mdrai

I am obviously WAAAAAY too punchy from my long day. I'm sitting here cracking myself up. hee hee hee...

rhymes w/ "spartacus"

Oh dear... & here I thought it was "Tracyks"! haw haw haw!

Lunasa/Amanda... Please let me know when you will be in Richmond... I have relatives there & it's just a few hours by car for me to zip down from Washington, DC, & I will be more than happy to meet you & go with you for support & a friend in your corner. If it's more convenient to fly into DC, I could pick you up & get you there... you could stay with me. However I could help you. I'm sure it is very scary, especially in a foreign country. I am 100% serious in this offer!! Pam... I'm here for you, too, kiddo! Send me a test chapter & any style guides & I'll take a look @ what you've got & see if I can help w/editing, etc. Anyone else have a need I can fill???

264, actually... haven't been keeping good track lately as I've been funky about how "little" I've been losing... and voila!... it decides to sneak up on me! It's been a week or more, I think. I'm dying to make it to 257 (that sounds so funny tied in w/TracyK's plunge into the 100s, ha ha!) & my 1/2 way (to first major goal) mark. Slow & steady!

Whew what a day! Just posting to update my ticker stats. What's the "phrase that pays" girls??? -- SLOW & STEADY!! PATIENCE & TRUST!!

Congratulations, TracyK! Fantastic! Amazing! Awesome!! Celebrate & Enjoy!!!

Good Thursday Morn, Vi's~~ Here's what my yahoo horoscope said for today, and I thought it was actually good advice for everyone, every day!: "Try to add more exercise to your daily routine. Your physical self is something you can control a lot more completely than your emotional self right now, so you might as well make the best of it. Your body is under your control entirely -- so what do you want it to do? Take note of what you're putting into it, what you're putting it through, and what you're expecting from it. If all three of those things don't add up, it's time for you to make a change." My first concert? Hmmmmmmm... that was a long time ago... I *think* it was Jimmy Buffett! or it was Howard Jones opening for the Eurithmics (sp?). My fav all-time concert was/is Bruce Springsteen, of course! Sorry, but I can't relate @ all to those other groups... I was/am strictly a "Pop" princess (case in point: my cell phone ring right now is "We're All in This Together" from High School Musical!). I know, what a dork! Denise, I have that Rh thing & it was no problem at all w/the shots. Don't give it another worry. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TRACY!! Enjoy & Celebrate!! :bounce: Time to shower & start the day... make it a great one, Vi's!

1. Do you have specific allergies (foods, scents, dyes etc.)? No allergies, per se, but I dislike "floral" scents... love "spicy" scents 2. Favorite color? Hot pink or purple/violet (naturally!) 3. Least favorite color? Plaid. ha ha... seriously... brown, black, olive... 4. Hobbies of any sort? knitting, reading, drinking starbucks frou-frou coffees, aqua exercising... 5. Do you collect anything? Not really... I enjoy Yankee Candles (here's where the "nonfloral" scents thing comes into play... hate florals, love cinnamon, wild berry, pumpkin spice, etc scents); jewelry (not pins, tho); books & magazines; yarn... 6. Any additional comments Thanks Laura for coordinating this!

Good eve, Vi's... Lots of shopping today... we're re-doing dd's room for her b'day (she's actually moving from her "old" room into what used to be the guest room... what fun, not!), re-doing dd's old room into the guest room (in time for our German guests who arrive on the 14th) + re-doing the kids' bathroom (need I say more?)... so had fun in Bed, Bath & Beyond today! Now have to go up & schlep more stuff (how can this kid have MORE??) back & forth across the hall for the 3rd night in a row! Phew! It's true... if you need the motivation to clean or paint or decorate -- invite someone over!! (We'll also be getting all the carpets cleaned + the outside of the house power washed! Oh my!) Biggest Loser & Boston Legal tonight!

Good Tues Morn, Vi's~~ Oh my gosh, Kat!!! That is WAY scary!! I am so so glad that you are ok! I can't imagine! Judy, my doc's instructions are 70 g of protein/day... he encourages a protein shake for b'fast for life, then yes, getting the rest from regular food... & I do the "eat the protein first, then the veggies" routine when I eat "real" food. Pam, have you tried the Unjury vanilla? If you like chai tea, then try the Unjury vanilla (unflavored would probably work, too) mixed w/skim milk (or I use 8oz of the vanilla micellar milk) & a scoop of the low-carb spiced chai (I use Big Train brand) & some ice cubes, whip it up in the blender, and Y-U-M! I'm meeting by BFF (since age 10!) for lunch today @ a Mediterranean place in town... haven't seen her since early Aug... hope she sees a difference! Speaking of eating food v. pro powders & such... I feel like I may be slipping into a bad habit & I'd like your advice... I think I'm starting to eat too little! I have a pro shake for b'fast; something for lunch, like a salad w/3 oz of some kind of meat (chix usually), 1 oz of low-fat cheese, maybe 1/4 of an avacado or a t of sunflower seeds & little bit of salad dressing; then for dinner usually a little bit of whatever I make the family (protein & veggie, just not the starches)... BUT... lately, because I've wanted to get this weight MOVING OFF... instead of eating dinner, I've been having another pro shake. And so now I feel like I"m eating too "much" if I eat the 2 meals/day. So I'm wondering if I'm trading one food head game (eating too much) w/another (eating too little). Thoughts? Off to take on the day! Make it a great one!

Good Monday Morning, Vi's~~ Just now back from my 3 aqua exercise classes + a $100 stop @ the grocery store... October is going to be super-duper busy for me, at least twice as busy as normal, maybe even more... for lots of reasons... work / painting & decorating projects before guests come from Germany for a week / a trip to W MD w/the german folks (guess who gets to coordinate everything??) / dd's b'day / Book Fair @ the ES (guess who's the chairperson?)... I get all tense just thinking about it!! I'm trying to just keep a positive mental attitude and flow from one thing to the other & focus on just the next item on the list, because if I think too far ahead, I can't breathe!! So if I'm short & to-the-point this month, you know why! No new scale news... Make it a great day!

Gee, thanks gals! Group hug!

I'm glad you're feeling peppier these days, whether it's better living through pharmaceuticals or whatever! I think that's probably true... if the pay off for remaining the same is fine, then what's the motivation to change?? I like the idea of the "allure" of slimdom!! I don't ever remember "slimdom"... for me, it's definitely the pain of where I was that was & still is motivating me!! But the band is definitely helping, because I know that if I didn't have it, I'd be slipping back into old habits around now because #1 it's been 4 months now & I'd be thinking "well, that's enough of THAT" and #2 I'm feeling & (sort of) looking better, so that I'd start to slack off too... but w/the band I CAN'T do these things... I've got to keep moving onward & downward... hallelujah! So the question is... do you want us to help you get back on track, or just be nice & friendly -- we can do either!! It's all such a personal journey, there are no judgments here -- from me at least!

Anyone around tonight?? Wanna chat?? I'm supposed to be working... obviously I'm looking for distractions!

Welcome back, Lunasa!! Thanks for posting!! How ARE you??? We miss you!! You always got me thinking "deep thoughts"... & it was good for me!! I can't tell from your post if you're upset or fine w/where you are w/your band, wt loss, etc. IMHO, I think we all struggle from time to time, but overall the "regular" Violet posters are really trying to eat well & exercise & get rid of the excess weight, and the "struggle" part just challenges us to (ultimately) work harder & stay on top of our fills! I also think there are some of us Violets who may have drifted away... like you. If you're happy where you are, then good for you. If you're not, then DO something about it. + post more so we can help you... that's what we're here for!!

ooooooohhhhh... she didn't post, that stinker! We know you're lurking, Lunasa!!

Well, THAT explains THAT! I always wondered by some folks capitalized the first letter of every word in their posts... I thought "that must take a lot of time"... ha ha! Now I know! I typed the post above to Lunasa in ALL CAPS and it switched it to just first-letter caps! Ah Ha! But consider yourself "screamed" at anyway, Lunasa! Wanted to get your attention!!

Lunasa I See You There And You Had Better Be Typing Us A Message My Friend!!!!!!!

Wow Panda, you look great! You have to update your avatar!! & congrats on the coaster ride -- it really is the NSVs that make this journey so fun! "Pregnant w/ice cream's baby!" -- you CRACK ME UP Laura!!! But I still stand by my honesty @ typing what I'm feeling... hey, if I can't be honest HERE, then I'm screwed, cuz' really, no one in REAL life cares all THAT much to sit & listen to it every day... like YOU GUYS DO!! ((hugs)) And while I do completely celebrate my -53... @ the same time... realistically... when someone looks @ me, I'm still a 264 lb woman!! That's the wt a lot of the gals on here STARTED at!! It's not as if I'm going to be hitting ONE-derland any time soon or anything! Sheesh, by the time I get there, I'll probably be the only one left posting to this thread, as everyone else will have hit their ultimate goals and gone on to enjoy full & productive skinny lives... and then there was one... me... posting to myself & the dust bunnies... (hee hee) BUT... SLOW & STEADY!!... that's me!!! & today's a new bright shiny day!! Make it a great one, everyone!!

Don't get me wrong... I enjoyed being able to share about the band w/everyone. I told only a few very close friends back in May because I didn't want everyone watching my every move & bite & lb loss etc at the beginning... I always planned that once it became noticeable, I'd share. I WANT to be a walking, talking billboard for the band! :confused: Fantastic on your loss so far!! Wowza!!

Good Eve... Ok, not a fat blob per se... whatever. I did take pics today so we'll see if I feel better about them another day. yee ha. So, the Fall Fest. It was overall good, I guess. Lots of compliments on the wt lost. The funny part was that by the end of the evening, practically all the "fluffier" women had come up to me at one point or another & asked what I was doing to lose the weight... and I proudly told them ALL that I had gotten the band in May + a mini-"what's the band", etc. lecture + eating properly + exercise. So in a way it was my "coming out" party! One gal wanted the surgeon's info... the others seemed interested... I told them all I'm happy to chat w/them more about it if they're interested... so I'm w/you now, Tracy... cat's out of the bag & I'm the one who let it out!! Feet are killing me... 'night!

I know you're all right, of course... 8 lbs IS 2 lbs/wk... & that's fine... good even... it's just, y'know... I want MORE! Terri... I just spent 15 mins taking pics of myself & honestly, I look like a fat blob in them... & just when I was feeling so good!! So don't hold your breath for pics from me just yet... bleh...

Good Fri Morn, Vi's~~ Ugh... still 264... no matter what I do... tomorrow is my 4-mo bandiversary & I so wanted to be @ 55 or more gone... but it looks like it'll just be 53... which makes it -8 for the month... gak!... I really want to average 10-12 a month!! rickin' frickin'... grrrrr... I know I know... it's going down, blah blah... but c'mon, you all know what I mean... we *do* have expectations... but this ol' bod just doesn't seem to want to cooperate... it's gotta do what it does on it's own time... grrrrr......... But -- on the bright side... today I am wearing my new "outfit" that I bought last week... skirt, shirt & vest... + a custom necklace & earrings that I love, lots of turquoise & coral & amber... my dd said I looked like a cowgirl! It does have a western flair to it, I guess. But I feel good in it... it's not an oversized peasant skirt & white T-shirt w/flips or white Keds (my official "PTA Mom" uniform!). I swear that when I hit goal I need to go on that "What Not To Wear" show, because I have NO idea how to dress myself style-wise... I've never had the luxury of being able to wear "whatever"... it's always been just "whatever would cover my ass"! Ha Ha! I'm dressed "up" because I have a couple meetings today + this afternoon is the schools "Fall Fest" & everyone will be there so I wanted to look good for that. Ack, look at the time... sorry to go on & on... sometimes I just type for me... it feels good, y'know?? JENN -- Ditto what TracyKS said. RUN, do not walk, away from that guy. Do not spend any more time/energy/emotion on it. It's not a match. "Next!"

Us too w/the soup, Judy... the kids can't wait for Daddy to get home so we can gobble it up!! Thanks again for sharing the recipe, Terri!! Who ratted you out, Tracy?? What fun would the nuns have if they didn't have YOU in their lives?? Banded. Married. SECRET!!