OH Juli

Mrs H. Overall how are your calories? Is soup the best choice because it flows right through. Is there something more solid you can be eating at lunch? Is there sugar in the tea? Are you exercising? Aside from looking at how many calories you eat and you burn I don't know what to say. You sound plenty restricted. HTH, J

Pamela, Hey girl! You've got to be excited out of your skin to have S move in. She has to be happy to be retiring. Does she have plans for a sencond career or wait and see? Don't you work enough for her and a few other people? I'm excited for summer too just because I'm tired of the COLD! What kind of vacations do you have planned? Going anywhere queer? A and I are doing fantastically well. XO

Jachut, You are so correct about the attitude of a doctor being able to handle such information. I think there is an expectation of doctors than there is of the general population, and I love the phrase "unwashed masses". And I agree that fat phobia is so ingrained that people who are otherwise sensitive aren't even aware they are being anti-fat. There are internalized fat-phobic obese people full of self loathing to be sure. There are gay people who struggle with internalized homophobia as well. Fat people are discriminated against in hiring or shopping etc. It happens and I’m not denying it’s huge and hurtful. But rare is actual physical violence waged against someone for carrying around 100 extra pounds. Just recently a 15 year old boy was shot in California for being gay. Hate crimes for obesity haven't made headlines. There's also an entire discussion about one not being able to hide fat like one can disguise their homosexuality, so there isn't the layer of ‘should I share or not’. People see you and make judgments when you are fat. When you are gay you actually have to make the decision to share or not share that information which adds complexity to the equation. I really enjoy you engaging in this conversation. Thanks for the dialogue. Juli

Jewels, I don't know how far Columbus is to where you live, but check us out. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f56/central-ohio-get-together-march-8-2008-a-51861/index3.html We are meeting monthly at Polaris Shopping Place. January there were 3, February there were 14-ish people. I didn't actually count but there were so many of us I didn't have a chance to chat with all the people. If you can make it March 8th, you'll find lots of support and like minded people. Three of the gals have March surgery dates, and one is scheduled for April. We all met here on LBT!

Funny! Our tickers are opposites, exactly! We have the same amount to lose and you are doing fantastically well! Thanks, and I'm sure you'll do every bit as well as I have, if not better. You're rocking!

Talking of a slight un-fill, I'm monitering myself closely to see if I might need to do that. If I eat after 7pm I have reflux overnight. I've even woke up with the taste of vomit in my mouth. Ick. My goal now is to drink a pot of herb tea between an hour after dinner and bed time to wash out anything that might be in my pouch. I've not had reflux or vomit ever since being banded. I've PBed enough to know the difference too, and this is real live stomach acid coming up. Weird huh? Anyway, yesterday was a week since my last fill and yes, the band has been tempermental, but I am able to eat solid Protein if I chew well and take small bites. I have an appointment the first week of March to do my 1 year follow up. If I'm not completely comfortable by then I'll have them take out some. They put in .5cc. I suppose I'd ask them to remove .2 or .3. I hope not to have to that though. Sigh...yes, this is harder at times. But overall it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. XO, Marchies.

Kathy, If you need some caring after let me know. I can run and get you scripts or drive you home from the hospital. Please don't hesitate. Juli

Kell, I so don't want to say anything mean and in text stuff can come across differently. I'm sure you're beautiful and you'll get attention you are not used to, but honey you are 20 years older. And there are some smokin' hot 40 year old women out there but the fellas give most the attention to the 20 somethings. I say this because I'm seeing my face less fat for the first time in 20 years and I'm like "where the hell did these wrinkles come from?!" I hope you take what I'm saying with a smile. :biggrin2: And like Mama said, tell your man what you want from him.

K, Post all you want! It is exciting!!!

Kathy Congratulations on your banding date! I was a happy Marchie in 07, now we have three happy Marchies and an April in 08! Please let us be a resource for you. We are here to support and encourage each other! Yippy!!!!!!!! Juli

Yeah, I saw 202 two days in a row so I claimed it! I feel bad that you notice my ticker. I'm so bad about recognizing other people's losses. But woot woot, I might just maybe see 199 before I turn 40!

Sometimes I miss the food induced coma. Burritos always = coma for me. I looked up a Chipotle burrito shortly after banded and it was like 1000 kcals for one and I nearly fell over. There was a time I'd eat one of those mothers and a pile of chips and salsa and still want more. Girls are such dainty eaters. HA!

Sleep sounds so good. I hate school. OMG, I'm sorry people to be such a negative nelly all the time about the papers and papers and freaking papers. Sounds like you'll have a great time with your family this weekend BG. The MI hand thing just cracks me up. It's effective but corny. :tt2: Okay, off to write about the HRM, business model of market overstaturation and management practices of Starbucks. Settle down, don't be jealous.

I was told walk right away. Do cardio after two weeks and no weight training until 6 weeks post op.

Marg, Thanks. When did you get your fill? Maybe you can baby it a little longer? But if you been uncomfortable for longer than a week go get an unfil. Not being able to eat at all is not good. J

seeing my collar bones. running walking in heels and not dying crossing my legs scooting the car seat forward, not hitting the gas with my tiptoes having my DD wrap her arms completely around me no seat belt extender on the plane, no look of dread from the person seated next to me

I’m coming up on my one year anniversary and I have to say I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference a year has made in how I feel about my life. It hasn’t all been up, up and more up. I’m mostly proud and happy. I’m healthier and able to run up stairs with baskets of laundry. I ride my bike and run after my kid. I’ve felt sexy, I’ve strutted, oh it’s true. But I’ve also thought about the years I’ve lost, the damage I’ve done to my skin and how some of my most precious relationships have taken a hit because I won’t go to the buffet and eat gobs of food with old friends. But most recently I feel very grateful. I feel so overjoyed with the fact that I’ve been given my life back. And weight loss is only a third of the changes I’ve been going through; I’ve returned to school; I’ve gotten divorced...in opposite order. I don’t know who to thank: my therapist, my doctors, myself or God? I’m not that spiritual so the last one is interesting. But gratitude is an amazing thing. I’ve cried and I’ll cry again just to be able to do things I’ve always dreamed of doing, but thought that the ability was beyond me, that my time had passed. This was pretty poignant this past Sunday when I ran my first 5K which I had wanted to do for as long as I remember. I feel like I’m setting up pins, goals, just to see if I’ve got what it takes to knock ‘em down. That’s such an amazing feeling. I’m so thankful. :biggrin2: I thought I’d share.

Deeply breathe. You'll be alright. I love my band and am happy for it. Weigh the pros and cons, educate yourself. Change happens when what you are doing hurts more or is more scary than doing something different. Good Luck

About self sabbotage, what scares you about being successful? Is it that you won't have new goals? Or that you'll have to redfine yourself as the no longer fat? Try really invisioning what/who you will be when you are finished losing weight. If you don't like what you see, work on that. It's a rough road...

Funny my goal is 199 by my anniversary. It was 199 by January 1st, then by Valentine's day, now it's March 8th! I saw 202 this morning, and I got a fill last week so maybe, just maybe I'll get to 199 in two weeks!

Jeni, Girl, you look fantastic! You have a nice neck and cheek bones! You're doing so well! gkeyt, I'm in grad school too. I'll tell you what, I feel for you guys who took a long pause between undergrad and grad. I took a long pause between starting undergrad and finishing it...but I'm happy to be rolling along straight into my MBA. My countdown is 16 months at this point. I love how you want to give back. I too am thinking on this. I don't know how, but I'm going to find a way. I joke about writing a book...we'll see. Gwen, I have to say I look foward to you nearly daily notes on here. You are always positive and so supportive. Thanks for being a ray of sunshine so consistentanly. Everyone else...I'm happy to be a Marchie. We are on our way to our one year anniversaries. Amazing isn't it? XO

Oh and the bike class was FANTASTIC!!!! And I'm the kind of girl that doesn't like to get all dirty but there I was learning to take off my chain, clean the gears, tighten spokes, learning about the different parts. It was so cool. And the fellas teaching the class were great. There were 6 of us, all from WOW, (women on wheels, my cycling group) and we got to get all caught up. Next week we do more. I'm am going with quatro, egg beater clipless pedals and 23's for my wheels. I have 26's on it now. I'm so geeked. W00T, W00T.

I've missed you JC. That funny feeling inside is your band.

Why so little sleep? The new fill has me unable to eat before bed for a few hours or I get reflux. That's a first. Yesterday I ate dinner at 5 and nothing afterward. I was starving at 11, wondering do I eat and not sleep or sleep and not eat. Not eating won. It was the best I've rested since Friday! (I'm a slow learner.) I know once I said sleep is for whimps, but oh my goodness, I'll take a pillow over food any day now.

I go to bike maitenance class tonight. I have to strap the bike onto the back of the car. Can I tell you how geeked I am to be getting all greased up and toy with my baby?! (There now have some fun with that!) J