UTdigiMOM

wannabeslim - yes it all sticks together which is the idea. When you lift it off the baking sheet with the spatula you'll have the chip. Yummy!

Hey Natalie - I emailed you yesterday and now I know why I didn't hear from you. I'm so sorry you're going through this. It must be awful! Sending you hugs and hoping you're feeling better soon!

Those pictures tell the whole story! You look amazing and what a difference. It's so great to hear success stories like yours. It keeps all us newbies right on target!! Keep it up!

These are a low carb staple. You use a non-stick cookie sheet or non-stick foil and put small piles of cheese (I like Parmigiano-Reggiano best!) all around the cookie sheet and broil it in the toaster oven until just melted. Make the piles small and you'll come away with thin, flat cheese 'chips' that are supper yummy. I've tried this with cheddar too. Here's another variation I found online: Mom's Homemade Cheese Chips Small pinch of grated cheddar for each "chip" ½ tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. garlic powder Place on non-stick cookie sheet & bake at 400º for approximately 6 minutes until flat, hard, & crisp - not burned! Remove with spatula & place on paper towel.

Ha ha, I'm following the 'other' Jessica from Utah - XOXO Just wanted to say congrats on your amazing accomplishment. You're working that band, girl!! I just love how beautiful your jawline is now. Stunning!! Keep up the great work and keep those pictures coming. It's so fun to share!!

That makes a lot of sense. My husband's naturally thin but does indulge in dessert when we go to restaurants every now and again. I'm always amazed at how much he savors the flavors of the dessert. This would explain that! Thanks for thinking of us and posting this!

That's such great news!! I bet it's nice to finally feel that restriction we're always reading/hearing about! Congrats!

You must have felt so good slipping those smaller ones on!! I can't wait to have that feeling. I'm remembering a pair of jeans that were my FAV that I can't wait to get into. Congrats and THANKS for sharing!!

Dr. Miranda said you could suck on ice cubes. Would that help? Just banded last Friday, so I'm not there yet. Maybe some more experienced bandsters will weigh in.

Hey Jessica - Did you go to the Dr. you emailed me about? What did you think of him? Good bedside manner? Clean office? Nice staff? I'm glad you're feeling restriction. When do you think you'll go back for your second fill? How long did you go from your surgery date until this first fill? Thanks for posting. I was going to email you this week after I felt better. This clear liquid stuff is almost over. I'm excited to add the yogurt and creamy soups. Talk soon!

Thanks for posting this Dana!! I haven't felt like sitting at my computer until today. The surgery was so easy and the facility is clean and beautiful. Love Dr. Ortiz and his staff. I'm on the liquid diet now and it really isn't that bad. I collected the email addresses of all 9 of us banded that day and just sent out an email today. Hope to hear from everyone to see how they're doing. Thanks for all the good wishes.

In this case a picture really is worth a thousand words!! You look so healthy and happy. You do Glow!! Thanks so much for sharing. This is HUGE motivation for us on our journey!

This is such an accomplishment! 12 years is a long time. Congrats!! Shopping in the 'regular' section is a huge motivator for me. Enjoy!

I love that you are so willing to share your pictures with us. You look fab!! I can really see it in your face. It helps motivate us all so keep 'em coming. Keep up the great job!! You're worth it.

Hello Sandra - I'm being banded tomorrow and I love new band friends. I've already met two friends here that I'm hoping will join the forum. We'll see. Good luck on your search. I'd love to be your friend.

Kim - Your post was so helpful! Thanks for all the detail. I wondered about the gas on the flight home. You set my mind at ease. I look forward to following your progress and your results. Keep us posted on the days that follow. They should be 'interesting' ones. Good luck!

Dear Heidi - As a child of divorce I strongly urge you to have an open mind throughout this rough patch of your marriage. I've been married to my husband for 13 years and all marriages have their ups and downs. Your children deserve your best effort to keep their home intact. It's sometimes not possible (due to adultery, addiction, or abuse) but your situation seems redeemable. I heard a poem written by an 11 year old daughter of a divorced father and it really spoke to me. I could have written that poem. My parents divorced when I was 6 and their reason was that they just 'fell out of love'. The next 12 years of my life were spent traveling between my 2 'houses' and enduring multiple boyfriends and girlfriends of my 2 parents. I couldn't wait to leave and move out on my own at 18. I went on to have a great life, but my brother didn't fare so well. He was only 4 when they divorced. I know it can't be easy for you right now, but please consider your children's future and what's in their best interest. Hugs from Utah!! Here's the letter: My Daughter's Poem Everyone says that two must be fun but I really loved when I had just one. Two rooms to play means two rooms to clean, two beds to sleep means two beds to make. They say I am lucky, gimme a break. My mom misses mornings my dad misses nights, but I miss them both even the fights. My first date, my first kiss, the pictures before prom, how do I choose between my dad and my mom. Two Christmases, two Easters, and two Halloweens must be fun, but I'd give everything back just to have one. When you're young like I am the pain is still real, I get tired of them telling me how I should feel. I never say what they don't want to hear, I think you are selfish for putting me here. Here in this place where I pack a suitcase and go back and forth from place to place. Maybe two is good for you, but I still loved one and I was not ready for all the fun. If you love me so much like you say you do, then you'd know I want one, I never liked two. I never cared about the problems you had, it was yours to deal with, you're mom and dad. You made me deal with things I never knew, you told me I would have fun because now I have two. You should have never ever given me one if you thought one day it would all be done. You were supposed to protect me and never let things bad, but then you caused the worst pain I ever had. Now I never question the love you both feel, for me and my brother its always been real. I love you both too and I'll always be there but I will never think that it was in any way fair.

You did it!! That's so great! You're so smart to shout it out. What a great feeling it must be!! Keep up the good work!

With that frame of mind you can do anything you set your mind to. Congrats and keep us posted. No accomplishment is too small. We love hearing/reading about them all!!

Please share all your victories with us all. We love celebrating right along side you. Congrats on your weightloss. You have the right attitude!!

Hey Ellen - I'm a newbie here, but I'm being banded by Dr. O on 10/10. Will you have your fill done at the OCC? If so, I look forward to meeting you!! Hope today is better than yesterday. It usually is. Big smiles,

I saw this on a band patient's blog and thought maybe someone here might use it? Here's the link: http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?locale=en_us Click on 'See How It Works' in the upper right hand side. It's pretty cool. Basically you buy the kit with the sensor and the shoes that fit the sensor and you can track your runs and walks via your home computer to chart your progress. I like having that much data (i.e. calories burned, pace, etc. ) to really see where I've been. You can also set goals, etc. I would use that feature. Anyone heard of this or better used it? Thoughts?

THIS is the exact reason why I've chosen only to tell my husband and my dad who will be accompanying me to my surgery. People are just uneducated about the benefits of this surgery. There have been so many sensationalized stories in the media about gastric bypass surgery (and often times the subsequent re-gaining of the weight loss) that people just tend to lump all weightloss surgery all together. I did tell one other person who has struggled with her weight and has two teenage daughters who are very overweight about it and her response was supportive and positive. Did this man have a weight problem? If not, that might have something to do with his response too. Don't worry about any of these kinds of people. You're doing the right thing and will prove him wrong in the end. Congrats on being smoke free. That's a HUGE accomplishment!!

Now that's a way to start a weekend!! I'm so happy for you. It's been said before, but merits repeating. You are such a huge cheerleader for so many of us in our weightloss journey. You're always there to lend a kind word and give a nod of encouragement. Thanks so much for that. As a newbie, I really appreciate it all. Congrats on your milestone!! It's truly an accomplishment to be proud of!!

Your attitude is inspirational. I'm sure many on this board have been in your same position. Instead of getting down on yourself, you're staying positive. That can only benefit your cause. Not to repeat, but your legs are amazing. If I had those I'd be out mini-skirt shopping in celebration. Keep up the great work. LOVE the pictures.