I read the forums and have never posted before. I was banded 9/22/03. Due to my lack of will power and cheating/eating. When I went for my first consult 7/03 my weight was 308lbs. Currently, I weigh 298lbs. I have also been a poor chooser of foods. I believe my doctor is trying to get me to my sweet spot on the band slowly with very small fills. I have another fill scheduled for next Thrusday. One of the problems I have is regarding execise. I have 2 herniated discs in my lower back and it's real hard to motivate myself to exercise due to the pain. I have had 3 steroid injections on my back since last year. Still I have some pain. My wife has been supportive but she has been facing her own weight battle. She is going to have bypass surgery later this month. Hopefully we will be on the road togther and it will make the changes easier. I am just really frustrated with myself and I feel like a failure. Thanks to everyone for listening. I just needed to vent.

-Roy

I have Type 2 diabetes. I am on ACTOS right now. I was on Glucophage XR for a while. MY blood sugar is currently running in the 130 to 140 range. I am trying to get that under control. My cholestral is excellent from what the doctor says. It used to be really bad.

I am trying real hard to make changes. One of the problems I have is my eating choices. I grew up on a steady diet of meat and potatoes and very little vegetables. I didn't really like or eat vegetables growing up. Parents didn't really care. They both worked a lot and all they cared about was 1001 ways to cook ground beef, hamburger helper, canned vegetables and the like. Basically fast food and quick meals.

I didn't even eat chicken until the last 2 years or so. ( Thanks to my wife ). I lived off of fast food and tv dinners when I was single. One thing I still don't like is seafood. I just haven't built up the want or desire to eat the stuff.

-Roy

Hey Roy,

You can do this!!! I don't neccessarily follow the Atkins way but my carb intake is definitely less. I haven't had a single fill yet so on a very rare occassion I allow myself a small biscuits and gravy, or 1 small tortilla, regular bread doesn't work at all but I have been able to try toast. I like potatos too. I just really watch my calories and eat very small meals. I get between 1200 and 1500 calories a day. I like a lot of variety and try to achieve it. One of my favorites is a BBQ'ed lean hamburger patty with all the fixings but without the bun. Yummy. Keep trying new things! Like Donali said, you can get back on track anytime. Another thing I love are those rotisserie chickens they have at every store. I can do about 3 entirely different recipes with one chicken. Good luck to you and keep coming back. T

5/8/04

Dr. Lopez

362/326.5/?

down 35.5 lbs

Roy, Roy, Roy. Dear Roy... if there's any place for someone to break out of their shell, you've found it! Hold on, because your in for a fun filled, silly, yet extremely informative ride! Put your hands up and screeammmmm!

Yeah, being here with DeLarla is like riding in the last car of the rollercoaster with your hands held high over your head! Scary and thrilling and envigorating all at the same time!! lol

You just want to keep doing it over and over and over....

:D

We <3 DeLarla...

Just wanted to drop in and say hello to all my new friends. Sorry I have not responded since this afternoon. I am on a pc all day at work. When I get home I try not to get on it until late at night. I like to make sure I spend time with my wife in the evenings and stay off the pc most of the time.

Goodnight,

Roy

One little comment (maybe someone else made it, as I kind of sped through the posts) is that you don't need will power and can't cheat if you're not on a diet. So stop dieting. Just eat the food in the order you listed. If you can eat much, you don't have enough restriction.

Don't get discouraged when your wife starts losing weight quickly. This isn't about quick. It's about five years from now.

Roy, can you teach my hubby some of that "quality time with the wife" thingy? He spends too much time in the Spousal Avoidance Center (garage) pretending to be building stuff that never gets built, except that giant bird cage that I didn't want but now have with 4 Cockatiels who think their roosters. Funny, there's an article in Redbook that blew my husband's cover, so now I'm sure he's not doing anything important in there.

What's everyone doing for the long 4th of July weekend? I'm actually getting some quality time because Chris is taking me & the mutts camping. We're headed towards Utah for a gold-bearing mountain near a river or stream with our metal detectors and fishing poles. You guys should use this time wisely and post a bunch of gossip about me. Rock on!

Delarla,

You have the best spirit of anyone I know.... I love to read your posts and can't wait to meet you... Now the pressure is on girl!

You have to be funny ............But it doesn't seen to be hard for you. I wish I was going camping with you... Everything you talk about is so close to the way I am.... animals, birds, weight, hubby, etc. But I guess it could be close to a lot of us. Is your husband quiet? Mine is... I am the talker, Miss personality, and he is quiet.. But he and I both like it that way.. it is natural and I guess opposites do attract. Keep posting.... We will keep reading. :straight :straight :straight :straight

You people are my sunshine. Sometimes I try to wake up a little slow and grouchy, but I come here and soon my brain is screaming, "Let the sun shine, let the sun shine in!" Thanks for that!

Yes, hubby is quiet aka BORING. He thinks I use too many words, but then he never gets anything right because most men drop the details and use just a few grunts to complete a sentence. For example, he doesn't want to hear about the big blue sign or the green fence when asking for directions, just point him in the direction... then we drive in circles while I wonder when he'll learn.

I wish you were coming camping, too! Chris always wanted a metal detector, so Santa got him one last Christmas. I always just wanted him to come hiking with me. So we made a good match cause we explore abandoned mines and gold fields, he with his machine, me with my mutts collecting rocks & cactus. But on Valentines Day, he suprised me with the Mack Daddy of machines, better than his. So now I have to drag that thing with me. I do a little unsucessful gold hunting, then just hike. This time I'm 36 pounds lighter, so maybe I won't come as near as heart attacks as I usually do. But I gotta take it really easy cause my incision just closed up for the first time this week.

Also, like Donali said, somewhere around 30-40 the ground turns to cement, so sleeping on the ground when I'm only able to sleep on one side is going to be a tough one. We'll be the black truck driving towards Utah with my bed strapped to the top!

Have a great day!

We went camping 2 weeks ago, the first time in years without an RV (since we live on a lake we decided to sell it). Well with 2 kids in a small tent all the cushions couldn't keep me comfy. Was up every 20 min. turning hip to hip. Have fun camping. I'll miss you.

When the old man drives he passes the offramp then says "why aren't you being a backseat driver"

Roy All this info is good. food choices are important, you'll get it down and the weight will start dropping. Like others said if your able to eat alot and getting hungry to soon after meals, (hopefully your not PBing) you need an adjustment.

I have always wanted a metal detector. They are the coolest! What kind did Santa bring him? I am jealous too. Camping would be so fun. We had a big vet bill last week and now are poor for this week. UGH! Well have a blast! T

We can't afford camping either. Kitty had surgery the same weekend I had my port removal, Cha-Ching! But tell my 9 year old husband that. Vera, thanks for the warning. I'm going out at lunch to a nearby upholstery shop to see if I can get a few hunks of foam rubber, and I'm bringing every pillow and comforter in the house. Last year we went to an old ghost town, where it was 106 during the day and dropped to 30 at night. We had two little pads to sleep on but Voodoo & Sachi argued for their fair share, which is 150 pounds of dog. They wouldn't even sleep on the ground! But why should we go camping when we can just come to your lake house? I'm so flippin' jealous! That's my dream. Send me a map!

Teresa, we each have a White's detector, but Chris spoiled me with an accessory that makes mine more powerful. There's gold to fe found, cause people are still finding nuggets, but you've got to take it extremely seriously and put enormous ammounts of effort into it. I do minimal effort and dig up about a hundred bullets. We came close though and thought we found gold, but we had it tested and it was "fools gold." Hey, that's pretty exciting in my book! I also found a lot of blue copper, so my rock garden has lots of blue rocks. Pretty cool

Wish you guys were all coming.. would be a hoot!

I grew up in a very old small town sorrounded by mountains full of old gold mines and ghost towns. It is so pretty and such a fun day trip truckin up there. As a child, my dad took us up there fairly often for sunday picnic like occassions. I have taken my husband up there a few times. There are dozens of beautiful swimming holes and old covered bridges all the way up there. Oregon is so beautiful, it is absolutely breathtaking. I have lived here all of my life and just never stop feeling lucky. The only other spot I would ever live is the Big Island of Hawaii. My husband was adopted and that is where his birth family lives. We have gone a couple of times and I actually cry when it is time to come home. Otherwise I have visited quite a few different states and can't help but feel attached to Oregon. Our economy usually stinks but otherwise the state is good.

I have rented metal detectors before. You do have to be tenacious. There is some family story about a lost ring from a prior king of saudia arabia on a piece of property we inherited last winter. I was determined to find it one weekend and rented a nice metal detector. The weather wasn't real cooperative but I was determined... I found lost of old forks, metal lids, bottle caps, etc but no huge ring. LOL... I'm planning on future searching. Unfortunately the property is about 3 hours from where we live and WORK so permanent relocation won't happen for a few years. The house is heading toward derelict conditions as well. It is fun to camp in though. We still get the benefit of 4 walls and working appliances and still feel close to nature and roughing it.

The story about the ring is pretty certain though. My husbands grandmother had thrown it out into the hillside and deemed it BAD luck. One of her sons saw her do this but none of the boys were supposedly ever able to find it. The fact that it is from the king of saudia arabia is also factual. Part of the family lived in saudia arabia for a long time (15-20 years) and were a part of a huge oil company. This was all back in the 60's and 70's. I love history, can you tell? I just went on and on. Sorry for getting off topic. Have fun, Lisa!!! Take some pictures! T

The digital batteries are charging right now cuz I'm a huge picture taker. Teresa, my husband would tent out in that yard given permission in search of that ring! Many moons ago, I too, lived in Oregon for one year. It rained and rained and rained. But I remember looking up at the brilliant blue sky on one of the rare sunny days and reliazing all the rain is worth the beauty. Yes, the economy sucked, even 20 years ago. Had I been more prosperous, I might have stayed. My husband went to bed at 7pm, so he'll but up at 2am shaking me with a cup of coffee, cause he's all ready to go! He's decided on Prescott, Arizona. Boring, I've been to Ariziona too many times... I was looking forward to Utah or Colorado. But heck, at least he's taking me somewhere. And my poor dogs are freaking out and can't sleep cause they see the camping gear out and they can't wait! See you guys in a few days. Peace, till then.

I miss you already lisa, Can't wait to chat when you get back. What part of Oregon did you live in? T