mdrai

Hmmm Pam, that's odd cuz' that's why I LIKE the elliptical... it seemed easier on my knees/joints as it's a round motion & not just up & down... isn't that funny? (not ha ha funny, ironic) + I like the arms going, too... it just seems like it flows for me... I don't "count" anything, really... I just keep a general awareness in my head of each day's intake... I figure roughly 300 cals each meal, 15 or so carbs each meal, 25 or so grams of protein each meal... I tend to eat basically the same each day (well, weekends can get crazy, but usually the weeks are somewhat routine), so a protein shake w/micellar milk for b'fast, small salad w/3 oz of some kind of meat + lf cheese or a few olives or a t of sunflower seeds + spritz dressing, and a small portion (3oz) of whatever main course meat I make for the family + small veggie OR another pro shake if I'm really trying to drop the lbs (like now... I'm on fire to get to -50!). So really there's no math involved... just healthy choices! Gotta love the band!

Yes Terry, that's exactly what I try to do, sort of zen out on the thing. When I first started doing it I'd find that I was saying mean things to myself while huffing & puffing, like "I'm such a fat ass!" and it dawned on me that THAT wasn't good! :omg: I want it to be a positive experience, physically, mentally, & emotionally, so I started w/the + affirmations. I also do focus on my breathing and my muscles moving, etc... I think that mentality has come from the aqua pilates I've done all summer. Yay!

Thanks for the kind words, Laura! Yeah, I hate all work-out machines -- treadmill & especially stair stepper -- ack! But my friend got a gym-quality elliptical machine and I tried it and I love it for some reason, I don't know why! I started @ 20 mins and am gradually adding time & distance, today's was 25 mins & 2.5 miles! I guess the lesson here is to just keep trying different things & maybe you'll find something you like that you never thought you would! Cheese... mmmmm... there's a tasty topic! That's what I loved most about low-carb! But now that I'm trying to be basically low-carb AND low-fat, I eat only the skim or 2% cheeses. And not on crackers. Either alone or on salads. I'm like the food nazi, aren't I. Sorry!

25 mins on the eliptical -- an all-new record for me! My mantra while on it is: "I am healthier. I am stronger. I am thinner. I feel great! I look great!" About 1/2 way through, sweating & huffing & puffing, I shut my eyes & repeat that over & over & over... Now to get some work done!

Good Thursday morning, Vi's!~~ The scale was kind this morning & I'm now in the '60s! 269.7 -- I'm taking it! So that's what, -47.3! Slow & steady... small good food choices + exercise = success! Eliptical time! Make it a great day, everyone! GOOD LUCK, JEN!! Hang in there Terry!! Best wishes for the dr, Tracy! Hi Kat & Pam & Laura & everyone! BBL.

WOW Tracy! Here's one nanner to hold you 'til Pam checks in -- you deserve her!: Hang in there, Jen!!!

It's a tough personal decision to make, I agree. You have to first be convinced that you're worth it... worth the time, worth the chance, worth maybe even having to travel back & forth to a good doctor, etc. I was banded on May 29 & have lost 46 lbs so far (pre- & post-op). I want to lose 120 lbs definitely, and then maybe 25-30 more, depending on how I look/feel/clothing size when I get down there. I still love food. The band prevents me from eating too much of any one thing. Most of the time I eat properly, nutritiously... but when I am around a pizza, I can enjoy a piece. A piece. What an amazing sentence! In the old days, it'd have been a pie! LOL! So a lot of head work & re-training old food habits is involved in this journey. Also, exercise is involved, too. I never really exercised previously; I signed up for 1 aqua class @ the Y this summer & walked a bit, and now am up to 3 classes/week + about 2-3x/week on the eliptical. Slow & steady wins the race. I supposed I don't HAVE to exercise, but it speeds up the weight loss & makes me feel good, so why not do it? I don't want the losing weight phase to take any longer than it has to! Best wishes as you research your options and decide what is right for you.

Good Morning... On my way to 45 mins of aqua pilates & then an hour of aqua core classes! Yay me the exerciser!

Wow girls, all I can offer are hugs, because I have no advice to give, as I have never been anywhere near your situations and can't begin to pretend to know what to do. Wow. But you have my shoulders to lean/cry on, you know that! Laura... what *do* you eat? That might be an easier list! (I'm nervous to type this next part, because I don't want to sound judgmental or anything, but as a sister violet and someone who cares for you, and as I want everyone here to feel like they can be honest w/me... IMVHO, it seems like you eat a lot of bread/rice/potato/cracker products (fyi, crescent rolls)... my doc says to not eat them at all & to keep total carbs to 50-70/day... I know you know that avoiding that stuff will only help w/the loss... I truly point this out w/only the best of intentions!)

Zesty Pork Chops (can use chicken, also) Any number of pork chops (bone-in, boneless, or pork loin cut into 1-inch, serving size pieces) Grey Poupon Dijon-style mustard an italian salad dressing (such as Kraft Zesty Italian) Throw some of the mustard and some of the dressing in a ziploc bag. Shake it around to mix evenly. Pierce each of the pork chops with a knife a couple times and throw them in the bag. Place bag in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes so marinate (or longer/over night for a stronger tasting meat). Cook in fry pan on stove till meat is done. It's THAT simple and very tasty. Will have more later...

Good morning, Vi's...

Hello Violets, Back from our soccer tournament weekend... ds's team won their division! Yay! Got a fill on Friday... still on "mushies"... I definitely have to eat more slowly... still not sure this is my "sweet" spot... time will tell, I guess. Same weight as Fri. Make it a great day!

Oh, -6 for me for August. Bah.

Hey Vi's, Just back from my 3rd fill... went fine... think he said I have 7.2 in there now?? but don't think that adds up?... this doc isn't my fav... he always asks me a million questions and when I answer he analyzes me & always seems like I'm odd or something... then I get nervous... he's the one who didn't fill me that one time... but he did fill me today, so voila, we'll see... don't feel any different & drank the h20 fine. Ended up just going to sleep last night... no bubble, no beverage... Woke up this a.m. planning on making it a good day... & then found out I was basically "fired" from my part-part-time job!... I worked it only a couple times over the summer cuz' the kids were home, they said it was fine... I submitted my shift requests for Sept... and I didn't get ANY! So I figure it's their way of telling me something. I was going to e-mail the mgr, but figured I wouldn't make it easy for him so I'm going to call him now. It's not the money, but rather that I enjoyed the work & other employees, + got 1/2 price food (it's at the meal-prep kitchen place called "Let's Dish!" where you assemble main courses & freeze them...). Anyhoo... I guess I can get a $10/job anywhere if I want one... in the meantime I can edit & sub @ the ES... I always say I'm lucky that I can work for "fun" because my hubby works for money! But more & more my income covers the "extras" -- kids activities, etc. -- that we'd sorely miss if I did just nothing. So life continues to be off-kilter for me & I'm still in my funk. Bah! I'm going away this weekend also... we leave tomorrow 7am for Williamsburg for a soccer tournament that ds is playing in. Time to go do laundry & get packing! Will check back later!

Ok, now I'm back from the barn... crying daughter & all... sigh... Stupid woman who runs the place had to pump dd for info on why we were leaving... even though I told dd to just say "I don't know, ask my mom" to any questions anyone might ask... she's only 8... so naturally she spilled everything, the woman took it personally & called me a liar... nice, huh? I didn't tell her about the possibility of going to another barn as I didn't wish to hurt her feelings... trying to keep it all business... silly me! Then dd starts crying as we're leaving & of course it's all mean mom's fault... the woman is hugging her & saying "mommy won't make you go somewhere you don't want to" blah blah... as if I would keep her somewhere where the adults intimidate info out of little kids... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... I really can't remember the last time I had a day this stressful... wowza... I think I just may do the bubble bath/adult beverage combo this eve! My prediction is that I'll either cry or fall asleep! or both! I go for my 3rd fill tomorrow morning... I need it!

What a day! Stress out the wa-frickin-zoo! Made it thru traffic court... you're right, they don't care, just want the check. My trial summary was "Probation before Judgment" which means no points (yay) & a reduced fine + "court costs" (what a racket!). I was a mess all day leading up to it... after it was all over I wanted to cry so bad + eateateat! Too much stress! Now I have to run out & get dd & take her to her last horse riding lesson @ the barn she's been riding at for 3 years... it's time for her to move on to a more professional stable, etc... but she's sad & I'm -- you guessed it! -- stressed that they'll give her/me a hard time about leaving. I wrote a nice "thank you" note & enclosed a $50 Carrabba's gift card... hope that helps ease the transition! Did I mention I'm stressed today???????

Good Thursday morning, Violets, Today's my traffic court day @ 1pm. Have butterflies in my tummy (what's the cal/pro/carb breakdown on butterflies??). Was tossing & turning all night, thinking what/how I was going to say, whether I should just pay the stupid thing & be done w/it, etc... but I really feel it is my civic duty to point out the ill-use of our tax dollars & police man-power to have had him lying in wait at the foot of a small neighborhood hill when right around the corner are 2 of the deadliest intersections in the county, where if a police car was seen along that stretch of road, it might slow the crazy drivers down & actually save a life! It makes me so mad when I get thinking about it! I have burned into my memory the sight of a motorcycle v. car crash that I came upon before the emergency vehicles arrived (other motorists had already stopped to help)... w/the cyclist laying 30' from his bike (which I couldn't even recognize as it was just a twisted hunk of metal) in a pool of blood, not moving... didn't know at the time he was already dead... I was so shaken I started sobbing & had to pull over to calm down before I could continue driving the little way to the house... I kept praying over & over & over for him... I wouldn't drive that route for a month because the blood stains were still on the pavement & to make the turn you had to drive over it & it upset me too much... (& this is just 1 example of horrific accidents on this stretch of road). THIS is why I get so upset about it... Sorry to go on like that... what a downer... I'm just all jumbled up inside... wish me luck! Make it a great day & everyone drive SAFELY!

Hey... I am in a funk today... no specific reason... just feeling "grrrrrrr". Today is my 3-month bandiversary... private goal was to be at -50 at least... weighed in at -45... so grrrrrrr... Went to observe @ traffic court & it was intimidating! I thought it'd be a rinky dink thing where you just stood up & said your side... but it's in a Circuit Court room and everyone there today had a lawyer with them! I'm going in w/just me! So that's making me feel nervous & grrrrr, too. I'm thinking that maybe I'll just pay the dam thing to have it be done, but then I think that's not fair... I admit I was speeding, but not THAT much, not "recklessly", and it was a total trap, etc., etc.... & I want to stand up for myself. Sigh. I don't know... So I took off this a.m. w/out eating & still haven't had anything & now my stomach is really growling & there are brownies in the kitchen & I don't want to go in there... AH! I'm just being "poor, poor pitiful me" today! Feeling all whiney & cranky. Bleh. I just want to wait this out & go back to my regular confident, happy self... hormones suck. That's it... continue w/your day!

Judy -- great pics! Pop Century is our fav hotel at the World! What fun! Oink oink... I'm a little piggy today (funny how I say that & then compare it w/what I WOULD have eaten & it's really only a little! ha ha! but still, too much for a banded person!). Too many cashews! (Better than too many cookies, I guess!) Fondue for dinner... veggies & cheese... yum! TTFN!

Good Tuesday morning, Violets!~~ Down 1 this a.m.... slowly, slowly... Busy day (busy week!)... make it a great one, everyone!

Hi Scone, welcome! Sorry to read that you're having such problems finding your sweet spot! Hang in there. Not knowing anything about you or your activity level or what you eat on a regular basis (so basically, nothing!), I'd throw out the idea of not waiting around for the perfect sweet spot, but using some will power & exercise to jumpstart the weight loss w/the restriction that you DO have. (I hope that doesn't sound mean, I don't mean it that way!!) I know if it were that easy, we'd all have done that rather than go through surgery, right?? But somehow for me, those two things are the slightest bit easier knowing the band is in there & helping at least SOME until I find that sweet spot! Good luck!

Tracyk, you are not alone! I haven't actually cried about it, but I have gotten angry & frustrated at not being able to eat the volume of whatever it is that I want... esp. in stressful situations, when in the past I'd have gorged on _______ & it would've calmed me down/put me in a stupor. Does that make sense? But that's *exactly* why I got the band! So that I do not have to rely solely on my best intentions & willpower! -- In situations where I would've caved, I can't! Maybe I eat a little bit, but not nearly what I would've pre-band. (& I must've caved *a lot* to get up to 317+!) I know I'm not at my sweet spot yet, cuz' I can pretty much eat anything (usually)... just smaller amounts & little bites & slowly. The few things I've gotten stuck on (even that killer chicken last week) was really due to speed + size of the bite, not really the type of food. I'd suggest if something is really driviing you crazy, have a little bit of it! Maybe once a month? Plan for it. I eat cheeseburgers w/out the bun w/let & tom no problem. All this talk is making me hungry! I've been doing the 2 shakes/1 salad thing! Glad I'm getting another fill on Friday!

glug, glug, glug -- hic!

Good Monday Morning, Violets~~ Denise... best wishes during this difficult time... you're receiving lots of great advice... & you look mah-ve-lous, dah-link... hang in there & know we're keeping good thoughts for you. Terri... Hope that loosens up for you! :omg: TracyKS... Good luck w/your new fill! I get my 3rd on Fri! Laura... Yay on the jeans!! + all your fun stuff coming up! Everyone... HI! Today is the first day of school! Did 22 mins on the eliptical + got a pedicure... aahhhhhhhhhhhhh. After 10 weeks of having kids home & with me, I'm enjoying the peace & quiet today. Toodles for now...

Just back from another 8a soccer game... phew! Now it'll be "get ready for school" day -- yay! TracyKS, those pics are great -- you DO look great! I can see confidence & happiness shining from you! & ds is adorable! Make it a great day, everyone!