legallyKristin

Jessica- I think crackers fall into the "bread" category for most of us. I can't eat them and I DEFINATELY cannot eat croutons. That was my worst PB episode ever. If I really want something crunch I may eat one or two Tostitos multi-grain tortilla chips chewed REALLY well. Kristin

Thank you all soo much for the great ideas! I got the halter one at Old Navy and the black one with the skirt from Target! Ya'll are too good! Tomorrow I go for my 3 month follow-up appointment. I'm kinda excited because I'm going to get an unfill. I've been throwing up on and off for the past week. I think I'm still too tight. Those of you with 4cc bands- how much fill do you have?????? I weigh 222 am 5'6" and have 1.8cc in a 4cc band. I would like some taken out, but I don't want to lose all restriction. I tried to stick it out with being too tight because I didn't want to pay $100 again to get some taken out, but since I'm going to the beach this weekend for a wedding, I figure better safe than sorry...plus this last week has been miserable. I'm throwing up Gatorade today. Anywhoo...thanks for listening, ya'll are the best! Kristin

2 embarrasing places: 1) La Madeline's was my first and I kept drinking Water to try to help. It made it worse and I slimed all over me, my pants, the table and the floor. We left quickly. 2) In my car in front of the Jazzercise studio. I used an empty AchievOne cappacciono shake glass bottle that had been sitting in my car for 2 days. That was really gross. I like the sour cream container idea. I think I'll have to do that myself. Kristin

This thread is so fun! Here are our babies!

Oh that's funny. Thanks for sharing! Kristin

As a graduation present (and also because I was at my lowest weight last summer) I got myself a cute little convertible! A 2004 Chrysler Sebring Convertible Touring Edition. Leather/Suede and all the perks! I love it!! This is a pic off the Internet.

Good luck to you too ericsmom! ;)Kristin

Thanks! I've lost 40 lbs since march by just following a South Beach type diet and going to Jazzercise 4-6 times a week for an hour each time. I go back for my 3 month check-up tomorrow so I hope my doc will be pleased! (Edited to add- I also religiously get my Protein in and monitor my calorie on www.fitday.com) While I got the band so that I don't have to follow diets anymore, the way I look at it is if I do this for 10-12 months and hit my goal quickly, I can let go of the dieting mentality and then learn to maintain. That's what I've always had trouble doing. Kristin

Thanks HeatherGurl! I kinda thought my post got buried. I've been looking online and the halter suits seem to jump out at me too. I'll head to Old Navy this afternoon!! Thanks sooo much!! Kristin

Yup, been there done that. I wondered if I even HAD a band for the two months after surgery. TOTALLY NORMAL. I told my doc when I went for my first fill that I could eat an entire subway sandwich. He filled my band up 1/2 way. I definately know it's there now. Be thankful that you know that without your band being filled you have no restriction. That may come in handy down the road if you get a stomach virus or pregnant, etc. Just realize that the restriction doesn't happen for most without fills. Best of luck! Kristin

I had surgery on the Wednesday before spring break and so I had a total of 11 days recovering before I went back to school. I probably could have gone back about 7 days post-op but was glad to have the additional days. JUST REMEMBER to walk walk walk as soon as you can and as often as you can. Even if it is only a trip around the house for the first few days, every little bit helps to work the anesthesia (and gas) out of you and get you back on the road to recovery!! And that stinks about the Slim-Fast diet. I just had to do a low fat diet to shrink liver, thankfully, because that stuff is NASTY! Best of luck for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery!! ;)Kristin

Thanks for reposting that Susan, I remember reading that when I first joined the board but have been unable to find it. :girl_hug: Kristin

Also on the clear Protein issues-- New whey liquid Protein is like 4 oz of clear protein with 25 grams and it tastes like liquified Jello @ only 100 calories. www.fitnessfirstUSA.com has them! Keep your head up, you've been through a lot in the past week! Things will get better, and seeing that scale go down may help cheer you up. The surgery and the changing lifestyle I equated to a "divorce" from food and I cried a lot too. No one else understood it. But you're going through a lot, just give yourself some time to relax, and realize you don't have to stress out, take it one step at a time! :girl_hug: Kristin

Thanks for sharing that site! Very interesting...I signed up as well! :girl_hug: Kristin

My doc said SF Jello was fine as long as I let is sit in my mouth (or chew) until it was melted again. Kristin

Yeh. I think all docs tell you that. But my dietician told me that it was fine to drink non-carbonated drinks (i.e. sugar free margaritas/daquiris (see www.bariatriceating.com for GREAT mixers) and my personal favorite is WINE. Also, if I can spare the calories I'll go for a Cape Cod (cranberry juice and vodka). The bubbly drink thing is supposed to be for the rest of your life (or at least your banded life) because "supposedly" the carbonation can expand the pouch and the extra gas causes discomfort. About 2 months out I had a sip of champagne and it didn't bother me, but I just don't want to risk it. Generally docs say no alcohol for a year or so because they don't want you to have the empty calories. Kristin P.S. LMAO at your screen name! I love it!!

Ok, I just added swimsuit pics on my card (middle page 2). I'm glad I took pics because I was planning to wear this suit to South Padre Island next weekend and now I realize how BAD it looks. PLEASE someone help suggest a type of suit that would look better. I am really small busted so I just look like a big fat rectangle with fat arms and gross back fat. Thanks. Kristin

Good for you for becoming "a normal eater!" Ice cream is a demon, and it goes down so easy sometimes when nothing else will. About a month after surgery we bought some of the sugar free crap, but it just wasn't the same. So now, the demons stay at the store! Kristin

Wow. I'm with Alexandra on this one. And would like to add... WHY LABEL??? What is the importance of being a SAHM, etc?? As long as you are caring for a family and provide love and financial support- WHO CARES who is doing it?? For me and my fiance (dated for 12 years, engaged for 2) it is about being happy. I'm going to be an attorney, he's a CPA. Whoever gets more money gets to work and the other can stay at home, if the situation so dictates and it is a mutual choice that makes us BOTH HAPPY. There is no label to stigmatize that just because I'm A WOMAN I should stay home. Nor is there a label to imply the connnotation that because he is a man he should be out being "the bread winner." In our eyes, when you start putting labels on everything, the teamwork is lost and unhappiness is found. There are jobs/responsibilities and we will work together to do them. We will not just do them because that is our societial assigned gender role. Kristin

I used to love bacardi lite w/diet cola. Unfortunately, diet cola=carbonated beverage which is a no-go for most bandsters. Kristin

Yes, supposedly this phenomena does seem to affect a lot of women bandsters. Some have little or no restriction around that TOM, and some of us (ME!! ME!!) are so tight that sometimes liquids hurt. My doctor blames it on bloating. But regardless, it still stinks to be a woman sometimes! Kristin

Congrats mychevygirl!! And congrats HeatherGurl on those skinny jeans!!! I'll work on getting some pics up tonight, but no laughing at my grandma bathing suit, I can't find any cute ones with cutouts like BeacheeGirl! Kristin

Vines- I think it has to have something to do with environment. I get told that I look like my dad a lot, and he's not really my biological father. My mom was artificially inseminated.

Jessica-I was banded 3/8/06 and I have a good level of restiction (1.8cc in a 4.cc band) so that may be why I had trouble with the seaweed. But it definately sounds like they would probably work with you! Just remember, everyone is different about what they can and cannot eat. Some of the things that people cannot eat on this thread, I can definately eat. It's just a game of trial and error! Kristin

OHH So jealous! Mine are $205 with fluoro. I just had to pay $100 when I was on vacation because I got too tight around that TOM. I used to say that I should marry an auto-body repairman, now maybe it should be a PA-C. Kristin