denisem

Thanks for all the sweet comments! She has been having a great first week. It makes me want to go back to kindergarten and start over. Yesterday they had a visit from the gingerbread man and then played a game where they tried to find him inside the school...basically a take on "You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man". So cute! Imagine over 100 5-year olds looking over the entire school for the missing guy! The week has been bittersweet for me. I'm thrilled that she is not having a tough time going to school, but since she is my only child, I've got to find something to do with my time. I'll be volunteering at her school quite a bit and working on numerous home projects for awhile! Anything to keep me from eating!

Yayyy! We are so happy to see you back on the forum again. I'm glad you are all moved in! We missed you around here and I wanted to tell you I referred back to one of your older posts to add some pictures to a post today. Could have NEVER figured it out without your help! Thanks, Denise

Great job, Julie! 25 lbs is nothing to sneeze at! You and I are on similar tracks. I was banded 6/12 and have lost 23 lbs! Have a wonderful vacation and we'll miss you while you're gone. Denise

I'm not very good at this insertion picture thing, but here goes my stab at it! Hopefully this will work. For those of you who don't know, my little 5-year old daughter, Kristen, started kindergarten this week! Thanks for all the sweet comments you ladies sent in. These are shots taken the first and second days. Denise

I'll be thinking about you today Cathy. I'm scheduled for my 2nd fill on 9/5. I really need one now, but they can't fit me in until then. I was banded in the Houston area. Let us know how it goes! Denise

My 5-year old daughter started to Kindergarten today! She is my only child and it left me a little misty eyed to say the least. She was very brave and it didn't bother her one bit to be followed around being filmed and photographed all morning long by her overly obsessed parents! Her main concern was lunchtime and how she would find me in the carpool line. I'll post a picture of her if I can figure out how. I just wanted to share this special day with you all. Denise

It's not truly a bad day unless you had actually eaten the food....you caught yourself in time with a little help from your hubby, so all is not lost! Even if you had eaten the food, just the fact that you realized it was not a good thing is a step in the right direction. I commend you on realizing your tendencies and that my friend, is the first step! I think you actually had a pretty good day afterall! Denise

Wow, that must have been scary. I'm sorry that happened to you, but I'm glad you are alright. Get your rest today and you should be fine. Ever since starting this new lifestyle change, I can totally tell when my blood sugar is low and I need something. I'm not diabetic, but I can still tell. It's amazing what our bodies tell us constantly....Feel better and get some rest today! Denise

Welcome to the group. You'll find so many wonderful people here to ask questions, share stories and your struggles and accomplishments with! We are all in it together, and this forum becomes an addiction (better than food, that's for sure). Good luck on your journey. Denise

Phoenix, I just LOVE the way you speak your mind. You say what we all would like to say, only better! Thank you for your honesty and keeping me on track. I really just need to focus on the "me" part of this journey and stop worrying about what everyone else thinks about it. I appreciate your candidness. Denise

Nicole, Thanks for the encouraging note. I am pretty excited about fitting into a size 16, don't get me wrong....I only wish it was happening a little faster! I don't have much patience with waiting, but I know it will be worth it one day. I think I was about 23 years old the last time I wore a size 12! Denise

WOWZA! You are looking so good and I can so see a difference in your before/after pics! Thanks for sharing! People are finally starting to notice a little weight loss in me, mainly in my chest area and face. I can tell in my waist and hips with my pants though. Exciting stuff going on here! Denise

That is WONDERFUL! I'm very excited for you. Your NSV puts mine to shame...I was all excited this morning because I fit into a size 16 pair of pants that have been hanging there w/ tags for over a year. They fit me today, so I was excited. I guess it really doesn't matter which size you downsize to....they all make us happier! Congrats! Denise

Congrats on your fill! Hopefully this will be the one you've been longing for. Good luck with TS Fay! We recently endured tropical storm Eduoard in the Houston area and it's wasn't too bad, mainly because it was fast moving. Still be prepared for alot of rain! BTW, you are looking great! Denise

Way to go Kim! You look great in those jeans! It won't be long before you're wearing 10's...it almost seems like you could do it now. Congrats on your success! Denise

I bought the book about a month ago from Amazon and it was very good. I refer back to it often for questions I have. I wasn't even banded at the OCC, but I still feel the book is very helpful to any bandster. Denise

Evette, This is GREAT advice! I'm still waiting for my 2nd fill so I haven't personally experience too much restriction yet. But, I will definitely keep this in mind once I get my next fill. Thanks for the tip! Denise

Congratulations Cathy! 40 lbs is great, especially for 3 months! You should be very proud of yourself. Keep up the good work, and I'll watch for the new pics! Denise

Thank you for sending out this note, Mona. I have never witnessed you being anything but sympathetic and helpful to anyone struggling, and mostly supportive of those who are achieving success and those who are not. I'm sorry you had to endure this childish, trivial joke someone is playing on you, and I hope it comes to an end very soon. Hang in there! We NEED you on this forum! Denise

Laadeedaa, You crack me up! Green Acres airs at 10:30pm, so stay tuned! D

I lost 12 lbs during the liquid phase and through sheer willpower only gained back 1-2 lbs before my first fill. After that fill, I lost 3 lbs that week. I'm now in week 2 after my fill and am staying the same so far. I really don't have too much restriction yet, so I'm hoping fill #2 does better for me. Denise

Cathy, Your vacation getaway sounds wonderful! We will certainly miss you while you are gone, but I'm sure you'll be just fine away from us for a few days! Good luck with your restriction. I have also had one fill, and my restriction comes and goes too. I'm hoping fill #2 does the trick! Have fun! Denise

I agree with Julie on this one....I hardly ever feel like I'm stuffed like I used to after Thanksgiving dinner. I think it's all in our head and we look at what we've eaten and think to ourselves....how can I possibly be full after eating so little food? So, we try to eat more and get the golfball in the chest feeling. That is what I get when I realize I need to stop. Is that a full feeling or a stuck feeling though? Denise

Mexican is my all time favorite thing to eat. I've gotten into the habit of counting out 5 chips and pushing the rest of the bowl to my hubby and daughter to share. I break up the 5 chips into small pieces and eat each piece as if it were a whole chip. Then for my entree', I've been ordering tamales off the a'la'carte menu and having them topped with chili con carne. I also ask for frijoles a la chara (beans) and eat those. So far, I'm able to eat my 5 chips with salsa, 1 tamale and a couple of bites of beans, then I'm stuffed. The tamales go down really well because the meat inside is shredded and very tender. Just a tip from a mexican food nut! Denise

I had my first fill 8 days ago and it was nothing like you described on this post! I had my surgery done in Houston, and my doctor who performed my surgery also did my fill. It took about 5-10 minutes, at the most. He had my lie down on a cushioned table with a pillow and raise my head up like I was about to do an abdominal crunch. While I did that, he located the port, applied the numbing solution and told me I would feel a little poke. That was it, just a small poke and then he said I would feel a little tug when he removed the needle. It was so painless and fast. I drank water after sitting up, and the needle was already out. If you are considering Houston for your next fill, I'll be glad to give you my doctor's info. I hope you are healed soon and find someone you can trust. Denise