HEALTHY111

Happy Bandiversary!! Thank you for sharing those personal feelings that many of feel but sometimes have a hard time putting into words. For me it was like living on the sidelines of MY life, watching it pass me without being able to enjoy it and join in and have fun!! I kept thinking I can lose weight with this diet or that diet and my goal and motto was "Be fit before 40" when that birthday came and passed with minimal change I decided to look into alternatives which led me to the lapband - though I am just in the beginning phases of my journey I feel it is the best decision and no more watching life pass me by I will be 42 next month and I am on my way to being Fit and Fabulous and Fortyish...

Congratulations and welcome Joanne!! You will find a lot of support,encouragement,friends, ideas and even great recipes on this site. I am glad you joined and chose to share your journey with us. December will be here before you know it. Good Luck.

Good Luck you will do fine. Twenty one pounds is great I wish you continued success. Thanks for sharing your journey with all of us!! )

Great JOB hanging in there and waiting for the insurance requirements to pass! I know of a couple people that wanted it done but thought 6 months was too long to do what the insurance required, I said six months is going to pass anyway so you might as well be on your way to getting the lapband. I wish you all the best with your band.

Great advice from marw and crsti41 it isn't worth the bubbles stretching out your pouch plus you don't really heal for 6-8 weeks maybe longer. I have a friend that has been a couple years out on surgery and now and then she sips a bit of soda but sometimes its ok but at times it really bothers her. I wouldn't try it maybe a sip of cold tea or lemonade just something different than water now and again may help. Good luck!

Thank You DebraG I enjoy your recipes they are creative, flavorful and a great alternative to the plain foods I usually make. )

I am so glad you are feeling better - keep your fluid intake up

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink!! :scared2:) I too was skeptical at first until I tried the wraps they do work and I use them, and was wanting to share with fellow bandsters because they are awesome. There will always be negative nellies and that is okay - I will save a lot of money using this product!! Personally I do not use this forum to speak negatively and I was trying to help others.

Congratulations on your new "Birthday" may you have a speedy recovery and much success with your new tool!!

I agree that some people will require plastic surgery after major weight loss but I have found an alternative that is absolutely awesome. My friend had the gastric bypass and lost in excess of 100+ lbs which left her with saggy, baggy skin. I was getting lap banded and was kinda scared because my insurance doesn't cover plastic surgery because it is considered cosmetic!! She searched everywhere for something to help her and she started using these all natural body wraps at home and she lost over 30 inches in a little over 90 days and has maintained the elasticity in her skin on her lower abdomen, inner thighs, arms, front of knees! I started using them before being banded because I couldn't wait and immediately lost 3 1/2 inches off my lower abdomen in 2 hours. Talk about being sold oh my gosh I was blown away so I took one and cut it in half and put it on my chin and neck and cut the other piece in two and put it on my cheeks guess what I actually have cheek bones underneath the fat! No kidding my double chin was nearly invisible it tightened up my neck in an hour! I want to mummify myself ) I am soooo happy I am using them and will continue to use them through out my weight loss and lap band journey. I have told all my friends even the "skinny" ones LOL and one of them lost four inches off her lower abdomen above her c-section scar she said she had a "saggy pooch" for 8 years and it's gone now! They are about 2ft by 1 ft in size so they cover a large area (I even used it on my back fat!) I am still losing weight with my lap band tool but this is a real motivator when you can see instant results that last it targets fat and toxins not water weight!! They are affordable and easy to use check out www.wraptodaylosetoday.com they run about $49 for four large wraps if you agree to do the 90 day challenge and have autoship but if not they are $89 for four which is still an excellent deal because I have had a seaweed wrap before that cost me $120 and it only dehydrated me and targeted water so poof it came right back! These are well worth it and a great alternative and an affordable alternative to plastic surgery! :scared2: Love them!!

Absolutely Amazing 71lbs in about 3 1/2 months that is great!

Muscle Milk light is fairly good and 20-22 g of protien per drink but a little expensive for premade. A friend told me to try Pure Protien at Trader Joes they are 30g protien per drink and she said the chocolate is good. The GNC powder protien 100% whey is good as well and fairly economical I bought it at Rite Aide for $14 and it makes 14 servings so works out to be about $1 per serving. It is a quick disolving mix so not clumpy and has 20grams protien.

Both Chocolate and wine ARE medicinal Make sure it is DARK chocolate and RED wine and you are good to go! chew, chew, chew and sip, sip, sip )

Sandradee - good for you I am glad you are having a better day than yesterday it sounded excruciating when I read it and I felt so bad for you. We have learned to eat without thinking for so long that it is sometimes hard to "think" about it when we are talking or visiting and otherwise distracted. That is really hard for me to think small bites and chew, chew, chew and NO drinking for an hour after I eat arghhh! I always had a large glass of tea with my dinner/lunch so that is a big deal trying to eat without drinking. Wishing you much continued success!

Mrs. Stevenson - have you been incorporating walking and activities into your schedule?? We have to understand that this is a tool to reduce the intake of food we also have to get up and get active. I am the worst at that and I know that is what slows down my progress so I thought I would share. Wishing you much success on your journey.

LOL!! Stay strong, you can do it!!!!!!

You could be building muscle when you walk and work out! Muscle weighs a lot more than fat so in reality you could have lost more but gained muscle which is a good thing - also if you are getting the protien that is required about 40-45 grams a day it also helps maintain your muscle mass! 18 lbs is awesome and you should not be discouraged in any way. Also people are built differenlty and metabolize differently so even though the journey might be a little slower for you right now you may blow past someone later that hits a plateau! Slow and steady wins the race - your body will thank you for it in the end! Best wishes for continued success!

Janet, Preach on!! It encourages me and many others! I heard a wonderful message at church today myself and it was similar to what you just said. Wow! Rain on me Lord pour out your storehouse of blessings, it is there for all who believe. It is funny how we can get caught up in those things of everyday life and forget that if it's God's will it's God's bill!! I turn my financial situation over to him and he continues to bless me and it is wonderful to be his child. I am sooo Grateful and thank you for reminding me what a wonderful God I serve!

Congratulations, my thoughts and prayers are with you. You will do fine, wishing you a fast recovery.

Excellent Job!! Thanks for sharing your milestones with all of us! I am enjoying being on this journey with so many inspiring and encouraging people.

Congratulations! Happy New Birthday to the new you and the beginning of your happier healthier journey!

That is great news to hear!! I am happy that you found a great Dr and had a wonderful experience. Congrats and thanks for the positive information!

I am sure there are good Doctors in Mexico but I have met two women locally that went from California to Mexico because the cost here is $15,000 and in Mexico they paid $4,500 to $5,000 and both have been post op for well over a year and fly back for fills but one has only lost 36 lbs and the other 45lbs though that is good weight loss it has been 16 to 18 months and they both still have a lot to lose it doesn't seem to me like they have the restriction they need.

Just think about the looks on their faces next time you vacation and how they will have to pick their jaws up off the ground when they see you thin!! That alone should keep you happy through out your vacation. I can't wait too hear your results along the way!

Good for U!! Congratulations, when is your surgery??