JulieNYC

I'm hooommmmmeeee. Ahhhh. Vacation is lovely, but nothing beats sleeping in your own bed. I can't wait. The scale tomorrow morning will be interesting. I didn't make ANY effort to eat the right things on vacation, though given that I have pretty good restriction, I don't think I did any major damage. I'm back on the pre-surgery hard-nosed diet as of tomorrow morning. Honestly, I'm looking forward to it. OK, I think I've turned a corner and am actually getting excited about my PS. Letting Dad really look at my stomach was emotionally difficult, but he is such a "surgeon" (I guess mby that I mean that the exam just felt very medical -- as if I were any other patient) that it wasn't as bad as I'd feared. He wants to think about the exact procedure for a few days, but his impression is that he'll do something inbetween a tummy tuck and a lower body lift, in addition to a normal breast lift (no implants). Basically, there's a version of a tummy tuck where they cut around your hips as well, to give the outer thighs a little lift, but without cutting all the way around 360 degrees. He thinks I need the extended tuck because of the weight I carried in my hips. I'm thrilled because I wanted a LBL, but he had told me he wouldn't consider it at this point -- that it was too big of a surgery for a patient that wasn't at goal. I didn't realize there was something in between. Best of all, he did a bunch of stomach muscle tests and he's certain I won't need the muscle work of a tummy tuck -- just the skin and fat removal. That's fabulous because it makes the surgery and recovery a lot easier and, thus, he's willing to do more skin removal. I had hoped that would be the case because I've been working out for so long and haven't had pregnancies, but I wasn't sure until he confirmed it. So, I'm set for March 28th. Woohoo!

Go Betty, Go Betty, It's your birthday, it's your birthday! OK, it's not your birthday, but ONE SEVENTY???? Geeze! You're melting into nothing! We have to look hard to see you! Wink. Way to go.

Hi Jim. We don't think you're dumb at all, just that you're a man, so you might not understand that a woman feels very feminine when she is able to cross her legs comfortably. It's one of life's little pleasures that is taken away from us when we get above a certain size....

They have ones now that operate off GPS and are extremely accurate. Check out the Garmin line, if the cost doesn't put you off too much.... http://www.garmin.com/products/forerunner201/

Oh my gosh, I can't believe what all I missed. Thank GOODNESS Kinsey is doing better, Kat. Wow, what a scare. To be so little and so sick. So frightening. Betty, do we have any news on Bluehill? Is she out of the hospital yet? I don't know anything about cellulitis. If you have an address for her that she's authorized you to give out, I'd love to send her a card if you'd PM it to me. I'm in St. Barts, which is a dream, but for the fact that I'm working too much. I did my PS "consult" with my Dad earlier today and boy was that not fun. I'll give you all an update later, once I've goten a little distance from it. It's going to be fine, it's just going to be a big, big surgery. Meanwhile, I've got a case (work) that I'm just not happy with. I'm going to sit by the pool and see if I can come up with any solutions that I haven't thought of to date.... Take care,

You will find different opinions on food measuring. I personally was a fan in my earlier banded days just for the reason you say -- 1/2 cup of Protein is probably enough and I know I won't be too full. Try it and see if you like it. You won't need to do it forever. Now I know exactly what 1/2 cup looks like. My best advice for you though is to force yourself to eat slowly. After about the 5th bite, really examine whether you need another bite. It's about finding that place where you're no longer hungry, but aren't necessarily full. If you stop at that place, a few minutes later you'll be full and you will feel perfect. If you eat past that place until you're full, a few minutes later you'll be too full. That's my experience, anyway! It took several months to master. You'll get there. No worries. Congrats on getting banded.

I declare this: Dawn's Day of Onederland Happiness abounds! Dawn, of course you cried. I just cried for you. You are amazing and what you've done is amazing. I can't wait to join you. Here are some dancing bananas, because you deserve them. :girl_hug: :girl_hug: Because we're kindred WLS spirits, would it be OK if I sent you a Onederland present? If so, PM me your mailing address.

:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: Go Dawn, go Dawn -Go-Go-Go- Dawn!

Tax Day Challenge! (April 15th) Week Zero of Eight Name.............................Starting……..Current……..Goal……..To Go Juliegeraci.......................238............. ...... 238.................228.............10 Lapbandit.......................231............... .....231………….199.............32 Waterlily.........................300............. .......300.................264.............39 Roiansmom.....................299................. ...299.................270.............29 Libra...............................248........... .........248.................228.............20 JulieNYC........................212............... .....209.................185.............24 Elisabethsew....................282............... ......282.................264............18 PeaCeJ............................338......................338.................318............20

Sadly, Kat, my Mom won't be in St. Barts with me. My parents divorced when I was 3 and it's my Dad's family that's going to St. Barts. Don't worry though -- Mom comes to NYC about 6 times a year and already has a trip planned for May, so it's not too sad that she left early. Plus, I'll see her next month as she'll come help with my PS recovery. Betty, have a great time at the Splash. Would you give us some details when you get back? I'm not sure if a bash is something I'd like to do or not. Your experience might help me decide! Big hug to Alan. By the way, even with "youth," I'm not going to have a hard body. My thighs are a mess. I can't believe I can't have them fixed at the same time. Dad says breasts, tummy and thighs is too much at once. I go back and forth about the breasts versus the thighs. Both are important, as I learned trying on swimsuits last night. On a happier note, the scale moved this morning. YEA. Swim to the right, fishy-ticker-thing! Swim to the right!

Tax Day Challenge! (April 15th) Week Zero of Eight Name.............................Starting……..Curre nt……..Goal……..To Go Juliegeraci.......................238............. .......238.................228.............10 Lapbandit.......................231............... .....231………….199.............32 Waterlily.........................300............. .......300.................264.............39 Roiansmom.....................299................. ... 299.................270.............29 Libra...............................248........... ..........248..................228.............20 JulieNYC........................212.......................212.................185.............27

I got in 4 miles on the tread today -- not too shabby because I got in 4 miles yesterday too. I'm hoping to break into the 00's before I leave for St. Barts on Saturday, so I'm getting in as much exercise as possible. I was on the cusp of 211-212 this morning, so it could happen. Roberta, I'm feeling fine after my fall -- thanks for checking. I bruised something awful, but the pain is gone. I took 6 days off running to let my ankle heal and it's felt 100% the last 2 nights at the gym. Plus, I went to the doctor to have my PS bloodwork done and I don't have any Vitamin deficiencies, so the bruising must just be me being klutzy getting used to my new frame. Tracy, welcome to our thread! We hope you'll join us in an exercise challenge in a few months. Until then, let us know what we can do to help you in any way through the next couple of months until you get your band. You're going to love it.... Boo, I hadn't thought of getting a nice swimsuit. I borrowed several from my Mom (who has I'm not kidding 200 suits -- she lives at the beach and is very "hip" and "young" for a Mom, so I like her things) that will tide me over. If I see the perfect thing, I promise to buy it and not care that it won't fit for long....

I'm so excited for you, Adumont! You're going to do great and April will be here around the corner. My adivce for the next 6 weeks is to enjoy a few special meals, but don't fall prey to "last supper syndrome" and gain weight during this phase (which is common). It's not worth it. You WILL eat again. You'll have all your favorite things after banding as well. You are in control of your restriction level -- no one else, so don't fall into the "but I'll never eat pizza again, so I need to eat 6 slices now" trap. You sound like you're doing great, so I hope this won't be too much of a problem for you. I think all weight loss without a band is impressive, so don't slight your accomplishment of losing during this phase. It's a wonderful thing and you'll be that much closer to goal once you get good and started. Take care,

Name....................Current Weight......Valentine's Goal......To Go Juliegeraci................237.................... .10................Done! 5lbs Bonus Lapbandit.................231..................... 20..........................4 Libra....................... 248......................20....................... ...3 Indianlight................ 266......................20....................... ...7 JulieNYC.................. 215.....................212...................... ....-3 Elisabethsew............ 282 (-12)..............282..........................0 Did we decide on the next challenge being by "tax day" in the US (April 15th, for the non-US folk)? I'm having PS on March 28th, so I may set my goal a little earlier than the rest -- I have no idea how much they'll take off in surgery and (on the contrary) how much swelling I'll have, so it's hard for me to make an April 15th goal, but these things keep me going, so I'm all in!

Hi April 2007 Bandsters! I'm another April 2006 bandster. Some of us were talking over on our exercise thread and we thought we'd like to formally offer our support to the April 2007 crowd. Whatever questions you have, bring them on! We'd like to be here for the April 2007 crowd, through the insurance issues, pre-surgery jitters, early days of quick weight loss, and long-term successes and challenges. We have found that having a smaller support group within the larger forum of LBT has been a very effective tool for us in terms of integrating with our banded life and losing weight. So, let us know if we can do anything for you, and please feel free to peruse the April 2006 threads (running weight loss and monthly exercise challenge) to get an idea of life next year....Feel free to PM me as well if you have quesions you don't want to address publicly. Take care,

I was a successful dieter pre-band too, but I could never keep it off. I'd lost 100 lbs once and 60 lbs 3 or 4 times. My real, true advice for you is why struggle to lose weight without the band "one last time"? Why put your metabolism and your body through another cycle of loss and re-gain? Get the band now and save your health to the best of your ability. I had a hard time getting over the concept of potential other surgeries as well, which is what I think you're struggling with, in terms of the likelihood that there will be a better device in the future. Here's what I came to realize. The band doesn't have to be permanent. If the medical community isolates a fat gene, creates a pill, or otherwise truly cures obesity in my lifetime, I can have my band removed in favor of the better procedure. Band surgery, as significant as it is, is minimally invasive. My surgery was 17 minues. I was home in 4 hours. I'm not saying don't take it seriously, but I am saying don't let the hope of a better procedure YEARS down the road keep you from having the wonderful tool that's available to you today. If I needed to get from NYC to DC and I had a car (the band), I'd take the car -- I wouldn't walk (diet & exercise) just because I thought, in a few years, I might have access to a plane (new-fangled future procedure). Good luck to you and all any of us want for you is happiness and heath on whatever road you choose. Take care,

Does the "full" or satiation sensation happen now if it didn't before? Or is it just that distended-gut-holy-crap-I-ate-a-lot feeling happening more quickly? It took me several months to sort out what I was feeling, but now I'm good at stopping (usually, at least) when I'm comfortably full instead of when I'm holy-crap full. At first, I ate until I was holy-crap full because I didn't realize how LITTLE 1 cup of food is compared to pre-band and so I ate right past my "comfortably full" stage. You'll get the hang of it. Is stomach hunger less intense or more manageable after the band? 8,000 times more manageable. I'm rarely truly hungry. When I am, I eat, then I'm full for 5 hours. It's great. I never, ever fight that constant pre-band hunger. I just don't have that thing in my head anymore that says "eat the other half of that [iNSERT FOOD HERE] that you know is in the fridge/pantry, etc." It's just not there. I mean, how much to you guys eat in a meal? I'm having trouble imagining what portions sizes look like on the band... Would one of those little McDonalds Cheeseburgers be a big (if unhealthy) portion size? One little McD's cheeseburger and maybe 10 fries (not even half of a small fry -- literally 10!). That would be a big meal. I think you understand that the choice is questionable, but yeah, that's about the size. My days of 6 cheeseburgers (or, in my case, bean burritos) are over. Occasionally I still think "I can't possibly get full on one bean burrito, I'll order 3" but even when I do that, I wind up laughing and throwing 2 1/2 of them away. The band works for portion control. Did your tastes change drastically as the weight came off? Not so dramatically. I want to eat healthier because I want to lose weight faster. But, I'd still LIKE to eat take out Mexican or pizza every night -- I just have an easier time NOT doing that with the band. I'd still like to though. I analogize to a piano. My "you must eat Mexican food" was playing with the amplifier pedal depressed every single day. Now it occasionally still plays, but with the damper pedal pressed. It's easier to make a different choice, even if the desire for the not-so-healthy choice is still there.

Well, I'm moved. It was a mess, but it's DONE! I'll post a couple of pictures once I get things straightened out a bit more. My Mom came up from Atlanta to help and I couldn't have done it without her. She went home yesterday -- a couple of days early because of the snow we were expecting (and got) in NYC last night. It's supposed to last for a while and I hope it doesn't get in the way of my flight to St. Barts on Saturday, where I'm going for a week's vacation with my family. Can't wait! I met with my band surgeon yesterday. I asked him about PS for me and he was completely on board, even though I'm not "at goal." It kind of seemed like he even preferred for me to go ahead now rather than in 40+ more lbs. He said I'll just feel so much better without the weight of my stomach. His advice was have it done now and not even wait until April! I'm sticking with my timing, but that did make me feel a lot better, in that I don't think I'm stretching as much as I thought to fit in PS and starting my new job in May. Speaking of, yes, I took the new job. It's going to be a lot of work, but it's such an incredible move for my career (and my pocketbook). Boo, I'm so excited to hear that you're making a career move (up the ladder) too! That's awesome and I hope you'll share more about it, if you can find a way to and maintain your confidentiality (I totally get that). Speaking of work, I guess I'd better get to it.

Bluehill, that's just terrible. I have a feeling you're going to bounce back quickly though. Don't worry a bit about the exercise -- take care of your more pressing health issue for now and once you're healed, you can create a mini-challenge for yourself for the end of the month, if you're feeling up to it. Keep us posted on the infection. That's nothing to mess with.

Kat, look at that, you're at 203.5!!!! I can't wait for you to hit Onederland! So exciting. Speaking of Onederland, I can't wait for Dawn's post. I know she's traveling this week, but I bet she's hit it.

Oh, Betty. I wish I were there to hold your hand. I know Alan's going to be fine, but it's scary and I'm sorry you're going through it. Hang in there until you get the test results. Maybe they'll decide it's been that degree for a longer time than they thought and surgery won't be necessary. I know I speak for all when I tell you we're thinking about you. I got to the gym today for an hour on the elliptical. That's all my news....

Molly, I KNOW that you will meet your Valentine's goal. I'm so proud of you for getting back into the swing of things so quickly, with all that you've been through these past few months. You are an inspiration to all who face such tragedy. Please let us know what we can do to help you along the way. I drink soda -- not much, but maybe 12 oz/week. I'll give it up, in solidarity with you. Take care, Julie

Life threw me another curve ball today. I think you all know from prior threads that I took a job at another firm (a lot more money and really cool travel) but that they let me have until May to start so that I could lose some more weight and have a TT before starting. Today, I found out that the entire practice group up and left the firm I committed to and joined a much larger and more prestigious firm. The larger firm has now extended me an offer. I'm not sure of the terms yet, but the money is sure to be insane. Unfortunately, there's no way I'll be guaranteed the balance of lifestyle and work that I was hoping for when I originally researched this practice group -- now that they're at the larger firm they'll have less control over that. I can definitely still stay at my current firm where I'm warm and happy (and can have the flexibility to take time off whenever I need it for PS in the future and could wait a little longer than May to truly get to goal before PS, which would be ideal). I'm not really asking for advice (though I'll certainly take it) because I don't even really know my options yet -- just wanted to vent. Overall, it's probably a good development -- just a stressful one. The caloric intake has held steady today, even during the stress and I'm looking forward to my time at the gym to have a release in a few hours.

I want to play! I guess it means "heated kiss" -- well Amourette?? Educate the Americans as to your playful banter! What does it mean? I fell down a flight of concrete stairs today. (Darn 3 inch knee high boots!) I'm going to live, but I'm a little fearful for how I'm going to feel in the morning -- I'm afraid I might feel a little like I've been in a car wreck. I'm not too bad off, but I've been bruising so much lately. I'm a little worried that I might have a Vitamin deficiency from the weight loss. Or, hopefully, it's just the effects of having less padding. Is anyone else having this problem? (I'm going to the doc next week, so no worries). I did make it to the gym. Couldn't run on the ankle after the fall, but the elliptical felt just fine. Hope your day was better than mine!

A slipped band usually causes other problems. I've read about serious reflux issues and serious vomiting issues. These symptoms often lead to the tests that render the diagnosis of a slip. Whether there are people out there with slips but no symptoms (and thus no diagnosed slips), I have no idea. I do not believe you can live with an erosion and not have the band removed. An erosion means the band has actually eroded through the wall of your stomach. As I understand it, this has to be surgically corrected in order to salvage the integrety of your stomach. Some non-severe erosions can be immediately re-banded, usually by using a different size band (often the VG when a small Inamed band had been used before) and placing it slightly differently (often slightly higher). Slips are more common than erosions, but neither are common. When I decided to be banded, I accepted the fact that there was a small chance I'd need a revision surgery at some point. Believe me, the chance of having ONE bad day (i.e. a follow up surgery) versus living every day at 300+ -- it's a no brainer which I'd choose. Hope this helps!