legnarevocrednu

Well I'm down 45 pounds as of today! Super psyched!! I'm starting to think of something I can do to reward myself once I reach 50 pounds lost. I was thinking a slice of pizza but maybe that's not the best thing to do haha. So I was wondering what you guys did to reward youself once you met a goal? 50 pounds is my first goal, being under 200 is my second, 100 pounds lost is my third, and then goal weight of 145 pounds.There are a few things on my wishlist (i.e. new iPhone and the Nook) so maybe I'll just buy myself something I want. So excited!!

I just order water because it's free and I don't have to worry about the looks. And I don't really care about taking water to go haha. I usually have water bottles in my car so when the time is good and I can drink again, I just grab one of those.

See if you can get myfitnesspal on your droid. It's the best!!

I eat a lot of grilled chicken because it's good for protein. You can prepare that ahead of time. I don't so much as focus on what I CAN have, but rather on what I CAN'T. For instance, I just stay away from the obviously bad things like pasta, bread, sweets, and drinks with calories in it. Works like a charm for me! Once you know what the obviously bad things are, you can pick the good things! Good luck!

I just realized I checked in too early! Yay! That's good news! Haha.

I am not having trouble with hunger or portion control either but I do not feel restriction. Because of that, my doc gave me a fill. And I STILL don't feel restriction lol. I am still losing weight though because like one of the ladies said up there, it's self control. Just knowing the band is there helps me to restrain myself from over eating. I also have no desire for sweets or anything so it's helping in that respect also. According to my doctor, if you don't feel restriction, you get a fill. I'm going to keep getting fills until I know it's not just me doing the work. Good luck!

First check in: Sad to say I'm up a pound to 216! Hoping when I check again on Monday, it would have gone down a couple. I ate later than usual last night so I'm not too surprised. Have a good weekend!

Oh I would never think to reward myself with food on a daily basis! I have been extremely, extremely strict with my diet. Have not had anything sweet or above 300 calories since November 11th. I was kidding about the pizza lol. Thanks for your ideas!

First, I want to apologize for all my whining last week. It was the first time I hadn't seen the scale move since I started this whole process. Anyways, I am completely ecstatic this morning! After weighing in at 219 Friday morning and feeling down, this morning I weighed in at 215!!! It's soooo awesome! I took the weekend off from the gym and I guess my body just needed to do some catching up. I had hoped to be at 215 today, and it's a miracle that I am lol. I literally jumped up and down and did a little dance in the bathroom. I even checked it twice to make sure I was looking at it right. I'm going back to the gym today, and this week, I'm not going to whine if I don't see the change on the scale because I know that the weight is going to come off as long as I'm persistent! Thanks so much for everyone's encouragement and kind words. I don't know how I would be getting through this process if not for this site and the people on it. On a personal note, my love life is going in a really positive direction. After being single for 27 years (yes, that would be my whole life!) I have finally found someone who appreciates me for who I am, enjoys being around me, and likes me as much as I like him. It's taken us a while to get to this point, and even though we haven't reached the relationship stage yet, I feel as if it's going in that direction. I have lots to smile about today! Adding some updated pics of me at 215 pounds!

On average, about 3 pounds a week. Surgery was 9 weeks ago. Some weeks more, some weeks less, depending.

I had surgery on a Monday and went back the following Monday. It was fine for me. I was really tired the first day back, but I'm sitting most of the day so it was no big deal. Since you are active in your job, I definitely suggest at least a week. Good luck!

I believe that if the soup is your meal, you are fine. It's just combining liquid WITH your meal, you either won't be able to eat as much, or you will be able to eat more because the liquid has mushed it enough to slip through your band. I've heard both. Just make sure that if the soup is your meal, to stick to the correct portion size. I have yet to find something my band won't tolerate. I think you will have to test certain foods, see how you will react to them because everyone is different. You might just not want to do the testing in public. Just make wise choices. I stay away from bread and Pasta as much as possible because of the carbs.

Hello! I took a week off. I had my surgery on a Monday and went back to work the following Monday. It was fine for me. I was real tired that first day back, but okay beause I have a sit down job. Does your job require you to stand a lot or do strenuous activity? If so, I suggest 2 weeks. I don't know what a tradeshow involves or how soon after surgery you are planning on doing it. I wouldn't suggest planning to do it the week of surgery. You are not even supposed to be driving for a few days. Good luck and if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask!

I had my first and only "liquor" 2 months after surgery. It was a Mikes Hard Lemonade. I had no negative effects.

Do you chew well and eat slow? I haven't reached restriction yet, but I know those two things are very important. It sounds like you may be eating to fast. However, it also sounds like you are at restriction so yay! Maybe it just takes a while to get used to it!

So I need some opinions here. On the days I go to the gym, I eat a lot more. Around 1000 calories or so. I eat almost every 2 hours...it seems and sounds like a lot! I do that because I usually burn at least 400 calories at the gym, leaving me between 600 and 700 calories. Is this the right way to do it? On days I don't go to the gym, I just stick to my 3 meals a day and eat every 4 hours. On those days, I try not to go over 800 calories. I always feel guilty for eating so much on gym days (all healthy things though...with a focus on protein). I figure if I didn't eat more, I'd probably be left with less than 400 calories for the day and that just doesn't seem right. Sooo....what do you think? What do YOU do?

I'm almost in the same boat as you! I've dated this guy a couple of times, and he knows I'm just watching what I eat. I usually order grilled chicken. Because he knows I'm in the midst of a "lifestyle change", he doesn't question it. Most of the time, people won't even comment on it. Just keep him talking and he won't notice the amount of food you are eating! lol Good luck and have fun!!

If you want foods that will keep you full longer, then pasta and bread are the WRONG foods to eat. Carbs don't keep you full. I would definitely avoid them. Eat more chicken, yogurt, eggs etc (protein). Those foods keep you full for longer periods of time.

Name, real or screen~ Legnarevocrednu Goal weight for Febuary 29th~200 Pounds (it's a hefty goal, but I'm going in for a fill on the 7th so I think it's doable) Weight on Febuary 1st~215 (I'll update this if anything changes within the next day) Age~27 Dietary goal for Febuary~Continue to avoid carbs and sweets Exercise goal for Febuary~Work out 5X a week for an hour Personal goal for Febuary~Focus on my hapiness and try to keep stress to a minimum Date banded~November 21, 2011 Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~30lbs/44lbs Do you have any Valentines day plans (How do you plan to handle Valentines dinner)~Hoping my guy will take me out! I'll probably order grilled chicken like I usually do lol.

Final Check in!! Beginning Weight on January 1st=229 Today's Weight=215 Total Weight Loss=14 pounds! I exceeded my goal weight for this challenge by 4 pounds!! Yay!!

I was originally scheduled to get the vertical sleeve. A week before surgery, my insurance coordinator called to tell me that I did not qualify for the sleeve because my BMI was not over 50, but that I DID qualify for the lapband. I was soooo upset! I cried all day! My doctors office had not given me a positive view of the lapband either. They tended to push the sleeve. Anyways, to make a long story short, I am glad I did not qualify for the sleeve. I truley believe the lapband was the best thing that could have happened to me. I am just a little over 2 months out and have already lost 41 pounds. It's really not that hard either! I don't crave or want sweets or soda and I just make better choices. I also started going back to the gym. The only hard part is that because I haven't reached restriction yet, I have to think about my portion sizes. That's easy to do when I eat at home, but not so much when I eat out. I usually just eat half of what's put in front of me. Anyways, I definitely think this is something you have to WANT to do in order to succeed. Do your research and see where it leads you! Good luck!

I already use myfitnesspal...it's how I knew all the numbers I listed in my post lol

Okay so I know what I'm about to write is going to sound completely ridiculous. Please, no lectures. I weigh myself every day. I KNOW I SHOULDN'T! I do it mainly so I can log it into myfitnesspal. Anyways, I weigh myself every morning, the same time, and before I eat anything. Yesterday morning, I weighed 217, this morning I weigh 219. Oh and I definitely use the same scale! Also, I stayed under 900 calories yesterday and I did not eat junk. However, yesterday was also my first day off from the gym after 4 days straight. I'm wondering if that's why I gained? If so, that's completely ridiculous. It's a little discouraging, but I know that's part of the territory when you weigh yourself every day. I usually see a pound fluctuation from day to day, but never TWO pounds! I was shocked! I just don't know how that could be. I'm hoping I'll be back down tomorrow. Oh well! Just had to write out my frustration! Is this normal for anyone else? To see more than a pound of daily fluctuation? Just curious!

I go to the gym 5 times a week and workout for an hour. I spend 30 minutes on the treadmill, 15 minutes on the eliptical, and 15 minutes on the bicycle. I was told not to do any weights or lifting until my next fill on February 7th. I eventually hope to do the eliptical for 30 minutes (that thing burns some serious calories!) and 15 minutes on everything else. Also, once I get clearance, I'll probably do strength exercises 2 out of the 5 days a week.