Padanelle

I'm for months post surgery, and I just started exercising a LITTLE last month. Just walking at the moment. I bought a new pair of walking shoes last week, and that has helped motivate me. I'm trying to walk at least 5x a week, and my goal is 25 miles for the month. Before surgery, I could barely walk. Now. I actually have a little spring in my step. Another great motivator.

If you qualify for COBRA, the government is now covering 65% of the bill for 9 months. Your former employer should be able to provide the info.

I attended Dr Fielding's seminar at the beginning of the year, and was banded by him in June. The workshop was very informative, and his entire operating team is great. NYU has a really good after care program as well. If you have specific questions, feel free to PM me. Joan

Hi ladies, I was also banded at NYU (Dr Fielding). I am fairly new on the journey but I would love to share. There's a "Banded at NYU" Social Group that has very little traffic. Perhaps we could meet up there and help each other on the journey. Joan

This sounds good. I'm definately going to try it. BTW, I get a daily short newsletter from Hungry Girl. If anyone is interested the website is www.hungry-girl.com

I have only watched a few episodes of the first season, but I was channel surfing in eth wee hours and started watching. Now I'm hooked. I don't have a fav yet, but agree that there's something about Tracy - she seems very insincere. Also, I'm not fond of Julio at this point. I do like Coach Mo and hope he's around for awhile.

Sounds good. Gotta try that.

I'm sitting here waiting for a whole wheat pretzel I just ate to get unstuck. Fortunately, the pain is not to bad this time, but I have had some bad experiences that have lastes 4-5 hours. I must say, since then I have been eating slower and chewing more. I never thought a pretzel would get stuck. I wish the papaya or pineapple would work for me, but they don't. sigh...

Hi Sandie, Check out the nutrition section here. They have recipes for all the various stages. I like to cook, and use lots of spices, so I actually enjoy the mushie stage. I haven't pureed any meets, unless they are in soups (I make a great spicy lentil Soup with sausages). If you are in the mushi stage, you can also have canned tuna fish. I add balsamic vinegar, but you could also use LF or FF mayo. Scrambled eggs are good. I also like ricotta cheese with LF or FF mozarella & parmesan, topped with tomatoe sauce - and of course, lots of spices. Joan

Mickey, I was told not to put anything (medication) on the incision until it is healed. You may want to check with your surgeon regarding using Neosporin. My incision itched like crazy, and I wasn't allowed to put anything on it. I was told the itching is a sign of healing. Hmmmm.... Good luck! Joan

Hi Kaitlyn, May I ask how old you are? Some insurance has a minimum age limit. If this is not the case, I agree with Stacy. Definately continue to fight it. Good luck. Joan

Wow! Congratulations!

I love sushi, but I don't want to risk it, so I now order sahimi.

I'm almost 4 months post op, and I still do not have problems drinking liquids, so its a real effort to remember to slow down and just take sips, but I'm getting better at it.

Hi Darlene, Here's the tread for the Turkey Day Challenge. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/turkey-day-challenge-2009-a-100905/ Just sign on, and tell everyone your goal to loose by Thanksgiving. Then go to the excel sheet, and log in your name, etc. http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkYQ5YZkmOeIdE14aUJDSWs5RDFmRHgxZHVBR1JNdnc&hl=en I think you need a g-mail account to access the spreadsheet, which, if you don't already have one, you can easily set up through google. Some people update the spreadsheet once a week. I update everytime I loose some oz. Glad you're joining us. Joan

Count me in. Yesterday I just got a new walking shoes, and I'm anxious to break them in. My goal for Oct is 25 miles.

Hi Eric, Wow, you've lost quite a lot so far. Guess that's what happens when you cahn't eat. If you're eating the same thing everyday, no wonder you're going nuts. Try adding new things to your menu. Baked ricotta cheese with tomato sauce & parmasan, greek yogurt, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, pureed Soups, etc. You'll find lots of ideas in the nutrition section of the forum. Hang in there. Its worth it. Joan

Louise, you put me to shame. 79 miles, with 8 days off with the flu. WOW! Here I was feeling proud that I managed to break my previous day record and get in 3 miles today. Yahoo! I decided I HAD to get new walking shoes TODAY (the dog got to my old pair, and the cat is sticking with that story). After researching online, I decided to get either Skechers Shape Ups or Fit Flops Billows, but couldn't find either of them in my size or the style I wanted. I was not going home empty handed, so pick-ed up a cheap pair at KMart - something called TheraShoe. Does that sound like a wanna be, or what? They're quite comfortable and should last me for a few months. Hopefully, I'll still be walking regularly and can invest in a good pair then. Cheri, good luck with the 23 lbs by the end of the year. Hope you make it, but whatever you achieve, you'll be in a better place than last year. I joined the Turkey Day Challenge, and have about 11 lbs to go by then (Nov 26). My birthday is Dec 6. I'd love to loose an additional 5 lbs by then, but it will be tight. If I don't I'll wear my spanx and just pretend I did. lol. I'm going to aim for 25 miles for October. Not a big increase, but it will definately be a challenge for me.

OK, KartMan. Uou've inspired me to get moving. I went out and got a new pair of walking shoes. Yesterday I did 2 miles, and today I did 3. That might not sound like much, but for me its a great start.

Congratulations, Donna! That's great weight loss! Hope to reach my 50lb goal by Halloween.

Isn't great to enjoy real food flavors again. i was also lucky to get a reprieve from the shakes and start mushies 2 days early. What a gift! Its almost 3 months since I started mushies, and I haven't had a shake since. You may want to try some Grrek yogurt on your backed potato. To me, it tastes like sour cream. Fage has a 0% G. yogurt that has 10g of Protein in 1/2 cup. Good luck on your journey. Joan

ouch!!!!!!

71 miles! Way to go! I hate it that its getting dark earlier now. Do you live in the city? Where do you walk. I live in Manhattan, so its hard to get a good pace going with all of the traffice lights. When I work my way up to a longer walk, I'll walk by the river and avoid the lights. I dug out a new pair of sneakers from the bottom of the closet that I wore today. Now I have blisters on my heels. Guess its back to my weggie sandals (lol) for a few days while they heal. I have another appointment uptown tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to get in another 2 miles roundtrip before the end of the month. 14 miles is much better than last month. Its a start. Joan

Good luck on your Eliptical machine challenge and congratulations on your weight loss. I really need to get off my butt and start some serious exercising. I tried the September mileage challenge, and made it half-way, even though my goal for the month is only 20 miles, which would have been very easy to achieve. The thing is, I really like to walk, and the weather has been cooler, so I really don't have a good excuse. Louise, how are you doing with your 60 mile goal? Better than me, I hope. Well, today is a new day. I have an appointment uptown, which is a little over a mile away. I usually take the bus there, and walk home. If I can get my act together, and get ready quickly, maybe I can walk there also. Joan