Zannie

My husband of 10-years & I met in Jr. High, started dating in high school when I was 16 & became the best of friends, “broke up” to attend separate colleges free to date other people – and did (my idea - I mean, long distant relationships don’t work, right, so why harm our friendship in the process?), got “back together” 2 years later despite being in separate states because “denying love” seemed ridiculous, became engaged once finally living in the same state again 2 years after that, and were married the following year when we both were 23. We were blessed with our 1st child at 28 and our 2nd arrived 2-1/2 years later. After more than 9 years of monogamous, faithful marriage (nearly 19 years of knowing each other) and two children (aged 22-months & 4-years at the time), when I was four months post-op from my Band, my husband began cheating for the 1st time with a “getting separated” co-worker in a different department. I’m told it started as a one-time “just sex” thing, but rapidly evolved (about a week later!) to declarations of love from them both. My “forcing a confession” came 6-weeks into it, though I knew something was wrong much earlier than I could prove it. Now we’re separated, but have been in marriage therapy for 7 months. Though he officially ended things with her a while ago, the other woman is very much still after my husband months later -- coming by the office (2-weeks into the adultery, she was fired for an unrelated thing), following him if she sees his car out, calling the office, e-mailing his work address, has sent postal letters to him at work - and even me at home! And while DH doesn’t initiate any of the contact, he also doesn’t run from it when she makes contact. He is still telling me he wants to come home, to try making it work for our family… But now that, at 33, he’s become a cheater, my DH is “afraid” that he won’t always be able to resist temptation in the future & says he doesn't want to risk further hurting me & the kiddies. And future temptation is guaranteed because it’s consistently only a matter of weeks between her calls/e-mails/visits. (Never mind any temptation that might come from other sources down the line!) I’m still in shock , struggling with feeling of anger :puke: & betrayal , and working at finding within myself forgiveness toward him -- for MY sake. I don’t know what the future holds, but I have my two children & my own heart to consider as I face it… Both of us would have sworn that neither would ever, ever, ever cheat… But things can change, apparently.

Ooooh, TG, that was evil! Now the anticipation is killing me!! What secrets of the BodyBugg will be revealed to me tonight??? I'm sooo not motivated, but the time has come for change -- in all sorts of areas of my life. And I really appreciate y'all jumping on board to challenge my saggy ass! :thumbup: Speaking of which, my dearest friend in all the world (love you, Tracy!)feels it her duty to nag me about not using my treadmill as a way of getting her own skinny butt back on her treadmill... I was thinking that it'd be helpful to me if she felt free to comment here about my progress. (She does lurk after my well-being, but has never posted at LBT. :crying:) Have y'all any objections to a non-Bandster (but devoted supporter of all things ME -- including LapBand), joining this month's challenge? Obviously, I wanted to run it by everyone before I suggested that she consider it! Think about it & let me know! :thumbs_up:or:thumbs_down:

Did y'all really pay 300+ bucks for your bodybuggs? Or am i missing something here...:huh2: What exactly are they for? :confused2: I guess if i were more consistent/devoted to the exercise element then any investment that kept me focused on the goal would be worth it. But I'd have to get really into it beyond a mandatory treadmill whirl (which does track how long I've worked out, one session at a time if not cumulatively) to warrant that kind of expenditure. :crying: Are y'all really finding them helpful? I can't even get behind a pedometer!! And I might've even been able to trick y'all into thinking I'd "paced" my way into a full 1/2 hour of exercise with one of those!! Wait, Zan. Wrong attitude. :thumbup: Get with the program. :tt1: Today is officially my last day of negative thinking with regard to exercise. I remember it used to feel like quite the accomplishment to log in & post another day done on our challenge thread... I'm looking forward to THAT again, if not to the sweaty boobs & rubbing thighs. :tt2: (I'm so lovin' this new array of emoticons since my many months of absence. :tt1: Kindly pardon any overuse you might perceive!)

Okay now -- I don't have one of those bodybugg thingys y'all are talking about! And I am too broke to be getting one any time soon... :crying: Don't go all techie on me, ladies! That's all the excuse I'd need to do nothing -- oh, I don't have the right gadget! :ohmy::biggrin2::party::lol::tongue: Is it really TOMORROW? Ugh.

Much obliged, babygirl! :tt1: And thanks for the PM nudge, travelgirl! I’m NOT going to fail this challenge, and thus I will set my bar on the low end! :cursing: This month I’m going for Level 1 ~ Moderate. And I will check in daily to this thread. Those are two pretty damn ambitious goals for the place I’m at mentally! But I want to loose 5 pounds this month, well...10 really, but things have slowed down so I’m trying to be realistic! Anyhow – I need this accountability badly now, so thanks for coming along for the ride, y’all! :tt1: April’s not till Tuesday, right? Suzanne Level 1 ~ Moderate

My clinic does recommend one apx 20-25g protein shake a day, just to make sure you are getting in all the protein the body needs to maintain muscle mass while loosing weight. They want us getting 90g of protein a day (that number varies from clinic to clinic, however). BUT!!! They are also very specific that we need to be EATING our calories, not DRINKING them. My band is pretty tight in the morning so I make a shake for breakfast & don't usually start solid foods until lunch.

:wub: This is the best secret in protein out there! Those shaker bottles are fantastic "juice" protein! (Thanks so much for this hint, MazieMommy!) The single-serve Pineapple Orange Shaker & Cran-Grape Shaker (more grape than cran) are my favorites. You just add water right to the powder in the drinking bottle they come in & shake. The flavors are all very mild & they have an apple juice-like consistency. It's perfect for when I need a change from the creamy, latte-style shakes that are my standard. The only problem is that you have to order it by phone (417.881.8600) if you are not local to Springfield -- no on-line ordering yet at www.healthy-weight-supermarket.com. And I wish they sold the powder in bulk canisters!!

Ha! I wondered if that was you -- 2 rows directly in front of me! :cheers2: There are so many new faces now that the support group follows the nutrition class... You should have said hello! Next time... :smile: Actually, I probably won't be AT the fashion show one...my parents sit the kiddies for me to go to support group since my husband works Thurs nights & I feel guilty asking them to pull over-night duty for me to play play. But definitely introduce yourself! Suzanne

HELP! I’m struggling & need feedback on your nectar experience. Specifically, I’m looking for Nectar recipes using Crystal Light or DaVinci Syrup, etc. I know it is an old one, but I hope you don’t mind my bumping this thread with the cross-post bellow! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- I just placed an order for a bunch of Nectar samples to fool around with again. I remember from my early post-op days that while all the flavors were heinous in my opinion (overpowering whey smell/taste), the texture of Nectar Protein was rather like fruit punch or Kool-aid. I’ve read all sorts of things on the net about mixing Nectar with Crystal Light but nobody ever says which flavor Nectar gets mixed with which flavor C.L. drink mix -- never mind what ratio of CL to Nectar is used to make these cocktails!?! Or if it is prepared or still-in-powder-form Crystal Light being used?!? Maybe there’s success with adding specific DaVinci S/F syrups to certain Nectar flavors...? What are your recipes/formulas for making Nectar tasty? It’s all a great mystery to me...but I’m desperate enough for something NOT creamy to try my hand at unraveling the secrets behind Nectar! Any suggestions?

I just love everyone at WLSC of HR -- especially Susie & Dr. T! He really gives it to you straight, but I've never felt judged at all for being super morbidly obese. There are a few other Bandsters from WLSC (probably more than few) who I've met here at LBT, too. Are you coming to the Support Group meeting tonight at 6:30 (it's down at the Careplex)? I hope to see you there! Suzanne

Helen -- I'm sorry to hear you've had so much trouble with your Lapband. I'm definitely one of the cheerleaders for our tool (this is the best thing I've done for ME in a long, long time) and I hate coming across such problem-plagued Bandsters! :wink2: It just doesn't make sense, does it...? Why this tool can be such a blessing to so very many & yet a curse to others at the same time!?! But you ARE right -- no one should contemplate WLS without serious consideration, because it is serious surgery with the risk of some pretty serious complications. Good luck to you with your band as our 2nd year begins... Suzanne

I just placed an order for a bunch of Nectar samples to fool around with again, because I remember that while the flavors were heinous, the texture was rather like fruit punch or Kool-aid. I’ve read all sorts of things on the net where people mix their Nectar with Crystal Light but nobody ever says which flavor Nectar gets mixed with which flavor C.L. drink mix! Never mind what ratio of C.L. to Nectar is used to make these cocktails! Or if it is prepared or still-in-powder-form Crystal Light being used! Maybe there’s success with adding specific Da Vinci S/F syrups to certain Nectar flavors...? It’s all a great mystery to me...but I’m desperate enough for something NOT creamy to try my hand at unraveling the secrets behind Nectar! Any suggestions? Suzanne

Oh, ick! :Dancing_shocked: Good to know! :thumbup:

I've heard people cook with plain & vanilla flavors quite a bit, and I've gotten the recommendation from my nutritionist to make jello & pudding with powders. But when I suggested microwaving the latte-style concoction I was told by several people NOT to do so because of the protein stability. I'd love to know the real answer to that question, too...

I love Shepherd's Pie! :thumbup: What a perfect Bandster meal it is -- even with real mashed potatoes on top! I've never tried the fake-out version with cauliflower though... This one sounds good!!! Thanks!

Choose one or the other. Why get banded when PLANNING to get PG? You will have it in place, but not get any of the benefits of the band because they just unfill you anyhow so your baby can thrive. So don't PLAN to do both at the same time. I was at exactly your point in Aug‘04 when I said to my DH that I needed to DO something -- either get cracking on TTC #2 (infertility treatments req. for #1, so i did not presume #2 would be easy), or get rolling with the Band. He picked TTC. Fine by me. :Dancing_shocked: Talk to your doc, to a nutritionist -- they will tell you NOT to get PG so soon after the Band. You just waste your time, and risk stunting your progress in terms of the band. You'll just have gotten into a grove with the weight loss only to need an unfill & halt the whole thing. It is not recommend getting PG until 2 years post-op, which is when your weight loss really ends. Sure, there are people who get PG before then anyway, but many of those are accidental pregnancies because with weight loss, your fertility can change (my problems with PCOS appear resolved, for example). Why PLAN for it?!? Make up your mind & stick to your choice. Better to get behind one or the other thing and give it your all. IMHO :thumbup: [i say [i]screw Aug'09[/i] -- get PG sooner rather than later, and get banded when the baby is about 6-months old! That still gives you plenty of time to plan the banding & one less thing to stress about during pregnancy. And by 6-mo, you've got the Mommy thing as down as it's gonna get in those 1st 2 baby years! :Dancing_tongue: Unless you'll be nursing -- then get banded the month Baby turns one! Don't ya love how I've got your whole life planned out for ya! :success1:]

Congrats! Way to go! Keep up the momentum by doing all the right things - protein, water, and movement! You can do this!!!!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Ha! Well, I'm a mom to a 2-1/2 & 5-year-old. And that Saggy Baggy Elephant is on the back of every Golden Book (and I read a lot of Golden Books :thumbup:)... At 100 pounds down, I do feel rather saggy & baggy and LBT is the place where there are others "just like me" -- which is the whole point of that book, after all. So it seemed rather appropriate as avatars go. :biggrin2:

That's the way I like my chocolate and/or vanilla Protein best -- served up iced cappuccino/latte style. I blend my shakes up with Water & decaf instant coffee granules, like Taster Choice or International Foods. And then I add a little non-dairy flavored creamer to the mix. They really are terrific that way -- if you go for the iced, sweetened, creamy drinks at the mall coffee shops, you know, the kind blended with or served over ice & topped with whipped cream. Which I do! :thumbup: I've actually become quite the pro at making them to the point that my kids (2-1/2 & 5) request protein shakes for Breakfast. My DH doesn’t turn one down either. I truly do look forward to my shake, most days. :thumbup: (And thank goodness, or really, I’d be so off track with my protein intake if I had not found a way to make my daily shake tasty.) But the milky-ness is getting to me lately. As the Coffee Talk Lady used to say, "I'm getting vaclemped” after my shakes now. Maybe it’s the burgeoning allergy season, but I’m suddenly phlegmy in the morning & these days my iced latte shake just is too thick & creamy for me -– even though I don’t use milk at all! I tried the bullets & found them way too syrupy for even my sweet tooth, which is saying a lot because I’d drink snow-cone syrup in a cup sans shaved ice if people wouldn’t look at me funny! :tt2: This debate over the quality of their protein never crossed my mind, but I’m glad y’all pointed it out since I was thinking about trying to make Jello with a tube of 42g. Always something new to learn on this journey, isn’t there...

Awh, I was hoping I could count on you! :shades_smile: And with that, I shall humbly yield to the Challenge Queen.

What are y’all struggling with now that a year has gone by? And can we “band” together to help one another through it? (Sorry – I couldn’t resist the pun!) Anybody else needing some motivation? I know I am!:shades_smile: I propose another challenge for April. My problem area is & has always been with Exercise so I default to the ol’ standby, but I’m totally open to suggestions! Travelgirl, babygrl1234 … care to drag my sorry (if smaller) butt through another round? :teeth_smile: LBT is a great source for Bandster camaraderie, and I think I could use as shot of that about now. Suzanne

Okay - not a single post to our thread in all of February! Egad! I've got no room to talk, but that is BAD -- especially since we all passed that one-year mark in February... Time for Bandiversary Updates, everyone!! As for me, I'm down 5 pounds since my one year weigh-in...finally having broken through that damn plateau (many thanks to my DH & all the stress at home that finally propelled me forward). I hit 100 pounds down at the end of November, gained back a bit over the holidays, and was back to -100.5 at my Bandiversary. I'm at 213.5 now, down from 320 at my height on the morning of surgery! 106 pounds lost!!! WAHOO! :biggrin: I now weigh less than my husband, which has NEVER been the case in the nearly 20 years I've known him (even if HE is getting close to his highest weight again). We crossed paths on the scale at 218. That was one of my mini-goals, to weigh less than him -- whatever that number was! Sure -- I'm still 78 pounds overweight, but every mini-milestone is something to Celebrate, inspires me on, and makes it seem actually possible that the final goal (a "normal" BMI number) is achievable. My surgeon predicts based on my progress that I'll hit about 160 (his goal for me by 2-years post-op) & then stall out. That's a loss of 5 pounds a month from the 1-year to 2-year post-op anniversaries. He thinks at that point I'll have about 20 pounds of excess abdominal skin & about 5 more between both my arms, and I'll be a good plastics candidate. I haven't given too much thought to more surgery, but maybe by 2-years post-op I'll be ready to consider it. And maybe I'll have come into the additional $12K so that I can afford it! :-P HA!! :smile: Okay... NEXT!!!

My arms are huge... They've always been that one body part I'd change if I could! But having lost 100 pounds (today is my 1-year Bandiversary :eek:), they remain HUGE!! At the droopy part, they started at 23" each, and are 18" each now. And wave on for days after I've stopped. I have a long way to go before goal, so there is still TIME, but how much HOPE is there really that smaller arms without surgery are in my future!?! I'd love to know the magic formula that would spare me even more surgery...but I have a feeling there isn't one! And these arms have got to GO!!!