PharmaGirl

Bunny Banster's July 4th Challenge Bunny's name ------ Bunny's target loss --- Bunny's start weight --- Current date --- Bunny's Current weight --- Bunny's target July 4 weight PharmaGirl -------------- 20lb --------------------- 276lb ---------------- 11 May --------------------- 278lb -------------------- 256lb NY Lady ----------------- 20lb --------------------- 253lb ---------------- 11 May --------------------- 250lb -------------------- 233lb lingling ------------------ 20lb --------------------- 279.6lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 279.6lb ----------------- 259.6lb JayTee562 --------------- 20lb --------------------- 272lb ----------------- 1 May --------------------- 272lb -------------------- 252lb MrsMitch ---------------- 25lb --------------------- 242lb ------------------ 1 May --------------------- 242lb -------------------- 217lb ALuv82------------------ 35lb ---------------------- 297.5lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 297.5lb ------------------- 262.5lb Band_Groupie ----------- 15lb ---------------------- 218 lbs -------------- 7 May --------------------- 216lbs -------------------- 203lbs kaner ------------------- 20lb ----------------------- 275lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 275lb ---------------------- 255lb scoobydoo -------------- 25lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? TerriLynne -------------- 15lb ----------------------- 296lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 296lb ---------------------- 281lb hopeful41411 ----------- 18lb ----------------------- 260.8lb -------------- 1 May -------------------- 260.8lb -------------------- 242.8lb IsabellaP84 ------------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? hannahj914 ------------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JWL08 ------------------ 18lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Abbie-pie --------------- 30lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? poconomom -------------20lb ----------------------- 212lb --------------- 8 May --------------------- 204lb --------------------- 192lb myturn2bhappy --------- 30lb ---------------------- 288lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 288lb --------------------- 258lb DM Chef ---------------- 20lb ---------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? FutureSize10 ------------ 25lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? doodlebug11 ------------ 20lb ---------------------- 207lb --------------- 1 May ---------------------- 209lb-------------------- 187lb tcbgirl ------------------- 15lb ---------------------- 202.8lb ------------- 1 May --------------------- 202.8lb --------------------187.8lb twinmamma1130 -------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? mi_illusion_st ----------- 15lb --------------------- 211.6lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 211.6lb----------------- 196.6lb Babygirl_68 -------------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? kittygirl ------------------ 22lb --------------------- 203lb ------------------ 1 May ---------------------- 203lb ------------------- 181lb jukeBox81782 ----------- 40lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? Losing for me ----------- 20lb ---------------------- 189lb ---------------- 1 May ---------------------- 189lb --------------------169lb early -------------------- 15lb ---------------------- 202lb ------------------- 1 May --------------------- 202lb -------------------- 187lb lapband-AP-redo -------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? pottergirl----------------- 20lb----------------------- 280lb ---------------- 1 May---------------------- 280lb -------------------- 260lb shakia90 ---------------- 20lb ----------------------- 285lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 285lb -------------------- 265lb txdj --------------------- 20lb------------------------ 205lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 205lb --------------------185lb ThinWithin -------------- 27.4lb --------------------- 297.4lb -------------- 8 May --------------------- 297.4lb ------------------ 270lb help1977 ----------------20lb----------------------- 251.8lb ---------------- 1 May -------------------- 248.2lb ------------------- 231.8lb vcatalina1 -------------- 20lb------------------------ 255lb ------------------1 May -------------------- 240lb --------------------- 220lb Auddie ----------------- 20lb------------------------ ? -----------------------1 May ------------------- ? --------------------------? lapbandgirl2009 -------- 25lb ---------------------- 259lb ------------------- 1 May ------------------- 259lb --------------------- 234lb swkrp ------------------ 20lb ---------------------- 219lb ------------------- 1 May ------------------- 199lb --------------------- 234lb Shellynnrn --------------20lb ---------------------- 260lb--------------------1 May ------------------- 260lb-----------------------240lb kath17268 -------------15lb ----------------------- 236lb--------------------1 May ------------------- 232lb ------------------------ 221lb knighmo -------------- 25lb --------------------- 298lb -------------------- 4 May-------------------- 298lb ------------------- 273lb jannyboo -------------- 29lb -------------------- 219lb ---------------------1 May ------------------- 219lb ------------------- 190lb lilith ------------------ 20lb -------------------- 249lb---------------------6 May ------------------- 249lb ------------------- 229lb

terelbel, i'm in the same boat. Almost 2 weeks out and I am definitely eating less than I used to - probably around 1200-1400cals/day but I have not lost any significant amount of weight since my surgery (just 1lb) however I can see my bracelets are looser and my shoes are not so tight - unfortunately my stomach still feels swollen (and I still get a fair bit of port pain when I lie down at night). Like you, I'm trying not to get discouraged and am just keeping on trucking. On the issue of 'restriction' and what is enough restriction, I really don't know if I have it or if I don't. I'm feeling very confused about the meaning of 'restriction' and the concept of what is 'enough' restriction. I haven't had a fill yet but I definitely cannot eat the same portion sizes as before - I'd say I'd can only fit in 'normal' size portions now compared to what I could fit in before (one ham and salad sandwich for lunch instead of 2) and I find I am full on these 'normal' size portions and I don't get hungry again for 3-4 hours after a meal. Is that enough restriction? I was hoping that it was and I have been really happy with the fact that I would be living like a normal person and not always thinking about what I am going to be eating next - I really like that I can go to a restaurant with friends and eat a normal size meal (where if serves are large, I end up leaving food on the plate) but no more than that - maybe just enough room for a bite of a dessert but definitely not a whole dessert. Also, it seemed in line with what the nutritionist explained we should aim for. However, I'm worried that my expectations of how much I should be (and am) eating are different to (and a lot more than) what people who are successfully losing weight with the lap band are actually doing. I'd be very interested to know what everyone else here thinks "restriction" is and to hear people's thoughts on whether eating "normal' size portions is too much.

Hi there I was banded on the 23rd April and am in exactly the same boat as far as pain around the port area goes. Can't wait for this pain to go. You may already be aware - there's a forum for all the April bandster's HERE - in case you'd like to share experiences with others of us being banded at around the same time. It's a wonderful place for support. Also, you've been added to the list of April bandsters HERE.

Hi and welcome and congrats on your surgery. There's a forum for all the April bandster's HERE - in case you'd like to share experiences with others of us being banded at around the same time. It's a wonderful place for support. Also, you've been added to the list of April bandsters HERE.

Bunny Banster's July 4th Challenge Bunny's name ------ Bunny's target loss --- Bunny's start weight --- Current date --- Bunny's Current weight --- Bunny's target July 4 weight PharmaGirl -------------- 20lb --------------------- 276lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 276lb -------------------- 256lb NY Lady ----------------- 20lb --------------------- 253lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 253lb -------------------- 233lb lingling ------------------ 20lb --------------------- 279.6lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 279.6lb ----------------- 259.6lb JayTee562 --------------- 20lb --------------------- 272lb ----------------- 1 May --------------------- 272lb -------------------- 252lb MrsMitch ---------------- 25lb --------------------- 242lb ------------------ 1 May --------------------- 242lb -------------------- 217lb ALuv82------------------ 35lb ---------------------- 297.5lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 297.5lb ------------------- 262.5lb Band_Groupie ----------- 15lb ---------------------- 218 lbs -------------- 1 May --------------------- 218lbs -------------------- 203lbs kaner ------------------- 20lb ----------------------- 275lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 275lb ---------------------- 255lb scoobydoo -------------- 25lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? TerriLynne -------------- 15lb ----------------------- 296lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 296lb ---------------------- 281lb hopeful41411 ----------- 18lb ----------------------- 260.8lb -------------- 1 May -------------------- 260.8lb -------------------- 242.8lb IsabellaP84 ------------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? hannahj914 ------------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JWL08 ------------------ 18lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Abbie-pie --------------- 30lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? poconomom -------------20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? myturn2bhappy --------- 30lb ---------------------- 288lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 288lb --------------------- 258lb DM Chef ---------------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? FutureSize10 ------------ 25lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? doodlebug11 ------------ 20lb ---------------------- 207lb--------------- 1 May ------------------------- 209lb-------------------- 187lb tcbgirl ------------------- 15lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? twinmamma1130 -------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? mi_illusion_st ----------- 15lb --------------------- 211.6lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 211.6lb----------------- 196.6lb Babygirl_68 -------------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? kittygirl ------------------ 22lb --------------------- 203lb ------------------ 1 May ---------------------- 203lb ------------------- 181lb jukeBox81782 ----------- 40lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? Losing for me ----------- 20lb ---------------------- 189lb ---------------- 1 May ---------------------- 189lb --------------------169lb early -------------------- 15lb ---------------------- 202lb ------------------- 1 May --------------------- 202lb -------------------- 187lb lapband-AP-redo -------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? pottergirl----------------- 20lb----------------------- 280lb ---------------- 1 May---------------------- 280lb -------------------- 260lb shakia90 ---------------- 20lb ----------------------- 285lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 285lb -------------------- 265lb txdj --------------------- 20lb------------------------ 205lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 205lb --------------------185lb ThinWithin -------------- 27.4lb --------------------- 297.4lb -------------- 1 May --------------------- 297.4lb ------------------ 270lb help1977 ----------------20lb----------------------- 251.8lb ---------------- 1 May -------------------- 251.8lb ------------------- 231.8lb vcatalina1 -------------- 20lb------------------------ 255lb ------------------1 May -------------------- 240lb --------------------- 220lb Auddie ----------------- 20lb------------------------ ? -----------------------1 May ------------------- ? --------------------------? lapbandgirl2009 -------- 25lb ---------------------- 259lb ------------------- 1 May ------------------- 259lb --------------------- 234lb swkrp ------------------ 20lb ---------------------- 219lb ------------------- 1 May ------------------- 199lb --------------------- 234lb Shellynnrn --------------20lb ---------------------- 260lb--------------------1 May ------------------- 260lb-----------------------240lb kath17268 ------------- 15lb ----------------------- ?lb--------------------1 May -------------------- ?lb ------------------------ ?lb knighmo --------------- 25lb --------------------- 298lb -------------------- 4 May--------------------- 298lb ------------------- 273lb jannyboo --------------- 29lb -------------------- 219lb ---------------------1 May -------------------- 219lb ------------------- 190lb

lingling, I did the same as you and my doctor is good with that. Even so, I have the same concerns - will I damage something, etc. etc. I spoke to the surgeon at my one-week post-op appointment and like rannah's doctor he advised listening to my body - he advised that everyone heals at a different pace and the time to progress to the next stage in foods is therefore different for different people. That is why not all doctors recommendations match up - some doctors base recommendations on the slowest progressors, some on the median progressor, some on the fast healers. He advised that if I felt up to it I should progress to mushies and when ready progress to soft food and then if they're going down ok move to real food. As I said in a different post, he was adamant that once progress to the next stage of food had been made and was going ok there should be no going backward (avoiding caloried drinks, ice-cream, etc, at all costs). I chew the living daylight out of any new food before I swallow and wait to see how I feel after the first couple of bites. If everything is ok (and so far everything has been) I keep going. I am now eating all types of food and I will be coming up for 2 weeks with the band this Thursday. I am careful to stop eating when I feel my pouch is full (usually around 3/4-1 cup of food). I also don't drink for at least an hour (I try for 2 hours) after meals.

Hi everyone, For all July 4th challengers, don't forget to weigh yourself asap so you have a starting weight and a target weight. If you haven't yet signed up but would like to participate, please go HERE. Here's the latest updated list (updated: 3pm, 4 May 2009 [Australian eastern standard time]). Names in bright pink mean that person has checked in after surgery (so they are our 'confirmed banders'). Please let me know: if there are any errors, if there are any changes in dates, anyone missing from the list. Also, once you've had your surgery, please check in with us so we know you're ok. Wed April 1 = mulderfamily4, Sissyh1006, hhjazzyoo1, kaner, knewme, nataliedg8, Mommad, FDBAGPIPER, spirnat31, Swisskaese, Danielle07, Spinner115, misamae, Battjr, bignik, step587, soquili, scout47, Rogue, REALIZEinCT Thu April 2 = smilan, lingling, healthyme2, kerrischafer1, Poodia, lml32927, jonnycotes, russ3, MANOWAR, happykatz, preciousfriend, gw5390, dreamer69 Fri April 3 = super_chili, tish76, vegas girl, watermelon_1, TxMomof4, lich3853, mookp. lulu5040, brookeacomer, hanna61, Tall, kishaadamshall, K-11-Rock Sat April 4 = GoddessNar, lawandad Sun April 5 = chubbychops Mon April 6 = swishbc, StephOnee, shakia90, Mona40, Crimson Tide, scottyjay, silverstar79, JohnB3465, doodlebug11, cajunmomma, Konda, sgtmtz, PBDove, stace31, mommyofthree, mariadonna84, fengshui, doxborough, godsbride, FoxTerp Tue April 7 = hopeful41411, mobetter, Trulyleaves, daner1110, kmg365, lindasqd51, marlina, Healthydiva50, susanthomas-pate, opalfire9, Kitten123, jbhinla, Hlysmom, lobo, ecorreia, knighmo, CJB1127, dabrownx2, JudyLynn, jannyboo Wed April 8 = ldeere2005, tstanart, Singer B, BTHIN09, rdoty, HelloSkinny, GitsMardi, MIMA1980, Lapbanded_Paladin, erinshel, DM Chef, BeerSpiritGuide, Dawn1991, CJB1127, amceache, Boy X, stephj, twinmamma1130, arellano8 Thu April 9 = txsandy, NYlady, murphy5, gamassagegirl, hopeful60, nursinem, JWL08, cowboyswife, CelticAngel, LivinWithFaith/KY, BethT1027, mi_illusion_st, LINDAPIERRE@ATT.NET, JoyceEggerth, Gavroche2004, Justdoingit, jacee506, bsivley Fri April 10 = pdburch, JayTee562, jerseygirl518, sdeale0928, vagwada, firefly71, tbryant1216, Kimber7, Boykie, restintx, emjay, monicam, aprilflowers22, FutureSize10, jojo9272007, jaysmommy1106 Sun April 12 = HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!! Mon April 13 = lachdanon, Elayne, babydoll1, 2Legit2Quit, tawandabee, hairnv, memzie, Jeansthings, aris, Taina009, IsabellaP84, pottergirl, swrktp, tinalb, QuilterCat2, CJNorwood, tpoth, colyn92, HIS4EVER, Brand_New_Me, tpoth, dubbee, jpmons Tue April 14 = Suzdavis, victoria_057, poconomom, carbgrl, tiffalicious81, valjay, trishb13, moonbeam, auntbrat, jukebox81782, butterfly64, paxie, julia19642, lady28, queenann, Trapman, cbergstrom, phattat, leesmarty Wed April 15 = hannahj914, sylver28, MrsMitch, mec267's wife, kimba74, DottieDoo, vcatalina1, Jazzy4Health, sandyswhisper, shanlyn, zetanett, delacruz64, Mbea, vagabond Thu April 16 = Jenfs5, scoobydoo, rannah12, vayiayia, Allformyson, Abbie-pie, BeefromCalie, contemplating, Sweet68, Stephanie1972, WishUponABand, LDL, loser09, JUSTTIRED, smiley78, myturn2bhappy, Tammy Webb, Jamie05, jjpoody, Cortney6983, beskild, Sugga4fun, maddoggy2665, barchedm, langx3, Tinypup, NewB, Fawkes Fri April 17 = lapbandgirl2009, lulululu, MissChristina, terelbel, Carrie_W, Ingrien, hope4j, WendyII, ISITWORTHIT, pitterpat79, lapband09, remoteportal, Bigdaddyjulian, Wendy OKC, donnaty, Grazia, hally,DaveTownsend, Donna2153, readmymind, susiep Sat April 18 = Sandy T, vickyb123 Sun April 19 = Wanttolose's wife Mon April 20 = sandi1011, Auddie, Carolnphx, 31andnew, txskoolnurse, phlphan, roscoeburke, karakent, indiandiva, Rumbera55, redhead722, TSDawn, Txquiltlady, miss_me Tue April 21 = ThinWithin, bellatrickz, Mand, tcbgirl, california29, Ttime1020, chelle06, Mariposa2009, finaldstination, lovelyolemiss, Vinca, dianesue99, phatgreenbunny, Okiebrat, Soon2BSexy Wed April 22 = early, KikstersRT, Babygirl_68, April09Bandster, birdbrainzz, mec267, Lisacacb5, Band_Groupie, dminson, Jackiepurs31, trobison, Bobbie72, funnychik, ladyjp, Nana6, chiffani, sbecker32, B-lo, TerriLynne, Bella5425, pbailey, Godschild, Woobeesmom, verag, iculookin Thu April 23 = PharmaGirl, Goal150, a-newme, kittygirl, TanyaM, lilith, Losing for me, lapband-AP-redo, elliebc, VogueLibertine, lekekari, 4luci, dawright1, CJRUBI029 Fri April 24 = loulou09, hrtgoeson, KMCD, jodimyers, Luckynjun, SHSUSioux, MiMi Teapot, AngieB2009, Oclaura, Tracey Jane, txdj, Dianem Sat April 25 = shell1 Sun April 26 = Wanttolose Mon April 27 = boomski, shellynnrn, Shrinkerbell, smiletracy, asaylor2009, VADarlene, mlat1822, ALuv82, jayne02, PUDGY, eak7615, pjop, erikaz, petuniap, mngirl0044, KRISPYKREME, Pure_Fabulosity Tue April 28 = rcher, MSan914, mccall, Jimbo_WV, atomicblonde, dcgraves56, Kara, jenajjthr, kimme040402, eriden6222, beckyc, doridoodles, SuzieJ, MrsMad, wncarpenter26, friery, TheMagus, kandy1167, kmmr Wed April 29 = travelgrl, help1977, gonnabethinagain, CindyJ123, A New Outlook, darthmuller, Juliamb, mscoco22 Thu April 30 = kath17268, stephyv, kiposa, fattyfatty2by4, RosieQ, 1980, finallyready@51, cjgibson79, pspmtnac, Brittney365 Honorary Bunny Bandsters: WannaBe1/2TheWoman

Bunny Banster's July 4th Challenge Bunny's name ------ Bunny's target loss --- Bunny's start weight --- Current date --- Bunny's Current weight --- Bunny's target July 4 weight PharmaGirl -------------- 20lb --------------------- 276lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 276lb -------------------- 256lb NY Lady ----------------- 20lb --------------------- 253lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 253lb -------------------- 233lb lingling ------------------ 20lb --------------------- 279.6lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 279.6lb ----------------- 259.6lb JayTee562 --------------- 20lb --------------------- 272lb ----------------- 1 May --------------------- 272lb -------------------- 252lb MrsMitch ---------------- 25lb --------------------- 242lb ------------------ 1 May --------------------- 242lb -------------------- 217lb ALuv82------------------ 35lb ---------------------- 297.5lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 297.5lb ------------------- 262.5lb Band_Groupie ----------- 15lb ---------------------- 218 lbs -------------- 1 May --------------------- 218lbs -------------------- 203lbs kaner ------------------- 20lb ----------------------- 275lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 275lb ---------------------- 255lb scoobydoo -------------- 25lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? TerriLynne -------------- 15lb ----------------------- 296lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 296lb ---------------------- 281lb hopeful41411 ----------- 18lb ----------------------- 260.8lb -------------- 1 May -------------------- 260.8lb -------------------- 242.8lb IsabellaP84 ------------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? hannahj914 ------------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JWL08 ------------------ 18lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Abbie-pie --------------- 30lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? poconomom -------------20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? myturn2bhappy --------- 30lb ---------------------- 288lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 288lb --------------------- 258lb DM Chef ---------------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? FutureSize10 ------------ 25lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? doodlebug11 ------------ 20lb ---------------------- 207lb--------------- 1 May ------------------------- 209lb-------------------- 187lb tcbgirl ------------------- 15lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? twinmamma1130 -------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? mi_illusion_st ----------- 15lb --------------------- 211.6lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 211.6lb----------------- 196.6lb Babygirl_68 -------------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? kittygirl ------------------ 22lb --------------------- 203lb ------------------ 1 May ---------------------- 203lb ------------------- 181lb jukeBox81782 ----------- 40lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? Losing for me ----------- 20lb ---------------------- 189lb ---------------- 1 May ---------------------- 189lb --------------------169lb early -------------------- 15lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? lapband-AP-redo -------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? pottergirl----------------- 20lb----------------------- 280lb ---------------- 1 May---------------------- 280lb -------------------- 260lb shakia90 ---------------- 20lb ----------------------- 285lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 285lb -------------------- 265lb txdj --------------------- 20lb------------------------ 205lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 205lb --------------------185lb ThinWithin -------------- 27.4lb --------------------- 297.4lb -------------- 1 May --------------------- 297.4lb ------------------ 270lb help1977 ----------------20lb----------------------- 251.8lb ---------------- 1 May -------------------- 251.8lb ------------------- 231.8lb vcatalina1 -------------- 20lb------------------------ 255lb ------------------1 May -------------------- 240lb --------------------- 220lb Auddie ----------------- 20lb------------------------ ? -----------------------1 May ------------------- ? --------------------------? lapbandgirl2009 -------- 25lb ---------------------- 259lb ------------------- 1 May ------------------- 259lb --------------------- 234lb swkrp ------------------ 20lb ---------------------- 219lb ------------------- 1 May ------------------- 199lb --------------------- 234lb Shellynnrn --------------20lb ---------------------- 260lb--------------------1 May ------------------- 260lb-----------------------240lb kath17268 --------------15lb ----------------------- ?lb--------------------1 May -------------------- ?lb ------------------------ ?lb

Hi to all you lovelies out there. I realised that I have not talked about my actual progress in terms of weight loss at all so far in these blogs. I get a bit frustrated when I look at blogs of those fantastically inspirational people who have done really well over a long period of time but I can't figure how they got there. It'd be nice to compare where I'm at with where they were at when they were in my shoes to give myself encouragement that I'm doing ok. So, from today, at the end of my blog is a chart showing weight loss over time (like a ticker, it does update as I add more data on a weekly or fortnightly basis but you will be able to tell what my weight was at any time - ups, downs, everything). Saw my surgeon on Wednesday (6 days post-op) and he said I was ready to make the transition to soft foods and then to regular food. YEAY!! Over the last two days I have transitioned very quickly to eating pretty much anything though I take it slow and chew thorougly. Have you seen the episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy and Ethel go on the diet where they are told to chew everything 50 times before they swallow? - I feel like them! Once I'm sure I'm not having any problems with the first few bites, I proceed with eating till my pouch feels full. I'm also starting each meal with one or two glasses of water so that I don't feel thirsty in the middle of the meal or very soon after it. So far, haven't struck any problems. It is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC to be finished with those crappy shakes!! I also have to say that I am totally RAPT with being able to eat anything but finding that smaller amounts fill me up! I so want to eat like a french woman (a little of bit of all of life's good things) AND feel satisfied at the same time. I also love that the amount of food that gets eaten in a sitting is not "abnormally" small. I want to live like a normal person. I love that I can still go out to restaurants but I won't be the one clearing my plate and then checking out left overs on other plates. I'll just be one of the ones with left overs! The surgeon was adamant that as I found I could tolerate the less slippery foods, I should cut back on the slippery stuff until I'm just eating proper food - no more shakes, juices, etc - no liquid calories. Last night I cooked up some fabulous Aussie prawns (shrimp) with zucchini in an italian sauce base and it all went down ok. I asked the surgeon about how I should deal with two things: (i) with feeling full (because I can feel that my pouch is full) but my head still wanting more; and (ii) with feeling full (because I can feel that my pouch is full) but having my big stomach rumbling 'cause it isn't full. He said both of things would pass and reminded me that a rumbling stomach is not necessarily a hungry stomach. From what he was saying, I figure there comes a time where a synchronicity is reached between my pouch feeling full and ME feeling full. I don't know if others feel this distinction between my pouch being full and ME being full (maybe the latter is just head hunger) but I was very glad to hear him give me this reassurance. I have read somewhere that at some time in the first few weeks following banding there is a re-setting of the point in the brain at which the banded person feels full (Wish I could remember where I saw this!). I'd love to hear from other bandsters as to whether they experienced firstly the distinction between their pouch feeling full and them being satisfied and secondly, if the two came together for them at some point. Also, on Wednesday, Lisa (who is now 3 weeks post-op and doing superbly) saw the nutritionist. I went along for the ride. She said some stuff that really helped us so I thought I would share. I have posted this elsewhere but I wanted to keep this somewhere I could look back at it so it is also going in this blog. Lisa has been saying she wants a fill asap as she feels she is eating way more than she THOUGHT she should and she is not dropping weight like she was on the pre-op diet. Lisa keeps saying she has no restriction but in actual fact she is eating a lot less at meal times than we did before. The nutritionist asked what she meant by not losing enough weight and Lisa said well the scales haven't changed for the last 4 days! When asked how much weight she has lost since surgery 3 weeks ago, she answered about 8-10lb. The nutritionist told us to put the scales out of reach and to only weigh ourselves once every week or, even better, once every two weeks. She also said it was unreasonable to be expecting to never be hungry or to be eating extremely small amounts of food. The nutritionist said that the sort of weight loss experienced on the pre-op diet was not what she should be aiming for with the lap band as it was not good for her in the long term and was stressful on the body and didn't give the body enough time to make adjustments. If she kept up that weight loss she was told she could expect to lose hair, and that she was likely to see more "sagginess" around her body than she would if she lost weight more slowly. She told Lisa that she should revise her expectations about what constitutes a reasonable and healthy weight loss. She recommended that weight loss be no more than 1-2lb per week (0.5-1kg). We were amazed (I was delighted!!) at how much food she recommended we should consume in a day. It added up to around 1200-1400 cals/day. What she recommended was pretty much in line with the typical Weight Watchers program but snacking between meals is not encouraged. Also, she emphasised the need to drink before meals and then not drink after meals for 1-2 hours (for 2 reasons - potential of overstretching the pouch and potential for washing things through the band faster than is desirable). She pretty much reinforced what this dude, Dr Vuong, says HERE. Essentially, the message is you may stop losing weight if you restrict your caloric intake too far. So that you don't have to follow the link, she essentially told us that when caloric intake drops down to around 1100-1200 calories per day, human metabolism will slow down. When humans had to scavenge for food that was not always readily available, bodies became very efficient at storing energy in the form of fat to tide them through times when they might not be able to eat much for a few days. When food became scarce, metabolism would slow down in order to conserve energy, at least until food became plentiful again. Typically bodies go into this energy-conserving mode when caloric intake is dropped to around 1100-1200 calories per day. Since a Lap-Band can take a person down to around this amount, bodies may want to go into "starvation" mode. Our job is to keep this from happening by doing two things: Making sure you are eating enough (1200 cals/day for the 5'7 - 5'8 average woman - cals/day varies depending on how tall you are, how active you are and is more for males) and getting the best nutrition you can. This means eating real food, avoiding empty calories, preparing fresh meals so that your body gets all of the micronutrients and building blocks it needs to perform its normal daily chemical reactions and functions. Exercising. This keeps your metabolism going. In terms of when is the right time to get filled, she said if you are eating so that you are satisfied most of the time (ideally getting hungry just before meal times) and you are still losing 1-2lb per week - you DO NOT need a fill yet. If you're eating but do not feel satisfied most of the time, are finding you need to snack to get you through between meals, and your weight loss drops to less than 1lb per week, then it is time to schedule a fill. Everything this nutritionist said made sense and I intend doing as she suggests. I am just starting to realise and hope that living with a lap band is not about being on a punishing diet but instead living like 'normal' people (who are satisfied with less and therefore don't overeat) out there. Right now, I am sooo happy I have made this decision. I just pray that the reality is the same as the theory explained and outlined above. At the moment, it feels that way. I hope it lasts. Again, would love to hear from the long-term bandsters out there as to whether this has been their experience. Love to you all. Lili My Weight Chart: >

Me too!! No fair!

Hi there. Glad you found us all.

Hi everyone, For all July 4th challengers, don't forget to weigh yourself asap so you have a starting weight and a target weight. If you haven't yet signed up but would like to participate, please go HERE. Here's the latest updated list (updated: 12noon, 2 May 2009 [Australian eastern standard time]). Names in bright pink mean that person has checked in after surgery (so they are our 'confirmed banders'). Please let me know: if there are any errors, if there are any changes in dates, anyone missing from the list. Also, once you've had your surgery, please check in with us so we know you're ok. Wed April 1 = mulderfamily4, Sissyh1006, hhjazzyoo1, kaner, knewme, nataliedg8, Mommad, FDBAGPIPER, spirnat31, Swisskaese, Danielle07, Spinner115, misamae, Battjr, bignik, step587, soquili, scout47, Rogue, REALIZEinCT Thu April 2 = smilan, lingling, healthyme2, kerrischafer1, Poodia, lml32927, jonnycotes, russ3, MANOWAR, happykatz, preciousfriend, gw5390, dreamer69 Fri April 3 = super_chili, tish76, vegas girl, watermelon_1, TxMomof4, lich3853, mookp. lulu5040, brookeacomer, hanna61, Tall, kishaadamshall, K-11-Rock Sat April 4 = GoddessNar, lawandad Sun April 5 = chubbychops Mon April 6 = swishbc, StephOnee, shakia90, Mona40, Crimson Tide, scottyjay, silverstar79, JohnB3465, doodlebug11, cajunmomma, Konda, sgtmtz, PBDove, stace31, mommyofthree, mariadonna84, fengshui, doxborough, godsbride Tue April 7 = hopeful41411, mobetter, Trulyleaves, daner1110, kmg365, lindasqd51, marlina, Healthydiva50, susanthomas-pate, opalfire9, Kitten123, jbhinla, Hlysmom, lobo, ecorreia, knighmo, CJB1127, dabrownx2, JudyLynn, jannyboo Wed April 8 = ldeere2005, tstanart, Singer B, BTHIN09, rdoty, HelloSkinny, GitsMardi, MIMA1980, Lapbanded_Paladin, erinshel, DM Chef, BeerSpiritGuide, Dawn1991, CJB1127, amceache, Boy X, stephj, twinmamma1130, arellano8 Thu April 9 = txsandy, NYlady, murphy5, gamassagegirl, hopeful60, nursinem, JWL08, cowboyswife, CelticAngel, LivinWithFaith/KY, BethT1027, mi_illusion_st, LINDAPIERRE@ATT.NET, JoyceEggerth, Gavroche2004, Justdoingit, jacee506, bsivley Fri April 10 = pdburch, JayTee562, jerseygirl518, sdeale0928, vagwada, firefly71, tbryant1216, Kimber7, Boykie, restintx, emjay, monicam, aprilflowers22, FutureSize10, jojo9272007, jaysmommy1106 Sun April 12 = HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!! Mon April 13 = lachdanon, Elayne, babydoll1, 2Legit2Quit, tawandabee, hairnv, memzie, Jeansthings, aris, Taina009, IsabellaP84, pottergirl, swrktp, tinalb, QuilterCat2, CJNorwood, tpoth, colyn92, HIS4EVER, Brand_New_Me, tpoth, dubbee, jpmons Tue April 14 = Suzdavis, victoria_057, poconomom, carbgrl, tiffalicious81, valjay, trishb13, moonbeam, auntbrat, jukebox81782, butterfly64, paxie, julia19642, lady28, queenann, Trapman, cbergstrom, phattat, leesmarty Wed April 15 = hannahj914, sylver28, MrsMitch, mec267's wife, kimba74, DottieDoo, vcatalina1, Jazzy4Health, sandyswhisper, shanlyn, zetanett, delacruz64, Mbea Thu April 16 = Jenfs5, scoobydoo, rannah12, vayiayia, Allformyson, Abbie-pie, BeefromCalie, contemplating, Sweet68, Stephanie1972, WishUponABand, LDL, loser09, JUSTTIRED, smiley78, myturn2bhappy, Tammy Webb, Jamie05, jjpoody, Cortney6983, beskild, Sugga4fun, maddoggy2665, barchedm, langx3, Tinypup, NewB, Fawkes Fri April 17 = lapbandgirl2009, lulululu, MissChristina, terelbel, Carrie_W, Ingrien, hope4j, WendyII, ISITWORTHIT, pitterpat79, lapband09, remoteportal, Bigdaddyjulian, Wendy OKC, donnaty, Grazia, hally,DaveTownsend, Donna2153, readmymind, susiep Sat April 18 = Sandy T, vickyb123 Sun April 19 = Wanttolose's wife Mon April 20 = sandi1011, Auddie, Carolnphx, 31andnew, txskoolnurse, phlphan, roscoeburke, karakent, indiandiva, Rumbera55, redhead722, TSDawn, Txquiltlady, miss_me Tue April 21 = ThinWithin, bellatrickz, Mand, tcbgirl, california29, Ttime1020, chelle06, Mariposa2009, finaldstination, lovelyolemiss, Vinca, dianesue99, phatgreenbunny, Okiebrat Wed April 22 = early, KikstersRT, Babygirl_68, April09Bandster, birdbrainzz, mec267, Lisacacb5, Band_Groupie, dminson, Jackiepurs31, trobison, Bobbie72, funnychik, ladyjp, Nana6, chiffani, sbecker32, B-lo, TerriLynne, Bella5425, pbailey, Godschild, Woobeesmom, verag, iculookin Thu April 23 = PharmaGirl, Goal150, a-newme, kittygirl, TanyaM, lilith, Losing for me, lapband-AP-redo, elliebc, VogueLibertine, lekekari, 4luci, dawright1, CJRUBI029 Fri April 24 = loulou09, hrtgoeson, KMCD, jodimyers, Luckynjun, SHSUSioux, MiMi Teapot, AngieB2009, Oclaura, Tracey Jane, txdj, Dianem Sat April 25 = shell1 Sun April 26 = Wanttolose Mon April 27 = boomski, shellynnrn, Shrinkerbell, smiletracy, asaylor2009, VADarlene, mlat1822, ALuv82, jayne02, PUDGY, eak7615, pjop, erikaz, petuniap, mngirl0044, KRISPYKREME Tue April 28 = rcher, MSan914, mccall, Jimbo_WV, atomicblonde, dcgraves56, Kara, jenajjthr, kimme040402, eriden6222, beckyc, doridoodles, SuzieJ, MrsMad, wncarpenter26 Wed April 29 = travelgrl, help1977, gonnabethinagain, CindyJ123, A New Outlook, darthmuller, Juliamb Thu April 30 = kath17268, stephyv, kiposa, fattyfatty2by4, RosieQ, 1980, finallyready@51, cjgibson79, pspmtnac, Brittney365 Honorary Bunny Bandsters: WannaBe1/2TheWoman

Bunny's name ------ Bunny's target loss --- Bunny's start weight --- Current date --- Bunny's Current weight --- Bunny's target July 4 weight PharmaGirl -------------- 20lb --------------------- 276lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 276lb -------------------- 256lb NY Lady ----------------- 20lb --------------------- 253lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 253lb -------------------- 233lb Lingling------------------ 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------ ? JayTee------------------- 20lb --------------------- 272lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 272lb -------------------- 252lb MrsMitch ---------------- 25lb --------------------- 242lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 242lb --------------------- 217lb ALuv82------------------ 35lb ---------------------- 297.5lb -------------- 1 May --------------------- 297.5lb ------------------- 262.5lb Band_Groupie ----------- 15lb ---------------------- 218 lbs ------------- 1 May --------------------- 218lbs -------------------- 213lbs Kaner ------------------- 20lb ----------------------- 275lb --------------- 1 May --------------------- 275lb ---------------------- 255lb Scoobydoo -------------- 25lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? TerriLynne -------------- 15lb ----------------------- 296lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 296lb ---------------------- 281lb Hopeful41411 ----------- 18lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? IsabellaP84 ------------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Hannah Jay ------------- 20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JWL08 ------------------ 18lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Abbie-pie --------------- 30lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Poconomom -------------20lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? myturn2Bhappy --------- 30lb ---------------------- 288lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 288lb --------------------- 258lb DMChef ----------------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? FutureSize10 ------------ 25lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? Doodlebug11 ------------ 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? tcbgirl ------------------- 15lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? twinmamma1130 -------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? ------------------------- ? mi_illusion_st ----------- 15lb ------------------- 211.6lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 211.6lb----------------- 196.6lb kittygirl ------------------ 22lb --------------------- 203lb ------------------ 1 May ---------------------- 203lb ------------------- 181lb JukeBox81782 ----------- 40lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? Losing for me ----------- 20lb ---------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? Early -------------------- 15lb ----------------------- ? ------------------- 1 May ---------------------- ? ------------------------- ? Pottergirl----------------- 20lb----------------------- 280lb --------------- 1 May---------------------- 280lb ---------------------- 260lb shakia90 ---------------- 20lb ----------------------- 285lb -----------------1 May --------------------- 285lb ---------------------- 265lb txdj --------------------- 20lb------------------------ ? --------------------1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? ThinWithin ---------------27.4lb --------------------- 297.4lb ---------------1 May --------------------- 297.4lb ------------------- 270lb help1977 ----------------20lb----------------------- 251.8lb ----------------1 May -------------------- 251.8lb -------------------- 231.8lb vcatalina1 -------------- 20lb------------------------ 255lb ------------------1 May -------------------- 240lb --------------------- 220lb Auddie ----------------- 20lb------------------------ ? --------------------1 MAY --------------------- ?---------------------------? lapbandgirl2009 -------- 25lb ---------------------- 259lb ------------------- 1 May ------------------- 259lb --------------------- 234lb

What a great blog! What a great person!

Hey there BG. Wishing you the best for the grad party. No one is going to notice that you're not eating - they'll be too busy enjoying themselves. I do worry that you're doing too much. Remember, if you find yourself wishing they'd all go home early so you can get some rest, drop a sneeze here and there and say the words "swine flu". Guaranteed to make people disappear faster than "abracadabra".

Hi there and congrats on your surgery. Jeez, horrid to hear what has happened to you guys with the dermabond! Hope you're both well and fully recovered now. I was also banded on the 23rd April and I really hope we do as well as Brandy, who's just had her 1 year anniversary (she's an inspiration, isn't she!!). In case you might be interested, wanted to let you know that there's a forum for all the April bandster's HERE - in case you'd like to share experiences with others of us being banded at around the same time. It's a wonderful place for support. Also, you've been added to the list of April bandsters HERE.

Hi to all you lovelies out there. I realised that I have not talked about my actual progress in terms of weight loss at all so far in these blogs. I get a bit frustrated when I look at blogs of those fantastically inspirational people who have done really well over a long period of time but I can't figure how they got there. It'd be nice to compare where I'm at with where they were at when they were in my shoes to give myself encouragement that I'm doing ok. So, from today, at the end of my blog is a chart showing weight loss over time (like a ticker, it does update as I add more data on a weekly or fortnightly basis but you will be able to tell what my weight was at any time - ups, downs, everything). Saw my surgeon on Wednesday (6 days post-op) and he said I was ready to make the transition to soft foods and then to regular food. YEAY!! Over the last two days I have transitioned very quickly to eating pretty much anything though I take it slow and chew thorougly. Have you seen the episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy and Ethel go on the diet where they are told to chew everything 50 times before they swallow? - I feel like them! Once I'm sure I'm not having any problems with the first few bites, I proceed with eating till my pouch feels full. I'm also starting each meal with one or two glasses of water so that I don't feel thirsty in the middle of the meal or very soon after it. So far, haven't struck any problems. It is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC to be finished with those crappy shakes!! I also have to say that I am totally RAPT with being able to eat anything but finding that smaller amounts fill me up! I so want to eat like a french woman (a little of bit of all of life's good things) AND feel satisfied at the same time. I also love that the amount of food that gets eaten in a sitting is not "abnormally" small. I want to live like a normal person. I love that I can still go out to restaurants but I won't be the one clearing my plate and then checking out left overs on other plates. I'll just be one of the ones with left overs! The surgeon was adamant that as I found I could tolerate the less slippery foods, I should cut back on the slippery stuff until I'm just eating proper food - no more shakes, juices, etc - no liquid calories. Last night I cooked up some fabulous Aussie prawns (shrimp) with zucchini in an italian sauce base and it all went down ok. I asked the surgeon about how I should deal with two things: (i) with feeling full (because I can feel that my pouch is full) but my head still wanting more; and (ii) with feeling full (because I can feel that my pouch is full) but having my big stomach rumbling 'cause it isn't full. He said both of things would pass and reminded me that a rumbling stomach is not necessarily a hungry stomach. From what he was saying, I figure there comes a time where a synchronicity is reached between my pouch feeling full and ME feeling full. I don't know if others feel this distinction between my pouch being full and ME being full (maybe the latter is just head hunger) but I was very glad to hear him give me this reassurance. I have read somewhere that at some time in the first few weeks following banding there is a re-setting of the point in the brain at which the banded person feels full (Wish I could remember where I saw this!). I'd love to hear from other bandsters as to whether they experienced firstly the distinction between their pouch feeling full and them being satisfied and secondly, if the two came together for them at some point. Also, on Wednesday, Lisa (who is now 3 weeks post-op and doing superbly) saw the nutritionist. I went along for the ride. She said some stuff that really helped us so I thought I would share. I have posted this elsewhere but I wanted to keep this somewhere I could look back at it so it is also going in this blog. Lisa has been saying she wants a fill asap as she feels she is eating way more than she THOUGHT she should and she is not dropping weight like she was on the pre-op diet. Lisa keeps saying she has no restriction but in actual fact she is eating a lot less at meal times than we did before. The nutritionist asked what she meant by not losing enough weight and Lisa said well the scales haven't changed for the last 4 days! When asked how much weight she has lost since surgery 3 weeks ago, she answered about 8-10lb. The nutritionist told us to put the scales out of reach and to only weigh ourselves once every week or, even better, once every two weeks. She also said it was unreasonable to be expecting to never be hungry or to be eating extremely small amounts of food. The nutritionist said that the sort of weight loss experienced on the pre-op diet was not what she should be aiming for with the lap band as it was not good for her in the long term and was stressful on the body and didn't give the body enough time to make adjustments. If she kept up that weight loss she was told she could expect to lose hair, and that she was likely to see more "sagginess" around her body than she would if she lost weight more slowly. She told Lisa that she should revise her expectations about what constitutes a reasonable and healthy weight loss. She recommended that weight loss be no more than 1-2lb per week (0.5-1kg). We were amazed (I was delighted!!) at how much food she recommended we should consume in a day. It added up to around 1200-1400 cals/day. What she recommended was pretty much in line with the typical Weight Watchers program but snacking between meals is not encouraged. Also, she emphasised the need to drink before meals and then not drink after meals for 1-2 hours (for 2 reasons - potential of overstretching the pouch and potential for washing things through the band faster than is desirable). She pretty much reinforced what this dude, Dr Vuong, says HERE. Essentially, the message is you may stop losing weight if you restrict your caloric intake too far. So that you don't have to follow the link, she essentially told us that when caloric intake drops down to around 1100-1200 calories per day, human metabolism will slow down. When humans had to scavenge for food that was not always readily available, bodies became very efficient at storing energy in the form of fat to tide them through times when they might not be able to eat much for a few days. When food became scarce, metabolism would slow down in order to conserve energy, at least until food became plentiful again. Typically bodies go into this energy-conserving mode when caloric intake is dropped to around 1100-1200 calories per day. Since a Lap-Band can take a person down to around this amount, bodies may want to go into "starvation" mode. Our job is to keep this from happening by doing two things: Making sure you are eating enough (1200 cals/day for the 5'7 - 5'8 average woman - cals/day varies depending on how tall you are, how active you are and is more for males) and getting the best nutrition you can. This means eating real food, avoiding empty calories, preparing fresh meals so that your body gets all of the micronutrients and building blocks it needs to perform its normal daily chemical reactions and functions. Exercising. This keeps your metabolism going. In terms of when is the right time to get filled, she said if you are eating so that you are satisfied most of the time (ideally getting hungry just before meal times) and you are still losing 1-2lb per week - you DO NOT need a fill yet. If you're eating but do not feel satisfied most of the time, are finding you need to snack to get you through between meals, and your weight loss drops to less than 1lb per week, then it is time to schedule a fill. Everything this nutritionist said made sense and I intend doing as she suggests. I am just starting to realise and hope that living with a lap band is not about being on a punishing diet but instead living like 'normal' people (who are satisfied with less and therefore don't overeat) out there. Right now, I am sooo happy I have made this decision. I just pray that the reality is the same as the theory explained and outlined above. At the moment, it feels that way. I hope it lasts. Again, would love to hear from the long-term bandsters out there as to whether this has been their experience. Love to you all. Lili My Weight Chart: >

Yep, you got it BG! Exactly how it will work. (Note: this post is best viewed on a wide screen so each person's details appear on a single line) When updating the list, please use the latest list otherwise you end up losing details from the list. Start weight is your weight on 1 May. Current weight is your weight at any time you weigh in between now and 4 July. The July 4th challenge for the bunny bandsters starts today (tomorrow for those in the US)!! Don't forget to weigh yourself tomorrow so you have a starting weight and a target weight. Bunny Banster's July 4th Challenge Bunny's name ------ Bunny's target loss --- Bunny's start weight --- Current date --- Bunny's Current weight --- Bunny's target July 4 weight PharmaGirl ----------------- 20lb --------------------- 276lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 276lb ---------------------- 256lb NY Lady -------------------- 20lb --------------------- 253lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 253lb ---------------------- 233lb Lingling--------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JayTee---------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? MrsMitch -------------------- 20lb -------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? ALuv82---------------------- 30lb -------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Band_Groupie -------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Kaner ----------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Scoobydoo ------------------ 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? TerriLynne ------------------ 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Hopeful41411 --------------- 18lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? IsabellaP84 ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Hannah Jay ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JWL08 ---------------------- 18lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Abbie-pie ------------------- 30lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Poconomom -----------------20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? myturn2Bhappy ------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? DMChef --------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? FutureSize10 ---------------- 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Doodlebug11 ---------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? tcbgirl ----------------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? twinmamma1130 ------------ 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? mi_illusion_st ----------------15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? kittygirl --------------------- 22lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JukeBox81782 -------------- 40lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Losing for me -------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Early ----------------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? labbandgirl2009 ------------ 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Pottergirl------------------- 20lb--------------------- 280lb ----------------- 30 April------------------- 280lb ------------------- 260lb shakia90 ------------------ 20lb --------------------- ? ---------------------1 May --------------------- ? --------------------------- ? txdj ----------------------- 20lb---------------------- ? ---------------------1 May --------------------- ? --------------------------- ? ThinWithin ------------------20lb---------------------- ? ---------------------1 May --------------------- ? --------------------------- ?

Hi everyone, The July 4th challenge for the bunny bandsters starts tomorrow!! Don't forget to weigh yourself tomorrow so you have a starting weight and a target weight. If you haven't yet signed up but would like to participate, please go HERE. Here's the latest updated list (updated: 2am, 1 May 2009 [Australian eastern standard time]). Names in bright pink mean that person has checked in after surgery (so they are our 'confirmed banders'). Please let me know: if there are any errors, if there are any changes in dates, anyone missing from the list. Also, once you've had your surgery, please check in with us so we know you're ok. Wed April 1 = mulderfamily4, Sissyh1006, hhjazzyoo1, kaner, knewme, nataliedg8, Mommad, FDBAGPIPER, spirnat31, Swisskaese, Danielle07, Spinner115, misamae, Battjr, bignik, step587, soquili, scout47, Rogue, REALIZEinCT Thu April 2 = smilan, lingling, healthyme2, kerrischafer1, Poodia, lml32927, jonnycotes, russ3, MANOWAR, happykatz, preciousfriend, gw5390, dreamer69 Fri April 3 = super_chili, tish76, vegas girl, watermelon_1, TxMomof4, lich3853, mookp. lulu5040, brookeacomer, hanna61, Tall, kishaadamshall, K-11-Rock Sat April 4 = GoddessNar, lawandad Sun April 5 = chubbychops Mon April 6 = swishbc, StephOnee, shakia90, Mona40, Crimson Tide, scottyjay, silverstar79, JohnB3465, doodlebug11, cajunmomma, Konda, sgtmtz, PBDove, stace31, mommyofthree, mariadonna84, fengshui, doxborough, godsbride Tue April 7 = hopeful41411, mobetter, Trulyleaves, daner1110, kmg365, lindasqd51, marlina, Healthydiva50, susanthomas-pate, opalfire9, Kitten123, jbhinla, Hlysmom, lobo, ecorreia, knighmo, CJB1127, dabrownx2, JudyLynn, jannyboo Wed April 8 = ldeere2005, tstanart, Singer B, BTHIN09, rdoty, HelloSkinny, GitsMardi, MIMA1980, Lapbanded_Paladin, erinshel, DM Chef, BeerSpiritGuide, Dawn1991, CJB1127, amceache, Boy X, stephj, twinmamma1130, arellano8 Thu April 9 = txsandy, NYlady, murphy5, gamassagegirl, hopeful60, nursinem, JWL08, cowboyswife, CelticAngel, LivinWithFaith/KY, BethT1027, mi_illusion_st, LINDAPIERRE@ATT.NET, JoyceEggerth, Gavroche2004, Justdoingit, jacee506, bsivley Fri April 10 = pdburch, JayTee562, jerseygirl518, sdeale0928, vagwada, firefly71, tbryant1216, Kimber7, Boykie, restintx, emjay, monicam, aprilflowers22, FutureSize10, jojo9272007, jaysmommy1106 Sun April 12 = HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!! Mon April 13 = lachdanon, Elayne, babydoll1, 2Legit2Quit, tawandabee, hairnv, memzie, Jeansthings, aris, Taina009, IsabellaP84, pottergirl, swrktp, tinalb, QuilterCat2, CJNorwood, tpoth, colyn92, HIS4EVER, Brand_New_Me, tpoth, dubbee, jpmons Tue April 14 = Suzdavis, victoria_057, poconomom, carbgrl, tiffalicious81, valjay, trishb13, moonbeam, auntbrat, jukebox81782, butterfly64, paxie, julia19642, lady28, queenann, Trapman, cbergstrom, phattat Wed April 15 = hannahj914, sylver28, MrsMitch, mec267's wife, kimba74, DottieDoo, vcatalina1, Jazzy4Health, sandyswhisper, shanlyn, zetanett, delacruz64, Mbea Thu April 16 = Jenfs5, scoobydoo, rannah12, vayiayia, Allformyson, Abbie-pie, BeefromCalie, contemplating, Sweet68, Stephanie1972, WishUponABand, LDL, loser09, JUSTTIRED, smiley78, myturn2bhappy, Tammy Webb, Jamie05, jjpoody, Cortney6983, beskild, Sugga4fun, maddoggy2665, barchedm, langx3, Tinypup, NewB, Fawkes Fri April 17 = lapbandgirl2009, lulululu, MissChristina, terelbel, Carrie_W, Ingrien, hope4j, WendyII, ISITWORTHIT, pitterpat79, lapband09, remoteportal, Bigdaddyjulian, Wendy OKC, donnaty, Grazia, hally,DaveTownsend, Donna2153, readmymind Sat April 18 = Sandy T, vickyb123 Sun April 19 = Wanttolose's wife Mon April 20 = sandi1011, Auddie, Carolnphx, 31andnew, txskoolnurse, phlphan, roscoeburke, karakent, indiandiva, Rumbera55, redhead722, TSDawn, Txquiltlady, miss_me Tue April 21 = ThinWithin, bellatrickz, Mand, tcbgirl, california29, Ttime1020, chelle06, Mariposa2009, finaldstination, lovelyolemiss, Vinca, dianesue99, phatgreenbunny, Okiebrat Wed April 22 = early, KikstersRT, Babygirl_68, April09Bandster, birdbrainzz, mec267, Lisacacb5, Band_Groupie, dminson, Jackiepurs31, trobison, Bobbie72, funnychik, ladyjp, Nana6, chiffani, sbecker32, B-lo, TerriLynne, Bella5425, pbailey, Godschild, Woobeesmom, verag, iculookin Thu April 23 = PharmaGirl, Goal150, a-newme, kittygirl, TanyaM, lilith, Losing for me, lapband-AP-redo, elliebc, VogueLibertine, lekekari, 4luci, dawright1, CJRUBI029 Fri April 24 = loulou09, hrtgoeson, KMCD, jodimyers, Luckynjun, SHSUSioux, MiMi Teapot, AngieB2009, Oclaura, Tracey Jane, txdj, Dianem Sat April 25 = shell1 Sun April 26 = Wanttolose Mon April 27 = boomski, shellynnrn, Shrinkerbell, smiletracy, asaylor2009, VADarlene, mlat1822, ALuv82, jayne02, PUDGY, eak7615, pjop, erikaz, petuniap, mngirl0044, KRISPYKREME Tue April 28 = rcher, MSan914, mccall, Jimbo_WV, atomicblonde, dcgraves56, Kara, jenajjthr, kimme040402, eriden6222, beckyc, doridoodles, SuzieJ, MrsMad, wncarpenter26 Wed April 29 = travelgrl, help1977, gonnabethinagain, CindyJ123, A New Outlook, darthmuller, Juliamb Thu April 30 = kath17268, stephyv, kiposa, fattyfatty2by4, RosieQ, 1980, finallyready@51, cjgibson79, pspmtnac, Brittney365 April hopefuls = daqui26, mandilou, mommyofone Honorary Bunny Bandsters: WannaBe1/2TheWoman

:thumbup: Bunny Banster's July 4th Challenge Bunny's name ------ Bunny's target loss --- Bunny's start weight --- Current date --- Bunny's Current weight --- Bunny's target July 4 weight PharmaGirl ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? NY Lady -------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Lingling--------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JayTee---------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? MrsMitch -------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? ALuv82---------------------- 30lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Band_Groupie -------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Kaner ----------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Scoobydoo ------------------ 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? TerriLynne ------------------ 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Hopeful41411 --------------- 18lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? IsabellaP84 ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Hannah Jay ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JWL08 ---------------------- 18lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Abbie-pie ------------------- 30lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Poconomom -----------------20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? myturn2Bhappy ------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? DMChef --------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? FutureSize10 ---------------- 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Doodlebug11 ---------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? tcbgirl ----------------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? twinmamma1130 ------------ 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? mi_illusion_st ----------------15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? kittygirl --------------------- 22lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JukeBox81782 -------------- 40lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Losing for me -------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Early ----------------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? labbandgirl2009 ------------ 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Pottergirl------------------- 20lb---------------------304--------------------30 April----------------------280-------------------------260 shakia90 ------------------ 20lb --------------------- ? ---------------------1 May --------------------- ? --------------------------- ? txdj -----------------------20lb---------------------- ? ---------------------1 May --------------------- ? --------------------------- ?

Hi guys, When you add yourselves to the list, please use the latest list otherwise you end up losing people from the list. Start weight is your weight on 1 May. Current weight is your weight at any time you weigh in between now and 4 July. The July 4th challenge for the bunny bandsters starts today (tomorrow for those in the US)!! Don't forget to weigh yourself tomorrow so you have a starting weight and a target weight. To add your name to the list of challengers, quote this post, remove the QUOTE marks at the start and the end of the quote, then add your name and your goal weight loss for July 4th to the bottom of the list (you can copy and paste a previous name then delete that name and add your own). There are 9 weeks between 1 May and 4th July, so try to choose a goal that is reasonable in this time frame. When 1 May comes around, update by adding your weight in the appropriate column and then your target weight. Then, if you like, you can regularly update your current weight throughout the challenge. :thumbup: Bunny Banster's July 4th Challenge Bunny's name ------ Bunny's target loss --- Bunny's start weight --- Current date --- Bunny's Current weight --- Bunny's target July 4 weight PharmaGirl ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? NY Lady -------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Lingling--------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JayTee---------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? MrsMitch -------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? ALuv82---------------------- 30lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Band_Groupie -------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Kaner ----------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Scoobydoo ------------------ 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? TerriLynne ------------------ 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Hopeful41411 --------------- 18lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? IsabellaP84 ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Hannah Jay ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JWL08 ---------------------- 18lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Abbie-pie ------------------- 30lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Poconomom -----------------20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? myturn2Bhappy ------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? DMChef --------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? FutureSize10 ---------------- 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Doodlebug11 ---------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? tcbgirl ----------------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? twinmamma1130 ------------ 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? mi_illusion_st ----------------15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? kittygirl --------------------- 22lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JukeBox81782 -------------- 40lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Losing for me -------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Early ----------------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? labbandgirl2009 ------------ 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? lapband-AP-redo ----------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? labbandgirl2009 ------------ 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? pottergirl ------------------ 20b --------------------- 280lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 280lb --------------------- 260lb

Hi guys, When you add yourselves to the list, please use the latest list otherwise you end up losing people from the list. Start weight is your weight on 1 May. Current weight is your weight at any time you weigh in between now and 4 July. The July 4th challenge for the bunny bandsters starts today (tomorrow for those in the US)!! Don't forget to weigh yourself tomorrow so you have a starting weight and a target weight. To add your name to the list of challengers, quote this post, remove the QUOTE marks at the start and the end of the quote, then add your name and your goal weight loss for July 4th to the bottom of the list (you can copy and paste a previous name then delete that name and add your own). There are 9 weeks between 1 May and 4th July, so try to choose a goal that is reasonable in this time frame. When 1 May comes around, update by adding your weight in the appropriate column and then your target weight. Then, if you like, you can regularly update your current weight throughout the challenge. :thumbup: Bunny Banster's July 4th Challenge Bunny's name ------ Bunny's target loss --- Bunny's start weight --- Current date --- Bunny's Current weight --- Bunny's target July 4 weight PharmaGirl ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? NY Lady -------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Lingling--------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JayTee---------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? MrsMitch -------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? ALuv82---------------------- 30lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Band_Groupie -------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Kaner ----------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Scoobydoo ------------------ 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? TerriLynne ------------------ 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Hopeful41411 --------------- 18lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? IsabellaP84 ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Hannah Jay ----------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JWL08 ---------------------- 18lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Abbie-pie ------------------- 30lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Poconomom -----------------20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? myturn2Bhappy ------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? DMChef --------------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? FutureSize10 ---------------- 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Doodlebug11 ---------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? tcbgirl ----------------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? twinmamma1130 ------------ 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? mi_illusion_st ----------------15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? kittygirl --------------------- 22lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? JukeBox81782 -------------- 40lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Losing for me -------------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? Early ----------------------- 15lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? labbandgirl2009 ------------ 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? lapband-AP-redo ----------- 20lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? labbandgirl2009 ------------ 25lb --------------------- ? -------------------- 1 May --------------------- ? -------------------------- ? pottergirl ------------------ 20b --------------------- 280lb ---------------- 1 May --------------------- 280lb --------------------- 260lb

Hi everyone, The July 4th challenge for the bunny bandsters starts tomorrow!! Don't forget to weigh yourself tomorrow so you have a starting weight and a target weight. If you haven't yet signed up but would like to participate, please go HERE. Here's the latest updated list (updated: 7pm, 30 April 2009 [Australian eastern standard time]). Names in bright pink mean that person has checked in after surgery (so they are our 'confirmed banders'). Please let me know: if there are any errors, if there are any changes in dates, anyone missing from the list. Also, once you've had your surgery, please check in with us so we know you're ok. Wed April 1 = mulderfamily4, Sissyh1006, hhjazzyoo1, kaner, knewme, nataliedg8, Mommad, FDBAGPIPER, spirnat31, Swisskaese, Danielle07, Spinner115, misamae, Battjr, bignik, step587, soquili, scout47, Rogue Thu April 2 = smilan, lingling, healthyme2, kerrischafer1, Poodia, lml32927, jonnycotes, russ3, MANOWAR, happykatz, preciousfriend, gw5390, dreamer69 Fri April 3 = super_chili, tish76, vegas girl, watermelon_1, TxMomof4, lich3853, mookp. lulu5040, brookeacomer, hanna61, Tall, kishaadamshall Sat April 4 = GoddessNar, lawandad Sun April 5 = chubbychops Mon April 6 = swishbc, StephOnee, shakia90, Mona40, Crimson Tide, scottyjay, silverstar79, JohnB3465, doodlebug11, cajunmomma, Konda, sgtmtz, PBDove, stace31, mommyofthree, mariadonna84, fengshui, doxborough Tue April 7 = hopeful41411, mobetter, Trulyleaves, daner1110, kmg365, lindasqd51, marlina, Healthydiva50, susanthomas-pate, opalfire9, Kitten123, jbhinla, Hlysmom, lobo, ecorreia, knighmo, CJB1127, dabrownx2, JudyLynn, jannyboo Wed April 8 = ldeere2005, tstanart, Singer B, BTHIN09, rdoty, HelloSkinny, GitsMardi, MIMA1980, Lapbanded_Paladin, erinshel, DM Chef, BeerSpiritGuide, Dawn1991, CJB1127, amceache, Boy X, stephj, twinmamma1130, arellano8 Thu April 9 = txsandy, NYlady, murphy5, gamassagegirl, hopeful60, nursinem, JWL08, cowboyswife, CelticAngel, LivinWithFaith/KY, BethT1027, mi_illusion_st, LINDAPIERRE@ATT.NET, JoyceEggerth, Gavroche2004, Justdoingit, jacee506, bsivley Fri April 10 = pdburch, JayTee562, jerseygirl518, sdeale0928, vagwada, firefly71, tbryant1216, Kimber7, Boykie, restintx, emjay, monicam, aprilflowers22, FutureSize10, jojo9272007, jaysmommy1106 Sun April 12 = HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!! Mon April 13 = lachdanon, Elayne, babydoll1, 2Legit2Quit, tawandabee, hairnv, memzie, Jeansthings, aris, Taina009, IsabellaP84, pottergirl, swrktp, tinalb, QuilterCat2, CJNorwood, tpoth, colyn92, HIS4EVER, Brand_New_Me, tpoth, dubbee, jpmons Tue April 14 = Suzdavis, victoria_057, poconomom, carbgrl, tiffalicious81, valjay, trishb13, moonbeam, auntbrat, jukebox81782, butterfly64, paxie, julia19642, lady28, queenann, Trapman, cbergstrom, phattat Wed April 15 = hannahj914, sylver28, MrsMitch, mec267's wife, kimba74, DottieDoo, vcatalina1, Jazzy4Health, sandyswhisper, shanlyn, zetanett, delacruz64, Mbea Thu April 16 = Jenfs5, scoobydoo, rannah12, vayiayia, Allformyson, Abbie-pie, BeefromCalie, contemplating, Sweet68, Stephanie1972, WishUponABand, LDL, loser09, JUSTTIRED, smiley78, myturn2bhappy, Tammy Webb, Jamie05, jjpoody, Cortney6983, beskild, Sugga4fun, maddoggy2665, barchedm, langx3, Tinypup, NewB, Fawkes Fri April 17 = lapbandgirl2009, lulululu, MissChristina, terelbel, Carrie_W, Ingrien, hope4j, WendyII, ISITWORTHIT, pitterpat79, lapband09, remoteportal, Bigdaddyjulian, Wendy OKC, donnaty, Grazia, hally,DaveTownsend, Donna2153 Sat April 18 = Sandy T, vickyb123 Sun April 19 = Wanttolose's wife Mon April 20 = sandi1011, Auddie, Carolnphx, 31andnew, txskoolnurse, phlphan, roscoeburke, karakent, indiandiva, Rumbera55, redhead722, TSDawn, Txquiltlady, miss_me Tue April 21 = ThinWithin, bellatrickz, Mand, tcbgirl, california29, Ttime1020, chelle06, Mariposa2009, finaldstination, lovelyolemiss, Vinca, dianesue99, phatgreenbunny, Okiebrat Wed April 22 = early, KikstersRT, Babygirl_68, April09Bandster, birdbrainzz, mec267, Lisacacb5, Band_Groupie, dminson, Jackiepurs31, trobison, Bobbie72, funnychik, ladyjp, Nana6, chiffani, sbecker32, B-lo, TerriLynne, Bella5425, pbailey, Godschild, Woobeesmom, verag, iculookin Thu April 23 = PharmaGirl, Goal150, a-newme, kittygirl, TanyaM, lilith, Losing for me, lapband-AP-redo, elliebc, VogueLibertine, lekekari, 4luci, dawright1, CJRUBI029 Fri April 24 = loulou09, hrtgoeson, KMCD, jodimyers, Luckynjun, SHSUSioux, MiMi Teapot, AngieB2009, Oclaura, Tracey Jane, txdj, Dianem Sun April 26 = Wanttolose Mon April 27 = boomski, shellynnrn, Shrinkerbell, smiletracy, asaylor2009, VADarlene, mlat1822, ALuv82, jayne02, PUDGY, eak7615, pjop, erikaz, petuniap, mngirl0044, KRISPYKREME Tue April 28 = rcher, MSan914, mccall, Jimbo_WV, atomicblonde, dcgraves56, Kara, jenajjthr, kimme040402, eriden6222, beckyc, doridoodles, SuzieJ, MrsMad, wncarpenter26 Wed April 29 = travelgrl, help1977, gonnabethinagain, CindyJ123, A New Outlook, darthmuller, Juliamb Thu April 30 = kath17268, stephyv, kiposa, fattyfatty2by4, RosieQ, 1980, finallyready@51, cjgibson79, pspmtnac, Brittney365 April hopefuls = daqui26, mandilou, mscarly, mommyofone Honorary Bunny Bandsters: WannaBe1/2TheWoman

Hi Diane, If click where it says HERE you will get a list of all the discussion threads that the April bandsters have happening. You click on any of the threads you find interesting. If you want to comment once you are seeing all the posts in that thread just click on "Post reply" and type your message in - just as you did to reply to our posts here. After a few seconds, you should see an updated list of posts with your post included (if not press F5 and this will refresh the screen for you). Update: whoops - just saw you have posted on two threads successfully! So, you're doing good!

Hi guys, Saw my surgeon yesterday and he said I was ready to make the transition to soft foods. YEAY!! He was adamant as I found I could tolerate the less slippery foods, I should cut back on the slippery stuff until I'm just eating proper food - no more shakes, juices, etc - no liquid calories. Today, I made prawns (shrimp) with zucchini in an italian sauce base and it all went down ok (I chewed and chewed - I felt like Lucy in that episode of I Love Lucy where Lucy and Ethel go on the diet where they are told to chew everything 50 times before they swallow!). I asked him about head hunger and he said I'd learn with time. I also asked how I should deal with feeling full (because my pouch is full) but having my big stomach rumbling 'cause it isn't full. He said this would pass too and said that just 'cause the stomach is rumbling does not mean you should stick food in it. He suggested that eventually there should be some sort of synchronicity between my pouch feeling full and ME feeling full. I don't know if others feel this distinction between my pouch being full and ME being full (maybe the latter is just head hunger) but I was very glad to hear that I would soon enough feel full when my pouch was full (like something gets reset about when you feel full). Also, yesterday, Lisa saw the nutritionist (and I went along for the ride) and she said some stuff that really helped us so I thought I would share. Lisa has been saying she wants a fill asap as she feels she is eating way more than she thought she should and she is not dropping weight like she was on the pre-op diet. Lisa keeps saying she has no restriction but in actual fact she is eating a lot less at meal times than we did before. The nutritionist asked what she meant by not losing enough weight and Lisa said well the scales haven't changed for the last 4 days! When asked how much weight she has lost since surgery 3 weeks ago, she answered about 8-10lb. The nutritionist told us to put the scales out of reach and to only weigh ourselves once every week or, even better, once every two weeks. She also said it was unreasonable to be expecting to never be hungry or to be eating extremely small amounts of food. The nutritionist said that the sort of weight loss experienced on the pre-op diet was not what she should be aiming for with the lap band as it was not good for her in the long term and was stressful on the body and didn't give the body enough time to make adjustments. If she kept up that weight loss she was told she could expect to lose hair, and that she was likely to see more "sagginess" around her body than she would if she lost weight more slowly. She told Lisa that she should revise her expectations about what constitutes a reasonable and healthy weight loss. She recommended that weight loss be no more than 1-2lb per week (0.5-1kg). We were amazed (maybe that should be delighted!!) at how much food she recommended we should consume in a day. It added up to around 1200-1400 cals/day. What she recommended was pretty much in line with the typical Weight Watchers program but snacking between meals is not encouraged. Also, she emphasised the need to drink before meals and then not drink after meals for 1-2 hours (for 2 reasons - potential of overstretching the pouch and potential for washing things through the band faster than is desirable). I liken the way I see we should be eating now as "eat like a french woman - a little bit of everything good and high quality". She pretty much reinforced what this dude says HERE. Essentially, the message is you may stop losing weight if you restrict your caloric intake too far. So that you don't have to follow the link, she essentially told us that when caloric intake drops down to around 1100-1200 calories per day, human metabolism will slow down. When humans had to scavenge for food that was not always readily available, bodies became very efficient at storing energy in the form of fat to tide them through times when they might not be able to eat much for a few days. When food became scarce, metabolism would slow down in order to conserve energy, at least until food became plentiful again. Typically bodies go into this energy-conserving mode when caloric intake is dropped to around 1100-1200 calories per day. Since a Lap-Band can take a person down to around this amount, bodies may want to go into "starvation" mode. Our job is to keep this from happening by doing two things: Making sure you are eating enough (1200 cals/day for the 5'7 - 5'8 average woman - cals/day varies depending on how tall you are, how active you are and is more for males) and getting the best nutrition you can. This means eating real food, avoiding empty calories, preparing fresh meals so that your body gets all of the micronutrients and building blocks it needs to perform its normal daily chemical reactions and functions. Exercising. This keeps your metabolism going. In terms of when is the right time to get filled, she said if you are eating so that you are satisfied most of the time (ideally getting hungry just before meal times) and you are still losing 1-2lb per week - you DO NOT need a fill yet. If you're eating but do not feel satisfied most of the time, are finding you need to snack to get you through between meals, and your weight loss drops to less than 1lb per week, then it is time to schedule a fill. Hope others find this is interesting as we did. Cheers!