Wenjea

Mini - I use the coffee pot method when staying at a hotel too cuz every room has a small coffee pot, plus I don't have to lug my bullet around with me, just my powder. If you buy the baby formula holders you can get three shakes out of one holder. Great way to take it on a weekend get-a-way.

Mini - I put a little warm tap water in the bottom of my mug and then add my protein powder and make a paste, get the lumps out, and then add slowly hot water that I ran through the coffee pot (w/o coffee). If I am at home I can use my insta-hot but most offices have a coffee pot. The temperature of the water after going through the coffee pot is perfect for making it hot without curdling it. I run the water against the side of the cup as it goes in which cools it a bit. I have had it curdle when using boiling water so don't try that. Coffee temperature is perfect.

mini - what is the weird squealing thing? Does it actually make noise? My band is so tight in the morning that I can only do hot protein chocolate. I pretend it is a mocha or hot chocolate. I am used to the taste now and actually like it. The cold shakes are a lot harder for me to get down. Even the hot I have to sip and wait . . . at least for the first few sips to go down and stay down.

Mer - i am excited for you and can't wait to see the results. Thanks for being the test sample for the rest of us! Is Oh a lot cheaper?

twinmommy - I see we are real close on the weight loss. I'm just a bit jealous that you are doing better. I feel like the 'litttle train that could' most of the time, slowly chugging up the hill but never going very fast. I have 17 pounds more and I will feel like I achieved what I set out to do. Another 20 pounds after that will get me to my dream goal but I don't really care if that takes another year. I'm still walking three days a week and doing weights two days. On the weekends I just try to stay active doing something. I really struggle with the "oh you look great" so I guess I can eat chocolate syndrome. Heard of that one? I'm going to meet with the nutritionist soon to review my food choices and come up with a plan to get back on track.

The meeting was great! I learned so much! I just don't know where to start! How in the world do you decide what you want off first. . . baggy chin, baggy tummy, baggy arms, baggy legs, baggy butt, baggy back. . . so much baggy and so little money! seriously I really like this guy and I liked his approach. I don't know if I have the patience to wait a year after losing all this weight but I figure my face has lost it the fastest and that's the part everyone sees eveyday so I think I will start there next fall. It will have been a year and a half since my surgery then and since I am over 50 I think it is the most necessary for my self-esteem. I don't want to look 26 again but I do want to be the best looking 52 year old I can be! Has anyone met any other plastic surgeons around the Puget sound area that they like?

metalband - I know it's been forever since I've been on the boards but life has been busy! I just got back from a three day ski trip. i have been skiing all my life but I got a tell you, 74 pounds makes a world of difference!!! Last year my size 20 ski suit was so tight that I would need a crane to get back up if I fell. This year I couldn't even wear it cuz it was so big so I switched my sister for her size 18 but it was still so baggy that my husband was like . . .that looks silly. I pulled out some old snow pants that were my sons that hadn't fit me in several years and they looked like baggy snowboarding pants but that's what I ended up wearing. I have a one piece from eons ago that is size 14-16 and I can get it zipped but it was snug. What a treat to be able to walk in my boots without getting out of breath. I could bend over and buckle them without having to unzip my one piece. Getting up was a piece of cake and I could ski all day and not get tired. I remembered why I love skiing!!! The best news is I came home and found that I had dropped another pound and a half. Yea! I am trying to eat more to lose more also. It sounds backwards but Sue is right about your body shutting down and not losing if you don't get enough calories. I am trying to be okay with 2-3 pounds a month. Heck, that's how it went on so it makes sense that it will come off the same way. ski happy!!

Oh, I meant to tell you that I am walking at the mall on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 7:45am. I know it's early but I go as soon as I drop the girls off at school or else the days get away from me. If anyone wants to meet up with me just drop me a line. I will need a walking partner while Sue is on her cruise soaking up the sun. . . bummer dude.

Hey Mer! long time no see! I am planning on catching up at the support group this month with you all but i'm thinking it is on the third Monday which would be the 21st. Hope someone can clear this up for us. your classes sound fun. I am bummed because my upholstery teacher retired in December and they couldn't find a replacement until April so my hobby has been put on hold. I did however sign up to substitute teach so we will see how that goes.

I know . . I know . . .it's been way to long since I've been on to chat. I read a couple of pages back and saw a band mate. Twinmommy - hi there! so my goal for the holidays was to come through it at the same weight I went into it at. I weighed exactly the same on new Years day that I did on Thanksgiving morning. Good news is that I pretty much ate what I wanted in December . . bad news is I didn't lose anything. SOOOOOO my New years resolution was to exercise 5 days a week (no excuses) and drink more water. I was trying to get the sugar back out but that only lasted three days. i am cutting way down on it though. It's crazy how addicting that sweet stuff is.I really want to get the next 20 pounds off before my one year band date and it seems really slow. I am only losing about a pound a week if that. At least it is not going up a pound a week. I really want to see my BMI in the 20's. It's close enough I can smell it! Good to be back!

Hi there everyone and many holiday blessings. I have been very busy with two parties at my home under my belt. The gifts are bought, wrapped, and under the tree and the house is decorated. I got the cold thing out of the way this week and spent two days flat on my back in bed. I will have all six kids and spouses here on Sunday so I gotta get cleaning. I'm hoping to get a picture of everyone for me Christmas card and get those out next week. It's a busy time of year with lots of food temptations but I managed to hit 70 pounds on my Birthday yesterday. That was the best gift of all!

Happy holidays everyone! I know it's been awhile but with two parties under my belt and the last 4 days in bed have kept me off of here. The good news is my house is decorated, the presents are bought and wrapped and under the tree, and my son and his wife fly in on Saturday!!!! I will have all six of my kids here on Sunday with my three daughter-in-laws so it's our pre-Christmas celebration before three if them spend Christmas day at other places. I hate to share with the in-laws. . . My goal was to make it from Thanksgiving to Christmas without gaining weight and in fact I have lost some so that is the best gift of all! I hit 70 pounds off yesterday on my birthday which was a nice surprise. The key for me is to eat plenty and not starve myself. I still need to work on those Christmas cards so I better get moving. Many Blessings to all of you through the holidays and the new year to come.

KiKi - I'm not having one for awhile because last time I was so tight that getting food down that wasn't liquid was impossible without PBing after the first couple of bites. I am just getting to the place where I feel like I can eat in the evening. The nutritionist was explaining how you can cause your weight loss to slow down or stop if you don't keep your calories up. Try keeping track of eveything you eat and add up the calories, try to keep between 1000 - 1200 per day. Any less and you will quit losing. I'm really trying to eat more food and more variety everyday.

kiki -Sounds like you are doing fine with the weight loss. Make sure you are eating enough that your body doesn't think it is being starved, it will adjust your metabolism to calories consumed so be sure you are eating at least 1000 calories per day. Have you had any fills yet?

Hey everyone! Just stopping in to say hi. you all are doing great! My weight loss is sooooo slow now. I am losing only about 5 pounds per month. my December goal is just to make it through the holidays without gaining weight. It is sure hard with all the sweets and treats around everywhere. For some reason the sweet stuff goes down real easy. . . go figure. I'm trying to eat more of the good stuff to get out of the starvation mode that I have been in and has caused me to plateau. I also need to start exercising more every day. It's hard to go out when it is cold. snuggling up in front of the fire with a good book sounds so much better!!! Happy Holidays Everyone!

Melissa - loved the wedding pics, you looked so happy!! You were just shining! I made it through Thanksgiving . . .up a couple pounds on Friday . . .down a couple on Saturday so all is fine. I ate more then I thought I could but not nearly as much as I usually do. I've been so busy with everything that I didn't get to the gym this weekend but will be there Monday with bells on my toes. I like giving myself permission to take off the holiday weekend, not gain weight, and get back on the horse on Monday. Before the Band I would of failed over the weekend and used that as an excuse to overeat until Christmas. I would of gained about 10-15 pounds and felt terrible about myself January 1st. i would of started a crazy diet and the circle would of started again for yet another year. It is so freeing to know for sure this year is different. . . and I love that!

Sue - lets ride together. Call me!

Hi twinmommy - I celebrated my 6 mo. band anniversary by shopping at the Supreme outlets up north of Everett and hitting the one day Macys sale with an extra 20% off the entire day. My best deal of the day was a Ralf Lauren jean jacket, original price of $139.00, after sale and discounts was $8.00! size 16 regular and it buttons closed. I'm feeling good about life! I think my goal is to make it through the holidays without gaining weight and then getting serious about getting the next 20 pounds off. This just isn't the time of year to be trying to do that with all the crazyness off the holidays. Gotta go walk on the treadmill. . .bye!

Wow - tomorrow is my six months day from surgery! In some ways it has been so easy and in other ways I'm a bit disappointed that I still have so far to go. . . I am really wanting to be under 200 by my year anniversary. This second half is soooooo much slower then the first. Oh well, at 5'10'' i don't look so bad at size 16, it's just that I want to be a normal size 14 for the rest of my life. I want to be able to walk into any store in America and have a 14 fit me with room to spare. Is that to much to ask???? Guess I will go have some more water!

Mini - I feel very strongly that my kids and grandkids are my legacy. They are what I am giving the world. My Three oldest sons are married now to wonderful women who are strong believers. They are productive in society and generous givers to their church and communities. My three youngest are still home but I will launch my fourth son soon. He is 21 and still finishing school in graphic design. He is my artist child, very gifted and intelligent but struggling to find that soul-mate who will help mold him in to the man that God intended him to be. My girls are in the their teens and start high school next year. I pray for patience and understanding and that they will remain close to me in their hearts and actions. they are strong girls and go to a christian school so they know right from wrong. They have goals and dreams so my job is to help them believe they can do whatever their passion is. I love being a full time mom and can't imagine missing out on even a second of their lives. I realize that my husband gave me a very special gift when he made it possible for me to stay home with my children. I am in awe of full time working moms who can be successful at doing both things well.

I will be six months tomorrow and even though I have lost more then half of my weight I was really hoping it would fall off until I reached goal. Now the work starts and I am grateful that my band does not allow me to screw up much. . . . It gives me peace of mind and really helps with the determination to keep going when you know the weight won't come flying back on from looking at a desert. My biggest change is the way I think about food. I finally understand what it means to 'eat to live' instead of 'live to eat' and I'm thankful for that.

Sue - Welcome to my world . . . By the way, good job on the cushions!

Mini - The baby is due March 29th but my son was 2 1/2 weeks late so I'm thinking she will hang around till April. I have a feeling that will be here sooner then I think. I'm glad I have the holidays to distract me from obsessing about it. How about your grandbaby? when is the due date?

It's a baby girl according to the ultra sound and they got a very good shot of it so they have picked the name Chloe Mae (Mae is two grandmothers middle names) but there is still a few months to change their minds on the name which we all know moms do so I'm not engraving anything yet. She looked just perfect on the ultra sound, it is so amazing what they can see now. Mini - I am praying for you and your daughter that everything will go well and you will get a healthy baby (boy) to love. Is dad in the picture at all? I haven't got on the scale for a couple of days to see if I do better when I'm not constantly weighing myself.

I was gone all day but I met my kids at the doctors and it turns out they are having a baby girl !!!!!!! Can't wait to go shopping now that I know. This is gonna be sooooo fun! I think I am painting tomorrow but I will be at the Y first for my workout Sue so don't even think of giving me an excuse . . . I'm driving up to the outlet malls of north for the weekend on Friday so I'll see you next week.