Band_Groupie

I order this everytime I get Chinese...yum! Thanks. I thought the crock pot was the Bandsters best friend because it makes meat soft and moist. Does chicken (other meats?) get stringier when it's cooked a long time?

Yeah, I did look at the benefits too, so you're right there are good things about it, yay! There have been more studies on coffee than any other food. Even the 'pro' sites say coffee is a mild diuretic (but you have to drink more than 4-5 cups for it to have any negative effects on fluids), that's why I'm getting rid of it at least temporarily until I'm getting enough fluids post-band (better safe...). As I said, I've found no evidence on the other 'facts' people on LBT came up with either, so I don't believe them. Glad to know you're still drinking it with no problems! I'll be joining you for a latte soon. Thanks! -BG

I love my morning cuppa (and it loves me…see?)…so much so that I drink it up until 2pm (my cutoff for being able to function, yet also sleep at night). This week I started to cut back my caffeine consumption in preparation for surgery. I don’t drink any pop (or in other parts of the country, soda), so that’s not an issue. Coffee is the first of my ‘food friends’ (translation ‘evil food addictions’) I will be saying goodbye to, probably not permanently (I’ll confirm that at my pre-op class), but at least for now and a while to come. I’ve seen ‘facts’ about caffeine effecting the LB here on LBT including; causing band slippage, causing ulcers, changing the lining of your stomach, appetite stimulant, appetite suppressant (it’s in many diet pills), and diuretic. I don't know what's true, the only one I believe right now is the diuretic (and some here on LBT say that’s not true), so I'll follow my docs orders. Post-band until I can get all my water in daily (and some say you have to drink extra water if you drink coffee), I’ll be forgoing coffee. I’ve had to give this friend up several times before; once as a test to see if my migraines improved (nope), and once before another double surgery as I was afraid going off ‘cold turkey’ at the hospital would give me migraines. So I’m being smart and stepping this down gradually (and I’m on Migraine meds now). Week 1 and I’m surviving on less. Are you aware of this, or perhaps you haven’t had your coffee yet? March is…drumroll please…National Caffeine Awareness Month (sponsored by the Caffeine Awareness Alliance…yes, there is such a thing…who knew?!). They want you to know that…with as little as 200 mg of caffeine, you can experience typical addictive symptoms such as irritability, restlessness, tension, insomnia, excitement, and gastrointestinal disturbance. So pretty much they want you to JUST SAY NO! Now where’s the closest Coffee Rehab Center, because I’m going to be in withdrawl and pretty irritable by next week?! Hello, my name is BG, and I'm a coffee addict.

I love my morning cuppa (and it loves me…see?)…so much so that I drink it up until 2pm (my cutoff for being able to function, yet also sleep at night). This week I started to cut back my caffeine consumption in preparation for surgery. I don’t drink any pop (or in other parts of the country, soda), so that’s not an issue. Coffee is the first of my ‘food friends’ (translation ‘evil food addictions’) I will be saying goodbye to, probably not permanently (I’ll confirm that at my pre-op class), but at least for now and a while to come. I’ve seen ‘facts’ about caffeine effecting the LB here on LBT including; causing band slippage, causing ulcers, changing the lining of your stomach, appetite stimulant, appetite suppressant (it’s in many diet pills), and diuretic. I don't know what's true, the only one I believe right now is the diuretic (and some here on LBT say that’s not true), so I'll follow my docs orders. Post-band until I can get all my water in daily (and some say you have to drink extra water if you drink coffee), I’ll be forgoing coffee. I’ve had to give this friend up several times before; once as a test to see if my migraines improved (nope), and once before another double surgery as I was afraid going off ‘cold turkey’ at the hospital would give me migraines. So I’m being smart and stepping this down gradually (and I’m on Migraine meds now). Week 1 and I’m surviving on less. Are you aware of this, or perhaps you haven’t had your coffee yet? March is…drumroll please…National Caffeine Awareness Month (sponsored by the Caffeine Awareness Alliance…yes, there is such a thing…who knew?!). They want you to know that…with as little as 200 mg of caffeine, you can experience typical addictive symptoms such as irritability, restlessness, tension, insomnia, excitement, and gastrointestinal disturbance. So pretty much they want you to JUST SAY NO! Now where’s the closest Coffee Rehab Center, because I’m going to be in withdrawl and pretty irritable by next week?! Hello, my name is BG, and I'm a coffee addict.

Hope you feel better soon and thanks for the info. Did they give you anything for the nausea (Phenergan?)? I can tolerate Vicodine, but only on a full stomach...hmmm...

mscarly- Keep me posted on your progress! -BG

Today I graduated from PT. I’m feeling really good about it. Not just because I’m not in as much pain anymore, but even more so because I’ve completed something successfully and it worked. I needed that right now, more than you know. As you know I haven’t been having very good luck with health things being successful (respiratory problem for 12 weeks with many, many failed treatments; then hysterectomy/bladder sling surgeries failure, etc.) and I was beginning to wonder a little if the LB would be a failure too. My cup is half full attitude was beginning to buckle slightly when it came to medical issues. So this was ‘just what the doctor ordered’/I needed right now. I had two long standing pain issues and they were both greatly helped by PT; way better than my expectations even. I’m no fool though, I now know where/how severe my osteoarthritis is and there’s no ‘cure’. I’ll be doing my follow-up exercises at home, and try to watch the wear and tear on my body with all the home improvement projects I do (yea right, who else is going to do it?). And then, there’s always ‘Plan B’ (another one of my evil plans). I took a ton of assorted muffins and juices into the staff at the PT office this morning for their breakfast on my last day, much to their delight. I told them if I come back bent in half this spring after shoveling mulch and resurfacing my patio before the big graduation parties, they’d better be kind and not scold me.

Today I graduated from PT. I’m feeling really good about it. Not just because I’m not in as much pain anymore, but even more so because I’ve completed something successfully and it worked. I needed that right now, more than you know. As you know I haven’t been having very good luck with health things being successful (respiratory problem for 12 weeks with many, many failed treatments; then hysterectomy/bladder sling surgeries failure, etc.) and I was beginning to wonder a little if the LB would be a failure too. My cup is half full attitude was beginning to buckle slightly when it came to medical issues. So this was ‘just what the doctor ordered’/I needed right now. I had two long standing pain issues and they were both greatly helped by PT; way better than my expectations even. I’m no fool though, I now know where/how severe my osteoarthritis is and there’s no ‘cure’. I’ll be doing my follow-up exercises at home, and try to watch the wear and tear on my body with all the home improvement projects I do (yea right, who else is going to do it?). And then, there’s always ‘Plan B’ (another one of my evil plans). I took a ton of assorted muffins and juices into the staff at the PT office this morning for their breakfast on my last day, much to their delight. I told them if I come back bent in half this spring after shoveling mulch and resurfacing my patio before the big graduation parties, they’d better be kind and not scold me.

I have NO doubts about the LB, but some days I'm still amazed that I'm doing this. I think back to almost a year ago and where my head was at that point...I would never have even considered WLS (WAY too drastic…only people that are dying from obesity do that!). So here’s my story and my ‘moment’ of what brought me to the LB. I don’t have any fat child stories to tell, because I wasn’t…fat. I did have two of my sisters who struggled with weight in childhood, and I saw their pain and sometimes felt it when I defended them against other kids teasing. I was rail thin up until the time I stopped growing in high school. I gained about 25 pounds one year, but by living on TAB and lettuce I lost it all before college. After college, I worked and also taught Aerobics classes, at one point I was teaching 8 classes a week. I tell you that because I want you to know that I really understood the importance of health, diet, and exercise. I knew what it felt like to be thin and fit. I started gaining weight after my first child was born. We moved 10 days after she was born, I was away from my extended family for the first time and I suddenly wasn’t exercising. There wasn’t time or money to join a gym. DH worked shift work then so I didn't have a sitter at night. I soon started the cycle of gain and loss, even lost 50 pounds at a time several times, but I never lost as much as I’d gained each time…I was always either gaining or losing. Sure I, like most of you, have plenty of embarrassing weight-related stories I can tell and plenty of specific depressing moments...those moments usually spurred me into yet another diet. I gained a lot more with two more children and about 7 years ago I found myself over that dreaded number of 200. My age started making it harder to take off weight as easily and my weight started making it harder to exercise. I was circling the drain. I have 4 siblings and they are all obese, some morbidly obese. I watched as they started to have health problems…my younger sister had 2 strokes and was diagnosed with diabetes. My father has had 2 heart attacks and 3 stents. It scared me, but I’d pretty much given up. That takes me to last year. With kids heading to college we don’t have a lot of extra cash flow, but it’s important to us that we do a family vacation each year, even if it was camping, and we save for a bigger vacation every 5 years, the kids always picked Disney. Last year was one of those 5 year vacation years. Our DD was a junior in college and suddenly we were helping her to plan a semester abroad studying in France. We decided that this was our last chance to take a really great trip before the kids get old enough to go off and have their own lives, so we changed our travel plans to take our family to France for a week. DH and I had been lucky enough get to go to Paris on one of DH's business trips years before and we knew it was the perfect trip. We scrimped and saved and I spent lots of time figuring out the best deals, and we were set to take our “Trip of a Lifetime”. I was worried about my weight, since I knew how much walking we’d have to do. It spurred me to diet and I used the treadmill every day in preparation. I lost 20 pounds, and I was lighter than now- but still 208# then. Our first day in Paris was May 12, 2008; we climbed the very steep staircase up the hill to Montmarte-village (235 steps) as the funicular was broken. It was a killer, but I made it after a few rests. Then we climbed the narrow spiral staircase to the top dome of Sacre-Coeur-church which sits at the top of the hill (about 300 more steps). There's no turning around (you come down a different staircase)...my legs were shaking and I rested in the few tiny alcoves on the way up and flattened myself (yeah, right) to let people pass...I seriously thought I was going to lose a lung or have a heart attack. My family was waiting and wondering what happened to me at the top. My feet which never swell at home, looked like someone had pumped them up with a bicycle pump…luckily, I was afraid enough of blisters that I had splurged on some expensive stylish walking shoes that had an adjustable strap in the back or I would have been buying shoes. These don't look so bad...from the top. Sacre Coure and the Dome The next morning we visited Notre Dame cathedral (402 spiral steps to the very top)...I was sitting on the plaza while the rest of my family waved to me from the bell tower...my "Moment". I was on our ‘Trip of a Lifetime’ and I was missing a major moment with my family...it wasn't the view, because I'd seen that before...it was missing the view with my family. I was so upset and angry with myself at that moment. That week I also didn’t climb the steps with my family to the top of the Arch de Triomphe or to the next level of the Eiffel Tower (luckily that one has an elevator). I have plenty of wonderful memories from our trip, but I came home and started ‘just looking’ into the Lap Band. I find it fitting that I’ll probably be getting my LB within a week or so of my one year anniversary of my ‘Moment’. Notre Dame from the Plaza View from the Bell Tower

I have NO doubts about the LB, but some days I'm still amazed that I'm doing this. I think back to almost a year ago and where my head was at that point...I would never have even considered WLS (WAY too drastic…only people that are dying from obesity do that!). So here’s my story and my ‘moment’ of what brought me to the LB. I don’t have any fat child stories to tell, because I wasn’t…fat. I did have two of my sisters who struggled with weight in childhood, and I saw their pain and sometimes felt it when I defended them against other kids teasing. I was rail thin up until the time I stopped growing in high school. I gained about 25 pounds one year, but by living on TAB and lettuce I lost it all before college. After college, I worked and also taught Aerobics classes, at one point I was teaching 8 classes a week. I tell you that because I want you to know that I really understood the importance of health, diet, and exercise. I knew what it felt like to be thin and fit. I started gaining weight after my first child was born. We moved 10 days after she was born, I was away from my extended family for the first time and I suddenly wasn’t exercising. There wasn’t time or money to join a gym. DH worked shift work then so I didn't have a sitter at night. I soon started the cycle of gain and loss, even lost 50 pounds at a time several times, but I never lost as much as I’d gained each time…I was always either gaining or losing. Sure I, like most of you, have plenty of embarrassing weight-related stories I can tell and plenty of specific depressing moments...those moments usually spurred me into yet another diet. I gained a lot more with two more children and about 7 years ago I found myself over that dreaded number of 200. My age started making it harder to take off weight as easily and my weight started making it harder to exercise. I was circling the drain. I have 4 siblings and they are all obese, some morbidly obese. I watched as they started to have health problems…my younger sister had 2 strokes and was diagnosed with diabetes. My father has had 2 heart attacks and 3 stents. It scared me, but I’d pretty much given up. That takes me to last year. With kids heading to college we don’t have a lot of extra cash flow, but it’s important to us that we do a family vacation each year, even if it was camping, and we save for a bigger vacation every 5 years, the kids always picked Disney. Last year was one of those 5 year vacation years. Our DD was a junior in college and suddenly we were helping her to plan a semester abroad studying in France. We decided that this was our last chance to take a really great trip before the kids get old enough to go off and have their own lives, so we changed our travel plans to take our family to France for a week. DH and I had been lucky enough get to go to Paris on one of DH's business trips years before and we knew it was the perfect trip. We scrimped and saved and I spent lots of time figuring out the best deals, and we were set to take our “Trip of a Lifetime”. I was worried about my weight, since I knew how much walking we’d have to do. It spurred me to diet and I used the treadmill every day in preparation. I lost 20 pounds, and I was lighter than now- but still 208# then. Our first day in Paris was May 12, 2008; we climbed the very steep staircase up the hill to Montmarte-village (235 steps) as the funicular was broken. It was a killer, but I made it after a few rests. Then we climbed the narrow spiral staircase to the top dome of Sacre-Coeur-church which sits at the top of the hill (about 300 more steps). There's no turning around (you come down a different staircase)...my legs were shaking and I rested in the few tiny alcoves on the way up and flattened myself (yeah, right) to let people pass...I seriously thought I was going to lose a lung or have a heart attack. My family was waiting and wondering what happened to me at the top. My feet which never swell at home, looked like someone had pumped them up with a bicycle pump…luckily, I was afraid enough of blisters that I had splurged on some expensive stylish walking shoes that had an adjustable strap in the back or I would have been buying shoes. These don't look so bad...from the top. Sacre Coure and the Dome The next morning we visited Notre Dame cathedral (402 spiral steps to the very top)...I was sitting on the plaza while the rest of my family waved to me from the bell tower...my "Moment". I was on our ‘Trip of a Lifetime’ and I was missing a major moment with my family...it wasn't the view, because I'd seen that before...it was missing the view with my family. I was so upset and angry with myself at that moment. That week I also didn’t climb the steps with my family to the top of the Arch de Triomphe or to the next level of the Eiffel Tower (luckily that one has an elevator). I have plenty of wonderful memories from our trip, but I came home and started ‘just looking’ into the Lap Band. I find it fitting that I’ll probably be getting my LB within a week or so of my one year anniversary of my ‘Moment’. Notre Dame from the Plaza View from the Bell Tower

12 was the number the Angel organizer came up with and she's a nurse. I remember her saying that number before Nadya turned her down. So glad someone's shaking that girl into accepting this. I hope the Angels get enough donations to continue this (they said they wouldn't last very long on their current funding), but people will probably give lots of money to them since none goes to Nadya.

Congrats Jen! That's great that you have a date! I hope your pre-op diet isn't for too long. Good luck! -BG

If you look above my post she (morningoasis) had a list of things she thought were triggers and my question was; triggers for slippage? She hasn't answered yet. My doc told people to give up smoking (for reg. health reasons, I'm not a smoker) and most docs don't want you to drink caffeine at least initially because it's a diuretic and they want you not to get dehydrated, some also say it increases appetite. I'd never heard of any of these being related to slippage, so I hope someone can clear this up.

I'd like some of that too... What I might get... the pink tulle tiara... on sale at WalMart... in the Barbie section. Update: OK, now I'm depressed...she's my age (Sarah) Another Update: OK, this is an old photo from when she got married in her pink Barbie wedding dress. She looks older now, even with more PS.

Does it look like baby poop? Oh, and thanks for the bean info. ...mushie stage only!

The chicken salad, broth, and broccoli soup are great! I have so many little food saver bags in my freezer now. Thanks! I added another meal to my afternoon of cooking (warning-me getting creative with cooking again). I spent the time to take the bones out of the leftovers from the broth and then I pureed the veggies and the meat from the bones. It looks like baby food...nope, make that more like baby poop (bet it looks the same coming out as going in). I thought I might get desperate enough during my 5 weeks of mushies. I remembered people saying they pureed their meat with a little broth during this stage, so I figured this couldn't be that different (hated to throw all that good stuff away). It actually doesn't taste bad when you close your eyes...kinda like chicken pot pie...after you chew a bite in your mouth...and spit it out...and chew it again, and spit it out....

You too can be Barbie...for a mere 700,000 US (well, for me, it would be well over a million...look what she started with). The Boyfriend costs extra...sorry. Sarah Burge has had plastic surgery worth £500,000 to look Barbie-like.

Alright, Alright, but only because I have been cooking and taste testing your wonderful recipes all day. It was a bottom for me...but you're gonna think it's...well, I said that already. Stay tuned to tomorrow's blog.

Wow, that was powerful...and what a moment! I feel for you...I've often wished I had anorexia (just until I got skinny)...I thought all fat people wished that? OK, now my "moment" sounds so silly and selfish....I'm waiting a few more days to share my selfish, silly moment...yours was too profound. Thanks for sharing it. -BG

Thanks Lena! I forgot about the higher carb thing, but during the mushie phase I don't think it will matter as much...maybe. Good to know you didn't have to rely on shakes long. Guess what I did all most of the day...made my broth...AND the chicken salad...AND cream of broccoli soup! More tomorrow! Gotta go bag it all up before the kids come home and eat my liquids and mushie supplies! Yummy!!! THANKS!!!

LOL (sorry, but it was funny). Tonya, I'll sign the petition! I hate Monday's too (especially the Monday after we turn the clocks ahead). Getting anyone moving this morning was rough...I think I laid there for 10 min. just trying to get any part of my body to move! Hang in there...Friday's coming! -BG

Thanks gals for the support! It can't come soon enough :-)

Today is Barbie’s 50th Birthday (Barbie Millicent Roberts that is). We were born the same year…1959. I figure if she looks this good at 50, maybe 50 isn’t going to be so bad (and she does have about 6 weeks on me). Say what you want about her creating a bad image or stereotype (interesting info. below) for our daughters, I love Barbie. What girl doesn’t have wonderful childhood memories of playing with her Barbie? My 3 sisters and I got a lot of hours of creative play out of our Barbies. Sometimes we’d steal the Ken Doll and the Johnny West Doll (He was a Cowboy, complete with chaps and hat…think ‘Marlboro Man’…dreamy) out of my brother’s room (much to his annoyance). I remember making furniture out of cardboard…a long tissue box was the perfect bed, and with a few tissues you had sheets and a comfy pillow (4 girls, 4 tissue boxes with tissues everywhere...Mom was mad). My Mom used to buy actual patterns for Barbie outfits and sew them up for us as gifts. Back then, other than hair color, you had to give your Barbie her personality with clothing, accessories and by styling her hair…it required some creative thinking to decide what mood your Barbie was in that day…evening gown with the silver clutch purse, or mini dress with the fishnets and go-go boots? Some of my best sister memories are with our Barbies. My DD was born in 1987 and by then Barbie clothes and accessories were now cheap and readily available. I relived my childhood again…my DD had the pop-up playhouse, plastic furniture, a bathtub that ran real water and a car with a remote control. She loved playing Barbies as much as I did. When my two DS’s came along they got their Ken dolls, and a jeep, fire truck, police truck and even a Baywatch Boat that they loved taking to the local baby pool when they were tots. What’s not to like about Barbies? Here’s the interesting comparison of Real Women vs. Barbie Real Women Average woman's height is 5'4" Their weight is approx. 140 lbs. They wear a size 14 dress Their bust is between 36" and 37" (B cup) Their waist is between 30" and 34" Their hips average between 40" and 42" Barbie (as a human) Barbie's height would be 7'2" Her weight would be 101 lbs. She would wear a size 4 dress Her bust would be 39" (FF cup) Her waist would be 19" (same as her head) Her hips would be 33" Her shoe size would be a 5 (some say her boob size and small feet would make it impossible for her to stay standing. Her neck is twice as long as the real women Poor Barbie has also been the source of some controversy lately. Apparently she’s getting some new flack for coming with stick-on temporary tattoos now. Parents are upset that this is the wrong message and that Barbie’s wholesome image is now changing to compete with other products (OK, I hate those Bratz dolls too). They're calling it her midlife crisis. It’s OK Barbie, I can relate. Just like you, I’ve always been considered the girl next door…and no one ever believes I have a tattoo either! Happy Birthday! Totally Stylin Tattoo Barbie

Today is Barbie’s 50th Birthday (Barbie Millicent Roberts that is). We were born the same year…1959. I figure if she looks this good at 50, maybe 50 isn’t going to be so bad (and she does have about 6 weeks on me). Say what you want about her creating a bad image or stereotype (interesting info. below) for our daughters, I love Barbie. What girl doesn’t have wonderful childhood memories of playing with her Barbie? My 3 sisters and I got a lot of hours of creative play out of our Barbies. Sometimes we’d steal the Ken Doll and the Johnny West Doll (He was a Cowboy, complete with chaps and hat…think ‘Marlboro Man’…dreamy) out of my brother’s room (much to his annoyance). I remember making furniture out of cardboard…a long tissue box was the perfect bed, and with a few tissues you had sheets and a comfy pillow (4 girls, 4 tissue boxes with tissues everywhere...Mom was mad). My Mom used to buy actual patterns for Barbie outfits and sew them up for us as gifts. Back then, other than hair color, you had to give your Barbie her personality with clothing, accessories and by styling her hair…it required some creative thinking to decide what mood your Barbie was in that day…evening gown with the silver clutch purse, or mini dress with the fishnets and go-go boots? Some of my best sister memories are with our Barbies. My DD was born in 1987 and by then Barbie clothes and accessories were now cheap and readily available. I relived my childhood again…my DD had the pop-up playhouse, plastic furniture, a bathtub that ran real water and a car with a remote control. She loved playing Barbies as much as I did. When my two DS’s came along they got their Ken dolls, and a jeep, fire truck, police truck and even a Baywatch Boat that they loved taking to the local baby pool when they were tots. What’s not to like about Barbies? Here’s the interesting comparison of Real Women vs. Barbie Real Women Average woman's height is 5'4" Their weight is approx. 140 lbs. They wear a size 14 dress Their bust is between 36" and 37" (B cup) Their waist is between 30" and 34" Their hips average between 40" and 42" Barbie (as a human) Barbie's height would be 7'2" Her weight would be 101 lbs. She would wear a size 4 dress Her bust would be 39" (FF cup) Her waist would be 19" (same as her head) Her hips would be 33" Her shoe size would be a 5 (some say her boob size and small feet would make it impossible for her to stay standing. Her neck is twice as long as the real women Poor Barbie has also been the source of some controversy lately. Apparently she’s getting some new flack for coming with stick-on temporary tattoos now. Parents are upset that this is the wrong message and that Barbie’s wholesome image is now changing to compete with other products (OK, I hate those Bratz dolls too). They're calling it her midlife crisis. It’s OK Barbie, I can relate. Just like you, I’ve always been considered the girl next door…and no one ever believes I have a tattoo either! Happy Birthday! Totally Stylin Tattoo Barbie