Betsyjane

The worst part is that they give the impression to the rest of the world that all of us should be able to do it with a little help from a pill or an exercise machine. That leads to some really uncomfortable talk shows where thin people tell fat people they can do it if they eat less/exercise more. It's gonna be a long time before THAT discrimination ends, or is even recognized.

Trump's show tanks, and then there is a Trump gossip blitz? Well calculated publicity, I'd say. wouldn't surprise me to see the 3 of them toasting each other in a Manhattan restaurant after hours.

Hey TimetoLive-I am impressed! I eat so much more, but am hoping my next fill works. 2 pounds a week is all youi're supposed to lose! Gives your skin a chance to catch up, and your body enough time to lose that you don't feel like you're starving. You could be an example for others! Patience, dearie. If you do anything, I hope it's on the exercise side and nbot the food side! Susan-Thanks for the ideas about the 3 PM munchies. I've been doing that, but with a protien drink, and it's not helping. I'll try some of the Snacks you recommended. Baby-You're doing great on your liquids! Off to a wonderful start!

Congrats Tom! You did it! and they even let you off the hook for a little while. I have never been one to stick with exercise, bu tI'm doing so much better since I got an ipod shuffle for Christmas. Much cheaper than an ipod and I loaded it with all workout music...things over the decade that have gotten me moving or dancing. I pplug in at the gym and the time really flies by, compared with the clock watching I used to do.

Did you see Bush's speech last night? Although I don't agree with him, and at times my blood boiled, I thought it was the best speech he's done. The delivery was better and it was beautifully worded. (In all fairness I did fall asleep before the end, but I saw 2/3 of it and I think he's been practicing....)

I can't let other people's reactions get me off track, or they've won and I've used them as an excuse to eat. I have to follow my path and put my energy there and not into nay-sayers.

Yeah, but we didn't invade NYC. There are 2 outrages in Iraq---one for the deaths and the other for the war. In NYC, it's more purely a for whom the bell tolls reaction. Of course, if we had the Iraq money to put into stopping USA murders, we could probably go a pretty long way...... Well here's an interesting note for this morning. According to the BBC, India grew faster in the last year than China, and the NY Stock Exchange just bought heavily into India's stock exchange. While I'd like to be happy for India, I can't help being sad for us as a declining super power. If some of the money to be made here is in investing elsewhere, I'm game, but I wish it weren't so..... We've lost alot of standing in the world.

Wild, Why do you yell? Why do you assume you are the only one doing anything? Please don't prejudge me or yell at me. I have run nonprofit organizations in my life. I have been on Boards of nonprofits. I consulted to the Surgeon General's office about a national initiative on violence. I rescue animals. I have run a battered womens shelter and a homeless shelter. I have Lupus and would love to be cured. I have been to several alternative medicine people in addition to mainstream doctors. And if stem cells can currently cure me, I would have gone that direction istead of being banded. You sound like you think you're the only one with brains or a heart. Frankly, this discussion board is for discussion...because we don't blow our own horns doesn't mean we are not doing something....maybe it means we only like to brag about weight loss. More power to you in your Quest for cures. Hopefully we will someday benefit from your efforts. Just stop assuming you're the only one or you won't have enough of an open mind to take in what you need to grow your nonprofit.

Tell that boy that if we were patient people, we probably could have eaten slowly and well before being banded. His learning curve mnow is about taking a deep breath, learning what he can about patience, and knowing that this is a marathon, not a sprint. We're all with him, and we've all been there....

Shutuplena----I see your signature advertises a phentermine forum. Are you both banded and on phentermine, and if so, how's it working for you?

"No other comments on how wonderful stem cell research is when it's from amniotic Fluid, not an embryo? Is there only interest in this potentially life-saving issue when it's being used to bash Christians?" I'm a Christian and I support stem cell research.

And now with the threat of Isreal and Iran going to nuclear war against each other, various leaders are saying the USA destabilized the Middle East. I am just sick about it. In the scariest of times, we will have no firends.

Yeah, but the next step is that when our troops start getting killed, the Dems will be blamed for not supporting them with sufficient troops. Then our military ends up a pawn in a political game. Oh wait...that's true anyway.

I've had bread, and at times I can get a little down...like a few croutons in a salad. I agree. There are 2 issues with bread....one is that most breads turn into sugar, and you'll be needing protein and veges rather than carbs. The other is that it often turns into a gob of starch that plugs your band or makes you feel full of just carbs. I think the bottom line is that the band causes portion control. You still have to decide what goes in your tummy. I'm finding that that is both harder and easier than I had thought it would be. It's a pretty interesting learning curve. I make lots of little mistakes and have lots of little successes.

So...I'm looking forward to Wednesday's speech by our dear President, and intrigued how Congress will react to the plan for an upsurge in the number of troops. I already hear Nancy P et al saying it's up to the President. His decision to run the war, congress's to fund the war...Tough call to decide not to fund an ongoing war! Quite a sticky wicket.

Fine with me! Has anyone been to the Houston support group? Do they have a particular format?

JMO!!! LOOK at your weight loss!!!!!!! Congrats!!!!!!

Down 33 pounds from my highest weight. Down 18 pounds since presurgery. (or 20 pounds...depends on the day). Stuck for the moment but hopeful. Learning from each good time and from each "cheat" and going for a second fill in a week. I really think I got stuck when I ran out of Muscle Milk Light for my snacks. It kind of threw me off my program. Ordered more on eBay and anxiously awaiting.....

What do you believe should happen to those little babies who were not wanted but whose mothers are forced to have them?

I would love to know what Hilary said to him when she found out.

I would vote for Clinton again. I think Bush is the worst. And I still don't like what he did with Monica, where he did it, or that he lied. That doesn't justify Bush's actions in any way. I just think our president needs to have more dignity and more respect for the office than to diddle in the oval office with an intern. I don't think I'm asking for a big stretch here..... Asking that a "sitting" president not have an affair in the oval office with an intern is not like asking for lifelong celebacy.

Yeah. This one has no corn syrup but it does have some sorbitol. I guess chewables have to be flavored somehow. Do you know of any without sugar or artificial sugar?

Amen to that. :-)

Not a bad idea, though. I keep thinking when I get the urge to eat, I'll be OK if I drink a glass of water instead, start dancing instead, or if hubby is home...... Gotta lose a bit more weight before I go absolutely berserk, but Victorias Secret is in the plan......

I'm headed for my6 second fill Jan 12th. Can't wait. The amt. of restriction that I have varied from moderate to none. I guess I'm supposed to learn patience. I keep eating old style without thinking. Lately, I've found that taking one huge deep breath before eating anything helps to re-set me to think about it, eat slowly, and chew alot. I finally chucked my Flintstone vitamins! Switched to GNC chewable Solotrons. I feel so adult :-)