Tabithan

Hi Music, - Good job writing down the good, bad and the ugly. Sometimes its tough to write down the ugly!!!! RAISED sugar-free COCOA MUG TO YA!!! :cool2: But no more 2500 CALORIE lunches - tehehe!!!!! :tt2: I dont like salads at all, so what i try and do is get healthy alternatives at restaurants. For example, I went to Pappadeaux today - food is awesome and all soaked in grease - YUM - so I asked for my tilapia grilled with no oil and a side of grilled Beans. I asked them to skip the sauce - and it tasted...simply delish.... !!! But, great job writing it down...whoooo whooooooooooop!!!

Hey Crzytchr, I'm so glad you are ok from the surgery and the ovaries are intact!!! Whuwhooooo Don't worry about the weight - it is all Water retention and will fall out shortly. It did that after my port revision surgery about a month ago. I was heavier but it all dropped in about two weeks!! Welcome back and feel better!!!!!!!!

Welcome Penny!!! You have had amazing results!!! You have already lost over half the weight that you need to lose, and that is TRULY inspiring. COngratulations on a job well done, so far. The problem with weight loss as I am sure you have experienced MANY TIMES BEFORE is that once you lose a ton, you lose motivation. In the past, if you are anything like me, you would lose about half the weight, feel great, wear new clothes, then gain back the 50lbs, PLUS. So it seems like you are just in a normal weight loss cycle - you have seen some results, you got excited and the motivation is a little decreased. The good news?? - The band will keep us from regaining all that weight, so long as we use it as a tool. You've taken the first step, by posting here. Congratulations. Next step - small goals to get you back on track. And I think you can. Please post your successes and struggles along the way, and we will pick you up when we need to, and Celebrate along with you. You CAN lose that additional 47lbs!!!!! I hear you on the emotional eating because I was not able to control it the past few days. It is like it TOOK OVER ME - my stomach was full but i continued grazing - and couldnt stop. Then I took a moment on Sunday, and took a step back. I asked myself, why now?? why am I all of a sudden looking for everything to eat, when I was so disciplined the last month? Then it dawned on me. It is the holidays, I dont have my family around me, I feel lonely and I REALLY miss having them around me. Those feelings of sadness, loneliness, maybe some guilt and missing my family are what was driving me to eat. The moment I understood that, I took some steps to try and control it and so far, from Monday through today, the emotional eating has gone away. I'm not sayign it is gone forever, but for now, it is gone. Maybe you could explore the true emotional reason behind your eating, journal what you were thinking when you had the urge to eat, or what issue has been bothering you lately - what emotion you are feeling - hurt, anger, happiness, sadness, loneliness, fear - all those feelings that drive us to eat for comfort. Then, go shopping and put some healthy fruit or vegetable Snacks in the house - I love baby carrots. In addition, I bought some sugar free popsicles and fudgesicles - only 10 or 30 calories!!!!! Good luck - let us know how it goes with the emotional eating...and the FILL!!!! PS: I LOVE YOUR NEW GOALS!!!!!!!!!!!

Wuhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu CONGRATULATIONS!!! It is always so exciting to see such hard "evidence" of one's successes especially when you have been working so hard!! And the scale can sometimes flipflop, but no one can dispute the CLOTHES. Nice work~~~~!!!!!!1 Out of curiosity, what is an NSV??

MizPEPPY - Where did you disappear to?? :smile: How are you doing?? We miss you!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your encouraging words, doc. I think you are absolutely right - that we need to delve deeper into the reasons behind our obesity or our apparent failure to date with the lap band - that the reasons go beyond simple weakness of character - and in order to be successful at this journey, we need to explore those reasons, and explore them earnestly and honestly. I recently got another fill and my stomach gets full so quickly - yet my mind is always hungry since this fill. Yet i find myself craving food and I find myself always wanting to eat. I need to delve deeper and really understand the reasons behind my emotional eating, and the reasons behind my apparent failure with the band. Thank you doc - do you by chance do lapbad surgeries yourself? In your opinion, what is the #1 reason for failure with the band? My doc mentioned that 40% of people on the lapband are not successful and I do not want to be a part of that statistic - and I think I can speak for everyone else on this forum. Perhaps you can clue us in to the main reasons behind lack of success with the band, from your perspective. Thanks for the insight!!!!!!

ARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH Guys!!! I am still getting used to my new fill. I ATE TOO MUCH and I feel SO UNCOMFORTABLE. I really need to cut my portions a little more. My goals for the rest of December: - Eat no more than 1500 calories a day - Drink at least 84 oz of Water daily - Work out 3 times a week (notice that I scaled down on this? hehe) - Measure everything I eat - Write down everything I eat on fitday.com - Work on this darned HEAD HUNGER!!!!! What are your goals for the rest of December, fellow strugglers??? How are you doing on your goals?

Hi Aquameliza!!! Welcome, welcome, welcome, to our little group. I am so glad you went to get your fill despite the fear to disappoint. The good news is that now that you went, it brought some accountability back to you - you went up 2.5lbs but I am willing to bet that in a month, you will have lost that 2.5lbs and then some. Sometimes it takes "facing our fears" which can be the scale, to get us right back on TRACK. Question for you - what are your goals for the rest of December????

WELCOME Music!!! Glad you can find inspiration from us girls. Believe me, the lap band is definitely worth it, but you have to WORK IT!!!! Well, keep in touch and let us know how your journey goes. When do you get banded??

OMG IBBANDED!!!!!!!!!! I am SOOOO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!! That is awesome!!! You just recommitted and it is already dropping. Doesnt matter if it was water weight or juice weight - hehehe - it is lbs gone forever. ANd I bet it is more than water weight. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!1 I am sooooo excited for you. Nice work and keep it up!!! whoooo whoooooooooooop!!!!

Hi Cryzytchr - How are you?? how did your procedure going? How are you doing??

checking in. Progressing well since the little procedure. On some pain meds. Havent been tracking what I eat but started again today, on fitday.com. Ate 3/4 cup of Cereal and I am OVER STUFFED. I think the fill may be working and I may need to cut my Breakfast portion to half cup - arrrghhh - cos I have mental hunger but the stomach is getting too full. How are you all doing, fellow strugglers????

subscribing

Hey guys!!! I am home - all went well with the surgery. Just a lil sleepy. I also got a lil fill!! See you all SOON

SKHOPP - How did it go at the dr's appt? I think you were going yesterday??? Is the band blown or is it OK??? hoping for the best.

WEBKAT, BAYOUGIRL, SLIM1 and SKHOPP - Where are you hiding?? where's your daily update?? how are you doing on your goals?? WE MISS YOU!!! Please check in - good, bad or ugly (stealing from IBBanded's phrase... :huh2: )

Thank you!!!!!!! I will let you guys know how it goes. Good luck as well with yours!!!!!! Let us know that you got through it OK!!! Sending warm thoughts your way....

IBBANDED - You have NO IDEA how excited I am of your accomplishments to date - the setting of specific goals, the working out, the meals - the overall FOLLOW-THROUGH. I feel like a PROUD MOMMA - CONGRATULATIONS - Great job and please, keep it up!!! With this, you will begin or continue to see results. Nice work!!!! I am SO MOTIVATED to stay on track after reading your post. I am doing GREAT with my food intake and tracking this week but struggling a little with excercise. I have only gone ONCE this week and I know I wont be able to go for another few days since I am having the mini procedure tomorrow - But this really motivates me to GET BACK with the MOVING my behind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited about your progress. Keep it up and please keep letting us know about your successes.:huh2:

Hi Tom, My heart saddened after reading your story. I am really sorry to hear what happened to you but at the same time glad to hear that you are in such good spirits. I really wish you the best through this journey and that somehow, you will recover from the physical, emotional and financial torment this has placed on you and your family. I will keep you in my thoughts.

Whooooooooo whooooooooooooooop!! That's awesome IBBAnded - Going to carves and all - Very very nice. You are motivating me to get off my behind and go for Tae Kwondo today. Personally I dont count my carbs, just my calories - I try and eat a good combo of all food groups - I can eat about 1.5-2 cups a meal, so getting all my necessary Protein in is no problem. I love the idea of the pics for motivation - I should get some pics and stick em on the fridge today. So how are you doing on your goals today?

Hi Crazytchr, thanks for the good wishes! I got the insurance approval today. Good luck on your surgery Monday - let us know how it goes - we will send you warm wishes and thoughts. I'm not sure about an unfill - that is a great question - let us know what your surgeon says. Anyone else know???????????????? I'm sure you wont gain so long as you keep your calorie intake in check - they do say that weight loss is 80% diet and only 20% excercise. I would definitely keep in mind the inactivity when determining how many calories to take in, daily. Probably hover around your minimum rather than maximum. Good luck on the surgery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Hey gang, I have a CONFESSION - It is so cold out there, I felt to "achy" to go for tae kwondo - just didnt want to face the cold. I am going to go for spin tomorrow AM at the gym and report in. Doing well on my food goals - on track so far. How are you doing on your goals today, fellow strugglers????????

Hi Kathy, I'm sorry to hear that yesterday was a challenging day - but I cant wait for you to put 7/23 on all your goals!!! that would be PERFECT Did you manage to get on the treadmill??? :blushing: What exactly were you struggling with from a food perspective??

Hi IBBanded - Awesome - looks like you are on track. I love the goals and I love the tracking food and finding solutions for tempting situations. For snacking alternatives, I have found that black tea with milk and splenda helps crave some of the urges - REALLY - I put a cup of organic non-fat milk (90 cals, 0 fat), I then put one or two black tea bags, and a little water and put in microwave for two minutes. When done, I add 3 splenda - this is SOOOO DELICIOUS, you will want to cry. :blushing: By the time you are done with this hot snack, your cravings - GONE!!!! I'm so glad you are excercising - Keep at it - when I dont feel like excercising, like today, I come to LBT and somehow I get the movitation. Also, I got an excercise ticker (as it shows below) that keeps me accountable. It feels good to add a day of working out on the ticker and see my progress towards the goal I set. As for the weekly weigh in - I dont do it at weight watchers but that is a GREAT IDEA. I weight myself officially every sunday and record it on my ticker below, as well. I also record my activity on fitday because it does the calorie exchange calculation for you - LOVE IT. For some strange reasons, the tickers have motivated me - and when I gained weight - I went back to my ticker and ADDED the weight - I hated doing that, but it kept me accountable - on a weekly basis. Let us know how you are doing on your goals. I am really excited to see where we will all be in 6 months!!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone for the kind words!! I really appreciate it!! :mad2: I have GOT to work on the Midnight snacking!!! *arrgh* - I can be stuffed at dinner but at around 10:00PM - I have a STRONG CRAVING to eat in order to fall asleep. Midnight Snacking Goal: - Eat no later than 9:30PM - Eat 70 calories activia yogurt as my midnight snack or other low calorie option. Once I can master the above, I will then push it down to 9:00PM, then 8:30PM, etc. Small goals. Let's see how I do tonight!!!!!!!!! have to go for Tae Kwondo today and because it is so cold outside, I already dont feel like going. I need to start psyching myself up to go!! I must go!!!! :blushing: