sue11

Speaking of tickers... If I could just get mine to move one more pound...I'm so close to ONEDERLAND (big time goal for me), but my scale is teasing me (200..201...200...you know the routine). I'm ready to do the ONEDERLAND happy dance! You guys who weigh once a week (or even month) have so much self control, I'm addicted to my scale! I know it's better to weigh periodically, maybe I've traded my food addiction for a scale addiction! Oh well, better the scale then Reese's PB Cups (my sweet daughter shared her Holloween candy with me, but I'm determined to hit Onederland before I touch any of it!) LOL

Carol... The tickers are from The Ticker Factory: Trying To Conceive Ticker They can be a little tricky to add to the signiture at first, but once you get it going it's really easy to maintain, and it tracks your weight loss.

I go for a fill on Monday too. I have mixed feelings about it. Part of me wants to keep my current fill for the Holidays, but my motivated side knows my restriction has decreased, and I certainly don't want to go backwards. I'm so close to ONDERLAND (been bouncing 200..201 for a while). Onederland is such a big goal for me, I think my scale is just mess'n with my head!!! Maybe I'll seek up on it tomorrow and it will finally let my do the ONDERLAND dance! LOL

Carol... There are support groups in Federal Way and Tacoma through the franciscan hospitals Weight loss surgery, gastric bypass support groups - St. Francis Hospital Washington There are several of us on this talk line that go to the Tacoma meeting (It will now only meet once a month on the 3rd Monday) These meetings are open to anyone, as are the meetings that some of the local doctors have running from thier offices. You can call the Federal Way docs to find out when they meet. Let me know if you're planning on coming so we can meet. Sue

I really wish I could say that I enjoy my Tues and Thurs at the gym. I really want to enjoy it, i wish I liked it, but reality is I DON'T. Thank God for Wendy...we make eachother go when the motivation is low. We try to walk on the other days, but that's getting harder as the weather gets colder. I really enjoy walking outside, but it's just too cold in the mornings. Walking at the Mall is OK, but I enjoy the fresh air and sunshine more. Is anybody else COLD. I was always warm, even before gaining weight I was always warm. Now I don't seem to have any tolerance for cold weather. I looked into viatmin deficiency as the cause. Low iron can cause you to be cold, but I actually eat better now and I take extra iron. Brrrrrrrrrrrr...I'm so tired of being cold! I mentioned to a friend the other day, maybe 70+ pounds of insulation made a difference!

Mer... It's so hard to know. Even if your plan covers it (as ours did) the employer decides on the exclusions for the plan...the more exclusions the lower the rates. Ours excluded any weight loss treatments. Are you self insured?

I woke up feeling so cruddy this morning (just a cold), but really got a lift when I stepped on the scale (200). Just one more pound to my Thanksgiving goal! Now I have to decide on my next goal, I think it will be BMI < 30, but I'm not sure where to set my date, the holidays are coming, then we're going on a cruise mid January.

I had the sholder/neck pain too, and have to say it was by far the worse pain I felt through the entire recovery. Good news is it will pass, it's the gas (diaphram pain is refered to the sholder)

Mer... Go Girl! It turned out great! What a great way to have some fun with your son. I do love those boots...you sexy thing!

OK...a couple pages ago I was griping about plateaus, so I have to also report the positive...the scale is moveing again. I knew it would, just scares me a little everytime I plateau. 3 more #'s to onderland! That was my goal for Thanksgiving, and I know it will happen soon! Yes, I aree on the "surreal" feelings, I had totally given up on seeing 250 again. Legster... I totally agree with the plantar cure. I could barely walk, doing much better now with 2 injections, LOTS of streching & exercizes and the New Balance shoes have been the best. Still have little bit now & then, but nothing like before. Having the weight down is huge too. Rag... We've done the ear tube and hearing diffaculties too, hang in there, most all grow out of it. Do what you can to avoid any permanent damage and to help her speach develope normally and I know she will be fine. I know it's so hard when we see our kids struggle, they usually handle it better than we do. My son (17) has had diabetes for 7 years and was diagnosed with epilepsy 2 weeks ago. I want to blame myself for not recognizing it sooner and doing something about it (he's had seizures that we mis-diagnosed as diabetic related) but guilt is not productive. It's like I told him the other day, we've hit obsticles before and we dealt with it, and we will deal with this just the same. I'l keep your daughter & lizrbit's son in my prayers, fi that's OK with you. Sue

lizrbit... I love fitday.com, it has helped me so much to really pay attention to what I'm eating and what's in the food I eat. I thought I was being a good girl the other day with my Taco Bell salad...I only ate a little of the shell. i looked up the nutritional info...it was over 1000 calories!!! That's how much I eat in a whole day! Fitday has also helped me to be certain I'm eating enough. I've had a couple times when I have thrown myself into starvation mode, i changed it up (eating more, but keeping it healthy) and the scale moves again. I've come to find that changing my food intake and my exercise is important. The body wants to stay at a constant state, so your metabolism will match your intake if it's always the same, and the scale will be stuck.

Macysgranny... Looks very interesting, I may just have to give it a try Thanks

Just read my own signiture: I can do ALL things... I can do ALL things... YES I CAN!!! (just giving myself a pep talk!)

yah...the plateau thing "sucks" (I hate it wen my kids say that) I've been trying to be patient, knowing that eventually the scale will move, but I really am sick of it, makes me want to eat a bag of chips...but that was the old me. Sure was easy to feel great about myself when the scale was moving. I sure am glad this isn't the B4Band days, cause now is when I would have given up. I just need to gripe...thanks for letting me vent!

Chelsey... Congrats, hope your recovery is speedy. The first couple weeks can drag, but you'll turn the corner quickly, just don't push it, give yourself some time to heal. I'm a huge believer in support groups...are you involved in one? Sue

Manatee... WOW!!! Good thing you explained who you were in the pics, I never would have guessed that was the same person! What a difference 6 months has made. You look great, and I bet you feel the improvement in your health too!

Sandra... where is your port? in the middle of your stomach? Mine is on the left (under my boob) between the ribs and waist. Doc gets it 1st time every time. Sound miserable to be poked & prodded so much. Does your doc numb you first? Sue

Dawn... I really enjoyed the metting on Monday too. It seems so long to go a whole month, I'd really like to get together for a Soup night or walking once a month too. Maybe there's a good deli (at the mall or something) where they would have Soups and salads, then we could walk. Mer... Too funny on the Boots...LOL I have to go to costco today, I might look for some of your potions

Yippee Ki...see you tomorrow night! Sue

Macysgranny... That is SOOOOOO cool. I'm 5 lbs away and I'm going to be dancing too!!! Melissa... I've had cortisone shots for heel spurs, it took 2 rounds but it did help. I won't tell you how long the needle is that they stick in your heel! Try stretching and exercises before you shoot them up. Calf stretching is REALLY important!

Mer... I'm almost ready to buy an new set of bras...again. I've already thrown out the b4-band size and today I looked down while trying on some dresses and realized the suckers were only 1/2 full. May be exciting if you start at a DD, but a little discouraging when your B's are sagging! By the way...the dresses were size 14!!! never thought I'd even dream of a 14 again. Still got a ways to go in the but, but the fuller skirted dresses were snug, but they did FIT!!! Yesterday I was telling Wendy how overwelmed I am when I go shopping. I'm so programmed to ignore 90% of the store and only look at the PLUS sizes, where there is very little selection. I've always based my purcahses on "if it fits". Now there is an entire store (except the PLUS department) and it almost scares me. I don't do well with SOOOO many choices! I guess I'll just have to learn how to deal with it...it's a tough world! LOL

Dawn... What an experience! I'm so sorry you had to go through that, and to not really know the cause must be frustrating and scary. I'll be praying for you, and you're right, the keeping the perspective is sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves when we just can't explain it all. Take extra good care of yourself!!! Sue

I would love to walk at the mall this week. I need some distraction and some "fellowship". I really don't know what my schdule is, we had a rough weekend and my son has to go in for some testing this week. He had a seizure on Friday and they think he has epilepsy (I don't even know if that's how you spell it...I'm going to be up late tonight doing research). Any of you that would do so, Bryce could use a prayer or two. AHHHHH!!! my TOM is around the corner too...I am really fighting the urge to go in the kichen and eat my stress away...yes, I really do need a good walk! Sue

Ginger... If I eat less than 1000 calories a day I go into starvation mode...scale won't budge. Sure sounds like that's where you're at. You've go to be able to get nourishment. I would definitely call the doc. I've really found that if I stay away from the breads and starches I really don't crave them. I do crave salt once in a while (I used to binge on chips), so I grab a few almonds. I am tempted to try a little PB&J (I haven't really tried any bread since my last fill). Maybe I'll put a little PB&J on a few ritz.

Who all made it to the St Joe's group last night? Was it a good meeting? I sure hate missing, but had a open house at one of my son's school.