Hi everyone--I thought I'd listen to some advice from one of the other monthly groups and start one master thread in which we have an ongoing discussion/updates. I don't know about you all but I certainly spend most of my time on these boards on the pre-op forum and the general forum, not here. It would be nice to have just one thread to go to once in this forum.

We can maybe start out with introductions?

As for me, I'm going the "online privacy" route for now (paranoid that people I haven't told about this will somehow stumble across me on this site I guess, which is crazy, I know) but I can give you the big picture:

You can call me Penny, I'm 27, single and live in the Washington, DC area. I have a background in politics (which is why I live in DC) but now I'm a librarian which is much cooler and way more fun (trust me on that). Oh, and there's no "Marion the Librarian" thing with me either. One of the things I hear most frequently (besides the cliche "you have such a pretty face") is "but you don't LOOK like a librarian", which is another one of those bizarre backhanded compliments that you never really know how to take.

Personality wise, I'm kind of dorky, big into public radio and books and popular science. Oh, I'm also a little on the paranoid side (as you may be able to tell from earlier in this post). Beyond that I'm just kind of silly and friendly, VERY much so into traveling and I'm an aspiring "green" domestic diva (but that's not going so well).

WooHoo! Way to go Orea! You deserve a major pat on the back!

orea, woohoo! You go girl!

awesome Orea! thats no small thing!!

Kimaly, you are in my prayers as well.. please keep us posted.

Way to go Orea! :smile2:

You go girl! it's an amazing amount of weight to lose. can you imagine picking up 80lbs and hauling it around all day, just doesn't seem possible does it?

Thank you all!!

I remember well how hard it was to haul those 80 pounds up the basement stairs! LOL

THAT IS GREAT!!! Hi I am Melissa. Did you realize that is 80 pounds is 320 cubes of butter? That is awsome. :cursing:

Hi, Melissa. That is one heckuva lot of butter!

I finally broke 190! I'm 189.5. It took 2 1/2 weeks (the ticker said I last changed it on 11/14) to break but I broke it! WooHoo! Now I need to work on breaking 180.

This last fill is definitely giving me more restriction. Last night I had tomato soup made with goat's milk. I loved it but it didn't fill me up so I ended up popping a bag of popcorn. For the first time, the popcorn didn't slide right through the band; I could feel it sitting in my pouch. Not too tight and uncomfortable but I could feel it.

Woohooo, Donna! Yup, soup isn't going to satisfy like solid food will.

For lunch today, I had five Schwan's Italian meatballs with 1/2 cup of french cut canned green beans for my pasta substitute and a little spaghetti sauce, sprinkled liberally with Parmesan cheese. Tasty and very filling. Well under 300 calories. It was a very satisfying meal with lots of flavor. I'm about to start drinking again nearly two hours later. I want all the full feeling I can get!

I'm looking forward to solid food again but so soon after a fill I need to ease back into it. I'm making 15 bean soup with smoked ham hocks in a slow cooker so tonight will be bean soup night (mushies).

Kimaly I am thinking of you. I hope we find out soon how you are.

Donna you and me both are in the 180's. Sounds good doesn't it? It feels like the 200's are long gone. I am wanting to be in the 170's before Christmas. I am right now about 184. I am in bed and need to get up but it is snowing and blowing in Kansas City and feel like I am going to freeze to death! If I don't get up and move or work out then I will not be losing weight. I tell myself that and it usually works.

Orea love the meatball idea! I have not thought about that. You can buy them already cooked or make them yourself. I think I will do that and make them myself and freeze a bunch!

We are working on cleaning out the freezer, so the meatballs were part of that effort. You would be amazed at how well the French green beans work as a pasta substitute.

I also sometimes use the Fiber Gourmet pasta in small quantity. Great stuff, and I have not yet had a problem with it. FiberGourmet: low calorie, high fiber pasta

Hi all,

I have not posted in awhile but I am still here. I have been following closely. I have had really good weight loss and good restriction for the past few weeks. All of a sudden, now I am starving all the time. I wake up hungry and go to sleep hungry. Is it really true that as you lose and your stomach gets smaller, the band gets bigger and you need another fill? I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this. I have to wait until the 13th and just hope I don't gain!