kity

In an earlier post, Kat said that kittykat sounded pornographic:o ...but I am a scrabble freak. I play daily at quadplex.com (warning...it is very addictive). My old nic was Gypsykity, after my sweet kitty I had in college. But too many people asked about the Gypsy part, and while I am playing scrabb...I just wanna play. SOOOOO, I changed it to just kity (this was years ago) and it stuck. Now I use kity for many sites!

This season is sucking eggs so far. The contestants seem bored or boring...either way. That Drive show premeiring Sunday looks great! Ok, tonight Sanjaya (or F^*K FACE) as I like to call him, is safe this week, and hopefully Hailey will be leaving tonight. I know Phil is not the best looking, but he has some talent. Drum roll...YES, HAILEY IS GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JUSTICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE SANJAYA NEXT!!!!!!!!!!1 WOOHOOO I FEEL BETTER

I am really a nice person, and rarely dislike anyone, but something about Sanjaya MAKES ME WANT TO REACH THROUGH THE TV AND SLAP THE S^*T OUT OF HIM. It is like a bad reoccuring dream, every week, there he is, smiling, and singing like a 4 year old...I can't help it. Other than that, I want peace and love for the world!!!!

Oh Lunasa---you can officially calm down---it is nothing like you are fearing!!! There will be times between now and you finding a good spot of restriction that yes you may be hungry. But they will not last forever! Right now, you have the fear of the hunger, the upcoming surgery---everything coming in at you at one time. Once the surgery is behind you---you will likely have several days or even longer that you simply are not hungry. I don't know how much your Dr. told you, but the nerves (I think my Dr. called them the Vega nerves) are located at the top of your stomach, and they are the nerves that send the signal to the brain that you are done. Which is why now, pre banding, you have to eat a LOT to truly feel full. And once those nerves are hit, it takes awhile for your brain to fully recognize and tell you to stop eating. There are often times quiet simple signals---that you will learn, to know you are full. Once you are banded, and there is just a small pouch at the top, it is quite simple to hit those nerves quickly---in just a small amount of food. The first days following surgery the nerve pretty much stays activated, due to swelling---your stomach often swells over the indignity of that tight belt being slapped on there!!! Once the swelling goes down, hunger will return, often with a vengeance---because you are on liquids. Liquids are given to allow the band to set into place, and stitches used to do that to heal. When liquids are consumed, they usually slide right through, so the nerve is not triggered. This is the time referred to as bandster hell. A band with no restriction. It is not easy---but if you just repeat to yourself that this is the last time you truly have to "diet" ever again---and weight frequently to see the weight dropping off---you make it through. Then you begin the fill process. With my first fill of 1.25 cc.'s I suddenly felt my band work! I had allowed myself in the hunger of things to slip into some former bad eating habits! Suddenly when I ate too fast, or did not chew, it hurt! Nothing serious, but I knew that the band was there---and I was scared of a real PB or getting "stuck"---so I worked hard on my bandster eating habits. My Dr. allows a fill in 4 weeks, if you are still hungry within an hour or so after eating hard protein. I was---so a month later I had my second fill. It was small, only 1/2 a cc. I thought if 1.25 didn't do anything--then .50 is going to be a waste of time and $$$. Wrong!!!! With that little tweak of .50cc I got excellent restriction! I was no longer hungry----EVER! I am still not ever what I would call hungry. I occasionally feel hollow or empty, and realize I need to eat---but hunger---like the raging, fear inducing, more important than ANYTHING, kind of hunger----gone from my life! Used to be when I would come in at the end of the day, I grabbed anything close and easy---a bag of chips, or cookies, whatever, just so there was lots of it. Now, since I am not really hungry, it isn't a big deal to take a few minutes, and throw a salad in a bowl, or make a half a pita with some chicken salad...finding a healthy alternative, is easy, because there is no rush! I still can have some chips with a sandwich---but I get full very fast, so if I eat the worthless chips, I have taken up valuable space, with not so valuable of a quality of food. If I eat ribs, or a steak for lunch---I can easily not eat another bite of food until morning if I don't force myself. I get busy now and forget to eat---my granddaughter tells me when it is time to eat now!!! And we eat better than I used to, without a doubt. Food is no longer the center of my thoughts. I don't know what is for dinner tonight, and it is time for it---but I'll throw something together, and it will be fine, it will be enough---it isn't a concern. I used to plan dinner as I ate breakfast. I always thought that was one of the reasons I was bigger than my DH, I planned all the meals to what sounded good to me! Occasionally he would say, let's have such and such for dinner, and I always tried to do it, but sometimes it just didn't appeal, so I didn't eat so much. But no, I planned meals way before time to have them, what side dishes would go best, based on the tastes.....now it isn't a big deal. There is a saying I had always heard, of Eating to Live, not Living to Eat. I get it now---I live it! It isn't a real concious decision to change---but when you are not starving all the time, it loses its appeal. You learn that you actually only get the big pleasure of the taste in the first 2-3 bites, then your tastebuds are adjusted...so you totally enjoy the 2-3 bites---and are done with it. I know I have gone on FOREVER---but I want you to know it DOES change---life simplifies, and changes----you enjoy moving your body----and not being chained to the kitchen----it is nice going, and not caring if someone else eats more than their share of an appetizer! When you are going through the bandster hell---we will all be here, to help you and offer suggestions to make the time pass---and suddenly one day you will wake up and be heading out the door to go somewhere, and think, 'oh yeah I better grab a yogurt or something'----because you forgot to eat breakfast---it WILL happen. Your band will be in there waiting to work with you---so when you and your Drt. can begin the adjustment process---get ready for a change!!! Til then, relax---it is all gonna be ok.

Oh Lunasa---you can officially calm down---it is nothing like you are fearing!!! There will be times between now and you finding a good spot of restriction that yes you may be hungry. But they will not last forever! Right now, you have the fear of the hunger, the upcoming surgery---everything coming in at you at one time. Once the surgery is behind you---you will likely have several days or even longer that you simply are not hungry. I don't know how much your Dr. told you, but the nerves (I think my Dr. called them the Vega nerves) are located at the top of your stomach, and they are the nerves that send the signal to the brain that you are done. Which is why now, pre banding, you have to eat a LOT to truly feel full. And once those nerves are hit, it takes awhile for your brain to fully recognize and tell you to stop eating. There are often times quiet simple signals---that you will learn, to know you are full. Once you are banded, and there is just a small pouch at the top, it is quite simple to hit those nerves quickly---in just a small amount of food. The first days following surgery the nerve pretty much stays activated, due to swelling---your stomach often swells over the indignity of that tight belt being slapped on there!!! Once the swelling goes down, hunger will return, often with a vengeance---because you are on liquids. Liquids are given to allow the band to set into place, and stitches used to do that to heal. When liquids are consumed, they usually slide right through, so the nerve is not triggered. This is the time referred to as bandster hell. A band with no restriction. It is not easy---but if you just repeat to yourself that this is the last time you truly have to "diet" ever again---and weight frequently to see the weight dropping off---you make it through. Then you begin the fill process. With my first fill of 1.25 cc.'s I suddenly felt my band work! I had allowed myself in the hunger of things to slip into some former bad eating habits! Suddenly when I ate too fast, or did not chew, it hurt! Nothing serious, but I knew that the band was there---and I was scared of a real PB or getting "stuck"---so I worked hard on my bandster eating habits. My Dr. allows a fill in 4 weeks, if you are still hungry within an hour or so after eating hard protein. I was---so a month later I had my second fill. It was small, only 1/2 a cc. I thought if 1.25 didn't do anything--then .50 is going to be a waste of time and $$$. Wrong!!!! With that little tweak of .50cc I got excellent restriction! I was no longer hungry----EVER! I am still not ever what I would call hungry. I occasionally feel hollow or empty, and realize I need to eat---but hunger---like the raging, fear inducing, more important than ANYTHING, kind of hunger----gone from my life! Used to be when I would come in at the end of the day, I grabbed anything close and easy---a bag of chips, or cookies, whatever, just so there was lots of it. Now, since I am not really hungry, it isn't a big deal to take a few minutes, and throw a salad in a bowl, or make a half a pita with some chicken salad...finding a healthy alternative, is easy, because there is no rush! I still can have some chips with a sandwich---but I get full very fast, so if I eat the worthless chips, I have taken up valuable space, with not so valuable of a quality of food. If I eat ribs, or a steak for lunch---I can easily not eat another bite of food until morning if I don't force myself. I get busy now and forget to eat---my granddaughter tells me when it is time to eat now!!! And we eat better than I used to, without a doubt. Food is no longer the center of my thoughts. I don't know what is for dinner tonight, and it is time for it---but I'll throw something together, and it will be fine, it will be enough---it isn't a concern. I used to plan dinner as I ate breakfast. I always thought that was one of the reasons I was bigger than my DH, I planned all the meals to what sounded good to me! Occasionally he would say, let's have such and such for dinner, and I always tried to do it, but sometimes it just didn't appeal, so I didn't eat so much. But no, I planned meals way before time to have them, what side dishes would go best, based on the tastes.....now it isn't a big deal. There is a saying I had always heard, of Eating to Live, not Living to Eat. I get it now---I live it! It isn't a real concious decision to change---but when you are not starving all the time, it loses its appeal. You learn that you actually only get the big pleasure of the taste in the first 2-3 bites, then your tastebuds are adjusted...so you totally enjoy the 2-3 bites---and are done with it. I know I have gone on FOREVER---but I want you to know it DOES change---life simplifies, and changes----you enjoy moving your body----and not being chained to the kitchen----it is nice going, and not caring if someone else eats more than their share of an appetizer! When you are going through the bandster hell---we will all be here, to help you and offer suggestions to make the time pass---and suddenly one day you will wake up and be heading out the door to go somewhere, and think, 'oh yeah I better grab a yogurt or something'----because you forgot to eat breakfast---it WILL happen. Your band will be in there waiting to work with you---so when you and your Drt. can begin the adjustment process---get ready for a change!!! Til then, relax---it is all gonna be ok.

Laura, Don't worry about the catheter. I was WAY freaked out about it too, but I swear, I couldn't even feel it at all. It was nice to not have to get up to pee, you have soooooooo much fluids pumped into you during surgery and it just comes out. You don't feel anything. The hardest part was walking around w/ the bag hanging from the IV thingy. The next morning, when she came in to take it out, I SWEAR, YOU CAN'T FEEL IT. You might feel a slight pressure when she pulls the tube out. I PROMISE!!! It is so much easier for women. GOOD LUCK!

Judy, Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome to BandLand!!!!!!!!!!! Rent some chick flicks, kick back and take it easy. Looking forward to more of your updates!!! Pamela

Terri, Thanks for the link. He really has adorable charms there, I can't wait to lose more weight. That will be my next stop. I will probably wait until I lose 10 more and buy 2 at once. Anyway, thanks for the tip!

http://italianbraceletcharms.com/pages/basic/start.html Hi All, I really jumped on this one. I went to Sara's link, just a little too pricey for me. Did I meantion I am a teacher??? So I googled charms and looked through many sites. I liked the quality and prices at the link above. Since I am down 12 pounds (last check) since I started this whole process (preop diet) I bought myself a bracelet and my first charm. I went w/ the Sterling Silver not gold, just a little less expensive. I did spend $75 already...that is good enough. I will do it every 5 pounds, because I need to lose 100 pounds, so that will make 20 charms...cute! I love love love this idea. Again, it is something we won't grow out of, or get tired of. Shop around and find the site that has the best prices for you.

Sara, What a wonderful idea. What I even like about the charm bracelet idea is that it is something I will keep and cherish forever. If I were to reward myself w/ say clothes, shoes, CD's, I won't have it forever, and they won't hold the same value and meaning. I love your idea! After this post I am gonna go to the link. I may do something more local (southern california), or indulge myself. Like you said, "I'm worth it!" One reward I am buying for myself is the 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybird. I am so looking forward to Friday when I buy it! I've wanted one for a bit, and told myself, if I go through the surgery, I get to buy the car! But the charm bracelet is for the smaller rewards. Well, I worked out the last two days, and today...feel very bad. Cramps and very sore at the port area. Although I wanted to do it everyday this week, I have to skip today and tomorrow (the maid comes tomorrow and I have to be out of the house by 7am). But I am still proud of myself and will be back on Friday am. BTW...if you are looking for motivation...look up Telly! She has made an amazing transformation. She has posted pix and has posted a rigorous "IF YOU WANT TO SUCCEED DO THIS" article. It is pretty hard core, but wow, what success. I put the article on my journal for me to refer to it, feel free to look...really amazing. Have a good day!

If you seriously want to lose 22lbs or 10 kilograms in 28 days then you must perform all of the principles exactly as recommended. Unlike the recommendations in my book, ‘Look good, feel great!', where you can pick the principles you want to use and ignore the rest and where you can even modify the principles to suit your lifestyle, these principles must be followed exactly as they are outlined. If you want extraordinary results, then you must be willing to put in an extraordinary effort! I realise that some people may be thinking, ‘But it is impossible to lose 10 kilograms of fat in a month!' I agree- it is! However, the truth is, it is impossible to only lose fat on any type of weight-loss program. You will always lose a combination of fat, water, stored carbohydrate and some muscle. Furthermore, most people who want to lose 10 kilograms in the first place are generally retaining excess fluid anyway, so a system that helps get rid of the excess fluid is certainly going to accelerate their results. Perform 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise morning and night. Yes, you read that correctly, morning and night- 2 sessions a day… every day! No excuses. We're all busy, we all feel tired some mornings, but if you're serious about getting amazing results, then you must be willing to do everything necessary. When we talk about aerobic exercise, we're talking about exercise! Not walking around the shops, doing the gardening or doing housework. It must be exercise, which means your breathing rate increases, your face goes red, you sweat, you get tired- simple! Some examples of aerobic exercise include: walking (pounding the pavement at a brisk pace- not dawdling), cycling (stationary bike is ideal), swimming, rowing, stepper, cross-trainer, aerobic classes, boxing, etc. Use ‘thermogenics'. There are several very effective thermogenic supplementson the market that can accelerate your progress towards your goal. Those containing caffeine, green tea extracts and an extract from a plant called coleus forskohlii are the most effective. They will boost your metabolismand promote the release of fat from the fat stores. ‘Scorch' by MAN Sports is a good example. It contains a combination of 7 powerful herbal ingredients specifically designed to boost your metabolism, burn body fat and increase your energy. Unfortunately though, thermogenics are not ‘magic pills'. You can't expect to take a couple of thermogenic capsules and then go home and eat pizza and drink alcohol and expect to get results. Thermogenics only work when their use is combined with a good nutrition and exercise program. Take 1-2 capsules twice a day; once prior to your morning exercise session and once with your lunch. Don't take them later than 4:00pm in the afternoon because they may keep you awake at night. Before using thermogenics, see your doctor first and obtain their approval. Do not eat anything for 30 minutes after the completion of any exercise. As a result of using the thermogenics combined with the exercise, your metabolism will remain elevated for some time after the exercise session is finished. This means your body will burn fuel at a faster rate than normal. Any exercise causes the body to use carbohydrate (muscle glycogen and blood glucose) as a fuel source. This means that after the exercise is completed the carbohydrate stores in the body are low and the body will be forced to use fat as its fuel. If a meal is eaten immediately after the completion of the exercise session, the blood glucose level will rise, inducing the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. One of the effects of insulin is to stop fat burning in the body. Therefore, wait 30 minutes (but no longer because cortisol will rise) before having your next meal. Perform a weight training workout 2-4 times a week. Lifting weights is the most under-estimated way to lose fat fast! Now, before you start saying, ‘But I don't want to get big muscles!' or ‘I don't want to look like a man!', consider the following. The main purpose of lifting weights when your primary goal is to lose body fat is to preserve the muscle massyou already have. You see, muscle is the ‘engine' within which the fat, or ‘fuel' is burnt and maintaining or even increasing your muscle mass slightly will help ensure your body fat is burnt off efficiently. If you don't lift weights, your body will quite happily lose both fat and muscle as you drop the kilos. Lifting weights forces your body to maintain your muscle mass, therefore keeping your metabolism elevated and turning your body into 24-hour-a-day fat-burning machine! Incidentally, it only takes two 30 minute sessions a week to obtain the muscle preserving benefits of lifting weights. Have 5-6 small meals a day. One of the most common strategies people use to lose weight is to skip meals. Whilst reducing food intake is certainly an effective way to lose weight, having fewer meals is not the way to go. Many overweight people say, ‘I don't know why I'm overweight, I only eat once or twice a day!' Unfortunately, this is exactly why they are overweight. Having a mild calorie restriction is effective because if you consume less calories than you burn each day you will lose weight- simple! However, skipping meals forces the body to invoke its ‘Starvation Mechanism' because it thinks it is entering a famine. As a result, the body slows the metabolism to preserve energy. It also increases cortisol output and cortisol is the most powerful catabolic hormone in the body, which means it goes around the body breaking down lean tissue, particularly muscle. A loss of muscle slows the metabolism even further. Skipping meals also results in an increase in appetite, which forces you to eat larger amounts of food when you do eat. In addition to all these factors, the body also increases the activity of fat-storing enzymes, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), so when you do eat the food gets stored as fat. All of this results from simply skipping meals! By having a small meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day, your metabolism stays elevated and your body will happily burn fat all day long. Unfortunately though, most people are conditioned to having large meals and they automatically assume they will put on weight if they have 5 or 6 meals a day. The fact is, the ideal portion sizes for most people are actually quite small and in order to lose weight fast it is essential that you never feel full from a meal but you do feel satisfied. Also, most people find it difficult to have a meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day because they are so busy with work and/ or family commitments. Here are some suggestions to ensure you get your 5 or 6 meals a day. • Plan and prepare your meals the night before • Use meal replacements (protein shakes or bars) • Select foods that are quick and easy to prepare and consume Ensure each meal contains protein. Protein is a component of all cells and makes up over half the dry weight of the human body. Furthermore, the human body is a dynamic structure, which means it is constantly building up and breaking down tissue. Just imagine a bath full of water. At one end of the bath the plug is pulled out and at the other end the tap is turned on full. The water level in the bath doesn't change but there are ‘new' water molecules entering the bath and ‘old' water molecules leaving the bath all the time. The human body is exactly the same. If the body breaks down more tissue than it builds up, then it is said to be in a catabolic state. This results in the metabolism slowing down due to the loss of muscle tissue. Having a portion of high-quality protein every few hours throughout the day provides the body with a constant supply of amino acids- the building blocks of the body. This prevents the catabolic state, promotes an anabolic state (tissue building) and therefore keeps the metabolism ‘fired-up'. If only carbohydrate or fat is consumed for a meal, for example a piece of fruit (carbohydrate) for the mid-morning meal, then the body will still enter a catabolic state because it doesn't have the building blocks (amino acids) to re-build body tissues. Protein, as its name suggests, is of primary importance. Reduce your intake of high-density carbohydrates. Most high-density carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice and cereals cause a rapid rise in blood glucose. This invokes the release of insulin from the pancreas, which in turn stores the glucose. The body stores glucose in the muscles and liver as glycogen and once these sites are full, the remaining glucose gets stored as body fat. Not only this, but insulin also stops the body from mobilising and utilising fat for fuel (burning fat). So if you want to maximise fat loss, you need to keep insulin to a minimum and the best way to do this is by reducing your intake of starchy carbohydrates without cutting them out altogether. Cutting them out totally is a philosophy of many low-carb diets on the market. However, these are very hard to sustain long-term and may lead to nutrient deficiencies. Each day, have a small amount (1-2 serves) of high density carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereals); a moderate amount (2-3 serves) of medium density carbohydrates (starchy vegetables and fruits); and a large amount (5-6 serves) of low density carbohydrates (fibrous vegetables). [For a complete list of carbohydrates, see pages 136-138 of the book, ‘ Look good, feel great! ] Do not have a Treat Day. Since you are expecting an extraordinary result, it is essential that you put in an extraordinary effort. Accordingly, for the next 28 days you must follow the plan exactly as it is outlined without deviating. This means you can't allow yourself to indulge in any ‘forbidden foods'. This also means avoiding alcohol for the entire 28-day period. I know this may be hard for some people but let's face it, it is only for 28 days! By committing to the plan and disciplining yourself to see it through, you are ensuring that the results will follow. Plus, the disciplines you create to help you achieve your physical goal will have a ‘carry-over benefit' to other areas of your life as well. I wish you the greatest success in achieving outstanding results! * Before using any nutritional supplement, speak with your health care professional.

If you seriously want to lose 22lbs or 10 kilograms in 28 days then you must perform all of the principles exactly as recommended. Unlike the recommendations in my book, ‘Look good, feel great!', where you can pick the principles you want to use and ignore the rest and where you can even modify the principles to suit your lifestyle, these principles must be followed exactly as they are outlined. If you want extraordinary results, then you must be willing to put in an extraordinary effort! I realise that some people may be thinking, ‘But it is impossible to lose 10 kilograms of fat in a month!' I agree- it is! However, the truth is, it is impossible to only lose fat on any type of weight-loss program. You will always lose a combination of fat, water, stored carbohydrate and some muscle. Furthermore, most people who want to lose 10 kilograms in the first place are generally retaining excess fluid anyway, so a system that helps get rid of the excess fluid is certainly going to accelerate their results. Perform 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise morning and night. Yes, you read that correctly, morning and night- 2 sessions a day… every day! No excuses. We're all busy, we all feel tired some mornings, but if you're serious about getting amazing results, then you must be willing to do everything necessary. When we talk about aerobic exercise, we're talking about exercise! Not walking around the shops, doing the gardening or doing housework. It must be exercise, which means your breathing rate increases, your face goes red, you sweat, you get tired- simple! Some examples of aerobic exercise include: walking (pounding the pavement at a brisk pace- not dawdling), cycling (stationary bike is ideal), swimming, rowing, stepper, cross-trainer, aerobic classes, boxing, etc. Use ‘thermogenics'. There are several very effective thermogenic supplementson the market that can accelerate your progress towards your goal. Those containing caffeine, green tea extracts and an extract from a plant called coleus forskohlii are the most effective. They will boost your metabolismand promote the release of fat from the fat stores. ‘Scorch' by MAN Sports is a good example. It contains a combination of 7 powerful herbal ingredients specifically designed to boost your metabolism, burn body fat and increase your energy. Unfortunately though, thermogenics are not ‘magic pills'. You can't expect to take a couple of thermogenic capsules and then go home and eat pizza and drink alcohol and expect to get results. Thermogenics only work when their use is combined with a good nutrition and exercise program. Take 1-2 capsules twice a day; once prior to your morning exercise session and once with your lunch. Don't take them later than 4:00pm in the afternoon because they may keep you awake at night. Before using thermogenics, see your doctor first and obtain their approval. Do not eat anything for 30 minutes after the completion of any exercise. As a result of using the thermogenics combined with the exercise, your metabolism will remain elevated for some time after the exercise session is finished. This means your body will burn fuel at a faster rate than normal. Any exercise causes the body to use carbohydrate (muscle glycogen and blood glucose) as a fuel source. This means that after the exercise is completed the carbohydrate stores in the body are low and the body will be forced to use fat as its fuel. If a meal is eaten immediately after the completion of the exercise session, the blood glucose level will rise, inducing the secretion of insulin from the pancreas. One of the effects of insulin is to stop fat burning in the body. Therefore, wait 30 minutes (but no longer because cortisol will rise) before having your next meal. Perform a weight training workout 2-4 times a week. Lifting weights is the most under-estimated way to lose fat fast! Now, before you start saying, ‘But I don't want to get big muscles!' or ‘I don't want to look like a man!', consider the following. The main purpose of lifting weights when your primary goal is to lose body fat is to preserve the muscle massyou already have. You see, muscle is the ‘engine' within which the fat, or ‘fuel' is burnt and maintaining or even increasing your muscle mass slightly will help ensure your body fat is burnt off efficiently. If you don't lift weights, your body will quite happily lose both fat and muscle as you drop the kilos. Lifting weights forces your body to maintain your muscle mass, therefore keeping your metabolism elevated and turning your body into 24-hour-a-day fat-burning machine! Incidentally, it only takes two 30 minute sessions a week to obtain the muscle preserving benefits of lifting weights. Have 5-6 small meals a day. One of the most common strategies people use to lose weight is to skip meals. Whilst reducing food intake is certainly an effective way to lose weight, having fewer meals is not the way to go. Many overweight people say, ‘I don't know why I'm overweight, I only eat once or twice a day!' Unfortunately, this is exactly why they are overweight. Having a mild calorie restriction is effective because if you consume less calories than you burn each day you will lose weight- simple! However, skipping meals forces the body to invoke its ‘Starvation Mechanism' because it thinks it is entering a famine. As a result, the body slows the metabolism to preserve energy. It also increases cortisol output and cortisol is the most powerful catabolic hormone in the body, which means it goes around the body breaking down lean tissue, particularly muscle. A loss of muscle slows the metabolism even further. Skipping meals also results in an increase in appetite, which forces you to eat larger amounts of food when you do eat. In addition to all these factors, the body also increases the activity of fat-storing enzymes, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), so when you do eat the food gets stored as fat. All of this results from simply skipping meals! By having a small meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day, your metabolism stays elevated and your body will happily burn fat all day long. Unfortunately though, most people are conditioned to having large meals and they automatically assume they will put on weight if they have 5 or 6 meals a day. The fact is, the ideal portion sizes for most people are actually quite small and in order to lose weight fast it is essential that you never feel full from a meal but you do feel satisfied. Also, most people find it difficult to have a meal every 2-3 hours throughout the day because they are so busy with work and/ or family commitments. Here are some suggestions to ensure you get your 5 or 6 meals a day. • Plan and prepare your meals the night before • Use meal replacements (protein shakes or bars) • Select foods that are quick and easy to prepare and consume Ensure each meal contains protein. Protein is a component of all cells and makes up over half the dry weight of the human body. Furthermore, the human body is a dynamic structure, which means it is constantly building up and breaking down tissue. Just imagine a bath full of water. At one end of the bath the plug is pulled out and at the other end the tap is turned on full. The water level in the bath doesn't change but there are ‘new' water molecules entering the bath and ‘old' water molecules leaving the bath all the time. The human body is exactly the same. If the body breaks down more tissue than it builds up, then it is said to be in a catabolic state. This results in the metabolism slowing down due to the loss of muscle tissue. Having a portion of high-quality protein every few hours throughout the day provides the body with a constant supply of amino acids- the building blocks of the body. This prevents the catabolic state, promotes an anabolic state (tissue building) and therefore keeps the metabolism ‘fired-up'. If only carbohydrate or fat is consumed for a meal, for example a piece of fruit (carbohydrate) for the mid-morning meal, then the body will still enter a catabolic state because it doesn't have the building blocks (amino acids) to re-build body tissues. Protein, as its name suggests, is of primary importance. Reduce your intake of high-density carbohydrates. Most high-density carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice and cereals cause a rapid rise in blood glucose. This invokes the release of insulin from the pancreas, which in turn stores the glucose. The body stores glucose in the muscles and liver as glycogen and once these sites are full, the remaining glucose gets stored as body fat. Not only this, but insulin also stops the body from mobilising and utilising fat for fuel (burning fat). So if you want to maximise fat loss, you need to keep insulin to a minimum and the best way to do this is by reducing your intake of starchy carbohydrates without cutting them out altogether. Cutting them out totally is a philosophy of many low-carb diets on the market. However, these are very hard to sustain long-term and may lead to nutrient deficiencies. Each day, have a small amount (1-2 serves) of high density carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, cereals); a moderate amount (2-3 serves) of medium density carbohydrates (starchy vegetables and fruits); and a large amount (5-6 serves) of low density carbohydrates (fibrous vegetables). [For a complete list of carbohydrates, see pages 136-138 of the book, ‘ Look good, feel great! ] Do not have a Treat Day. Since you are expecting an extraordinary result, it is essential that you put in an extraordinary effort. Accordingly, for the next 28 days you must follow the plan exactly as it is outlined without deviating. This means you can't allow yourself to indulge in any ‘forbidden foods'. This also means avoiding alcohol for the entire 28-day period. I know this may be hard for some people but let's face it, it is only for 28 days! By committing to the plan and disciplining yourself to see it through, you are ensuring that the results will follow. Plus, the disciplines you create to help you achieve your physical goal will have a ‘carry-over benefit' to other areas of your life as well. I wish you the greatest success in achieving outstanding results! * Before using any nutritional supplement, speak with your health care professional.

I liked reading everyone's responses, and thought I would add my 2cents. It really depends if you stay the night or not in the hospital. I too was very freaked out, and about 3-4 days before, once everything was ready and in place, I told myself...just surrender, let it go, and just know that DP will drive me there and the rest is in everyone else's hands. I wanted to write LB on my tummy so no one removed an organ by mistake, or did the RNY surgery by mistake. I made sure to confirm w/ the nurse and the doctor that I was an LB patient. Here is my story! *I had a foley catheter (in bladder) in all day and night, so when I walked, I had to drag that w/ the IV thingy. I was sooo freaked about that, but they put it in after your sleeping and I didn't feel anything, even when they take it out. It was nice not to have to get up all the time to pee. *I got the MAGIC BUTTON as they call it in the hospital all through the night. I was on something stronger than morphine (I think that is what she said). And every 6 min, I could press the button. I held onto it all night, didn't need to press it much, but it was there. *The pain is bad, but not to most people. My first post here I said something to the effect "if I'd known about the pain, I might have reconsidered". Now 7 days later I change that. It is managable...use the pain meds if you need to. Someone posted about Vicodin, but I would ask for the liquid Loritab, easier to swallow, not bad tasting, and less constipating. *Lastly, you can do this. I've never had surgery, never been in the hospital, never had children, and require extra novacain at the dentist...basically a HUGE BABY. If I did it, you can too. *Take your time w/ recovery. I slept in the recliner for 2 nights because i needed to walk every few hours and didn't want to wake DP. I've exercised the last 2 days (5 miles each day on bike at gym) and feel great. YOU CAN DO IT...IT WILL BE OVER BEFORE YOU KNOW IT...WE ARE ALL THERE W/ YOU...YOU DESERVE IT...YOU DESERVE TO BE HEALTHY AND HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Hi, I wanted to start my journal. It has been one full week since surgery and I am doing pretty good. I will continue to exercise as much as possible, I feel so much better doing it! I found after Susanne left on Easter, my depression was soooooo real. I, for the first time in my life, couldn't turn to food to "comfort" the lonliness. That is a big AHA for me. I never realized I did that, but I do. So, I am hoping to overcome this w/ exercise. I want to exercise 4-5 days/week minimum. I am on full liquids and doing pretty well. I am getting hungry about 2 hours after I eat, but considering I am only eating (or drinking) about 3-5 oz each sitting. I hope to progress to mushies this weekend, to get my body used to it before I go back to work. peaceout

Hi, I wanted to start my journal. It has been one full week since surgery and I am doing pretty good. I will continue to exercise as much as possible, I feel so much better doing it! I found after Susanne left on Easter, my depression was soooooo real. I, for the first time in my life, couldn't turn to food to "comfort" the lonliness. That is a big AHA for me. I never realized I did that, but I do. So, I am hoping to overcome this w/ exercise. I want to exercise 4-5 days/week minimum. I am on full liquids and doing pretty well. I am getting hungry about 2 hours after I eat, but considering I am only eating (or drinking) about 3-5 oz each sitting. I hope to progress to mushies this weekend, to get my body used to it before I go back to work. peaceout

rocker...I am pissed that Gina is out AND SANJAYA IS STILL IN...omg...I WANNA SLAP HIM SO BAD. I know that is not nice...but that is the truth

Hi All, Terry- Thanks for sharing your journal ideas on caloric intake. I am glad to see I am in the "normal" range (normal as I defined it w/ you and Sara, lol). I am gonna try to stay around 600-800 over the next few weeks. Funny thing is, I've never ever ever had 800 calories a day. Now I am trying to get that many in. Sara- Thanks for asking about how I am doing. I was very down Sunday (totally empty house) and for the first time ever, I could not turn to food to "comfort" me. I spent the day thinking about how this is my first noticable change from the band...I CAN NOT OVEREAT. That is why I started exercising yesterday. I need to keep my endorphines (don't think I spelled that right) up. I hope to develop the habit of exercising instead of eating when I need that comfort. My partner is in the military and has drill this weekend. Since I am not quite ready to drive 113 miles to see her (as I normally do on the drill weekends) we will have skip this weekend. :cry But that is ok...I have soo much homework to do, now I have no excuses. Thanks for sharing your menu. I know that the next few weeks will be boring for us all...but I think we need to start looking at food differently. I want to look at it as needed to live, needed for fuel. And get away from the idea that it is enjoyment. Seeing food as enjoyment has gotten me to 280. So as I look over my boring menu for today, shake, shake, pudding, soup and thinking about other things that are more enjoyable...like the new car I think I am going to buy on Friday (more on this later)! I went to the gym again today! 5miles on the bike in 30 min and 49 sec. I got my (.) this morning and almost talked myself out of it. But as I sit here, drinking my coffee and relaxing online, I am so glad I did. My port site was sore this morning, plus cramps (and day 2 is worse), but the exercise helped. Have a great day everyone!!! peaceout

I am a woman. Who happens to be a: lesbian liberal Catholic (which also means christian) Italian movie lover teacher who holds 2 advanced degrees madly in love an aunt to beautiful children (I AM ALSO THEIR GODMOTHER) WHO THINKS THIS HAS BEEN THE FUNNIEST THREAD OUT THERE. FOR ALL THE CLOSED MINDED IDIOTS, KEEP POSTING, IT BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE! On a side note, to all of those who think that "I have not faith" or are "damned"...do I need to remind you that gluttony is a sin, it is the reasons we are all here in the first place. This "love the sinner, hate the sin" shit is for the birds. WE ARE ALL SINNERS. You can not tell me mine is WORSE than yours. Thanks for the giggles...ROTFLMFAO....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Hi everyone, Sara- Your work schedule sounds grueling. It is hard to eat and exercise when you have to work a crazy schedule. I have little coolers I used for my preop diet to tote around w/ me, using ice packs. But the exercise is harder to work around. It is not too bad waking at 4:30, as long as I am not up past 9pm on the LBT site, lol! I went to the movies today and brought in my Protein shake for lunch. The smell of popcorn didn't even bother me. I was wondering how many calories are my post op buddies consuming each day. I just went in to blend my Turkey Pot Pie Soup (sooooo yummy) and calculated that I had only 435 calories all day. I made my soup and was only able to drink about 1/3 of a small coffee cup. I know I will have some more about 8 or 9 before bed. That would put my calorie intake about610 for the day. Amazing. I used to have 2 Breakfast sandwiches(i won't say which ones for all my friends on the preop diet) from Mc D's, which I think is about 1500 calories, and that was just the beginning. Please let me know what you guys are consuming. Am I getting too much or enough? I feel ok about it, just want to check w/ others. Thanks, Pamela

Hey everyone, this site is addictive. Sara, during my workout, I did not get too much pain at port site, but was very aware of my incisions. I was on the bike and my tummy is the biggest part of me, so every pedal my tummy moved. I just tried to sit farther back, and go slow. I am off this week, and told myself to do this everyday, and hopefully set the pattern for next week and on. Next week though, and all the weeks after that, I have to get up at 4:30am to be at the gym by 5am. That is the only time I have to work out, since I teach day and night classes Mon and Tues nights. I did this last year when I quit smoking, but...it is hard to get up that early. I have been driving a bit too, just avoiding speed bumps,lol. Have a great day. I have packed up my protein shake and am going to the movies! Check back later...you all are awesome!

christy, Good morning! The bowel prep is this um...procedure that you do the day before surgery. The reason behind it is anytime they do surgery between breast and hips (anything in the tummy) there is always the risk of accidently snipping at the intestines. It is a preventative measure to ensure if there is every any "ooopps", that no fecal matter can get into the system. (THAT IS HOW IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME????) But on a good note, it cleans you out, and I didn't have to go to the bathroom at the hospital...which was more comfortable. And some people can lose up to 5-10 pounds on it. I lost only 4 pounds on it, but considering I was on liquid diet for 10 days before and broth the day before the bowel prep, it think I was already pretty cleaned out. I hope that helped. All doctors are different. But it is a prerequisite for the hospital in Palm Springs, so I had to do it! GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

Since I can't figure out the ticker thing, and I have tried a number of times, I will have to add this in from time to time and change my signature. 280 start of preop diet 265 surgery (thanks to bowel prep and preop diet) 275 3 days after surgery (sooo much water retention, my knees looked like watermelons) 268 today!!! I don't know what this means...the numbers are all over the place. However, never ever ever in my life have I lost this much. woohoo!:clap2:

KEEP WAITING FOR TRACY TO POST????? WHAT IS UP GIRL???? Shine, so glad your feeling better. I agree, protein is the key. Terri, I bet that fish tasted good. It is probably a good thing that you had a little "discomfort" with the food, because you already are starting to learn about your band, its limitations, and yours. I don't wish discomfort on anyone, but the lesson that came from it is invaluable. And hey, lets face it...we all have some discomfort and lessons to learn in the weeks to come! Sara, Good luck tomorrow!!! and to everyone else getting banded this week. You know we will be here waiting patiently for your posts as soon as your able. God Bless, remember, we are all in there with you! My update...I am so proud of my self!!! I woke up at 6:15 this am and was at the gym by 6:35. My goal was to do 30 min on the stationary bike. The first 10 min was hard, the second 10 was easier, and the last 10 I was beaming w/ pride. As the time approached 30 min, I was so close to having done 5 miles! So I decided that that would be my goal. I am excited to say in 30 min 45 sec...I did 5 miles!!! My RPM's ranged between 70-78 per min, which will be a goal increase as I get used to this again. This is day 7 and already did 5 miles. I feel a bit sore, but soooo much better than I did last week. Anyway, just wanted to share! Have a great day!

Terry, Real food? That must be nice. I am looking forward to some tuna or some potato...mmm I have to ask, were you scared? I mean, the first swallow? I am a little scared about the first few real bites. I have read so much about PB'ing, sliming, and getting stuck that I was worried, just a bit. Maybe this only happens after a fill?

Hey Stacey, I was banded on 4-3! I posted earlier today about post op diet options...looking for some alternatives. However, I like making my own shakes, don't care for the premade ones. I am using vanilla yougart, some skim milk and strawberry unjury protein powder. I make about 8-10 oz and usually drink it in 2 or 3 sittings. A few sips and so far, I am full. I like making my own better. I also am using Carnation instant breakfast (no sugar added and choc) plus the strawberry unjury protien powder and some milk...that tastes good. I am using the magic bullet...I love that, but I need to let whatever I make sit for a bit, to get some of the air bubbles out. I agree with you, today is a pretty good day as far as pain etc. I have used Tylenol 2x and no pain meds (first time all week). I will probably take a swig at bedtime. Does anyone who was banded this week have to go back to work tomorrow or this week? I have the week off, but was just wondering. FOR OUR FUTURE BAND SISTERS AND BROTHERS JOINING US THIS WEEK...YOUR IN MY PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS. SPEEDY AND PAINLESS RECOVERY. Here is something fun to do. Check out the Jan or Feb bandster threads and read the last pages of the threads. It is just great to see their sucess on their tickers and think about what our tickers and successes will look like in 2-3 months!!!!!!!:clap2: