edieparks

Becca, Yes you can feel the port thru your skin. The smaller I became the more I could touch the port . The port does NOT show . Yes you can go on vacation and have fun. More so because with the weight loss I was cooler and had more energy. Yes you can still go out to dinner. You just share with hubby. Cheap date as my hubby calls me. Example I will eat one or 2 meaty ribs and a small amount of potato. 3 shrimp and small amount of veggie. 1 and 1/2 crabmeat ragoon and tablespoon of combination fried rice. If bread is offered I will cut a crusty slice off and butter and enjoy. I was very careful and followed my doctors orders on food. I was on a liquid diet 10 days before surgery and 2 weeks after. This is the absolute worse and lowest you will feel . It seems forever. But when I started eating sometimes I would eat too fast or too much I would get "that pain" in my chest. The best description is heartburn. Bad pain. Sometimes it would go further. My mouth would start watering so bad I would have to hold my mouth over a trash can. Enough on this. NOW I know when to quit . I can feel when I have had enough . I am sure some it is visual. Hope I am been very specific about answering your questions. edie,

How do I correct a typing error in the title of a thread I created. I used edit but it didn't correct it. edie

wanted this in a evening post edie

I consider this part of the good,bAD and ugly" of lapbanding. Bad and Ugly 1st stage I mourned for huge mexican plates with bunches of salsa and chips 2nd stage I mourned for chinese buffets 3rd stage I mourned for 4 chocolate longjohns with cream filling , forget about a few doughnut holes (just not the same thing) Next stage took a while but I am experiencing it now 4th stage I miss the buzz (endorphins) I would get from overeating. Good stage 1 After just 20 lb loss I felt healthier stage 2 At around 60 lbs loss I got into an 18 !! out of plus size!!!! stage 3 At around 80 lb loss I feel normal .To me "normal" means not being the biggest person at every friend or family get together. Also I don't sweat ALL the time now. The weather is getting warm and no sweating!!! stage 4 At goal I love not having all different size clothes in my closet. I love putting on anything and knowing it looks fine or even good now and I don't have to worry does this make me look fatter? I am SO interested in any feelings bandsters have on this good,bad and ugly thing. The band for me is half head and I have had lots of feelings this 8 months I am wondering what my future stages will be. I am hoping to Celebrate a year of sobriety from my food addiction in July of 08. Even being at goal now I feel like a newbie . Its like it could change because it has been too easy for me. I wish everyone could have a journey like mine. edie

Yes I agree D. I finally feel that my yo-yoing is gone for good. I do miss the volume of food . I miss the buzz I would get from overeating. I get my buzz from my daily exercise now. I truly believe that I HAD to switch to another addiction. Thank goodness it is exercise not booze for example. Hopefully not everyone has to do this. I did. edie

I have had two. I could not take more restriction. My surgeon told my hubby while I was waking up from surgery that the average for his patients was two. I cannot eat very much before I get that FULL feeling. I know if I push it I WILL get that pain in my chest. After almost 8 months I recognize my signals. I hate it sometimes because I would like to eat more. I keep telling myself I like being small more. I still feel like it is a 50/50 feeling. I still am a heavy person inside with a big appetite. My band keeps me in line. edie

Yes, I not sure when or how much weight though. I love not having to pull the legs of my shorts down now. I remember that uncomfortable feeling. It will happen and its wonderful. edie

Yes when I worried I started counting . I would stop at no more then 1100 but tried to stop at 800 to 1000. Now I can kinda of feel out the calories. I do stay with low calorie foods. I snack on rice cakes. They seem to fill me up . New flavors cinnamon and sugar,honey graham and BBQ (yum). EDIE

I feel for you. I am sure you are very sad about this. Is there a way to give you house a clean sweep? You have to realize you will get hungry for your fix. Just figure out how bad you want it. Maybe you are getting more out of staying heavy ? I know for myself it (weight) kept the men away. PM if You want to chat with me, I care. If you need someone I'll try to help. edie I suspect you need some depression medicine too.

I laughed because I developed this "monster" problem too. Benefiber orange tablets has fixed me and they taste good too. edie

I have went from a 46dd to 40d. Oh well. edie

I am so happy the thin you is out . I'm sure you were beautiful before but now you can feel so comfortable with yourself. I bet your husband cannot keep his hands off of you. Come on give us just a little detail. edie

Boy did the last two post zing you PAL. HA HA. BI-LIB-ATHEIST edie

Great!! There IS a difference in a 24 behind and a 22 behind!!! My 26 were tight and I remember how good it felt to drop each size. About every 20 lbs I would go down a size. Keep up the good work. edie

TEE HEE good one. edie

I felt the SAME way about Diet Mountain Dew. I still miss it so much! My size 14 jeans feel SO good though!!!! Still a Dew-a-holic, edie

I could eat pretty good before my first fill. I THOUGHT when I ate a 9 or 10 oz frozen dinner and was full that I was getting the band feeling. HA !! After my first fill my "banding" started. I can only eat half of frozen dinner now now. My dog is happy. I have quit eating them . I used to be able to eat a container of yogurt too. Thats in the past too. So now I'm eating whatever hubby eats. In our household there is just the 2 of us. So now I joke that I am cooking for one. I guess I don't sound very encouraging but it is wonderful having that full feeling. food just isn't fun anymore. You know, it's that eat to live not live to eat thing. edie:) :girl_hug: :cake:

Isn't it wonderful that we can speak our minds without fear? My dream is to vacation at xmas time instead of holiday with my never- gonna-change Baptist hubby and his family. I always feel like a fake. With his family its all about presents NOTHING "religious" so I never have to come out of the closet. My family/friends know "me". Please , I am not trying to get anyones panties in a wad . I am sure I have the only inlaws like this. Tee hee. edie atheist since age 14 now 48

I crunched SLOWLY on Orville Reddenbocker carmel popcorn cakes . They are really filling. I love a new item out now,rice cakes in cinnamon and sugar and honey graham. I find all in rice cake section at Walmart. edie

At 5'4" , I dropped a size every 20 lbs. Woo hoo. edie

I look foward to my workout because I listen to audio books. I get them for free at my local library. edie

When I told my Surgeon how much I missed my Diet Mountain Dew He told me to let it sit out for 3 hours the first night and try it. Then 2 hours the second night.... I haven't done this yet because when I let it sit out all night and tried to drink it the next day . I would sip it and have to burp , sip and burp. No fun. Was not worth it to me. I am enjoying the flavor with small amount of flat dew in water . edie

Yes, the world treats normal size people better. They (in general) think fat people are lazy and don't deserve good service or being freindly too. I noticed on my weigh (lol) up . I was skipped over when I was waiting patiently. I would say excuse me, I was next. I would make small talk with someone and I would be ignored. It hurt. Sad . edie

I used carnation instant breakfasts for my protein drinks with 2 % milk. edie

I finally had to take scissors to some comfortable bottoms that I was still wearing around the house. They were just so comfortable. They were too worn out to give away. I came home after a long 4 mile walk with my pet and sacrificed them. I knew if I didn't cut them I would dig them out of the trash. I have dug food out the the trash (embarrassed to admit) so I knew between the sacrafice and trash day my brain would know I still HAD them. It felt really good like I was letting go of the past me. I was able to go to Sams and buy 2 pair of velour pants in size L for $10. Now I can be proud of all my clothes now. Edie