Positive people unite! This thread is being created for the sole use of positive people to give positive reinforcement to others in the group that we care about. We know that we may disagree on some issues but we will offer constructive criticism, objective suggestions, we will always give kind support even when delivering the occasional (but necessary) kick in the pants.

Leigha-okay, so, if every last ounce you lose comes off the boobs are you gonna be pissed?

Mathematically impossible I don't have 8 pounds of boobs left. Empty socks don't weigh much. Anyone want to contribute to the "Buy Leigha new boobies fund"?

just checking in ........ I have been reading everything, but have not had the time and/or energy to reply to everything. I'm glad Dottie and Anne are both on the mend.

I have an NSV to share. This past Friday I was with my son in a Village Inn. I got up and went to the bathroom and he was watching me when I came back to the table. He said, " You look A LOT thinner, I mean A LOT!" It was just so nice to hear it from him. He will be 28 on Aug. 3rd. Every time he has a B.day I feel so much older. (for those of you doing the math, I had him when I was 4 )

Edited July 27, 201016 yr by Humming Bird

Hi all...just checking in. I still don't know if there is going to be a funeral or service for Jeff. I've been so stressed lately and the scale is sure showing it! I've eaten better and been exercising more than ever, and have GAINED weight. This stresses me even more because of the Labor Day Challenge and I have to lose 11lbs (now 12-12 1/2) in less than 6 weeks. I hate to fail :scared2:.

Hummingbird-- CONGRATS on your NSV! That had to be a great feeling coming from your son!! It's different when it's a loved one that sees you all the time. It means so much more (but hey, nice to hear anyone say how great you're looking LOL)

Stacie--I'm so sorry to hear about Jeff. I have been saying prayers. Just terrible and I'm so sorry. And no matter WHAT, you will NOT fail. You aren't able to!!! And to make you feel better, the weeks where I really watch what I eat and exercise a lot, I either stay the same or gain. I attribute it to the whole fat turning to muscle thing LOL. Makes me feel better that way.

Bob-- LOVE the ticket to Onederland! Just awesome!

Christie--so when does your little man come back (or did he already?)

Donna--don't worry about the gain right now. It's early--trust me, you will see the numbers move in the other direction very soon, I promise.

Leigha--I have to agree with everyone here. You look absolutely AMAZING! If you don't lose another pound, you have made it, my friend! We're all super proud of you!!! You have worked so hard and honestly, you are a poster child of success!!!

Denise--Safe travels to Florida and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! I have a baby shower on Sunday too (wish mine was in Florida--sniff sniff). Soooo, OF COURSE I haven't made a purchase in, oh about TWO freaking weeks, so what did I go out and do today? Yup, bought a freaking iPad! I thought of you also as I was setting it up LOL Too funny. Told the hubs I won it at work to avoid any issues (taking it from my funny money so he won't even know )

Thankfully, I am able to eat a little better today. Still need to take my time, but I'm not in excruciating pain like I was over the weekend. I have actually had only 3 small meals today!!!! I'm shocked! LOL I was prepared to need a small snack, but nope. I did great!

SO excited--I found TROP-A-ROCKA!!! It's that Snapple flavor Bret Michaels created in the last season of Celebrity Apprentice! I was in a store I never ever go to because I just needed to grab bread on the way home from the bank and BAM! One lonely six pack of it was staring me in the face! It was y-u-m-m-y!! 10 calories for a whole bottle!! Yeah!

Jordyn, my daughter, did very well yesterday getting all that dental work done (she had to be put to sleep to have it done). She woke up so sleepy and cuddly. She's 4, so she's already my little baby, but she was suuuuper cuddly yesterday. I had a great day just holding her and taking care of her. I really missed her when I went back to work today.

Hope everyone is having a great week! SO excited that I get to run a webinar at 8 pm for our client in Japan. Come on Friday! Hubby and I have tickets to see Tom Petty on Saturday night. Can't wait!!!

J'smom: Tom Petty? I'm 'heartbroken' (ar ar). I *love* Tom Petty but my claustrophobia keeps me from ever going to one of his concerts. ;-( Congrats on breaking the 160's!

Hummingbird: Congrats on the NSV moment. It's always nice when someone else notices, eh?

Leigha: You can have some of mine! Mine aren't shrinking near as much as I'd hoped they would. ;-(

Denise: Happy Anniversary...and safe trip!

Stacey: I am so sorry for your loss and I will put your family in my prayers.

I've only read back to July 22nd but have quite a bit to do today since it's my son's 18th birthday so no time to read more. You guys are just prolific posters!

Ok...please permit me a little whine here. I think after 9 months of being positive, I'm allowed.

I'm just not sure anymore if the band was the right decision for me. I was never a 'grazer'. My problem was that once I sat down to eat, I couldn't stop until I was 'full'. Everything I read, the seminars I attended, the psychiatric visit, questions to the doc...all affirmed that the band was the right choice. That it would limit what I eat...and it does, but not enough and it limits the wrong foods!

I need to be eating a low carb diet, but all the low carb stuff (meats, chicken, broccoli, etc.) stick unless I make them in a casserole type dish with some type of sauce/potatoes/rice, whatever that helps it 'slide' through. Additionally, all these carbs have me craving even more carbs! We won't even talk about what it's doing to my blood sugar levels.

I did drop down to 197 but only by going to an almost full liquid diet...and we know how long something like that's going to last, eh? I also started exercising...and I know how long that was going to last. I *detest* exercising.

I'll admit to being puzzled by the whole calories in/calories out thing as well. Based on the calories I'm eating, I should've been losing 3-5 pounds *every week* (all else being equal) just because I was eating that much fewer calories than is needed to maintain my current weight...and yet that wasn't happening.

So here I am, no longer in 'onderland' and frustrated beyond belief. So, after a long discussion with my surgeon, I am going in tomorrow for a complete unfill so I can get back on my low carb diet...which I can't do right now. I lost 70 pounds once on a low carb diet and, now that I know the band won't help me to 'lose' weight, will have to just pull up my bootstraps and do it again.

I don't know what part the band will play in the future but right now it has no part.

Time for my protein shake and then off to pack customer's orders. Talk to you all later.

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Karen, yay on the ipad! Do you love it???

Leigha, we need to hold a Boob-a-thon!

Elfie, hugs to you! As I was reading through your post, my thought was that you needed an unfill. You may find you do better with your band looser. By being able to eat solid proteins without the sauces you might feel satisfied longer.

I am right there with you on the detesting exercise thing. See my confession from last week. I am trying though. That is all we can ask of ourselves.

Thanks for not ranking on me, Cocoa. :scared2:

Maybe I won't throw in the towel completely. My last unfill (march or april, I think) took me down to 7.5cc. I think I'm going to have them take me down to 5 or 6 and see if that allows me to eat protein...and salads. I miss salads <sigh>.

Edited July 28, 201016 yr by ElfiePoo

I was going to suggest a partial unfill as well. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. But I am with you, if you cant eat normal stuff, then I would have some taken out too.

Happy "Birth"day, Melody! (I think we should tell the Mother Happy Birthday not the kids, they didn't do anything!)

Melody,

Other than the times I overeat, I do fine with chicken and pork unless it is overcooked. I cook my meat until the center is 165 - 170 degrees. I don't try cooking by weight or time. I either under or over cook.

Bob, it's hit and miss for me on meat...mostly miss. Salads..fuggitaboudit. Geez...I'm drooling just thinking about a salad. ;-p

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Denise- I am totally LOVING the iPad! My husband is all, "Why do you need it when you have the iPhone?" Answer is I kind of don't know. But the kids were out in the pool tonight and I had it with me and was able to surf the web, check email, etc. and it was REALLY nice (and chews up MUCH less battery than the iPhone does), so I honestly feel like I could find myself very attached to this bad boy LOL! I didn't get the 3G one, since I have the iPhone, but when they come out with the second gen, I may splurge and get the 3G model (just cause I'm a freaking brat LOL)

Melody--My heart goes out to you. I can't imagine being so restricted (no pun intended) with what I can eat. You should have a salad if you want one, doggone it! I too was thinking a slight unfill might make a world of difference for you. And if that doesn't work, then you can honestly say you tried. You have done an amazing job losing what you've already lost. And what works for some people may not work for others. You're not knocking the band or blaming it defensively--you're questioning if the lifestyle is for you right now because of where you're out. NO ONE would flame you for that. We're all here for you no matter what happens. Please keep us posted. You will be in my prayers. I can't imagine how difficult this must be.

(Oh and for the record--I HATE exercise--I mean DESPISE it!!! I fight it tooth and nail, honestly! So you're not going to hear how many ways you're missing out! I'm a bad girl when it comes to that in that I hate it so much, but my sister forces me to get off my a$$--but I don't want to! 2 jobs, 2 kids, 3 dogs and a hubby--who the H*LL wants to exercise in the little free time they have?!? I want to sleep LOL)

((HUGS)) to you Melody.

Elfie, It does seem like your personal sweet spot has been passed at some point. Maybe you should have only .5cc taken out at a time so you don't pass it up in the other direction. Don't give up. I still think the band is right for you. You just need to get to the perfect restriction level for you. I have had trouble with meat from day one, but even I can eat a small spinach salad at Applebees.

Thank you ladies.

HB, I think you're right. I passed my 'sweet spot' somewhere along the way and I just need to go back and find it. I went into the doctor's yesterday morning and found I was at 8cc (couldn't remember where we left it last time). After talking to the nurse, I made the decision to take it down to 6cc and, if necessary, work slowly up from that point.

The difference this time is that I know the sweet spot is that place where you can still eat 'most' foods (understanding that some days the band is just tighter than other days) 'most' of the time and have control over the quantity. Being able to eat the 'good for you' foods is just as important as the restriction.

My son and I went out to lunch at Ruby Tuesday's and I had their appetizer crab cake with a side of green beans. It came with a baked potato but I only ate about 1/4 cup of potato. I was in heaven! Green beans! No doubt I could probably have eaten that whole giant baked potato *but* I recognized that I was full and stopped. That has to be the big bonus for me since surgery. I can now recognize when I'm full *before* I've eaten enough for 3 people. I did not get stuck or slime even once.

For dinner I had a piece of fish with steamed broccoli sprinkled with just a tiny bit of parmesan cheese. Broccoli was always a big nono for me. Stuck every time. Not this time.

The last 9 months have not been a total loss. I'm still down 30+ pounds. I've learned what true 'full' feels like. I've learned to take small bites, chew well and eat slowly and it's become a habit so that I really don't have to think about it anymore. Most importantly I've learned that *I* am still the one who has to put the fork down because there will always be foods that will slide through and let me overeat...and *I* am the one who still has to make the good food choices because the band allows some of the worst food choices to slide right through.

I have to say that I am feeling motivated and positive this morning after yesterday's complete lack of sliming, PB'ing or 'oversploding' (as opposed to vomiting). I started my morning with my usual protein shake which I'm now making with unsweetened almond milk (as opposed to the higher carb cow's milk) and am planning on a salad with a couple ounces of protein in it for lunch. My between meal snacks today are going to be watermelon just because it's that time of year and I'm craving the fresh fruits.

Since we're going to disneyworld in 2 months and will be eating out all the time, and I don't want to have to deal with PBing or sliming, I've decided to stay at 6cc until after I come back...and then make a decision as to whether or not I need another fill. I'm not going to be in a hurry this time.

FACEBOOK people...

I am so sorry if I inadvertently deleted you, but I was a bit overzealous in removing 'friends' when I quit playing Mafia Wars. I had over 1300 people I had to remove and may have removed some of you.

If I did and you want to re-friend me, you can find me either with my FB name - Melody Parker Upham - or my e-mail: melody@dmci.net