow. I am working in the morning, UGH! it is my morning to sleep in and I have to be there at 7 to register folks for our 5k run at work. Today I have to bake cupcakes and clean mostly. Also am meeting my parents and sisters for lunch, just mom and dad and my sisters. Scale still stuck, but I am expecting some movement. In the past whenever my parents have come to visit I've had big losses, I told them they were my good luck charms, let's hope it works this time!

Orea, good luck to hubby on the job! Charlene, sounding good on DH's surgery, got my fingers crossed Okay so I have discovered something weird. I got 2 email notifications for the 50's thread of new posts, BUT they are different threads. One is this one that says www.lapbandtalk.com.... and the other says instead of www, it has beta.lapbandtalk.com The one that says Beta says I haven't visited in a while and is missing posts. What's up with that? And they are not the same, Orea and Charlene posted there and JAnet here and their posts are not in both threads. Which do I use??? Is it just me??

You are so right, when I had surgery last June I never imagined I would be where I am now. I was just going to be happy if I could get into a size 16 in a normal store. Size 12 was my ultimate dream goal and I am sitting here typing this in my, though very tight, size 8's! It's a dream come true. I am contemplating wearing my 8's to my sisters (both sisters will be there) to dinner tonight. But am afraid they are a little too snug and also that I was being a little too smug. They were so nasty to me over the years for my weight and it just feels good. They told me before that I was pissing them off once I started getting into 14's and 16's. :redface:

Thanks Allie, feeling much better. I'm not sure if it's something I ate or just a really bad stuck episode. I've never experience stomach cramps though if I had a stuck or PB episode. And the room was spinning etc. I lyed down and was much better when I got up. DH and I discussed my leg issues last night and he really helped me put it into perspective. I need to focus more on all the positive attributes of my body now and stop looking at my calves. He wears a 17" neck in a dress shirt, I said my calves are as big as your neck! And these legs had to carry a lot of weight for many years and I am thankful that they did so I will appreciate them more. I think they bothered me so much as DH has said before that my legs were the first thing he noticed about me, but he's still attracted to me legs and all.

Yea!!! Meredith is back! So glad to read everything went well. What's a foley?? During my healing time, they weren't too concerned about the calories I got, just make sure I got my Protein grams in. However, once I started eating I ate 700 to 900 calories a day and would usually have one higher calorie day on the weekend by higher it was 1,000 or so. Lucky you only 2 incisions, I got 5, one is like a pin prick though.

Thanks, Allie. Dresses?? what are those??? I've not worn one in many years. Might have to soon as DD and her boyfriend are talking getting engaged. EGADS!! I have too many issues with my calves for dresses. In fact just posted a question for Dr. Schulman on the plastic surgery board about calves and he said there's not much they can do for them. So I don't see a reason to ever do something for my thighs as then my legs would look out of balance or something if I had trim thighs and fat calves. Suddenly I'm not feeling so well. I ate lunch and got a sortta stuck feeling. First I sortta PB'd but even that was different, then I started retching like vomiting and it was so different than any PB I've ever had. I hope the retching didn't do anything to the band, think I am going to go lie down. I have terrible stomach cramps too so it's gotta be more than being 'stuck'.

That's what I was afraid of. Thanks so much for your quick response. Without being able to do my calves, I'm not sure I want to do the thighs then my legs will look out of proportion.

Hi Dr Schulman, I had lap band surgery one year ago in June '08, I am down 126 lbs. I have some loose skin but not too bad, however what bothers me the most is my legs. I can learn to live with the thighs but my calves bug me the most. They are still like 17". Is there anything that can be done for the calves? I had heard not. Thanks. OH I should add I am only 9 lbs from goal which for me is a normal BMI

Gosh, I have 17 inchers for calves, maybe I could loan you some of mine and between the 2 of us we'd be perfectly calved :crying: And so no one gets me wrong, I'd much rather have the flaws of skin issues, etc. and have my skin 'deflated' instead of 'inflated' with the 126 lbs I've lost. The one thing that I see posted over and over and just can't relate to (and I don't mean to offend anyone, I am just saying I can't relate to it) is when people are having doubts about losing the weight because they are concerned they are going to have excess skin. I'd take excess skin over fat any day, and just don't relate to that line of thinking. But we all have our crosses to bear.

Apples, Thanks for sharing that. That is where I am getting close to being, acceptance of the body I end up with. Though I'm less than thrilled with my legs, I do wear the shorts. And though my thighs are loose and flabby it's my calves that bug me the most. I've been told there's not much PS that can be done for them anyway. But I am wearing the shorts, sleeveless tops and bathing suit in public. The more I do that, the more accepting of it I am becoming, if that makes any sense. The first time I wore shorts out of the house I was convinced everyone was looking at me and talking about me, now I have a photo up on the internet both here and Facebook. :rolleyes2: I doubt I will go the PS route, one can never say never, but first I'd have to win the lottery. It's just not that big a priority right now financially, I have a lapband to finish paying for, vacations I want to take, clothes to buy, a car some day in the next year or so, etc. etc. And like you said when you look around at others they have some flaws too.

Apples, the tent was not $40, we got back $40 as it went on sale for that much off. The tent was $100 in the end. But it's a nice one! Can stand up in it. I went to the pool and laid out in the sun today too. Would not have done that last summer. And I fit in! I used to always look to see if I was the fattest one there and I didn't even do that, I felt almost 'normal'. (still hate my legs LOL)

I did it!! I made the climb to the top of that trail this past weekend. I'm attaching a photo. It went to 12,205 feet or over 2 miles high. It was so cold, it was 86 when we left home and I wore shorts. It was 42 at the bottom of the climb and colder at the top and the wind chill was bitter cold, my ears hurt so bad. IT was above timberline so no trees to buffet the wind either. It was a very emotional moment for me to make it. Then some more excitement yesterday morning. A bear broke into our vehicle and ate all our food while we were in a tent a couple feet away. Never been so scared in my life. But other than that had a great time. Allie, I never pack til the night before a trip. You can do it! I forget where you are going but sounds like maybe FL???

Thanks for the kudos on my steep hike. It was definitely a defining moment for me and an emotional one. As for bears and guns, Joann is right, no guns in the Nat'l park, that law was just passed however, and I believe it's next year that they will allow it in that park. Instead DH had a hammer. LOL He's in his flannel PJ type pants, some dorky slip on shoes, a tiny flashlight in one hand and hammer in the other. Thank God the bear didn't see him or was interested in him. How'd the bear get in the window? Seems DH may not have closed it tight when he sealed up the car for the night. He got all the other windows and locked the vehicle, and put a tarp over the coolers as we were instructed to do. Bears can recognize coolers they said and have been known to break windows to get in as well. OK so I had my wild animal experience early SUnday morning with the bear. Guess what I had today? A coyote! We have lots of them around our area as it was all prararie until a few years ago, we can hear them howl at night. This morning when I went to work, I pulled in the parking lot and he was across the street and started to come over my way. I decided I was waiting in the car until he was well on his way whether I was going to be late or not. My boss gave me a bad time all day for attacting wild animals. This after he came to the desk to give me something and kills a yellowjacket on the floor by my chair. That's enough critters! Well other than the beautiful deer and elk we saw this weekend. I've heard folks say when they fly that the altitude affects their bands, I've never noticed that flying. But I did notice with our camping trip at about 9,000 feet elevation that I was much tighter. One night I skipped dinner so i could have my s'more. I mean what's camping w/o a s'more?? I knew if I ate dinner there'd be no room for the s'more. WEll I gotta get off the computer, just found out my folks are coming tomorrow instead of Wed. and staying at my house Tues. night before moving to my sisters on Wed. I thought I had til Sat. to clean which is when they were goign to come. EGADS!! And it's a mess, just stuff to put away from the weekend etc. Arlene, good luck with this fill, hope it's the one for you! Julie, I enjoyed your Bible verse. Meredith, please check in and let us know how you are doing! Laura, sounds like you have a great relationship with your parents. You are lucky! Mine is better now than it's been, but is strained a lot with my mom. The ol' 'nothing is ever good enough' syndrome. But finally at 50 yrs old I got better about not needing her approval. Took me long enough.

I did it!! I made it to the top of that trail. It was freezing cold, we were in the clouds but I did it. I was surprised at how easy it was starting out. It wasn't until I was about 3/4 of the way to the top that I really started feeling it. I got really winded and that could've been the altitude as well as being exhausted. I had shorts on because it was 86 degrees at home when we left, it was 41 degrees at the bottom of that trail and windy the windchill and colder temps at the top had to have made it only in the 30's. I am attempting to attach a photo at the top. I didn't have my Tshirt yet as I bought that when I climbed back down. It was such an exhilerating experience and very emotional for me as last year that looked so insurmountable. And then for some more excitement. We spent 2 nights in a tent camping in a campground in Rocky Mtn Nat'l park. There were bear warnings all over. Well we got visited by one last night at 2am He got in our car and ate all our food. He had hot dogs, chips, cookies, marshmellows, a tub of butter, 2 bags dog food, buns, bacon & eggs. I was never so scared in all my life. I wasn't scared of death but of the pain getting there. Oh and he had chicken. The chicken container was on the ground outside our tent about 2 feet from my head. I couldn't wait for daylight so we could pack up to come home. It was so pitch dark out that we couldn't see to pack up even with our flashlights plus the noise we'd have made packing up in the night. We got breakfast at McD's in town on our way home and I was still shaking this morning. DH is afraid I won't go camping again. I had an awesome time til then.

Welcome back Hunzi!! And congrats to DH on his band too!! ANd for reaching 50 lbs!! As for mushies, one thing I recently heard but never tried is to take cottage cheese, mix in some marinera sauce (nothing with chunks in it) and melt some cheese on it and it's like a mini lasagna minus the meat and pasta. My favorite mushy was a bean and cheese cup from Del Taco or Taco Bell.