Dontondan

Before surgery This is the day after I had my surgery, shopping at Revolution Ave This was taken in April I will have to take a recent photo of me now......I can wear a size 16!!!!

Lookin' Good Girl!!!!

Doolittle said they were having technical problems that they are working on....I have the problems too.

Whoo-Hooo! I will be on the boob job wagon too before I even think of a bikini. I want those babies up where they are supposed to be and not hanging by my belly button!

I would get on the internet and call the corporate office for Golden Corral and explain the situation and see what they say. It may just be the Manager at the time. All the restaurants that I have been to have been so understanding and I have never had to show the card. They just are really supportive and haven't given me a problem. Yet! Usually I just eat off of everyone else's plate, or order a soup or salad. I suppose that Golden Corral is a big chain and they may not have any set policy for this sort of thing and maybe they need to be informed of the special needs of bandsters and leave it up to individual management, therefore it would be their discretion, but you may get a refund if the corporate policy is different.

Whoo-Hoo! I am so happy for you. I hope someday that I too can say I can wear a 2 piece suit....and look decent in it, may have too many wrinkles though!

Hang in there, only four more days! Real food! Yay! You can do it. :cheerleader:

If you feel up to it, go for it!

Cedar, Loved the shaved ice idea, I would have loved that, but I would go to the mall when I couldn't take it any more and get a bubble tea without the bubbles! It would make me feel so full. Also the little italian ice cups are some of my favorites. Then of course I would lick potato chips!!! Desparate times call for desparate measures.

You will get more comfortable with your band as time goes on. It is really quite durable. it will just take time to wrap your head around it.

I can do 45 minutes of aerobic exercise without dying! I can shop for clothes at regular stores and regular departments. People don't look at me with disgust if I am eating at a restaurant or give you the "look" if you are putting something in your mouth! I can pass a mirror and have to look twice to make sure it is really me! My teenage son wanting to "feel" my new buff and skinny legs!

Pretty soon those shorts will be falling off of you and into the rag bag!

Don't forget that the majority of the people who are posting are either pre-band or newly post-band and haven't lost much if at all yet.....key word is yet!

You sound really depressed. I know what you are going through. We all do. You are not alone at all, we are here for you. I hated the soup stage too and was licking potato chips and dumb stuff like that, just chewing stuff and spitting it out cause I knew I couldn't have it. Just hang in there. 12 pounds in 11 days is great!

Tonya, What a delightful story. Feels good, doesn't it? I don't know if I would have spent that much money on clothes that will be too big in a few months......it comes off that quick! I have only been buying clothes from Garage Sales and Thrift stores because my sizes change every other month! I am not complaining though! Now I can buy stuff in "regular" stores, but I don't feel comfortable there yet....it is very scary for me as there is so much selection now......I am soooo confused!

You poor baby! That is so stressful! Among my friends I am the "grim reaper" as I am always called to take thier pets in and have them euthanized. I have done so many over the years as I am an animal lover and always have tons of pets (especially elderly or sickly ones) All my animals die in my loving arms because that is the way that I choose it. My vet is so patient with me and lets me have my way. I comfort them until thier last breath and tell them that I love them and I will see them someday on the other side. I once had one of my cats put to sleep and the vet wouldn't let me back when they did it and I still have nightmares and dreams that they didn't really put her down and she is out there somewhere (impossible). I lost two of my beloved Golden Retrievers last year and still can't think about it without tears. I haven't been able to get another baby puppy yet, just my Pom. Someday.........

:lb10: :lb9:

My band is very fickle. Most days I can't eat chicken....unless it is wing meat, which is very moist. I can't eat skin, it comes back or gets stuck. I also have problems with tuna, beef. On these days when I can't seem to get my protein in I eat yogurt with vanilla protein powder mixed into it (tastes almost like cheesecake). This is the only way I seem to get all of my protein in on my "fickle" days. Some days I have no problems at all. Be careful with the carbs though. I can eat pastas with no problems, but rice and bread are a big no-no. Eggs are a good source of protein for me too. I make nice fluffy scrambled eggs (egg with a small amount of heavy cream) and they are delicious. You will learn what you can and can't do. Everyone is different.

Ahhhh, July 5th! I don't know if I can make it, hubby is out of town and I have the girls all week by myself and can't leave them home. Plus a lot of people may have other things on the weekend because of the holiday. I will try and shuffle things on this end though, I really want to meet everyone.

As far as the drinking with meals, you have to stop that. You are defeating yourself. I have to constantly remind myself everyday. I drink a very cold (icy) water just prior to eating my meal and that seems to close up my band more. Just like hot liquids "open" it up. You don't have to be a great cook to have good nutrition. There are plenty of good things in the freezer section....Lean cuisine, Smart Ones, and several others. Just keep your freezer stocked....they are all portion controlled too, so you know you can eat it all! Don't even go down the junk food aisles in the stores. They are poison! Stick to the fresh and frozen portions of the store. If you don't go down the aisle, you won't be tempted to impulse buy. Bread is no longer your friend anymore....this is a good thing for me, I was addicted. Now if I am going to have any bread at all it has to be worth the discomfort that I will suffer. In other words, fresh and warm! LOL! Hope this helps.

I would be afraid that a regular MD has not been trained to do this procedure and doesn't know enough about the band and how it works and the complications that can happen. Think twice before having just anybody do your fill.

Kimmie, We have all been there, just hang in there and stay tough! You have already lost 46 pounds since March! That is incredible and you are looking great. You have probably hit a plateau, don't fret and let your body catch up with your weight loss. You will start losing again as long as you follow the rules. I went through this too and since my second fill I am losing slower, but it is still coming off but I am losing body mass.....my jeans are looser (I keep getting tighter ones and they are getting loose) but it isn't reflecting this on the scale. We are here if you need us. Donna

You will get tired of the soups too! I can't stand soup now, Only use it when I have to....after a fill or to give the stomach a rest.

Way to Go! Let Dr. Miranda know about how well you are doing. She let me add Subway to my pre-op because I lost pretty fast. That was my treat!

Thanks for sharing your experience so well. I was a cry-baby too and the anesthesiologist sat and held me for about 20 minutes while I calmed down from my panic attack. He was just passing my room while they were having a difficult time with my IV! He is such a nice man and doesn't get so much credit because we usually sleep through his end of things. I would have NEVER gotten that sort of treatment from anyone in the US. I probably would have gotten a smack down from the nurses here!