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Not a lot of people know about my band, so making a big deal of it at a restaurant and showing the waitress a card would not be my thing. Besides, the kids menu in most places has hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken fingers. I love eating out! I can order my favorites, Grilled Salmon or Liver or Scallops and not freak about the $15+ price for a meal since I take home enough for 2 more meals.

Never used sharkspeople...I use Fitday. I agree, Juli, once you get your normal foods in there ( I know I usually seem to eat the same ole thing) it's easy to use. I use most of the tools they provide on that site. I'll go check out sharkspeople and see what they're about.

Happy New Year Marchies! My kids were sick last week, and of course, Sunday night I got it. THANK goodness it wasn't the vomiting end, that's my big fear, dislodging my band. I did lose 5 lbs, probably all Water, but I'm determined to keep it off. Shoveled snow (we got 6 inches last night) for about 35 minutes and felt good, since I haven't been exercising regularly. Keeping on plan today. It seems my band has been tighter the last few days 2 oz of mahi-mahi and approx 1/4 C of steamed cauliflower & broccoli and I was full at lunch. (I love eating out now, I can get 3 good meals for 1 price!) Watch out 2008...here come the Marchies!

I was buying the expensive brands from GNC. Muscle Milk Light in Banana cream but I've switched to Slimfast High Protein with skim milk...chocolate is better than vanilla IMO I'ts $5.94 a can at Walmart

Pure Protein Bars are great...190 cals, low sugar and 20 grams of protein. I but them by the box at Walmart...$5.97 yum-o

Hey Janine, nice to hear from you. Glad to hear you've broken that plateau jmcambra. 5 lbs of loss sounds good to me OH juli, From Sept to Nov I lost 4 lbs and the Dr. thought that was great...I however was dissappointed. I've been gaining and losing the same 4 lbs for months. I'm not going to deprive myself this holiday season, but not gonna over do it either. I do have a little more restriction with my .25 fill on Monday. But the cookies still go down without a problem....damn! Everyone have Happy Holidays and hope you can spend it with the ones you love...Merry Christmas

I'm soooo hungry! on full liquids today and mushies tomorrow. I forgot what it was like to get a fill. no solid food for 3 days! (I'm down the 3 lbs I gained the last 4 weeks when I got on the scale this am.....wouldn't you know) Everything I drink gurggles all the way down

Looks like everyone is doing well. Saw the Dr today. He put .25cc in my band So I'm up to 2.75. I had gained 3 lbs in 4 weeks. It had everything to do with my exercise routine, or should I say, lack of one. My restiction had gone way down and he said it was because the fat around my stomach and band was disappearing, making the band looser. Well, whatever reason I need to get back on the bandwagon. My DH has said pretty much nothing about my band for the last 9 months, perhaps an occasional "should you be eating that?" comment. Yesterday he hugged me and said your getting skinny! It really made my day, he never gives compliments or makes comments about stuff like that. Congrads to all the NSV"S It's great to start shopping and finding clothes that fit...no more baggy tunic tops for me! Have a great day

What a great story Husker. Just purchased a book for my 11 yr old DD, it's by American Girl that discusses pre-teen things like acne, bathing, taking care of your body, diet and exercise and your "tom" When I talk to her about these things it sounds like nagging, the book should be a great back-up. Not sure she's ready for that last part, although sometimes her mood has a hint of PMS in it! I see the Dr. on Monday and I know I've gained. I really need a fill.....where does that saline go? I had great restriction for about 2 months and now I can eat bread, and things don't seem to get stuck anymore. Eating 2+ cups of food around dinner time is not a problem. Early Christmas at my parents on Sunday will be a challenge. I'm going to try and keep a bottle of water in my hand and chew gum to try and curb the munchies. ***can anyone give me the math formula on how to find your % of body weight lost?....(like on biggest loser) Everyone's doing great...have a nice day

Yes, you're right, as of December 21st I have been without a cigarette for 1 year! I don't miss it in the least. I NEVER could have said that a year ago. Thats around $1,624.75 I have not spent! I need to focus on what I have actually accomplished and not compare myself to everyone else. Restriction is okay, I've had better. Still tighter in the am and by 6-7 pm I can eat around 2 cups + of food....not really where I wanna be. Going to ask for a slight fill on the 17th. maybe .2-.3 cc? I have 2.5 in my band now.

OH Juli.... You go girl! 102 lbs lost since March, way to go! I'm struggling to lose 5 by the 17th. Everyone have a good weekend

I really want to try curves, they are 1 1/2 blocks from my house and my treadmill is getting boring, so of course, I'm not using it. I can get in a really good workout when I do use it.....Can someone tell me how Curves works? Is it 5 minutes on this machine and 5 minutes on a different one...etc? Does all this switching keep your heart rate up? Perhaps I'll stop by tomorrow and check it out. Do all of you that go there regularly like it? Do you have a limit of how many times a week you can use it?

I thought I did pretty good during Thanksgiving, however, the scale says different. (+5 lbs from 11/19) Damn that pumpkin pie! I'm double timing it on my treadmill the rest of this week, I'm working out in the am and the pm and I'm gonna drop 6 lbs by 12/17. Janine, I have the Weightloss for Dummies book....I refer back to it every once in a while to remind myself what a LB person should be eating, since it has some sample menus. I have tried pushing the envelope and can now eat bread and muffins...I realize I never should have gone there. I am not having any problems getting breadsticks and cornbread muffins down. It's not that I overeat them, it's just the fact that I can, and i'm not eating what I should be (veggies, fish, etc) I'm going to ask for a small fill on 12/17. I have 2.5 in my 4cc band, I have noticed within the last couple months that I have slowly been able to eat more at a meal and not much gets stuck.... ..lunch today: 2 eggs, 1/4 c total diced ham & onions and 2% cheese, 1 piece of whole wheat toast. I could not have eaten half of that 2 months ago. thickchick....vodka & cranberry yummy!

julia...hope all is working out for you kimmi.....great job on the weight loss. Are you feeling fuller longer even without being filled? another girl on the board lost her 1st 60+ lbs without having a fill! Everyone have a great thanksgiving!

Thanks for the article Sophie! Janine- I'm gonna try and keep my eating in check. might have a bite or two of turkey, mashed potaotes, veggie pie, corn pudding. I'll skip the homemade rolls and stuffing. If my sister makes her delicious banana cream pie, I'm promising myself to keep it to a few bites. Saw Dr. this am. I'm down 4 pounds from my last weigh-in on Sept 17th. He was happy with my progress and he's going to see me in another month. He wants me to kick up the exercising and then see where we stand as far as giving me a little more fill. My BMI was 30.5 today..down from 41....yeeehawww See ya later

Hello to the new Marchies...thanks for joining us. I looks like everyone is taking the weight off, some, (like me) slower than others But I'm okay with that. I'm 8 mos out and need to realize this is forever, I need to eat properly and exercise regularly to take the rest of this off and keep this weight off. I'm eating, on average, 1500-1700+ calories a day....the reason for no loss. Fitday helps me stay on track and I have started using it again. I also pulled out my pedometer that I just had to have and started using it again to motivate me to get in at least 10,000 steps a day. getting back on track!

Okay, Okay, I'll step away from the cookies! I think I'm heading in the right direction, started keeping my food/activity diary again on fitday a few weeks ago. I told the kids that mommy isn't allowed to eat candy and cookies any more, so go hide the rest of your halloween candy! I appreciate everyone's input and stories and inspiration. Last year at this time I was on high blood pressure medicine, had a BMI of 41 and was miserable. Let's all look back and see how far we've come and be thankful we are not still there.

Heather. I was diagnosed with primary lymphedema when I was 12. (in the old days it was called Millroy's disease) The lymphatic system in my lower legs does not work well at all. Most of the vessels to transport fluid are not there. No matter how much weight I lose, my lower legs, feet and ankles will always be filled with fluid. Your Dr's diagnosis might be correct. A buildup of fat cells could be stopping the fluid from reaching your lymph glands in your upper legs, causing the retention. I hope for the best for you, as mine will never go away and can get really ugly. There is no cure, only treatment of compression stockings and binding my legs every night

I'm so nervous about seeing the Dr. on Monday. Nervous because I wanted this band so desperately and have been finding it very hard to change my eating habits. I haven't lost any weight in almost 7 weeks. It's nobodies fault but my own. I let my exercise routine slide for almost a month. I eat way too much crap and I'm very dissappointed in myself. A girl at the gas station asked me how much weight I've lost....my DH told her I had LB. I told her 47 lbs. She had RNY and has lost 280 lbs! She says she doesn't exercise. I was almost in tears because there on the counter, were two packages of snackwells Cookies I was so ashamed. I watched biggest loser last night and wondered why I can't stick to a program like that. These ppl are losing 5+ lbs a week!..I have a band and haven't lost that in a month. Sorry I'm having a pity party for myself. I knew going into this that the band is just a "tool", it's how you use it that counts. It's like my LB way of thinking has switched off and I'm back to my old habits. Maybe I need to see a shrink, I definately need an attitude adjustment. Thanks for letting me whine about stuff that is completely my fault.

julia, I'm so sorry for your complications! Did they give you a blood thinning shot in the stomach before your surgery? I also had one after. I had to wear the boots on my legs that pumped the blood, kinda like a big blood pressure cuff on my legs to stop clots from forming. You keep your head up! we're here for you.

OH Juli, whoo, were you talking to me?!?!? You really hit it! I have printed your "butt-kicking" words of wisdom and am going to refer to them every time I reach for that nasty bag of m&m's or chips or try and clean off my kids dinner plate. (haven't got rid of that "wasting food" thing yet) My weight has been up and down the same 3 pounds for almost 6 weeks. Thank you for kicking my butt, it hurt, but I'm a better (and soon to be thinner) person because of it!

...............AMEN I have concluded that I am no longer addicted to cigarettes (almost 1 yr quit!) I am addicted to sugar. In the form of candybars, m&m's and the occasional pint of chunky monkey ice cream. I'm serious! I sneek it like I used to sneek cigs As if the scale won't know! Well it found out. I've gained three pounds from my last weigh-in on 9/17/07 ARGGGGGGGGG!

Kimmi...hang in there girl, it does get easier. Your throat is probably sore from the breathing tube during surgery, I know mine was for a few days. Sugar free popcycles are yummy and will give you some extra water my fav is the grape. I did get dehydrated after surgery and that's no fun. Congratulations on your surgery

Mrs Husker Lets do it! 10 pounds down by Christmas! So that's around 8 weeks away which is a little over a pound a week.....Come on, we can do this! I'm going to re-introduce my Nikes to my treadmill tonight and NO more chocolate. I know I'd be losing if I could just get my exercise routine back on track.

My surgery date was March 14, 2007.....When are you scheduled?