JazzyJude

Kim - you are doing fantastic! So glad you got a good fill this around! WTG girl! Love to hear about your progress!

OK babe...thanks for the info! I will check with her...or see if there is anything in the past post to do it. Have a super day!

That is great news Dianna and I am sure you a smiling big time!! It's an accoplishment you should be proud of! Yes, glow and steady is good so that while losing you can exercise more to shrink your skin tighter. A small hurdle is a goal success! Thanks for sharing your victory...keep in touch for more victories yet to come!

Thanks Jann! It's a hard struggle for my son's family. And with the posting on Momlogic.com, it didn't go well. It's hard for anyone to take such hard criticism when they don't know what they are talking about! So, I am convincing my grandson that HE made a good choice and I really asked him, "How do YOU feel about all this?" He just simply looked at me and said, "Dad did the best thing for me Nana and I feel so great! I can move better and I am now smiling more!" He had tears welled up in his eyes, for I know what he has been going through. But, that is over with and now we are ALL focusing FORWARD...and you know what, Jann? Yes, the family support is fantastic and it's not ohly for the physical side but mentally! OK...I am getting emotional about this because it's so POSITIVE of a move for all of us and WE are seeing the goodness of the band and yes, it's for life and I wouldn't have it any other way! God love you all for your suppport too! Sniff, sniff...sigh, smiling!

Oh, I wish I can do pictures but I am not that savvy on the computer. Was it easy for you to post? Is it difficult to do?

It's nothing but the truth...honest Your Honor! And you better get better at receiving these kind of compliments Jann because they will start coming to you soon enough! You so deserve it!! Warm hugs back to you sweetie!

Aw Kim - thanks for replying back so quickly! AND most of all, to give me a sample of your daily intake...it's awesome and you know what? It's the kind of foods I like. I think I will try this when I get on my solids... Thanks and keep up the good work!

DITTO Denise! THAT is exactly what I was talking about...she really does looks young enough to be carded! It's amazing Jann, how you've transformed into this beautiful girl (well, woman). You do inspire me girl!!

Hi Kim, I was wondering how you were doing too! So glad your fill was a successful one and losing 5 lbs in one week - that is AWESOME! I am interesting in any low-carb recipes you are doing, in addition to cutting down on the chips and crackers (my favs too!). Can you share a few? Thanks!

Hi Sweetie, Sorry you are not feeling good. Also, you can try to add the Sugar Free Hot Chocolate. That may help with the taste. As far as the cold, take lots of Vit C and Enchasea (sp?). This helps without having the medicines in you. Also take some zinc lozengers to help with any throat issues. Hope this helps@ Hey, only 2 more weeks to go!! Yea! I had mine last week and trust me, time will fly by!

Hi Sweetie1 Have a great week with your Mom! I love my 'Mom and I' days too. It's special especially right now to share your new self! See ya when you come back!

Oh GREAT! Coming from you Jann, one of the experts, I really needed to hear that because, yes, it was scary and I truthfully didn't want to get up this morning for fear I might have hurt myself in some way! WHEW...what a load off my mind! Now I can relax and sleep good tonight...

OK Folks...the Fishells are my family! Daughter in law, Dante and grandson, Joey, went to OCC on July 2 and my son, Mike, and Dante's sister, Darci, went to OCC on Aug 13. They were all banded by Dr. Ortiz. THEY are the reason I got inspired to get banded too. This is how I got inspired... On Sep 1st, when my hubby, Mike, and Joey came home from hunting, is when I REALLY noticed the weight loss from the two of them. I was just in awe because Joey had such a hard time with his weight loss, as well as the rest of the family due to diabetic issues. Mike said that he was going to go to TJ for Dante and Joey's fill the comig Sat, Sep 6 and asked if I would joined them and maybe take the tour. To make this short...I went and toured the place and signed up that day and just picked a date, a month later, for the surgery! Boom! Just like that and well, here I am!

Last night after my 'Soup'er experience, which I posted today too, my hubby and I went to the VFW Post for a birthday and a Farewell party to a couple of people. Thank goodness I had my soup before we went! I ordered a cranberry juice and a glass of ice chips and nursed them all the while we were there. Even though I was full with the soup, it was hard to SEE the food displayed on the serving tables because I've missed the biting and chewing of food! BUT, I did it and I was a good girl and the only thing I had was put only ONE tiny piece (a teaspoon worth) of watermelon in my mouth and sucked the juice out completely AND chewed the pulp to bits and spit out the pulp. Oh, it tasted ever so good! Other than that, I didn't have one tiny morsel of anything! I was so proud of myself! Hubby had his plate full of food and ate the cake and ice cream and I just sipped, sipped and sipped on my cranberry juice and crunched those darn ice chips away! Karaoke began soon after the eating and after an hour of people singing their songs, requests for line dancing were asked. THAT got me going because I LOVE to dance! So, the first one was the Electric Slide and it was great because I was only using my legs and clapping my hands...so there's good exercises, right? Next there was another line dance and it's all foot work and doing 1/4 turns in between. Next came the Macarena...which was mostly all arms movements and a few bellying around, but NO jumping around to the next turn to face another directions! I was too scared to think I might jiggle the band off my stomach! As soon as the Macarena song ended and everyone was going back to their seats, I turned to start walking towards my chair and found out I couldn't move...much less breathe normally. I felt as though my stomach and ballooned out and my air supply was starting to cut off. I started to panic but calmed myself quickly as I didn't want to alarm my body too much and get into a frenzy and caused a stir, etc. My hubby saw me standing and guided me to my seat and I sat. BIG MISTAKE! I felt all my organs being pushed upwards and my lungs felt squashed. Immediately I stood up and came behind my chair for support to hang on. I slowly did my breathing, in through the nose, out through the mouth, a few times and then decided to go outside for fresh air. This helped and all was ok after about 10 minutes. I then examined what I've just done...did I dance to soon? Was this too hard on myself too soon after being banded last week? Should I have not drank any juice before dancing on a 'full' tummy? After staying for a bit longer, we went home and in the car sitting was not too bad but the pressure was there. Going to bed and laying on my waterbed felt GOOD! I never woke up and had a good sleep. I woke up this morning and was afraid to move. I was waiting for some kind of 'pain' or discomfort of some kind. I laid for about a minutes and finally moved and nothing! I felt good! In fact, the small 'leftover gas' I had from the surgery was gone! I feel wonderful now. So, being a newbie here...was I just lucky nothing hurts? Might I have moved my band or harm it? Did I break one of the bandster's rules of exercising like this? Was it ok because I got rid of the gas pocket I had? I was viewing Jann's post about the '10 important rules of eating, drinking and exercising' and I thought I was ok with the dancing - though slow dancing probably would been better at this point. Sorry this was long but another lesson to learn for me...and I wanted to get another forn of exercising than just walking.

Oh, I know it is you...but you look like 20 years YOUNGER! That is what I am saying, it's like two completely different person. Anyway, I hope you continue with the forum after you've lost your goal weight. I would like to continue to hear of your maintenance progress too!

Denise...WOW! You look terrific and you are certainly glowing! You're doing fantastic with your weight loss!! :lb24:

Jann, I keep looking between the two pictures...and it is like you have a younger daughter besides you. You can see the resemblance (stay with me here!)...but in two different people...not the same person! You are doing fantastic and it shows by all the caring and sharing of your experience. Keep up the great work and I am so proud of youse! :lb24: :lb21:

Hi Ute!! I am so very happy John has joined you! Hope he is feeling well now. Having a banded 'buddy' right in your own home is a PLUS! Keep us posted and let us know how you two are doing! YEA JOHN! :lb11: :lb10:

EXCELLENT resource of information! I've printed this for my binder as well as your other referrences! Thanks Jann for sharing, you are AWESOME!

Trust me I was soooo looking forward for soup! I really wanted it to be a good experience first time. HA! OK...now, I had read up and still cannot find what is my portion control for soups? How much can I have at each sittings? I keep thinking it's suppose to be between 1/3 and 1/2 cup...is this right?

YEA! I was soooo jazz, literally!, to start on the creamy soups stage! I was sooo excited, I couldn't think straight. But I wanted to start slowly and not go hog wild. So, as I thought a real quick, simple meal would be tomato soup, right. How could anything go wrong? Here's the story... After coming home from work yesterday, I made a beelined to the kitchen and told everyone to stay away. Hubby is normally the cook and makes our meals but this time, I wanted to do my own 'dinner' this time. I reached into our pantry and got out the Campbell's Tomato Soup and opened it and just the aroma got my juices flow and started to drool! My plans was to 'dock' this soup up a bit with a little herb and spices and viola!, a gourmet tomato soup meal! Ah...yes! I poured the tomato soup into the pan with the water, but I also added a little extra because I didn't want it too thick as I've just gotten off the clear liquids stage. I added garlic flakes, celery flakes, used my mortar and smashed a few rosemary and basil together, and finally a few drops of tobasco sauce, for a 'kick'. The aroma again just put me into a bliss! Gave the pot a few stirs and turned the heat on and then I started to get into my comfy clothes. As I am walking towards the bedroom, I mentioned to my hubby and daughter to NOT go into the kitchen and 'mess' with my dinner. "OK" they chimed. As I was happily changing, I had this huge smile on my face thinking it's NOT broth and how I am going to enjoy this heavenly SOUP in my brand new fancy white porcelain cup I got specifically for my new beginnings of post op. Then I've decided to give my face it's ritual cleansing and put up my hair and then have dinner! As I ventured towards the kitchen, the first thing that caught my attention was the starting of that 'burnt' smell from my soup and secondly the growing 'looks' from hubby and daughter's faces of "Uh-oh!". I rushed into the kitchen, to the stove, with them following behind me and found that I had turned the heat on HIGH, instead of medium low, and yes, you guessed it, it had bubbled to the top and was starting to overflow over the pot. AAARRGGHH!!! Very discreetly, hubby and daughter snuck out of the kitchen... So, to end this, what should have been a heavenly bliss saga, I just opened another can of tomato soup, add the water in a bowl and put it in the microwave and zapped it...to find it was too hot to drink! Fuming, I just poured out my "1/2 cup worth" into my cup and added a couple of ice cubes in and stormed into the livingroom and sat in silence, sipping the soup, watching what hubby was watching... a video tape of "Grumpier Old Men" and a little later showed Walter Mattheau burnt his food in the oven. Well, that started my hubby laughing so hard...which, of course, I saw the humor of it. Sigh, tonight I am having Cathy's Creamy Potato and Cheddar Cheese soup. Now, I am going to stay in the kitchen and watch the darn thing! See ya around! Bon Appetite! Jude =)

Hi Lety, Welcome and congrats on your decision! I had my surgery last week at OCC and Dr Ortiz was wonderful! I am doing fine and it's a good thing for me! So, don't worry, like all of us newbies are, and FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES they give you. It is basic, but so perfect for what we are going through. Just remember, it's a progressive scale we are doing for ourselves and we need to mentally be aware of this and not rush into it. This is the time to focus on our goals and to retrain ourselves about portion control and lifestyle changes, for the rest of our lives. Also, read the posts in this forum. It's amazing how much I've learned of the goods and as well of the bads. I find listening is the best key here and WRITING it down to help yor memory to retain all what was said from our veterans bandsters have gone through. Finally, do a daily journal for YOU. Write down what you eat, your feelings, remind yourself of your goal and think positive of this. The band is a tool what we work with to reach our maximum weight loss. THIS IS EXCITING! Jude :lb11:

Hi Cathy, Oh that is just great. I am having your soup today and can't wait. yesterday was my first day and un, what an experience that was. see my post soon on it. So, with the fill, you feel a better restriction? Can you tell right away? Glad to hear from you! Jude

Hi Cathy! I am sure thinking of you and wonder how you are feeling after your fill? I hope all is well...let us know! ((HUGS!))...Jude :lb4:

Yes - THANK YOU Dana and Amy! :lb16: I knew there were other people who loves OYSTERS! I've a few recipes for OYSTERS and some other seafood items. Previews to come! You guys just made my day! Hey, maybe we can have an OYSTER day! AFTER, all of us are on our solid food days. Hmm, I could make the OYSTER soup! Yeah!! Oh, thanks Kim! This girl gotta have some fun somehow with just being banded last week an limited to only soups right now! HA! :yes: Jude =)