TerriDoodle

Betsyjane - I agree with Dawn. Everyone is different in what works, keeps them motivated, fits into their schedule, etc. I have a whole library of videos that have dust an inch thick on them. Tried them all, got bored with them all. The magic for me has been a routine at the gym, classes and working with a personal trainer. Here's a hint: Try renting videos or borrowing from the library first! Or buy used tapes on Half.com or ebay. Best to you!

This is so true! I forget about the times I've noticed someone lost weight but didn't feel right saying something. One friend asked me if I cut my hair...does that count? Poor Mdrai! Ok, remind me...when do you get your 1st fill? Ok, the thing I'd like to suggest is this: eat whatever you want (within reason) as long as it's not simple carbs (like breads, potatoes, corn, rice, sugar, etc.). Eat all the caesar salad you want, eat all the ham and cheese you want, eat all the broc/cheddar soup you want, fruit, vegetables, etc. JUST NO JUNK! Make that one rule for yourself: NO JUNK FOOD. Can you do that? And work on your head stuff. Read a book about how to change bad habits, visualization, make a collage of picture of you when you were at your ideal weight and put it on your wall. Buy a size 14 swimsuit and tack it to your closet door. Get the vision of your future self in your head and BELIEVE, girl...BELIEVE!!! Catch those negative thoughts in midstream...gently dismiss them and replace them with loving kind thoughts of yourself and your abilities. KNOW that you can do this. Know it to your core. Believe in yourself and stop RIGHT NOW the beating of yourself. K? XOXOXO!! For those of you starting a new exercise routine...have you thought about making some goals for June? Let us know what they are and how you're proceeding by pasting it in your signature. It helps to keep you accountable! Really!

:Banane01:Mmmmmmmmm Nanners!! I have one on my desk right now! :hungry:

Congratulations, Brandy!! It feels wonderful!! I'm excited for you!

Tracy - Nobody has noted my loss either....BUT THEY WILL!!! Just keep doin' what you're doin'!!! You absolutely did give up hamburgers for a very good reason...they're the supreme killer beast of the food world! Yucky! Pooey!! This totally made my day!! Tracy, you won't be sorry. Just keep going, even when you don't feel like it and before you know it you're a 'junkie'!!! I hope you get to try the Zumba class someday. I went last night and it was SO much fun. I wouldn't have made it all the way through the class 2 months ago and would have been discouraged. It's quite a workout! I was so red in the face (always am) and sweating like a PIG but I was smiling the entire time so that's a great sign. My point is, just take it easy and go slow. Don't push yourself too hard with any workout at first or you will be discouraged. But it doesn't take long to start feeling a real difference...3 weeks or so. I'm so excited for you! Denise, thanks for telling us about Zumba! If it wasn't for you, I would have never tried that class! Had a wonderful time and it kicked my butt....which is a good thing! DH went too (he's hispanic so I thought he would like it) and it kicked him hard too...maybe too hard!! Don't know if he'll go back.LOL Uh, what's wrong with a taco salad??? I wouldn't have a problem with that! What the heck are you beating yourself up for? Jenn - That is absolutely incredible!! I'm so happy for you. I can only imagine how good that made you feel! What a GREAT day!! This ALSO made my day!!! WOOO HOOOO!!! VIOLETS ROCK!!! :):banana:youcandothis::Banane08:

Laura - I'm sorry, honey. That must be a horrible feeling. I have a friend that went thru a similar experience here. They were days away from closing and their brand new $400K house was all ready. The builder had put in all the landscaping and grass. They "water in" the grass around the clock for a day or two. Somebody had taken the sprinkler and put it inside the front door!! It ruined the hardwoods, woodwork and the fortune in faux painting they had done in the dining room & kitchen!!! The house took months to repair so our friends had to find another one. They figure it was a disgruntled worker. Grrr. One of my co-workers had his house papered last night. They also spray painted all means of obscenities on his driveway. Just horrible. His kids go to a Christian private school and he is on the board as well. Nice, huh? Judy - I thought you finished your beds yesterday or day before!?! Man, how many flowers to you plant, woman?? You must send pics....it must be lovely! Lunasa - Thanks for the encouragement. My calculated BMI is 30.8 or something. The electronic analyzer at the gym says it's 39.1%!!!!! HUH?? I like the calculation method better! 39.1%!!!??!? That's just downright depressing! I'm not going to lecture you about exercise, but before I became addicted I did have to 'force' myself to go. My mantra is just "Feet On Floor"....which is a code for me to just keep putting one foot in front of the other all the way to the gym and before I'm 5 minutes into my workout I am SO glad I went. Repeat daily! Before you know it, you're addicted 'cause you just feel so much better. Guilt-free and more energy, too. Gotta love that! I ALWAYS used to come home from work and just collapse in my chair 'til DH got home. Eat dinner then collapse again. I get all kinds of things accomplished in the evenings now. Way cool. Good luck with your fill!!!

It sounds to me like you have strained your back. I've had several episodes like this in the last 10 years or so. One of the worst was when I was lifting weights...over my head. The pain does feel at times that it is radiating to the abdomen. Until you can call your doctor, I strongly suggest that you get OFF YOUR FEET, in bed or in a recliner. Using a heating pad helps. You may want to use some liquid (children's) advil to relieve the pain, but only sitting up and with a meal. Stay off your feet as much as possible...otherwise it just takes longer to heal. I usually am in bed for 3 days. You may not be that bad. I'm sorry you're hurting

I was self-pay, so I'm not an expert or anything. But in the interest of giving you an idea I will try to answer your question. I'm sure that more people who are more knowledgable will come along soon. It will all depend on your insurance company and what they require. In more cases than not they will require certain documentation that you have tried other supervised weight loss programs in the past and were unsuccessful at keeping the weight off. If you have such documentation in place already that will speed the process up. They may require an additional medically supervised program for further documentation. This is where the waiting game begins because when you submit your doctors letter to the ins. company they will come back with their list of requirements for approval. Testing is usally a part of this as well, such as sleep studies, upper GI, blood work, and psych evaluations. After all of this, the insurance company can still come back and NOT approve the payment. If that happens, you have the right to appeal and you should. I've heard of quite a few that were approved but only after an appeal or two. Best of luck to you.

Mdrai - my doc considers cottage cheese to be a full liquid, so that might be a good choice for you, too. I eat mine with fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, canned peaches, pears or pineapple....and 3 packets of Splenda. I use full fat cottage cheese, too. For the difference in taste, the 1 extra gram of fat is worth it to me. I also ate ripe avocados with a sprinkle of salt (they're SO good right now!), ripe melon, bananas and a bit of creamy Peanut Butter mushed together, and refried Beans w/ salsa and cheese. I ate a LoT of broccoli/cheese soup. That exercise class I just finished kicked my butt. And it's not what I need anyway...like a full body weight training workout in 1 hour and I already do weights with my trainer. So tomorrow I'm going to try the "Latin Impact" which I think is taught by a Zumba instructor. Tuesday I will do Aqua Fit. Just looking for some fun cardio besides the elliptical and bike....y'know? Mix it up a bit. WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING FOR EXERCISE TODAY??? HMMM???

It's too early in the morning to be visualizing your hoo-haa, Teach, but I'm ecstatic for you nonetheless!!! :girl_hug: Really! Just no B&A pics, please. There's always "something in the water" everytime we eat Chinese food around here. DH and I always have it on Sunday nights while we watch our fave shows on TV...and Monday mornings when we weigh we're always, always up a pound or two. It's probably all that work you've been doing in the garden...the heat, humidity and sore muscles retaining Water. No doubt. Congrats on the undies!! Your hoo-haa is having a red-letter day today!!! Break a leg at church, ok? I'd love to hear your choir! Kat (and everyone!)- Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm heading off to a new aerobics class this morning ...got up early on a Sunday morning to do it, too. Kids go to their dad's for 2 weeks today so I will be able to hopefully make up some of my missed workouts. I find that this plan is making me feel better already. It's just so strange how addicted to exercise I've become and then when I don't get it...just like an addict...I start getting depressed and cranky. Hmmmm. Who is this person??? 3 months ago I would have never dreamed I'd be joining a class. I feel ready now. It's aerobics that uses weights as well. Should be quite challenging not to pass out, but I will take it easy. Maybe go for a nice swim after. Great way to start the day, eh?

I made 4 garbage bags-full of sacrifices just the other day and keep findng more that need to go. Very painful indeed....but otherwise it wouldn't be called a sacrifice, I suppose! I hope the gods reward me with a gift card to Dillard's.

(((Thanks Everybody!!!))) Ya'll are so sweet to pick me up. It worked :girl_hug: I think it did have a lot to do with not being able to work out this week and feeling bad about that. I had a good workout and my trainer said I am making excellent progress...especially since I reported not being sore at all after my last back/tricep workout which usually kills me! He said that is a very good sign. I feel better now. Also, I think I'll try and get another workout in this evening and that will put me only one workout behind. Thanks again everyone -- I really appreciate it. Where's LUNASA?

10 days before I really felt like I was back to normal. I had some port pain for about 3 weeks...just sore to the touch.

Ok. Here's my dark side talking: This morning I weighed 199. Up 2#. Because of a crazy schedule this week and vacation I wasn't able to get to the gym but once. I see all you guys losing weight like crazy, visit the B&A thread, etc. and everyone is dropping LB's but me. I'm going to fail at this too. I'm so depressed. I want this weight gone and gone NOW. Why won't this freakin' scale MOVE dammit. I'll never be thin. I don't want to give up but I need more encouragement than this. I eat too much junk. I need to be more like Judy and Jenn. I need more discipline. I'm a big fat loser. I need some serious head work today. Bleh.

Wow Jenn -- that IS wild!! .... and WONDERFUL!!! I'm all puffed up this morning and don't know why, except that it's about 190% humidity outside today here in sunny Houston. YUCK!! I hate the summers here! I'm heading for the gym in a bit and I plan to sweat all of this off. weights, cardio and sauna. That oughta do it! I found out that my gym offers Zamba (?) once a week so I'm gonna give it a try sometime! Looks like a blast. I'm sure I'll make a total fool of myself but who cares? I'm not there to impress anyone. Gina & Denise - Welcome to the world of restriction! Small Bites, Chew Well, Eat Slowly. Small Bites, Chew Well, Eat Slowly. Small Bites, Chew Well, Eat Slowly. Small Bites, Chew Well, Eat Slowly. Small Bites, Chew Well, Eat Slowly. Small Bites, Chew Well, Eat Slowly. Small Bites, Chew Well, Eat Slowly. Small Bites, Chew Well, Eat Slowly. Small Bites, Chew Well, Eat Slowly. Small Bites, Chew Well, Eat Slowly. Small Bites, Chew Well, Eat Slowly.

No, not if you eat a hot dog, but a chicken breast has been known to cause spontaneous combustion once or twice! There's a poll on this board that shows that 92% of bandsters would do it again...I think that speaks for itself. There ARE several adjustments that need to be made in your behavior and you do have to pay close attention to what's going on with your body and appetite. And you do have to stay in close touch with your doctor and get checked out a few times a year. But if you follow the guidelines and stay in touch with your doc, you shouldn't experience many problems at all.

His last post was in late April! I miss his posts! Jack..... Where are you?? We miss you!!

By the way.....Is anyone else just suddenly now grossed out by how much food people put away?? You know, sitting at the table with family or friends? My husband has always been a (ahem) "hearty eater"....he eats too much and way too fast....and it's all I can do to keep my mouth shut. I want to scream at him, "Look at all that damn food you are shoveling into your mouth!!!"

The way I feel restriction is more in the way solid foods won't go down like they used to... you are forced to take small bites and eat slowly. If you don't, you experience pain. I eat about a cup of food in about 20-25 mins. and it keeps me satisfied (not full) for about 3 hours...sometimes more. I have to keep reminding myself that I will never feel 'full' in the old sense again. The feeling I am going for now is satisfied.

Girlfriend!! Don't EVER weigh yourself at night!! Your lowest weight will almost always be 1st thing in the morning. Tee hee - the only reason I ever weigh at night is to get an idea of what I'll weigh the next morning!!! (weird) I usually lose 2# overnight. :nervous Don't worry about getting all gung-ho with the exercise right now. You just do the best you can and when you're ready, you'll do it!! Maybe after the honeymoon or another 20#....whenever you're ready. You've already taken an amazing step towards better health and that'll be the next one...in time. CONGRATULATIONS, JENNIFUR!!! 229!!!! :high5::dance::whoo: I know that must feel GREAT!! It won't be long at all before you say goodbye to the 2's forever. Isn't that amazing!? Be careful with that exercise stuff....you'll be addicted very soon!! KITY - Congratulations on your 1st fill!! Man, your doctor is strict with the post-fill diet!!! Well, judging from my experience since my second fill, it's probably not such a bad idea. I'm 2.5 weeks out and my tummy is just now settling down, I think. PB's are no fun. Hope you all have a great day!!

Sara Mos -- Where are you??? You haven't posted since 5/28!! Let us know how you're doing, sweetie!

I've had an exercise victory this week...a major milestone! The other day my trainer put me thru a tricep and back workout and I didn't get sore from it!! Compared to the first few weeks when I was crippled after every workout this is really incredible to me! That's progress, right?? I'm lovin' it!

Laura -sounds like you got a LOT done today!! I absolutely LOVE the dress!!! I can't wait to see your wedding pictures! Did you find a hotel/venue for the wedding?

Well, now that most of us have been filled, or will be soon, now the question will lurk as to whether we need to have another adjustment! I had found this post long ago and posted it to my journal. Now that we can finally GET to our journals, I grabbed it and will post here. Looks like some good guidelines---- HowtoTellWhenYouArePerfectlyAdjusted: You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of protein a day? 2. Are you eating 25 grams of fiber? 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories? a. Soup can be sign of soft calorie syndrome b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories 7 calories per gram.(It's also a stomach irritant). c. Fruit juice is just sugar water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can't just eat what's easy c. Cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals? 6. Are you eating too much junk? a. Chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don't avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of calcium daily? 8. Do you always eat the protein first? 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. Meat or fish (3 ounces the size of a deck of cards) b. Vegetables (½ cup the size of your fist) c. Starch (If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much - Avoid: rice, potatoes, pasta) 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine. d. The body has no way to break down artificial fats). a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive compulsive thoughts (Obsess about something else) b. Perfectionism (All or none, black and white thinking) c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as good and bad e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables (6) Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (7) Peppermint (8) Baking soda toothpaste (9) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (Tylenol is OK) n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider

Laura - ((hugs)) to you. In my first marriage, many moons ago, my in-laws created so many problems that it could have easily turned into a nightmare if we had allowed it. But we just went on with our plans and they ended up feeling pretty humiliated in the end and I ended up on my MIL's sh*t list for 7 years!!! Point is, I understand how parent problems can be. My second point is that DH and I have been to Vegas several times and we absolutely love it! I've seen many brides sashay through the casino in their beautiful gowns with bridesmaids in tow. There are so many amazing venues in Vegas that you really can't go wrong there. All the hotels have wonderful wedding packages and are so eager to help!! I really don't think you'd be sorry. Ya'll will have an absolute blast and THAT is the memory you are seeking! Go 1st class and get a suite at the Bellagio!! That's my vote!