LeighaMason

"They may not get a meal on some days." "Your not dead" I cant even respond to these comments other than to attack you personally, so I am going to let them stand on their own. Any self respecting human being will see them for what they are.

Welcome Larae, glad your here, congrats on the jeans! HB--I console myself on the boob shrinkage by saying "Well at least my stomach is shrinking under them!" of course, this really doesn't help but I say it anyway. By the way, if anyone finds my missing boobs my husband would like them back, maybe I should set up a reward for them? :cursing: Liz--In case I forget, have a safe trip this weekend. Besty--Is your new book a text book? Christy--I am with you on the grandparents thing, my grandparents were the only stable thing in my life and they get all the credit for me not being a complete nut case. NSV-- This morning when I tried to get dressed, nothing I had clean fit. So when I got off work I went to Academy (they have really good prices on clothes) so I found a pair of Capri pants that I thought would be my new size and tried them on they were too loose! I had to go back and get a smaller size. I cant remember the last time I was in a dressing room and had to go back and get a smaller size anything!

Yes, people die of starvation in America every single day. When I was a child, here in America, most days my ONLY meal was my lunch at school. (Subsidized by others tax dollars) I have lived in extreme poverty, you haven't. You are not qualified to talk about people starving to death.

"To argue that people have a right that imposes obligations on another is an absurd concept." I have a "right" to have a fire truck come to my house if its on fire, I have a "right" to have police protection, I have a "right" for my children to have an education, I have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This includes not watching my neighbors die in the street from hunger, from lack of health care, or from exposure to the elements. Taxes pay for all of these things. Some basic human rights have a monetary cost and to pretend this is the only one is irresponsible.

I assume you mean the article written by Walter Williams (economics Professor at George Mason University), in his own words, He is also occasional substitute host for the "Rush Limbaugh" show.

This is also another point of contradiction in the Republican agenda that I can't understand. If sex education is taught and contraceptives are made available to young people there would be less unintended pregnancies which would result in less abortions.

The most recent American teen birth rate of approximately 51.1 births per 1,000 adolescent females is consistent with historical trends and matches the 1920 figure. Nonetheless, since the 1970s, American politicians, policy makers, and social critics have condemned the perceived "epidemic of teenage pregnancy." This label reveals that critics have little knowledge about the incidence of teen pregnancy and parenthood in America's past. The 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s included the twentieth century's highest teen birth rates (respectively 79.5, 91.0, and 69.7 per thousand). By 1960, nearly one-third of American females had their first child before reaching age twenty. Vinovskis, Maris A. 1988. An "Epidemic" of Adolescent Pregnancy? Some Historical and Policy Considerations. New York: Oxford University Press.

Hey Millie, I am in Texas too! I would be happy to help you, I was banded on 10/20/09. And by the way, I gained weight between getting my band and my first fill. So I understand the only reason I got the band is because I was always hungry. I could eat a full plate of food and then be hungry an hour later. The band really helps with this you just have to make it until you can start getting fills. Try and only eat a cup of food at a time even if you have to eat 5 times a day, this way you wont have to worry about stretching your pouch. You can PM me anytime, I am usually at my desk most of the day.:scared2:

I recommend use the 65% of heart rate rule for exercise, if you are exercising at 65% of your heart rate this is considered the fat burn type of exercising. Not cardio (cardio is 80%) so walk on the treadmill for an hour at a time (it takes 30 min for it to kick in then you get results the last 30 min. Plus make sure you are getting at least 1000 calories net. So if you are burning 180 calories walking on the treadmill for an hour you need to eat 1180 calories for the day. And my all time favorite advice, log everything you eat and all your exercise on a tracking spot, like daily plate on the internet or lose it on iphone.

I am under the impression that sleep study is only for helping to prove co-morbidity to help get insurance to pay for the band. I have never heard of needing a sleep study for a self pay patient.

Dr. Kim Colleyville, TX $10,200 with 6 months fills done under floro at hospital.

So I am eating and there are 2 or 3 bites left on the plate, my band is giving me the "almost pain" pressure in my sternum that says I am full, so then in my mind I am saying to myself "If I wait a few minutes I can probably eat those last bites." Why? I am full. Hello! Why do I still need to eat those last bites. Why cant I just throw them away? Its not like they are going to help me in any way. Nobody else wants them. So why does it take a conscious decision to put them in the trash?

I noticed that I didn't eat a good dinner last night and now I am hungry today. This is the first time that I have made this connection but I am going to keep an eye out for it in the future and see if it seems to be a trend. Do you remember if you had a good dinner (3rd meal in Texas) on the days before you overeat?

My Friend told me last night, "You have lost a sack of flour!" I told him his age was showing. :wub:

I had foot surgery a few years ago, the pre-approval was denied so I agreed to self pay. Insurance cost was $1600 but they would do a "cash price" of $800. I paid, after the surgery I submitted the receipt to insurance and I was reimbursed. Apparently the insurance company also sent a letter to the doctors office about the reimbursement. They called and DEMANDED that I send the money to them, that if insurance paid it was $1600. Fortunately I had a letter stating that the total cost was $800 and after a few threatening phone calls they realized they couldn't bully me and they gave up. :wub:

When I speak of the Constitution I speak of it in its entirety including amendments (and supreme court interpretations of those amendments). Separation of church and state is a descriptive term for the first amendment Establishment clause. (If you say "first amendment Establishment clause" most people don't know what you are talking about) Its like calling a cotton tipped swab a tip, it just makes naming of the thing easier. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment prohibits the establishment of a national religion by the Congress or the preference of one religion over another, non-religion over religion, or religion over non-religion. Can you please point out in the following letter where Jefferson said the "wall" was one directional? January 1, 1802 Gentlemen, The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist Association, give me the highest satisfaction. My duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, and in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing. Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between church and State. [italics added] Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties. I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection and blessing of the common Father and Creator of man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious association, assurances of my high respect and esteem. Thomas Jefferson President of the United States ( letter copy and pasted from Wikipedia) As far as your "we were founded as a christian nation" theory goes... In 1797, the United States Senate ratified a treaty with Tripoli that stated in Article 11: ... the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; ...[35] Supporters of the separation of church and state believe this article confirms that the government of the United States was specifically intended to be religiously neutral, and that Article VI, clause 2 of the United States Constitution renders it "the supreme Law of the Land". (Copy and paste from Wikipedia)

Welcome Anne, Amy and Bree. It will be nice to have some newbies! Betsy, My stepson lives in Bloomington, he just ran in a 5K there and did it in 17.27 finished 3rd overall and 1st in his age group. I am going to use this for inspiration to try and start running. I have always said in the past I would only run if a dog were chasing me and it had to be a BIG dog. Karen --174 WTG! Bob--I just saw another thread where a woman called you Mike! Whats with the aliases? OK here is another strange story of my lap band transformation saga.... I usually go meet with a group of friends to have drinks 1 or 2 times a week (drinking alcohol not required). There are usually 8-10 of us there on Mon and/or Wen night. They start getting there about 4:30 and stay till 6:30 or so, we argue about politics, gripe about things a work etc. I didn't get to go last week because of work but when I went yesterday, then I only stayed for an hour because all I could think about is what I could be doing instead of sitting in a bar. :wub: So I went home and raked (part of) the yard. (Great exercise by the way.) I am wondering if my priorities are changing that much or if maybe I was just in some funky mood because of the time change/spring weather.

Patty, You either have to be either for separation of church and state or against it you cant be both. This is what confuses me about the Republicans platform, if you believe and support the constitution you can not include "God" in the schools (ANY God + State supported Schools= Combined church and state). Separation of church and state is what guarantees your right to be a Christian no matter what the current government leaning is. It is too dangerous to set a precedent of ANY religion being accepted into the state, history has shown that official religions of the government change and this is why we must protect our freedom of religion by total separation. So maybe it God who wants separation from the schools to protect our rights to worship him? I cant think of where it is, but I know the bible states that it is the parents responsibility to teach their kids about the bible. And teaching actual historical facts is not indoctrinating. Omitting actual historical facts to support your position is.

I have a new conspiracy theory, they make you drink the shakes so that when you start eating you will think the new diet is wonderful......hmm..... You can do it! Try

Never ask the car salesman which car to buy!:thumbup: But in my opinion the band works best for people with portion control issues. It will not help with junk food eating, grazing or sweets.

Betsy your new pic is so pretty!

Have you tried spaghetti squash? To use with the spaghetti sauce?

When you eat too fast or too much or too big of a bite, your mouth starts making this really thick saliva to help get the food down. PBing is when this food comes back up, productive burp.

Unjury Chicken Soup flavor protein, mix it with warm water, 90 calories, 21g protein. Buy a single pack and see if it works for you instead of sweet drinks. They also have an unflavored version but I haven't tried it.

That almost pain in my chest is my "don't take another bite or else!" signal from my band. It is the signal that I am full. If I listen to this signal and stop right there: Almost pain (tightness) goes away in 1-2 min. If I don't listen to this signal and take: One more small bite I get sliming. One more big bite I get sliming + PBing.