riley4183

OMG Jes! SMOKIN HOT!!!!

OK you guys, he would NOT be pleased if he knew I was doing this, but I just can't help myself!! This is Chris, aka #1 He looks all tough in this pic but he's not . . . gotta send this and get logged off before he gets over here, LOL! LOTS of clothes for tomorrow! I hope someone can bring them to a support group meeting soon so I don't have to drag them all home again! 12s through 16s good stuff :-)

Fantastic! Congratulations - great testimonial! Here's to a great 2010! :biggrin:

I am vegetarian AND do not tolerate gluten, whey or lactose - so you can imagine how daunting this whole thing was for me!! But I have never been healthier and never had a better diet in my life - and I am 100% satisfied with what I eat. Mandatory nutrition counseling was a part of my bariatric program, as it should be for everyone. I spend at least an hour a month with my nutritionist, which is a lot more than most folks have to, but I need her, and she totally gets it! She has suggested many new foods and combinations. Hidden gluten was causing my skin condition (boils, blistering, peeling, redness cracking etc) and it is almost 100% cleared up now - I have little minor flare-ups once every 6 weeks or so, but nothing like the full-time misery I had before. Believe me, the band is 100% friendly to a gluten-free diet! I could not eat bread even if I wanted to (yes, I have tried, more than once!) but potatoes are no problem. I am on modified carbs - almost 100% from fresh fruits and vegies - and I manage to net between 40 and 60 grams a day. I also easily get at least 60 grams of Protein a day, and that's no Protein shakes cause I can't tolerate whey. I do use a lot of soy milk (soy slender to be exact) and sometimes a soy Protein powder, but rarely - extra protein is stored as fat just like extra carbs would be. Actually, having a restricted diet sort of helps explain why you are eating funny if you don't want folks to know about your band. I told only those I had to before, but when you lose 1/2 your body weight in a year, people are going to notice! I am now a walking billboard for the lap-band and for the healthy lifestyle that goes with it. No one can argue my results! You are the perfect candidate. the lose/regain cycle is common to almost all bandsters. Look at this as a weight maintenance surgery: you have to lose weight to get your band, then as you lose each 10 lbs more, they tighten it up to "lock in" your loss. It's the perfect tool! Best of luck ~ Riley :biggrin:

I'm pushing Tamra! Can you feel my pushing?? I want to be down 8 by Feb 1 too; let's do this together!!! Who all is coming tomorrow? I wanna see my girlz . . . . and John! I will bring a few things, they are mostly 12s. And some career dresses size 16s!! Going to clean out my closet AGAIN today while I wash sheets and go through paperwork. I need these big ol' clothes out of my house!! De-cluttering is one of the gifts I have determined to give myself in 2010 :-)

My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner! But then, sooner would probably not have been the right time for me. I am just over 10 months out and I have lost more than 90% of my excess weight - over 120 lbs. I have also lost my high blood pressure, blood sugars, and cholesterol; planter fascitis, knee pain, incontinence, facial hair (weird but true!) many sizes (from a 24 to a 10), the ability to blend in, and the inability to wear heels. I have lost my fear of cameras and my fear of plastic patio chairs. I still pinch myself 10 times a day because it still feels like a dream! I AM BACK! And I really, really missed me :biggrin:

Jeepers Jes, you were out late girl, LOL! Malibu has sugar BTW - I'm just sayin' . . . . I stayed in last night & fell asleep about 9:30! Woke up for midnight but was eager to go right back to sleep. And I DO NOT like my scale this morning! It said 168 - that's quite a gain! I have been eating cold cereal by the 3-bowls-full, especially yesterday after my dental work, so carbs are expanding my liver for sure - 3 days of no carbs and I'll be back, so NO I am not changing my ticker, LOL! Here's a word of warning when you're banded: DONT try to eat after a visit to the dentist! When you are numb you just cannot chew properly, can't feel what you are doing and that does NOT work with the band! I'm just sayin' . . . . hence all the bowls of cereal yesterday, sliders ya know . . . I was numb for most of the day, then in pain for the rest of it! I also need to log my emotions when eating again, I'm afraid the cereal is a recent discovery that I CAN manage to eat to stuff intense feelings . . . so in my endless quest to "set myself up to succeed," I took all of the cereal boxes to my son and asked him to lock them away from me! No more cereal for me :-) I did great not eating it for a year, now I'm not doing great at it so it had to go. Kinda like crackers, you all know what I'm talkin' about! I sure did learn a lot in 2009. What did you learn in 2009?

I'm excited for you! You have a super attitude, and you're going to do GREAT!!

Hi Rosie Sue. Unfortunately, one of the best indicators of a patients' success after surgery is their ability to stick to the plan and lose weight before surgery. You just have to do it. It IS hard, but develop this mindset: this is the VERY LAST TIME that you will have to "diet" without the assistance of a band! You can do it this one last time. It also helped me to think of my band not as a weight-loss tool, but as a weight-maintenance tool: I had to lose weight (40 lbs!) to get the band; then when I lose a little more (10-12 lbs) they tighten it to lock that weight loss in; I lose a little more and they tighten it again . . . this is, very literally, how it has worked out for me. It's a great concept if you think about it. It also gives you something to tell folks about your surgery: you are not having the gastric bypass that makes you lose weight; you are having a lap-band to keep you from gaining weight back after you lose it. The other best indicator of a patient's success after surgery is involvement in (a) support group(s). I am a support group junkie - I belong to 4 of them! I find that I really need the high level of accountability to stay on my game - when I get discouraged and stop showing up, my support folks come and drag my arse out of my house and get me right back in the saddle! This is the most fulfilling journey you will ever take, but it is too difficult to go it alone. Find a couple of good support groups somewhere - I drive 1.5 hours to one of mine, it's worth it - and throw yourself in. You can do this!!! :biggrin: Riley

I told only people who needed to know before, but that was a lot of folks. I certainly did not tell clients or anything. But when you drop 120 lbs in a year, people are going to notice! Since I dropped the first 50 or so, I have become a walking billboard for Lap-Band Surgery. I speak at groups and classes. I wrote a newsletter article about it at work (220+ circulation). I have been approached by MANY interested people for more info, and no one - I mean no one - has approached me and given me grief. I wainted until after tho, so people would not be able to say, "oh don't do that!' and give me all their bad advice. In my surgery prep class, we practiced witty (or downright bitchy) responses to people who tried to pull us down, so I was READY - but it hasn't happened. I also have to say that I am very visible with my exercise and eating tiny portions. Folks who see me everyday KNOW that I have worked HARD for my weight loss, and it did not "happen" just because I had surgery. Absolutely no regrets!!

I love you right back! LOL, we'll get you eatin' our freaky-healthy vegetarian food yet, LOL. I don't think even Tina eats tofu!! Fry it up crispy & salty enough though, OOYAA Pami I'm invited and not going either! I can't afford one party, and I can't afford to go sit at a bar for the other one. Chris has Chris Jr. so he's not coming over and we can't do anything . . . I can deal tho, will walk down to Round Table to see youngest at work, have a couple of beers with middle son, and walk back home! Then talk to Chris on the computer half the night, LOL. My life is BORING . . . . but I like it :-)

That's a great one Maria! There is nothing more important :-) After spending the first couple of hours of my day today in a dental chair, my reso is to brush and floss twice a day every day in 2010! And to lose the last 9 lbs. And to keep up the healthy lifestyle changes I made in 2009 And to take better financial responsibility. That's enough for me! Who else has some? Hey 11 Saturday & the waterfront? Can someone give me the address to that "room" restaurant so I can mapquest it? I haven't heard from Pat :-(

YAY, late morning Saturday would work for me too! We could do the waterfront again?? I won't be able to do lunch due to time and $ constraints, Christmas kicked my butt again this year, LOL Pat! Let's carpool! Any lurkers out there who live in the north bay & wanna go?

I was 165, so up a tad but I think the dreaded "carb bloat" accounts for it! Groupie I am with you, I can eat a little of anything and be perfectly happy - I feel "normal" about/around food for the first time in my life! Loving, loving, loving my band :biggrin: BUT . . . still SO much head work to do! I had to deal with some super-intense emotions this week for the first time since being banded, and it was really hard because 1) I knew I could not "stuff" my feelings with food - it would all have come right back up thank you band!; and 2) I needed to avoid drowning my feelings with alcohol - the stats on bariatric surgery patients developing a replacement addiction with alcohol are staggering - like 35% - so I am hyper aware of that one (not that I don't drink, mind you; I only wish to avoid "needing" to drink). SO how do I deal with these feelings? I went for a run; I went to the gym and pumped iron; I went to church . . all of which helped, but the bottom line is that I can't avoid/stuff/medicate intense feelings anymore. I have to actually feel them, and they are uncomfortable . . . . it's hard, people! By far the hardest thing about this journey. Good luck to all in this new year!!

Ha! Jes, that's my girl, ROFLMAO!! Hardee har har:tongue_smilie:

Weather is supposed to be clear Saturday - we could do a walk? Sacto is too far for me but I could do Vallejo or sumpthin . . . . ?

I weighed 165 this morning so I'm up 1.5 lbs., now when I deduct for the carb bloat I'm all good! Bandster chips, I don't care if you hate tofu try these! I told Robin I was eating it and she was fine, too. Pure protein, healthy fat & very low carb Bandster chips High-protein, extra firm tofu (Trader Joe's) Olive oil Garlic salt Pepper Slice 1/6 or so of the block of tofu VERY THIN like a potato chip (about 15 "chips"). Blot dry with paper toweling. Heat oil and add tofu slices, fry until golden brown and crispy, turning at least once. Drain of paper towel. Sprinkle with garlic salt & pepper while cooking or cooling. 15 chips is a HUGE serving, you will definately be full on it! Goes down like chips or crackers, but is nice and dense so stays in the pouch a long time. Try it!!

Dudettes, if I had junk in my house I would so be eating it!! Tina you are so so right! Intensity in relationships scares the crap out of me, esp. right at the beginning - too much too fast! I refused to go out with Chris the first 2 times he asked, I was not ready. Pami, you need to tell this guy to slow the heck down because it makes you want to turn and run the other way. I have had to tell Chris that . . . I really, really like the guy at this point, but I only met his a couple of weeks ago, and already he wants a relationship? Well yeah I want one too, but how do I know that I want HIM, rather than if I JUST want "a relationship?" So we had this big talk and I kept telling him how scared I was of all this, and the intensity, so his reaction has to back off, which is fine and it MUST be what I wanted, right? . . . BUT . . . . then I start getting worried that he's quit calling me 5 times as day!! and then MY reaction to his backing off - which is to feel almost panicked - REALLY scares me! So he took all of his stuff home, no Chris over here last night, no phone calls last night, we hung out separately with friends and as it turns out I would rather have spent the evening with him. But I have to be rational and step back enough for my feeling to lose some intensity so I'm not blinded, right? So I don't call . . . I see him log on this morning and I quickly lof off - but I am feeling strangely vulnerable about the whole thing. Then he calls me on his way to work this morning, and as soon as he hung up he got in a bad accident, totalled his truck and just got out of the ER! Nothing is broken but he is banged up pretty good and his knee is all swollen - and I feel just awful! Argh! I hate feelings!! Honestly, this is my real first emotional challenge since banding. I am having strong feelings which are making me uncomfortable, and I cannot stuff them with food - even if I tried, my band would stop me. So then I am jonesing for a drink to stop the feelings, but that is REALLY bad because the stats on replacement addictions are phenomenal - something like 35% of weight loss patients end up having a problem with alcohol! I am super vigilant about that one, so what do I do with me feelings?? OMG, I am going to have to FEEL them! Even if they are uncomfortable. I went for a run & that helped, and to the gym and that helped, and to church and that REALLY helped, but the bottom line is this: I can't stuff my feelings anymore - I actually have to feel them. Blast.

OH the first meet - I hate them! I get SO nervous, I have to do deep breathing exercises and stuff - it whacks me out! For the first few minutes. I know within a minute or two if I am going to leave or not. Ice cream is actually a great choice, you can get up and leave any time - you do not even have to finish your cup; if that is awful, imagine how bad sitting through a meal would be! Coffee is very popular too, but it means coffee breath (at least for me) and who needs that? Good luck! Leave if it's a "no" - you don't have to be polite :-)

Heather 2010 is gonna rock even harder!!! :smile:

No worries, you will be back on food Thursday!! You'd better eat it too if you plan to drink anything, LOL

I experienced this also, thankfully it was short-lived! I knew that it was terribly wrong to think that way but my mind went there anyways! I had a couple of good friends who I had previously asked to "check me" if I started being a snotty skinny beotch, and they took me to task over this one. Fortunately it passed in a few weeks, and now I find myself much more sympathetic than I was before weight loss. Weird stuff! And you are right, totally unexpected.

LMAO!! I love it!!! ah hahahaha ROFL

I lost pretty steadily but now that I am almost at goal and it has slowed W A Y down - to less than 1 lb. a week now. It does not go up though! I was told that it will take as long to lose the last 5 lbs. as it did to lose the first 50, and I think that may be true so I'm not going to sweat it! My health has returned, I am not on any medications anymore, I can (and do) run and work out almost every day, and "goal" is just a number on a scale - I have accomplished more than I ever imagined possible! Besides, if they would cut off my extra skin for me, I would already be at the goal on their freakin' chart, LOL!!