Bettina

He laughed, he reminded me that I was on effexor time release medication... XO Leila Glad to hear you are okay. Being on Antidepressents like Effexor, you can't take herbal supplements, so be careful if you were planning on cleansing.

:ermm Still haven't slept since last week...its killing me. But I know I will get it under control..still on for Tuesday's fitting. Discussed putting feathers on my mask with my sister (having a moment of insanity) she advised Rhinestones...LOL...I can always count on my sister to help me out of a funk. Ya ever hear anyone say that they would pinch you or stomp on your foot if you were saying that something hurts you? (you know ...my arm hurts...okay I'll stomp on your foot to make you forget about your arm....LOL) well, that is how I feel...the sleep apnea thing is making me forget that I was so ansy to get the banding! I had the strangest dream last night during one of my cat naps....I dreamt that the doctors office handed me this fancy envelope shaped like a pink pocketbook -even had a fancy handle on it, and I opened it up and it said that I was approved for surgery......LOL ! Maybe its a sign that I will def be approved...lol. (my sis would be proud of the pink pocketbook envelope...thats her speed, she is a total girly girl:cheer2: , I am more of the earthy one :hippie: ). I want to thank Teresita and MoOrLess for their comments of support to my last post....thanks so much you guys are great!!!!

:ermm Still haven't slept since last week...its killing me. But I know I will get it under control..still on for Tuesday's fitting. Discussed putting feathers on my mask with my sister (having a moment of insanity) she advised Rhinestones...LOL...I can always count on my sister to help me out of a funk. Ya ever hear anyone say that they would pinch you or stomp on your foot if you were saying that something hurts you? (you know ...my arm hurts...okay I'll stomp on your foot to make you forget about your arm....LOL) well, that is how I feel...the sleep apnea thing is making me forget that I was so ansy to get the banding! I had the strangest dream last night during one of my cat naps....I dreamt that the doctors office handed me this fancy envelope shaped like a pink pocketbook -even had a fancy handle on it, and I opened it up and it said that I was approved for surgery......LOL ! Maybe its a sign that I will def be approved...lol. (my sis would be proud of the pink pocketbook envelope...thats her speed, she is a total girly girl:cheer2: , I am more of the earthy one :hippie: ). I want to thank Teresita and MoOrLess for their comments of support to my last post....thanks so much you guys are great!!!!

Hi be really careful with the Muscle Milk.....its half sugar and very fatty. 348 calories--->162 cal of fat...12 grams Carbs--->6 grams of sugar (so there is the proof its half sugar) it does have lots of protein (32 grams), which is good, but yikes that is really high in calories!!!

Hi Saffy, Who did your surgery? Didn't they make you have the Psych Eval? Sounds like your Doc didn't do so hot of a job....there is no way a band can stop cravings...there is no medicine in it, it just restricts how much your stomach can hold at one time. Why on earth didn't they tell you this?? Also..didn't they make you go to a registered dietician? I have to do that and attend Boot Camp as well! LOL You might want to ask your Doc for meds to control your cravings to give you a "jump start" on cutting back. I had to go thru a battery of tests before they even consider surgery. Done my tests now, just waiting for my surgery date....can't wait! Take care and best wishes to you!

This is my last posting on this topic! Telly thank you for your input, I was feeling like I was being smacked around for watching a medical program and sharing it. For the record Nancy...your website you posted for all to see is not scientific...somebody made a website based on articles written by other people..not scholarly at all. What were the doctor's credentials?? I know this sounds extremely rude on my part and I do apologize, but I feel I need to defend myself...no reason to slam me. I have no medical background, I was just relaying what I saw on the news.

You'll be happy with Target when at the end of the month you can pay your bills and still have your products too..lol. Fact of the matter is that a lot of product is made at the same lab....some labeled Norstrom and some Target...some Walmart..you get the picture. So keep your fancy stuff out on display in your room but your lower priced products out of sight...you're the only one who has to know you aren't spending top dollar. You'll get there! Best Wishes to you!!

Lol I think everyone in NJ is from Bergen Co! (except me)...lol. Thanks for the welcome!

I said I was sorry no need to be hostile.

Happy Birthday! And, you are doing great! Keep up the good work. Oh and how was the cake? My b-day is in a few weeks...yikes!

ugh....I hear ya....going thru the same thing!! I'm thinking the longer they take the more weight i am gonna gain.

Way to go Margo!!!! Keep up the good work!!!!! You are an inspiration!!!

So it's official...I have sleep apnea...and I haven't slept since I found out...only catnapping since. UGH. At this point, I am not even thinking about the lapband...I just want to sleep. I have checked out the horrors of sleep apnea...double ugh! I went to the sleep apnea online support site...not as user friendly as LBT..boo-hoo. Anyway, Tuesday is when I get fitted for my lovely "headress"..hey maybe I can glue feathers on it...LOL :whoo: I laid on the couch :couch2:the other night to relax...all alone in the livingroom...and my throat closes...OMG...sat bolt upright...told myself to relax and I'd be okay....hmmm not! Went to the kitchen to get cold water from the cooler...took a sip, and the swelling went down! Yay! Luckily that was the only time that has happened to me.....but honestly I do find myself holding my breath a lot...esp when I am driving...Its comical when I think about it...I'll be driving along:car: and start to feel faint...and I am thinking...crap what is this about...then I realize..."Dummy, you are holding your breath!!!!! I take a breath and immediatly feel better. :drama: ugh the drama!!

So it's official...I have sleep apnea...and I haven't slept since I found out...only catnapping since. UGH. At this point, I am not even thinking about the lapband...I just want to sleep. I have checked out the horrors of sleep apnea...double ugh! I went to the sleep apnea online support site...not as user friendly as LBT..boo-hoo. Anyway, Tuesday is when I get fitted for my lovely "headress"..hey maybe I can glue feathers on it...LOL :whoo: I laid on the couch :couch2:the other night to relax...all alone in the livingroom...and my throat closes...OMG...sat bolt upright...told myself to relax and I'd be okay....hmmm not! Went to the kitchen to get cold water from the cooler...took a sip, and the swelling went down! Yay! Luckily that was the only time that has happened to me.....but honestly I do find myself holding my breath a lot...esp when I am driving...Its comical when I think about it...I'll be driving along:car: and start to feel faint...and I am thinking...crap what is this about...then I realize..."Dummy, you are holding your breath!!!!! I take a breath and immediatly feel better. :drama: ugh the drama!!

You only have to be concerned if "Cabin Pressure" has bothered you in the past.

:cry I am sorry I posted that :cry didn't mean to upset anyone....... its still a good wake up call to take better care of yourself! (and if we feel better for taking natural supplements....I don't see the harm)

I told my little sis first (she had gastric bypass) then my kids..then 2 weeks after making the initial appt, I told my husband. (that was May and he is still not ovrejoyed with the idea). Then came Mom, cause damn I can't keep anything from that woman!! I just told the older sis this week cause when little sis was having her surgery...she was "poo-nicky" on surgery all the way. The only reason I told her was cause I now have sleep apnea and since my BIL has it I called sis to talk to her about it, and she delicately said that if I lost weight----there was my que!! (I tried to tell her 2 weeks ago...but the words were stuck...lol) The rest of my family does not know...I find it easier to tell total strangers...less judgemental! Some of my college classmates know...and they are supportive! But after banding when I am on my way back to my previous self....I will certainly tell anyone who asks!

One more thing: This is an awesome website!!!!! She is known as the "Cosmetics Cop" check her out!!!!! http://www.cosmeticcop.com/learn/reviews.asp

Hi HunnyBun! I sell Avon (but taking a break from it right now) ..and honestly, you can get good products at Walmart, Kmart, Target...and you don't have to pay lots of money to look good. I check the ingredients...you will see that they make store brand products with the same ingredients as the name brand! Avon does make some good products but you are talking paying $28 for a small jar. As a matter of fact, I was in CVS tonight looking for that miracle in a jar that will make me look years younger...lol. I too am on a tight budget, but I have found that sample size products make me feel wonderful....you pay a small price, you can get several varieties of product and it will make you feel like you are giving yourself the whole beauty spa treatment! Even Dollar General is my new favorite place to shop for beauty products. So by buying the trial sizes, you get to see if you even like the product...I think the worst thing in the world is getting all hyped up about a product...and get it home and its not what you thought it was! Oh...you know who has a really great trial size variety....Berts Bee's...they give you everything in a convenient pouch!!! I felt like a queen when I got home and did the whole regime!! (ha ha all this talk---I found St Ives makes a mask with the same ingredients as a facial peel....gonna go apply it right now!!! And guess what? I only paid $2.99 for it at Shop Rite!!!!!) Best Wishes to you!!!!!!! (and hugs!)

"WHY ON EARTH can't the scientists make something that works without the side effects?? Snap to, biochemists!!!" Exactly.....that is why I am turning to WLS. The last diet pills I took I found myself fainting while driving my car on the Garden State Parkway. I am certified in Sports Nutrition, Holistic Health, and Personal Training....so I don't trust myself not to take diet pills again, hence the banding. ..I took Meridia, Xenical, Phen-Phen (which honestly If I could find them I'd buy even on the black market), and various other over the counter pills..ugh I am done! That reminds me...did the rest of you have to have been on at least 14 diets:hungry: that failed to qualify for lap band? I did...and had to provide the dates I was on them, how much I lost..and how much I gained back!!!! Oh and what exercise programs I was on, when, and i had to list the tapes and/or fitness CD's I own. :faint: Luckily I remembered all of this..whew it was a lot to remember!:nervous

you absolutely have to change your eating habits.

Marissa you are so not alone in this!!! I am a nervous wreck over here. I have had all my tests, insurance paid for most of everything so far (with the exception of $30) I just found out I have sleep apnea so Tuesday I have to go get fitted for that lovely headress..lol. I won't know if insurane approves me -oh and by the way my husbands insurance does cover lap banding---I won't know until I am scheduled and the doc gives insurance the whole package to see if they will cover it. I am told that even though insurance covers it, they may not cover every single person for various reasons!! OMG shoot me now! This has been so crazy that I have only been able to eat one meal a day --not even snacks---and I have lost 6 lbs in the last week and a half! But if we do get denied, we can just appeal it to our insurance ( a friend of mine told me this) eventually they will get sick of hearing from you and hopefully cover the procedure. I have mentioned this on another thread and someone mentioned to me that if I look around I will notice that most people on LBT pay for their own procedure. I am in NJ and I have met many people that have banding or gastric bypass done (my sis is one) and none of them have had to pay out of pocket!!!! While I am crosssing my fingers for myself, I'll be crossing them for you too Marissa!!!!

I would just go with what makes you feel comfortable. When I did Phen-Phen I stopped at 143 lbs...the doc whipped out a chart (which was by the way written by an insurance company not by a doctor!) and told me I could go down to 123. Okay at 5'6" 123 would be totally yucky. I was 143...and my size 8 jeans were falling off...everyone asked me if I was "sick" my clothes were size "medium". According to that chart "link" it says I should weigh 163...and don't get me wrong 163 is sure gonna look and feel way better than 238....but yikes that is a little high for my height. And going down to 123 as suggested by the life insurance companies is out of the question. I will know how much I want to weigh when i get there. I will be the only one who will know how much I weigh and I am the only one I have to please (just like we ALL do!!) lol...getting off my soap box now...

I like Designer Whey. But then again, I have been on so many diets, I can eat just about anything now and the taste is no big deal..lol. Gastric Bypass....hmmmm.....I totally supported my sis when she had it done. (her surgeon didn't do lap band at the time) At that time I was not heavy enough for the same surgery..which was okay because I was not a fan of having my stomach cut thru. But if need be then I agree it should be done. Her surgeon trained with Carni Wilson's surgeon..superior doctor. He is now my doctor and he trained for the lap band with the man who invented it. I spoke to the doc about the difference between the 2 -even though i wanted the band only--he told me that gastric patients lose the majority of the weight in the first year...because of healing-you are on limited food. After the healing...you are able to eat a little more therefore allowing the stomach to stretch to larger then when cut. With the band, you will always have the same size pouch and that is why weight loss can last up to 4 years after surgery. You have that opening into the larger stomach so the pouch doesn't need to stretch. So she lost 70 lbs immediately but now tells me that she needs tucking here and there.....I cannot afford that and want to lose the weight at a lower pace so that I can exercise and keep up with the firming of the skin while losing the fat. The part of the stomach that gets cut away controls your absorption of proteins...my sister had hair thinning and had to by hairpieces. But it grew back really nice!! She still dumps on occasion and she is 4 yrs out. She has even gained a little bit of the weight back, but if you ask her, she'd do it again in a heartbeat. So what all this means is do the research and do what works for you. :eek:

I have lost 6 lbs in the last week and a half. My husband thinks this will convince me that I can do this without the band....I told him if approved I am still being banded. I don't have eating issues per se, what I have is a husband whose mercy I am at who cookes like a gourmet...lol. The band for me will be my internal diet pill...in no way is this a cure...its my crutch. Once banded, I will have the ammo i need to flatly turn down the homemade goodies he makes. The scars will be my constant reminders of why I allowed myself to be scarred. I too am the type that when I lose the weight, I keep it off. (and I am talking a serious attempt at losing weight such as when i took phen-phen) (which ---I looked pretty good apparently because 9 months after losing the weight I got Rachel -now 9.) I will have the excuse to tell my boss "excuse me, I cannot be chained to my desk as I had WLS and I am required to get up-its my right". It will be my excuse to make time for me for a change--I will be able to take a guilt free walk even if I have to lift my shirt to show the scars..and say "ahem...remember why I did this?"...lol Its time for me for a change. In the past I have taken diet pills...somethimes will ill effects...I am no longer willing to injest drugs into my system that I am not certain will not do harm. Yesterday I found out about my sleep apnea...now more than ever I want the band. With that, and all the supportive and honest feedback from this forum,...I have no second thoughts about being banded. I am so glad I found out about LBT...(ha ha I found out from reading someone's MySpace profile...go figure!) Thanks again! Best Wishes to everyone!!!