nightingale2u

I sure hope so Betty! It's tough not being able to use it... I just looked at it longingly while doing 2 miles on the treadmill today...LOL. I can see my skin sagging already and since I don't think I can talk myself into more surgery... I'm going to hope that this machine will help minimize the sag factor! So Miss Betty... when is your big day again????? Must be coming up pretty soon???? It seemed like forever when I was waiting for my surgery day but then whammo... it arrived quicker than I expected! Posting here really helped me through the wait. Darcy

Hang in there Kimberly... we are all routing for you to have an uneventful surgery and a quick recovery... Everyone is wishing you well over on the "support" board... go take a look... maybe that will help you feel better! I'm so excited for you!!!! Darcy

Marie... I am sure that Betty is totally correct about the building of muscle! Be sure to keep measurements... sometimes you will lose inches even when the loss isn't reflected on the scale. I bet your clothes are also telling a different story than the scale as well! The guy wasn't able to fix my gym... he ordered new parts and they will be back next Wednesday to hopefully get it up and running. I could return it... but we would pay a couple hundred more for a brand new model. I think it will be worth the wait... crossing my fingers. I guess I will have to do the treadmill and toning exercises as I was before... bummer... was really hoping for the change from the same ole routine.

Today's Weight... 222 Total of 35 lbs lost and 5 lbs down this week! I'd get a fill every week if it would mean losing 5 lbs! Great job Penni and Michelle! Darcy

Hi Marie... My wt last Monday was 227... so that's 5lbs down this week! Of course... I barely ate on Friday or Saturday so am sure that helped this weeks total! I am really hoping to be down to 219 next Monday... to be in the "teens" would really motivate me and not to mention how fricking happy it would make me feel! I did get my gym... unfortunately... after much trouble getting it into the basement... the motor didn't work to set the tension. I was just a TAD upset. The Sears dude is coming this morning to hopefully fix it or at least figure out what is wrong so it can be fixed. My hubby and I are both looking forward to using it! I was able to put on a pair of 18/20 jeans this weekend... WOW... freaked me out! Darcy

Mornin Everyone! Penni... tis good to see your post... so glad you are having a good time! Marie... you are really pounding the pavement with that bike of yours! Dang... you are going to need new tires for Christmas! Janie... Come back soon! Love your murals you talented lady you! Well I guess my fill is working because I am down to 222! THat brings my grand total to 35 lbs lost! YAY! It took my stomach until Sunday to stop cramping but feeling pretty normal now. I was afraid to eat in the beginning but am back to solid foods and chew... chew... chewing! I am so happy to be restricted again! No probs drinking water... Went for a short bike ride Sunday but was just not feeling up to a huge amount of exercise this weekend. I'm feeling so much better today and plan on getting moving again! Oh... good deed... bought more bird feeders for up at our cabin and filled them all before we left... we are going to have some fat and sassy birdies by next weekend! ((((hugs)))) Darcy

Hi All, Marie... I sure hope your kitty is feeling better! (((hugs))) Rebecca... Sometimes people just don't know the impact of words... I think you are a beautiful girl and should be danced around the kitchen to the song "Pretty Woman". Teresa... Hope you have a wonderful time! We'll miss ya! Michelle... It must be awesome knowing that your weight-loss will be more likely to be permanant than the optifast option! You really are doing such a fantastic job with your band! Penni- You are probably sipping on a Pina Colada right now... Cheers! Lisa- I didn't watch when they did the fill... I was literally scared to death! My Angel Nicci drove me to the Doc's office and even she was a tad shocked at the difference between her fill experience and mine. THe port flipped making a LOUD popping sound with the first attempt... surprised I didn't pass out...LOL. When she did get it... she put 2cc in and let me tell ya... I am definitely restricted! Anyhoo... I hope I never need another fill because it was not a pleasant experience for me. I was up most of the night belching and walking to try and get rid of the gas and pain in my shoulder... but hey... I bet the scale is gonna move downward now! Intake yesterday... a half a cup of soup and some a couple of smooshed carrots and a smooshed piece of potato from a pot roast and a NF SF yogurt. Drank lots of water before the fill... and sipped more after and a cup of warm tea in the middle of the night. I was 225 on the Docs scale yesterday. Have a great weekend everyone! Darcy

Ryan... Lucky Wife and Lucky LapBandTalk for having you and your writing talents! I can't wait to see your release from prison! Darcy

What a Hottie! You look awesome Rica! Congratulations! Darcy

Okay...didn't expect this BUT... I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO nervous about my first fill today... feel like BARFING!!!!! I know it'll be no prob... but still think I would blow chunks if I ate anything this morning! LISA... FRICKING AWESOME on the 50 pounds... WOW!!! OY... I feel sick... need to go busy myself with something! Darcy

You are Da Bomb Lisa!!!!! You Rock Girlie!!!!! The big 5 0 WOO HOO!!!!!!! ((((hugs)))) Darcy

So Happy to hear of your loss... gets my vote.

Hi everyone... Having puter problems... hubby is trying to fix it so I am borrowing his! My dietician is a twiggy as well... *sigh* made me very uncomfortable about sharing my diet prior to surgery. Lisa... I would love it if my dietician had a little chub... would put me at ease to know that it is a struggle they can honestly share. I'm with you Debra... bring on the fill!!!! Only three more days for me...THANK GOODNESS!!!! I can literally eat ANYTHING and am liking it much too much! I am continuing to exercise and drink my water... so at least I haven't totally fallen off the wagon... YET. My home gym arrives Thursday and I am hoping and praying that it will help me get rid of these bat wings I like to call arms! Oy... still no binging... but sure have thought about it! I think I'll hit my fella up for a little roll in the hay tonight... lord knows I need to burn a few extra calories! Sounds like everyone is doing a great job! Darcy

I know how you feel Penni... we shall see the scale move in the downward direction! I just did toning this morning and also moving everything around in the basement to make it more of a room dedicated to working out. It's really a nice bright and cool room. Now that I have everything arranged in there have to go back down and clean! I'm thinking that maybe I'll give my hubby a heart attack and make it a REALLY jazzed up place to work out. Have a good day everyone!

WTG Michelle!!!!!! What an awesome weight-loss for you! I know how hard you are working and you deserve every pound lost! I'm not horribly discouraged...was just a wake-up call. It's also that time of the month... who knows... maybe it's just a fluid shift. I am really just trying to keep things from getting totally out of control until my fill this Friday. If I don't binge between now and then... that is a definite battle won. If I continue to exercise that will be a double bonus. Betty... I have been losing inches... I try to measure every two weeks or so and will measure next Monday again... so we'll see! I hope my gym is delivered this week! Darcy

A tad depressed... but tis my own fault! I am down to 227 from my last OFFICIAL weigh-in... but as everyone knows... I was down to 226 when I weighed on Wednesday. *sigh* I wish I could get my fill today! I've really been a little piggy... and I need to get back on track. Part of the problem is not having good foods on hand... so... guess a dreaded grocery store run is warranted. I am proud of myself for continuing the exercise and water intake... have not wavered there. All in all... feeling firmer and stronger so will not let the scale numbers take those good feelings away. Darcy

Yeah Penni... he was installing Norton for me and was apparently having a hard time with my computer while I was in peaceful slumber. I didn't know it was even on when we left that morning! He did pay though... when I told him I waited up for as long as I could... to get a little sumptin sumptin. Naughty naughty again... we didn't go to the cabin... went to breakfast at a BUFFET and shopping instead. I kept it to one plate but it certainly wasn't a banded breakfast! We were shopping for a home gym...LOLOLOL... and I was STUFFED. Anyhoo... bought a Weider CrossBar Platinum 800 and it should be delivered Thursday. I'm pretty excited as it will be nice to have a bigger variety for exercise! Came home and ate a HUGE cookie while reading the manual for my new gym... hehehehehe... and then... felt guilty and jumped on the treadmill for a brisk 2 mile walk. I can only hope that the exercising will have helped me avoid certain doom when I jump on the scale. Aunt Flo is visiting too... that won't make the scale reading better will it! Water logged as usual... hopefully that is washing some of the calories out! Darcy

Hey Ladies... Well... can everyone say... Darcy needs her FILL???? Friday night I ate an entire steak filet PLUS a baked potato... went down slicker than snot! Yesterday evening at the cabin ate a turkey brat in a bun and ate a HUGE cookie afterwards! Although I am eating bigger quantities ... I am not snacking and my other meals have been pretty "diet" oriented. I am also drinking tons of Water and exercising my big booty off! We were up at our cabin all day (Lisa/Penni... my hubby left my AIM on)... didn't get home until after 11pm. We worked our little hinders off burning brush and hauling pretty moss covered rocks around the property. We also went for our for an hour on our bikes... was a beautiful day here! I can really feel my muscles getting stronger with all of this exercise! Well ... better go shower... we are off to the cabin again today... want to enjoy as much time up there as we can before the snow flies! You know... it's a good feeling knowing that I COULD binge eat...but I'm not.

Ahhh... Carmen that's wonderful!!!! Those non-scale victories are the best! A pair of pants fitting is better than an ole number on the scale anyday! Happy Belated Birthday! :banana Darcy

MEOWWWW.... what a purdy little kitty you are!

Well... today was feeling like a big ole lazy lump! I finally convinced myself to do a half an hour of toning exercises ... and made it 7 minuted on the stepper instead of 2...lol. Saturday and Sunday we will be up at our shack where my bike is... so plan on riding for an hour each day that we are there. That gives me a break from the boring ole treadmill! I've been doing so so with eating... definitely need that fill next Friday but not eating anywhere close to the amounts I ate pre-banding. My food choices are much healthier ones as well. Chugging Water as usual. Lisa... WTG on the weight-loss!!!! Keep it up girl! Sorry you have the crud *handing you a bowl of chicken soup* Hey... I wanted to ask you... how do you like the Total Gym???? I am searching high and low for a used home gym and am trying to decide if I want the traditional type or something like that. Teresa... you are just kicking butt with your weight-loss! I think it is time for a new avatar! Also... I have two swimsuits that are in excellent condition... I'd be happy to send them if you would like? They are really pretty and have probably been worn all of once or twice. I think they are size 22/24. Penni... Where are the spandex pics????? I went to your website and didn't see them there... is there a post that I can't find???? I am anxious to see you clad in leopard skin attire! You are going to be one tough buffed babe if you keep all of that exercising up! Marie... I think Lance better watch out for you in the next Tour de France! Betty... How's it going??? Where's Michelle??????? Okay... off to make myself useful... or take a nap. Have a good weekend everyone! Darcy

You Know Marie... there are fellas that pay good money to see a woman clad in a wet T-shirt! I'm sure your Hubby didn't mind! Well... just got off the treadmill... 38 minutes and 2 miles later! Man... I feel like a wet rag... but in a good way! You guys have really helped light a fire under my butt! Penni... Waiting for the spandex pics... Betty... thanks so much and I do feel great!

*Hanging Head in Shame... but With a Big Grin on My Face!* I awoke this morning... Feeling thinner... I tried to fight it girls...but after last week with no loss... I really needed to see something positive. Soooooooooooo I stepped on the ole Tanita this morning and I was down to 226!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!! That's down from 229 on Monday... Happy Girl Here. I broke the 30 pound loss mark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yee Haw!!!!! I swear ... I'm going to attack that treadmill today with all I've got! OMIGOD... I feel soooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NSV... My hubby bought me a pretty little ring for my birthday July 9th... we didn't have it sized because I was freshly post-op and wanted to see if it would fit after losing weight. It has been sitting mostly in it's jewelery case where I would look at it on a daily basis... I took it out yesterday evening and guess what... it fit!!!!! I have never slimed or PB'd... I guess that is a sure sign that I need that first fill???? I really don't think I want to experience what you all are describing... but feel like I won't be a real bandster until I do! I guess another good sign that I need a fill is that I sat and ate an entire bag of smart pop popcorn lastnight... whoops. Have a great day everyone... OH... Teresa... Lisa... there are many smart men out there... it's just that we women tend to pass them by for the more testosterone based versions. I was guilty of this but learned my lesson. Many smart men also make the mistake of choosing Barbie Dolls as well... some of them learn that a good conversation can not be underestimated. Luckily... I let Mr. testosterone go... and Barbie left my hubby for a testosterone based man... and two smart people got a second chance for happiness! Hope everyone has a kick butt day! Darcy

Marie... I found the best price on a Tanita at Drugstore.com.... I didn't purchase the most fancy model... mine just tells me the percentage of body fat along with my weight... honestly... I don't want to know more...lol. I also bought the model that allows two people to monitor their progress... there is a family model as well that is more expensive. I do love mine... it never varies when I get off and on again. Darcy

Yep... CRAZY ...that pretty well sums it up! Marie... I forgot to answer your question about the ab exercisies... I was worried about trying the crunches but it was no problemo! It didn't feel any different from when I did them in the past. I hate my hanging belly and am hoping with all of my heart that I can avoid a tummy tuck after all the weight is gone. I had a dream that I had to have more surgery the other night and I was TERRIFIED... I guess getting so sick with the banding surgery left a big impression on me! Well... I went out and mowed the lawn for and HOUR... sheesh... we need to figure out a way to cut down on the amount of grass at our house! Now I have to decide if I have the energy to get on the treadmill??? Marie... I turn on the stereo full blast when I do the treadmill and that takes some of the boredom out of it. I like being able to see the numbers for distance and speed and calories burned and I think it really helps me build endurance and see how I am improving. The winters are harsh here... so it is also a good way to get exercise once the weather turns cold. I haven't eaten Breakfast... so better get something into my stomach... OH ... my good deed... doing my hubbies chore of taking the garbage out and picking up the doggy droppings. TTFN