Great2BThin

Yea!! Hunzi!! Good luck with your decision, it has to be a tough one but I know you will make the one best for you after all the research and discussing with your surgeon. VZ, congrats on Onderland!! I hit 101 today so am 4 lbs away myself. Well 4.1 as 4 would put me at 200 exactly. LOL

Katy, sorry to hear of your problems. I hope they will be able to remove the slipped band, replace it, and fix your hernia all in the same surgery. I hit 101 today, the scale had been resting since giving me the 100 over a week ago. Workouts are going well. I can almost do a regular 'mans' push up now. I do them in that position but can't go all the way down to the ground yet. I am seeing changes in my body so that is good.

I heard that lapband was going to start some sort of internet support in response to the REalize band, will have to check it out, thanks. I've not been to that website since before my surgery. My gray roots are showing so bad, it will be a relief to get the hair done, also may change up the style a bit. We'll see. That computer age thing sounds interesting, wonder if that is similar to what they used on Biggest Loser?? Speaking of Biggest Loser, anyone see it last night? Could you believe Joelle?? Poor Carla, but Carla has done great at home.

Susan, looking good in the pictures!! As much as I have avoided the camera over the years, I am glad I decided to do photos as I lose weight. as they say a pic is worth a thousand words! Well, gals, since hitting 100 I've been frozen on the scale. Even gained 2 lbs back for almost a week but that is back off again. I'm anxious to hit Onederland! Today I get my hair cut and colored and tonight is my husbands work party. It's more or less their Christmas party late. Most of those folks haven't seen me since surgery, so will be interesting. I hate going to his work functions though.

Just booked my 100 lb reward...A Meditteranean cruise!! We sail from Barcelona on May 10th. WOO HOO!!! DH had promised me this cruise about 3 or 4 yrs ago one time when I was crying on his shoulder about my weight and he said if you ever lose 100 lbs..... And here I am!! Got a fantastic deal too, can't wait! Oh the new clothes I am going to need!! Sharon, about the water, do you carry a water bottle with you? I have one with me whereever I go and that helps me a lot to get in my water. Just sips here, there and everywhere.

Apples, about WEd or Thurs. last week I posted a before and current picture of myself after reaching 100 lbs lost. I hit that on tues. The pic was from 95 lbs though. Just scroll back a few pages. BTW, still waiting to see yours!!

Allie, how cool is that? No one has asked me out yet. LOL But I did get an email from someone in my church noticing that I was so much thinner and they wanted to know if I was okay. I got a kick out of that.

I had popcorn at the movies too and I am up two. It is probably the salt as well making for water rentention. I can't have it in the house, even the 100 cal bags as it is a major redlight food for me. That being said I still don't think of this as a diet. It's a lifestyle change that I want to make to be healthy, energetic and of course, thinner. I was lucky, my surgeon had a great preop and post op support system in place and it was made very clear to us that we were not going on another diet. That it had to be a lifestyle change. Diets can be broken, you go off diets. A lifestyle change is for the long haul, it's to be the healthiest I can be. Sure there can be, for lack of a better word, 'cheats' maybe a better word would be treats. But when I have that cookie or something now it is just one, it's not the whole batch, or at the movies it was a small popcorn, etc. I try to compensate by upping the activity as well. It's not the occassional treat that got us to the point of needing WLS it's the 'lifestyle' of having treats all the time, the whole bag of cookies, the whole cake, and doing it every day. Even after my popcorn last night, I can feel a difference in how I feel today, much more lethargic, not as energetic etc. Did I enjoy it? You betcha! but today is a new day.

?Velvet, I think it's great you are doing the Bowflex, keep it up, but I think you also need to add some cardio. Start slow with walking or something. Good luck to you! My workouts are 6 days a week of a DVD called Power 90 by Tony Horton. This is my 3rd week of a 90 day program. I finally feel like I am getting stronger and able to do more. The first week or so was tough. Wow, Janet, you are really on today, great info here. I can't really add much more to my story that you haven't already posted. For me, it's become a way of life. I feel stronger and more confident with every pound I lose and more and more determined to never go back to that way of life again. Also I was self pay and paid big bucks for this surgery and that keeps me on track too. Even if I cave to head hunger, always try to make it protein first. That helps if you can do that. Junk food unfortunately as you know, Bonnie, slides right through and you never really get that full feeling.

Marty, welcome and congrats to you and your upcoming surgery. I say congrats because for me it was the best decision I have ever made, it literally gave me my life back. I had absolutely no gas pains ever after my surgery, but like they say everyone is different. My surgeon told me he does his best to expell it all before he closes you up. As for being confused as to the post op diet, etc. That is entirely normal. You will come to find out after reading lots of posts here that many many docs have different opinions on this. Some require much longer liquid diets than others, etc. Mine was 5-7 days liquids, 5 days mushies, then solids. My best piece of advice there is to follow whatever your dr wants you to do as he is the one ultimately in charge of your after care as well. That's what I did. I also had no pre op diet so my dr's guidelines were easy to follow so I was lucky. My other piece of advice would be to start tasting and shopping for protien drinks now. Find one you like and if you are like me and dislike most of them, then find the one you dislike the least and stock up. The last thing you want to discover after surgery is that the Protein drinks you bought, you don't like or you run out. You won't feel like going shopping for them. I liked Isopure the best, others hate them and call them Isopukes, so it really is an individual thing, i didn't like shakes. There is also a tastely protien powder called "any whey' and it's available at GNC that you can add to your puddings etc. And a great way to get lots of protein is the 'protein shots' they are these 3 oz test tube looking things and had 42 gms of protein in the 3 oz, I only was to drink 1 oz protein every hour so that 1 oz was like 14 grms. Good luck to you!

I see the commercials on TV for the lifestlyle lift all the time, I've wondered about them. I am also noticing my arms more now, especially when I am working out and have them in positions over my head and stuff, stuff sags. But I'll take sagging over the fat anyday! Maybe I'll win the lottery and be able to afford to fix it all. But guess that means I'd have to buy a ticket first!! LOL

I went to Chilis today too. No fish though and no stuck issues. I got the Burger Bites which are 4 mini burgers, I ate the meat off of 1 1/2 of them and brought the rest home. Though with my tooth issues lately I've been getting stuck a lot. I think with the pain of chewing, I'm not chewing well enough. I've PB'd several times lately. I've never been stuck and not thrown up or PB'd, whatever you call it, and it went away.

Hunzi, it's great to see you back! And congrats on getting reapproved. I pray things go better for you this time and no more infections! Any idea of when surgery will be??

Susan, those unsolicited comments mean the most as that means to me 'wow I really am losing weight and they really are noticing'. Keep on sharing 'em!! I took my meausrements today and from the beginning I have lost 10" in each my bust, waist and hips!!!!! I held the tape measure out 10" more to see where I was before and was amazed!

MRose, people didn't start noticing my weight loss until I had lost at least 40 lbs and then it was more like, 'did you cut your hair?' or something looks different comments. It was probably closer to 50 before I got comments about wow you are losing weight. I think it was because I started out so large. Also to lose that first clothing size I had to lose a lot more weight than I do now. Probably 20-30 lbs to drop a size and now it's closer to 10 or 15. I guess at the larger size it took more to lose a percentage of weight, etc. I just took my monthly measurements today. Most areas went down at least a half inch but my butt and thighs went down a whole inch. I was ecstatic about that as they have been losing the slowest. Those and my calves. I have the hugest calves. Many times I can't get into the smaller size jeans because I can't get my calves through the legs. And they seem hard I suppose I have big muscles there from carrying all the weight around.

I lose the same way, nothing, nothing, nothing, then wham! One week (like this past week) 5 lbs!! I just gotta constantly remind myself that the weeks I don't lose as I want instantaneous results!

I am so excited to finally get to post here. I hiet 100 lbs lost on Tues. and today it's 100.5 so I have now lost 'over' 100 lbs!! YAHOO!! It's taken me about 7 1/2 mos. I have 36 more to go to get to my goal of a normal BMI, in a couple more pounds I will just be overweight and no longer obese!!

Thanks Bandana, congrats to you too. As for how I did it, I've been super strict about following the 'rules of the tool' they gave me. Eat 5 mini meals a day of 1/2 cup portions and protein first, and exercise. The exercise wasn't much at first but have been gradually increasing it all along. Plus I had a lot to lose so think that helps too vs someone who has less to lose. And lots of prayer!!

I think I finally figured out how to post a picture so if it works here's a night before surgery picture and one at 95 lbs, still haven't taken a 100 lb one. In the 95 lb one I am holding out the jeans I am wearing in the before.

Trying to post a pic one is of me at 95 lbs lost, don't have a new 100 lbs picture yet, but I am holding out the jeans I am wearing in the night before surgery picture.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANET!!! You were so quiet about your big day! I bet it feels great to turn another year and yet feel so gosh darn good because of all the weight you have lost and the exercise. My bday is in May and I was banded in June, so this bday I will feel so totally different! Thanks for the link on how to do pics. I will look at it tomorrow and see if I can figure it out.

Those 2 will come back off shortly. I hope that means you are feeling better and that stomach bug is gone. Good luck on the contest!! My ticker only goes one direction too!

Couldn't get here for about 24 hours for some reason. Rebooted my computer and am back now but now no email notifications again, GRRR!! But wanted to say thanks for the kudos on my 100 lbs yesterday, it meant so much. The whole morning at work I kept thinking I can't wait to get home and post it here as I know you'd all truly understand how it felt. Funny thing, I sent an email to my family announcing my milestone. My sisters have not said a word. They haven't comment since I hit about 75 lbs. and what they said then, was my butt looked small and I was pissing them off. DH thinks they are very afraid now that I am thinner than them. I have always been the fat sister. But no more!! I was going to attach a photo but couldn't figure it out. It wanted the url address of my photo. I don't have any online.

I couldn't get to this site for about 24 hours. GRRRR and now am not getting the email notifications again, double GRRRR Thanks so much for all the congrats and kudos on my loss. And yes I did do a happy dance yesterday morning. I still can't believe it. Today at the hospital in my volunteer work, one of the things I do is set up the classroom for the preop and 2 week post op nutrition classes. They always ask if I've had the surgery and when I told them today and my loss they were all amazed and very hopeful. That felt nice. As for yesterday I have the help of a bad tooth to help in the weight lass department. I went to the dentist yesterday and it's infected and will need a root canal. YUCK!!! I am on antibiotics now and get the root canal in 2 weeks. I hope the antibiotics take away the infection and therefore the pain fast! I'm not eating much, sleeping much, etc. And I feel so run down, DH thinks it's my body fighting the infection. And what I do eat, I have a hard time chewing fine enough and have PB'd more than normal. as for water, immediately after surgery, i was to drink 1 oz every 15 min. Now I get in 60 to 80 oz a day, but still by sipping, I can't gulp a whole glass of water in the morning well. Especially cold water. Melody, congrats on your loss so far!

I'm back, I couldn't get here after I posted about my 100 lb loss yesterday. The page wouldn't load. Allie, congrats on the 104.5!!! See told you that you would blast right past the 100 lb mark.