TamifromAL

:wave: Valgal & Cassandra! Good to see ya'll again! Stay with us, I don't want this group to wither away. I seriously need this support group. I went to my "real time" lap band support group meeting today, and was once again disappointed. They evidently require pre-op patients to attend a support group meeting, because every meeting is predominantly pre-op patients, and the whole thing is more of a sales pitch than a support group. They have a couple of successful bandsters who lead the meetings, and they basically tell their story and answer questions from the pre-ops, and the rest of us post-ops never have a chance to really interact and help each other. I'm really disappointed, and sent an email to the bariatric coordinator. As it is, they might as well just extend the pre-op seminar which is right before the support group meeting. The speaker was good, though. It was the psychiatrist who does their pre-op testing. I didn't have to see him before surgery, because I was self-pay. But, I really like the guy, and if I feel like I need some help on down the road, it's good to know who to call. His topic was transfer addiction. I saw an Oprah show on that a few weeks ago, so I already understood the concept, but it was still interesting. Apparently, a lot of people with mobid obesity have addictive personalities, and once they can no longer turn to food for pleasure, they turn to alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, or spending. We can head it off by looking for safe ways to stimulate our "pleasure center"...ummm, that's in the *brain*. hehehe I've been snacking too darn much the past couple of days. I don't know if it's because I might need a tweak on my fill, or if I haven't been drinking enough water, or if it's close to my TOM (I'm not good on keeping track!), or maybe because I haven't been to the gym in two days. But, I have seriously got to get it under control! It's one thing to have one snack when needed, but I've been having like 4 a day. Not good. Hope everyone has a marvelous weekend. Get to work on that pleasure center! Tami 1/19 No exercise. B: Kashi & milk; coffee L: Chili & lettuce S: Mini Bonbel cheese S: Almonds D: Grilled, honey mustard pork medallions, lettuce, honey mustard dressing S: Yogurt S: Popcorn

So, where are all these folks? We haven't heard from some of you in ages! Are you still with us? If you haven't posted in a couple of weeks, give us a shout out, and let us know you're still here! 9/1 okiegirl 9/1 TexasBr@t 9/1 TruBlueSue 9/1 finallyonmyway 9/1 ashley 9/4 JamesA 9/4 SLHarrison 9/5 Em1125 9/5 kittylover54 9/5 mcw12985 9/5 chabutter 9/5 BigBZ 9/5 TamifromAL 9/6 Ashlee 9/6 Cole 9/6 Kathy S 9/6 r2ht4u 9/6 Gjdf52 9/6 babyjessica 9/6 P McDonald 9/6 harlito 9/6 kareyquilts 9/6 LindaN 9/7 bibytz 9/7 kristyinusa 9/7 sunnshyne411 9/7 MICHELLE43 9/7 cassandra 9/7 green 9/7 happykat 9/8 dovie6523 9/8 valgal1968 9/8 PattyMartin 9/9 mary9 9/9 msgoat4949 9/11 cindyn 9/11 BJean 9/11 SheryBery 9/11 SherryA 9/11 RHCPgirl 9/11 lamamama 9/11 PHAT TX 9/11 drcollier 9/11 fraleyk 9/11 Dana Kwt 9/12 want2lose 9/12 ItsGottaGo! 9/12 TxAngel 9/12 HopeWorks 9/12 kattiegirl 9/12 brendab 9/13 katt 9/13 jewel 9/13 avasa 9/13 whlatimer 9/13 twiceblessed 9/13 suleehci@yahoo. 9/14 gonnabethin 9/14 mom of many 9/14 spike6 9/15 swanny 9/15 fugnick 9/15 coryW 9/15 ericergoman 9/15 melissa0915 9/18 Linstadt 9/18 tayvia99 9/18 April 9/18 Turmoil 9/18 LovinColorado 9/19 vv0710 9/19 susoue 9/19 Elaine53 9/19 reredc 9/19 missSD 9/19 sweet31eve 9/19 lisalee 9/20 mariecarmen 9/20 wantlapband 9/20 samos 9/20 labradoodle 9/20 ErinS 9/20 beechpad 9/20 lifelongband 9/20 mejomojogolow 9/21 jgandg 9/21 WandaKay 9/21 Dallasmist 9/21 JewelsInLove 9/21 YellowRoseKnows 9/22 diane5467 9/22 kellieatkins30 9/22 Lila 9/22 shell04937 9/22 venetiaann 9/22 butterfly1973 9/22 teachmath 9/23 tgjones 9/25 buzz321 9/25 sandranoelle 9/26 marie noone 9/26 christy 9/26 Lin 9/26 The Woman 9/27 Bettina 9/27 tommygirl 9/27 GettinThinMan 9/27 MimIN 9/28 Tracicat 9/28 jumbojet 9/28 "D"-n-OK 9/28 rbabcock61 9/28 Lisa99 9/29 Lapoli7 9/29 ratgirl 9/29 sweetsue 9/29 chattanoogabrat 9/29 phw72 9/29 JessyInSD 9/29 Chrissy "O"<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

April, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I hope you keep telling people about your experience, and maybe it will keep someone else from going through the same thing. I feel so blessed to have one year of follow-up care and fills with my surgeon, who is only 25" from my house. I know that if I had to pay for each one, or had to travel a long way, I'd probably either go under-filled, or be tempted to be overly-aggressive with fills. Neither one makes good use of the band. Tami 1/16 No exercise B: 1 c. Kashi Go Lean Crunch; 1/2 c. 1% milk; coffee w/ lite Creamora & S&L L: 1/2 hamburger patty; steamed veggies D: About 3 oz. rotisserie chicken (a little stuck, couldn't eat my veggies) S: SF, FF yogurt 1/17 30" elliptical B: Kashi & 1% milk; coffee L: 1 c. lightly packed salad greens; 3 oz. leftover chicken; sliver avocado; 1-2 T. honey mustard dressing D: Salad; 3 oz. grilled shrimp; 1-2 T. Caesar dressing S: SF, FF yogurt 1/18 30" elliptical; Cybex upper body B: Kashi w/milk; coffee L: 1 c. turkey/beef chili, 1/2 c. or so salad greens, sliver avocado D: 1/2 South Beach pizza (stuck a bit, quit eating, then got *hungry* later) S: Mini Bonbell Light cheese round; SF, FF yogurt; 1 Kashi granola bar

The people on the show would more accurately be described as "super mobidly obese". At one point, the doctor at the facility where Hbrinko lives said that every patient at the facility has had some kind of psychological trauma in their lives (abuse, loss, etc.). Then the topic was dropped! I was curious, too, why they didn't go into the psychological aspects of obesity further. One thing that struck me from the show was the fact that the current "heaviest person in the world", the guy from Mexico, apparently has none of the typical weight-related medical issues that so many people suffer from at a much, much lower weight. No high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart issues. *That* is extremely mysterious to me. Tami

You basically haven't eaten in three months? There's no benefit to that kind of weight loss, because if you're not eating, your body is cannibalizing your own muscle for energy. For goodness' sake, call the doc! Good luck...let us know how it goes. Tami

Ahh, so it comes back to "feelings". Tami

Ron, put down the athiest! Bad dog! Tami

Leatha, I'm not a regular in R&R, so I have no clue about the stuff you're referring to. But, from an outsider looking in, it's pretty obvious that you entered this particular conversation with an agenda based on *other* discussions here. Tami

Oh, April, I am so sorry! I know you must be devastated. I hope and pray that it corrects itself over the next couple of weeks. Have you considered maybe asking the doc for a prescription for phentermine or meridia during this unfill? I know a lot of people don't like to use weight loss meds, but in this kind of situation, they might be helpful on a temporary basis. I wish you luck, darlin'. Tami

I agree with the concept of limiting the time for eating, but I don't think it should be rigid. Obviously, you don't want to graze, because you can certainly eat more food that way. But, if you put yourself into a mindset that you *have* to finish eating within a certain amount of time, then you run the risk of eating too fast. I think most people naturally *do* eat within 30" or so. If someone is taking longer than that on a regular basis, I'd wonder if maybe they're a tad too tight! Tami

Token "agnostic" here. Ron, this is exactly the kind of Christianity that pushes many of us away from it. I am drawn towards Christians who *live* their faith, and accept others for who they are. I only want to push away those who push their beliefs on others. Tami

What is it that you're expecting to "feel" with restriction? I don't actually feel restriction. I didn't even realize that I had pretty decent restriction until I got a little over-filled and then had to have some fill taken out. Restriction should be very subtle, or else you probably are over-filled. All it means is that you are satisfied (not full!) after eating 1 c. or so food at each meal, and then you have reduced hunger for 3-4 hours. Tami

Another option for too-big clothing is Freecycle. That's a network of local gifting groups that encourage people to give away things they don't need, and ask for things they do need. Of course, it's not just people who've had weight loss surgery, and it's not just clothes. It's basically open to anyone in the community, and allows posting of any item that is free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. On the plus side, since it's a local exchange group, there's no shipping involved. If you want to find your local group, go to Freecycle.org, click on your area, and then find the group closest to your home. Tami

I have seriously got to put my scales away from Tues. through Sun.! I made the mistake of getting on there again today, and I went up a pound. I hope it's because I'm gaining muscle, but I still don't like to see that on the scale! If it's not muscle, then it's Peanut Butter. I don't think I've had that much, but the jar keeps calling me. I finally shoved the jar to the very back of the top shelf of the pantry. Be gone, evil temptress! :whip: BJean, the nurse practitioner who does my fills said they do 1 cc for the first fill (in a 4cc band), then .5cc for the next two, and then after that, they go up in .25cc increments. Is the prescription anti-emetic better than the stuff you can by over-the-counter? I have Emetrol, but wondering if I should get something else. I keep hearing about that stomach bug going around, and it worries me. April, I hope everything is OK, and that you're getting over your episode. Let us know how it goes. Tami 1/14/07 20" walk w/dogs B: coffee w/ LF Creamora & S&L; 1 c. Kashi Go Lean Crunch; 1/2 c. 1% milk L: 1 c. Turkey/beef chili S: 4 whole raw walnuts D: Sushi, shrimp roll S: NF, SF yogurt; T. peanut butter; rice cake 1/15/07 30" elliptical 30" Cybex, lower body & core B: Coffee w/ LF Creamora & S&L; 1 c. Kashi; 1/2 c. 1% milk L: 1 c. Turkey/beef chili S: NF, SF pudding D: chicken Caesar salad S: Rice cake & peanut butter

:speechles :guess :kiss :sleep :spy: :noidea: :rip: :faint2:

Did somebody do a search on polls to bring them all back up or something? I've never seen so many polls on here! Tami

I know a good source of information on that! Read Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Rozein's book "You on a Diet". He explains all about our digestive system, and the various enzymes, hormones, etc. that turn on and off hunger. One of his tips is to eat a small handfull of raw almonds 20 minutes before your meal (a small handful is like 7-10 nuts). So, have a little snack while you're cooking. That signals the stomach to release leptin, which is the "I'm full" signal to the brain. By the time you sit down to actually eat, you're brain is already getting the message that starvation is no longer around the corner! Tami

It was before my time (thank goodness), but apparently there was a major flame war on here last summer, which resulted in several regulars getting booted. So, as momma always says, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all!" :confused: Tami

I definitely agree with your overall premise, that we should be making healthy food and lifestyle choices for long-term weight loss and overall health. But, *in my opinion*, even pills and radical diets have their place, if used temporarily, such as during "bandster hell" before restriction is achieved, if the band has to be unfilled for a while, or even to break a plateau. Personally, I don't like a lot of processed diet products, because many of them contain unhealthy ingredients like trans fats and high fructose corn syrup. So, rather than going on something like Slim Fast bars to break a plateau, I'd be more likely to simply fast for a day or two, or just eat solid Protein and green veggies for a couple of weeks. To each his own. Tami

Yep, add that one to my list! Tami

Whew, you snow-shoein', pipe-freezin' northerners ought to come on down to the south to thaw out! It was 74 and sunny yesterday! I walked the dogs wearing a tank top, and worked up a sweat. But, we're in for several days of rain now. I'd rather have pretty, white snow than dreary old rain. :rain: Finallyonmyway, my advice is to step away from the TV! Unless you have TiVo, and can fast forward through all the food commercials! I was at the gym one day, and glanced at a TV screen. I was listening to my iPod, so couldn't hear what the commercial was about. One guy was eating a typical fast food meal, and then it cut to the other guy who was eating a teeny tiny burger, fries & drink. I thought, "Wow, a bandster-size fast food meal!" :confused: (But no, it was a Wendy's commercial demonstrating how their "value" meals have larger portions.) TruBlueSue, I know it's gotta be frustrating to do the work, but not see the results. But, you're a relative light-weight, and it's going to be slower for you than for others with further to go to goal. I fully expect my loss to start trickling off when I'm at your weight. Be patient, keep your mind focused on the goal, and it *will* happen! I'm down two for the challenge this week. Even better, I got in five sessions of exercise of at least 30"! I'm on a roll! Tami

And we even had the same subject header! Now, if everyone votes in all these polls, they're going to stick around for a while. Tami

After I had lost a lot of weight years ago, my hubby told me that before I lost weight, I had a "shelf" butt. He said he could sit a cup of coffee on my butt....while I was standing! Of course, I laughed at the time, 'cause the "shelf" had disappeared. But, when I regained the weight, every time I looked in the mirror, I'd see the "shelf butt" once again! Tami

I'm a faster than average loser, but I don't really consider that "successful". If I'm still here 4 years from now posting about how I've maintained my weight, *then* I'll be a success! And, to be honest, I have no idea why I've lost weight faster than others. I certainly don't starve myself. I follow the basic bandster eating guidelines: 3 meals/day of about 1 c. food per meal, plus one to two small Snacks (under 100 cal.) per day if needed. I drink plenty of Water, and *always* grab a bottle of water if I feel hungry. Usually that's enough to tide me over until the next meal. I don't drink while eating, or for an hour afterwards. I can't say I really take tiny bites, but I do chew really well. I try to get in plenty of Protein, but don't count grams or anything. I do eat my protein first, unless it's something where it's mixed together, like one-pot dishes. Besides the "bandster" rules, I have a few things that seem to work for me. I write down everything I eat. I loosely follow the guidelines in "You on a Diet", avoiding white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, saturated fats, and enriched white flour. I try to eat whole foods, and stay away from processed and fast foods. I cook more than I used to, and always have something tasty in a bandster-size portion that I can grab from the freezer. I limit alcohol to once a week or so. I only started exercising a couple of weeks ago, but I'm gettin' into it! I love my iPod. Listening to really upbeat music makes me almost forget that I'm working my butt off! That's about it. I've managed to lose 67 pounds since September 4, which is hard for me to believe. Tami

Hmm...you also might ask, "Why is it that some people just keep getting fills to the point of being too tight rather than just "changing behaviors, making healthier choices, incorporating exercise into their daily lives." The point is, we *do* have to make changes, and it's not easy! All this little band does is help us manage out hunger a little better. That's all. Unfortunately, there is a whole lot of other stuff that's involved in getting us to the point of obesity *besides* hunger. Dieting, of course, doesn't really help with a lot of those issues. But, that doesn't mean that choosing to follow one is a bad thing. I've learned a heck of a lot about nutrition by dieting. Some diets, like Weight Watchers and Eat Right (which might just be a local program), really teach the basics of good nutrition. Even LA Weight Loss, which I despise for being too rigid and sales motivated, teaches good nutritional balance. And *any* diet can be used for a temporary period to make a change from "point A" to "point B", as long as the person then can transition to a normal, healthy, whole foods diet. (And with the band, that might be a little easier than it was pre-band, when going "off" the diet meant going hog wild!) Personally, I don't "diet" per se, since being banded. But, I have changed how and what I eat. I eat much healthier, whole foods. Very little sugar, high fructose corn syrup, white flour products, saturated fats or trans fats. I journal everything I eat, and I recently started working out 3-4 times per week. Some people might consider that dieting, even though I'm not following a rigid "program". But for me, it's working pretty darn well. I'm happy, don't feel deprived in the least, and it's working. Tami