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Spent a week here http://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm. Truly an amazing place and one that I would recommend to anyone visiting this part of our nation. I gave up logging after the first day, tried to make good choices and stay active, but found this little Mexican restaurant and the food was amazing, including something new to me that the owner called "Mexican Coleslaw", I am going to have to work on re-creating his version of it. Got on the scale for the first time in a week and the verdict is, up 5 pounds. Not a big deal, since I know I didn't eat 21K extra calories, I know that the weight is water and will soon go away now that I am back on my regular eating schedule. A couple of NSV's: 1. Despite the altitude (7-8K), I never ran out of breath on our hikes. 2. One tour through a cliff dwelling required that we crawl out a tunnel with an 18" opening and I doubt that I would have fit 6 months ago.

I am celebrating 2 things today. First, I weighed in this morning and am now down 60 lbs! I weighed 214, down from 274. In not even 3 months! I can't believe it. Second, my doctor took me off of my blood pressure medication yesterday! This is huge! He had cut my dose in half a few weeks ago, and this visit was a follow-up to see how I was doing on the half dose. They took my blood pressure when I first got in, and it was 120/70. He was happy with that and was willing to keep me going on the half dose for now, until I mentioned that I've been getting light-headed when playing the trumpet while standing up. He had me stand up to take my blood pressure, and it was 108/70. So he told me to go ahead and stop taking it. He wants to see me again in another 3 weeks to see how I'm doing off of it.

We spend a lot of our time focusing on eating the right foods, finding healthy recipes, and taking the right vitamins. These are very important parts of the weight loss process, but we also need to make sure we are incorporating the right exercise program into our lives. While some people already have an exercise program that works well for them, if you are one of those people who does not, hopefully this will provide some helpful information about starting a program or improving an existing exercise program. One of the questions that I am frequently asked is “what kind of exercises should I be doing?” In picking the right exercise routine it is important to remember that while the same exercise plan may not be appropriate for everyone, there are some fundamental principles that everyone should be working on in order to get the most out of their workouts. Principle 1: Set aside some dedicated time for exercise. Many of us do a lot of walking as part of our job or part of our daily routine. While being active is great, there is a difference between exercising and being active. In order to get the most out of your exercise time you need to set aside some sacred time designed just for your exercise. As a general rule of thumb this should be 30 minutes a day, 3 to 4 times a week. If you can do more than that, fantastic, but everyone should be aiming for at least 30 minutes every other day. You can choose to exercise alone, or with a group. Some people love to exercise with their family, some with a good friend, or some prefer to use their exercise time as personal time. Whatever your preference, make sure it is a regular routine that you can count on as part of your life. Principle 2: Mix it up Great athletes have repeatedly shown that the key to a successful exercise program is variety. The body adapts over time to the same exercises and routines. Over time muscle memory kicks in, and the body gets less out of a repeated exercise unless you mix up your workouts and introduce some new work outs as well. A good routine should incorporate some cardiovascular exercises, and some weight exercises. Make sure you work all your major muscle groups. Your cardiovascular exercises can be as simple as strenuous walking, jogging, running, elliptical training, swimming, dancing, or bicycling. The weight exercises can involve weight lifting, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups or crunches, or resistance bands. Find the combination that works for you. You can choose to do both cardio and weights in the same workout, or you can separate them to different days. If you are just starting out I recommend a day of cardio followed by a day of weights. When you do weights, don’t make the mistake of working every muscle group in the same work out. Do chest and shoulders one day, thighs and buttocks another. The one exception I recommend to this would be to incorporate a short abdominal routine with most of your workouts. The body’s core muscles which include the abs and back muscles are able to recover quicker than other muscle groups, and once you have gotten use to exercising them on a regular basis you will notice less back pain, and improved performance in your other exercises. Principle 3: Keep track of your progress As you get used to your exercise routine, you will notice it becomes easier, and may become too easy. That is the time to bump it up to the next level. That can involve increasing your time or distance if you are working on cardio, or increasing your weight if you are working on weights. Keeping a record of your progress will not only motivate you, but will also help you identify the workouts that work best for you. By keeping track of your progress you will be more likely to try to continually improve your workouts rather than fall into the rut of continuing an exercise that is not sufficiently challenging your body. Principle 4: Have fun Find a routine that you enjoy. Exercise does not have to be a painful or dreaded part of your day; on the contrary it should be a part of the day you look forward to. If you are not enjoying the exercise you are doing, look for a different one. It is very difficult to maintain a program long term if you do not enjoy it. We have a lot of resources available to help if you need suggestions or examples of routines. Come by the gym at Foundation and talk with the trainers to get some additional workout ideas. We can also help you arrange a fitness evaluation to help determine your ideal heart rate during your exercise. While this isn’t a comprehensive guide to fitness, I hope it helps if you are looking for some direction on getting started.

So today I went to the dietitian and then the doctor. Went well. The doctor said I have lost 60% of my fat and he wished all his patients lost that much. I was banded July 30th, so it is 10 months ago. He said if I stay at this weight the rest of my life, he will be happy. I want to lose more but don't know how much. I did not have a fill today. I was told I have 1.8 in my band and that was 3 fills. My doctor does slow and it works. I am down 10 pounds since February and he was fine with that. I have bad allergies and so I bought Walgreen's children's liquid and the sugar in it has given me stomach problems. The doctor told me to try swallowing the small pills I have and said the worse thing is I will throw it up. I don't need to see the doctor for 2 months. I feel wonderful about today's visits. :wub: Everyone have a wonderful weekend. Arlene

Yup it is dilly beans. So delicious!

If you had asked me Last year i be wearing this size i say no If you asked me if I own a two pice last year this time I say no. If you asked me if i had my navle pice i say no. Well here it is Yes i am a size 4/6 Yes; I do own a two piece Yes I did puce my navel because i could

You go girl!

Prior to surgery I made a list of my non scale victories (NSV) on my iPhone but somehow erased them. So I decided to make a new list. I'll be adding to this as I come up with new ones. Buy clothes from a non-plus size store Purchase bra/panty from Victoria Secret Get a makeover Take boudior photos for my honey Maybe wear a pair of heels Ride a roller coaster Walk/run in a marathon Not be considered obese Not be afraid to wear a bathing suit Fit comfortably in a booth at a restaurant Own and ride a bike (especially long distance) Go zip-lining Always use the stairs Go cart racing Dance in public Sit at a regular desk (in school) Finish my degree Go to law school Volunteer work Plant a garden/landscape yard Attend Zumba regularly Incorporate clean eating in my new lifestyle Stand on my feet longer than 30 minutes