Vivinthewoods

Hi Lauren, how sweet of you to post the link to the recipe! Thank you. Wednesday is our 31st wedding Anniversary and that dish sounds so good, I think I'll make it for DH for our special day. Thanks again - hugs, Viv

Cheers Shelley, I'll look for them on my next Sam's trip.

@ Shelley1057 - Would you mind sharing the name of those crackers, they sound good. Thanks. @ Lauren - LOBSTER RISOTTO!!!! What time is dinner???? Or just send your mom to Texas - she can adopt me.

Hi Celeste, Good to hear from you again, I left a message for you on your profile. Congrats on your up and coming surgery. Do let me know how you do. Hugs - Viv

Another Texan here! (Well a transplanted Brit). All the best for your forthcoming surgery.

I too kept smaller things as I got bigger and bigger, and I am so glad I did. It feels wonderful to wear them again! But I am not keeping the things that are now too big, I will never go back to those larger sizes. I had round one of closet cleaning and took 5 bags of stuff to Good Will - I never want to see those big things again!

@ Dotti - I'll be thinking of you and wishing you a very speedy recovery after your surgery. You will soon be up and running (well walking) in no time and with your band refilled. Hopefully you will have time to complete that big puzzle and work on your FB farm. It is so hot here in Texas, I have been working on my hobby and staying in the air conditioning (hobby can be viewed at Embroidered at Midnight!). Keeping you in my thoughts for Wednesday.

My insurance pays for most of my fill charge, I pay $35. If I did not have insurance I believe I would have to pay around $150. What gets me is, my doc bills my insurance $1500.00 for each fill!!!! He settles for $650.00 - but that seems so wrong to me. I have had three fills of 2cc's and one of 1cc. As you have so little in your band I wonder if your doc would give you a 2cc fill - so you get more for your money. Good luck with that next fill.

I think you have done marvelously, as you have only just had a second fill. How many cc do you have in your band? It sounds as if you have some restriction, but not enough to stop you feeling hungry for 3 - 4 hours after a meal. I hope your surgeon helps you with better restriction, but without that stuck feeling. Do let us know how things workout for you. Take care.

Hello all you beautiful 'Delights', my you are all doing so well. Two little W/L pluses I have notice lately: - I can now wrap a regular bath towel around me and tuck it in, haven't done that in a long time. Also, bras fit so much better, instead of feeling like a cracker on a fried egg! @ Mel - how are you Mel, after your surgery, sorry I have not asked before now, but you were in my thoughts. @ RBailey - Your doc really needs to up your fills, you have done well to keep 12 lbs off with so little restriction. Push for another fill to help you. Although my W/L is slow, I'm nervous about getting another fill because I am so tight in the mornings and can only have a shake for breakfast. I don't want to push it over the top. Exercise is going well, bike ride in the mornings (not every day as it is just so hot now) and treadmill in the afternoon. I just feel so healthy with the lbs I have loss gone for good. I posted a couple of 'six month post-op' photos in my album - I think you can see a difference from the other photo of me a year before surgery. Hugs to you all.

I agree with Nean. At my last fill a sweet little lady came into the waiting area, where I was sitting, she had forgot about her fill when she dressed that morning and put a dress and full slip on. She was embarrassed and even more concerned that she might make the doctor feel embarrassed too. I would do as Nean suggest, take some pants or shorts and slip into the bathroom to change.

I too lost a good amount of weight in the 6 months prior to surgery, but I decided not to tell anyone about my decision to have WLS. So to others it looks as if I have just been loosing weight steadily over the last year. I'm glad I did not tell.

Great! your insurance will cover your L/B surgery. They may require you to have monthly appointments with your PCP (most insurance companies do), to check your weight, diet, progress etc. Make sure your PCP keeps good records of these visits, as they will need to be submitted to the Ins. Co. Your Ins. Co. may also require a psychiatric evaluation and other tests. You can use this pre-op time to get these things done, follow a diet and learn more about what will be expected from you and how the band will work. The pre-op diet may be required by your surgeon, (I did not have to have do it). It is a liquid diet prior to surgery, to shrink your liver, which lies over your stomach, shrinking it will make the surgery easier. You could be on liquids for several weeks or a few days. I did lose weight before surgery, so not sure if you have to prove that you can do it. I hope this helps you.

I was approved in 4 days!

Sorry Pam, I win in the 'banded old lady bunch' - I was 60 when I had my surgery. Now 61 and feeling more like 31!!!! This morning I did a 5 mile bike ride and I'm now going to jump on the treadmill for 45 mins. Never felt this well and just loving life!!!!

Hi Will, It is hard to give an exact answer to your question, there is not a set formula, as every body works so differently. After my first fill of 2cc's, my surgeon said to come back in a month or sooner if I was very hungry between meals and started eating an amount that caused me to gain weight. I never gained, so I would go in for a fill each month. I had 3 fills of 2cc and my last fill was just 1cc and I think I am either at my sweet spot or very close to it. I found my surgeon's direction of 'if you are eating enough to cause weight gain, then you need a fill' a good guide line.

Kroger's Carbmaster's yogurt has been my favorite for years; I prefer the taste over any of the big brand names.

Hi Mandze - I know what you mean about working and exercising, what with cooking, cleaning house, laundry, shopping etc and working, there was no way I would have the time or energy to exercise. When I worked I would come home, cook dinner, clean up and then sit down and fall fast asleep in front of the TV. Summer vacation is just around the corner and you will have some free time to enjoy some exercising. You have done a super job with -46lbs!!!!! Thanks for mentioning the fudgesicles - I never think to buy them, I'll get some in. Hugs

@ Ara - I'm pleased to hear you now have some good restriction. I too loved bread, (note past tense) those good ones like rosemary and garlic or black olive, but I stopped buying them and don't think I would be able to eat them now anyway. Different story when it comes to chocolate, how I love chocolate! I know I have to somehow detox myself from it, but it is hard, I can't resist a bargain when I see it on sale and it slips down my throat so easily!!! When I do buy some, I can't stop at one or two pieces. I know I need to try harder not to buy it in the first place. That said, I did find small packs of dark chocolate-covered soy Beans, which are 100 cals and 3g of Protein per pack. They are made by 'South Beach'. @ New Joy - CONGRATS on the bathing suit top and your 10,000 steps! Now just sit by the pool and look glam! Hope you feel better soon. I am still struggling to loose (and I'm not sitting around eating chocs all day). I have 24lbs to go to reach my goal and those are going to be the hardest to loose!!! So, I have increased my exercise to include bike riding as well as the treadmill. Even though it is about 92f now, I go riding in the morning for 45 mins and then jump on the treadmill for 50 - 60 mins in the afternoon. I'm burning 1000+ cals a day and still waiting for it to show on the scales!!!!!

Hi Dottie, Good to hear from you and know that you are still around. You are doing GREAT with your weight loss! 8lbs in one month!!!!! I'm lucky if I loose 1. My mum had 3 knee replacements, she only had two legs - just in case you are wondering!!!!! Mum had one re-done. I am amazed at how quickly my neighbor healed from this surgery, so I hope it will be the same for you and that it will not be too painful. Hugs

I started walking on the treadmill a year ago. My PCP said she wanted an hour of rigorous exercise a day, well there was no way! I could only do a few minutes at a low speed and no incline. But I would add just five minutes every few days, it was not long before I was getting that 60 mins in, walking fast and at an incline. So please don't give up! Just go slowly and build up your walking time bit by bit. Stretch out your feet and ankles before you start and put some good up-beat music on. I also love to have a fan blowing close by. I hated exercising when I started and now I can't miss a day!

I'm pleased to know you are doing better now. That overfill sounded quite frighten. Did you manage to sleep? I think I would have been scared to sleep! Take care.